Space Pirate Captain Harlock

"Don't worry."2977 A.D. Mankind has developed the technology to head into space. They've created robots to cultivate foodstuffs on other planets and live in an age of unprecedented gluttony. Mankind receives all its food from the government and is kept in check by the government's use of hypnotic signals emitted from the television. So even high-ranking government officials have tossed their duties to the road and live a life of horse-racing and other indulgences.Captain Harlock, a space pirate known throughout Earth, is the only man who sees the impending crisis approaching Earth. The only men who heed Harlock's words are the members of his crew on the space ship Arcadia. And Commander Kiruta of the Earth Federation's Self Defense Force (SDF) views Harlock as a dangerous rebel. At that same time, many astronomers are assassinated. The Earth Federation blames Harlock which is a completely fabricated charge. Harlock wonders who it is that is attacking Earth...

"You're a young girl with the heart of an angel. That's why you should befriend the flowers and birds and live!"A transport ship unit is attacked by an unidentified flying object as it exits Planet No.7. Believing Harlock is behind this attack, they decide to use Mayu, a girl entrusted to Harlock by his dear friend, to lure him out. But we Harlock and crew experience the first aggressive attack by a mysterious enemy known as the Mazone. Realizing they are under attack. Dr. Daiba and his son, Tadashi, go to the Prime Minister's residence to plead with the Prime Minster. However, the foolish Prime Minister doesn't see the impending danger and the invading object touches down on Earth.

"If you're a man, you'll do what you have to before you grieve."The town is sent into panic by the sphere that landed. Then, a man, who inspects the orb along with Dr. Daiba and his son Tadashi, named Professor Kusko suspects that the writing on the "Pennant" is laying claim to Earth. However, the Prime Minister continues to ignore their warnings. Then, the leader of the invading Mazone orders a subordinate to kill anyone who realizes the meaning of the pennant. Dr. Daiba is the first to die. Tadashi, rescued by Harlock, vows to make the Mazone, who look like women that burn like paper, his enemy.

"I fight for no one. I just fight for something within my heart."After being invited to be a pirate by Harlock, Tadashi exits the Arcadia. At the same time, Professor Kusko deciphers the characters written on the pennant and informs the people in the Prime Minister's cabinet that the Mazone plan to make Earth their second homeland. However, the government men do not show even the slightest bit of interest in the news. Downtrodden and in a state of despair, Professor Kusko is assassinated by a Mazone. The government refused to step in, believing he's associated with Harlock and Tadashi. Narrowly avoiding disaster, Tadashi decides once again to fight alongside Harlock.

"He can live, seeing the same cosmos that I do. He'll come to see them sparkling one day... Those stars in the darkness."Harlock tells Tadashi, upon joining his crew, to "just loiter around and enjoy it," leaving Tadashi confused. Also seeing all the crewmen merely doing as they fit and slacking off goes completely against the image he had of the Arcadia. Being stuck in such a confined space causes some mental effects on Tadashi. In that state, he sees visions of his mother who died on Neptune's satellite, Triton. It was then the Mazone come attacking. They capture a Mazone soldier but she detonates herself inside of the ship without hesitation.

"Lafresia... A phantom enemy, but a fearsome opponent."The Mazone soldier mentioned the name Queen Lafresia as she blew herself up. Sensing the need to gather more information and wanting to test Tadashi's skills, Harlock sends the crew out to gather pieces of the wreckage from the attacked Mazone battleship. From the analysis of the wreckage, they see the Mazone may have had interactions with ancient Earth. Taking a moment's respite, Harlock sends a letter to Mayu, who is under federal governmental care. He also sent a threat demanding they bring her response to the Pirate Island No.1 directly. But as soon as the response arrives, the Mazone attack the island and blow it to pieces.

"Even if it is unforgivable enemy of mine, I pay the utmost respect to those who died in the line of duty."Upon seeing an odd looking formation from space, Harlock's crew heads to the Bermuda area. Upon investigating a pyramid built by the Mazone on the ocean floor, they learn that the Mazone are actually a form of plant life. Learning that the Mazone are hidden across the globe and that the government has not heeded their warnings, the crew sets off on a search and destroy mission. Learning that there are the Mazone near Mayu as well, they set out to kill them.

"Then please tell the Queen this- I, Captain Harlock, intend to proceed to the very heart of the Mazone!"There are signals being emitted from the pennant and the pyramid. These are homing signals to guide the Mazone to Earth. Sensing the direct confrontation and feeling his duty to protect Mayu, the daughter of his best friend, Harlock heads back to Earth. As they then set off for outer space, a high-ranking official is captured and gives a warning. When Harlock lets her go, Tadashi sets out after her in a fit of vengeful rage. But when his ship is hit, he begins to hallucinate again. This begins the battle of the Arcadia and the Mazone scouts

"Keep shooting until the very end! Even if you're all alone, kill as many Mazone as you can!"Dr. Zero analyzes the hair from the captured Mazone and sees their make-up is identical to sap found in plant life surrounding ancient ruins. Feeling the need to investigate this association, Harlock sends out Tadashi and First mate Yattaran to retrieve the Flame Vessel. Then, they did find a memory device hidden within the Flame Vessel as expected. But, as it requires a massive amount of energy to complete the analysis, they put it on hold and head to South America to investigate there. There, Harlock and Tadashi are attacked by the Mazone who took on the form of plants. Thanks to First mate Yattaran's quick thinking, they narrowly avoid danger.

"This is a lawless, pirate-style battle technique."Believing that all the jungles of Earth are inhabited by the Mazone, Harlock decides to return to the Pirate Island again. There, after a subordinate of hers was killed in South America, Alergias wages an attack on Harlock. There, when seeing his opponent, Lola's face, Tadashi hesitates for a moment on firing a missile. He is rescued by the Arcadia which wins with a ram attack, but Tadashi remains confused. Harlock has the soil attached to bits of the Mazone mothership and seeing that it came from Venus, they head there. However, Alergias is waiting there for them.

"He cannot take his eyes off reality. Daiba must learn that the beautiful one who tempts him is his enemy."The Arcadia successfully makes its way to Venus. Along the way, they capture a Mazone pilot from a wrecked ship, Lola. Instead of detonating herself like the others, she just gives an ominous smile. Harlock orders Tadashi to keep an eye on her. Taking one glance at her, Tadashi becomes bloodlust and wants to kill her. However, shy hypnotizes Tadashi with visions of his late mother. Asides for foolishly divulging information on the Arcadia to her, he lets her escape to Venus.

"Man have things they must over come with external help, just by themselves."Tadashi is upset at himself for talking about the Arcadia to Lola. Then he begins practicing like mad so he can shoot in time next battle. Examining Venus, they spot formations on a fossilized continent that look like Nazca drawings. They follow it onwards to the base and find drawings about Earth from over 180,000,000 years ago. Then, Alergias's forces come in a surprised attack. Tadashi sets off as he vows to kill Lola, and both sides begin a violent battle. There, he overcomes the visions of his mother and does a good job shooting down Lola's aircraft. Alergias's forces are defeated.

"This is the pirate way."The Arcadia heads back to Earth to investigate a third signal being emitted from the Sargasso Sea. There, the witch Aman, who was waiting for the Arcadia, wages an attack using a 1945 Imperial Japanese naval ship. Harlock, curious as to how this phenomenon occurred, sets off to investigate at the bottom of the sea. But, she was setting a trap for them, and inside her sphere, time passes at the rate of one Earth year per day. The entire crew soon falls asleep. At this rate, when they wake up, Earth will already have been invaded. However, the Arcadia acts on its own and rescues the crew as they make their escape.

"I can hear it coming from over there. Mayu is over there!"Commander Kiruta takes Mayu with him. Desperate to find her, Harlock receives a message from Commander Kiruta. "Fly to Cairo, Egypt.", "Board a Cessna.", "The Arcadia is to wait in the Valley of the Dead." Harlock finally makes it to the Sphinx. We learn that Commander Kiruta's family had to make deadly sacrifices for their father's discovery. That discovery was an ancient super-weapon left behind by the Mazone. Commander Kiruta thinks that he will kill the Arcadia and Harlock with that weapon, but the Arcadia acts on its own and stops his plan.