Captain Harlock: Space Pirate - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Captain Harlock: Space Pirate - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is an incredible action-adventure science-fiction classic. Based on the classic manga series by Leiji Matsumoto, Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is executive produced by Masahisa Saeki (Captain Harlock: Mystery of the Arcadia, Galaxy Express 999: Glass no Clair). Produced by Yoshiaki Koizumi (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Fighter G Gundam), Captain Harlock: Space Pirate features music selections by Shigeru Miyashita and a theme song performance by Ichirō Mizuki. The Japanese voice-cast includes performances by Makio Inoue, Akira Kamiya, Chiyoko Kawashima, Noriko Ohara, Hiroshi Ōtake, Jōji Yanami, Kenichi Ogata, Noriko Tsukase, and Keaton Yamada.

In the vastness of space in the era of 2977 AD, the entirety of human civilization had been on the brink of collapse before recovering with a vast sea of space. Despite the space civilization providing a new future for all humankind, there is a lot of tedium and boredom from those traveling across the vast space of stars. Nonetheless, some rebels fly across space as heroic outlaws and fight for the future –including the mysterious Captain Harlock (Makio Inoue).

Captain Harlock and his team or rebels are the heroes of the Arcadia ship. The legendary ship is the host for Harlock – the most wanted outlaw in the vastness of space. Harlock must do whatever he can to lead the Arcadia crew against the evil Mazon alien race.

The Captain Harlock: Space Pirate supporting cast of characters (with the Arcadia crew) include Tadashi Daiba (Akira Kamiya), Kei Yuki (Chiyoko Kawashima), Miime (Noriko Ohara), Yattaran (Hiroshi Ōtake), Doctor Zero (Jōji Yanami), Maji (Kenichi Ogata), Miss Masu (Noriko Tsukase), and Tochirō Ōyama (Keaton Yamada). The supporting characters add charm and wonder to the anime, too. The nice supporting ensemble helps to expand the series. The Arcadia ship has a more well-rounded crew.

The character designs by Kazuo Komatsubara (Arcadia of My Youth, Galaxy Express 999) are well-done. The designs are creative and beautiful to behold. Leiji Matsumoto is a masterful manga artist and storyteller. The designs adapted by Komatsubara are fantastic and add a sense of wonder to the production. The artistry of the character arc creates a sense of warmth and splendor that is unmistakable.

The animation is incredible and one of the major highlights of the production. Captain Harlock: Space Pirate features art by Hidenobu Hata (Mazinger Z, Tiger Mask) and Tadao Kubota (Sailor Moon S: The Movie, Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth). Captain Harlock: Space Pirate also features animation direction by Jōji Kikuchi (Call of the Wild, Ghost Sweeper Mikami) and Kazuo Komatsubara (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Galaxy Express 999).

The animation is beautiful, simple, and complex all at the same time. The animators brought something special to the table. The background animation is well detailed. The attention to line artwork is superb. The hand drawn aesthetic is wonderful and has an abundance of charm. There is much to appreciate about the artistry given to the production – the elements inherent in the artwork are superb and provide whimsy throughout. The animation team certainly helps to showcase the creative genius of visionary Leiji Matsumoto.

Edited by Yasuhiro Yoshikawa (Cutey Honey Flash, Digimon Adventure), Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is well-paced. The editing is top-notch and there is a sense of vision to the production. The end result is something with a good flow and sense of style. The old-school editorial vision helps the storytelling unfold with ease.

The score composed by Seiji Yokoyama (Captain Harlock: Mystery of the Arcadia, Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth) is beautiful and complex. The score by Yokoyama is something to appreciate – there is plenty to love about the music. The score provides wonder, joy, and heart – all essential elements to enhance the series. Captain Harlock: Space Pirate feels more alive and more energetic with music of vibrancy that helps carry the vision of the series. The score also features Orchestra conducting by Hiroshi Kumagai. The Orchestra helps bring out the epic sense of scale within the score.

The special effects by Masayuki Nakajima (Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball) and Yoshiaki Okada (Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon S: The Movie) are well-done and add to the art style and approach. There are some fun effects that are ahead of their time. The effects add to the efforts of the animation team.

Written by Haruya Yamazaki (Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Space Adventure Cobra) and Shōzō Uehara (Kamen Rider Black, Getter Robo), Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is a wonderful classic. An engaging anime gem with a great sense of adventure, Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is a heartfelt science-fiction classic with wonder throughout. The storytelling is vibrant and the characters well written. The sense of old-school adventure is an essential ingredient of the series.

Featuring series direction by Rintarō (Galaxy Express 999, Captain Harlock: Mystery of the Arcadia), Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is well-directed and the sense of style given to the anime is fantastic. Impressively directed and realized, visionary filmmaker Rintarō made Captain Harlock: Space Pirate special and epic in scale. Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is above and beyond a fantastic adventure – highlighted by wonderful storytelling and animation. Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is a classic well worth discovery.

Captain Harlock: Space Pirate - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. A beautiful looking anime classic, the series animation is well reproduced on the release. The vibrant, colorful, and engaging animation is well highlighted. The background animation and line art are beautifully reproduced. The transfer does have some wear – the scan looks a bit outdated in some aspects, there are specks on the print, and the transfer isn't as sharp as ideal. There are obvious signs of DNR on the transfer and it isn't a perfect filmic representation. Even so, the animation looks beautiful and fans will appreciate seeing it in high-definition.

Captain Harlock: Space Pirate - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release has solid audio reproduction. The score composed by Seiji Yokoyama is well-reproduced on the release. Sound effects by Michihiro Itō are well-done, too. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The presentation has solid fidelity given the age of the elements.

One of the highlights of physical media is the lossless audio encoding. Streaming video services only offer lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding. For audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts alike, the presentation benefits of lossless audio help to provide more immersive audio. Streaming offers comparatively lower bit-rates and more compression. For enthusiasts wanting the best possible option, physical media provides compelling benefits over streaming platforms.

Captain Harlock: Space Pirate - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nice o-card slipcover on the first print run. The slipcover looks fantastic and the box-set is all the better as a result. The packaging design is fantastic and showcases the efforts of the distributor, Discotek Media.

On disc supplements include:

Clean Opening (HD, 1:23)

Clean Ending (HD, 1:03)

Broadcast Promo (HD, 00:23)

Unfortunately, the supplemental package is not robust. The release could have been better with some audio commentaries, making-of documentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast/crew interviews, art galleries, and more. Alas, the supplements are not expansive and only a few offerings are on the release. Sometimes the bonus features can make all the difference for some potential purchasers between a stream or a purchase.

Captain Harlock: Space Pirate - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is an incredible anime classic with fantastic storytelling and wonderful animation. From visionary creator Leiji Matsumoto, Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is a beautiful gem featuring direction by the brilliant Rintarō (Galaxy Express 999). Captain Harlock: Space Pirate is an incredible achievement and there are so many artistic merits worth celebrating. The Blu- ray release features solid high-definition video and lossless audio. Highly recommended.