Despite this being the long slow fade-out phase of Yamato 2199, September 2015 activity was still about the same as the previous three months. Online action, new manga, a pair of hobby shows, and other odds and ends continued to keep the flame lit. Here’s our roundup of the month.

September 1:
Battlefield Infinity Prize Campaign

First up was the latest announcement from the makers of Yamato 2199: Battlefield Infinity, a 2D & 3D mobile phone game that recreates action from the series and adds whole new scenarios to expand the gameplay. Usually, high scores just earn players new assets and features. But from September 1-9, achieving certain goals could get you into a prize drawing to win one of five Yuki Mori figures.

Specifically, this was a custom-color version of the first 1/8 Yuki figure from Megahouse (April 2013). It was first offered as an exclusive through the Yamato Crew website in February 2014.

September 2: Game news

Battlefield Infinity has a vibrant online presence, but a completely separate mobile phone game called Yamato 2199 ~ Journey to Iscandar, which rolled out in November 14 (from Yamada Games), is also in continuous service. It doesn’t announce new campaigns every month, but it had a prize contest of its own at the same time as its competitor

In this case, the top prize was an original color drawing by mecha designer Junichiro Tamamori (above left). Runner-up prizes included Cosmo Fleet Special miniatures and various tickets for use in the game.

September 2: Manga chapter 38

This 31-page installment by Michio Murakawa was delayed slightly from its usual end-of-the-month online publication at Comic Walker and Nico Nico Ace. Picking up at the very end of Yamato’s first clash with Domel, it concludes their encounter when Dessler calls off Domel’s assault. Yamato’s crew is understandably shaken and tension runs high in the aftermath. Meanwhile, political machinations on the Garmillas side bring this chapter to a shocking close.

Incidentally, this is also the closing point for the 7th reprint volume, which was published October 10.

See all the pages here.

September 2: Megaluda announcement

After teasing us with the prototype at one hobby show after another, Megahouse finally gave up a release date for the Cosmo Fleet Special Megaluda: January 31. So far, it’s the first 2199 product to be announced for the new year – undoubtedly the first of many if the Series 2 remake gets its official green light.

Specs for this miniature are as follows:

Megaluda annihilation-type heavy battleship

The first three-dimensional rendition of the ship that engaged in mortal combat against Yamato and Garmillas in Ark of the Stars. 19 cm (7.5”) long with great attention to detail. Gun barrels rotate. Option parts to display the Flame Strike Gun in firing position. Comes with four Devastator crustacean attack fighters. The V-shaped stern can function as a flight deck.

September 5: Yamato Lecture Light

Yamato Lecture has been mentioned here many times; it’s a periodic, one-day event that happens a few times a year to host symposiums with special guests in a continuing conversation about Yamato’s impact. Usually held in Tokyo, it went on the road for the first time as “Yamato Lecture Light”.

The venue this time was a club named Green+Green in Ushiku city (in Ibaraki Prefecture) with about 30 people in attendance. The guests were artist Shinji “Mash” Nishikawa and robot/product designer Ryusuke Sonoyama. The art shown here was drawn on-site by “Mash” and won by attendees in a prize drawing.

September 9: Game news

Battlefield Infinity struck again with this announcement for players:

Limited-time event: Unexplored sector search!!

Starts at the same time for the UN Cosmo Navy and the Garmillas Imperial Army! The Garmillas Imperial Army is bent on improving its technology and the UN Cosmo Navy tries to prevent it. They clash over an unknown ore called “osmium”! Collect “osmium” during this event stage to increase your ranking and win new characters: Analyzer for the UN Cosmo Navy and Velte Talan for the Garmillas Imperial Army!

Build new skills when new characters appear!!

During this event, rare units with valuable skills appear on boths sides! On the UN Cosmo Navy side, Hirata and Kodai appear in pilot suits. Appearing on the Garmillas side are Gul Dietz and Eruk Domel. Four units with valuable skills to increase your ranking. Watch for chances to reduce fuel consumption in fleet maneuvers. Use special skills and watch for rivals!

Battlefield Infinity continues to expand and deliver content that everyone can enjoy!

September 20: Stamp and seal sets

The Tanikawa Corporation announced this product line in July for use in stationery and letter-writing. On this day, Yamato Crew added the entire lineup to its online store (along with some exclusive bonuses), to begin shipping in November.

Click here to see each item in the set.

September 21 & 22: Doro-Off V hobby show

This annual exhibition differs from the other hobby shows we regularly cover in that it is display-only. Amateur and professional modelers alike bring their projects for everyone to gape at over a single weekend.

Revisit the 2014 Doro-off in Report 36 here.

See photos from Doro-off V here.

September 24: Game news

No sooner does one Battlefield Infinity campaign end than the next one begins…

Autumn Armageddon to be held! Limited combatant units appear! Run through the event and increase your ranking!

Yuki Mori and Melda Dietz appear in gym clothes!

During the Autumn Armageddon event, effective units appear on both the UN Cosmo Navy and Garmillas Imperial Army sides in “gym clothes” form! Yuki Mori and Makoto Harada from the UN Cosmo Navy, and Melda Dietz and Mirenel Link from the Garmillas Imperial Army. A total of four beauties in rare gym clothes!

Increase your ranking with their special skills and reduce fuel consumption when your allies maneuver! Enjoy the costumes and use their skills to get through this event stage!

Limited-time event: Autumn Armageddon!

Held simultaneously for the UN Cosmo Navy and the Garmillas Imperial Army! Break through various obstacles and enemy ships that get in your way to reach the “target arrival point.” Compete for ranking points and raise your ranking by clearing the stage!

Increase your ranking for special rewards: Dr. Sado for the UN Cosmo Navy and Gul Dietz for the Garmillas Imperial Army!

New “Search” feature!! Dispatch a fleet to obtain an item!

With this new feature, you can dispatch a fleet to carry out a search mission on your behalf! Win resources and reinforcement items from the fleets that return! Utilize the fleet to accomplish this mission while you are offline! Take advantage of the “search” feature to make effective use of a fleet!

Battlefield Infinity shoots down the autumn chill and delivers content everyone can enjoy!

September 25-27: Anime Weekend Atlanta Yamato panel

Time to step out from behind the curtain for a moment: ye writer/editor Tim Eldred makes a point to visit Anime Weekend Atlanta every fall to see friends and update everyone on the latest news from the world of Yamato. This year was different for two important reasons: the latest news dated back for two years, and the panel was captured on video for the first time!

See it on Youtube here. (Special thanks to Rick Zerrano.)

September 26: 55th All Japan Model & Hobby Show

This is the biggest Tokyo hobby show of the fall, bringing companies together from Japan and elsewhere. Yamato products weren’t as visible as in previous years, but they still made a showing.

Above and at left: Mecha Collection mini-kits from Bandai. The set above is the Garmillas fighter bundle that was released via the Premium Bandai website in July. (See Report 48.)

Below are two Cosmo Fleet Special prototype miniatures from the Megahouse booth: the Megaluda and the UX-01 Dimensional Submarine. The latter was originally announced for release this month, but then went back into standby mode. Nice to know it hasn’t been forgotten. The Yuki Mori figure (in torn Iscandar dress) is due out at the end of November.

See ample video coverage of the All Japan Model & Hobby Show at these links:

Hobbylink.tv

Antibiotic Tab (full walk-through, Yamato items at 31:20)

Stevethefishdotnet (full walk-through, Yamato items at 38:50)

September 27: Yamato Lecture 12

A full-on Yamato Lecture was held this month at “Loft Plus One West” in Osaka. This was a normal-sized event with anime writer Osamu Kobayashi as the usual host. His guests were manga artist Michio Murakawa, novelist/playwright Miho Sakai, and illustrator Kaizu Omoto.

There are always artists in the audience as well as on stage, and they make their presence known with commemorative drawings like these. Created in advance or on-site, they are given away as prizes at the end of the event. These two in particular are by Yasuaki Watanabe, who goes by the nickname “Norve.” He has become well-known for his stunning paintings of female anime characters in various doujinshi [fanzines].

See much more of his work on his Twitter page here, and his website here.

The custom Yamato-ized menu for the day consisted of the following:

Drinks: Ota Nightcap, Toast of the Great Governor-General, Sawamura’s Hole, Interplanetary Ballistic Missile, Kiryu’s Tea Time.

Food: Green Caterpillar Sautee ~ Gatlan wind, Kukulkan Noodles, Cream Meruhi, Shambleau.

September 28: Manga chapter 39

Michio Murakawa got back onto his regular schedule with this shorter-than-usual chapter of 11 pages that continue to explore the lives of the crew. The color title page is a deliberate throwback to the type Leiji Matsumoto would do for his vintage Yamato manga of the 70s.

See the pages here.

September 28: NTT side story, chapter 4

The latest installment of this series by Telecommunications Company NTT continued a dramatization we didn’t see in the anime.

See the original post here. Translation follows.

Before the Yamato Plan – information processing system supplemental case

4. Underground People

With Yamato’s launch close at hand, Heikuro Todo, the general manager of the Yamato Plan who would remain on Earth, became increasingly anxious. Until the day Yamato returned, he would have to ensure that the people who stayed on Earth survived safely. The mental pressure seemed to increase with each passing day. He issued a new order to effectively utilize the resources left underground.

“Research the tunnels and cables of the underground communication network built in the past to rebuild it on a global scale, and create a double and triple backup system if possible.”

In response to this order, Tsuyama of NTT Smart Connect issued a challenge to survey the communication system with their underground resources. It was discovered that in the 21st century, communication cables that supported NTT’s network environment were laid down in an underground, earthquake-resistant tunnel called the “sugar road.” Due to its durability, there was a possibility that it remained almost intact even in the 23rd century.

[Translator’s note: “sugar road” is an older Japanese analogy for a main road, or a conduit for the transport of goods.]

“That’s it!”

Tsuyama was relieved.

Humanity had turned toward space in the 22nd and 23rd centuries, and the development of Earth became a secondary priority. On other planets where the atmosphere was thinner, communication networks differed from those on Earth’s environment, so it became necessary for the hardware to adapt. As a result, communications technology developed in directions that differed from Earth’s.

Tsuyama passed through the security gate that lead to the underground sugar road. Human technology had existed underground for long years. Down the stairs leading to the dark underground, there was a sealed space. The supply of energy through this long conduit had long since stopped. Descending into this underground structure built in the 21st century, the only light he could depend upon was the floodlight he brought with him.

He descended into tunnels that duplicated the hierarchy of a city that was more congested than today’s, with various tunnels and underground cables that stretched out and ran in all directions.

“It feels nostalgic,” he said of the frosty air.

Moving through the darkness, it was hard to believe the ground above was so devastated. Following a light, Tsuyama found the sugar road. That light appeared all at once into the far-off distance of the tunnel. It was a fantastic sight. It was a light of hope for humanity.

The space was in a far cleaner state than he ever imagined, and even seemed comfortable. Dozens of communication cables were tied together in bundles, seemingly continuing away forever. Tsuyama’s joyful voice echoed through the space of the sugar road.

“The impact of the planet bombs hasn’t reached here!”

This had been the foundation of the world network in the 22nd century, and it was an understatement to say that it had been carefully maintained. According to data that had been researched from the 21st century, the total distance of the power lines was about 1,000 kilometers, and the total distance of all the pipelines was about 670,000 kilometers. Enough to encircle the Earth about sixteen and a half times.

They supported IT infrastructure at the time, and had been monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A system had been adopted in which compressed air was carried along inside the communication cables, and a change in air pressure would signal a breach that identified damage to a cable. Before humanity expanded into space in the 21st century, the speed of communication had improved in leaps and bounds.

Tsuyama felt that he saw into the heart of the engineers of the time. He felt a sense of responsibility and the passion of those who put their all into daily maintenance. It said, “this communication network supports peoples’ lives.”

By utilizing these assets, a communication network could be set up for each block. A confirmation of the cable network was carried out while the delivery network technology was reconfirmed by another team.

The communication network technology of the 23rd century had made so much progress that it couldn’t be compared with that of the 21st century. The highest speed far exceeded the gigabit class of the earlier time. There was no redundant hardware, since it was said that the first line would never stop.

BCP measures were reviewed again after Garmillas planet bombs began to hit the Earth’s surface.

[BCP = Business Continuity Planning, a series of protocols to minimize loss and quickly restore operations after a disaster.]

Undersea cables that had linked the world were exposed when planet bombs dried up the sea and laid the red Earth bare. However, if this underground legacy could be utilized, life support systems such as air, water, food, and communication could not be stopped, and Earth would survive!

Tsuyama sent a message to his colleagues aboard Yamato.

“Don’t worry about things on Earth. We will definitely survive the year. Just aim for Iscandar and don’t look back at Earth. And of course, return by all means.”

To be continued

September 30: Mecha Collection model #19

The Dimensional Submarine UX-01 became the 19th kit in Bandai’s mini-model series, downscaled from the 1/1000 version released in Garmillas Warships Set 3 (October 2013).

By this point in the original Mecha Collection, Bandai had gotten all the way up to ships seen in The New Voyage (1979). That’s not to say there weren’t enough in Series 1 to reach that number, it was simply less comprehensive in the old days.

See more photos of the finished UX-01 model here.

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