Rating: 
Summary: Middle of the road in the Matsumoto Universe
Review: Being a Matsumoto junkie, I found this OAV to be a little short of what I had come to expect of a Matsumoto production. I find it to be a middle of the road series, I didn't really care for it, but I didn't want to throw it out the window in disgust either. This is NOT for people new to Matsumoto, I would suggest going and grabbing up Arcadia of My Youth first, it clears up a lot of characters for the initiates. And keep in mind 3 things when viewing this production.... 1) it is loosely based on a Wagner opera, so if you think it is ripping off The Ring, you are right, it is... sorta... 2) Matsumoto's universe NEVER follows a strict timeline, it overlaps and runs all over the place, so don't try to fit it into a timeline with another piece of Harlock lore, it just won't fit (especially since this is supposed to be Harlock's son... in the manga it's more apparant). 3) The animation is really nice, not the best in the world, but like all Matsumoto the characters have their special Matsumoto style and the space scenes are beautifully rendered. With one exception that seems to be a downfall since Queen Emereldas and that is the CGI they add in of the Arcadia, it's hideously bad! but it's short, so no worries. All in all, this OAV looks pretty, and the storyline was interesting, since it was a Space Opera rendition of an opera, but the storyline and script lacked, like one other reviewer said, Harlock just kinda stood there stoicly and added a line or two when needed, but didn't seem to say much of anything else, kinda disappointing when you compare him to the Harlock of past series and movies.
I think this is really for the Matsumoto fans only, not much here for anyone who isn't a fan of him already.
Rating:
Summary: Middle of the road in the Matsumoto Universe
Review: Being a Matsumoto junkie, I found this OAV to be a little short of what I had come to expect of a Matsumoto production. I find it to be a middle of the road series, I didn't really care for it, but I didn't want to throw it out the window in disgust either. This is NOT for people new to Matsumoto, I would suggest going and grabbing up Arcadia of My Youth first, it clears up a lot of characters for the initiates. And keep in mind 3 things when viewing this production.... 1) it is loosely based on a Wagner opera, so if you think it is ripping off The Ring, you are right, it is... sorta... 2) Matsumoto's universe NEVER follows a strict timeline, it overlaps and runs all over the place, so don't try to fit it into a timeline with another piece of Harlock lore, it just won't fit (especially since this is supposed to be Harlock's son... in the manga it's more apparant). 3) The animation is really nice, not the best in the world, but like all Matsumoto the characters have their special Matsumoto style and the space scenes are beautifully rendered. With one exception that seems to be a downfall since Queen Emereldas and that is the CGI they add in of the Arcadia, it's hideously bad! but it's short, so no worries. All in all, this OAV looks pretty, and the storyline was interesting, since it was a Space Opera rendition of an opera, but the storyline and script lacked, like one other reviewer said, Harlock just kinda stood there stoicly and added a line or two when needed, but didn't seem to say much of anything else, kinda disappointing when you compare him to the Harlock of past series and movies.
I think this is really for the Matsumoto fans only, not much here for anyone who isn't a fan of him already.
Rating:
Summary: Harlock Returns to video..Promising
Review: Finally Captain Harlock returns to video. The format is similar to last year's Queen Emeraldas (instead of one continuous show the tape is actually three separate episodes. The voice overs are good and appropriate for each character (practically all of the Captain Harlock universe is present from Tochiro to Galaxy Express' Matel). The opening music was of a style similar to "Arcadia of My Youth" . The only drawbacks were that the dialouge does get a little plodding at times, what plays for the first episode seems like a part of an ongoing series so I felt a little behind at first, and it felt a little fustratingly short (I guess the second tape will be out in May). For people new to the characters this might not be the video to start, but for me overall it was promising enough to go for the second tape in the Harlock Saga when it comes out
Rating: 
Summary: Moody gods, powerful music and silent seas
Review: Following Queen Emeraldas, Leiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock has finally sailed into DVD. The result, an amalgamation of Der Ring des Nibelungen and the Harlockverse, is a classic tale of high adventure full of moody, sweeping capes and willowy women with flowing hair. All the players are present, including a brief cameo from Maetel. "Harlock Saga" is a fine example of what Matsumoto does best. The characters are larger than life and melodramatic to the extreme. Harlock struts the stage and holds pace with a gloomy Wotan and dismissive Freya. Richard Wagner's music is perfect mood music for a space opera. The animation is beautiful (with the exception of a small but very intrusive piece of computer graphics. thankfully it is very small and over quickly) and the story is captivating. The DVD contains enough extras to please anybody. The "cast of characters" is really a bonus to those not familiar with Matsumoto's universe. Good sound and subtitles.
Rating:
Summary: Best anime series I have ever seen!
Review: Harlock takes the cake for me. I love the story line and over all quality of this series and DVD. If you are/were ever a fan of the original Starblazers get this NOW!
Rating: 
Summary: Real Space Opera
Review: I am not sure exactly what I expected when I picked 'The Harlock Saga' out to watch, other than a popular Japanese anime, but I have to admit that I was unprepared to find myself watching a version of Wagner's 'Ring of the Nibelung' recast as a space adventure in the far future. However, I am a fan of much of Wagner's work. After the initial shock when the opening credits rolled by, I settled into what was an honestly unique experience. Harlock (actually the son of Leiji Matsumoto's original Harlock) is the captain of the Arcadia, a space pirate vessel. Accompanying him are his close friend Tochiro, Chief cook and engineering mate Yattran, and Meeme a mysterious woman who is rumored to be a sorceress of an ancient and fearsome race. The story opens with Tochiro and Harlock's sister Emareldas trying to track down Meeme, who disappeared from the Arcadia unexpectedly. They find a projection of her in the ruins of the asteroid Aclucion, where she warns them that another pirate is about to raid the planet Rhein in order to gain the Rheingold. Harlock races to the planet, but is not in time. Now this intrepid gang must trace the gold across the universe. As they try to prevent the gold from being made into the ring that rules time, Meeme explains that the pirate is Alberich of the Nibelungs, her brother. He wants the ring to challenge Wotan and destroy Valhalla, little caring that this will destroy the universe as well. Of course, the crew of the Arcadia fails again and the ring is made. Now all, good and evil alike, flock to Valhalla where this recasting of Wagner's story reaches its climax as Harlock struggles to avert the Twilight of the Gods. As you can see, the story truly is pure space opera. This is pure fun right out of Flash Gordon, but with classical music. Director Yoshi Takeuchi commits almost every dramatic sin there is, and the English language version compounds this excess into a perfect confection. Be warned, set playback to the Japanese version with subtitles or risk dying from unrelenting over-acting. What you have to keep in mind is that this file was never meant to be either a faithful rendition of Wagner's operas of a perfect redaction of Matsumoto's manga. Rather, it is intended to recreate the style of its sources and provide high entertainment. And that it does exceedingly well. This is a long presentation (about 150 minutes) in six episodes. Unlike some manga adaptations, considerable effort is spent of providing continuity. So there is little confusion to detract from the excellent graphic design, art work, and the great musical score. I found the ending a bit anticlimactic, but not unbearably so. The action during most of the film makes up for that particular weakness. After all, there are only so many planets you can blow up before a certain amount of ennui leaks in. You may just find yourself wishing for a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Real Space Opera
Review: I am not sure exactly what I expected when I picked 'The Harlock Saga' out to watch, other than a popular Japanese anime, but I have to admit that I was unprepared to find myself watching a version of Wagner's 'Ring of the Nibelung' recast as a space adventure in the far future. However, I am a fan of much of Wagner's work. After the initial shock when the opening credits rolled by, I settled into what was an honestly unique experience. Harlock (actually the son of Leiji Matsumoto's original Harlock) is the captain of the Arcadia, a space pirate vessel. Accompanying him are his close friend Tochiro, Chief cook and engineering mate Yattran, and Meeme a mysterious woman who is rumored to be a sorceress of an ancient and fearsome race. The story opens with Tochiro and Harlock's sister Emareldas trying to track down Meeme, who disappeared from the Arcadia unexpectedly. They find a projection of her in the ruins of the asteroid Aclucion, where she warns them that another pirate is about to raid the planet Rhein in order to gain the Rheingold. Harlock races to the planet, but is not in time. Now this intrepid gang must trace the gold across the universe. As they try to prevent the gold from being made into the ring that rules time, Meeme explains that the pirate is Alberich of the Nibelungs, her brother. He wants the ring to challenge Wotan and destroy Valhalla, little caring that this will destroy the universe as well. Of course, the crew of the Arcadia fails again and the ring is made. Now all, good and evil alike, flock to Valhalla where this recasting of Wagner's story reaches its climax as Harlock struggles to avert the Twilight of the Gods. As you can see, the story truly is pure space opera. This is pure fun right out of Flash Gordon, but with classical music. Director Yoshi Takeuchi commits almost every dramatic sin there is, and the English language version compounds this excess into a perfect confection. Be warned, set playback to the Japanese version with subtitles or risk dying from unrelenting over-acting. What you have to keep in mind is that this file was never meant to be either a faithful rendition of Wagner's operas of a perfect redaction of Matsumoto's manga. Rather, it is intended to recreate the style of its sources and provide high entertainment. And that it does exceedingly well. This is a long presentation (about 150 minutes) in six episodes. Unlike some manga adaptations, considerable effort is spent of providing continuity. So there is little confusion to detract from the excellent graphic design, art work, and the great musical score. I found the ending a bit anticlimactic, but not unbearably so. The action during most of the film makes up for that particular weakness. After all, there are only so many planets you can blow up before a certain amount of ennui leaks in. You may just find yourself wishing for a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Leiji Matsumoto Classic
Review: I grew up with Harlock on TV (known as Albator) and I fell in love with the romantic image of a not so heroic space pirate. The Harlock Saga is a great DVD to get the casual fan or the hardcore fan who never bothered to get it. The complex tale is one ripped from the RING opera and at times it shows. For the most part this is a great idea. The world of Harlock is the perfect setting for what takes place and the story of the ring is well told. The animation is great, much better than the old TV show. Any anime fan worth his salt should have it. Classic.
Rating:
Summary: A new classic
Review: I grew up with Harlock on TV (known as Albator) and I fell in love with the romantic image of a not so heroic space pirate. The Harlock Saga is a great DVD to get the casual fan or the hardcore fan who never bothered to get it. The complex tale is one ripped from the RING opera and at times it shows. For the most part this is a great idea. The world of Harlock is the perfect setting for what takes place and the story of the ring is well told. The animation is great, much better than the old TV show. Any anime fan worth his salt should have it. Classic.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent complete Matsumoto series on One volume!
Review: Leiji Matsumoto's HARLOCK SAGA was released in Japan as 6 separate volumes under the voluminous title: HARLOCK SAGA: Der Ring Des Nibelung: Das Rheingold. For U.S. audiences, Central Park Media tightened up the title and released all 6 episodes on one convenient volume. Based on Richard Wagner's opera of the same name, although extremely loosely, the story revolves around Harlock and his crew searching for the stolen gold from planet Rhein, which can manipulate the forces of the universe. (....Sound familiar? This same plot was used not long ago for an episode of Xena...!) The last of the Nibelung clan, who happens to be Memme's (a.k.a. La Mime, who seems to have a different look with every series) brother, has stolen it and had it forged into a ring by the young Tadashi Daiba. The adventure comes to a head in Valhalla with a space battle, a Death Star like space fortress, some Giants who are in love with Memme's sister Freya, and the Norse God's themselves. At the adventures end, the Ring is in Harlock's hands. Meeme promises it will be returned to the planet Rhein--which was seemingly destroyed at the beginning of the series.....oh well. As usual, another exciting adventure from the extreme world of Harlock, where the women are still 7 feet tall with 9" waists and floor sweeping hair. Just about everyone appears in this series--including Emeraldas & Maetal. The DVD also has a nice "World of Harlock" section with an introduction into each of the main characters. A nice featurette on the making of the English language dub introduces us to the voice actors behind the characters. Other extras include a title free credits section, trailers, and a DVD-Rom section too. All in all, this is a very enjoyable package! You can watch the English dub or Japanese with subtitles so there is definitely something for everyone on this DVD. Let's hope they can bring us future Matsumoto adventures (like Maetel Legend!) in this fashion...
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