while there be a lot to recommend about maetel legend both in concept and finish product and it ultimately a poor film . plot wise it a retelling of maetel early life and which be usually unclear while at the same time the writer take the opportunity to tell the story of the machine empire . and since leiji matsumoto have trouble not include his other work we get a starting point for emeraldas her sister and her mother represent the queen of la metalle and a bit of galaxy express 999 to flesh out the film . in short maetel be a princess on the planet la metalle and a planet with an irregular orbit and thus mean it cycle around the near sun be reach a cold stage and it artificial sun be die . the planet grow increasingly colder throughout the story and thus increase the sense of doom . in order to protect her subject and family the queen decide that mechanisation be the only way to ensure survival of la metalle people . enter lord hardgear and a robot or cyborg who provide the mean for the job . through the film and the character be leave to question mechanisation and will they still be human . can hardgear be trust . do soul and heart remain . so for a fan of matsumoto work and there lot to enjoy and question to be answer and theme continue and except it obvious that the film be mean to be an introduction and as well a a fan curiosity . the negative and foremost the animation and while galaxy express 999 and a tv series from over 20 year ago have shoddy mouth animation and at time sketchy character design and maetel legend have all the bad trait of modern animation and thus earn an air of respectability to galaxy express 999. the design be well detailed but unfortunately the animation have suffer leave well draw character that lide and a in the background move or the camera zoom and a quick way of animate . however the few and yes few well animate scene be re use over and over in dream sequence and repetition and in extra scene . anyone who seem the film will wonder how many time lord hardgear can drink the same glass of wine . next the story and while in concept everything sound great and the finished product be in fact a series of conversation of plot which be repeat over and over to little effect and the number of time the character encounter the same problem and learn the same thing be practically insulting to the audience and the character and which be seemingly much more articulate in former incarnation . add to all of that some terrible character design and that seem lifeless and over exaggerated and and the audience be leave with a movie so miss handle it might as well have be rewrite a a different film and at least the newcomer wouldn not be leave baffle . and yet and it really have it moment and the end at least be surprising . the plight of the citizen of la metalle be quite affecting and rightly disturb while i guess i find that whole man machine theme distressing . it hard know who to recommend maetel legend to and since it not well animate and write or execute and plus confuse once leiji matsumoto mandatory cross referencing be introduce . however i can not help but brighten up when the magnificent entrance of three nine occurs and now that good cinema . 1/5 star out of 5 and 2 if youre a fan .