Reviews of The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (1993) and related work
- Sequel: The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (1994)
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (1993
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Humanity and the elven Raalgon empire are mutually hostile. One young human, easygoing to a fault, joins the space force on a whim. Through several catastrophic strokes of luck, he gets the Captain’s chair on a run-down old warship of misfits: the Soyokaze. The name connotes relaxation (“Gentle Breeze”), humorous weakness (“Slight Wind”) and luck.
Comedic space opera about how a lazy pacifist handles massive internal strife, bishōjo and interstellar war. A transparent example of the peculiar Japanese version of escapism through sheer irresponsibility. The humour is uneven, but occasionally excellent. The space opera element is surprisingly serious, but not actually good. Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th (1980) cameos extensively. Based on a novel.
moving picture animation Japanese production fiction series
‣ The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (1994)
Tensions rise again when the Raalgon deploy a shield-defeating new weapon. The Soyokaze and a ship full of rivals are sent on a sidewinder mission to prevent disaster, just when Azalyn takes a brief vacation.
Ten episodes of variable length, some of which stick together in sequential pairs. Generally a little more serious than the TV series, including some torture. So, too serious. Reasonably substantial romantic closure. Yamamoto is developed and several other characters get personal episodes.
moving picture sequel animation Japanese production fiction series