Arcadia of My Youth

Rating:
Summary: Exquisite
Review: Hi,

I only have 2 things to say:

1. Good, moving story and very good animation.
2. The music is just phenomenal.

I hope this helps!

Sasan

Rating:
Summary: truly a classic!
Review: I've always found it striking how this movie seemed to be deplored by critics, yet deemed brilliant by fans. I can kinda see both viewpoints-- on the one hand there are some very obvious flaws, but on the other hand, this is the type of story that makes me want to overlook the problems.

Harlock, captain of a military spaceship, finds himself jobless after Earth loses a war with the alien Illumidas Empire. After returning to earth with a ship full of refugees, he soon sees that cooperation is the watchword among those defeated by Illumidas-- Harlock is discharged from his captaincy by a Tokargan soldier named Zoll, and the cowardly Minister Triter warns the Illumidas that Harlock is a dangerous man. Surrounded by traitors, Harlock begins to search for Maya, an old flame who's now running an underground radio operation, offering words of defiance and encouragement to the defeated masses of humanity. The aliens are also looking for Maya (for obvious reasons), and Harlock attempts to reach her first. The attempt costs him his right eye and nearly gets him killed.

Harlock has also made friends with a man named Tochiro, another ex-soldier of similar ranking. Together they roam the destroyed city until they are captured by the aliens for an experiment in racial/genetic memory. During the experiment, Harlock and Tochiro learn that their ancestors met 1,000 years ago, near the Swiss border during World War II (this flashback, and one other, will come full circle in some interesting ways later on). While all this is going on, word has leaked out that the Illumidas have finished with Tokarga and plan to send human volunteers to annihilate the planet. Harlock asks a space trader for permission to steal her ship, so he can go save the Tokargans. But Zoll, who has also heard the news regarding his homeworld, arrives with plans of his own, and a strong bond of friendship is formed between the defeated soldiers. At just this moment, Tochiro reveals a secret that will probably leave you either cheering, laughing, or if you're like me, just accepting it for the sake of the story.

The story is told in a poetic, operatic style, with wall-to-wall tragedy and sadness. There is much talk of youth, of manhood, and of ideals, often expressed in flowery, poetic language (it's tempting to gag on it, if you're not thinking about what's being said).

But one thing that struck me was that it was good to see such an unashamed celebration of masculinity in film. Not action movie masculinity, with bulging muscles and blazing guns, but masculine traits that speak to us from an older, nobler time-- faithfulness to love, disdain for cowardice, trueness to ideals, payment of debts, and the honoring of the honorable--even if he happens to be your enemy. Plus a good measure of testosterone-induced pig-headedness. These things are so often laughed at-- and some will find this film corny beyond belief-- that it seems we define masculinity as either a pathetic, comically deluded mindset, or simply as the ability to kill. This story recalls an age when men were men, and that was okay.

Animation quality wavers a bit. There are some very nice moments of character animation, but there are also some pretty amateurish shots of the spacecraft. The story springs from the mind of Leiji Matsumoto (Yamato/Starblazers, Galaxy Express 999), and the designs naturally reflect his goofy-yet-oddly-elegant artistic sensibilities. The sad, majestic orchestral score is truly beautiful.

As far as objectionable content goes, the violence level is pretty high. Ray guns scar faces and burn holes through bodies. Noble, likable characters meet horrible, often self-sacrificial deaths. For example: at one point, Harlock's vessel is being drawn into a solar flare that somehow attracts living energy. Alien crewmen have just watched the last female of their race die, so to save the ship from being pulled into the star, they cast themselves into space en masse. The subtitles contain some cursing, but no nudity or sex. There are a couple scenes involving alcohol. Also, parents should be warned that the finale does not involve the liberation of earth and wedding bells for Harlock. This is an extremely sad (but ultimately hopeful) movie, and you should be prepared to explain some things about life and death and honor and love.

Sure, there are some narrative problems (it's never explained how Harlock escapes after losing his eye, for example), and sure, scientific verisimilitude takes quite a beating (life-sucking supergravity?). And that's just for starters. But narrative flaws aside, there is a belief in honor and courage at the heart of this film that blends with a sense of tragedy, transcending the preachiness usually associated with such topics. Scientific accuracy isn't the point here. Arcadia of My Youth seems to be a quite personal vision of what Matsumoto (a man who remembers another alien occupation) believes about the best and worst of human nature. It isn't so much science fiction as futuristic romance (the old form of the word; not Harlequin). Even if you can't agree with every decision Harlock makes, the film still offers an opportunity to talk about manhood, sacrifice, courage, and ideals. I've not regretted the purchase yet.

Rating:
Summary: Matsumoto at his Best
Review: My introduction to Captain Harlock (Arcadia of My Youth) came by a rather unusual route. As a young fan (12yrs) of the Americanized syndicated series "Starblazers" (Spacecruiser Yamato), I stumbled acrossed another Animee series running on the CBC French channel at the same time that was very similar in style which was named, in French, "Albator". Even though my French was very limited, I became a big fan (the animation was beautiful, and, I have to admit, the air of mystery was enhanced by my very basic comand of the French language :-)).
So... after all these years, my brother bought the "Starblazers" (one of my all-time favorite series) DVD on line. & I thought to my self, "perhaps If that's available, I might find 'Albator' on line as well...", and I eventually came across this...
If you are an Animee fan, especially of the Matsumoto/Starblazers variety, you will LOVE "Arcadia of My Youth". This film is beautifully rendered from the original in both audio and vidio, and more than that, is a wonderful story that is very skillfully told. Captain Harlock is a fully realized 'hero' in the literary sense- with a perfect mix of passion, restraint, and sensitivity, and even chivelary (god forbid in this day and age!) that keeps him steady upon the 'middle path', the path that instinctively generates faith in the viewer that his goal will evenually be reached, no matter how arduous the path. This disciplined, Campellesque type Hero, whose exterior mission is an element of the interior (yet the former justifies the latter, for the mature individual) is today a rarity in an any film genre, and is refreshing to see so well realized. The soundtrack is gorgeous, and very apropriate. What more can I say? I bought this several days ago, received it today, and have watched it twice already. It is even better than what I expected it to be... And if you love symbolism.............

Rating:
Summary: Simply breathtaking!
Review: My Youth in Arcadia is one of Leiji Matsumoto's best productions ever. There's no other way to put it! Considering the feature is 20 years old, the animation is of wonderful quality. The music is heavenly; some of the best I've heard out of any Anime movie. To be an English dub, it was handled incredibly well, as most all of the dialogue was left intact. Delivery may be a bit off at times, but otherwise, this is a wonderfully orchestrated dub. Harlock is, in my opinion, the best Anime character out there, so this is a must-have for any Harlock fans! Also, it is patterned after most Leijiverse titles: it focuses mainly on the hardships of life, and is a more somber and serious work. This is definetely one to buy.

Rating:
Summary: not that great......
Review: Of all the writers that produce either anime or manga (or both), Matsumoto Leiji is one of those persons whose material would evoke a tremendous amount of controversy. Not because his material is offensive, or particularily insightful, but because people will either understand his writing, or would pass it off as a contrite, angst-riddled soap-opera. Matsumoto writes for his Japanese audience, and as such, people who were not raised in the environment are highly unlikely to feel any sort of bond with any of his works. Such is the case with his ambitious feature movie, Waga Seishun No Arcadia. Followers of the Harlock series will definitely not want to miss this movie -- here we have the origins of the ship itself, and how Harlock and Emeraldas both received their signature scars.

As with all Matsumoto productions, this movie features mechanical designs heavily influenced by times past -- in this case, we have the ships and fighters inspired by anything from sailed frigates right through to the Graf Zeppelin. You can tell that this is an older work -- simple animation techniques are used throughout, and the colours are very limited. Frame rates are pretty decent, but there are several instances of footage being re-used in the movie. Not so much of a problem in long-running serials, but something that's very noticeable in a two hour movie. Of particular note is the soundtrack -- it's monophonic, which is most unfortunate. The music is marvel of composition, exquisitely performed by the New Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Luckily, the Columbia-released CD is in full stereo, thought I suspect that the original master tapes were not in pristine condition, as there are several audible anomolies on the CD. The soundtrack suits the movie to a 'T': heavy, and at times very depressing, and perhaps even a little ponderous. If classical music is not your style, then you're likely find the vocal tracks to be most satisfying -- in particular, the songs 'Taiyo wa Shinanai,' and the much more upbeat final song, 'Waga Seishun No Arcadia.' This movie's soundtrack is on my list of all-time favourites.

I was less taken with the animation direction, however. Some scenes were very awkward, and almost cheesy -- the final meeting of the Tokarga soldier Zoll and Harlock for example, when it's decided that an expeditionary force would go to their homeworld one last time. While it's a common film technique borrowed from Japanese melodramas, most viewers would think it to be corny. Several fight scenes were poorly choreographed as well -- I don't expect to take on a group of opposing fighters, only to have them attack me one at a time. Convenient, but not particularily realistic. That doesn't mean that the scene composition was bad -- in fact, there are many scenes framed with a true artist's eye. Dramatic use of angles and lighting are prominant throughout this movie; it's unfortunate that the rest of the technical elements aren't up to this standard.

Writing is less than even. Matsumoto paints his characters with a rather broad, flat brush; and often in only two colours: black and white. On one hand, you'll have the noble and idealistic freedom fighters, and on the other, underhanded and cowardly evil-doers and opportunists. Add to this an engineer who is able to build an incredibly large and powerful battleship under the occupation force's base by himself, and you pretty much get the idea that the writer is expressing some excess baggage that he's carrying. There's no mistaking where most of this film's ideas come from: the US occupation of post-war Japan. It seems that Matsumoto feels that post-war Japan has become somewhat a nation of sheep, and are basically no longer in control of their own destinies. I think that it would be fair to say that Matsumoto is, if not anti-American, would not be considered to have any great love for the US. From his own feelings of frustration comes the rebellious hero figure: Harlock, in which he instills values that he feels important: honesty, integrity, and above all else -- being willing to risk all to follow your beliefs. A most noble image -- the heroic, idealistic freedom fighter, accompanied by his loyal companions, bucking all odds by taking on an oppressive and superior force -- a package that I felt very compelling. Perhaps it's the Japanese side of my psyche, or perhaps it resonates with my own sense of idealism. This movie won't appeal to most of the North American market, but it managed to find a place in my heart... my personal "Arcadia."

Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: One of the best anime's I've seen in awhile. Although the animation isn't that great and it's really long, the message still shines through.

Rating:
Summary: Yeesh, the dubing WASN'T that bad.
Review: The dubbing for this video has been criticized but most anime fans find dubbing to be sacrilige anyways. This was one of the best videos I have ever purchased; and I didnt' mind the voices who I found to be FAR above what I would call a bad dub (ie: LA Hero's horrible dubbing jobs on SDC Orguss or on BioBooster Armour Guyver).

Note this is NOT the same as "Vengence of the Space Pirate". While the voices are the same, it is uncut and has the whole movie. However I got it for 9.99.

The story itself is beyond reproach. As someone who hadn't encountered Captain Harlock before, I found myself facinated by him and the mythos surrounding him. It is worth the price to see if you're new to Captain Harlock. Hardcore Anime Fans should give it a rest and let the rest of us enjoy this.

Rating:
Summary: Discover the origins of Captain Harlock!
Review: This is a traditional Matsumoto movie.I saw this movie on French Television(cut in 5 parts) over 10 years ago.Too bad they don't make movies like this anymore.Like other Matsumoto works this has a soul and there's a deeper meaning to everything you see.It's true nowadays some scenes may be experienced as corny but it depends on the viewer if he/she can relate to the characters.

The Soundtrack is truelly beautiful and real effective and sets the mood quite well.

In a distant future where earth is dominated by the Illumidas, 2 men meet and change the destiny of the universe forever.The first one is Captain Harlock who commands a cargo-spaceship(which used to be a war schip before the Illumidas defeated earth's armada).The second is Tochiro, a mechanical engineer who secretly made a warschip,ARCADIA, and seeks someone honorable who could command it.

This movie explains how Captain Harlock got to know Tochiro and took command of ARCADIA.It takes place before the 2 series and I recommend watching those if you liked this movie.

The First serie which was made in 78(42 eps) and the second in 84(22 eps).Remarkably the 84's serie takes place BEFORE the 78's serie =)

amazon.fr has the complete 84's serie on DVD ,and the first 2 of 6 DVDs of the 78's.It French only but since I saw every Captain Harlock in French I don't mind =)

Rating:
Summary: UNCUT
Review: This is one of my all time favorite anime films.

I had the el crappo vhs version and it cost $30 at the time! blech. This dvd is amazing, I am glad it finally came out and wansnt dubbed in english as they usually add stupid curse words or cheesy dialogue. The story here is of the purest form it is a heroic tale about a man who stands up for what he believes in at all costs, is about love, loss, hope and the ultimate tale of heroism and the fight for freedom. It showcases a "nazi" like invasion by aliens that through tyranny decide to rule the earth, One man leads a rebellion to defend the earth at all costs.

Rating:
Summary: looking for an anime classic
Review: This is one of the best anime of science-fiction that You can ever see. The history of a space pirats that fight for justice and to recover his native planet earth. This picture, have the classic style of the Japan animation, but the characters and places that are used are uncommon and that's a reason while Harlock is today another classic in the world of animation. END