ANI-MOVIES, *Adieu Galaxy Express 999

Coming out in the same year that the TV anime version ended, Aideu, Galaxy Express 999 is a direct sequel to the original 1979 anime movie adaptation. Rintaro returns to direct this conclusion to the sprawling space opera, with even more dramatic twists and turns that seriously deviated from the prime source material. Released two years after the first Galaxy Express 999, this acted as a foundation for several other Leijiverse titles, while still maintaining its own continuity.

Set a few years later, Tetsuro is still on Earth helping out the remaining human resistance against the bouncing ninja troopers of the Machine Empire. He gets a message from Maetel to board 999, and all his comrades pay the price for getting him on the train. The train's new waitress Metalmena seems to show contempt for Tetsuro as he gets off at the planet La Metal, the birthplace of the Machines. Tetsuro helps out the local resistance, and finally reunites with Maetel. The 999 is stopped by the mysterious Ghost Train, ran by the Machine's black knight known as Faust who seems to know alot about Tetsuro's past. Maetel and Tetsuro arrive at the Great Andromeda, where the Machine Empire set up their new forces, lead by the disembodied spirit of Queen Promethium. The new energy source for the Machines is in fact the energized essence of living people, sent to their dooms in a mechanized Auschwitz, which Tetsuro is able to completely destroy with just a few random laser blasts. Just as Great Andromeda's main power factory is destroyed, an out of nowhere planet-destroying force known as Siren the Witch manifests and begins to slowly devour the planet like a localized black hole. Captain Harlock and Emeraldas appear to help Tetsuro and Maetel get the surviving humans on board 999, while we learn Faust's connection to Tetsuro(which anyone who saw The Empire Strikes Back a year prior to this should have no problem figuring out).

Adieu is a visual spectacular for the time of its release. The major drawback in this sequel is that it goes over a bunch of material that the first film already covered. The major difference here is Tetsuro's larger step into manhood, while still showing contempt for all things mechanized. Also, despite the fact that the sequel is about the same runtime as the original, there are several moments when you realize the sequel could have ended, but a new plot complications shuffles on in, like the Galactus-like Siren pulling a deus ex machina on the enemy homeworld. Aside from the increase in animation quality, Adieu is a considerable retread of its predecessor.