Captain Herlock: V.1 The Legend Returns (ep.1-4)

The Space Pirates have been rounded up. All except for one. The legendary Captain Herlock (prononced "Harlock"). He is currently in exile on the Planet Of Rubble. When his friend Professor Daiba is killed by the entitys known only as the "Nu", Herlock once again sets sail on the Sea Of Stars to get to the bottom of these mysterious beings appearance.

Directed by Taro Rin, this DVD collection surpasses Harlock Saga released two years ago by Central Park Media. The first volume contains the series initial four episodes. The animation is superb. It still retains the classic Matsumoto look while being very modern. The CGI animation has been refined dramactically and now looks better integrated into the classic 2D animation. No more of the plastic looking ships like in Harlock Saga. The one complaint I have is that sometimes the transfer looks a tad on the grainy side, but that has only been in a few places. The sound on this DVD is also excellent. Both language tracks are presented in 5.1 Stereo Surround Sound. The default language setting is English with translated Signs. This sounds like it would be obtrusive but Pioneer/Geneon has made sure that the subtitled signs would not be placed so as to be a hinderance. The quality of the English voice acting is also top notch. Herlock has always been a very powerful character and his English voice conveys that very well. When he speaks, you listen.

The Extras on this disc are a little sparse. There's a character gallery, Japanese Intro, trailers, and that's about it. Hopefully future volumes will include more.

There are not enough words to describe what a fantastic series this is. For Matsumoto fans this is a must have. For anime fans this DVD will make an excellent addition to your library that you can proudly display.

Yes indeed. He has returned........

PROs: The quality of the animation is great and bring up tonnes of good memories. The characters are very well done. Great music!
Matsumoto had many years to rework and redefine what he wants to say with these characters and settings.

CONs: To much emphasis on the "look" of the main character (Captain Herlock). Might be slow at times for people who wants lots of action.

Overall: Content: A, Video: A, Menu: B, Packaging: B, Extras: C.

I first saw this DVD at a friend's house and was more than pleasantly surprised as it really does seem to capture what I loved about the initial series. The artwork, sound, and dialogue are terrific. The story is reminiscent of the first series, though this is not a remake.

What can I say? Five stars.