#Galaxy Express 999’s Maetel Gets Her Full Shinkalion Makeover

Earlier this month, transforming mecha series Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion announced that it would be collaborating with Galaxy Express 999, the classic series by Leiji Matsumoto. One part of that collaboration would consist of a new, permanent cast member — and we’ve got a little more intel on the show’s latest arrival.

As previously announced, fifth-grader Maetel Tsukino would be joining the team from their new Hokkaido base. Based on the mysterious Maetel of Galaxy Express 999 and other works in the Matsumoto-verse, she made her entrance at the end of a recent episode, referred to only as the “Mysterious Girl.”

We now have a little more information about the character. This grade-school take on Maetel is from Oshamambe, a town in Hokkaido. She’s a shy girl who has difficulty talking to people, and spends her days listening to various frequencies via her amateur radio base at home.

Maetel will pilot the Shinkalion Z H5 Hokuto, a new transforming train mecha built for combat in cold weather. The new mecha is a combination of the Shinkalion Z H5 Hayabusa and Zyliner 261 Hokuto. A transforming toy of the new ‘bot is scheduled for sale on December 29, and will be the first mecha toy in the Shinkalion line to have clear parts.

Maetel will be voiced, as previously announced, by Satsuki Yukino, who took over the role of Maetel from Masako Ikeda.

Maetel Tsukino is the most recent collab character to become a permament part of the series, preceded by Actual (former) Vocaloid Hatsune Miku.

Source: Ota-Suke, @shinkalion on Twitter