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Awesome.

::pre-orders it on Amazon::

Tonight's the night, like Betty Wright--February 13, 1982, "when love gets written down in secret." So I stood to attention and sang "Sasurai no funauta" and "Captain Harlock" aloud, dwelling on the irony for an otaku of its final verse, "Inochi o sutete/ore wa ikiru."

Tonight, I tripped out watching a snowy broadcast of American Idol while leafing through a stack of Leiji Matsumoto illustration books. The Harlock TV series had a fierce symphonic suite. My heart is that eternal circular control panel gazing out into virgin space.

"Golgo 13 was the textbook of life. I learned more than international politics through it; I learned how a man should live, and how he should fight. I learned everything a man needs to know. There are many who say Ryotaro Shiba was the largest influence among student demonstrators on both the left and right, but Golgo 13 actually had the greater inspiration. They are just embarrassed to admit they were influenced by a manga. I have participated in right wing radical demonstrations, and have also participated in illegal demonstrations. I have assaulted with the intent to kill, and have thought at times I would be killed. In situations like this, how would Golgo fight, endure, and escape…? These were my thoughts. I was Golgo. Those of you on the left wing were probably the same."

--Kunio Suzuki

As I've recounted time and again, Symphonic Suite Space Battleship Yamato was my first Japanese LP. My second was the Captain Harlock symphonic suite. With Yamato, thanks to Star Blazers, I knew what to expect (and it was so, so much more), but the Harlock LP was totally uncharted seas.

It was mind blowing.

Now, maybe some of the BGM during the series is a bit odd, a bit unusual, but those core themes on the symphonic suite are *solid*.

I credit this, naturally, to Nishizaki showing the way. If you did a SF fantasy show you HAD to emulate Yamato and that meant spending the money on a decent score, and we got that all thru to the '80s. Yamato, Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, all good. It's all good.

Congrats on the book once again. Now you have to start signing them... :)

Including the copy I'm using to write review of the book!

BTW if you are interested I can put you in touch with the folks at Cody's Books if you have any interest in doing a book event there.

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