Well, that’s what I get for looking too quickly at a listing. Because Hulu only has nine episodes of this show available, I assumed it was just a mini-series. Not so! Our very own sickVisionz pointed out in the last talkback that this series actually runs for 113 (!!!) and, indeed, a little extra research has proved that to be true. You get no XP for guessing that there’s no way I’ll be covering all forty-odd hours of GALAXY EXPRESS 999, so now it’s a question of when I’ll stop. Most likely, I’ll wrap it up with the last one on Hulu - - so here’s your week-in-advance warning, pals.
When PenguinDust was bringing up how this show only had a few go-to plots for its one-offs, I furrowed my brow. How could there be that much repetition in in less than half a season? Well, now I can totally picture that. I rarely have much patience for any series that dangles a goal over the plot for too long and, if it’s really going to take over a hundred episodes for Tetsuro and Maetel to reach their paradise planet for a cyber-makeover, then this show’s got to have clumps and clumps of padding.
Honestly, this episode was already veering into the sort of free association sci-fantasy plotting that can be charming in small doses, but tedious when stretched over too protracted an expanse. Sure, it’s charming to see Tetsuro in awe of this train’s computer conductor and its living glass waitress. We’re learning about this universe just like he is, after all. And when he quickdraws a sub-machinegun on the ghastly specter from his hallucination (as depicated above), it had the sort of unintentionally-hilarious camp appeal that I alluded to in the last write-up.
But I don’t know how much of that camp I can put up with if I’m watching this alone. Perhaps it’s just as well that I don’t watch this past episode 9, then. Actually - - could that perhaps be the point where the Galaxy Express jumps the shark?
Watch this episode, "The Resting Warriors on Titan” here and decide for yourself, then read my comments on the previous episode here.
Tom Pinchuk’s a writer and personality with a large number of comics, videos and features like this to his credit. Visit his website - - tompinchuk.com - - and follow his Twitter: @tompinchuk
