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Story:

At the end of the thirtieth century, all the races of our galaxy expand to the faraway frontiers of the vast universe. It is a time of freedom and lawlessness in deep space, too. The so-called 'Infinite Track' of Galaxy Express Railway now stretches out beyond Andromeda.

A new type of humanoid called 'mechanized man' begins to emerge on earth. The mechanized man possesses highly advanced technology and immortal life. This humanoid often loses its soul and becomes mean and cruel. The people who value a limited life span stand against the dominance of increasing mechanized immortals. The battle encompasses the entire earth and in the end, the 'fresh-and-blood' human beings are defeated. The mechanized men begin ruling the earth.

The human beings try to adjust to the life under the control of the immortals. Some find it possible to acquiesce to the new rules for an easy way. Others bear hard days. And some leave earth, hoping to find humankind's future in the universe.

Warrior Zero is the commander of the Independent Fleet, the Armed Forces of the earth. He lost his family and friends in the war between human beings and the mechanized men. He parted from his best friend, Captain Harlock, whom he fought with side by side. Zero's soul was crushed of the loss of family and friend. He has no hope, no dream and no aim in his life anymore.

One day, Zero receives an order from the Supreme Commander - the order to hunt down a space pirate called Captain Harlock. He is surprised. He hesitates. He detests this mission. Captain Harlock only assaults mechanized men's spaceships. Why should he help the immortals?

After long thought, Zero decides to take the mission. The lonely cosmo-warrior needs a good reason to live. He needs to find the true meaning of his life as a human. Knowing Zero's departure, Captain Harlock waits for his old friend, now the sturdy foe coming to destroy him. Somehow, he knew that one day he would battle against his old friend, Zero. What will the infinite universe bring to Zero?

Warrior Zero:

The hero of this story. Age late twenties. Zero lost his family and 'reason-etre' during the war between the human beings and mechanized men. Although being a good fellow cosmo-warrior of Captain Harlock, Zero parted from the friend and took the post of Commander of the Independent Fleet belonging to the earth's armed forces. His battleship, "Karyu" is equipped with the powerful weapon called "St, Elmo." Harlock chose to be a space pirate for adventure and freedom. Now Zero is summoned to hunt a space pirate, Harlock. Even so, they know they are still good friends. Zero takes the order to subjugate Harlock and his fellow space pirates for his won reason - to find true meaning of life. During his struggles in deep space, he will get closer to his ultimate goal.

Marina: Vice Captain of "Karyu" (Fire Dragon), the flagship of Independent Fleet. Age 22. Marina is a young and ambitious elite graduated with the outstanding cores from the Space Defense Academy. She makes several mistakes as she sticks to the principles of textbook. But, she will get crew's trust in her own way soon. While watching Zero's valiant way of living, Marina falls in love with him. (Marina is a mechanized aquatic humanoid. She can stay and live underwater. She is the only survivor of her water planet after it became uninhabitable. She managed to get to earth, but before leaving her own star, had to her body mechanized to live on lad and travel in space. She was adopted by a family and raised up as a normal child. Toward the end of series, Marina is afraid to go back to her planet of only few ruins and dried barren lands. The ship's crew is shocked when they find she is a mechanized humanoid. At the same time, they learn it is not right just to hate mechanized men always, but sometimes they'd better to accept the bio-metallic humanoid.)

Young Harlock: The most wanted space pirate with distinctive scar on his cheek. Age 23. Height 183 cm. A slender and handsome man. He resists living under the government of mechanized force. He loves freedom and adventure. He builds remodels and improves his battleship, Arcadia, with the help of his friend,

Tochiro. Together they prepare for when the time comes. Tochiro: A great samurai Tochiro is 21 years old. Height 153 cm. He is a short and stubby guy. At a glance, he looks like a good-for-nothing, but actually he is a great samurai and an amazing swordsman. He is also an engineering genius. His dream is to build the best spaceship in the universe. He hopes no to come across Zero, as he likes the space warrior as much as he likes Harlock. Tochiro and Emeraldas make an odd couple but they love each other.

Lady Emeraldas: A young and beautiful pirate. Always cool and self-controlled in battle. Some call Emeraldas 'an ice woman' or 'even 'witch.' She puts up with her fate - destined to battle throughout the universe. Emeraldas wants to solve the mystery of her space ship, the Queen Emeraldas as nobody knows who made it and why.

Yattaran: Vice Captain of 'Death Shadow II." Age 20 approx. Yattaran is a long time space-mates of Captain Harlock. They have been cruising in the outer space side by side. A cheerful and friendly guy. He is devoted his entire life to make plastic models.

Le Sylviana: Age approximately 20. Height 160 cm. Sylviana is a bounty hunter wandering spce frontiers. She is a quick draw and also a heavy drinker. Folks get alert when she appears, as she is a notorious troublemaker starting commotion everywhere she goes. She is after Captain Harlock. However, it seems there is something else on her hunt.

Heavy Grenadier: Height 210 cm. An enormous and reckless mercenary. Heavy Grenadier is too wild to live in any place other than the battlefield. He wanders through the stars to find a better rewarding job. Why? . It is his secret desire to save the desert people of Planet El Alamein where he once fought and destroyed all over the planet severely. While working under Zero, he gradually has trust and respect toward the commander.

Batlyzer: Its formal name is 'Battle Analyzer.' This robot is an armed analyzer with many weapons all over its body. Batlyzer transforms into a mini battleship and can jump a long distance in space by the warp-drive. His creator is unknown. It reactivates itself in a dumpsite of broken robots. When it sees a ship, it asks, "Is this the legendary battleship?" when it catches a girl in its sights, it presses her to marry it…!

Agawa: An old chief engineer. He has been working with Zero since the commander started his space carrier. He is a good adviser and mentor to Zero.

Doc. Machinar: Doctor of battleship "Karyu" (Fire Dragon). He is a mechanized man with skilled and precise techniques for any operations. He decides to make him mechanized in order to keep his skill and restraint status of mind. Unlike other mechanized men, he still has a good heart to appreciate the importance of life. Shizuo Ishikura: The sergeant major controlling all the sub-officers of the ship. Ishikura is also the captain of airborne fighters. Although he is loyal to Zero, he tends to be stubbornness and insistent He climbed up to the present position with outstanding hard works.

Kanta Rai: The gunnery officer of Karyu. A short-tempered and simple-minded man. Very quarrelsome, too. He detests the mechanized soldiers.

Shigeru Nobara: An officer of Karyu.

Takeshi Unabara: An officer of Karyu.

Acceluter: The chief navigator of Karyu. He never shows any kind of emotion and speaks in monotone. All his conducts including course programming and giving orders to the crew are calculated and unforgiving. Although he is a typical mechanized man, he will get know to what the humans are gradually.

Chairman of Earth Union: A 100% 'fresh-blood' human. He is proud of making up a truce between the human beings and the mechanized force. He willingly accepts to change his body into bio-mechanic.

Zeth Water: Zeth has a enormous power as the Galaxy Governor General of the outer Solar System. He is also the commander-in-chief of the mechanized fleet that attacked the Earth Union Force. He is ruling the Pluto and the entire outer region of Solar System. He is scheming to change all the earthlings into mechanized men. His big headache is the space pirates lead by Captain Harlock. It is his decision to order Zero to hunt down Harlock. He stays in Helcastle owned by Helmetear as his body does not work well on Pluto. At the final space battle, the governor-general tries to kill Harlock by his own hands.

Hel Matear: Age unknown. Although her true identity is mysterious she has the power equal to the governor-general or even superior. She always watches Zero's whereabouts and what he is doing. Actually it is her ultimate aim to destroy the entire Solar System. She gets tired of the eccentric vengeance toward to Harlock and abandons this insane leader.

Mechanized Force: The military force of mechanized men. The soldiers are controlled by the host computer.

Battleships:

KARYU (Fire Dragon): The largest battleships of the entire earth forces. It is equipped with parallel twin 'Wave' cannons at the helm, three triangle Shock cannons, missile launchers and many Pulse Laser guns. To cruise in space, it uses twin 'Wave' engines installed horizontally. Karyu also has three-dimensional radar to search for enemy ships. Size -- 550 meters long.

Queen Emeraldas: It is a legendary space ship built by a highly civilized existence for a long time ago. Emeraldas found it on a ruined planet, Toshiro gave full repair works and reactivated it. Although it looks like a simple balloon, it possesses a lot of attacking and defensive weapons. Some say it has its own will!

Arcadia: It is an ideal battleship that Toshiro and his friends wanted to build. The mark of skeleton drawn at the helm scares everybody away. The engine system is compressed 'Wave-Gravity.' Tochiro created a control system called the 'Spiritual Zone Center.' He says it needs more improvement and never stops adding new devices to the Arcadia whenever they are available.

Death Shadow - Prototype: It's Tochiro's 'toy' with lots of experimental weapon systems and other gadgets. Problem is this ship starts firing without any warning, and falls on to the ground so often. Size - 260 meters long

Death Shadow II:

Kagero:

Mu-Oh (Dream King): The flagship of earth forces. Equipped with two 'Wave' cannons and 4 triangle Shock cannons. In the posse of Captain Harlock, it is ranked No. 2 in the fleet, closely follow Karyu (Fire Dragon).

Wadachi (Trail): A heavily armed cruiser. With large diameter 'Wave' cannons, triangle Schock cannons and Plasma Beam guns, Wadachi makes a strong defensive line against enemy attack.

Kohsoku (Light Speed): A fast and agile destroyer to hunt space submarines and stealth ships with three-dimensional radar. It has space torpedoes and high speed auto pilot called ESP.

Daisen ( Great Mount): a space carrier to transport military goods and fighter planes to the war front. It need strong protection of escort ships as it has no weaponry. Size - 382 meters long.

Yamabiko (Echo): A submarine-type attacker having the capability to fly and fire missiles in the half-zone between dimensions. Size - 98 meters long.

#1. "Great Departure"
     At the end of 30th century, it is a time of space frontiers. The mankind continues to expand their dreams and ambition to the faraway frontiers of universe. Zeth Water, The Governor General of the Outer Solar System wants to subjugate the earth by the mechanized force formed by the almost immortal cyborgs called the mechanized people. The earth is compelled to agree to the humiliating treaty and Zeth Water starts ruling the earth. His only headache is the space pirates attacking his fleets.

     Our hero Commander Zero is living a hollow life after losing his family and friends in the war between the normal humans and the mechanized forces. One day Zero is ordered by the supreme commander to hunt down a notorious space pirate, Captain Harlock. He is shocked, as Harlock was his fellow warrior and the best friend he ever had. However, he takes this mission as he hopes to find good reason and true meaning of life in deep space. When he boards the ship, he is surprised to meet a new vice-captain, Marina who volunteered to work on Zero's ship, throwing out her comfortable status and life on earth.

#2 "Ripple Effects of Marina"
     Zero embarks on his flagship, Karyu (Fire Dragon) and orders the pilot to warp out of the solar System immediately. In his ship, the human crew is getting frustrated and nervous when they know the chief navigator, the ship's doctor and a part of crew are mechanized persons. Zero is curious about Marina who dumped her promising future on earth. To make the things worse, her order of strict observance of rules enrages the crew already irritating with the difference of mentality and customs between the flesh & blood humans and the mechanized soldiers. When a squad Leader tries to put the mechanized crew under his control, they are outraged to almost rebel. Zero barely manages to talk them down. The frustrated squad Leader fires his gun and the tension reaches to the limit to explode!

#3. "Engulfed Karyu!"
     Marina, not paying attention to the opposition among the crew, orders hard drills to them. The ship is now full of frustration and hatred. Then, the ship receives SOS of one of the space stations under attack of an unknown spacecraft. Suspecting it might be Harlock's ship, Zero rushes to the station and finds the ship of General Hunter calling his troop as the Army of Earth Revolution."      General Hunter tells Zero he is fighting to liberate the earth from the mechanized force. He fires at Zero's ship, Karyu. Panicked Chief Navigator accidentally pushes the fire button of 'St. Elmo's Cannons,' (the parallel twin 'wave' (undulation) cannons) But they are not fully tested yet. The ship is covered with bluish flame as it called 'St. Elmo's Fire.' It causes heavy damages to the ship itself and the crew.

#4. "Spirits of Grenadier, Space Warrior"
     Zero's ship Lands on Planet El Alamain, which used to be the front base for the humans against the mechanized force. Zero is told that a mercenary is still resisting the mechanized force alone and meets the man named Heavy Grenadier. Grenadier rejects Zero's offer to join his mission to hunt down Harlock. The mercenary promised to protect Luto, the son of his late employer and other children until they grow up. But, Luto, scared to death, tells their hideout to the mechanized officer in exchange of his safety. The mechanized troop has no intention to keep promise and attack the hideout with the bombers. Grenadier runs in to save them, but the situation is desperate. Then, Zero comes for rescue.

#5. "The Immortal Samurai Tochiro"
     Zero's ship heads for the town of Gunfrontier on Planet Heavy Metal to meet the bounty hunter called Le Sylviana for the information of Harlock. Zero sends the scouting party; Grenadier, Ishikura, Rai and a mechanized soldier Acceluter to the town. Ishikura, eager to make a distinguished service, induces others to get Harlock together. The scouting party is tricked by Le Sylviana into a commotion and nearly destroys the town. Le Sylviana accuses Tochiro for this incident and poor Tochiro is to be crucified. When the saloon master points his gun at Tochiro, Death Shadow (Captain Harlock's ship) roars down for the rescue of his best friend.

#6. "My Friend Harlock"
     Harlock comes to rescue Tochiro. Le Sylviana challenge a battle against him, but no match. Emeraldas comes to Tochiro, but she refuses to release him when she is told Tochiro was enticed by Le Sylviana and fell in the trap. Ishikura tries to get the information of Harlock from Tochiro, but no avail. He sets a bomb reacting to Tochiro's voice on his body for capture of Harlock. Zero worries the way the things are going on, decides to go down to the town. Meanwhile, Harlock finds out the reason of commotion was Tochiro. At the execution place, Tochiro notices Harlock come up for his rescueŠ.

#7. "The Way You Should Believe"
     Zero receives report that Harlock is attacking a planet for looting. When Zero's ship, Karyu, arrives, 'Death Shadow II' is bombarding the planet. The human and mechanized pilots of fighter jets get in the course of missile to save the people on the planet. All of them suffer from heavy damages. Karyu counterattacks Death Shadow II. To Zero's embarrassment, Death Shadow II retreats immediately.      Marina senses someone in the ship and start searching alone. Marina's sensor reacts to Helmatear, a mechanized woman. Helmatear knocks down Marina and disappears into the ship. Batlyzer detects something unusual and sounds an alarm. Marina comes back to consciousness and check the computer where she suspects the woman intruded. Suddenly the computer explodes!

#8. "Infinite Sentiment of Marina"
     Zero helps Marina out of the exploded computer room. Carrying her to the nurse room, he notices Marina has the metal bones. Doc. Machinar already guessed Marina is not a flesh & blood human. She is hospitalized under watch, but escapes for searching Helmatear. Chased by the soldiers, Marina finds Helmatear bu using reacting sensor. Helmatear tells her that Zero is an experiment for 'a human being whose conducts can not be calculated completely.' Helmatear escapes out of the ship. Marina chases her on a fighter jet. Zero follows Marina, regretting that he did not understand Marina's sentiment.

#9. "A Sorrowful Planet"
     Zero rushes to rescue a transportation ship under heavy attack of space pirates. He finds Death Shadow III there. But, he soon finds it is a fake and destroys it. On the planet nearby, Zero discovers numerous castoff skins of the humans who made their body mechanized! It is a mass grave. It is the reason why Harlock attacks the transportation ship. Zero learns that they do not want the public to know how they dispose the human bodies and throws his anger to the chairman of Earth Union. Chairman explains the plan that Earth Union got the permission of Zeth Water to give "Karyu" to Zero, pretending Earth Union accepts Helmetear's experiment. Helmetear is on the special mission given by Zeth Water, the governor general of outer solar system. Zero goes down to the planet to give a promise that all the skins will be buried after his operation is over. He meets beautiful Maetel there. Maetel feels bright hope on Zero and tell him to go to a star where her friends constructing Technologia, a New World of harmony between the flesh & blood humans and the mechanized people. Maetel is afraid that it will be attacked by Helcastle, the gigantic space fortress sent by Zeth Water soon.

#10. "The Verge of the Galaxy"
     Zero heads for Technologia. He has to go through the area called Galaxy Iron Bridge where the gravity field is unstable. Thanks to the 'super human' efforts of the mechanized crew, the ship gets to the Iron Bridge. What are waiting for Zero there are magnetic storm and ferocious lightning. Under the influence of magnetic field, the mechanized crew are getting berserk. Zero decides to cross this difficult zone only by the humans' control. Doc. Machinar understands him and cut the main circuit of all the mechanized crew including him. Powerful thunder bolts and rain of meteor attack the ship. Zero realizes how the mechanized people can be helpful in this dangerous situation. But, he has to go through with only the help of human crewŠ.

#11. "Great Technologia"
     After overcoming incessant dangers in the Iron Bridge Zero manages to get to Technologia. Many friendly ships and Harlock Death Shadow have already in position to meet Helcastle. Then, the gigantic space fortress shows up its enormous body! Zeth Water and Helmetear are confident to destroy Technologia completely. Helcastle goes on to the defensive line where the friendly ships spatter the space mines. The explosions of mines give no big damages to Helcastle. The automatic repair system fixes damage immediately. Zero hesitates to use St. Elmo Cannons as he has to lift the defensive shield for 40 seconds while charging energy to the cannons. Tochiro comes to Zero's ship and propose to improve the cooling system of Cannons. But, Zero can not take it as the ship is defenseless while fixing Cannons. In the space fortress, Helmetear tells Zeth Water that Marina, the woman from her race, Miraiseria, is on Zero's Ship. The governor general, planning to weaken spirits of Zero's crew, sends Karyu an urgent message revealing Marina is not a human nor an earthling.

#13. “The Oath”
Harlock orders to give concentrated attack with the cannons of all the ships. But, Helcastle repairs the damage with many tentacles in a moment. Harlock asks Zero to fire ‘St. Elmo's Beam.' Zero agrees and orders all the crew disembark the ship at once. But, nobody moves form his or her position. While preparing “St. Elmo's Beam,' Karyu becomes defenseless. Other ships gets in between Karyu and Helcastle and are heavily damaged and destroyed. Only Death Shadow and Emeraldas are narrowly survived. When ‘St. Elmo's Beam' is ready, the cooling system is overcharged. But, the countdown is going on. Karyu gets into a desperate situation. A moment of destiny is coming…..

#14. “Hunt for Young Harlock Part-1 – Zero vs. Harlock ”
Young Harlock and Toshiro heads steer their Death Shadow to Planet Sarumatake where they have a secret research laboratory. Meanwhile, Zero is caught by the notorious space pirate, Hunter. Hunter wants to exchange Zero with his ship, Karyu. Then, Zero escapes from Hunter's hideout thanks to Emeraldas's help and two fugitives zip into Planet Sarumatake. The eternal rivals, Zero and Harlock meet to fight a decisive battle. Just then, the battleships lead by Hunter zoom into Planet Sarumatake for capturing Zero and Harlock.

#15. “Hunt for Young Harlock Part-2 – For the flag of Freedom ”

Hunter's battleships launch all-out attack on Planet Sarumatake. Zero, Harlock and Emeraldas have to defend the planet with whatever available weapons as Tochiro has gone on Death Shadow for receiving various parts for a new battleship. When the situation becomes desperate, Death Shadow returns and our heroes destroy Hunter's battleships with devastating couter-attack. However, another crisis comes up. The natural structure of Planet Sarumatake is fragile and the ground begin tearing and falling down because of fierce battles. The gravity control system has to be reset before the planet falls apart. But, Zero and Harlock falls into the crevice. Can they stop the collapse of planet in time…..?