Arcadia of My Youth | |
---|---|
Japanese | わが青春のアルカディア |
Hepburn | Waga Seishun no Arukadia |
Directed by | Tomoharu Katsumata |
Produced by | Chiaki Imada |
Screenplay by | Yōichi Onaka |
Story by | Leiji Matsumoto |
Music by | Toshiyuki Kimori |
Cinematography | Kenji Machida |
Edited by | Yutaka Chikura |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Tōei |
Release date | |
Running time | 130 minutes[1] |
Country | Japan |
Language | Japanese |
Korea's Eight Peaks Plans Captain Harlock Movie (Apr 11, 2008) Japan Tour to Visit Vampire Hunter D Creators, Pierrot (Oct 5, 2007) Toei, NEC Offers Online Anime Service in Japan (Sep 5, 2007). Space Pirate Captain Harlock 2013, BDRip-1080p, RUS JAP+SUB Stranik 2.0.mkv » video movie hd 6 years 10 GB 1 1 Space Pirate Captain Harlock (2013) Dual AudioENG JPN CHI SUB10bit BD 720p HEVCMeGaTroN » video movie hd 3 years 818 MB 0 2 Space Pirate Captain Harlock Extended version (2013) BDRip 1080p HEVC.mkv » video movie hd 3. Previously released in the USA in English dubbed format as Vengeance of the Space Pirate, with over 30 minutes omitted from the original film.
Arcadia of My Youth (わが青春のアルカディア, Waga Seishun no Arukadia) is an anime film depicting the origin of Leiji Matsumoto's seminal character Captain Harlock. At one time, it was considered to be the central hub of the so-called Leijiverse with the events depicted in other works such as Galaxy Express 999 and 1978's Space Pirate Captain Harlock television series occurring sometime after. It is directed by Tomoharu Katsumata, with Kazuo Komatsubara as animation director.[1]
Plot[edit]
- 'At the end of their lives, all men look back and think that their youth was arcadia.' — Goethe
- Korea's Eight Peaks Plans Captain Harlock Movie (Apr 11, 2008) Japan Tour to Visit Vampire Hunter D Creators, Pierrot (Oct 5, 2007) Toei, NEC Offers Online Anime Service in Japan (Sep 5, 2007).
- The Arcadia dub, retitled ' Vengeance of the Space Pirate,' was one of their better efforts, and for its day, wasn't half bad.though do the math, and you'll see the problem. For the first time, we got to see a dubbed version of a Harlock property that actually kept all the original names. Well, virtually all of them.
During the early 20th Century, some time after World War I, aerial explorer Captain Phantom F. Harlock is embarking on what is to be the magnum opus of his long career, the traversing of the Owen Stanley Mountains in New Guinea. His major obstacle is the phantom of the witch that haunts these mountains. In a last desperate attempt to cross the mountains, Harlock ditches all but ten minutes of fuel in order to gain altitude. He carries on to his fate, amidst the mocking laughter of the Owen Stanley Witch.
![Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie English Dub Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie English Dub](https://cdn.animenewsnetwork.com/thumbnails/crop900x350/video/category/96/key_art_captain_harlock.jpg)
Near the end of World War II, Phantom F. Harlock II is an Iron Cross-wearing German fighter pilot that flies a Messerschmitt Bf 109. During a major defeat for his side, he meets Tochiro Oyama, a Japanese exchange technician working in Germany. Tochiro's project is to design a new gun sight for use in fighter planes. Harlock's most treasured possession is the Revi C-12D gun sight which he calls his 'eye'. Both men believe the war to be wasteful and pointless and Tochiro especially hopes that the rockets being developed by Germany may one day lead to a more positive application, such as a trip to the moon. Tochiro wishes he could escape from the war and possibly go to neutral Switzerland where he might be able to fulfill his dream. Harlock offers to take him in his plane. Stowing Tochiro in the plane's fuselage, Harlock is able to fly to Switzerland, but only after surviving a fierce aerial dogfight which disables his plane and forces him to crash land just short of the Swiss border. Carrying an injured Tochiro across the river to sanctuary, Harlock departs, giving Tochiro his Revi C-12D, before crossing back into the warzone where Harlock expects to face the consequences of his actions. Although this Harlock's ultimate fate is unknown, Tochiro pledges friendship between their two bloodlines for all eternity.
At some time in the late 30th century (circa 2960s), a Solar Federation officer named Captain Harlock returns home in his battle cruiser Deathshadow to find that aliens from the Illumidus Empire have conquered Earth and enslaved humanity. However the remaining humans blame him and other warriors like him as they were not there to protect the planet when they needed it. Harlock, along with the Tokargans who are ashamed of their role in Earth's downfall, sets out to lead a resistance against the aliens and adopts the fighting strategy of ancient marauders. During the course of the struggle, Harlock meets a former Solar Federation engineer; a Japanese man who he's never met before but feels he knows. This man, Tochiro Oyama reveals his secret project, the dreams of all his ancestors. Hidden in a deep cavern under the occupation headquarters is a space battleship that he designed and built. This ship is called Arcadia, in honor of the eternal friendship forged between Phantom F. Harlock and Tochiro Oyama during another ancient war.
Harlock also meets Emeraldas, an old friend, who immediately offers herself to the cause. The Tokargans, after witnessing the death of the last female of their race, sacrifice themselves to save the Arcadia from the life sucking flames of the Flame Stream Prominence (aka the Owen Stanley Witch of Space). Harlock's lover and voice of the Underground, Maya is killed by Illumidas gunfire. After Harlock has honorably defeated the occupational commander in ship-to-ship combat, the quisling ruler of Earth, Triter, nonetheless declares Harlock and Emeraldas outlaws and exiles them to space. Amidst an Earth that prefers servitude to their new masters over the hard but noble fight for freedom, Harlock, Emeraldas, Tochiro, and their new pirate crew of idealists and romantics set for the stars, heading out for parts unknown.
Voice cast[edit]
Character name | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
---|---|---|
Captain Harlock/Phantom F. Harlock II | Makio Inoue | Lanny Broyles |
Toshiro Ōyama/Tochirō | Kei Tomiyama | Walter Carroll |
Queen Emeraldas | Reiko Tajima | Carrie Sakai |
Maya | Reiko Mutō | Michelle Hart |
La Mime | Yuriko Yamamoto | Gerri Sorrells |
Zeda | Tarō Ishida | William Ross |
Zoll | Shūichi Ikeda | Cliff Harrington |
Muriguson | Takeshi Aono | Richard Nieskens as Murgison |
Old Tokargan Soldier | Shūichirō Moriyama | Unknown |
Triter | Hitoshi Takagi | Mike Worman |
Tori-San | Hiroshi Ōtake | Didi Moore as Bird |
Mira | Hiromi Tsuru | Justine Simons |
The Witch | Eiko Masuyama | Unknown |
Black-Suited Commander | Hidekatsu Shibata | Jeff Manning |
Illumidus Officer | Kōji Yada | Unknown |
Phantom F. Harlock I | Yujiro Ishihara | Unknown |
Production[edit]
![Movie Movie](https://imagecurl.com/images/70213130863653774780.png)
The opening scenes of Arcadia of My Youth feature parts of The New World Symphony by Antonín Dvořák. This film starred acclaimed Japanese actor Yujiro Ishihara in his final role before his death in 1987. He was the voice of Phantom F. Harlock. It was also his only role in an animated movie.[2]
Arcadia of My Youth draws many parallels to the German occupation of France during World War II as well as the post World War II American occupation of Japan. Maya's nickname as 'The Rose' and the 'Voice of Free Arcadia' mirrors the romantic image of the secret French Resistance radio broadcasters and of the Japanese propaganda machine featuring radio broadcasts by English speaking female announcers collectively known as 'Tokyo Rose'. These announcers relayed bad news from the home front. They also revealed Japanese intelligence about U.S. and Allied military activity by welcoming U.S. Navy submarines and ships by name and ID number to the theatre of operations. Allied crews listened intently during the broadcasts for mention of their units.
The prologue of this movie does not make it clear whether or not Phantom F. Harlock survived his mission. He is assumed to have survived as his voiceover monologue indicates that he is reading from his autobiography which is titled Arcadia of My Youth.
This movie is controversial in that Phantom F. Harlock II was portrayed as a German fighter pilot during World War II. The Tochiro of that era, who had read Harlock I's book, at least found it unusual in that he asked Harlock II why he was flying an Iron Cross plane. The liner notes for the Animeigo DVD state that Harlock's response, 'Just paying rent', hid a deeper meaning. It refers to the ancient feudal obligations a noble had to his lords for better or worse, even if he didn't believe in their cause. The liner notes also mention that Harlock technically was no longer bound by these obligations since the feudal customs no longer existed at that time.[3]
There is much confusion as to where Arcadia, Harlock's birthplace is. It was always assumed to be somewhere in northern Europe, despite its naming after the rustic Greek paradise in the Peloponnesus. Harlock gives the proper name of his ancestral birthplace as Hellingstadt meaning that Arcadia is most likely a nickname. During the World War II segment of the movie, Harlock II, while flying to Switzerland muses about Arcadia, leading viewers to assume that Arcadia was located there. However Harlock's cryptic comments about 'paying rent' aside, this would still make little sense in the context of the movie as Switzerland was neutral during World War II. Matsumoto has never given a concrete definitive statement on Harlock's ethnicity or heritage However, Harlock is an actual name of Prussian origin.[3]
The stories of Phantom F. Harlock I and II are loosely based on short manga stories by Matsumoto. Many of them appeared in his manga anthology The Cockpit.[4] Many elements of Arcadia of My Youth were borrowed from his other stories such as the Deathshadow which appeared in a 1970 manga and in his later adaptation of the original Space Battleship Yamato where the Deathshadow appears along with Susumu Kodai's brother whose alias is Captain Harlock. These elements did not make it into the anime version but they were the source of American fan rumors that the Leijiverse Harlock was actually Mamoru Kodai in disguise or possibly a descendant.
The origin story in the 1978 television series (episodes 30 and 31) depicts Harlock and Tochiro as childhood friends and Emeraldas meeting them both later. In Arcadia of My Youth, Emeraldas and Harlock are old friends while he is just meeting Tochiro. Furthermore, the 1978 TV series also shows the Arcadia (this time blue) being constructed on planet Heavy Meldar, not Earth. Also, Zoll of Tokarga, who made a guest appearance in Episode 21 of that series, is totally reimagined for Arcadia of My Youth.
The fact that both of Captain Harlock's ancestors have the trademark Heidelberg duelling scar gives rise to the widespread fan assumption that the scar must be hereditary, though this is medically implausible. So far, no story has ever depicted how Harlock got his scars, though Arcadia of My Youth does depict Emeraldas receiving her scar from a glancing shot from the gun of Illumidas officer Muriguson. The four-episode Queen Emeraldas OVA series would re-invent her scar as a wound received during a sword duel with a different opponent.
The proper translation of the Japanese title is a source of dispute. Although Animeigo's 'Arcadia of My Youth' has been widely accepted, the original 'My Youth in Arcadia' was used in Japan and better reflects the inspiration from the Goethe quote.
Reportedly, character and concept creator Leiji Matsumoto owns an actual Revi C-12D gunsight that was used by the animators as visual reference when creating the one shown in the film.[5]
Home media[edit]
Arcadia of My Youth was originally released on North American home video by Celebrity Home Entertainment under the 'Just For Kids' banner. It was initially retitled Vengeance of the Space Pirate, and was, for many, the first introduction to Captain Harlock. This release suffered from having about forty minutes cut out of it, most notably the lengthy pre-title prologue concerning one of Harlock's ancestor's attempt to fly over the tallest peak (known as the Stanley Witch) of the Owen Stanley Mountain Range in New Guinea (as 'read' for inspiration by Harlock from said ancestor's autobiography, Arcadia of My Youth, moments before the Illumidas-attack on the Deathshadow). The film was later released by Best Film and Video along with many of the other anime released under the Just For Kids label. It was given the alternately translated title of 'My Youth in Arcadia,' and features all the cut footage restored. Another, more likely, possibility is that My Youth in Arcadia is the original version (on Best Film & Video's first issue, it was billed as 'The original Vengeance of the Space Pirate'), probably an international dub, à la Toho's Super Spacefortress Macross version of the 1984 Macross movie, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? (released here by Best Films & Video; their first issue was billed, 'The original Clash of the Bionoids,' referring to the edited Celebrity Just For Kids version).
A subtitled Laserdisc was released in North America by Animeigo on April 12, 1995.[6]
Arcadia of My Youth was also released by Animeigo in 2003. It is the only Harlock story which shows how Harlock actually lost an eye (it also reveals how Emeraldas got her facial scar, making her a virtual distaff doppelganger of Harlock). One of the trailers for Arcadia of My Youth (one of two included as extras in Animeigo's DVD release) has one of the most confusing and misleading scenes, a clip of the Tokargan Zoll shooting out Harlock's eye. Zoll, in the movie, is actually an enemy-turned-staunch-ally, and Harlock's injury is caused by Illumidas gunfire. This trailer scene was recreated for the boxes on the American VHS releases of Vengeance of the Space Pirate and My Youth in Arcadia.
On August 13, 2016, it was announced that Discotek Media would be releasing Arcadia of My Youth uncut on high-definition Blu-ray and DVD in North America – the official release date was revealed to be May 30, 2017.
Legacy[edit]
Sequel TV series[edit]
The fight against the Illumidas is continued in the 1982–1983 TV series Endless Road SSX. This series suffered low viewer ratings, as it aired during the waning years of the Matsumoto-boom that started in the 1970s with Space Battleship Yamato. By this time, Japanese audiences' interest had moved on to the trend in mecha shows that began after Macross and Mobile Suit Gundam. The Matsumoto-boom would completely die off by 1983 with the release of the theatrical film Final Yamato, and aside from a few isolated one-off projects, no new regularly produced anime based on Matsumoto works would be released until 1998. In 2016, it was announced by Discotek Media that the Endless Road SSX TV series was licensed for North American territories, and would be officially released in English for the very first time in 2017.
Comic adaptation[edit]
The American comic book company Eternity Comics published an original comic series based on Captain Harlock. It theoretically picked up where Arcadia of My Youth left off, and was also written in an attempt to bridge the storylines of Galaxy Express 999 and 1978's Space Pirate Captain Harlock TV series. The comic also featured several significant story-arcs titled 'Deathshadow Rising,' 'Fall of the Empire,' and 'The Machine Men,' which would theoretically lead into the Galaxy Express 999 stories. The comic series ran from 1989 to 1992, and was scripted by Robert W. Gibson, and drawn by Ben Dunn and Tim Eldred.
References[edit]
- ^ ab'Waga Seishun no Arukadia'. Nihon Eiga Dētabēsu. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- ^'Translation & Cultural Notes'. Arcadia of My Youth Liner Notes. AnimEigo. 2003-11-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
The voice of Phantom F. Harlock, in the pre-title sequence over the Stanley Witch, was played by Ishihara Yuujiroo, one of Japan's best-known modern actors, and is his only performance in an animated film. When he died, several years ago as of this writing (1993), it's said that practically every person in Japan worthy of being called an actor attended his funeral.
- ^ ab'Translation & Cultural Notes'. Arcadia of My Youth Liner Notes. AnimEigo. 2003-11-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
When Tochiro asks Harlock II, '...why're you flying around in an Iron-Cross plane?' Harlock replies, 'It's what you might call paying rent.' The offhand manner in which he says this line masks a deeper meaning. It refers to the Harlock Clan being a feudal one, dating back many centuries, most probably located in Prussia. In feudal times, a lord had an obligation to serve the king, to whom he had pledged fealty, in time of war. This obligation is the 'rent' to which Harlock refers. Even though the feudal system which produced this custom no longer exists, and even though Harlock believes the war to be pointless, he is nonetheless bound to hold himself to that obligation, for the sake of his personal honor, as well as that of his clan.
- ^'Translation & Cultural Notes'. Arcadia of My Youth Liner Notes. AnimEigo. 2003-11-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
For additional reference, we recommend just about anything by Matsumoto, in both manga and anime form, but as a starting point, the following original manga stories are suggested: 'Stanley no Majo' (The Stanley Witch), and the original 'Waga Seishun no Arcadia.' Both stories are collected in 'The Cockpit,' currently in print as a five-volume perfect-bound set by Shoogakkan.
- ^'Translation & Cultural Notes'. Arcadia of My Youth Liner Notes. AnimEigo. 2003-11-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
The Revi C/12D was an actual precision sight used by the Axis in World War II. Supposedly, Matsumoto has an actual working Revi C/12D himself, and loaned it to the animators for reference.
- ^'Animerica'. 3 (4). Viz Media. 1995: 14. ISSN1067-0831.Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help)
![Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie English Dub Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie English Dub](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xIgy2oztsL4/UY-q9Xcif2I/AAAAAAAAWtc/LNQZXn4Dj48/s1600/Space-Pirate-Captain-Harlock+2013+poster.jpg)
External links[edit]
![Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie English Dub Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie English Dub](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5cZ0sLKDjLg/hqdefault.jpg)
- Arcadia of My Youth (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
![Pirate Pirate](https://is3-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Video128/v4/d5/b0/8e/d5b08ea3-fe5c-a73a-ae91-0a81113009de/Jobb81c169e-7759-4ded-920d-5573ccc90378-95862642-PreviewImage_Chocolate-Time1492001158377.png/560x315mv.jpg)
Near the end of World War II, Phantom F. Harlock II is an Iron Cross-wearing German fighter pilot that flies a Messerschmitt Bf 109. During a major defeat for his side, he meets Tochiro Oyama, a Japanese exchange technician working in Germany. Tochiro's project is to design a new gun sight for use in fighter planes. Harlock's most treasured possession is the Revi C-12D gun sight which he calls his 'eye'. Both men believe the war to be wasteful and pointless and Tochiro especially hopes that the rockets being developed by Germany may one day lead to a more positive application, such as a trip to the moon. Tochiro wishes he could escape from the war and possibly go to neutral Switzerland where he might be able to fulfill his dream. Harlock offers to take him in his plane. Stowing Tochiro in the plane's fuselage, Harlock is able to fly to Switzerland, but only after surviving a fierce aerial dogfight which disables his plane and forces him to crash land just short of the Swiss border. Carrying an injured Tochiro across the river to sanctuary, Harlock departs, giving Tochiro his Revi C-12D, before crossing back into the warzone where Harlock expects to face the consequences of his actions. Although this Harlock's ultimate fate is unknown, Tochiro pledges friendship between their two bloodlines for all eternity.
At some time in the late 30th century (circa 2960s), a Solar Federation officer named Captain Harlock returns home in his battle cruiser Deathshadow to find that aliens from the Illumidus Empire have conquered Earth and enslaved humanity. However the remaining humans blame him and other warriors like him as they were not there to protect the planet when they needed it. Harlock, along with the Tokargans who are ashamed of their role in Earth's downfall, sets out to lead a resistance against the aliens and adopts the fighting strategy of ancient marauders. During the course of the struggle, Harlock meets a former Solar Federation engineer; a Japanese man who he's never met before but feels he knows. This man, Tochiro Oyama reveals his secret project, the dreams of all his ancestors. Hidden in a deep cavern under the occupation headquarters is a space battleship that he designed and built. This ship is called Arcadia, in honor of the eternal friendship forged between Phantom F. Harlock and Tochiro Oyama during another ancient war.
Harlock also meets Emeraldas, an old friend, who immediately offers herself to the cause. The Tokargans, after witnessing the death of the last female of their race, sacrifice themselves to save the Arcadia from the life sucking flames of the Flame Stream Prominence (aka the Owen Stanley Witch of Space). Harlock's lover and voice of the Underground, Maya is killed by Illumidas gunfire. After Harlock has honorably defeated the occupational commander in ship-to-ship combat, the quisling ruler of Earth, Triter, nonetheless declares Harlock and Emeraldas outlaws and exiles them to space. Amidst an Earth that prefers servitude to their new masters over the hard but noble fight for freedom, Harlock, Emeraldas, Tochiro, and their new pirate crew of idealists and romantics set for the stars, heading out for parts unknown.
Voice cast[edit]
Character name | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
---|---|---|
Captain Harlock/Phantom F. Harlock II | Makio Inoue | Lanny Broyles |
Toshiro Ōyama/Tochirō | Kei Tomiyama | Walter Carroll |
Queen Emeraldas | Reiko Tajima | Carrie Sakai |
Maya | Reiko Mutō | Michelle Hart |
La Mime | Yuriko Yamamoto | Gerri Sorrells |
Zeda | Tarō Ishida | William Ross |
Zoll | Shūichi Ikeda | Cliff Harrington |
Muriguson | Takeshi Aono | Richard Nieskens as Murgison |
Old Tokargan Soldier | Shūichirō Moriyama | Unknown |
Triter | Hitoshi Takagi | Mike Worman |
Tori-San | Hiroshi Ōtake | Didi Moore as Bird |
Mira | Hiromi Tsuru | Justine Simons |
The Witch | Eiko Masuyama | Unknown |
Black-Suited Commander | Hidekatsu Shibata | Jeff Manning |
Illumidus Officer | Kōji Yada | Unknown |
Phantom F. Harlock I | Yujiro Ishihara | Unknown |
Production[edit]
The opening scenes of Arcadia of My Youth feature parts of The New World Symphony by Antonín Dvořák. This film starred acclaimed Japanese actor Yujiro Ishihara in his final role before his death in 1987. He was the voice of Phantom F. Harlock. It was also his only role in an animated movie.[2]
Arcadia of My Youth draws many parallels to the German occupation of France during World War II as well as the post World War II American occupation of Japan. Maya's nickname as 'The Rose' and the 'Voice of Free Arcadia' mirrors the romantic image of the secret French Resistance radio broadcasters and of the Japanese propaganda machine featuring radio broadcasts by English speaking female announcers collectively known as 'Tokyo Rose'. These announcers relayed bad news from the home front. They also revealed Japanese intelligence about U.S. and Allied military activity by welcoming U.S. Navy submarines and ships by name and ID number to the theatre of operations. Allied crews listened intently during the broadcasts for mention of their units.
The prologue of this movie does not make it clear whether or not Phantom F. Harlock survived his mission. He is assumed to have survived as his voiceover monologue indicates that he is reading from his autobiography which is titled Arcadia of My Youth.
This movie is controversial in that Phantom F. Harlock II was portrayed as a German fighter pilot during World War II. The Tochiro of that era, who had read Harlock I's book, at least found it unusual in that he asked Harlock II why he was flying an Iron Cross plane. The liner notes for the Animeigo DVD state that Harlock's response, 'Just paying rent', hid a deeper meaning. It refers to the ancient feudal obligations a noble had to his lords for better or worse, even if he didn't believe in their cause. The liner notes also mention that Harlock technically was no longer bound by these obligations since the feudal customs no longer existed at that time.[3]
There is much confusion as to where Arcadia, Harlock's birthplace is. It was always assumed to be somewhere in northern Europe, despite its naming after the rustic Greek paradise in the Peloponnesus. Harlock gives the proper name of his ancestral birthplace as Hellingstadt meaning that Arcadia is most likely a nickname. During the World War II segment of the movie, Harlock II, while flying to Switzerland muses about Arcadia, leading viewers to assume that Arcadia was located there. However Harlock's cryptic comments about 'paying rent' aside, this would still make little sense in the context of the movie as Switzerland was neutral during World War II. Matsumoto has never given a concrete definitive statement on Harlock's ethnicity or heritage However, Harlock is an actual name of Prussian origin.[3]
The stories of Phantom F. Harlock I and II are loosely based on short manga stories by Matsumoto. Many of them appeared in his manga anthology The Cockpit.[4] Many elements of Arcadia of My Youth were borrowed from his other stories such as the Deathshadow which appeared in a 1970 manga and in his later adaptation of the original Space Battleship Yamato where the Deathshadow appears along with Susumu Kodai's brother whose alias is Captain Harlock. These elements did not make it into the anime version but they were the source of American fan rumors that the Leijiverse Harlock was actually Mamoru Kodai in disguise or possibly a descendant.
The origin story in the 1978 television series (episodes 30 and 31) depicts Harlock and Tochiro as childhood friends and Emeraldas meeting them both later. In Arcadia of My Youth, Emeraldas and Harlock are old friends while he is just meeting Tochiro. Furthermore, the 1978 TV series also shows the Arcadia (this time blue) being constructed on planet Heavy Meldar, not Earth. Also, Zoll of Tokarga, who made a guest appearance in Episode 21 of that series, is totally reimagined for Arcadia of My Youth.
The fact that both of Captain Harlock's ancestors have the trademark Heidelberg duelling scar gives rise to the widespread fan assumption that the scar must be hereditary, though this is medically implausible. So far, no story has ever depicted how Harlock got his scars, though Arcadia of My Youth does depict Emeraldas receiving her scar from a glancing shot from the gun of Illumidas officer Muriguson. The four-episode Queen Emeraldas OVA series would re-invent her scar as a wound received during a sword duel with a different opponent.
The proper translation of the Japanese title is a source of dispute. Although Animeigo's 'Arcadia of My Youth' has been widely accepted, the original 'My Youth in Arcadia' was used in Japan and better reflects the inspiration from the Goethe quote.
Reportedly, character and concept creator Leiji Matsumoto owns an actual Revi C-12D gunsight that was used by the animators as visual reference when creating the one shown in the film.[5]
Home media[edit]
Arcadia of My Youth was originally released on North American home video by Celebrity Home Entertainment under the 'Just For Kids' banner. It was initially retitled Vengeance of the Space Pirate, and was, for many, the first introduction to Captain Harlock. This release suffered from having about forty minutes cut out of it, most notably the lengthy pre-title prologue concerning one of Harlock's ancestor's attempt to fly over the tallest peak (known as the Stanley Witch) of the Owen Stanley Mountain Range in New Guinea (as 'read' for inspiration by Harlock from said ancestor's autobiography, Arcadia of My Youth, moments before the Illumidas-attack on the Deathshadow). The film was later released by Best Film and Video along with many of the other anime released under the Just For Kids label. It was given the alternately translated title of 'My Youth in Arcadia,' and features all the cut footage restored. Another, more likely, possibility is that My Youth in Arcadia is the original version (on Best Film & Video's first issue, it was billed as 'The original Vengeance of the Space Pirate'), probably an international dub, à la Toho's Super Spacefortress Macross version of the 1984 Macross movie, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? (released here by Best Films & Video; their first issue was billed, 'The original Clash of the Bionoids,' referring to the edited Celebrity Just For Kids version).
A subtitled Laserdisc was released in North America by Animeigo on April 12, 1995.[6]
Arcadia of My Youth was also released by Animeigo in 2003. It is the only Harlock story which shows how Harlock actually lost an eye (it also reveals how Emeraldas got her facial scar, making her a virtual distaff doppelganger of Harlock). One of the trailers for Arcadia of My Youth (one of two included as extras in Animeigo's DVD release) has one of the most confusing and misleading scenes, a clip of the Tokargan Zoll shooting out Harlock's eye. Zoll, in the movie, is actually an enemy-turned-staunch-ally, and Harlock's injury is caused by Illumidas gunfire. This trailer scene was recreated for the boxes on the American VHS releases of Vengeance of the Space Pirate and My Youth in Arcadia.
On August 13, 2016, it was announced that Discotek Media would be releasing Arcadia of My Youth uncut on high-definition Blu-ray and DVD in North America – the official release date was revealed to be May 30, 2017.
Legacy[edit]
Sequel TV series[edit]
The fight against the Illumidas is continued in the 1982–1983 TV series Endless Road SSX. This series suffered low viewer ratings, as it aired during the waning years of the Matsumoto-boom that started in the 1970s with Space Battleship Yamato. By this time, Japanese audiences' interest had moved on to the trend in mecha shows that began after Macross and Mobile Suit Gundam. The Matsumoto-boom would completely die off by 1983 with the release of the theatrical film Final Yamato, and aside from a few isolated one-off projects, no new regularly produced anime based on Matsumoto works would be released until 1998. In 2016, it was announced by Discotek Media that the Endless Road SSX TV series was licensed for North American territories, and would be officially released in English for the very first time in 2017.
Comic adaptation[edit]
The American comic book company Eternity Comics published an original comic series based on Captain Harlock. It theoretically picked up where Arcadia of My Youth left off, and was also written in an attempt to bridge the storylines of Galaxy Express 999 and 1978's Space Pirate Captain Harlock TV series. The comic also featured several significant story-arcs titled 'Deathshadow Rising,' 'Fall of the Empire,' and 'The Machine Men,' which would theoretically lead into the Galaxy Express 999 stories. The comic series ran from 1989 to 1992, and was scripted by Robert W. Gibson, and drawn by Ben Dunn and Tim Eldred.
References[edit]
- ^ ab'Waga Seishun no Arukadia'. Nihon Eiga Dētabēsu. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- ^'Translation & Cultural Notes'. Arcadia of My Youth Liner Notes. AnimEigo. 2003-11-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
The voice of Phantom F. Harlock, in the pre-title sequence over the Stanley Witch, was played by Ishihara Yuujiroo, one of Japan's best-known modern actors, and is his only performance in an animated film. When he died, several years ago as of this writing (1993), it's said that practically every person in Japan worthy of being called an actor attended his funeral.
- ^ ab'Translation & Cultural Notes'. Arcadia of My Youth Liner Notes. AnimEigo. 2003-11-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
When Tochiro asks Harlock II, '...why're you flying around in an Iron-Cross plane?' Harlock replies, 'It's what you might call paying rent.' The offhand manner in which he says this line masks a deeper meaning. It refers to the Harlock Clan being a feudal one, dating back many centuries, most probably located in Prussia. In feudal times, a lord had an obligation to serve the king, to whom he had pledged fealty, in time of war. This obligation is the 'rent' to which Harlock refers. Even though the feudal system which produced this custom no longer exists, and even though Harlock believes the war to be pointless, he is nonetheless bound to hold himself to that obligation, for the sake of his personal honor, as well as that of his clan.
- ^'Translation & Cultural Notes'. Arcadia of My Youth Liner Notes. AnimEigo. 2003-11-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
For additional reference, we recommend just about anything by Matsumoto, in both manga and anime form, but as a starting point, the following original manga stories are suggested: 'Stanley no Majo' (The Stanley Witch), and the original 'Waga Seishun no Arcadia.' Both stories are collected in 'The Cockpit,' currently in print as a five-volume perfect-bound set by Shoogakkan.
- ^'Translation & Cultural Notes'. Arcadia of My Youth Liner Notes. AnimEigo. 2003-11-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
The Revi C/12D was an actual precision sight used by the Axis in World War II. Supposedly, Matsumoto has an actual working Revi C/12D himself, and loaned it to the animators for reference.
- ^'Animerica'. 3 (4). Viz Media. 1995: 14. ISSN1067-0831.Cite journal requires
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External links[edit]
- Arcadia of My Youth (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
Vengeance of the Space Pirate |
Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie English Dub Free
Space Pirate Captain Harlock Film
At this point, things actually started to look up. While there were still miles to go before one could sleep (or watch unbastardized Harlock; whichever you find more desirable), this was finally a solid step in the right direction. 1987 saw the release of several anime titles dubbed in English by Peregrine Films and distributed by the worrisomely named Just For Kids Video, including dubs of My Youth in Arcadia, Locke the Superman, Cyborg 009: Legend of Super Galaxy, and a pitifully chopped and dubbed version of the Macross movie renamed 'Clash of the Bionoids.' The Arcadia dub, retitled 'Vengeance of the Space Pirate,' was one of their better efforts, and for its day, wasn't half bad...though do the math, and you'll see the problem.
For the first time, we got to see a dubbed version of a Harlock property that actually kept all the original names. Well, virtually all of them. The slimy Illumidas officer Muriguson was rechristened 'Murgison,' which frankly could have been due to nothing more than a typo, though it was probably in the interest of making the name easier to say. Everyone else got to keep their names intact, even Tochiro Oyama, he of the uncannily foreign-sounding moniker. He never gives his proper name of 'Toshiro' here, as in the Japanese version, but at least he's still Tochiro, and not Sundown McMoon, or even Roger Devlin (Harmony Gold's version). The script is also remarkably well-adapted, with only a few minor changes: we don't ever hear the name of the city (Heiligenstadt) where Harlock and Maya grew up, and unsurprisingly, Harlock's assertion that 'We will never pray for anything' was replaced by the more acceptable (for Americans, anyway) 'We will never surrender to anyone.' Occasionally, the dialogue actually sounds a little too literal, making for some conversations that don't really flow particularly well. But for the fan who wanted to know what was going on in this essential chapter--or version, if you will--of the Harlock mythos, this was probably the next best thing to Japanese fluency, which is a bit harder to come by.
The voice acting is okay. Just okay. Nothing that impresses, but nothing to make one shrink like a liquified cat into a corner, either. The problem mostly comes from the incompatibility of the acting quality with the style of the script. The Arcadia film is melodramatic on a Shakesperean level, and it really needs performers of the caliber that can carry off such bombast and make it seem truly sincere. As it is, we can hear the actors reaching here, palpably trying to act, which undermines the film's true dramatic potential.
Unfortunately, it ain't all wine and roses (though we do see a great deal of both). The editing is where this dub really falls short of the mark, literally. The running time has been trimmed by twenty minutes, and the biggest loss is the seven-minute 'Owen-Stanley Mountains' sequence that opens the Japanese film, depicting a distant ancestor of Captain Harlock, Phantom F. Harlock Senior, braving new heights in aviation in his biplane 'Arcadia.' One of the most artful and metaphorical sequences out of all of the Harlock stories, the episode finds its mirror in the later 'Flame Stream Prominence' segment of the film, wherein Captain Harlock is pitted against a similar challenge during his attempt to escape the Illumidas fleet and return to Earth. There's precious little literal meaning in this rhyming couplet of scenes, and removing the first but not the second one leaves the whole thing dangling out there for the uninitiated viewer to wonder what the hell they're supposed to be seeing.
The prologue aside, most of the edits come in little snips here and there. Some aren't that noticeable, but some are. The moment of Maya's death is never seen; we're simply told that she 'is now gone,' apparently sometime during the second or so between this pronouncement and her last bit of speaking. Violent content tended to get the scissor treatment, too, so some important scenes, such as the death of Zoll (if you've not seen this movie already, I'm of course totally ruining it for you) and the scarring of Emeraldas' face, now don't appear onscreen and can leave people confused as to when these things were supposed to have happened. All this aside, however, the sad fact is that even the more logically-decided edits are still noticeable due to the fact that the music wasn't remixed (though it was lowered in volume throughout) to account for the cuts, so it jumps awkwardly whenever an edit hits. It was always my belief that the video had been fully dubbed first, and edited down after the fact; the converse simply made no sense. (History would eventually vindicate me on this.) Oh, and did I mention that there's a second-long shot of a cat cut out? What the hell is with these people?!
The film does feature an English adaptation (note that I didn't use the word 'translation') of the closing theme song, but they managed to put it in precisely the wrong place; we now hear it as the Arcadia launches, right smack dab in the middle of the movie. It's really not the right mood for the scene, but one can at least console themselves with the fact that at least it's music from the original soundtrack, and not something akin to ZIV's 'Take to the Sky' theme song. The most bizarre malady afflicting the video, however, is the mysterious background chatter that can be heard here and there, especially during the final battle scene. Some unused track that had not been erased, perhaps, or just technicians and/or other studio workers who didn't know the meaning of 'quiet on the set' obliviously blabbering away. It's not so loud as to be terribly intrusive, but it's far from unnoticeable.
The box for this video is a bit interesting: most of the pictures are flipped left-to-right, so Harlock's scar and eyepatch are on the wrong sides. Two of the three pics on the back are from cut scenes, and the (obviously American) artwork on the front cover shows Zoll shooting out Harlock's eye, which of course doesn't happen (yet this can't be blamed on the Americans, for once; the picture is copied pretty much directly from a shot in the longer of two My Youth in Arcadia trailers, which are comprised almost entirely of animation not actually found in the movie, including this very scene. Go figure.) It also misspells 'Illumidas' as 'Ulmedas,' which fortunately didn't reflect the pronunciation used in the dub itself.
More recently, this film has been released on DVD by East West DVD, which is a really great improvement...if you don't happen to own a VCR anymore. If you still do, then in fact it's not an improvement at all, as the DVD version looks to have been the result of a straight copy of the VHS version, and one which had been watched with great frequency in between its regular stints as a toilet brush. It goes straight into the movie without stopping at the menu, and manages to skip over the first few seconds of the film, as if the part-time video technician, part time burger-slinger responsible for mastering it didn't hit the record button quite fast enough and didn't feel like wasting his valuable glue-sniffing time with any pesky restarts. The box art offers us a cover pic which I imagine was drawn in Magic Marker by the company CEO's four year-old son, back cover art swiped from Galaxy Express, and the disc's listed features include 'interactive menus' and 'color.' Color! Ooooh! Somebody hose me down before I wet myself!
Step in the right direction that this may have been, it wasn't quite a broad enough step. An English dub of anything Harlock that was worthy of its name was still slouching towards Arcadia waiting to be born, and it wouldn't be getting there anytime soon. It was about to take a step backward so far that its forward progress here would seem as if it had never existed.