[Odin]

I'm am still in a somber mood. At this time in my life I dwell heavily upon the past. So I would like to take you back to a time when, I was still naive to woes in this world. It was then, I began to love a place we know as Japan.

The 1970's were a dark time for much of the world. During this time Europe and North America were in the grips of economic depression. India and Pakistan were at war. The United States was in Vietnam. In Africa, Idi Amin had established his brutal regime in Uganda. In the Middle-East much, like now there was much sorrow. China had not yet recovered from the Cultural Revolution.

However by 1974 Japan was fastest growing economy on Earth. It had become the powerhouse we know today. Its products and technologies were sweeping across the globe. Too its popular culture has began to spread. By 1978, America airwaves began to fill with Japanese music and movies. Also to emerge were the wonderful creations we now know as anime. Japan had truly emerged from the darkness of the Second World War.

The year was 1982. The place was the Bellaire Theater in Fort Worth, Texas. That was when I saw for the fist time, an anime shown upon the silver screen. I was overwhelmed not only by the sight, but by the haunting music. It would be a number of years before I found out who had created that wonderful sound, but I never forgot its effect upon me.

The movie was “Sen-nen joô” know to most as “Queen Millenia”. This is some of the best work ever to be produced by the legendary Leiji Matsumoto. It is the story of Yikino Yayoi, queen of a world at the edge of our solar system, who has resided on Earth for the last 1000 years. In 1999 her world's orbit was bringing it back withing sight, with disastrous implications. She resolves to fight back and defend her beloved Earth. It's all very beautifully done, with the kind of baroque design touches that so often distinguished works based on Matsumoto. The futuristic trappings are all rendered in deep, warm colors and rounded shapes.

Underscoring it all is a rich, evocative music soundtrack by Japanese New Age composer Kitaro. Haunting themes encompass the the beautiful scenes such as one showing the people of La Metalle slowly emerging from their thousand-year sleep and awakening to embrace each other and enjoy the Spring. Kitaro is one of the founding fathers of the New Age Movement, and few can ever match his mastery of the genre. (He is a favored artist of mine, so expect me to post more, from this son of Japan.)

So I would like to present to you from 1982: Kitaro's “Space Queen” with video from the movie “Queen Millenia.”