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Captain Harlock Dimensional Voyage #1
Captain Harlock Space Pirate: Dimensional Voyage Vol. 1
In the face of an impending alien invasion by the beautiful and deadly Mazon, the decayed and weakened Earth has little hope of defending itself. While the planet's corrupt politicians ignore the growing threat, Tadashi Daiba is one of the few people left still willing to put up a fight. He's just one person, nigh powerless on his own -- until he joins the ranks with the greatest space pirate the world has ever known: Captain Harlock! Together with Harlock and his ragtag crew aboard the space battleship Arcadia, they will journey through space, fighting not only the Mazon, but other dark forces that threaten humanity's existence.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 20, 2015
9 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Leiji Matsumoto
191 books77 followersFrom the Wikipedia page:
Leiji Matsumoto (松本零士) is famous for his space operas such as Space Battleship Yamato. His style is characterized by tragic heroes; tall, slender, fragile-looking heroines with strong wills and in some cases, god-like powers; and a love of analog gauges and dials in his spacecraft.
Leiji Matsumoto (松本零士) is famous for his space operas such as Space Battleship Yamato. His style is characterized by tragic heroes; tall, slender, fragile-looking heroines with strong wills and in some cases, god-like powers; and a love of analog gauges and dials in his spacecraft.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 20, 2017
I have to admit, I was skeptical when I saw this announced. It seemed like a simple retelling of the 1970's Harlock anime. It is a retelling, but it's hardly simple. Matsumoto and Shimaboshi have pulled the best elements from some forty years of the Harlock "canon" and combined them in this story. I recognized elements not only from the original, but "Harlock Saga," "Endless Odyssey," "Queen Emeraldas," and even the "Harlock: Space Pirate" movie. The illustrations are beautiful and feel like Matsumoto's style updated. The prime minister could easily be a critique of certain modern politicians. My only complaint is how short the first volume is. I look forward to the release of volume 2 and seeing where they go with this series.
November 28, 2017
I dunno, the story's there, but without Matsumoto's artwork it looks like people who shop at Hot Topic being melodramatic.
August 2, 2019
Coolio bro !!!
July 24, 2022
Really big fan of stories about Harlock after coming across the film once. A space pirate who is both dreaded and dear leads the crew of the Arcadia in preparations to defend a long discarded Earth. The legend of Harlock is being built here and told again. So good.
October 8, 2016
Fiel y espectacular adaptación del manga original. Además expande y aclara muchas cosas que en el original quedan a entender pero no se confirman. Veremos cómo evoluciona en los siguientes tomos...
June 1, 2018
Captain Harlock Space Pirate: Dimensional Voyage is a retelling of Captain Harlock. Billed as a good place to start from for those who haven’t read the original series, I planned to put that to the test. And, yes, I can say with certainty that this was a good place to start from. While I know the general concept of Captain Harlock, I have not read the original manga, so I was going into this rather blind. I never felt lost or left behind. The manga really does do an excellent job of introducing the world and its character’s to a new audience.
The Earth is a failing planet, a place that is populated only by those who cannot afford to leave, of those looking to lord over their own fiefs. It remains unprotected, its leaders failing them, uncaring and unwilling to listen to the fears of those that strive to save whatever is left from impending invasion from the stars. Tadashi Daiba is one of the few people left willing to sacrifice everything to save the earth. But what can one person do in the face of threats of invasion when the powers that be refuse to give credence to the warnings and do nothing to prepare for the growing threat? You joint the crew of Captain Harlock, of course!
The manga opens with a reporter interviewing various important characters about Captain Harlock, giving the readers who might not be familiar with the series some information about about Harlock, the characters being interviewed, and a basic overview of the state of Earth. This was a good way to introduce a number of characters very quickly and get a lot of world building out of the way very quickly. While this might be a bit slow to start, the action and tension ramp up greatly as the volume continues.
Our main character is Tadashi Daiba, the son of Doc Daiba. It is he who we really see this world from. Tadashi is an young man who, unlike many of the other characters living on Earth, genuinely cares about the Earth’s future. As he learns about Captain Harlock, the threats to Earth, and the flippant attitude of the prime minister, so do we. This was a great way to introduce a well established world to new readers. I really liked Tadashi Daiba. He was a character who’s motivations were easy to understand and was easy to like. But the real star of the show is, of course, Captain Harlock. Captain Harlock is cool. He’s the sort of character who is overpowered, but is oh so much fun to watch. We know he’ll win. We know because he’s Captain Harlock. There aren’t many fight scenes in this volume. But what fighting is included shows Captain Harlock at a tier above most others.
Some interesting themes are explored as well. The prime minister and Kirita depict two very different, very contrary opinions about the potential alien invasion and Harlock himself. On the one hand we have Kirita, Federal Deputy to the Solar System and the Gaia Corporation, an individual who is seemingly very invested in the future of the Earth and dedicated to following the letter of the law. On the other hand we have the prime minister, a man wholly unconcerned with the looming threat who spouts all sorts of nonsense whenever confronted by another on the issue. Some of this nonsense rings true, though. This is an Earth that has been miraculously saved many times in the past, so much as that the PM feels certain that on the off chance something does happen things will simply work themselves out, just like always.
Now, while I like the art style, I do have to say that Daiba does look rather similar to Captain Harlock and his ever billowing locks. There were a few places where this could become potentially confusing, and is something to note. However, characters are, by and large, extremely varied in design and range from the definition of bad-ass to the purely comedic.
Overall, this volume largely sets the scene. We are introduced to our heroes and our villains. We learn the state of the world, its ignorance to potential threats, and the utter fear of its citizens in the face of trouble. I want to see where the story goes from here. I want to see might fight scenes and get to know Captain Harlock’s crew better.
There are four volumes in the Captain Harlock: Dimensional Voyage series so far, and you can be sure that I’ll be reading the next three volumes. There is just something wonderful about Captain Harlock, something that simply draws the reader in. I would highly suggest checking out this series. It is a promising start to a new series in the franchise, and one I’m most definitely planning to continue with.
I received this manga from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review originally found on Looking Glass Reads.
The Earth is a failing planet, a place that is populated only by those who cannot afford to leave, of those looking to lord over their own fiefs. It remains unprotected, its leaders failing them, uncaring and unwilling to listen to the fears of those that strive to save whatever is left from impending invasion from the stars. Tadashi Daiba is one of the few people left willing to sacrifice everything to save the earth. But what can one person do in the face of threats of invasion when the powers that be refuse to give credence to the warnings and do nothing to prepare for the growing threat? You joint the crew of Captain Harlock, of course!
The manga opens with a reporter interviewing various important characters about Captain Harlock, giving the readers who might not be familiar with the series some information about about Harlock, the characters being interviewed, and a basic overview of the state of Earth. This was a good way to introduce a number of characters very quickly and get a lot of world building out of the way very quickly. While this might be a bit slow to start, the action and tension ramp up greatly as the volume continues.
Our main character is Tadashi Daiba, the son of Doc Daiba. It is he who we really see this world from. Tadashi is an young man who, unlike many of the other characters living on Earth, genuinely cares about the Earth’s future. As he learns about Captain Harlock, the threats to Earth, and the flippant attitude of the prime minister, so do we. This was a great way to introduce a well established world to new readers. I really liked Tadashi Daiba. He was a character who’s motivations were easy to understand and was easy to like. But the real star of the show is, of course, Captain Harlock. Captain Harlock is cool. He’s the sort of character who is overpowered, but is oh so much fun to watch. We know he’ll win. We know because he’s Captain Harlock. There aren’t many fight scenes in this volume. But what fighting is included shows Captain Harlock at a tier above most others.
Some interesting themes are explored as well. The prime minister and Kirita depict two very different, very contrary opinions about the potential alien invasion and Harlock himself. On the one hand we have Kirita, Federal Deputy to the Solar System and the Gaia Corporation, an individual who is seemingly very invested in the future of the Earth and dedicated to following the letter of the law. On the other hand we have the prime minister, a man wholly unconcerned with the looming threat who spouts all sorts of nonsense whenever confronted by another on the issue. Some of this nonsense rings true, though. This is an Earth that has been miraculously saved many times in the past, so much as that the PM feels certain that on the off chance something does happen things will simply work themselves out, just like always.
Now, while I like the art style, I do have to say that Daiba does look rather similar to Captain Harlock and his ever billowing locks. There were a few places where this could become potentially confusing, and is something to note. However, characters are, by and large, extremely varied in design and range from the definition of bad-ass to the purely comedic.
Overall, this volume largely sets the scene. We are introduced to our heroes and our villains. We learn the state of the world, its ignorance to potential threats, and the utter fear of its citizens in the face of trouble. I want to see where the story goes from here. I want to see might fight scenes and get to know Captain Harlock’s crew better.
There are four volumes in the Captain Harlock: Dimensional Voyage series so far, and you can be sure that I’ll be reading the next three volumes. There is just something wonderful about Captain Harlock, something that simply draws the reader in. I would highly suggest checking out this series. It is a promising start to a new series in the franchise, and one I’m most definitely planning to continue with.
I received this manga from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review originally found on Looking Glass Reads.
April 6, 2020
In the far future most of the adventurous warriors have left Earth which is now a hedonistic, blinkered dystopia (I envisage like 2000AD only without the Judges) - Authority comes in the form of an ineffectual, cowardly prime minister who wants to do nothing more than feel up his female staff and play golf.
A mysterious alien sphere appears which is ignored by everyone except a few concerned scientists who learnt is the forerunner of an alien invasion. The beautiful and Deadly Mazon claim they created the Earth and now that their home-world is destroyed they wish to reclaim the planet, destroying its occupants. Dogged scientist Diaba has evidence which he constantly tries to get to the Prime Minister, who refuses to listen. Diaba is murdered by the Mazon and it's left to his son Tadashi to take up where his father left off.
Tadashi joins forces with Captain Harlock and his crew - Earth's last defender who has had to turn Pirate since the Earth government have their head in the sand and refuse to sanction him.
So this one's mainly all set up. I like Shimaboshi's art which is very caricature at times and works nicely with some of the satirical characters.
White it's not yaoi, Anyone who's seen the movie will know how marvellously slashy this is: Harlock/Tadashi - there's not too much obvious in this volume but Harlock is as dashing dandy - I like his rescue of Tadashi and of course there are bits which could easily be construed in such a way, such as the panel:
On that ship we fight together, laugh together... live together and someday... unashamed of our own hearts we will be victorious together.
Slashy space pirates - What's not to love?
A mysterious alien sphere appears which is ignored by everyone except a few concerned scientists who learnt is the forerunner of an alien invasion. The beautiful and Deadly Mazon claim they created the Earth and now that their home-world is destroyed they wish to reclaim the planet, destroying its occupants. Dogged scientist Diaba has evidence which he constantly tries to get to the Prime Minister, who refuses to listen. Diaba is murdered by the Mazon and it's left to his son Tadashi to take up where his father left off.
Tadashi joins forces with Captain Harlock and his crew - Earth's last defender who has had to turn Pirate since the Earth government have their head in the sand and refuse to sanction him.
So this one's mainly all set up. I like Shimaboshi's art which is very caricature at times and works nicely with some of the satirical characters.
White it's not yaoi, Anyone who's seen the movie will know how marvellously slashy this is: Harlock/Tadashi - there's not too much obvious in this volume but Harlock is as dashing dandy - I like his rescue of Tadashi and of course there are bits which could easily be construed in such a way, such as the panel:
On that ship we fight together, laugh together... live together and someday... unashamed of our own hearts we will be victorious together.
Slashy space pirates - What's not to love?
September 9, 2017
Captain Harlock returns in a new retelling of his adventures with story by legendary Leiji Matsumoto (of Galaxy Express 999 fame) and illustrator Kouiti Shimaboshi. This series is rated only Teen and has some violence but most of it is masterfully silhouetted or at least not focused upon so the book manages to tell a violent story without the need to shock the reader with gore.
So for those not familiar with Captain Harlock or of any of the other characters in his shared universe he is basically one of the last beacons of hope for Earth and often humanity when inept officials on Earth ignore the threats of an alien race called the Mazon. With the help of his crew and his ship the Arcadia Captain Harlock stands defiantly against threats. Even when his actions make him an enemy of those he is protecting the Captain continues the good fight under the Jolly Roger in typical Space Opera style. Get ready for tragic heroes, spaceship battles, and new hope as the story starts new and both new and older fans get to experience the tales anew. :)
My fave part of the manga would have to be Harlock showing his skill and power as he stops a suicide bomber from trying to take him out. :)
So for those not familiar with Captain Harlock or of any of the other characters in his shared universe he is basically one of the last beacons of hope for Earth and often humanity when inept officials on Earth ignore the threats of an alien race called the Mazon. With the help of his crew and his ship the Arcadia Captain Harlock stands defiantly against threats. Even when his actions make him an enemy of those he is protecting the Captain continues the good fight under the Jolly Roger in typical Space Opera style. Get ready for tragic heroes, spaceship battles, and new hope as the story starts new and both new and older fans get to experience the tales anew. :)
My fave part of the manga would have to be Harlock showing his skill and power as he stops a suicide bomber from trying to take him out. :)
February 22, 2018
Num futuro em que os habitantes da Terra parecem consumidos pela apatia e cobardia, num planeta tornado secundário pela fuga dos intrépidos e corajosos para os confins do sistema solar, e ameaçado pela invasão de alienígenas que reclamam o nosso planeta como seu segundo berço, só há uma força que tenta defender os terrestres. Uma força fora da lei, que não se dobra perante nenhum senhor ou governo, um pirata do espaço que, com uma indómita e excêntrica tripulação, é a única linha de defesa de um planeta cujos governantes o perseguem.
Este Captain Harlock é um misto do bom e do mau que o mangá tem. Se parte de uma premissa interessante, a história perde-se num estilo visual de personagens em pose hierática a debitar diálogos repetitivos. O lado de aventura de ficção científica perde-se por completo numa narrativa cansativa, feita de iconografias quase de telenovela, sem qualquer trabalho no envolvimento visual do mundo ficcional.
Este Captain Harlock é um misto do bom e do mau que o mangá tem. Se parte de uma premissa interessante, a história perde-se num estilo visual de personagens em pose hierática a debitar diálogos repetitivos. O lado de aventura de ficção científica perde-se por completo numa narrativa cansativa, feita de iconografias quase de telenovela, sem qualquer trabalho no envolvimento visual do mundo ficcional.
November 1, 2023
3.75/5
A delightfully indulgent, sincere update of the bonkers classic. The artwork, in particular, is a great blend of 1970s spunk and modern polish. Story's as subtle as a brick and I wouldn't have it any other way; it'd be forgettable if it weren't so endearingly earnest. You want pirates waxing poetic while fighting with laser pistols and space ships as the Last True Real Men Who Are Free™? You'll get it!
Honestly, I probably won't be seeking out any of the follow-up volumes. For me, this is a great standalone snapshot of what the frequently-adapted wistful space pirate voyage of one Captain Harlock has to offer.
It's definitely better than the visually groundbreaking but narratively stale 2013 movie... Time to check out the Arcadia of My Youth film as my next stop in the Leiji-verse.
A delightfully indulgent, sincere update of the bonkers classic. The artwork, in particular, is a great blend of 1970s spunk and modern polish. Story's as subtle as a brick and I wouldn't have it any other way; it'd be forgettable if it weren't so endearingly earnest. You want pirates waxing poetic while fighting with laser pistols and space ships as the Last True Real Men Who Are Free™? You'll get it!
Honestly, I probably won't be seeking out any of the follow-up volumes. For me, this is a great standalone snapshot of what the frequently-adapted wistful space pirate voyage of one Captain Harlock has to offer.
It's definitely better than the visually groundbreaking but narratively stale 2013 movie... Time to check out the Arcadia of My Youth film as my next stop in the Leiji-verse.
June 7, 2022
This was quite different from what I was expecting, having seen the 2013 animated movie, as well as read the 2019 release Capitaine Albator: Mémoires de l'Arcadia.
Harlock is straight up heroic and an inspiration to Earthlings in this volume; a pirate because he is the only one willing to break with the authorities and defend the Earth. I had originally thought of him as a rogue who reluctantly did the right thing because nobody else was willing to.
I also didn't realize that most of the crew was a band of usually interchangeable nobodies. Almost all the important characters are tall and slim, and most of the crew are hobbit-like.
I enjoyed the callout to Space Battleship Yamato, though the timelines are difficult to reconcile if we assume they are in the same universe.
Harlock is straight up heroic and an inspiration to Earthlings in this volume; a pirate because he is the only one willing to break with the authorities and defend the Earth. I had originally thought of him as a rogue who reluctantly did the right thing because nobody else was willing to.
I also didn't realize that most of the crew was a band of usually interchangeable nobodies. Almost all the important characters are tall and slim, and most of the crew are hobbit-like.
I enjoyed the callout to Space Battleship Yamato, though the timelines are difficult to reconcile if we assume they are in the same universe.
September 18, 2021
I liked the story, but I thought the pace was off. The first part kind of rapid fires through a series of characters and events. This could be ok, but I felt a little lost in part due to the scarce dialogue. If there was a little more exposition, the first might have went better for me. The second half did feel/read a little more settled into a pace with more dialogue.
The art is great and works well as a homage but not direct copy of the original. It does show its roots, which is part of the classic feel/appeal of Harlock. I look forward to volume 2, hoping it takes the same stride as the last part of this volume.
Space pirates, aliens, and cool ships.
The art is great and works well as a homage but not direct copy of the original. It does show its roots, which is part of the classic feel/appeal of Harlock. I look forward to volume 2, hoping it takes the same stride as the last part of this volume.
Space pirates, aliens, and cool ships.
November 3, 2019
Sympa de retrouver le héros de mon enfance. Hélas le rabâchage au sujet "des hommes véritables" résonne d'une autre époque et à aujourd'hui une saveur douteuse. Surtout, la mise en format laisse à désirer : outre le sens de lecture "original" dont je ne suis pas un fan (surtout sur Kindle !), ne pas être fichu d'aligner deux pages lorsqu'elles hébergent un seul dessin c'est quand même honteux...
Bref! Je pourrais être tenté de lire la suite mais clairement pas dans cette édition.
Bref! Je pourrais être tenté de lire la suite mais clairement pas dans cette édition.
April 26, 2022
A fun quick read for that is mostly a faithful retelling of the captain Harlock story with a few changes but they’re very minor. The photo realistic art is gorgeous and especially excellent for the splash pages that are throughout the book. If your new to Captain Harlock I would suggest this because the art is modern and less likely to turn off new readers. Probably won’t do a review for every book since it’s a 12 volume series but we’ll see
March 4, 2023
Da ich mit Anime wie Captain Future, Cyborg 009 und Captain Harlock aufgewachsen bin, war diese Neuauflage natürlich ein Pflichtkauf.
Und ich hab es nicht bereut :) Harlock ist noch immer eine tolle Space Opera, die extrem Heldenhaft und Over the Top ist und die noch eine gute Portion Mystery drinhaben.
Man könnte über so gut wie jeden Charakter in der Harlock Saga extra Geschichten erzählen, so interessant sind sie.
Ich werde mir auf jeden Fall auch den Rest der Bände kaufen.
Und ich hab es nicht bereut :) Harlock ist noch immer eine tolle Space Opera, die extrem Heldenhaft und Over the Top ist und die noch eine gute Portion Mystery drinhaben.
Man könnte über so gut wie jeden Charakter in der Harlock Saga extra Geschichten erzählen, so interessant sind sie.
Ich werde mir auf jeden Fall auch den Rest der Bände kaufen.
October 18, 2024
Según lo abres es todo muy cool y los diseños de las naves me ENCANTAN, pero los únicos personajes "bien dibujados"/normales son los dos protagonistas y las mujeres (que telita las proporciones), el resto parecen mezcla de simio y humano.
Hubiera preferido otro enfoque menos machito, a decir verdad. No sé si es cosa de la traducción (todo es viril) pero le da un toque rancio que estropea un poco el argumento y los (pocos) diseños buenos.
Hubiera preferido otro enfoque menos machito, a decir verdad. No sé si es cosa de la traducción (todo es viril) pero le da un toque rancio que estropea un poco el argumento y los (pocos) diseños buenos.
September 23, 2017
I haven't read the original manga yet but I have been watching the original anime and this looks to be a great start to the retelling of Harlock's story. Having original creator Leiji Matsumoto guiding the whole thing is wonderful. The art is great though a bit more boob-tacular than 1977. A fun read though and I'm eagerly awaiting the next volume.
July 1, 2020
This reminded me a lot of Trigun, a manga/anime I enjoyed in the early days but kinda moved away from in terms of taste over time. It's set in a world where Earth is in bad shape, but a few ragtag individuals are out to even the score.
Kouiti Shimaboshi has a very pretty linework style, with good use of shadow. That'll keep me into a second volume.
Kouiti Shimaboshi has a very pretty linework style, with good use of shadow. That'll keep me into a second volume.
April 2, 2022
A great retelling of a classic manga, the art is amazing and the story is a classic for the ages.
Tadashi Daiba becomes a man I the wake of tragedy and rises to fight the Mazon. The people of Earth have become depraved and corrupted it is up to Harlock and the crew of the Arcadia to save the Earth.
Tadashi Daiba becomes a man I the wake of tragedy and rises to fight the Mazon. The people of Earth have become depraved and corrupted it is up to Harlock and the crew of the Arcadia to save the Earth.
April 15, 2020
Je regardais parfois l'anime quand j'étais petit alors j'ai voulu tenter une des séries. Je ne suis pas convaincue par ce premier tome. Il est graphiquement beau mais l'histoire est un peu molle et offre déjà quelques répétitions. Cela ne semble pas s'arranger par la suite alors je m'arrêterai là.
December 31, 2022
Boring macho manga. Very little happens. Much is made about not enough real men being left on Earth to defend it. Aliens want to make it their second home, and only Captain Harlock can save us.
But no one came to save me from my disinterest 😥
But no one came to save me from my disinterest 😥
May 22, 2023
I really liked the movie that was based on this story and was interested in picking up the series. I also like this volume as it shows a more modern take on the source material. I would recommend to anyone who likes the film or anyone who like science fiction especially with space pirates.
March 10, 2024
A space pirate set out to save Earth from its corruption and protect it from the invading extraterrestrial civilization who are considered as Space Royalty called the Mazons . Set In A Futuristic dystopian world - with a captivating plot and dominant character sketches- an
enjoyable read!
enjoyable read!
October 29, 2017
Good start, but why do some of the people look like Munchkins and others are normal?
November 9, 2018
Enfin un manga avec des hommes véritables ! ^^ (c'est un peu l'impression que m'a laissé ce premier tome... et qui m'a un peu dérangée...)
October 1, 2020
I'm excited to see where this one goes from here. I'm not usually a bit space-age type of person, but I always love pirates. And this book hits the good spots.
August 17, 2021
It’s fine
February 12, 2022
Ça m'a rappelé l'époque où j'ai regardé Albator 78. De bons souvenirs. C'est la même histoire (pour l'instant).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2022
Cool art, empty narrative.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews