Back in the day I remember this cartoon series called Starblazers. Bascially the earth was under attack by another planet which used, well the best way I can describe them is ‘dirty bomb comets’ which made the earth radioactive (also I remember that water was in short supply). The way to undo this was on another planet, so the earth ‘space force’ converted a aircraft carrier (or battleship?) into a translight spaceship and set off to this planet to get the ‘device’ which will stop the radiation.
Ok everything so far is totally logical and believable.
But unfortunatly due to my scedual as a child I was unable to watch if the starblazers actually made it to that planet, if they got the device, if they made it back (if needed) and if the device worked.
Also I always wondered if that planet had large amounts of clear, clean water, and if the crew took an extended shore leave to enjoy it.
The cool part was that the reason they used the battleship was because they couldn’t let the aliens see them build a spaceship, so they tunneled underground to a battleship that was sunk during WWII, but now exposed due to the lack of water and built the spacship from the inside.
kanicbird - Man…it’s been a while. This was a time when anime was sold just like any other cartoon, so you know it’s gotta be old. (Bit surprised to learn, actually, that it started in 1976…I would’ve guessed early to mid 60’s.)
An intrepid crew faces an imminent assault by a mysterious alien force. They have to go to some remote outpost an impossible distance away to retrieve the one device that can save the planet. Requiring, of course, the frequent use of the “wave motion engine”, the only Earth-built engine capable of faster-than-light speed. The same technology was also used in its big gun, which got them out of some pretty tight jams.
Lots of interaction on ship, drama, tense situations, and even the occasional homage to real military situations (including the infamous “hurry up and wait”).
And there was this one alien, probably the first bishonen a lot of us ever saw. Great character, just oozing with sinister charisma. IIRC, he has a crisis of faith pretty late, and then turns completely in the second- or third-to final episode.
Anyway, you might have to look a bit, but I’m sure someplace has the entire series on DVD.
Even cooler was the touch of Shinto animism behind the plan. They were hoping that the heroic spirit of the Yamato - greatest warship ever build - would pervade the spacecraft and help them on their mission.
Man, this brings back memories. I remember filling block after block of paper with Crayola drawings of rocket-engined battleships. First anime I ever saw, and I didn’t even realize it was anime until about 15 years later, when I saw an some images online.
I can confirm that, I saw it in many video stores here in old Blighty, so I suppose it shouldn’t be difficult to find it in the US.
Man, I loved Star Blazers! Here’s a little fragment of the opening song I still remember:
We’ll fight the Comet Empire,
Battle through the rainin’ fire,
Filled with the hope that Earth will survive,
We’ll keep it alive with our Star Blazers!
Lars Aruns, the Comet Empire was the second story arc/season (there were three). Maus, Iscandar was the first season. kanicbird, it was the Star Force.
I think that is enough flexing of my nerd cred.
They don’t make Americanized anime like they used to.
Not bad for a scrap of a tune which had been rattling around in my brane for the last 28 years.
Of course when I think of the use those neurons could have benn better put to, such as remebering how to solve diffy qs or whether I remembered my pants this morning…
You’re right. My mistake. In Italy they used the same song for all the story arcs. I’ll have to dig out that MP3 I have of it, and possibly the comic books - I have those as well!
14 posts here and NOBODY has even mentioned the Wave Motion Gun?
As I recall, near the end of Season 1, the Star Force does make it to Iscandar to find it is the twin planet to Gamelon (sp), home of the alien race that is trying to destroy the Earth.
Funny, I always assumed that Deslock was modeled on Augustus. Has the same face, even if his complexion is pale blue. At least it turned pale blue halfway through the first season, before which it was caucasian flesh-tone.
I have the first two DVDs in the *Quest for Iscandar * season. They’re kind of hard to come across individually, though the whole series can be bought online for some astronomical amount that would give Captain Avatar *another * heart attack.
MP3s of the first two series’ themes are here . Takes me back to the mid-80s when I watched the show before catching the school bus.
I got hold of the third series a few months ago. It’s almost impossible for me to watch, because the english dialogue and exposition seem totally at odds with the animation. There’s too much dissonance to get past the first few shows.
