Daisuke Ono & Hiroshi Kamiya Interview

Pia Movie Special, February 22, 2017

A monumental achievement of SF anime now launches into space again!

Space Battleship Yamato 2202, Soldiers of Love

Daisuke Ono X Hiroshi Kamiya

A new voyage around “Love”

In the new series of an anime masterpiece known to all, two popular voice actors appear. They shared their thoughts as they approached the production site of the Yamato restart.

The universal love of Yamato transcends the generations

Yamato 2199 was a reboot with a modern viewpoint of the huge hit film Space Battleship Yamato, which shines in Japan’s anime history. The sequel, Yamato 2202, will start screening in theaters on February 25.

We talked with Daisuke Ono, who continues playing Susumu Kodai, the main character from 2199, and Hiroshi Kamiya who plays the newly-appearing Garmillas character Klaus Keyman in 2202. How did these two take to the new appearance of Yamato?

Ono: Space Battleship Yamato is a monumental achievement of anime that represents Japan. Because it’s such a great work, I felt pressure before I appeared in it. But when the work went out into the world, new fans as well as fans of the old series could all say “fascinating.” I think there was a feeling in the background when 2199 was newly produced to convey the appeal of Yamato to a new generation. That’s how, when I heard the response from such new fans, I knew whether or not that I had fulfilled my role.

Kamiya: I didn’t appear in 2199, but I believe that it redefined Yamato. Yamato is a classic of classics, but for those who haven’t actually seen it, you know the outline of the story if you can sing just one passage of the theme song. With a new setting for such a classic, I feel that 2199 is a “work of art” that can be shown to present-day viewers.

Ono: 2199 certainly brought a new interpretation to the concept, and if it resonates in the heart of a new generation I think that’s because Yamato expresses a universality that is unchanging. If we put it in words, it means “bonds” or “love,” therefore I believe it has become a story you can convey to any generation.

The stage of 2202 is three years after the great war between Earth and the Garmillas Empire, depicted in 2199. Earth and Garmillas now have a truce, and although relations are awkward, they’ve begun to walk the way of peace. Kodai is now 24 years old, and has refrained from marrying Yuki Mori, with whom he fell in love during the last voyage. Now he is captain of the destroyer Yuunagi. On the other hand, Klaus Keyman works as a military officer with the Garmillas Embassy set on the moon, and he conducts an investigation of Yamato‘s crew.

One of the motifs of 2202 is the original movie Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, Soldiers of Love. It opened in 1978 and mobilized an audience of 4 million people, becoming a legendary work that was an exceptionally big hit in those days. According to the title Farewell, in order for Yamato‘s crew and others to protect the peace of space, their lives were scattered one after another, which became a big topic.

Ono: After 2199 was completed, and when I heard that 2202 was starting I thought, “Why do I have to go out on a voyage again?” If we were to go on another voyage, I thought I would have to rethink the meaning of riding on Yamato. I knew about the existence of Farewell, and was overwhelmed in various ways. For example, 2199 was a work that depicted a “love” born from the mission of saving Earth. “Love” is also a feature of Farewell as indicated by the subtitle, Soldiers of Love. Moreover, the shape of this love is heroic. I don’t know what kind of story 2202 will become in the future, but it makes me wonder if I could throw myself into such a heroic form of love.

Kamiya: When considering the structure of Farewell to Yamato, in order to relaunch the story it pushes the characters into a much harder situation than the previous work to save Earth. I had the impression that I could not make the sequel if I wasn’t prepared to die. In that sense, I also wondered if it was a work that could be made for this time. But with writer Harutoshi Fukui and director Nobuyoshi Habara in charge, I hope for 2202 to be fully based on such circumstances. Therefore, there are various hurdles set up against Farewell, but I have the feeling that will just make it better. Therefore, I think it will become a work that you can’t help but watch.

Ono: That reminds me of something Mr. Fukui said when we were talking: “I wouldn’t depict love without hope.” Therefore, it should depict “love” in a way that will reach a modern audience.

Co-starring to take on Yamato with plenty of fighting spirit

In such a story, how do these two capture the characters they perform?

Ono: I think Kodai is a manly man. Susumu Kodai is an especially hot-blooded man in the old series, a very positive character. But as I played him in 2199 he has one drawback, the “death” of his elder brother Mamoru Kodai. In the original, he is conflicted about it throughout the journey, and his growth was depicted through that. In 2199, my Susumu Kodai contemplates that in himself after trials and errors, and I thought he was the type who would finally jump out and say “Oh, to hell with it!” When I think about it carefully, there is something in that that resembles me. (Laughs) I felt that there was a point to me playing Susumu Kodai.

Kamiya: Keyman appears in the second half of Chapter 1, and prior to the voice recording I only had the script and a simple explanation of the character. So I thought, “Because his name is Keyman, he’ll probably become a key character if there is such a thing…” and I was quite anxious about starting. (Laughs) When we took a break in the recording, I got some time with director Habara and Mr. Fukui and asked, “What kind of man is Keyman?” I was relieved to find out that what I thought wasn’t wrong. I also asked more about his development, and I got the feeling that he was indeed a key character as I expected. When everyone sees him and asks, “Who is this guy?” I’ll be glad if you keep that in mind as you watch Keyman’s actions.

Ono: I don’t even know what kind of person Keyman is. Since Susumu Kodai doesn’t know, I also don’t need to know.

Kamiya: But he’s a character with an overtly suspicious atmosphere, isn’t he? (Laughs) It’s an original character, so he probably reflects Mr. Fukui’s intentions in various ways.

Ono: When I first heard that Mr. Kamiya would play Keyman, I didn’t know what kind of character it was, but I felt that he would probably be a key person. He has habits and quirks that will make him a character that moves the story.

You’ve both co-starred in various programs, but I wonder what your feelings were about co-starring again in Yamato.

Kamiya: Mr. Ono and I have worked together in various ways, but I’m not interested in Mr. Ono. (Laughs) I think that’s the trick to working together for a long time.

Ono: I’m interested. (Laughs)

Kamiya: When I heard that he would play Susumu Kodai in 2199, it had the sense of him moving to another stage. So when my appearance in 2202 was decided, I watched all of 2199 from the beginning. I have all the blu-rays at home.

Ono: Me too. (Laughs)

Kamiya: I thought he was wonderful in that. That lead 2199 to success, and Yamato fans should have expected that a sequel would be approved by all means. This is a great thing.

Ono: It was a victory for the 2199 staff members, such as Supervising Director Yutaka Izubuchi, rather than me. I am similar to Kodai in that I go into things without preplanning, but Mr. Kamiya grasps things with more depth. I could say without doubt that he is Sanada. (Laughs) So it was possible for us to appear together, and it brought with it a certain sense of security. It’s not unusual to think of Yamato like a classic radio show.

Kamiya: How so?

Ono: We talk together at the site after our work, and there are no cases where we talk that much at other sites. There are various kinds of things going on at the site. Once when we were on our way back there in a taxi, he asked me a lot about how the recording was going. I remember thinking, “Mr. Kamiya is really psyched up” and that made me happy.

A grand drama with points of mystery and expectation

Although it’s based on Farewell to Yamato, we don’t yet know where the story of 2202 will go. In the first place, Earth and Garmillas are in a friendly relationship and Yamato‘s deadly Wave-Motion Gun is sealed up, so it’s inevitable that it will become a different story from that stage. Where are your two characters going?

Ono: Kodai is the captain of the destroyer Yuunagi, and it has the impression of releasing tension, like the mission on Yamato. On the surface, when he returns to the peaceful world, he feels a slowly developing love with Yuki Mori. Although there were places in the previous work where they have spats with witty dialogue, a happy relationship comes out in time. To put it bluntly, the two of them are pretty much flirting with each other. (Laughs) Yuki is particularly happy, and the story begins from a feeling of lightness…but I’m prepared for it not to stay that way. Now I remember that one of the keywords Mr. Fukui said was that “their love will be tested.” I’m really excited to see Kodai’s personal life. (Laughs)

Kamiya: The interesting part of the first chapter is that Garmillas and Earth are friendly on the surface, but there’s a different feeling in the air. I’m predicting that Keyman will go to the center of this relationship, which is built on a delicate balance. Also, though Keyman primarily has an atmosphere of duty, I think his multifaceted human side will come out, including his relationship with female characters, and I hope there’s a moment when the “mystery” will disappear from this “mystery person.”

2202 consists of seven chapters, which a story with the volume of two TV anime arcs.

Ono: When 2202 began, I didn’t feel the same pressure as 2199 at all. Instead, it was filled with the excitement of touching on a new work and the joy of “getting on board Yamato again.”

Kamiya: I’m contributing to the work with a given role, and my feelings are the same as usual, that there is no way Mr. Habara and Mr. Fukui wouldn’t make something great. I want to do my best to properly fulfill my role.

Ono: I think “love” is what Director Habara is aiming for. The previous work depicted “love” in gaining understanding with the Garmillas, but there’s more to it this time, such as “love” being uttered by Emperor Zordar of Gatlantis. I think the way that “love” is depicted will be a focal point. Fans of the original will chase this one, of course, but since it’s also a work that new fans can enjoy by all means, they should all go to the movie theater.

Kamiya: The hurdle is a challenge to such a grand plan, I think the staff can’t do this half-heartedly. I’ll be speaking lines for Keyman before long, so I want to say, “Watch this, because it’s good.”


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