A new manga was launched by Akita Shoten and it is based on the “Captain Harlock” manga by Leijji Matsumoto. This was revealed on Tuesday on the Manga Cross website. The designs, setting and original work is done by Matsumoto, while the credit for the art work goes to French artist Jerome Alquie. French publisher Kana and Akita Shoten have collaborated with each other in this manga.
The story in this manga starts off with the Mazon fleet’s leader Queen Rafflesia, speeding through the depths of space on a mission to conquer earth. In the meantime, on earth the primitive mazons have woken up and are spreading devastation there. The primitive mazons have inhabited the earth, well before humans came into existence. Space pirate Harlock, along with his ship Arcadia and his crew have taken it as their duty to put up a fight with the Mazons, and put an end to the havoc that they have wreaked on earth.
Captain Harlock’s character makes an appearance in different science fiction works of Matsumoto. Also, the Mazons and Queen Rafflesia are old enemies of the Captain Harlock character.
On 19 January, Kōichi Shimahoshi and Matsumoto’s Captain Harlock: Dimensional Voyage (Captain Harlock: Jigen Kōkai) manga’s first part ended in the Champion Red magazine of Akita Shoten. Shimahoshi mentioned in the magazine that in his next work he will make his best effort, however there was not any proper announcement of a second part for the manga.
The original Space Pirate Captain Harlock manga by Matsumoto, was published from 1977 to 1979. The main character in that manga starts a rebellion against the incompetent government on earth. With the help of 40 crew members and their space battle ship Arcadia, they fight to save humanity on earth. The original manga was released by Seven Seas Entertainment. In 1978, a television anime inspired by this manga was made. More works, including an original video anime, anime feature films and “Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX” sequel were made after that. In 2013, a CG film was also inspired by the manga. A live action film by Film World Studios, is in its production phase and it is also inspired on this manga.
