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06-06-2008, 04:08 PM
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For a generation of kids in the 1970's, one of the highlights of after school TV time was Star Blazers. We'd all rush home after school to watch the latest installment as the Space Battleship Yamato (re-christened the Argo in the English dub) battled its way through the Gamilon Empire fleet to the distant planet Iscandar with the fate of Earth hanging in the balance. It was a perfect follow-up to the blockbuster success of Star Wars, mixing classic space opera elements with a far more complex and sophisticated tone and narrative than any American action cartoon at the time.
Cover me, Big One! I'm going in!Most of us weren't aware of it at the time, but much of the show's appeal was due to Leiji Matsumoto, who solidified his stature in the anime industry with his contributions to Space Battleship Yamato. Just short of thirty years later, Matsumoto brought The Galaxy Railways to Japanese TV screens and demonstrated that the years had done nothing to dilute his skills. The series was imported by FUNimation in 2005, and is now available in a 6-disc set on their Viridian Collection label. From start to finish, it is an old-school delight, packed with space opera derring-do and unafraid to embrace the more sentimental aspects of the genre without irony. It is thoroughly, unapologetically Old School, down to the gloriously retro theme songs, and that's one of many things that makes the show so thoroughly enjoyable. (l to r) David, Bruce, Louis, Manabu, Capt. Bulge, and YukiThe premise of The Galaxy Railways is "giant trains in space," and if you're having plausibility issues with that, you're probably best off stopping right now and going off to find something a bit more conventional. In the future, humanity travels the stars via the Galaxy Railways: a giant network of train lines criss-crossing the galaxy. Defending the rails are the stalwart men, women, and robots of the Space Defense Force (SDF), responsible for day-to-day operation as well as search-and-rescue and defense of the rails. The show centers on Manabu Yuuki, the latest recruit into the SDF, who aspires to live up to the reputations of his father and older brother, both of whom gave their lives in the line of duty. He finds himself assigned to Sirius Platoon, the same one commanded by his father, alongside fellow rookie and fairly obvious romantic foil Louis Fort Drake. (No, that's not a spelling mistake, and yes it probably should have been "Louise.") Their commanding officer is Captain Schwanhelt Bulge (the first of three truly unfortunate names in the series that suggest porn stars rather than science fiction) and their new home is the space locomotive Big One (there's the second one). The platoon is rounded out by the harsh senior officer Bruce, the much kindlier and mischievous junior officer David, and the medical sexaroid Yuki (there's the third, and no, they don't explain the designation other than to make her the designated fan service character). Serialized fiction can take its time to develop its ideas and plots, and Galaxy Railways takes advantage of this to the full. The 26-episode show is dominated by Manabu's coming-of-age story as he grows from a green rookie to a more seasoned Railways officer. Newcomers should be aware that the show takes its time getting from start to finish, since Manabu isn't even a teenager in the first episode and only dons the SDF uniform in the closing credits of the second. He changes in small and subtle ways from a rash, impulsive, and naive boy to a more self-assured, thoughtful, and practical man at the end, without losing the idealism and sense of self-sacrifice that makes him an appealing character in the first place. What? No gravy?!?The series also makes sure to spotlight the other supporting cast members on the show, even if none of them manages to achieve much more depth than an archetype. Still, Matsumoto and the crew of Galaxy Railways do a commendable job of getting us to care about the primary cast, giving each of the Sirius Platoon members at least one spotlight episode to shine. It comes as no s 
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