The second installment of the series "Space Pirate Captain Herlock: Endless Oddessy/Outside Legend" has arrived.
The crew of the Arcadia is roaming the Sea of Stars, in search of answers as to why the galaxy has erupted into utter choas. They are then they are attacked by the alien entities knows only as "Noo". Can the crew of the Arcadia overcome the grip of fear that has tightened it's hold on the cosmos?
The story is building. Unlike so many other anime titles available, Endless Oddessy/Outside Legend is not a huge "shoot 'em up" type of series, like a Trigun or Cowboy Bebop for example. The action tends to move slower but it's the nature of the characters to do so. Leji Matsumoto's Captain Herlock may seem at times that he is merely "doing nothing'. But in the Matsumoto universe, his every action has a ripple effect. He is that powerful a presence and the story reflects that. You can feel the story building to an eventual crescendo. And when it does, it will be well worth the wait.
The second volume of this series is just as good as the first. The video transfer is crisp and clear. The sound is also presented in both 5.1 Dolby Digital sound on both the English and Japanese language tracks. Making it a feast for the ears and the eyes. The menus are also very easy to navigate and nicely laid out. The menu screens have a very 17th Century Buccaneer theme. Complete with the Jolly Roger flying and Spanish Galleon. Once again, the subtitles are presented with signs being in english like in the first disc.
The extras on the disc are again a little sparse. Some trailers, DVD credits, and a textless English opening. The English release opening is actually very good, and it's nice to be able to enjoy it with alot of the credits obscuring the artwork. If you are a bit disappointed by the lack of extras, there is good news. The final installment of this series will include a second disc with bonus features and even an interview with the man himself, Leji Matsumoto!!
This series truly a classic in every sense of the word.
