Bonus 1979-1990 Anime PrimerArcadia of My Youth (1982)Of Leiji Matsumoto’s many iconic creations, Ca
Bonus 1979-1990 Anime PrimerArcadia of My Youth (1982)Of Leiji Matsumoto’s many iconic creations, Captain Harlock stands out as one of the most intriguing. A manifestation of freedom and revolt in the face of corrupt authority, it’s little wonder he’s been the subject of so many animated adaptions (this being the Matsumoto universe, not all of them adhering to a cohesive canon). Perhaps the most well-known of these is Arcadia of My Youth, a sci-fi epic exploring the space pirate’s potential origins.Unlike his cameo in 1979’s Galaxy Express 999, where he was already an infamous outlaw, we meet Harlock here as a young Earth officer shaken by the knowledge that his home planet has been invaded by militaristic aliens. His fellow soldier and future best friend Tochiro, along with the hopeful broadcasts of his old flame Maya, inspire Harlock to lead a resistance. For their cause, he and his comrades will board the battleship Arcadia, risking eternal exile…Clocking in at over 2 hours, Arcadia of My Youth emphasizes the opera (Wagnerian, specifically) in space opera. Passionate speeches, manly tears and honorable duels abound, but the film’s grandiosity is tempered by an endearing sincerity. Beyond that, it is one of the most gorgeous productions of the early 80s, overflowing with detail including lovingly rendered mechanical designs created with assistance from Studio Nue. Arcadia of My Youth is considered the last hurrah of the Matsumoto Boom that defined sci-anime throughout the 70s. Soon, his signature lofty space-faring sagas would be replaced by the more modern story-telling techniques of Gundam and Macross. While there have been resurgences in interest since then, and Matsumoto’s oeuvre has a timeless quality, you couldn’t ask for a better swan song than this.Arcadia of My Youth is available on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Discotek. -- source link
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