This Movie not only improves on the Previous Film with addition to working as a Great Sequel - it also stands as my personal favorite movie from Rintaro.
All of the flaws from the Original Movie are gone in the Sequel. Probably one of the best Sequels I've seen other than Godfather Part 2 or Mamoru Oshii's Patlabor 2.
It has the same themes of tackling the idea of the "so-called" transhumanist utopia. The characters are far more engaging then they were in the first film, and that's not because they were bad in the first. Rather, they are developed far more in this movie.
Even the settings and the way that the Plot begins is done with such mastery that pulls you in with great immersion. Maetel's character is far more nuanced in this one. Tetsuro is a lot more older and mature and grasps the concept of living in a way that builds on his character from the previous film. The pacing issues in the first movie are nowhere to be seen here. It's undeniably a great sequel.
Watching both of Rintaro's two "Galaxy Express 999" movies back to back was a treat. Both are definitive classics but this one takes the cake.
9.5/10 (Best Rintaro Movie)