| Queen Millennia | |
 Cover of first manga volume, with spines from remaining four volumes (Sankei editions) | |
| 新竹取物語 1000年女王 (Shin Taketori Monogatari: Sennen Joō) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure,science fiction |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Leiji Matsumoto |
| Published by | |
| Magazine |
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| Original run | 28 January 1980 –11 May 1983 |
| Volumes | 5 |
| Light novel | |
| Written by |
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| Illustrated by | Leiji Matsumoto |
| Published by | Sankei Shuppan |
| Imprint | Junior Shōsetsu |
| Original run | December 1980 –August 1981 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Keisuke Fujikawa |
| Illustrated by | Leiji Matsumoto |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Imprint | Cobalt |
| Original run | January 1981 –March 1982 |
| Volumes | 3 + 1 film novel |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Ken Wakasaki |
| Illustrated by | Leiji Matsumoto |
| Published by | Bunka Publishing Bureau |
| Imprint | Cobalt |
| Original run | June 1981 –March 1982 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Nobutaka Nishizawa |
| Written by |
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| Music by |
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| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Licensed by |
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| Original network | FNS (Fuji TV) |
| English network | |
| Original run | 16 April 1981 – 25 March 1982 |
| Episodes | 42 |
| Anime film | |
| Directed by | Masayuki Akehi |
| Produced by | Kenji Yokoyama |
| Written by | Keisuke Fujikawa |
| Music by | Kitarō |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Released | 13 March 1982 |
| Runtime | 121 minutes |
Queen Millennia (Japanese:新竹取物語 1000年女王,Hepburn:Shin Taketori Monogatari: Sennen Joō;lit. 'The NewTale of the Bamboo Cutter: Millennium Queen') is a Japanesemanga series written and illustrated byLeiji Matsumoto[2] which was serialized from 28 January 1980 through 11 May 1983 in both theSankei Shimbun andNishinippon Sports newspapers. The manga series was adapted into a 42-episodeanime television series byToei Animation and broadcast onFuji Television and its affiliates from 16 April 1981[2] through 25 March 1982.[3] An anime film was released on 13 March 1982 shortly before the TV series ended.[4]
The anime series was combined byHarmony Gold andCarl 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-episodeCaptain Harlock and the Queen of a Thousand Years.[5][6] The series was broadcast in Germany onTele 5 during 1992,[7] onNew Channel in Greece in 1997 and onMangas in France in 2004.
The series takes place in the (then) futuristic year 1999. Professor Amamori discoversa 10th planet in the Earth's solar system, which he names La-Metal, while at hisobservatory inTokyo. Its diameter is9 times that of Earth. Amamori notes the planet has a highlyeccentric orbit and, as it emerges behind the distantPluto, 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.
It turns out that La-Metal orbits the Solar System every 1,000 years, but only this time it is fated to come dangerously close to Earth. While damage to the giant ice-covered La-Metal would be minimal, Earth would be destroyed by the planet's massivegravitational pull. La-Metal is inhabited by a subterranean humanoid species ruled by a mysterious Holy Queen, Larela. She plans to abduct a large number of humans before the destruction of Earth, and enslave them with the help of her operatives already on Earth. These operatives are led by Andromeda Promethium, a woman known as a Millennial Queen who goes by the Earth name, Yukino Yayoi. She has been living on Earth for almost 1,000 years, like many such Millennial Queens before her, with the intention of establishing a colony for her home planet.
Promethium, who comes to care for her Earthling foster parents and friends, begins to question the La-Metalians' plans. As Yayoi, she begins working for Professor Amamori and decides to offer her help when Amamori discovers that La-Metal is heading for Earth. The professor's young nephew Hajime, whose parents are killed while designing a spaceship to help a small group of humans escape from Earth, also joins their fight to save the planet.
They are soon 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 that ablack hole is to blame for La-Metal's orbital deviation. A desperate plan is undertaken to destroy the black hole and save both their worlds.
Source:[4]
The manga was originally serialized in from 28 January 1980 through 11 May 1983 in both theSankei Shimbun andNishinippon Sports newspapers. There have been multiple releases in book form. A planned ten volumeB5-sizedgekigaban set released underSankei Shuppan's "Wakuwaku Comics" label had the first 10 pages of each volume in color, and an appendix withcel 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.
Ashinsōban series of five volumes was released by Sankei Shuppan. Each volume had approximately 200 pages.Shogakukan released the series in bothB6-sized hardcover andbunkoban formats under the shorterQueen Millennia (1000年女王,Sennen no Joō) title. They also released the series in two volumes under their "My First Wideban" label, marketed to convenience stores.
Shogakukanbunkoban reprints:
A two volume novelization by Kaeko Iguchi andLeiji Matsumoto was released bySankei Shuppan under their "Junior Shōsetsu" label:
Light novel adaptations were written by Keisuke Fujikawa, who also wrote many of theteleplays for the anime television series as well as thescreenplay for the anime film adaptation. A film adaptation was also written. They were published byShueisha under theirCobalt label:
Bunka Publishing Bureau published a three volume "Pocket Mates" light novel series by Ken Wakasaki:
Film comics based on the anime television series were released by Sankei Shuppan under their "Wakuwaku" label:
TheQueen Millennia anime television series aired on theFuji TV network from 16 April 1981 through 25 March 1982 in the 7:00pm to 7:30pm time slot. It replacedGalaxy Express 999 in that time slot, and was replaced byPatalliro! at the end of its run. The series was animated byToei Dōga. The series was originally scheduled to have 52 episodes,[10] but due to having lower ratings than the previousGalaxy Express 999, the series ended after 42 episodes.[11]
The series will be released on Blu-ray Disc in North America bySentai Filmworks on September 2, 2025.[12]
Queen Millennia had music composed and arranged by Ryōdō Uzaki and Tomoyuki Asakawa. The openingtheme song,Cosmos Dream (コスモス・ドリーム,Kosumosu Dorīmu), was sung by Masaki Takanashi. The ending theme song,Excellent Legend (まほろば伝説,Mahoroba Densetsu), was sung by Manami Ishikawa. Both songs had lyrics byYoko Aki, were composed byRyudo Uzaki, and were arranged by Motoki Funayama.
Ishikawa was selected from 1,898 applicants to work with Takanashi on theimage songLove Is Flying on Wings (愛は翼に乗って,Ai wa Tsubasa ni Notte).[10] 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,Hoshizora no Messēji), was sung byKeiko Han and Slapstick, and was arranged by Motoki Funayama. The lyrics for both image songs were written by Yōko Aki and composed by Ryudō Uzaki.
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 leaving no room for the events of theMaetel Legend OVA. The music score for the film was written and performed byKitaro, while theend-credits music was sung by American singerDara Sedaka.
The 2001OVAMaetel Legend serves as a prelude toGalaxy Express 999. It is clearly established that Maetel is the daughter of Yayoi and that Yayoi becomes the Queen Promethium of the Mechanized Empire.
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