Queen Millennia

Queen Millennia (新竹取物語 1000年女王) is a manga series by Leiji Matsumoto which was serialized from 28 January 1980 through 11 May 1983 in both the Sankei Shimbun and Nishinippon Sports newspapers. The manga series was adapted into a 42-episode anime TV series by Toei Dōga and broadcast on the Fuji TV network from 16 April 1981 through 25 March 1982. An anime film was released on 13 March 1982 shortly before the TV series ended.

The anime series was combined by Harmony Gold and Carl Macek with episodes from the 1978 Matsumoto series, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and shown from 1985 to 1986 in the United States as the 65-episode Captain Harlock and the Queen of a Thousand Years. The series was broadcast in Germany on Tele 5 during 1992 and on Magnus in France in 2004.

Plot
The series takes place in the (then) futuristic year 1999. Professor Amamori discovers a 10th planet in the Earth's solar system, which he names La-Metal, while at his observatory in Tokyo. He notes the planet has a highly eccentric orbit and, as it emerges behind the distant Pluto, Amamori realizes that La-Metal is on a collision course with Earth. He calculates that the planet will impact Earth on 9 September 1999, at 9 o'clock, 9 minutes and 9 seconds.

While damage to the giant ice-covered La-Metal would be minimal, Earth would be destroyed by the planet's massive gravitational pull. The alien world is inhabited by a subterranean humanoid species ruled by a mysterious Queen. She plans to abduct a large number of humans before the destruction of Earth and enslave them with the help of her daughter, Yukino Yayoi. Yukino has apparently been living on Earth for some time with the intention of establishing a colony for her home planet.

Yukino, who comes to care for her foster parents and friends, begins to question her mother's plans. She begins working for Professor Amamori and decides to offer her help when Amamori discovers La-Metal heading for Earth. The professor's young nephew Hajime, whose parents are killed while designing a spaceship to help a small group of human escape from Earth, also joins their fight to save the planet.

They are also confronted by a sabotage campaign initiated by a group of La-Metal generals against Earth. As the two planets come closer to colliding, Yukino finds out a black hole is to blame for La-Metal's orbit. A desperate plan is undertaken to destroy the black hole and save both their worlds.

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Characters

 * Yayoi Yukino (雪野 弥生) La Andromeda Promethium II (ラー・アンドロメダ・プロメシュームII世)
 * For every 1000 year period, a woman from the planet La-Metal is sent to secretly rule over the Earth and lead the underground organization that secretly controls the entire planet. Yayoi is the current "Queen Millennia". While shown with rounder eyes in the anime TV series, she is shown with almond-shaped eyes in both the manga and the anime film and looks just like Maetel from Galaxy Express 999.
 * While Yayoi is Professor Amamori's private secretary in all three versions of the story, there are the following differences:
 * In the anime TV and manga, Yayoi lives on the second floor of a ramen shop run by an older couple who have adopted her as their daughter. She has a tiger-striped cat.
 * In the anime film, in addition to being Professor Amamori's private secretary, she also teaches at a school and lives in a high-class apartment.
 * In the anime film, in addition to being Professor Amamori's private secretary, she also teaches at a school and lives in a high-class apartment.


 * Hajime Amamori (雨森 始)
 * Hajime is the main character in the manga and is in junior high school. He looks just like the character Tetsurō Hoshino from Galaxy Express 999, only wearing a gakuran. He has a keen interest in space, and is somewhat infatuated with Yayoi. While he doesn't get good grades in school, he is a very honest and kind person. At first he wants revenge on the people who are responsible for his parents' deaths, but he decides it is fruitless to hold a grudge and abandons that plan.
 * There are a few differences between the various versions of the story:
 * In the anime film, he is introduces as a student of Yayoi. In order to protect the Earth from La-Metal's troops, he uses a Zero from a museum.
 * In the anime TV series, he tries to act as a peacemaker between La-Metal and the people of Earth, and tries to work out a compromise between them. In the end, he tries to help people escape from the approaching La-Metal by using a helicopter.
 * In the manga, he receives a cybernetic implant which increases his intelligence and allows him to fly space ships extremely well.
 * In the manga, he receives a cybernetic implant which increases his intelligence and allows him to fly space ships extremely well.


 * Professor Amamori (雨森教授)
 * Professor Amamori is the head scientist at the Tsukuba Observatory. He is Hajime's uncle, though Hajime's father is his younger brother in the TV series and his older brother in the film. He became Hajime's guardian after his parents were both killed in an explosion. Amamori discovered the 10th planet, La-Metal, and determined it would collide with the Earth. At first, he had plenty of hair, but the discovery caused him to begin losing hair (though in the TV series, he keeps all his hair).
 * Professor Amamori is the head scientist at the Tsukuba Observatory. He is Hajime's uncle, though Hajime's father is his younger brother in the TV series and his older brother in the film. He became Hajime's guardian after his parents were both killed in an explosion. Amamori discovered the 10th planet, La-Metal, and determined it would collide with the Earth. At first, he had plenty of hair, but the discovery caused him to begin losing hair (though in the TV series, he keeps all his hair).

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Manga
The manga was originally serialized in from 28 January 1980 through 11 May 1983 in both the Sankei Shimbun and Nishinippon Sports newspapers. There have been multiple releases in book form. A planned ten volume B5-sized gekigaban set released under Sankei Shuppan's "Wakuwaku Comics" label had the first 10 pages of each volume in color, and an appendix with cel images from the TV series and interviews with Matsumoto and the creators of the TV series. The series was only published through volume 5, however.
 * Volume 1, 203 pages, August 1981
 * Volume 2
 * Volume 3, 205 pages, April 1982
 * Volume 4
 * Volume 5, 205 pages, November 1982

A shinshoban series of five volumes was released by Sankei Shuppan. Each volume had approximately 200 pages. Shogakukan released the series in both B6-sized hardcover and bunkoban formats under the shorter Queen Millennia (1000年女王) title. They also released the series in two volumes under their "My First Wideban" label, marketed to convenience stores.

Shogakukan bunkoban reprints
 * Volume 1, 346 pages, ISBN 4-09-197261-6, June 1991
 * Volume 2, 340 pages, ISBN 4-09-197262-4, August 1991
 * Volume 3, 330 pages, ISBN 4-09-197263-2, August 1991

Novels
A two volume novelization by Kaeko Iguchi and Leiji Matsumoto was released by Sankei Shuppan under their "Junior Shōsetsu" label.
 * The Metal Bouquet (ラーメタルの花束), 181 pages, December 1980
 * The Black Hole (ラー・暗黒太陽), 180 pages, August 1981

Light novel adaptations were written by Keisuke Fujikawa, who also wrote many of the teleplays for the anime TV series as well as the screenplay for the anime film adaptation. A film adaptation was also written. They were published by Shueisha under their Cobalt label.
 * Volume 1, 241 pages, ISBN 4-08-610429-6, January 1981
 * Volume 2, 239 pages, August 1981
 * Volume 3, 233 pages, March 1982
 * Film version, 1982

Bunka Publishing Bureau published a three volume "Pocket Mates" light novel series by Ken Wakasaki.
 * Volume 1, 315 pages, June 1981
 * Volume 2, 256 pages, September 1981
 * Volume 3, 290 pages, March 1982

Anime TV
The Queen Millennia anime TV series aired on the Fuji TV network from 16 April 1981 through 25 March 1982 in the 7:00pm to 7:30pm time slot. It replaced Galaxy Express 999 in that time slot, and was replaced by Patalliro! at the end of its run. The series was animated by Toei Dōga. The series was originally scheduled to have 52 episodes, but due to having lower ratings than the previous Galaxy Express 999, the series was completed with only 42 episodes.

Staff

 * Planning: Tokizō Tsuchiya, Kenji Yokoyama, Hiroichi Kominato
 * Production Supervisor: Masahisa Saeki
 * Teleplay Writers: Keisuke Fujikawa, Shigemitsu Taguchi, Hiroyasu Yamaura, Toyohiro Andō
 * Chief Director: Nobutaka Nishizawa
 * General Animation Director / Character Designer: Yoshinori Kanemori
 * Mechanical Designer: Katsumi Itabashi
 * Chief Designer (Art Direction): Isamu Tsuchida
 * Music: Ryōdō Uzaki, Tomoyuki Asakawa
 * Production: Fuji TV, Toei Animation

Music
Queen Millennia had music composed and arranged by Ryōdō Uzaki and Tomoyuki Asakawa. The opening theme song, Cosmos Dream (コスモス・ドリーム), was sung by Masaki Takanashi. The ending theme song, Excellent Legend (まほろば伝説), was sung by Manami Ishikawa. Both songs had lyrics by Yōko Aki, were composed by Ryōdō Uzaki, and were arranged by Motoki Funayama.

Ishikawa was selected from 1898 applicants to work with Takanashi on the image song Love Is Flying on Wings (愛は翼に乗って). The song was performed by the Queen Millennia Grand Orchestra and arranged by Nozomi Aoki. A second image song, Message from Space (星空のメッセージ), was sung by Keiko Han and Slapstick, and was arranged by Motoki Funayama. The lyrics for both image songs were written by Yōko Aki and composed by Ryōdō Uzaki.

Film
The 1982 film serves as a retelling of the anime series. The 1999 setting is designed as more futuristic in appearance than in the TV series. in addition, the film provides an alternate ending to the story. The music score for the film was written and performed by Kitaro, while the end credits song was sung by Dara Sedaka.

Maetel Legend
The 2001 OAV Maetel Legend serves as a prelude to Galaxy Express 999. It is clearly established that Maetel is the daughter of Yayoi and that Yayoi becomes the Queen Promethium of the Mechanized Empire.

Film comics
Film comics based on the anime TV series were released by Sankei Shuppan under their "Wakuwaku" label.
 * Volume 1, 156 pages, 15 June 1981
 * Volume 2, 156 pages, 15 July 1981
 * Volume 3, 156 pages, 15 August 1981
 * Volume 4, 156 pages, 15 September 1981
 * Volume 5, 156 pages, 25 October 1981
 * Volume 6, 156 pages, 15 November 1981
 * Volume 7, 156 pages, 1 January 1982
 * Volume 8, 156 pages, 15 February 1982