Pojo's Anime: Episode Reviews

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Episode 1: The Special Ballad

The year is 2221 and travel in space had advanced. Galaxy trains could now fly to the farthest points of the galaxy.

[Opening theme]

Megalopolis is a huge modern city. The city is located inside of a large dome, so the climate of the city can be controlled. Only those people who were rich enough to afford mechanical parts could live in Megalopolis. With mechanical parts one was able to replace their aged or damaged body parts, this allowed people to live for thousands of years.

The poor people were forced to live in other places; the poor lived like trash. They were dirty and wore tattered clothing, they also lived out in the streets. There was a rumor that gave the poor hope, though, the rumor said that there was a planet which gave out free mechanical body parts. All you had to do to get to the planet was to get a pass to board the Galaxy Express 999, the poor came to Megalopolis in hope of boarding the 3-9.

A mother and child are on their way to Megalopolis. They are traveling through snow barren country. The boy's name is Tetsuro. Tetsuro sees a Galaxy Express land and gets excited because that means they are almost to Megalopolis. Tetsuro's mom tells Tetsuro that they can not bored the train the minute they get there, Tetsuro tells his mom that he knows this, they must get a pass first. His mom begins to cry because Tetsuro's dad died trying to get money to buy a pass for the 3-9. Tetsuro tells his mom to cheer up and the two of them agree to work hard to get their passes.

Tetsuro's mom begins to listen and after listening for a while she hears something coming, she tells Tetsuro to run. She then explains that some of the mechanical humans hunt down humans for fun. Tetsuro and his mom begin to run while three mechanical men on horses close in on them. The three men get to the top of a hill and one of them pulls out his gun, he aims and shoots Tetsuro's mom. Tetsuro is in shock and tries to carry his mom, but she just lies on her back and says she is done. Tetsuro insists they reach the planet together. Tetsuro offers to carry her, but she just tells Tetsuro to live on for her, she then pulls out an emblem necklace and tells him to remember her by it. She then dies, Tetsuro screams and cries while holding his mom. Tetsuro says goodbye to his mom and runs away. The three men look at the dead body, strip it naked, and they decide that they will stuff it. When they try to figure out what to do about Tetsuro, they decide that there is no way he can survive in this weather and they leave him to freeze. After they leave Tetsuro promises to pay them back for his mother. He then trudges though the snowy desert and finally collapses. As the snow covers him, he apologizes to his mother and says he wishes he had mechanical parts. Tetsuro then passes out.

Inside of a house, a woman sits in front of a fire and in the same room is a bed in which Tetsuro is sleeping. Tetsuro wakes up and she asks him how he's doing. Tetsuro wants to know how she knew who he was, the woman then introduces herself as Maetel. Maetel gives Tetsuro some food and tells him she found him half frozen. She says Tetsuro was going in the opposite direction of the station. He asks how she knew that he was going to the station. Maetel then shows a machine to Tetsuro, which is able to pick up sounds from great distances, she apologizes for Tetsuro's mom. Tetsuro says he doesn't need sympathy and demands to know the way to Megalopolis. Maetel then tells Tetsuro that she can give him a pass for the 3-9, but he must accompany her on the 3-9 to get the pass. Tetsuro is overjoyed and immediately agrees.

On the machine you can hear Count Mecha, Maetel says that he is celebrating and that he is the one who killed Tetsuro's mom. Tetsuro gets enraged and has a flash back of her death. Maetel says he lives on the other side of the forest, with tears in his eyes Tetsuro grabs a gun, Maetel wants to know what he is doing.

Maetel: "Tetsuro, what are you doing?"
Tetsuro: "I'll take revenge."

Tetsuro then says that he will take Maetel only after he kills Count Mecha.

[Commercial break]

Count Mecha and friends are celebrating over their kill. Mecha says that they will skin her and mount her. The doors to the house fly open and Tetsuro tells them that it won't be that easy.

Mecha: "and who the hell are you?"
Tetsuro: "You...you killed my mother! DIE!"

Tetsuro opens up fire and hits everything in his way. Mecha tells Tetsuro not to shoot his brain. Mecha then gets on his knees and tells him that he can't get a replacement and will die, Tetsuro takes the butt of his gun and puts it through Mecha's head, Tetsuro then lights the place on fire. From outside he watches the place burn and says one final goodbye to his mother. A group of tanks have arrived and begin to chase after Tetsuro. They shine a light on him and after catching up with Tetsuro, they tell him to stop or they will open fire. When he doesn't stop the police begin to shoot at him, but Tetsuro is able to dodge all the laser blasts. Tetsuro slides down a hill, the tanks are not able to follow him down the hill, but they release a large group of dogs to go get Tetsuro. Tetsuro begins to shoot and beat off the dogs, but there are too many of them. Maetel shows up on he sleigh, she then scares the dogs with her whip. Tetsuro gets on and the two ride away. Maetel tells Tetsuro that he is now a wanted man and Tetsuro asks when the 3-9 takes off. Maetel tells Tetsuro that if they hurry they will be able to make the train, if they miss it they will have to wait another year.

Maetel and Tetsuro have made it to Metropolis and are hiding in a hotel until boarding time. Tetsuro begins to cry when he talks about how he wishes his mother could have seen the city. Maetel tells Tetsuro that they have three hours until boarding time. Maetel tells Tetsuro to rest while she goes to take a shower. When Tetsuro lies down he looks at the medallion his mom gave him and he then has a dream of him and his mom running through a flower filled field. He is awoken by the sound of two people talking in the bathroom.

?: "...And you must not part with him, understand?"
Maetel: "Understand"

Tetsuro begins to wonder about whom Maetel was talking to, and he also wants to know if it was him they were talking about.

?: "If you don't follow your orders you'll be disassembled."

Tetsuro opens the door only to find Maetel by herself in the shower. Maetel asks Tetsuro is anything is wrong and Tetsuro says that he thought he had heard voices. Maetel says it was only his imagination. Tetsuro leaves the bathroom and is sitting on the bed wondering who Maetel really is when the police arrive. The police barge through the door and tell everyone to put up their hands. The police then tell them to come outside. Maetal and Tetsuro begin to walk towards the door. Maetel then tell Tetsuro to close his eyes and then she grabs something from her earring. When she does this a blinding light is made and Maetel and Tetsuro can not escape.

The two run out of the hotel and they get into a taxi. As the taxi is flying it goes over an area that Maetel points out to be the poor slums. The people who live there can not afford a pass to board the 3-9. The people who live there all look dirty and they wear torn and worn down clothes. All of the buildings are also run down and the area has no visible lights. Tetsuro then wonders to himself why Maetel would want to give him a pass.

The two finally see the station and Maetel points out something to Tetsuro:

Maetel: "Once you get on the 3-9 you can not get off. Is that all right?"
Tetsuro: "Sure, just give me a mechanical body."

The two enter the station and a voice over the speaker system tells all of the passengers of the 3-9 to go to the boarding platform. Maetel tell Tetsuro to the platform before the police arrive. They go up the escalator that leads to the platform and when they get to the top Maetel points out the 3-9 to Tetsuro. Tetsuro is surprised that it's a steam locomotive. The two board the train and it begins to leave the station. Tetsuro is surprised to see what the train looks like.

Tetsuro: "I didn't know it looked like this..."
Maetel: "People who can't return need a show."
Tetsuro: "Never return?! I'll go back with a new body! I mean it!
Maetel: "Sure you will."

Tetsuro has his head out the window and is alarmed that the tracks are coming to an end. He asks where they are and Maetel tell him that since this is a space train there isn't a need for tracks. The train is flying over the city and Tetsuro remarks on how beautiful the city looks. Maetel tells him that the lights he sees belong to the mechanical people. Tetsuro says he sees dark spots and Maetel tells him that, that's where the natural people live. Maetel then tells Tetsuro to never forget this scene because next time he may see the city with mechanical eyes. After hearing this, Tetsuro begins to think to himself:

Tetsuro: "Father...I'll go and get mechanical parts for you and I'll live for you and mother."

Tetsuro begins to cry as the train flies off into space.

[End of episode]

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This summary is the copyright of Andy Diehl, August 2001.

Permission is not given to use this summary on any website other than Pojo Anime.
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