Being a big fan of the original Captain Harlock TV series from the 70s I looked forward to the new breed of Leji Matsumoto's productions. Unfortunetly I was mostly disappointed in the way they treated the well known characters and in the quality of storytelling in general. Cosmo Warrior Zero is one of the very few to be actually true to the orgins and at the same time presenting some fresh, interesting ideas.
For Harlock fans the very premise is a treat already. We follow Captain Warrius Zero who is a sworn enemy of Captain Harlock and promises to give everything he's got to hunt down the legendary pirate. The conflict is grounded in the different ways the two men perceive where their honour and duties lie, so it won't be settled just by the revelation they both have good intentions and qualities they respect a lot.
Another point of interest are the interactions between human and mechanized crew memebers of Zero's ship. Humans and the Mechanized Empire just finished a bloody war resulting in a difficult peace treaty and a promise of "cooperation". Both sides have naturally a lot of ill feelings towards each other and it's up to Zero, who lost his closest family in the war, to be above any destructive sentiments and make everyone work seamlessly together. In the first half of the series the moral dilemmas are pretty overwhelming, even for true men (in Matsumoto sense of the expression).
Unfortunetly the story becomes a complete mess after the eighth episode. It feels like a big part is missing there. The specials seem to me to actually fit into this void between episodes 8 and 9 and not after the whole series run as suggested everywhere. However, even when we assume such chronology there are references to important events in 9 that haven't happened anywhere onscreen. Additionally things develop too quickly in those final episodes and the depth and more subtle moments are lost.
The series has great appearances by Harlock, Tochiro and Emeraldas, showing a lot of their charisma and fascinating personality traits from the good old 70s. The only annoying thing about this incarnation of Harlock are the stupid pyjamas he constantly wears instead of his classic garments. The new characters are very Matsumotoesque in their behaviours and are essential for the various plot points, but with exception of Zero lack that special something that would make them particularly memorable. Well, there is one other character, that I'd care to see again, a cool brutal pirate captain that appears in the specials and one other episode.
A few words on the visuals. The animation is professional, but at the same time definetly low-budget. The done-by-computer colorization is something I personally dislike in modern made for TV anime, but perhaps other people will have no gripes about it. However, I'm sure the poor CG and the sloppily put together opening will be annoying to everyone. The action suffers a bit due to the CG ships cheapness, but the strong concepts behind the battles and their more strategic nature save those scenes. The character designs fully embrace Matsumoto's unique style and are mostly of the highest quality.
In conclusion, Cosmo Warrior Zero is worth trying out for someone who is looking for some worthy Matsumoto treat, even if only in small supply. Just prepere yourself for considerable disappointment with the later episodes, because for whatever reasons the project seems to have fallen apart during production and I'd describe it as incomplete.
Anime: Cosmo Warrior Zero
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The time of oppression and lawlessness in deep space has begun. In order to preserve itself, humanity has reluctantly accepted peace with the invading force of mechanical people. Warrius Zero, a mercenary armada captain, has lost his immediate family during the war for Earth. Reduced to serving the mechanized victors, Zero carries out his orders without the will to resist. Now he has received a mission unlike any other. Zero has been commanded to travel to the farthest reaches of the universe to hunt down a single wanted man known to all as Space Pirate Harlock.
Source: HKFlix.com
Source: HKFlix.com
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TV Series, 1978-1979, 42 eps, ,
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by dahuey on 2006-05-17 17:48
Approval:
01.6% (2 votes)
ahh, how they always look the same.
its good but nothing beats interstella.
if you like harlock then you will aslo love this, contains harlock, AWSOME.
an enjoyable story, very entertaining.
must have for any fan.
it follows the story of our captain and his ship as he fights the perils of space and even Harlock. he is searching for harlock to bring him back to earth. throughout the series there are many quarils between the ships humans and robots, its an obvious battle of the human feeling insecure abou there muscles being obselete, pure jenious.
i really dig this show. YAY
its good but nothing beats interstella.
if you like harlock then you will aslo love this, contains harlock, AWSOME.
an enjoyable story, very entertaining.
must have for any fan.
it follows the story of our captain and his ship as he fights the perils of space and even Harlock. he is searching for harlock to bring him back to earth. throughout the series there are many quarils between the ships humans and robots, its an obvious battle of the human feeling insecure abou there muscles being obselete, pure jenious.
i really dig this show. YAY
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main character
male, braveThis character shows little or no fear in face of danger, perhaps even jumping onto the danger when he or she believes the time comes., brown eyesThe character has brown eyes., brown hairThe character has brown hair., honourableAdhering to ethical and moral principles., leadershipThe ability to lead skillfully., peaked capA peaked cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations and also by many uniformed civilian organizations such as law enforcement agencies. In the United States military, they are commonly known as service caps, wheel caps, saucer caps, or combination covers in the Naval services., responsibleA responsible person is one with a high sense of responsibility; it is someone that is reliable and trusted. One can depend on responsible people to get the job done properly, and they will keep themselves accountable for their actions., senior officerA senior officer is a member of the middle echelons among commissioned officers, ranking above junior officers and below flag officers. Please see the full tag description for details on the ranks whose holders are considered senior officers.
voiced by:
Morikawa Toshiyuki
secondary cast
female, blue eyesThis character has blue-colored eyes., blue hairThe character has blue hair., competentDoes his\her job well., earringAn earring is a piece of jewellery attached to the ear via a piercing in the earlobe or another external part of the ear (except in the case of clip earrings, which clip onto the lobe). Earrings are worn by both sexes, although more common among women, and have been used by different civilizations in different times., senior officerA senior officer is a member of the middle echelons among commissioned officers, ranking above junior officers and below flag officers. Please see the full tag description for details on the ranks whose holders are considered senior officers.
voiced by:
Hisakawa Aya
female, bounty hunterA bounty hunter is one who hunts and captures targets (be it people, animals, etc.) for monetary gain, preferably without killing/destroying their target., earringAn earring is a piece of jewellery attached to the ear via a piercing in the earlobe or another external part of the ear (except in the case of clip earrings, which clip onto the lobe). Earrings are worn by both sexes, although more common among women, and have been used by different civilizations in different times., femme fataleA Femme fatale (french for "deadly woman") often leads men into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She tries to achieve her hidden purpose by using feminine wiles such as beauty, charm, and sexual allure. Typically, she is exceptionally well-endowed with these qualities. In some situations, she uses lying or coercion rather than charm. She may also be (or imply to be) a victim, caught in a situation from which she cannot escape., humanModern humans are the only extant members of the subtribe Hominina. Together with chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, they are part of the family Hominidae. Terrestrial animals, humans are characterized by their erect posture and bipedal locomotion; high manual dexterity and heavy tool use compared to other animals; open-ended and complex language use compared to other animal communications; larger, more complex brains than other animals; and highly advanced and organized societies., minidressA one-piece dress, with a hemline well above the knees similar to a miniskirt. Often worn together with knee boots., mischievousThe character enjoys causing small irritations, pranks, and misfortune for others., purple eyesThis character`s eyes are colored somewhere between red and blue., white hairThe character has pure white hair.
voiced by:
Kaori
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| Last Update | Name | State | N | Episodes | HE | SP | Languages | Source | Rating | Cmts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.10.2022 | Kamonohashi no Fansub [KnF] | complete | 13 | 3 | ja es | DVD | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 30.05.2019 | BlueLobster | complete | 13 | 2 | ja en en | www | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 08.09.2013 | MeisterMutaito | complete | 13 | 2 | ja en en de | DVD | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 15.04.2012 | ManGaCity | complete | 13 | 2 | ja fr fr | DVD | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 14.03.2009 | LPM | complete | 13 | 2 | ja fr | unknown | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 22.09.2008 | FHP POLO | complete | 13 | 2 | fr | DVD | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 18.05.2008 | Anime Pitstop [APS] | complete | 13 | 2 | ja en | DVD | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 17.04.2008 | DBNL | complete | 13 | 3 | ja en en | DVD | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 23.04.2007 | crowkiller | complete | 13 | 2 | fr | unknown | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 22.01.2007 | ILA | complete | 13 | 2 | ja en en | DVD | N/A (4) | 0 | ||
| no group |
