Galaxy Express 999 Episode 026

The Skeleton's Song
白骨の歌
Broadcast	15 March 1979 (7:00 - 7:30PM, Thursday, Fuji TV)
Manga	Chapter 033: The Skeleton's Song
Themes
Opening	Galaxy Express 999 (Second Animation)
Eyecatch	2nd Eyecatch
Ending	Blue Earth
Credits
Screenplay	Hiroyasu Yamaura
Storyboard	Masayuki Akehi
Animation Director	Akira Saijo
Art	Tadao Kubota
Episodes
Previous	A Steel Angel
Next	The Goddess of Children and Easy Birth in the Snow Capital

The Skeleton's Song (Hakkotsu no Uta) is the twenty-sixth episode of the animated series Galaxy Express 999. It premiered on 15 March 1979 on Fuji TV.

Summary

Tetsuro meets Horohoro on the Planet that Sings Songs of Yesteryear, a poor skeleton man who has lost most of his body including his ribs because he is so poor. Tetsuro meets Horohoro's former girlfriend, who has a new lover and makes fun of Horohoro. When Tetsuro travels to Horohoro's home, he knocks Tetsuro out and kills both his former girlfriend and her lover. Tetsuro is accused of the crime and is forced to flee from the planet.

"No matter where one travels, within the heart of a man, it is said that one can hear a faraway planet crying. They say that it is the crying sound of frustration from the continued betraying of the man of bones, Horohoro. People say that only men can hear this song of air holes.

Music

	Time	Track
	0:01	Galaxy Express 999 (TV size)
	1:24	2-M-18'
	2:52	2-M-10
	6:05	2-M-15'
	7:00	2-M-10
	7:37	1-M-23
	8:19	Stock piano music
	11:27	5-D
	12:22	1-M-25
	13:31	1-M-15
	14:46	M-24 + 2-M-16
	16:31	Stock dance music
	20:25	7-C
	21:17	M-21
	23:03	1-M-2
	23:28	"Blue Earth" (TV size)

Credits

By type 

Cast

Staff

Cast

Masako Nozawa as Tetsuro Hoshino Masako Ikeda as Maetel Kaneta Kimotsuki as Conductor Hitoshi Takagi as Narrator Kohei Miyauchi as Horohoro Nana Yamaguchi as Horohoro's Lover Akio Nojima as Youth Koji Toya as Police

Staff

Takaharu Bessho (Fuji TV), Kenji Yokoyama, Hiroshi Kominato - Planning Leiji Matsumoto - Original Story Weekly Shōnen King - Serialization Nozomi Aoki - Music Katsuaki Nakatani - Conducting Columbia Symphonic Orchestra - Performance Jun Hashimoto - Theme Song Lyrics Masaaki Hirao - Theme Song Composition Nozomi Aoki - Theme Song Arrangement Isao Sazaki & Suginami Junior Chorus - Theme Song Performance Nobutaka Nishizawa - Chief Director Fuji TV, Toei - Production

Stop

Planet that Sings Songs of Yesteryear

Stop Time: 76 hours, 22 seconds

Travelers that arrive on the Planet that Sings Songs of Yesteryear will notice a beautiful station greeting them, with plentiful amounts of hotels and apartments. At one point, a skeleton man would wait at the station, greeting travelers and offering to sell them eggs.

Characters

The following characters appear and are exclusive to this episode/stop:

Horohoro

Voiced by: Kohei Miyauchi

A resident of the Planet that Sings Songs of Yesteryear, Horohoro sells eggs to travelers. He’s trying to save money to get his girlfriend back. His girlfriend is no longer attracted to him because of his skeleton-like appearance, so he kills her. Tetsuro is suspected of the murder, but leaves on the 999 while Horohoro watches in tears, knowing Tetsuro will be a friend forever.

Changes

• In the manga, before Tetsuro and Maetel check into their hotel, they are shown walking outside. In the anime, the scene cuts from the view of the planet to the two checking in.
• In the anime, the viewer actually sees Horohoro kill his girlfriend (or at-least the buildup to it) while in the manga, the aftermath (including her body) is only shown.
• In the anime, Tetsuro and Maetel have to rush to leave the planet after Tetsuro is accused of murder. In the manga, they are able to depart with no issues.

Gallery

Location and information for the Planet that Sings Songs of Yesteryear,

Data box for Horohro