Matsumoto Leiji writing “Ginga Tetsudo Suri Nine” (Galaxy Express 999) for the first time in 11 years

Back in 1977, manga artist/writer Matsumoto Leiji (80) created his popular series “Ginga Tetsudo Suri Nine” (Galaxy Express 999).  A winner of the “Shogakukan Manga Award” in 1978 and receiving an anime adaptation, which would win the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1981.

Having gone on hiatus from the manga series since 2007, it was announced on February 23rd that new work was created by Matsumoto.

The series revolved around a 10-year-old boy named Hoshino Tetsuro who dreams he can have an indestructible machine body, so he can live forever.  And because they are expensive, supposedly they are given away for free in the Andromeda galaxy at the end of the line of Galaxy Express 999, a train that comes to Earth only once a year.

So, Tetsuro dreams of getting a pass for Galaxy Express 999, but while he and his mother are planning to go together, Count Mecha and his human hunters kill his mother and she tells him to continue his journey and get a machine body so he can live an eternal life.  But will Tetsuro accomplish his goal?

The title of the latest story is “Dream Black Hole” and the new work is 32-pages long.

Also, Matsumoto’s 80th birthday will be celebrated on the 28th with the Shogakukan release of “Matsumoto Leiji mugen sozo kido” (Matsumoto Reiji Infinite Creative Orbit).

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