Galaxy Express 999

The Galaxy Express 999 bound for Andromeda is now departing.

In the distant future, everyone dreams of the Sea of Stars. Humanity freely traverses space and has found a way to achieve immortality by transferring their consciousness into mechanized bodies. Through the endless flow of stars and planets, runs a singular train: the Galaxy Express 999. On its infinite tracks, the train carries the hopes, ambitions, and youth for all humankind.

Orphaned by the violent death of his mother, young Tetsuro lives in the slums of Megalopolis City on Earth. He dreams of hitching a ride aboard the Galaxy Express and claiming a cyborg body at its final stop, so he can finally avenge his mother.

Based on Leiji Matsumoto’s intricate manga (and its TV adaptation), Galaxy Express 999 pits man against machine, a theme director Rintaro would revisit in both the sequel and his cyberpunk feature Metropolis (2001). This was Rintaro’s solo directorial debut, following stints directing episodes of landmark series like Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy. Clearly inspired by Kenji Miyazawa’s Night on the Galactic Railroad (another cosmic train ride), Galaxy Express 999 is a mind-blowing hybrid of space opera, western, coming-of-age, and retro-futurism. Even in 2025, the visuals are full steam ahead, from its utopian/dystopian cityscape to cold-blooded ice cemeteries to explosive battles that send sparks flying across the galaxy. All aboard!