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Interstella 5555 (also known as “The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem”) is an animated Japanese musical film featured in Daft Punk’s album, Discovery.

Originally released last December 1, 2003, the film had been created under the supervision of Leiji Matsumoto (a popular manga artist). Produced by Daft Punk and Cedric Hervet, Interstella 5555 featured silent dialogues and minimal sound effects.

Overview

The film’s story revolves around four alien band members who were abducted by evil humanoids from planet Earth. With their memories reformatted, the blue-skinned banned members were brainwashed to perform as a human pop band known as “The Crescentdolls”.

Characters

Stella – the female bass guitarist of The Crescentdolls, age 24

Aspergius – lead guitarist, age 27

Baryl – the drummer, age 20

Octave – keyboardist and vocalist, age 32

Shep – pilot of an unnamed alien ship, went to Earth to rescue the band

Earl de Darkwood – the film’s main antagonist, manager of The Crescentdolls

Story/Plot

The sequence of Interstella 5555 is divided into 12 music tracks. The episodes (track titles) are as follows:

“One More Time”

The story begins in a planet where the blue-skinned band performs “One More Time”. While similar alien audiences dance and groove with the music, a spaceship containing humanoids suddenly arrives.

“Aerodynamic”

Stella and her band were captured by the humanoids. Aspergius tried to escape but was eventually taken down. The band was then placed in separate capsules as the enemy prepared to take them to Earth.

“Digital Love”

Shep daydreams of Stella. Just when they are about to kiss, his daydream was interrupted by a distress call from the alien planet. Upon realizing that Stella and the others were kidnapped, he followed the spaceship all the way to Earth.

“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”

Earl de Darkwood reveals himself as the humanoids’ leader. He then ordered to convert the band’s memories and saved the alien memories on gold floppy disks. The band were then dressed and painted with flesh to make them look like human beings.

“Crescentdolls”

Earl takes the band into Gold Records Studios. The band got an exclusive contract and got promoted as “The Crescentdolls”. And although they are exhausted, Earl forces them to perform.

“Nightvision”

Shep kept himself hidden from humans. And as he begins his search, he discovered what really happened to the band. Shep then began his rescue plan.

“Superheroes”

On the first major concert of “The Crescentdolls”, Shep arrives and landed in the middle of the stage. Though wounded, Shep managed to free Baryl, Aspergius, and Octave from Earl’s mind control. However, Stella still remained as Earl’s captive.

“High Life”

The Crescentdolls received a “Gold Record Award”. And while Earl was too busy receiving the award, Baryl managed to save Stella. The two ran away towards a waiting taxicab driven by Octave.

“Something About Us”

The band, now free from Earl’s mind control, gathers around the dying Shep. With their true identities revealed, Shep draws his final breath.

“Voyage”

The band traveled onto the countryside and managed to find an old tree above a hill to bury Shep. As they bid him farewell, Shep’s soul ascended onto the starry sky.

“Veridis Quo”

The band travelled on a snowy storm towards Earl de Darkwood’s mansion. They eventually found a mystic book which revealed Earl’s evil plans for universal domination.

“Short Circuit”

Successfully escaping the Darkwood mansion, the band returned to the Gold Records Studios to retrieve their memory disks.

“Face to Face”

The band’s real identities were finally revealed to their human fans. With the help of Earth’s space force, the band boarded Shep’s spaceship and traveled back to their home.

“Too Long”

The Crescentdolls finally arrived in their home planet. A statue was built in memory of Shep’s heroism. As the band salutes Shep’s statue, the story shifts on to a sleeping boy who were listening to Daft Punk’s album, Discovery.

An Interesting Fact about Interstella 5555

Did you know that the electronic music duo, Daft Punk, appeared in the track “High Life”? They were one of the nominees for the Gold Record Award. However, due to the popularity of The Crescentdolls, the duo eventually lost.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstella_5555:_The_5tory_of_the_5ecret_5tar_5ystem