Need recommendations for Gun Frontier

[Nuriko]

Is Gun Frontier recommended? I just finished watching Cosmo Warrior Zero and loved it. I couldn't get enough of the characters especially Tochiro. It's funny how I like Herlock more based on what I have seen up until now. I still do like Herlock, but I find Tochiro's character to be more mysterious than I thought. I mean how'd he find a sexy lover is beyond me but I want to find out more, lol.

In Cosmo, they mention Gun Frontier, so did I watched it in reverse order? Which one comes first? They also showed a railroad and Matael. I recall seeing a picture of her character in another movie/series, can't recall which one. Does the railroad have any connections to Galaxy Railway?

Btw, I recommend Cosmo Warror Zero if you haven't seen it. The OP theme is LOVELY with the animation. The story is excellent as well imo. I picked it up in the TRSI's weekly special, definitely worth every penny. I only blame myself for not getting it earlier and being enticed by those T&A series, lol. Can you blame me? I'm just a regular man! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[littleharlock]

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Nuriko said:
Is Gun Frontier recommended?

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Depends. You´ve seen Cosmo Warrior Zero and you didn´t mind the drop of animation quality in the middle of the series? Then you probably won´t mind the same kind of animation quality in Gun Frontier. Storywise those two series are very different. Gun Frontier is not a space fantasy series, comparable more to a Western. (It´s also worth noting that Gun Frontier is based on a manga by Leiji Matsumoto, while Cosmo Warrior Zero is more or less based on a Playstation fighting game released by Taito).
The Herlock and Tochirô shown in this series are not the ones you know from Uchû Kaizoku Captain Herlock and other Leijiverse series. In fact they´re introduced as ancestors of these (with Herlock being quite goofy at times). Gun Frontier includes comedy elements however the story also contains some more serious themes such as racism (i.e. Tochirô being Japanese in Wild Wild West America) and well it has also a fair portion of sex included with Sinonura and her "job" (Matsumoto can be quite nasty in his manga including a lot of sex *though very tastefully handled for the majority!* at times). The anime of course doesn´t have as much sex included as the manga (though some "not so tastefull" scene still have been adapted -.-).
So in regards of wether or not recommending Gun Frontier I´d say it´s not a bad adaption of the manga...however if you want to see a really really good Matsumoto space fantasy again, go and watch Ginga Tetsudô Monogatari (The Galaxy Railways) instead. That series is indeed wonderful!

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Nuriko said:
I still do like Herlock, but I find Tochiro's character to be more mysterious than I thought. I mean how'd he find a sexy lover is beyond me but I want to find out more, lol.

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Given how strong minded Matsumoto´s heroines are shown my best answer to that is, that Emeraldas probably sees the genius behind the potatoe-head Tochirô...which may be the explanation for her affection [img]/images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif[/img]

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Nuriko said:
In Cosmo, they mention Gun Frontier, so did I watched it in reverse order? Which one comes first?

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The Gun Frontier referred to in Cosmo Warrior Zero and the meaning of this word in Gun Frontier are not the same. The Gun Frontier manga and anime are set on Earth in the Wild Wild West America era, while the Gun Frontier referred to in CWZ is a place (town and mountain located outside of the town) on Planet Heavy Melder (a quite important planet in Matsumoto´s Leijiverse stories, i.e. being the last stop in Ginga Tetsudô 999 before the route continues to Andromeda galaxy). So there´s no direct connection between the two series in that regards.

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Nuriko said:
They also showed a railroad and Matael. I recall seeing a picture of her character in another movie/series, can't recall which one. Does the railroad have any connections to Galaxy Railway?

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As for Maetel, she´s the main character in Matsumoto´s Ginga Tetsudô 999 (aka Galaxy Express 999). This being Leiji Matsumoto´s most popular series (next to Herlock) and I think it´s save to say Maetel is also (again, next to Herlock ^_^) one of the most popular characters he created. The manga is still ongoing (with new chapter of the Eternal arc published on a very slow schedule *at best Matsumoto releases some new chapters on a yearly basis*) and there exists a a TV anime adaption (113 episodes), several TV specials incl. Planetarium specials, short movies, etc. as well as three theatrical anime adaptions (I´ve typed up a small summary of what anime adaptions in regards of 999 exist in this post in case you´re interested).
Ginga Tetsudô Monogatari (aka Galaxy Railways) is a different series, though set in the exact same universe (referred to by fans as Leijiverse) as Ginga Tetsudô 999. The hints and conntections to other Matsumoto works are included in Ginga Tetsudô Monogatari however much more subtle than it´s the case in regards of guest-appearances and connections in the majority of his other works. I´ve typed up a small list of those hints of connections to other Matsumoto works included in the series here.

Hope that helps.

so far
yours
littleharlock

[Nuriko]

Thanks alot littleharlock! I can always rely on you when it comes to Leiji's stuff. More fanservice is good, even though the drawings are not the norm compare to most anime, there is something very attractive about the character designs which I can't describe. I'm gonna place an order for it! So far I've enjoyed:

Arcadia of the Skies (B)
Space Captain Herlock (A)
Cosmo Warrior Zero (A+)

I think that's it. Is there anything else that focus on more of Queen Emeraldas and Tochiro in R1? Thanks!

[littleharlock]

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Nuriko said:
Is there anything else that focus on more of Queen Emeraldas and Tochiro in R1? Thanks!

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Tochirô Ooyama obviously is one of Matsumoto´s favorite characters (not that surprising since he mentioned in an interview once IIRC that this character and Herlock have been created based on him with Herlock being based on a handsome friend of him that was quite the "ladies man" ^_~). Tochirô appears in a LOT of Matsumoto´s manga, heck it even got that far that Matsumoto did an own manga for him, the 2 chapters (and highly rare and expensive these days *were only able to afford the issue of Shônen Jump with the first chapter included*) long The Tochirô and The Tochirô II ~ Waga Seishun no Herlock (Herlock of my Youth ^_^). Even after what happened continue reading if you don´t mind BIG spoilers in regards of Tochirô<span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>after his death</span>, Tochirô is pretty present in Matsumoto´s works (even more than in past years ^_~).

In terms of anime, there is little focus on this character (compared to the various manga). The IMO biggest focus on Tochirô is basically Waga Seishun no Arcadia ~ Mugen Kidô SSX the 22 episode long direct follow up to the Waga Seishun no Arcadia movie (direct translation of the title is Arcadia of my Youth, however also known as My Youth in Arcadia). This series, despite its major flaws at times, contains the IMO best focus on Tochirô AND Emeraldas (<span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>as their relationship is about to develop in the series...</span>) The IMO best moments of this TV series were the episodes devoted to Tochirô and Emeraldas.
Aside from that there´s also the Queen Emeraldas OVA (four episode long OVA plus the final two jp. DVDs contained the Torajima no Mîme Omake "episodes" featuring popular tiger cat Mî-kun [img]/images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif[/img]). This OVA features decent focus on Emeraldas as well as Tochirô (though not what you could call a faithful adaption of the original manga...on a somewhat related sidenote I´d so love to see maybe a short TV series that faithfully adapts the manga *especially Matsumoto´s version of how she got her facial scar is wonderful and added so much to the character*).

A more recent series that, while not focusing on Tochirô and Emeraldas, yet includes them and gives them a bit of attention from time to time is Uchû Kôkyôshi Maetel ~ Ginga Tetsudô 999 Gaiden. Given that you enjoyed Cosmo Warrior Zero (and once again also meaning, that you didn´t mind the drop of animation quality in the middle) this one might be recommandable as well. However it basically required good knowledge of characters from the Sennen Joô (aka Queen Millenia) manga (! really there is a huge difference in terms of characters in the Sennen Joô TV series, movie and manga...some very big differences including the main character as well as minor characters that also appear in this series), somewhat good knowledge of characters such as Maetel and some basic introduction/knowledge about some other Leijiverse series in advance wouldn´t be bad either.

Sorry, but I can´t be much help as to wether what of these is available on R1 (I think the Emeraldas OVA is partwise available though?).

so far
yours
littleharlock

[Bullfrog]

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Sorry, but I can´t be much help as to wether what of these is available on R1 (I think the Emeraldas OVA is partwise available though?).

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As to what is available in R1, there is a Queen Emeraldas DVD release. There are quite a few others, including:
Harlock Saga
Arcadia of My Youth
Maetel Legend

As well as Gun Frontier (which I recommend), Cosmo Warrior Zero (ditto), Galaxy Railways (currently collecting) and Captain Herlock (recommended as well).

There are titles in other Leiji related material, such as Yamato movies and of course the original Star Blazers (edited as it was) releases.