Maps: The Legendary Wandering Star People

マップス 伝説のさまよえる星人たち

Aired: 1987

A theatrical anime based on the first volume of Yuichi Hasegawa's sci-fi manga of the same name. After its theatrical release distributed by Shochiku Fuji, it was also sold as an OVA by Nippon Columbia. The story follows an ordinary Earth boy, Gen Jeness Khan, who sets off on a space opera adventure with the space pirate captain Lipumira in search of the truth behind the legendary cosmic beings known as the 'Wandering Star People' (Navigators). The theme song 'Tenshi wa Nemuranai' was written and composed by Kazuyuki Sekiguchi of Southern All Stars, performed with radiant vocals by Ushio Hashimoto. Directed by Keiji Hayakawa, the dynamic cosmic vision of the original manga was brought to life with passionate energy by a team of up-and-coming animators of the era. This work marked the beginning of Yuichi Hasegawa's anime adaptations, later expanding into an OVA series and a 1990s remake.