TheLeijiverse describes the universe which forms the background of the majority of the stories that Leiji Matsumoto has written or contributed to, including but not limited to:

• Space Cruiser Yamato/Star Blazers
• Galaxy Express 999
• The Galaxy Railways
• Gun Frontier
• Cosmo Warrior Zero
• Queen Emeraldas
• VariousCaptain Harlock shows:
  • Space Pirate Captain Harlock
  • Arcadia Of My Youth/My Youth in Arcadia
  • Harlock Saga: Der Ring des Nibelunge
  • Space Pirate Captain Harlock: The Endless Odyssey
  • Queen Millenia/Queen of 1000 Years

Matsumoto's works are instantly recognizable, based on his unique artistic style. His drawings lovingly and precisely describe space vessels such as theArcadia andYamato, transforming them from mere back drops into a vessel so imbued with personality that it might as well (and literally does, in some ofArcadia's incarnations) function as one of the characters. While the Leijiverse falls short of "hard" science fiction, the machinery is definitely inextricable from the plot.

Matsumoto is also remembered for his depictions of tall, willowy women, with gentle curves to contrast the ubiquitous technology and hair flowing down to their ankles.

Stories set in the Leijiverse generally take place in the latter half of the fourth millennia, though some series may contain flashbacks to 19th century Earth.

Willowy women aside, the hallmark of the Leijiverse is nostalgic spaceships. TheArcadia incorporatespart of a tall ship, theYamato isa historically significant battleship converted into a spaceship, and, for pureRule of Cool,the999 and other Galaxy Railways are steam trains that run between stars, as though on rails.

Earth itself, in most Leijiverse stories, ranges betweenVichy Earth andOne World Order. The inhabitants, with the exception of those who take to space, are generally portrayed as having grown lazy and unmotivated, the government is often ineffective to the point of simply not noticing the alien invasion right on their proverbial doorstep. Many of the characters, particularly Captain Harlock, have in one way or another fallen out of favor with the population and government of Earth; however, Earth, as the seat of humanity, still inspires a great deal of sentimentalism, and the plots of Matsumoto's works often revolve around these same exiled characters protecting Earth in some capacity or another.

In some series, such asGalaxy Express 999 andCosmo Warrior Zero, humanity shares a tempestuous relationship with robots, ranging from the useful, if annoying, Iq-9 inSpace Cruiser Yamato to the downright murderous humanoid robots that form the backdrop ofGalaxy Express 999 andCosmo Warrior Zero. Other shows, such asEndless Odyssey andDer Ring des Nibelunge, happily substitute anEldritch Abomination in place of the machines.

The core characters—Harlock, Tochiro, Emeraldas, Maetel, and others—are apparently free to walk in and out of each other's stories. Some story even lines take an uncommon pause to consider the ambiguity of the protagonists "heroic" actions--Cosmo Warrior Zero, for instance, has Captain Harlock as thevillain.

The details of these characters and their lives often change from story to story. In fact, Matsumoto apparentlydisdains continuity. Sometimes this is due to marketing constraints, such as theArcadia having two different designs --Endless Odyssey even has aFreeze-Frame Bonus where both designs of the ship appear at the same time, and doesn't even attempt to reconcile this in-universe! Other instances, though, such as Tochirodying three different times in three different ways, andEndless Odyssey continuing the story of every character fromSpace Pirate Captain Harlock, except forTadiashi Daiba, who goes through theexact same events that he did in SPCH!

The strong characters, themes, plots, and intricate level of technical detail in Matsumoto's works made them very influential in early anime, particularly in theSpace Opera genre. Despite many series suffering through horrible English dubs or never being released in North America at all, the Leijiverse is very well respected on both sides of the Pacific.

• A.I. Is a Crapshoot
• Cool Train
• Eldritch Abomination
• Freeze-Frame Bonus
• Negative Continuity
• One World Order
• Rule of Cool
• Space Is an Ocean
• Space Opera
• Vichy Earth
• Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters

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