Galaxy Express 999 is based on a manga written and drawn by Leiji Matsumoto.

Galaxy Express 999 is set in the year 2221, which is a space-faring and high-tech future. The wealthy people of Earth have become mechanized people with "machine bodies." Much of what happens on Earth centers around a very high-tech city called Megalopolis. Those who cannot afford the machine bodies are forced to live below the city of Megalopolis.

The story begins with a boy named Tetsuro Hoshino and his mother heading toward Megalopolis. They have heard the rumors that machine bodies are supposedly given away for free on the planet Andromeda (which is the end of the line of the Galaxy Express 999, which is shaped like an old-fashioned steam locomotive). However, in order to get to Andromeda, one must be able to afford a pass on the Galaxy Express 999. Tetsuro and his mother plan to work and save money for the passes they need. Tetsuro wants to have a machine body, so he can live and have the freedom that the poor humans on Earth don't have.

On their way to Megalopolis, Tetsuro and his mother and hunted by a group of mechanized people, led by Count Mecha. Tetsuro's mother is shot; she hands him the pendant she was wearing around her neck, and tells Tetsuro that she wants him to obtain a machine body. She dies, and Tetusro must run away to avoid capture by Count Mecha and his group. Tetsuro collapses in the snow, and thinks he's going to die.

Tetsuro wakes up and finds himself in a house with a woman named Maetel. She offers him passage on the Galaxy Express 999 if he will be her traveling companion. Tetsuro agrees. After avenging his mother's death, Tetusro and Maetel board the Galaxy Express 999 and start their adventures.

Galaxy Express 999 is a bit of a "dark" anime. With the themes that are presented in this anime, in addition to some nudity, I would recommend this series to anime viewers who are 16 or 17 years of age and older.

Title	Episodes	Release Year(s)	Director	Studio	N.A. Licensor
Galaxy Express 999	113	1978-1981	Nobutaka Nishizawa	Toei Animation	S’more Entertainment
Bonjour Galaxy Express 999	N/A	1979	Rintaro	Toei Animation	Discotek Media
Adieu Galaxy Express 999	N/A	1981	Rintaro	Toei Animation	Discotek Media
Eternal Fantasy	N/A	1998	Konosuke Uda	Toei Animation	N/A
Maetel Legend	2	2000	Kazuyoshi Yokota	Vega Entertainment	N/A
Space Symphony Maetel	13	2004-2005	Masaki Sinichi	Azeta Pictures	N/A