The ANIMEX 1200 series was Nippon Columbia's budget reissue line that made classic anime soundtracks accessible again, and this Space Cobra volume is a gem from that initiative. Based on Buichi Terasawa's iconic manga and its 1982 anime adaptation, Space Cobra follows the galaxy's coolest space pirate, and composer Kentaro Haneda delivered a score that matches the character's effortless swagger.
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"Cobra" as a theme captures that laid-back adventurer energy perfectly, while "Whispers of the Devil" brings the menace that the series' villains demand. The soundtrack is dripping with early '80s style in the best possible way.
"Secret Desire" bookends the album in both instrumental and vocal forms, and it's a smoky, seductive piece that captures the show's blend of sci-fi action and noir-tinged romance. "Cosmic Dust" and "Escape to Peace" paint the vast space opera canvas, while "Window Shopping" and "Rush Hour" bring things down to a more intimate, urban scale.
"Pastoral" offers a rare moment of tranquility in what's otherwise a pretty high-energy collection. "My Blue Little Angel" and "Twilight Memory" carry a melancholic sweetness that reflects Cobra's softer side beneath the bravado, and "Joyful Voyage" recaptures that sense of boundless adventure that makes the series so enduring.
"Seesaw Game" and "Mirage" bring tension and mystery, while "Turning your Back on the Sunset" is pure cinematic cool. Haneda, who also scored Macross and other anime classics, was at the height of his powers here, blending jazz fusion, orchestral drama, and pop sensibility into something that still sounds fantastic decades later.