Interstella 5555

A band of four blue-skinned alien musicians is kidnapped by the Earl of Darkwood, a sinister figure whose family has leeched off musical talent since at least the time of Mozart-his previous captives include Jimi Hendrix. The band members are taken to Earth and put into disguises to enable them to perform as the "Crescendolls," Darkwood's latest signing. However, a male fan from their homeworld has followed them to Earth, and manages to break the spell on the three male members of the band by using a type of ray gun to disable the mind-control devices hidden by strategically placed sunglasses and hair. The men escape and later rescue the bass player who remained behind, although their faithful fan is fatally wounded in their escape. Before dying he shares an intimate experience with the bass player, whom he's had a crush on, and she mourns his passing as if a beloved friend. Following his great sacrifice the band continues on to Darkwood Mansion and learn of the Earl's family's extensive kidnapping of musical talent. Defeating Darkwood and retrieving the discs that contain their original memories, the band is sent home by cheering fans, who having learned of their origins are more than happy to reunite the band with their people. Once home the band commemorates the brave fan by designing a statue in his likeness through their fancy alien technology.

Electronic pop group Daft Punk comprises writers Bangalter and de Homen-Christo, whose French-speaking childhoods exposed them to the work of Leiji Matsumoto, most obviously his Captain Harlock in its Albator incarnation. Hiring Matsumoto to supervise the animation of several songs in order to make video promos for their album Discovery (2001), the pair later returned with new songs and bridging footage in order to make this dialogue-free musical movie, which gets to recycle Matsumoto's stock beautiful, enigmatic woman; tall, slender hero; and short, squat sidekick one more time, with stunning visuals, lush color, and an attitude charmingly goofy enough to give anime its first pure rock opera. It also sits happily within the tradition of Franco-Japanese co-productions ushered in by Ulysses 31 a generation earlier.