Matsumoto Leiji “Ozma”

“Matsumoto Leiji ‘Ozma’” (“Ozma” by Leiji Matsumoto) is a Japanese anime series that aired from March 16 to April 20, 2012. It consists of 6 episodes and was produced as a commemorative work for WOWOW's 20th anniversary.

Leiji Matsumoto began developing the concept around the time “Sayonara Ginga Tetsudô 999 — Andromeda Shûchakueki —” (Adieu Galaxy Express 999) was released, and in the late 1980s he wrote a plot for a movie under the tentative title “Chōheiki Ozma” (Super Weapon Ozma). However, the project was abandoned upon completion of the script, and it had been “sleeping in his desk drawer” ever since.

The series is set on a future Earth that has turned to desert, and features a substantial human drama centered around a mysterious gigantic moving entity called “Ozma,” complemented by high-quality science fiction action. It is an unprecedented space-time romance in which Leiji Matsumoto questions “the nature of life” in the 21st century. What's particularly notable is that despite being a project conceived more than 20 years beforehand, its content doesn't feel dated. Matsumoto himself had stated, “When creating works, I always keep in mind that they should not become outdated in terms of their sense of era or scientific aspects.”

After its broadcast on WOWOW, the series was distributed to more than 200 countries outside Japan through the international video streaming site Viki (now Rakuten Viki). Viki is a popular video site where dedicated fan communities translate TV shows and movies into multiple languages. This can be seen as a reflection of Leiji Matsumoto's stance as a manga artist who says, “I'm always conscious of the possibility that my works will reach a global audience.”

The production staff includes an impressive lineup with Ryōsuke Takahashi of the “Armored Trooper Votoms” series as general director, and Junki Takegami, known for “One Piece,” “Ginga Tetsudô 999 Eternal Fantasy,” and “Ginga Tetsudō 999 Hoshizora wa Time Machine Taiyōkei · Kyōryū Zetsumetsu-hen” as series composer and scriptwriter. Nobuteru Yūki, who worked on “Space Pirate Captain Herlock The Endless Odyssey Outside Legend,” contributed to the design. The music was composed by Kosuke Yamashita, and the animation was produced by LandQ Studios and Gonzo.

Due to abnormal solar activity, Earth's environment is destroyed, becoming a world covered by vast deserts. The destruction of the atmospheric layer causes defects in human DNA, dramatically decreasing birth rates worldwide. Facing human extinction, the government implements the “Human Regeneration Plan,” creating clones called “IC” (Ideal Children) with superior abilities, who eventually form a massive governing organization.

Sam Coyne, a member of the sand pirates, makes his living through trade aboard the sand ship Baldanos while searching for the mysterious moving object Ozma that took his brother's life. One day, Sam encounters and rescues a girl named Maya who is being pursued by the IC military force “Theseus.” However, after returning to Baldanos docked at Oase Port, they find themselves surrounded by Theseus's sand destroyers.

Maya's true identity, Theseus's purpose, and the secret of the enormous moving object Ozma… various mysteries intertwine in this epic story unfolding across a sea of sand.