If you don't think you're up to speed with the history of Japanese anime, check out NHK's BS2 channel this week at 11 p.m.
Each night, one classic cartoon will be shown and discussed by a group of experts.
Leiji Matsumoto's "Ginga Tetsudo 999 (Starlight Express 999)" is scheduled for Monday night. Chronicling adventures on an intergalactic "railroad," Matsumoto's manga, which he himself turned into a mid-70s TV series and movie, is considered the Holy Grail of sci-fi-oriented anime and has been extremely influential, especially in Europe.