Customer Reviews for
Arcadia of My Youth
Deserving of a better release!!
I remember the first time I saw Arcadia of My Youth. It was a VHS copy by a small company called Best Video. The audio was a bit scratchey, the English voice acting was labored to say the least, and the picture was dull as can be expected from a VHS tape. Now after all these years a company called Animeigo has released Arcadia of My Youth on DVD. But was to be elation soon turned to somewhat of a let down. Which left me saying that this film should have seen a better quality DVD.
Arcadia of My Youth is the origin of Captain Harlock. Defeated by the invading Illumidas, Harlock has returned to Earth in shame. He soon sets out on his endless journey through the sea of stars. The film is a landmark in anime history. Harlock is one of most reverred and celebrated characters in anime and manga. And this film shows you exactly why. Harlock is a man who is the definition of integrity. Though a solitary figure, he soon befriends a technician who becomes his first mate on the Arcadia as well as his best friend, Tochiro. During the film Harlock and the people of Earth are faced with life under an enemy occupation. The inspiration for the story comes from the post World War II years in which creator Leji Matsumoto spent living with under occupying American forces in Japan. Though a brooding and heavy story, it never drags. The film moves at a nice pace through the end.
Though the film is outstanding, the DVD is somewhat lacking. The first thing I noticed was that there was no widescreen presentation (not to mention the cheesey box art). Why, I'm not sure. But a film of this stature should have been presented in widescreen. Secondly, the picture quality isn't quite what I expected. Where the film The Castle of Cagliostro is actually older, it looks alot crisper and cleaner on DVD. The picture actually doesn't look all that different from a high quality VHS at times. The colors in Arcadia of My Youth are very dull and the sound, presented in Dolby Stereo, is flat and lifeless. A few years ago there was a laser disc release of Arcadia Of My Youth. I have never seen it, but I'm thinking that even a mastering from a laser disc would have looked a lot nicer. The menus are nicely laid out. There are animated menus and scene selections. There are trailers which are a great treat. There's also a text interview with Leji Matsumoto. All of the extras are great. But unfortunatley none of them are very well transferred to the DVD format. The film is presented in the original Japanese voice track with English subtitles. Occasionally a pain to keep up with, but it's great to hear the original voice acting.
Arcadia of My Youth is still an excellent film. The technical problems with the DVD aside, it's still a must own for any anime fan. It's a great introduction to the world of Matsumoto and Captain Harlock. I'm hoping that eventually a better quality DVD surfaces. It's too good a movie to be treated like this.Arcadia of My Youth
"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Archadia
Classic story of a space pirate Harlock and his group of freedom fighters who try to liberate earth from alien control.
Though 'Waga seishun no Arcadia' is old movie and has excessive melodrama, it's basic story and message are still stronger than in many modern day animes.
See it, so you can understand it.
My Rating: 9/10
The shows rating 13 and up: violence, alcohol use, minor profanityArcadia of My Youth
All Brave Men Dream of their Youth in Arcadia
Captain Harlock is perhaps the greatest creation of anime legend Leiji Matsumoto's , the creative mind behind classics like Space Battleship Yamato (known as Star Blazers in the U.S.). Harlock is really to me the quintessential anime hero (anti-hero?). He's stoic. He's cold and aloof. When challenged to a duel, he doesn't even blink. But deep in his soul the fires of his lost love and eternal courage burn deep. This character has been duplicated numerous times (check out captain Nemo in Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water or Alex Row from Last Exile). The original series that put that character on the map has long since disappeared unfortunately, and is impossible to find in America as far as I know. All is not lost however, as the spectacular story of the origins of Captain Harlock is told in this exquisite movie.
The film starts with one man's fight against the elements and ends with one man's journey across the sea of stars flying under his own flag. Arcadia is a place of Viking legend, and references are made to it through the movie. The reason hinted at is that Harlock is a man out of his time, and comes from a long line of men out of their time. Harlock is one-time soldier of a planet now defeated and enslaved. When his true love puts up the only resistance to the misery and hatred spread all around, it stirs something deep inside of him. He soon finds himself allied with the scientist Tochiro and the space trader Emeraldas. Despite betrayal by his own race and government, Harlock and his new friends decide to use a ship that Tochiro has built in a desperate attempt to save a planet from destruction by the hand of the same race that have enslaved the earth.
That's putting it in simple terms. This is a complex movie with visuals that range from good to breath-taking (thanks in no small part to a marvelous restoration for the DVD, but marred somewhat by a lack of widescreen), a soundtrack that is downright haunting in its beauty, and themes of tragic loss, remembered innocence, and eternal hope that will always ring true. In fact, if this film has a flaw, it's that it may be TOO heavy for some, TOO melodramatic. Personally, I don't think so (: I'm just warning those who like fast, fun, popcorn flicks :) Of course, there are some people who will find some of the film rediculous (Tochiro having a spaceship on hand, and life-energy pull of the Stanley Witch of Space come to mind). I love these very same elements. They aren't supposed to be realistic, and the whole story has the air of a legend which grew and exaggerated through time like the ancient legends the film keeps making reference to. If you like your stories to take on mythic proportions, you may find yourself agreeing.
If you want to see something really GOOD that Leiji Matsumoto made, if you're just dying to know how Harlock lost his eye and got his ship, who Harlock's first true love was, how Emeraldas got her scar, and in general the COOL stuff about the origins of Matsumoto's greatest characters... this movie is for you.
Arcadia of My Youth
Matsumoto at his Best
My introduction to Captain Harlock (Arcadia of My Youth) came by a rather unusual route. As a young fan (12yrs) of the Americanized syndicated series "Starblazers" (Spacecruiser Yamato), I stumbled acrossed another Animee series running on the CBC French channel at the same time that was very similar in style which was named, in French, "Albator". Even though my French was very limited, I became a big fan (the animation was beautiful, and, I have to admit, the air of mystery was enhanced by my very basic comand of the French language :-)).
So... after all these years, my brother bought the "Starblazers" (one of my all-time favorite series) DVD on line. & I thought to my self, "perhaps If that's available, I might find 'Albator' on line as well...", and I eventually came across this...
If you are an Animee fan, especially of the Matsumoto/Starblazers variety, you will LOVE "Arcadia of My Youth". This film is beautifully rendered from the original in both audio and vidio, and more than that, is a wonderful story that is very skillfully told. Captain Harlock is a fully realized 'hero' in the literary sense- with a perfect mix of passion, restraint, and sensitivity, and even chivelary (god forbid in this day and age!) that keeps him steady upon the 'middle path', the path that instinctively generates faith in the viewer that his goal will evenually be reached, no matter how arduous the path. This disciplined, Campellesque type Hero, whose exterior mission is an element of the interior (yet the former justifies the latter, for the mature individual) is today a rarity in an any film genre, and is refreshing to see so well realized. The soundtrack is gorgeous, and very apropriate. What more can I say? I bought this several days ago, received it today, and have watched it twice already. It is even better than what I expected it to be... And if you love symbolism.............Arcadia of My Youth
"It takes a man to understand these feelings..."
Captain Harlock epitomizes what the Japanese call the "Hard School" of heroes. He is stoic and strong, unmoved by weak emotions and undistracted by women. Yokio Mishima ("The Sailor Who Fell from Grace With the Sea") would give a silent, grim salute to this space sailor, who coasts the pure and cold ocean of stars, accompanied by his boon companions who he shelters from the storms. High melodrama, complete with capes and scars. There is no film that captures this essence more than "Arcadia of my Youth." Of all Matsumoto adaptations, this one remains the truest to the core of his work. Here we get the origin story of Space Captain Harlock, most recent in a long line of Pirate-Knights sailing in ships they name "Arcadia." A manly heritage of struggle and stamina passed from the original Phantom F. Harlock to his descendants, across 3,000 years. Along with Harlock is the origin of many his familiar characters, such as Emeraldas, the female proponent of the hard school, and Tochiro, the diminutive mechanical genius looking for a hero to follow. A Wagnerian tale to be sure, a true Space Opera. The DVD is an excellent presentation to this ode to the hard school. The animation is a bit dated, but not yet marred by the distracting CGI found in later Matsumoto adaptations. The original and uncut version is presented, as it should always be in every release. The extra features are enjoyable, but nothing spectacular. The main star is the movie itself. Be sure to put on your most stoic face when watching "Arcadia of my Youth," and know that life is born of struggles and sacrifice and challenge. As Captain Harlock says, "It takes a man to understand these feelings..."Arcadia of My Youth
|
