May 2016 saw a slight drop from April, but fresh new campaigns for the Battlefield Infinity mobile game, an unexpected turn in the ongoing manga, the start of the summer hobby show season, and fan activity of all kinds kept everything alive and well.

May 1: Yamaket 7

Yamaket is the closest thing Japan currently has to a regular Yamato convention. As observed in past reports, it’s a gathering of Yamato fans to sell their doujinshi and other crafts as a sub-group of a larger event called Toriroji (Trilogy) that happens twice a year. 24 fan circles turned out to keep the fire burning at Toriroji 11 in Tokyo on May 1. See a lineup of all the groups at the event website here.

“Kiyo” is the pen name of Yamaket’s organizer, and “Kiyo Club” is an active circle of fan artists who roll out something interesting at every Yamaket.

Get a look at what everyone brought along with them at the Yamaket Twitter page here.

May 7: Dengeki Online

As a followup to last month, Dengeki Online (the website formerly known as Dengeki Hobby magazine) continued a photo-feature on a modeler’s work with the 1/1000 Domelaze kit. Part 2 was published May 7, Part 3 on May 13, and Part 4 on May 29. The bar was sufficiently raised by a custom base and lighting.

Click on each link to see the article.

May 9: Game news

It was another exciting month for Battlefield Infinity players with one imaginative campaign after another, most providing all-new character art. You can keep a bit more up to date with the game at its official Twitter page here.

Get limited units at login! Reissue campaign to be held!

Using “reissue tickets” which are available at login for a certain time, you can obtain versions of Harada and Mirenel in gym clothes! Popular units that appeared in past events come up again! Log in every day during the Ultra-rare Confirmation! Reissue Ticket Buildup campaign period, be sure to get these two units in gym clothes!

Also! Even those who can’t log in every day can still get tickets! Just get a few of the tickets during Reissue Ticket Buildup and there is still a good chance to obtain gym clothes versions!

Login ticket reward: Two reissue tickets

UN Cosmo Navy
Kuroshio (Makoto Harada, gym clothes version)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Meltoria-class (Mirenel, gym clothes version)

Limited ticket buildup and login ticket reward period: May 9-18

Rare reissue buildup! New Ultra-rare versions of characters wearing Yukata [summer kimono] appear in Reissue campaign!

Four characters who appeared in past events appear again: Yukata versions of Niimi & Kodai and Elisa & Berger! They appear as new ultra-rare units in rare buildup! Other characters appear for rare buildup from May 13! Don’t miss it!

Also! Until May 11, the buildup probability of all ultra-rare units is double!! Don’t miss this chance!

Limited-time units:

UN Cosmo Navy
Large-scale warship rare buildup

Nagato (Susumu Kodai, Yukata version)
Souriyu (Kaoru Niimi, Yukata version)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Large-scale warship buildup

Shangri la (Elisa, Yukata version)
Lambea (Berger, Yukata version)

Limited unit addition period: May 9-13
Ultra-rare unit buildup double-probability period: May 9-11

Reinforcement Request Form campaign begins!

Large quantities of Reinforcement Request forms are available by search, so try to strengthen your fleet! A Reinforcement Request Form Search is underway!

The are four kinds of forms in the limited search stage, and many will appear! Strengthen your fleet with these forms and advance profitably!

Search stage appearance period: May 9-11

Yamato 2199 Battlefield Infinity blows away May gloom and provides content everyone can enjoy. Don’t miss it!

May 13: Game news

Two new medium-size warships appear permanently! Get Yuki Mori and Norran!

Two new types of medium-size warships appear in both rare and normal buildup from May 13! Cruiser Tenryu from the UN Cosmo Navy and an FS-type Astro Thunder Boat from the Garmillas side are both added as permanent medium-size warship units!

Limited rarities are added during rare buildup. The characters on board are unusual, newly-drawn versions of Yuki Mori and Norran!

New permanent buildup units
(Medium-size warship buildup)

UN Cosmo Navy
Tenryu (Yuki Mori, newly-drawn version)

Garmillas Empire Forces
FS-type Astro Thunder Boat (Norran Oschett, newly-drawn version)

Normal areas 25 and 26 are open! Let’s obtain Cosmo Coins!

Areas 25 and 26 are now open! When you clear a stage in these areas, you get “Cosmo Coins” as a completion reward! The amount of coins increases in the second half! Let’s collect Cosmo Coins in these areas!

Newly-opened areas

UN Space Forces

Area 25
Area name: Aries TZ Star system
Area boss: Dolcia (Kraitz)

Area 26
Area name: Groombridge 1618 Star system
Area boss: Lambea (Haidern)

Garmillas Empire Forces

Area 25
Area name: Groombridge 1618 Star system
Area boss: Cosmo Zero (Saburo Kato)

Area 26
Area name: Aries TZ Star system
Area boss: Kirishima (Yuki Mori)

Completion rewards:
Stages 1-5: 100 coins
Stages 6-10:150 coins
Stages 11-15: 200 coins
Stages 16-20: 250 coins
Stages 21-25: 300 coins
Stages 26-30: 350 coins

Reissue campaign, the second half! New limited units appear in Yukata and exercise clothes for rare buildup!

On May 13, limited Ultra-rare units appear for rare buildup in the second half of the Reissue campaign: Mori & Melda gym suit versions and Ito & Norran Yukata versions! Also! Rare buildup advantages until May 15! Buildup probability for Ultra-rare units is doubled!!

Together with the new permanent units added at the same time, don’t miss the chance to get these limited units and kill two birds with one stone! Get benefits just for logging into the Reissue campaign! Log in during this period using Reissue Tickets during Ultra-rare Decision! Reissue Ticket Buildup and obtain versions of Harada & Mirenel in gym clothes! If you log in every day, you’re sure to get them!

Furthermore! Even those who can’t log in every day can still perform Reissue Ticket Buildup with a small number of tickets, and there is still a good chance to obtain gym clothes versions!

Limited-time units
Large-scale warship rare buildup

UN Cosmo Navy

Kirishima (Shinya Ito, Yukata version)
Mutsu (Yuki Mori, gym clothes version)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Haizerad-class (Norran, Yukata version
Gelgamesh (Melda, gym clothes version)

Login ticket reward: two Reissue Tickets

Ultra-rare Decision! Reissue Ticket Buildup

UN Cosmo Navy
Kuroshio (Makoto Harada, gym clothes version)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Meltoria-class (Mirenel, gym clothes version)

Reissue Ticket Buildup

UN Cosmo Navy
Kuroshio (Makoto Harada, gym clothes version)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Meltoria-class (Mirenel, gym clothes version)

Limited unit addition period: May 13-18

Ultra-rare unit buildup double probability period: May 13-15

Limited ticket buildup & login ticket reward period: May 9-18

Reinforcement campaign Reinforcement Request Form Search is underway!

Large quantities of Reinforcement Request forms are available by search, so try to strengthen your fleet! A Reinforcement Request Form Search is underway!

The are four kinds of forms in the limited search stage, and many will appear! Strengthen your fleet with these forms and advance profitably!

Search stage appearance period: May 13-15

Yamato 2199 Battlefield Infinity expands play with new stages and added units, providing content everyone can enjoy. Don’t miss it!

May 14: New Gengaten announced

“Genga” is the Japanese term for original art, and as we learned in 2014, a “Gengaten” is an exhibition of same. The Yamato 2199 Gengaten [Art Exhibition] toured a handful of cities in Japan during the runup to the 2014 feature films, and a limited comeback was announced at the Gengaten website on May 14.

The venue this time would be Sanseido Bookstore in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, from June 1-13. The impetus for the event was the publication of Hyper Mechanical Detail Artworks Vol. 2 (covered in the last report), but there was plenty more to lure in the fans. In addition to a selection of paintings, one of the exquisite 1/100 Yamato models was brought out of storage, and spectators took plenty of photos that will be featured our next report.

New information was added to the website on May 24. Chief Mechanical Director Masanori Nishii would appear in person on June 5 and painter Naoyuki Katoh would follow on June 12 to sign their respective 2199 art books.

Merchandising sold at previous exhibitions was offered again, and a few new art prints were added for substantial prices. See them here.

May 14-15: Shizuoka Hobby Show

Shizuoka is the home town of Bandai, and the Shizuoka Hobby Show is celebrated as the first big hobby show of the summer. Yamato’s presence was sedate owing to a lack of new products, but there was still ample representation in a satellite show featuring fan projects and garage kits. See a photo gallery here.

See related photos of a highly-customized 1/500 Yamato kit here.

May 18: Game news

Four special elite units appear in Sea of Stars Exploration search event!

During the search ranking event Sea of Stars Exploration, four kinds of rare elite units appear for rare and normal buildup! In rare buildup of medium-size warships and fighters, new limited versions of Ultra-rare elite units can be obtained!

In medium-size warship rare buildup, Misake Yuria (Yurisha version) and Hilde (maid version) are added! Their special skills work to maximum effect! With them you are guaranteed to succeed in the search event!

In fighter rare buildup, Saburo Kato (flight jacket version) and Berger (pilot suit version) are added! Their special skills increase the number of items you can obtain! If you organize your elites, more than double the amount can be initiated! Also! Until May 20, the probability of buildup with Ultra-rare units is double!

Elite units
Normal medium-size warship buildup

UN Cosmo Navy
Inkaze (Yuria Misaki)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Kriptera-class (Hilde)

Normal fighter buildup

UN Cosmo Navy
Cosmo Sparrow (Saburo Kato)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Czvarke (Berger)

Rare medium-size warship buildup

UN Cosmo Navy
Inkaze (Yuria Misaki, Yurisha version)

Elite skill: improves success probability for search skills to level 4, improves probability of success by 100% (Sea of Stars Exploration)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Kriptera-class (Hilde, maid version

Elite skill: improves success probability for search skills to level 4, improves probability of success by 100% (Sea of Stars Exploration)

Rare fighter buildup

UN Cosmo Navy
Cosmo Sparrow (Saburo Kato, flight jacket version)

Elite skill: Improves search skills to increase number of items by 100% (Sea of Stars Exploration)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Czvarke (Berger, pilot suit version)

Elite skill: Improves search skills to increase number of items by 100% (Sea of Stars Exploration)

Elite unit buildup period: May 18-25

Ultra-rare unit buildup improved probability period: May 18-20

New search ranking event Sea of Stars Exploration to be held!

The first search stage event in Sea of Stars Exploration is held from May 18! In the event search stage, earn ranking points for items collected in this period and aim for a higher rank! Limited suit versions of Kaoru Niimi and Mirenel are available as ranking rewards!

Suit versions of these intellectual characters are only available as ranking rewards for Sea of Stars Exploration! Perform well and get other exclusive rewards, too! Make full use of rare elite units added to the buildup, and achieving a high rank will not be just a dream! Aim for a high ranking with elite units!

Also! Obtain limited units with “Meteor Tickets” available in the event stage! In Meteor Ticket Buildup, you can build up Meteor Tickets to obtain newly-drawn versions of Kaoru Niimi and Mirenel! It is also advantageous just to log in during this period! Get “Meteor Tickets” every day just by logging in! Get both limited units and higher ranking rewards with these tickets!

Limited units

UN Cosmo Navy
Nagato (Kaoru Niimi, suit version

Special skill: For human survival
Increase armor on all allies by 60% for three turns

Garmillas Empire Forces
Shangri la (Mirenel, suit version)

Special skill: Ghost girl of Jirel
Decrease firepower of all enemies for three turns

Event period: May 18-25

Meteor ticket buildup period: May 18-27

Get limited Niimi & Mirenel with meteor tickets!

Meteor Ticket Buildup appears in Sea of Stars Exploration from May 18! Collect “Meteor Tickets” in the event search stage to earn limited Ultra-rare newly-drawn Niimi and Mirenel units with “Meteor Ticket buildup”!

There are two kinds of buildup depending on the number of tickets: “Meteor Ticket buildup” and “Probability rise Meteor Ticket buildup.”

In “Probability rise Meteor Ticket buildup”, your probability of obtaining limited Ultra-rare units rises if you use a lot of tickets. Also, you can get more “Meteor Tickets” if you log in every day. Perform ticket buildup with login alone! You can also use elite units in the event to get even more tickets and aim for a higher ranking! A chance to kill two birds with one stone!

Meteor ticket buildup reward units

UN Cosmo Navy
Nagato (Kaoru Niimi, newly-drawn version)

Special skill: Active dimensional sonar level 4
Lets you display all hidden map gimmicks and show field items in range

Garmillas Empire Forces
Shangri la (Mirenel, newly-drawn version)

Special skill: Action delay level 4
Affects continuous motion

Login ticket reward: 50 Meteor Tickets

Probability Rise Meteor Ticket buildup (number of tickets needed: 100)

Normal units: buildup probability 72%
Special units: buildup probability 20%
Ultra-rare units: buildup probability 8%

Meteor Ticket buildup (number of tickets needed: 5)

Normal units: buildup probability 89.5%
Rare units: buildup probability 10%
Ultra-rare units: buildup probability 0.5%

Meteor ticket buildup period: May 18-27

Yamato 2199 Battlefield Infinity implements new search ranking, expands play, and provides content everyone can enjoy. Don’t miss it!

May 25: Game news

Newly-drawn and newly-painted craft appears permanently!

Four craft appear with newly-painted hulls in rare buildup featuring four characters! Nagato and Hatsuyuki on the UN Cosmo Navy side, and Deusuler I and the Dimensional Submarine on the Garmillas side, all permanently available as Ultra-rare units in rare buildup!

On board are newly drawn versions of characters: Mori & Nanbu, and Melda & Gael! Each unit is characterized by parameter and skill! Use new strategies to destroy the enemy fleet!

Also! Buildup probability of all Ultra-rare units is doubled! Add new units to increase your chances!

New permanent units
Rare large-size warship warship buildup

UN Cosmo Navy
Nagato (Yuki Mori, newly-drawn version)

Special skill: Lost memory
Continuously affects motion. Changes “impossible attack” to an attack with 60% probability

Fleet skill: Cruiser awakening
Improves firepower, armor, and agility of all allied cruisers by 4%

Characteristic: Firepower is low, but it is difficult to be damaged. Endure an enemy attack with high endurance and skill.

Garmillas Empire Forces
Deusuler I (Melda, newly-drawn version)

Special skill: Military family
Continuously affects motion, improves firepower for fighters by 40%

Fleet skill: Battleship awakening
Improves firepower, armor, and agility of all allied cruisers by 5%

Characteristic: It is easier to receive an attack with low mobility, but more damage can be done with high offensive ability. Fighters in particular take pride in high attack performance.

Rare medium-size warship buildup

UN Cosmo Navy
Hatsuyuki (Yasuo Nanbu, newly-drawn version)

Special skill: Attack conduct
Improves firepower of the main gun batteries for all allies by 40% for three turns

Characteristic: It is easier to receive an attack with low mobility, but a rise in firepower can cause great damage.

Garmillas Empire Forces
Dimensional Submarine (Gael, newly-drawn version)

Special skill: Henchman
Evasion rate increases to 100% for four turns

Characteristic: Advance while evading an attack with high mobility, dramatically increases possibility of defeating an enemy. But armor is low, and watch for damage taken by a single blow.

Period of improved buildup of Ultra-rare units: May 25-30

Reinforcement campaign “Reinforcement Request Form search” is underway!

To prepare for a powerful enemy attack, a large amount of Reinforcement Request Forms appears in a limited search stage! Obtain three kinds of Reinforcement Request Forms in this search stage and strengthen your fleet!

Limited search stage

Slight vigilance performance
Moderate vigilance performance
High vigilance performance

Slight vigilance firepower
Moderate vigilance firepower
High vigilance firepower

Slight vigilance mobility & armor
Moderate vigilance mobility & armor
High vigilance mobility & armor

Campaign period: May 25-30

Yamato 2199 Battlefield Infinity holds new search ranking, continuously expands play, and delivers content everyone can enjoy. Don’t miss it!

May 27: Game news

One day only! Obtain the silver Megaluda in a fierce attack event!

White bewitching descends! 24 hours only, on May 28! Fierce attack event! White bewitching! Sabera descends to be held! Defeat the enemy flagship and overthrow Shifual Sabera in the Sabera Descends event stage and obtain the limited Megaluda/silver Sabera painting!

This limited unit improves the firepower, mobility, and armor of Gatlantis units by 50% with a super strength skill for “complete conquering of entire nations by force”!

Also! Limited elite units Ichikawa and Melia come up in rare buildup for a limited time, for use in this assault event! Buildup probability for the limited units is doubled! Obtain the Silver Megaluda through elite limited unit buildup!

Holding area: Fierce assault Sabera descent

Reward: Megaluda/silver Sabera painting

Decals: Shifual Sabera, Gatlantis Mark 1, Gatlantis Mark 2, Gatlantis letter 1, Gatlantis letter 2

Parameters
Maximum endurance level: 5000
Maximum firepower: 1000
Maximum armor: 705
Maximum mobility: 280
Maximum fuel: 5684

Special skill: Complete conquering of entire nations by force
Increases armor and movement of Gatlantis fleet by 50% for three turns

Fleet skill: Lift fighting spirit
Raises skill gauge to fight in +1 state

Event period: May 28 only

Confront Gatlantis with Ichikawa & Melia!

For a limited time, the newly-created Ichikawa and Melia appear as elite units for rare buildup in this fierce assault event! Confront Sabera, approaching in the Silver Megaluda! Also, buildup probability of all limited and Ultra-rare units is doubled!! Use these elite units to obtain the limited Silver Megaluda!

Limited elite units
(rare large-size warship buildup)

UN Cosmo Navy
Kirishima (Jun Ichikawa)

Garmillas Empire Forces
Mirangal (Melia Rikke)

Period available for limited elite units: May 27-30

Limited and Ultra-rare improved buildup probability period: May 27-30

May 30: Game news

Limited event to obtain a bride: A Bouquet Wish: Bride Edition to be held!

During this event, collect “bouquets” in the battle stage and compete for ranking! The ranking rewards are wedding dress versions of Mori and Celestella!

Mori and Celestella are the ranking rewards only in the first half of the Bride Edition. Other characters newly-dressed for a wedding will appear in the bridegroom edition in the second half of the event! When you use the elite units added to the rare buildup, you can effectively advance through the event stage! Collect bouquets and obtain limited units with ranking!

A Bouquet Wish: Bride Edition first half: May 30 – June 6

Collect tickets in a search and get Mori and Celestella in simple clothes!

Separate from the event battle stage is a search stage with limited “Ring Tickets” available for exclusive use in this event! Collect tickets in a search and obtain simple-clothing versions of Mori and Celestella in a “Ring Ticket buildup”!

In addition, “Ring Tickets” are available even if you just log in during the event period! Combine them with ranking from the event and get Mori and Celestella in both wedding dresses and simple clothes!

Event search stage period: May 30 – June 6

Ticket buildup period: May 30 – June 15

Elite flower girl versions of Misaki and Hilde appear!

Elite units appear that can be used in the battle stage of the the event! The characters are exclusive flower girl versions of Misaki and Hilde! These elite units significantly raise mobility to avoid enemy attacks and improve the collecting of bouquets! Try to get the wedding dress versions of Mori and Celestella as high ranking rewards!

Limited elite units period: May 30 – June 13

May 30: Manga chapter 47

Artist/writer Michio Murakawa ended the month on a high note with an ambitious 32-page conclusion to his manga adaptation of Episode 16. He added extra dimension and complexity to his version of the Izumo mutiny with details and backstory that were not found in the anime.

See the pages here, along with a running commentary.

The photo above right was taken in a Japanese bookstore and shared by Twitter user Gaston; an original Murakawa drawing on display next to the register. It had evidently been drawn the day before chapter 46 was released on Nico Nico Ace and Comic Walker.

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