Sayonara Ginga Tetsudou 999: Andromeda Shuuchakueki

Despite the destruction of the mechanization home world Andromeda, the machine empire is still swept across the galaxy and Earth has become a battleground. Having returned from his journey aboard the train Galaxy Express 999, Tetsurou Hoshino joins the resistance and fights alongside others who have retained their humanity.

When the 999 returns to Earth, Tetsurou receives an enigmatic recorded message from his former traveling companion Maetel, telling him to board the train once more. Fighting his way to Megalopolis station, he makes it onto the train just as it departs. This time, however, Tetsurou is met with several mysteries: Maetel is nowhere to be seen, an ominous "Ghost Train" has appeared, and the ultimate destination of the 999 is unknown. Amid all this, Tetsurou finds himself confronted by the mysterious black knight Faust and soon discovers the machine empire's darkest secret.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Maetel Main

Ikeda, Masako Japanese

Hoshino, Tetsurou Main

Nozawa, Masako Japanese

Captain Herlock Supporting

Inoue, Makio Japanese

Emeraldas Supporting

Tajima, Reiko Japanese

Miime Supporting

Ohara, Noriko Japanese

Promethium II, La Andromeda Supporting

Kinomiya, Ryouko Japanese

The Conductor Supporting

Kimotsuki, Kaneta Japanese

Yuki, Kei Supporting

Kawashima, Chiyoko Japanese

Meowdar Supporting

Tomiyama, Kei Japanese

Faust Supporting

Emori, Toru Japanese

Rintarou Director

Yamaura, Hiroyasu Script

Matsumoto, Leiji Original Creator

Kanada, Yoshinori Key Animation

Reviews

Aug 29, 2021

Kryptonot_7471

Recommended

Severly Underrated. This Movie not only improves on the Previous Film with addition to working as a Great Sequel - it also stands as my personal favorite movie from Rintaro. All of the flaws from the Original Movie are gone in the Sequel. Probably one of the best Sequels I've seen other than Godfather Part 2 or Mamoru Oshii's Patlabor 2.

It has the same themes of tackling the idea of the "so-called" transhumanist utopia, head on. The characters are far more engaging then they were in the first film, and that's not because they were bad in the first. Rather, they are developed far more ... in this movie. Even the settings and the way that the Plot begins is done with such mastery that pulls you in with great immersion. Maetel's character is far more nuanced in this one. Tetsuro is a lot more older and mature and grasps the concept of living in a way that builds on his character from the previous film. The pacing issues in the first movie are nowhere to be seen here. It's undeniably a great sequel.

Watching both of Rintaro's two "Galaxy Express 999" movies back to back was a treat. Both are definitive classics but this one takes the cake.
9.5/10 (Best Rintaro Movie)

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Kryptonot_7471 (20)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Dec 29, 2017

tomateunmate

Mixed Feelings

A couple of vague spoilers that will help you deal with this: Tetsuro does nothing to change anything. Just like the previous movie, 999 is compacted to be a Harlock spin off more than it's own thing.

The strongest element in this movie is Rintaro's direction, and if we judged only by visuals this would easily be an 8/10 or above. But as a stand alone story and part of the 999 franchise it's pretty atrocious.

As I mentioned before it makes the same weird decision from the previous movie of taking out everything that 999 had besides character designs. Between 2 movies we get none of ... the character development or plots of the original. Emeraldas even attacks Prometheum and at no point it's mentioned that she's shooting her mom (ep. 12 of the tv series explains that she's Maetel's sister, for the modern OVAs it's put as a given that you know this even though the movies go out of their way to ignore it). A story about travelers was turned into a story about freedom fighters. It's like taking Kino no Tabi or Mushishi and turning them into, well, weak Harlock spin offs.

There are other weird pointless connections like Prometheum being made Queen Millenia, there is no attempt to connect with it or make it fit in any way. Being a frozen planet, crashing with earth or any other planet, being queens for millenia. There's nothing besides names. Just like 999.

As it's own thing it meanders a lot. There are three different instances where Harlock just appears and saves everyone because he happened to be there, including the one time Maetel was trying to do something. With this plot it makes no sense to have a train since it doesn't have a set track to follow and they have no passengers to drop or pick up, it's just an aesthetic element. Everything about Maetel makes no sense, no matter if you know the original plot or not. She just says things that couldn't make sense and don't explain things she should want to explain.

And final spoilers: The ending is the same thing that the series did, and the previous movie, and the OVAs, and I'm sure the planetary only shows have the same. Just watch the tv series.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by tomateunmate (41)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jan 3, 2023

Squallog

Not Recommended

Spoiler

Lots of exposition with no character development, that brings nothing of value to the story or plot.

The only Galaxy Express media I had watched prior to this was the 1979 film. As a sequel this film falls flat on its face; it felt like little more than a watered down repeat of the original plot only devoid of the character development and storytelling the sequel has.
For 2 hours you have to sit through Tetsuro wandering around with intermittent breaks so that an already established character can show up and deliver some exposition before disappearing to an optimistic soundtrack that thinks you are far more emotionally ... invested than you ever will be.
Even when the film tries to introduce new characters, it misses the mark. On the Galaxy Express 999 we are introduced to Metalmena; with the way she is set up, you expect some kind of character development. But don't get too excited, there is nothing remotely new about this character. After Metalmena straight up tells you that she wants to take Meatel's body in the least subtle way possible, she spends the first half of the film reminding us at every opportunity that she does indeed want Meatel's body. But once the squad arrives at big bad evil planet, she sees Tetsuro crying over his friends death, points out he looks pathetic, and Meatel says "who wil lcry when you die" and bammo, she is now completely reformed. The film then has the courtesy to answer Maetel's question about 2 minutes later when the gang find the big bad evil bit of the big bad evil planet and Metalmena sacrifices herself so Tetsuro can escape. Of course Tetsuro sheds tears with a big swell in the soundtrack, but it completely lacks impact. You have no emotional investment in this character, none of it is built up enough to feel like more than a hollow rehash of the sacrifice Claire made but without nearly as much meaning. Worse still, she doesn't even die. Less than 5 minutes later she is back and makes another sacrifice.
There are a bunch of other moments like this were some reveal or moment misses the mark entirely or is just told to you in voiceover with a jpeg of Tetsuro staring at something fills the screen, but I won't waste tine going through them all.

Pointless film with pointless moments, don't bother watching.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Squallog (5)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Leijiverse Anime Watch Guide

by TheCoolGuy82

36 Entries · 48 Restacks

Rintaro Directed Anime Watchlist

by TheCoolGuy82

36 Entries · 4 Restacks

Otaku essentials - Anime

by Berd_One_time

40 Entries · 16 Restacks

Recommendations

North American Anime & Manga Releases for February

Week 1: February 5 - 11 Anime Releases Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen (incl. Prologue - Sakura to Futatsu no Kuma) Part 1 Blu-ray Deadman Wonderland (incl. Akai K...read more

Feb 4, 2019 9:26 AM by Sakana-san | Discuss (4 comments)

Q3 2018 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 9/22]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of anime and manga licensed in the third quarter (July-September) of 2018. Summer 2018 anime which were license...read more

Jun 30, 2018 3:51 AM by Kineta | Discuss (13 comments)

Poll: Adieu Galaxy Express 999 Episode 1 Discussion Blackouting - Jun 22, 2012

5 replies

by bushman66 »» Nov 24, 2023 7:34 PM