The Planet of Eternal Dream Pursuit

The Planet of Eternal Dream Pursuit

TV Episode 101

TV Episode Summary:

The Conductor announces the next stop as the “Planet of Dream Pursuit”, with a layover time of around 28 hours. Tetsuro asks Maetel if this planet will be perfect for him. Tetsuro notices a rocket blast off from the planet as they approach, which narrowly misses the 999. Maetel claims the planet is ruled by a highly logical government treasuring science above all else. They constantly launch observation rockets. We see the rocket being analyzed from a lab on the planet. One of the workers in the lab, Aaron, is called on to report on something but is actually just drawing a sketch. The launch is declared a success and people leave. Aaron’s sister, Sally, who was sitting in front of him, is told by the boss that her brother hasn’t grasped this planet’s rules and he should be taught that negligence could result in his execution.

Sally is soon surprised to find Aaron dropping some comics when he opens his locker and says she thought he gave up on them after being assigned to mission command. Aaron prefers the rocket from his comic story and she warns him some more, but he doesn’t care. Aaron spots the 999 approaching as he leaves mission command. Sally worries to herself about the prospect of her brother being executed. Tetsuro and Maetel get off at the station and Tetsuro sees it as a logical and scientific planet. Tetsuro hears a gunshot. In front of the police station a counter shows that 11 people have been executed today. We cut to Aaron heading to a used bookstore that is located between 2 giant skyscrapers. Aaron thinks of how his heart is calm here.

Tetsuro and Maetel pass by the bookstore and Tetsuro wants to go inside. Maetel asks the owner to watch her suitcase as they look around. Aaron overhears the two of them and Tetsuro talks about his quest to get a mechanical body. Aaron is jealous of the freedom Tetsuro has to do such a thing. Meanwhile someone snatches Maetel’s suitcase. Aaron claims he won’t find the book he’s looking for; it’s vanished along with his dream, although he comes here every day. He claims his desire is to be a manga artist, but here they don’t permit the freedom to choose your job. He claims to be searching for an old comic book. Realizing the time, he excuses himself. Tetsuro and Maetel head to the front and realize Maetel’s suitcase is gone. Tetsuro spots it further down on the sidewalk and Maetel finds their passes are missing. Tetsuro thinks it must have been Aaron; he’s the only one who was in there with them. Tetsuro laughs and says they’ll catch him right away.

The police head to Aaron’s home, where he’s drawing a manga. Aaron is placed under arrest under suspicion of theft. Sally watches with worry from outside. Aaron is thrown in a cell. A policeman heads to Tetsuro and Maetel’s hotel room and tells them of Aaron’s theft. Maetel says those who commit crimes on this planet are sentenced to death. That morning Tetsuro tells Maetel he is thinking about Aaron and how he didn’t look like a bad person. Maetel explains to Tetsuro how those on this planet are forced into their jobs and Aaron isn’t allowed to be a manga artist. She says not many on this planet are able to do what they want so they secretly chase the dreams in their heart. Tetsuro says he thought this was a romantic planet, but he was wrong. The policeman returns and says their investigation failed to find proof he stole their pass and he’ll be released soon. Tetsuro says there is only 2 hours until the 999 departs, although the policeman says they will continue the search. Maetel wants to know Aaron’s address so they can apologize.

Aaron departs the police station and Sally is waiting for him outside although doesn’t say anything. Aaron heads to a bench nearby to sit down. He says he can’t return to work now and if he did would be executed for negligence of duty. Sally comes to him and says she’s glad he was released although he’s upset as the police discovered the comic he was drawing and are reporting it to the mission control center. Sally says they should run away to a planet where they can be free. She says they can ride the 999. Aaron says the cost is great but she says they’ll still be able to ride. He finds it hard to believe that it was Sally who stole the passes. She says she wanted to make his dreams come true, but he says he hates her and flees. Aaron doesn’t watch where he is going and is hit by a car.

We next cut to the hospital where Tetsuro, Maetel and Sally watch over Aaron. Tetsuro says this was all due to their passes. Aaron thinks to himself of all the manga he used to read when he was younger and it flashes to him heading to the old bookstore where he finds them on the shelves. The book store owner says they’re usually worth 300 yen but due to his desire for them he’ll charge him 50,000. Sally returns and says Aaron has finally found what he wanted in his dream. Maetel and Tetsuro also spurn him on. Aaron happily says he’s going to draw manga from now on. We return to reality. Aaron says he has found them and his heart stops. Tetsuro starts sobbing, saying this is his fault. Sally says no, it is hers and gives back the passes. She tells them of her plot to steal their passes so Aaron could flee the planet. Tetsuro says her theft is what caused his death and cries. Maetel says Tetsuro should forgive her and to look at the happy look on Aaron’s face. She claims it is the fault of this planet’s restrictions. Hearing the 999, Maetel says they must return to it. The two of them leave and Sally cries over her brother’s body. Tetsuro sadly looks out the window as they depart and more rockets are blasted off into the sky. Tetsuro says a man died because of their obsession. Those here are not free to even dream. Tetsuro thinks of how he should be thankful for the freedom he has to travel and get a mechanical body.

TV Episode Cast:

Tetsuro Hoshino – Masako Nozawa

Maetel – Masako Ikeda

Conductor – Kaneta Kimotsuki

Sally – Minori Matsushima

Aaron – Akira Murayama

Chief – Reizo Nomoto

Police – Kouji Yada

Controller – Makoto Terada

Narrator – Hitoshi Takagi

Minori Matsushima has previously appeared as Laura (episode 14), Alice (episode 44), Miiru (episode 68) and Mieko (episode 92). Akira Murayama previously appeared as Hanza in episode 82. Reizo Nomoto appeared as father characters in both episodes 86 and 93. Kouji Yada has appeared a number of times as minor characters. Makoto Terada appeared as the commander in episode 83.

Non-Spoiler Analysis:

We once again have an episode that was not based on the Galaxy Express 999 manga, but rather Leiji Matsumoto’s “Four Dimensional World”, in particular the chapter “Second Hand Bookstore”. This episode returns us to several concepts we have seen in past manga chapters or episodes. First and foremost is the very frustrating plot element of Tetsuro and Maetel’s passes being stolen yet again. I suppose the more I complain about this being used for a plot the more I jinx myself and cause it to happen even more! It’s quite heinous in this episode because Maetel carelessly leaves her suitcase at the front of the shop, and it is also quite obvious that Sally stole them, and there was no one else it could have been. The episode also has an artist as its central guest character, which we saw in previous chapters such as “The Town of Fireflies” (chapter 4-2) or “Footsteps in Footsteps Village” (chapter 10-5). It was interesting to see several real life manga being referenced when Aaron goes on about the comics he loved from when he was younger. One of said manga includes Leiji Matsumoto’s own “Infinite World”.

The planet the 999 visits this episode is somewhat dystopian. Here, people don’t have the freedom to choose their career, but are rather forced into something else. Aaron wants to be a manga artist but instead is forced to work at a rocket command center. We often feel bad for Tetsuro given the fact that he grew up poor and his mother died, but as we see in this episode, at least he has the freedom to go on his journey to get a mechanical body. Those on this planet aren’t afforded that right. Merely going against what the government or your employer wants can result in your execution! Hopefully this is a type of society that never comes to be. Aaron’s sister Sally has noble intentions to try and help her brother escape the planet by stealing the 999 passes, but in a twist of fate, that very action causes a chain reaction that results in Aaron’s death. For an episode that I thought for the most part wasn’t that special, it at least delivered a shock in killing off Aaron. In a dream sequence we see him finally getting to experience the beloved comics of his youth once again. It was a touching scene, and alas an obvious sign he wasn’t going to make it to the end of the episode alive.