#248 : Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like a Warrior!?

Hold on, did I see this story before? The setting, the plot and those guest characters… of course I have and perhaps you have as well if you have watched or are currently watching the original Galaxy Express 999 TV series. Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like a Warrior!? was the first TV special compilation film made during the series’ original airing and at the time would have been a treat since we get to watch once again a memorable early sojourn of Tetsuro and Maetel’s galactic quest.

Essentially a retelling of The Fossilized Warrior two-parter, you would at first believe this was simply episodes 12 and 13 spliced together into one. Yet Can You Live Like a Warrior!? has more to tell and includes minute glimpses of other earlier travels. Plus, we get an extensive chunk of the very first episode  showing the tragic death of Tetsuro’s mother and the meeting between Tetsuro and Maetel where Maetel presents Tetsuro with an all exclusive pass to ride the galactic train C6250, the fabled Galaxy Express. With all that said if anyone has never seen, or read (can’t forget the manga) any Galaxy Express 999 at all and wants a quick crash course I can recommend this TV special, or the epic 1979 motion picture adaptation, if you want a singular first tasting into the classic Galaxy Express 999 universe.

Upon landing at the next layover stop C6250 runs into a bit of apparent sabotage as the line of track has been covered by many massive stones preventing a smooth stop. Needless to say, Tetsuro and Maetel are trapped! Well why not go in reverse? Science fiction fantasy or not, trains may be able to fly through outer space in Galaxy Express 999, but this space locomotive can only move in a singular direction. Realizing they are trapped for the moment both Tetsuro and Maetel observe a barren lifeless world with only piles of rock, much of which looks rather human, like statues or carvings… too perfect and precise to be just natural erosion.

With the aid of binoculars Tetsuro spots one of these human like rock formations far in the distance, an attractive female form similar to an ancient art scuplture… perhaps this planet’s Venus/Aphrodite? Ever curious he leaves the confines of the train to get a close look. Astonished by the beauty of the figure up close he is soon greeted by a sword wielding young man who proclaims Tetsuro to be a thief and thus attacks him. The fallen Tetsuro exposes his Galaxy Express pass and is thus struck by the young man with the sword. Maetel soon shows up to rescue Tetsuro and tend to his wound, a nasty slice in his back! Tetsuro then realizes his pass is missing and according to rules this makes him ineligible to ride the train. Come hell or high water, Tetsuro vows to get his pass back.

Making my way through the Galaxy Express 999 TV series I am glad to take a break and recapitulate with this TV special as I fondly remembered the original episodes Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like a Warrior!? was based from. Leiji Matsumoto’s stories and characters are some of the most cherished in all of anime and manga, endeared by many in Japan and around the world, including this BIG fan writing this post! His stories represent courage and taking a personal stand usually with a bit of fantastic flair that looks and feels like nothing else. Tetsuro must take a stand in this TV special to prove that he, like many other Matsumoto heroes, Can You Live Like a Warrior!? (no need for the question mark this time 😉 )

… now onto the next episodes of the TV series and the second of three TV specials!