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Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

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Distributor: Virgin Records (yes, Virgin Records, deal with it)
Original Story: Leiji Matsumoto, Daft Punk
Volumes: N/A
Rating: N/R (There's no dialogue in it so it's not that bad)
Anime Code: F

Set to the techno-style music of the mysterious rock band Daft Punk and based on their Discovery album, Interstella 5555 tells the story (through music) of a rock band from another galaxy who are kidnapped by an evil manager (because as we all know, managers are evil), and forced to play for Earth.  A soldier from their home planet is sent to rescue them.

Review: I was in heaven!  I first heard about Interstella 5555 years ago from the Cartoon Network website.  Unfortunately, my computer at the time was a piece of crap and kept stalling in the middle.  So I searched high and low and almost a decade later, found not only the parts that I wasn't able to see, but ALL OF IT.  I first rediscovered it by buying the Daft Punk Discovery album... which I immediately lost... so I bought another one (it wasn't that cheap, ten bucks at Best Buy).  Anyway, fast forward a whole bunch of years and I found the DVD.  The animation looked familiar, that was when I discovered that it was the legendary Leiji Matsumoto (Star Blazers and the like).  I had to buy it.  It was fantastic, the suspense kept you hanging and the music was perfect (considering how the music was created first, it better be). 

Action Level: 3/5
The action mostly takes place at the beginning and the end of the movie.  What's in between is like Rocky Horror without the sexuality (so in other words, nothing like Rocky Horror.  Hmmm....)

Romance Level: 4/5
Shep (the soldier sent to rescue them) is head over heels in love with Stella (the only female member of the rock band).  It's obviously idol worship but it soon develops into... well... watch the movie.

Comedy Level: 2/5
Watch for a hilarious and totally pointless cameo by Daft Punk as... well... themselves... long story.

Adult Level: 2/5
There's a brief underware scene but nothing too bad.

Drama Level: 4/5
The characters really made you want to care for them.  It felt like you were part of the story.

Overall Level: 4/5
Between Daft Punk's one-of-a-kind music and Leiji Matsumoto's character design, Interstella 5555 is something no anime collection should be without.  Proof that through music, people of any nation, any culture, can live in harmony.