Photo posted on Twitter by 69mode_HiRO
Posted at the official website; see the original article here
Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199 Chapter 4, Pale Blue Maiden/Sasha
Completion Ceremony Stage Greeting Report
■ Date and Time: Friday, September 19th, 9:00 PM – 9:40 PM (Stage greeting after the screening)
■ Location: Shinjuku Piccadilly Theater 1
■ Participants: Houko Kuwashima (Yuki Mori), Makoto Furukawa (Alphon), Megumi Han (Sasha)
Harutoshi Fukui (General Director), Naomichi Yamato (Series Director)
Eriko Nakamura (Moderator, voice of Mikage Kiryu)
After the screening, the speakers were greeted by the still-excited audience. When host Eriko Nakamura asked, “Everyone, what did you think of Chapter 4?” the audience erupted in thunderous applause.
Eriko Nakamura and Keiko Han
The remake series has finally reached its fourth chapter, and Megumi Han, who plays the 17-year old Sasha, greeted the audience with emotion, saying, “It feels like time has flown since the last episode, but I’m finally able to meet you as a 17-year-old. To all the gentlemen and ladies in the audience, Sasha and I are overwhelmed with emotion.”
Kuwashima, who was listening to her words from the side, also commented, “It was deeply moving to see that little Sasha has grown into such a pure, dedicated 17-year-old.”
Regarding her role as Sasha, Han said, “Although she appears as a 17-year-old, her personality still doesn’t reflect her age. I think that’s largely due to the environment she grew up in for the past 17 years. On the other hand, she has a mission she was born with, and when she places too much importance on that mission, she inevitably clashes with others. I was conscious of that delicate side of her when I played her.”
Kuwashima then commented on the day’s stage greeting, saying, “Alphon and Yuki finally appearing on stage together…this is kind of a big deal for me. Maybe it’s a good thing that Ono-kun (who plays Kodai) isn’t here today.” Furukawa, who plays Alphon, laughed and said, “If I had mentioned to Ono-san that I’d be appearing on stage with Kuwashima-san, he would have said, ‘WHAT?!'” which got the audience excited.
Makoto Furukawa
Regarding the character of Alphon, he said, “The scale of the story has expanded even further since the last time, and I think Alphon is acting in a rather mysterious way. I hope you’ll look forward to the coming chapters to find out the true meaning of this, but his principles are basically the same as those of Yamato‘s previous villains; he acts according to what he believes. And one more thing: Alphon is under an incredible amount of stress in this chapter.”
Furthermore, regarding the relationship between Yuki and Alphon, Furukawa analyzed, “I think that for Alphon, he admires the people living on Earth. Of those people, Yuki shines the brightest. While he thinks that he interacts with her as part of the role he’s been given, I think deep down he also wants to be with her.”
Director Naomichi Yamato, showing a look of relief at the completion of Chapter 4, said, “We’ve somehow managed to reach the halfway point. Once again, we’ve been working hard to raise the quality right up until the very last moment so that everyone can enjoy it.” Director Fukui surprised the audience by saying, “We’re at the halfway point in terms of the chapters, but in terms of total calories (from production), we’re probably only about 30% done. It feels like the remaining 70% hasn’t been consumed yet.”
Naomichi Yamato and Harutoshi Fukui
Director Fukui then explained, “I think this is the most ‘mellow’ of the seven chapters. This time, we’re depicting areas that the camera hasn’t really focused on up until now. As an ensemble story, this chapter depicts the flow of people’s hearts. From here on, things will become even more intense. In that sense, this chapter condenses the ‘mellow elements’ that were supposed to be distributed throughout the series,” he said, clarifying the positioning of Chapter 4 in light of future developments.
Meanwhile, Kuwashima began, “There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you. During the recording, I wasn’t really relaxed or nervous, so I didn’t think about it that way, but when I heard Alphon start speaking in Chapter 2, Kodai-kun popped into my head and I was surprised. His voice quality and acting style are similar, so I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve been tricked.’ It seems like they’re trying to make it that way so Yuki doesn’t dislike Alphon. Was that the casting idea in mind from the beginning?”
Houko Kuwashima
Director Fukui’s answer, however, was, “It was a coincidence. I was also surprised when I heard (Furukawa’s voice).” Director Yamato then jokingly added, “Maybe I should have said that I’d planned that,” eliciting a cheer from the audience.
The voice recording for this series has already been completed, but Ono, Furukawa, and Kuwashima were able to record the final episode together. “They both wore black clothes and had the same hairstyle,” Kuwashima said. “It was a really strange feeling to be sandwiched between them, and it was hard to tell who was who,” to which Furukawa replied with a smile, “It was fun. I think we had a great recording session.”
Kuwashima remarked, “Megumi’s Sasha wouldn’t have been as good as she was without her, and Alphon wouldn’t have been Alphon without Furukawa. It was wonderful casting,” to which Director Fukui jokingly replied, “That was a coincidence.” Host Nakamura then added, “So it was fate that brought them together,” to which the other guests nodded in agreement.
When asked about the ending theme song for Chapter 4, Han commented, “When I received the lyrics, I wondered if Yohei Matsui, who wrote them, could see into the future. They were so high-resolution. We were just about to start recording the climax at the time. This song really gave me a lot. I think it’s a wonderful song.”
Fukui spoke of the message he put into the work. “We didn’t expect Chapter 4’s content to fit in so perfectly with the real world,” noting that the series is linked to modern society. “Yamato is a work that has taught us something about the times since the original was made. For example, I don’t think we’ve yet been able to fully grasp the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, but by watching it, we can wonder, ‘Is this what it’s all about?’ ‘If so, what should we be careful of the next time it happens?’ I think being able to learn such things is an important role of fiction.”
The event was finally drawing to a close. When asked for a final message, Han said, “This time, the keys are ‘connections’ and ‘people’s feelings.’ Although it may not be visible to the eye, I believe there are things we humans can feel that will surely connect to the future. We don’t know what fate awaits Yamato in the future, but no matter what, please believe in your feelings and follow us. In the spirit of Wave of Light, I sincerely wish for a relationship between Yamato and all of you.”
Kuwashima added, “We can finally deliver the fourth chapter to you, but there’s still more to come. All the recording is done, but we won’t feel like it’s over until we see the final chapter in its entirety. The journey is still on, so I hope you won’t get tired of it and will come to the theater until the very end.”
Furukawa added, “The story has become even more epic, with various intentions becoming more intricately intertwined. So I think it would be good to watch it again and again and try to digest what it all means. Looking at Chapter 4 from Alphon’s perspective, I thought it was a chapter that vividly showed the brilliance and strength of humanity. This will continue in the future chapters as well, but within that, what kind of story will lie between them and Dezarium, which still has many mysteries, and what mission will each character fulfill? These are points I would like you to pay attention to. I hope you’ll watch until the end.”
Director Yamato added, “I said that this chapter is a mellow one, but compared to the other stories, there’s a lot more art work, and each line of dialogue and situation is more granular, so it will be interesting to see what meaning these will have later on. I hope you’ll savor each scene, enjoy it, and connect it to the next one.”
Finally, General Director Fukui addressed the Yamato fans in the audience, saying, “Something amazing will happen at the end of the next chapter, Chapter 5. In the original Be Forever Yamato, there was a surprising twist called the ‘Warp Dimension’ (where the screen size changed from Vista to Cinemascope and the sound changed from mono to stereo midway through the film). While that’s obviously not possible this time, there will be an equally surprising twist. To enjoy it, I hope you’ll keep the contents of Chapter 4 completely in mind.”
See a 10-minute video clip of the talk show on Youtube here (closed captions and auto-translate ON)
Additional coverage from Mantan Web
Makoto Furukawa, who plays Alphon: Does he look like Susumu Kodai (Daisuke Ono)? Even Houko Kuwashima was surprised
Furukawa backstage, posted by Toy’s Factory
See the original article here
This was the first time Kuwashima and Furukawa appeared together at a Yamato 3199 stage greeting. Kuwashima praised Furukawa’s acting, saying, “I just can’t bring myself to hate Alphon.”
In 3199, Yuki Mori is captured by Alphon. Kuwashima explained the reason for her statement: “When Alphon speaks, I think of Susumu Kodai. Daisuke Ono, who plays Kodai has a similar voice quality and acting style. I was really surprised. They’re in sync.”
General Director Fukui said, “I was surprised when I heard Furukawa’s acting. It sounds similar. What a coincidence,” to which a delighted Furukawa replied, “Thank you!”
Voice recording for 3199 has already finished, and Ono, Kuwashima, and Furukawa all had the opportunity to record together. Kuwashima said, “It felt strange recording with the three of us,” and Furukawa smiled and said, “It was fun!”
Makoto Furukawa passionately states, “I want it to be seen in this era,” while Harutoshi Fukui states, “I never thought it would resonate with the times so well…”
See the original article here
Yamato 3199 is a work that acts as a mirror reflecting society. General Director Fukui revealed the thoughts behind it, saying, “The first Yamato came at the end of World War II and provided an education to prevent war from starting again. Space Battleship Yamato is a work that teaches us something for each era. We haven’t fully processed the pandemic yet. Fiction plays a vital role in helping us reflect on what this was all about and consider what to do next.”
Harutoshi Fukui: “It’s going to be a whirlwind from here on out.” Will the ending of the next chapter be shocking?! “Warp Dimension is impossible, though…”
See the original article here
General Director Fukui said, “We’re halfway through, but only about 30% of the calories have been used up. The remaining 70% haven’t been consumed. Chapter 4 may be the most mellow. It points to places Yamato‘s camera hasn’t pointed before, and depicts the flow of people’s hearts. The mellowness is condensed here. From here on, it’s a whirlwind, like a flood of sound and light.”
The end of Chapter 3 also drew attention when Sasha, played by Megumi Han, appeared as a grown-up character. In the original Be Forever Yamato, Megumi’s mother, Keiko Han, played Sasha. She has now taken over the role from her mother. Keiko appears in the remake series as Mother Dezarium. At this point, the relationship between Sasha and Mother Dezarium is unknown, but Fukui hinted, “We had anticipated having Keiko Han appear. The relationship is the key point.”
Regarding the “rapid” developments, he said, “Something amazing will happen at the end of the next chapter. The Warp Dimension from Be Forever Yamato is impossible, but there will be an equally big surprise.”
Backstage photo posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee
I went to the Chapter 4 Stage Greeting (no spoilers)!
Published on a blog titled Cat in the Sun, by “Elle” (part-time housewife and anime fan). See the original post here.
I didn’t intend to write anything that would constitute spoilers, but if you want to avoid any hints, please be on the safe side.
The voice actors appeared on stage for a talk, but since they touched on a lot of the main story content during their post-screening appearance, I won’t go into detail here.
The main story was interesting. However, when I finished watching it, I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders; it felt much longer than four episodes of a TV anime. It wasn’t depressing or heavy, but rather had a sense of great substance. And above all, the story unfolded in a direction I never expected.
In weather forecasts, there are circles that indicate the area where the center of a typhoon may reach. My impression is that this story doesn’t fit at all into the forecast circles predicted from the original Be Forever or the story up to Chapter 3. With each episode of 3199, I’ve thought, “This is Yamato, but it’s also not Yamato,” but with Chapter 4, I thought, “This kind of story fits into the Yamato vein, too.”
Houko Kuwashima and Keiko Han backstage. Photos posted on Twitter by Aoni Production and Megumi Han
This chapter felt like it resolved several of the mysteries and conflicts from the previous chapters, and added new, bigger ones. I think the elements introduced here will probably start to unfold from Chapter 5 onward. In that sense, I got the impression that the story has reached a turning point, and if we were to compare it to music, it would be like a variation and interlude (including the motifs of the next movement and beyond) being played.
Personally, I felt that this chapter was centered around human drama. Even more than a day after I finished watching it, it was often the human drama scenes that stuck with me and that I remembered (I think this is because I tend to watch films with an emphasis on drama). Chapter 4 is also an ensemble story, with multiple overlapping human dramas. Some of the problems from the previous chapter are resolved while new problems are introduced, but among them there are several characters and lines that really stuck with me. I would like to watch it multiple times once it starts screening and dig deeper.
“That person” still has a captivating presence in the battle scenes, and for me there were some unexpected developments in the mecha. I’m not very knowledgeable about this area, so I’d like to hear the thoughts of more knowledgeable people once it’s released.
At this screening, a trailer for Chapter 5 was shown after the main feature. From the trailer, it seems that Chapter 5 will return to the original Be Forever route, and there were some elements that made me think, “Wow, this is exciting!” I’m sure those elements will unfold in unexpected directions, but I’m looking forward to that too.
I’m hoping that this film will use the structure of Be Forever, which I believe was flawed as a narrative framework, rather than “revisiting what I loved,” to create a “so that’s how it is!” moment. In that sense, I think this is a chapter I’ll watch multiple times to confirm.