List of Space Symphony Maetel episodes

This article is a list of episodes from Space Symphony Maetel: Galaxy Express 999 Side Story, an anime OVA series created by Leiji Matsumoto. The OVA series was first aired in Japan from 6 August to 29 October 2004 on the Animax PPV Premier channel on the SkyPerfecTV satellite system in Japan. The series was created in order to bridge the gap between Galaxy Express 999 (1974) and Maetel Legend (2001) and was subsequently released on DVD.

The opening theme song was "Everlasting Dream" by Taro Hakase, and the ending theme was "Galaxy Legend" by Takako Uehara.

Summary of series

#	Episode title	Original airdate
1	Departure of Fate "Unmei no Shuppatsu" (運命の出発)	6 August 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
A soliloquy detailing the prologue of La-Metal and its current predicament along with Promethium La Andromeda's efforts to take responsibility for the populace before becoming the vassal of an advanced but malevolent bio-mechanical endo-parasite that sought galactic conquest in spite of the mounting human insurgency that has stalemated this curriculum sets the stage for the inception of the story as Maetel being attacked by an unknown assailant just as the Galaxy Express 999 is prosecuting its approach to La-Metal. The young mechanic Nazca explains his dysphoric prologue through an impromptu but ill-fated attempt on Promethium's life before launching into a tirade about humans conquering the cyborgs before Maetel's decision to ultimately spare him for the moment gives way to illustrating that there is more to Commander Leopard and his lieutenant Bernbarrel than initially meets the eye; between Maetel's sister Emeraldas arriving on La-Metal for her own reasons and the incoming meteor shell attack which Promethium decides to wield for her suicide, it definitely does not look like Maetel will have much choice whether or not to rule La-Metal as its queen.
2	Nazca's Passion "Nasuka no Chijō-e no Passhon" (ナスカの地上絵のパッション)	13 August 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
While Maetel continues to compile a comprehensive damage report and generally minimize unnecessary casualties, Nazca fumes at being forced to cool his heels in the scrap pile prior to devoting his energies toward refurbishing a discarded AI robot named Rampa who repays his altruism when a concussive vibration knocks down a pile of junk. Rampa transporting Nazca to safety obfuscates Maetel now being faced with a much larger wave of meteor shells converging on La-Metal whose population is too great for the planet's available defenses and for the Space Panzers; a effulgent energy discharge from the arc barrier later, Nazca finds that he has far bigger fish to fry than merely ending up in Maetel's bedroom when Emeraldas decides for a brief sword battle with Maetel which he has to bring to a close. Maetel reads Emeraldas's admonition of future prudence to mean proceeding ahead with her plan to become the queen after she deports the very confused Nazca back to his home planet . . . if Nazca's impromptu attempt to vote with his feet should be unsuccessful for some reason, that is. Having had illustrated Promethium's iconoclastic wardrobe, Nazca is shocked at the ultimate irony that his newfound insight has led him to where Maetel is undergoing the coronation protocols -- and right into the curious clutches of Leopard and Bernbarrel.
3	The Night Before the Revolution "Kakumei Mae no Yoru" (革命前の夜)	20 August 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
Leopard and Bernbarrel are not pleased with Nazca's efforts to derail the coronation protocols; even with Nazca kicking and screaming while restrained, the damage is already done when Maetel emerges as a shadow of her former self as she affirms her resolve to becoming the queen. Bernbarrel explaining Nazca his intense aversion for crass slapstick comedy obfuscates a pair of human freedom fighters named Oliver and Tess resolving to face the consequences of their insurgency head-on as they prosecute another operation that gives Maetel her first opportunity to act as the Queen and becomes the forum for Leopard to explain the consequences of anyone having that programming done; while Leopard prepares another booby trap for Maetel, Oliver and Tess transport Nazca below-ground into a lesson of human resiliency and perseverance prior to prosecuting their next operation where the three kids become fast friends. True to Leopard's admonition of things being more circuitous than they appear, Nazca is shocked to find himself ultimately learning far more insight about the complex wartime social mechanics of the human insurgency on La-Metal when Leopard commends Oliver and Tess for a job well done whose senseless murders as the aftermath of a failed operation incites Nazca to cry foul anguish at the senseless injustice of it all.
4	Rhapsody in Gold "Gōrudo Rapusodi" (ゴールドラプソディ)	27 August 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
As if to emphasize the idea of fate as an unstoppable juggernaut, the Death Shadow seems to have bitten off more than it can chew as Captain Harlock tries every trick in the book to outrun the Space Panzers before Tochiro decides to go for broke charging the Space Panzers head-on but instead finds a wormhole; while the Death Shadow computes its next move with what little resources it has remaining, Nazca fumes at the injustice of being forced to cool his heels in the brig before he picks the lock and races off to Maetel who is recovering herself from the earlier expedition. Nazca affirming his perspective of her as a friend while he assembles a laser cannon and Emeraldas guiding the Death Shadow to a planet where it can make repairs ultimately becomes the forum for illustrating the full scope of Promethium's subterfuge and deception: even if she does successfully go through with the coronation as La-Metal's queen, Maetel will end up acting as a courier relay for Promethium's orders just like the doppelganger avatar Emeraldas has slain.
5	Promethium's Magic Flute "Puromechiumu no Majikku Furūto" (プロメチウムのマジックフルート)	3 September 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
Emeraldas reminiscing about the good old days with Maetel on La-Metal when Promethium was actually her mother defines the anxious ambiance over what the future holds if Promethium's volition comes to fruition. Maetel reflects back to seeing how badly things have deteriorated for the humans while aboard the Galaxy Express 999 on its approach to La-Metal and resolves to extinguish the anguish; while Maetel's cyborg cat is leading her to the depths of the planet, Maetel has it explained that Promethium has taken away the choice of whether to stay organic. While Leopard and Bernbarrel rally the humans to help Nazca and Rampa neutralize the cyborg soldiers, Maetel's arrival at the nethermost bowels of La-Metal sets the stage for a condescending reality check as Laurela mocks Maetel's ideal of human-cyborg co-existence before explaining that the complex root cause of what is endangering La-Metal has a long history; it started out as a natural event but quickly became a political imbroglio with the denizens of the planet. If Leopard's extensive prologue with Laurela who is disgusted that he has ignored her sage counsel is not enough, Maetel is shocked that Nazca and Leopard have started a global civil war in which there will ultimately be no winners -- especially when Leopard takes Maetel hostage with mortal designs.
6	Laurela's Requiem "Roreria no Rekuiemu" (Laurela のレクイエム)	10 September 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
Leopard's gambit to get Promethium's attention has paid off: Promethium offers herself in Maetel's place. While Promethium offers her pragmatic apology for mechanizing La-Metal and its denizens complete with historical examples, Maetel steals away back below-ground to inquire Laurela a vector to emancipate the populace from its genocidal fury since spilling blood will not solve La-Metal's problems; Promethium now buried under debris, Leopard and Bernbarrel divide their energies between destroying La Metal's outer shell and evacuating the citizens on all the arks stored below-ground. Laurela leads Maetel through an external cerebral pseudo-reality whose zenith is an eidolon of Promethium that plays a strong head game with her; Laurela's admonition against being deceived by anything she encounters becomes the skeleton key for Maetel to conquer the exercise. The only way for La-Metal to have a fighting chance for survival is its emancipation from its exterior metal shell; offering herself as the organic fuel, Laurela directs the reluctant Maetel through energizing the gravity control system that acts as an emergency release mechanism to shatter La-Metal's exterior metal shell along with Promethium's plans. Maetel ultimately finds herself in a complex ethical imbrogilo with the real Promethium playing head games with her just as she is about to lower the organic energy reactor to activate the system.
7	The Way to My Homeland "Uei ni Watashi no Kokyō" (ウェイに私の故郷)	17 September 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
The Space Panzers' energy attacks unto La-Metal's exterior shell and the evacuation of all the civilians obfuscates the carnage that Promethium's head games have made of Maetel's cerebral thoughts; daunted by neither the inevitable destruction of the planet nor Maetel's kinetic attacks on her body, Promethium calmly walks away after she drains the energy from Maetel's neural network . . . right into a Stop right there, sister!!! interception courtesy of Emeraldas who gets the shock of her life when Maetel interferes with her attack prior to leading Promethium away. Meanwhile, Nazca and Rampa encounter a pair of workers hell bent on taking their frustration out on a civilian cyborg named Arina who leads them to a hangar that has an energized spaceship which ironically becomes the forum for the two workers to ultimately resolve their anguish before Bernbarrel comes to the rescue; even with Nazca safe and sound aboard the Death Shadow with both Arina and Rampa, there is still the problem of Maetel still being influenced by Promethium's coronation programming protocols along with the military threat of Promethium and her mechanical minions once they have a planet to regroup on.
8	A Funeral March for Mother "Haha no Tame ni Sōsō Kōshinkyoku" (母のために葬送行進曲)	24 September 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
While Maetel listens intently to Promethium's homily about what she thinks needs to take place going forward, Nazca struggles to compute a reason for Maetel's treachery regarding Promethium while Emeraldas again tries to slay the dastardly despot only to find Maetel equally prepared to repulse the attempt -- the rationale thereof the speculative analytical concourse on the Death Shadow as it flies around nearby. Emeraldas and Maetel have demonstrated that their physical sword strikes have no effect on Promethium's bio-mechanical body which is constantly repairing itself; even if she inundates the skeleton key unto the astonished Promethium, Maetel quickly finds that celebrating the significance of the milestone will mean next to nothing if she goes down with the ship. Maetel's cyborg cat demonstrating the deus ex machina for Maetel's safe return with Emeraldas, Nazca's astonishment at the iconoclastic operation mechanics of the two space vehicles, Arina smiling for the first time, Nazca analyzing his vendetta with Promethium . . . none of these things is ultimately any comfort to the fact that the human refugees are on borrowed time as Promethium gradually recovers herself.
9	La-Metal's Spring "Ra Kinzoku no Supuringu" (ラ金属のスプリング)	1 October 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
One would think that Maetel's success in emancipating La-Metal from its exterior metal shell and corroding the mechanical cells in the body of her mother Promethium La Andromeda would be more than enough to usher in a long-term quiescent homeostasis . . . unfortunately for the refugees, Promethium pulling herself together is the least of their worries as they build a settlement and generally pick up the pieces of their shattered lives in the month that Laurela's life energy lasts. After the Death Shadow blasts off with Nazca and Rampa, Maetel and Arina head off to begin their new lives as La-Metal citizens. While Nazca test-flies his new spaceship back to La-Metal, Maetel is shocked to find that exile into deep space at the hands of the less-than-grateful Leopard is the salary for her efforts to help take responsibility for her homeland. A mechanical insect sabotaging the energy storage facility ultimately becomes the deus ex machina for Maetel to pervert Leopard's proud obstinacy to his detriment as Arina sacrifices herself to stop the energy leak; an atomic analysis later, La-Metal's arrival in the Euphrates star system with Heavy Melder becomes the forum for a new battle against Promethium.
10	Lightning Strikes the Titan "Kaminari ga Taitan o" (雷がタイタンを)	8 October 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
In spite of Maetel defeating her fair and square alongside Emeraldas and the denizens of La-Metal finally establishing a community macro-economy along with all the other attributes of a peaceful life, Promethium is not content to stay defeated as she wields the Galaxy Express 999 as an emissary to her Hive Sphere armada already having destroyed a space observatory; even with Emeraldas seeing the situation for the trap it is along with the bio-mechanical insect used in the attack on the energy storage facility, Leopard emphatically and vociferously rejecting their exhortation to mobilize the Space Panzers forces Harlock and Maetel to take things into their own hands. While Harlock provides cover fire against a garrison of Hive Spheres before moving on its parent armada, Nazca flies Maetel close to the 999 where she finds that Promethium has a dangerous opportunity for her: allegiance or annihilation. Maetel's courageous Hell no!!! to Promethium's unsuccessful head game, Nazca successfully rescuing both Maetel and Emeraldas from the death trap, and a Space Panzer intercession against the approaching Hive Sphere armada . . . none of these things is ultimately of any utility against the effulgent energy attack of the Perdition Sphere unto the Death Shadow.
11	Erotica Leopard "Erotika no Leopard" (エロティカのLeopard)	15 October 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
While Nazca cries out in anguish at the effulgent energy explosion signaling the demise of the Death Shadow, the Hive Spheres continue their attack on the Space Panzers whose melancholy concerns Leopard and Bernbarrel; an impassioned Hang in there, everybody!!! speech complete with a strategic divide-and-conquer, the Space Panzers get a second wind to continue the fight. The Hive Sphere garrison now a field of space junk, Harlock and Emeraldas fly over with Nazca to the Space Panzers who have engaged the services of mercenaries from Heavy Melder. The Hive Sphere armada quickly finds itself in quite a spot: they face a very resourceful and persistent enemy that can fight them as equals without the ability to retreat anywhere. Even with one of the Hive Spheres releasing its Bumblebees, Nazca ultimately saves the day; unfortunately, even a crack shot like Nazca cannot prevent Leopard's death inhibiting the advance to beard the lion in its den.
12	Song of the Wayfarer for the Heroes "Heroes no Ueiferā no Utau" (Heroesのウェイフェラーの歌)	22 October 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
While Nazca and Maetel are reflecting upon those who lost their lives to Promethium's megalomania, Tochiro has it explained that the Promethium poses a far more serious threat than simply her genocidal vendetta against humans and that immediately bearding the lion in its den is the only recourse. Harlock sets out towards Machine Planet Promethium while Maetel heads back to La-Metal where she finds that the populace has already established a thriving macro-economy and would welcome Nazca as a neighbor; unfortunately for Maetel, the genetic link she has with Promethium precludes her residence on La-Metal with Nazca even though La-Metal is both Emeraldas's homeland and hers. Emeraldas and Harlock are shocked to find that their energy attacks will at worst visit unto the Machine Planet's outer shell only superficial cosmetic damage. Meanwhile back on La-Metal, Maetel's recent wheeling and dealing has ultimately borne fruit in the form of a second-hand but powerful shield generator comparable to that of the Galaxy Express 999 courtesy of the Galaxy Railways Company; unfortunately, even with Nazca refurbishing the generator to successfully repel the Machine Planet's energy cannon and find the route inside, the only way to win is for one of our heroes to sabotage the Planet as a mechanical part.
13	The Far Away New World "Haruka ni Hanarete Shin sekai" (はるかに離れて新世界)	29th October 2004	{{{FirstEngAirDate}}}
As she flies toward the Machine Planet with Emeraldas and Harlock, Maetel's conviction of absolutely conquering Promethium once and for all obfuscates the profuse guilt of Nazca interfering with the procedure meant to transform her into a mechanical part; failing to capitalize upon Maetel's conscientious ambivalence, Promethium charges Maetel's extermination. During a break in the action of being chased by homicidal androids, Maetel's cyborg cat uses its consciousness of her father Doctor Ban to explain that Nazca is prosecuting his convictions by taking unto himself the mechanization Maetel had meant for herself and that she now needs to do the same; Nazca assimilated with the Machine Planet, it looks like Promethium has won as she prepares to discharge her energy cannon at Harlock and Emeraldas. Promethium is astonished that Nazca has ultimately rendered the entire Machine Planet completely inert and ripe for the scrap heap once Harlock and Emeraldas are finished; galvanized with Nazca's counsel to foster euphoric and pacific co-existence between humans and cyborgs once she escapes from the self-destructing Planet, Maetel boards the Galaxy Express 999 space train to gather pure-hearted and strong-willed people as allies against Promethium.