Title: Captain Herlock: Endless Odyssey

Director: Rintaro

Original Creator: Leiji Matsumoto

Type: OAV
Number of Episodes: 13

Vintage: 2002-2003

US Licensing Company: Geneon Entertainment

Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure

Related Series: Uchu Kaizoku Captain Harlock (TV)

 

 

General Summary

 

Enter Captain Herlock! This story starts out as we see Kei Yuki also known as “Missie” who is in charge of a pirate ship in space attacking a space vesicle. One thing leads to another and they are captured by the police. People believe that the age of space pirates is in the past, or so they thought after Kei and her ship mates were captured. The OAV has many sub plots throughout the show however the main one is between Tadashi and his quest to seek revenge for his fathers’ killer. Tadashi will face many obstacles including some internal conflicts. Captain Herlock is captain of the vessel arcadia by some event they meet and Tadashi eventually boards Herlocks ship. The journey they will face is a rather difficult one indeed, and may even decide the fate of the entire universe! You will have to watch Captain Herlock: Endless Odyssey to find out!

 

Art and Animation

 

First off, I should mention that Captain Herlock: Endless Odyssey is in a way like the retelling of the classic Uchu Kaizoku Captain Helock which aired in Japan in 1978. From what I heard they do have some basic similarities but they are different in many ways. As far as art is concerned it’s great. Matsumoto who I have recently learned myself is the person who created this show along with many others has a very unique style which I a growing quite fond of. If you have seen any of his work, you will recognize his art style right away. As far as animation is concern the smoothness of the battles are solid and offer the viewer a real treat.

 

Character Development and Storyline

 

The character that develops the most through the show is Tadashi. You will notice not just a shift in behavior but also the way he thinks changes throughout the show. Captain Herlock, the captain of the vessel arcadia, is a fantastic character. He is not strict, but rather a very lenient captain. He is a man very true to his words and when making a promise to him you can rest assured that it will be kept. The other characters as a whole are highly memorable in the way they interact with each other. Each character plays a specific role in the show and there devotion to there captain is really admirable. The pacing of the show is great, from the beginning there is action and rather throughout the show there can’t be found a dull moment. I can say I thoroughly enjoyed this show and really look forward to watching his other works. The ending is just fantastic! It is just so interesting how it was done. I remember I was just shocked, but at the same time I feel satisfied as to how it ended.

 

Final Summary

 

Overall, I found this title to be highly entertaining and thoroughly liked how the story was done. If you like action, sci-fi, and suspense this show is for you. I can clearly say I walked away from watching this show very satisfied. If that’s not enough to encourage you to check this title out, how about the fact that you see Kei Yuki naked in the first scene! Now I bet you’re hooked! But really, look into watching this show, it really has some outstanding characters that when brought together really offer the viewer solid entertainment.

 

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(This review/pictures made by EternityOfPain)