Captain Harlock (1978) 1.05

To the Shores of Distant Stars...

Tadashi wants to contribute as a member of the crew of the Arcadia. Captain Harlock doesn't have an assignment for him right away. He has Kei show him around the ship and to his living quarters. Tadashi is disappointed by the interior of the Arcadia. It isn't as impressive as he thought it would be.

The Arcadia encounters a transport ship from Planet 18. Captain Harlock and Kei board it and take the grain. Captain Harlock also takes a doll that he finds. It reminds him of Mayu. They return to the Arcadia and find Tadashi on the bridge. He is mumbling something about seeing Triton, one of the Moons of Saturn. They are no where near Triton.

Captain Harlock slaps Tadashi back to his senses. Tadashi tells them about his mother, a planetary atmospheric scientist, who was killed by accident on Triton. Tadashi was 12 at the time. The accident wasn't her fault but the incident was blamed on her. The government on Earth was covering it's own mistakes.

Captain Harlock doesn't realize it at the time but the doll he took from the transport ship isn't what it seems. It allows Commander Kiruta to spy on him. Later than night Tadashi wanders on to the bridge. No one else is there except Captain Harlock and the doll. Commander Kiruta has the doll try to kill them but Captain Harlock is too quick to be killed that way.

Commander Kiruta is angry that his plan didn't work. He takes his anger out on Mayu. He sends his falcon to kill one of her doves.

Tadashi seems out of sorts and is still adjusting to life on the ship. Captain Harlock tells Kei to lock Tadashi in his quarters. Tadashi doesn't snap out of it until he sees how everyone leaps into action when they sight a Mazone battleship.

A single Mazone soldier of Sector 6721 is captured. Captain Harlock and Tadashi interrogate her. She swears that Captain Harlock and his crew will bow before Queen Lafresia of the Mazone before long. She blows herself up. Captain Harlock and Tadashi get out of range of the explosion just in time.

Thoughts

It is hard to believe how many months have passed since I watched the previous episode. This show doesn't blow me away. The animation isn't breathtakingly beautiful. It is almost 45 years old. 

There is something building here. This episode doesn't stand on its own very well but it seems like an important part of the bigger story.