Final Yamato ‘Fancy Goods’
The line of product merchandising for Final Yamato was the smallest out of all four movies for two basic reasons. First, the fans were getting older and second, many of the previous items were still available. This allowed the new product line to aim for a higher degree of sophistication since they would most likely appeal to older teens and adults.
Much attention was given to the ‘legacy’ nature of these goods, which could for the first time commemorate 10 years of an anime series since pre-production of the original had begun in 1973. Equal gravitas could be found in the English-language phrase that adorned many of the products in this wave:
The time has finally come for the Space Battleship Yamato, who loved mankind, loved the Earth, who throughout the years bestowed courage and hope to all, to truly rest. The year is 2203.
So get out there and starting buying stuff, fanboy!
Sweatshirts (or ‘trainers’ as they were called at the time) were among the products to promote the 10th anniversary message.
The same design was used for t-shirts, and all were available in both black and white.
Heavy paperweights were also new, and could be had in both glass and pewter.
They will probably still be around when the sun engulfs the Earth.
This personal organizer was a very adult-looking collectible indeed, entirely acceptable in a modern business environment…
…until you opened it up to reveal a very classy 64-page booklet that retold the stories of all four Yamato feature films.
These wallet-size address books were probably made by the same manufacturer, complete with a window into the world of Final Yamato.
There was a pair of metal pencil cases that carried the slogan both inside and out.
Laminated “idol cards” had been introduced with Be Forever, and a new round came along in 1983.
Based on these photos, there were 10 in the set. Until more photos surface, we’ll stick with that number.
“Shitajiki” (pencil boards) were still common products, plastic sheets meant to fortify your writing paper.
Three new ones came with Final Yamato, all designed with understated elegance.
The same could be said of this new set of posters, which used the same slogan and triangular logo graphic as many other West Cape products.
Large-size wall clocks had been a standard for fan club products since the days of the first Yamato movie, so it was only natural for the Final Yamato version to be an up-to-date digital timepiece.
Here’s another version which may or may not be homemade, since it bears no identifying marks.
And of course everyone would need new shopping bags to carry everything home. These bags made their debut at the March 1983 Grand Festival concert and were ready-made for whatever fans wanted from the souvenir stand.
There was one more postcard set for Final Yamato, a small line of just six cards to add to the previous sets–which were almost certainly never used for their intended purpose.
And what would a product line be without some stickers for good measure? Less colorful and certainly less sticky, that’s what.
Catering directly to the fans, only the official club could round up actual production art and make it available in a portfolio. That’s what led to this pack of 100 preproduction sketches by Yoshinori Kanada.
And lastly, a truly unique offer: a set of ten hand-painted cels that recreated key scenes from across the Yamato saga. They included backgrounds and were processed for “permanent preservation.” Only 1,000 sets were made and they came in their own case with a certification stamp and commemorative booklet. The price was 30,000Y per set (about $300 at the time).