There is a small group of anime fans here in North America who LOVE Crusher Joe. Many of us started as Space Battleship Yamato fans and then discovered Matsumoto's other works like Captain Harlock. But some of the more knowledgeable fans noticed Yasuhiko did a large portion of Farewell Space Battleship Yamato's storyboards and key animations. THEN we noticed his character designs in Mobile Suit Gundam. And we were on the lookout for anything else he was involved with. And then came Crusher Joe. The opening highway chase scene blew our minds. Then the character and mecha introductions of the Crusher crew were awesome. Personally I loved how the Minerva design looked like a logical extension of then current aerospace designs meant for operating in both space and in atmosphere. It's like the most jacked up, macho, over-cranked MUSCLE CAR version of the space shuttle you could imagine - with big guns and missiles! And you don't even realize how much firepower she's packing until the last act of the film, because it's all hidden until it's needed. She's also the perfect visual blend of maneuverability and engine power. I love that ship and all her sub-craft! A friend of mine once noticed that it does all the things the God Phoenix does from Gatchaman, but with more realism and believability. I can't say he was wrong! The characters are all great too. They don't change a lot in the course of the film. But they have easily distinguishable personalities. They're a great team and it shows. I agree with the other post author who said Crusher Joe would've gotten far more attention if it hadn't have been released in the same year as Final Yamato. That's unfortunate. But at least Crusher Joe got some good OVA follow-ups later. I look forward to seeing this re-mastered version. Also - I laughed out loud the first time I noticed that YAS had snuck Char and Lalah into the background of one of the action shots. 🤣