Yamato 2202 Report 60, Part 2

Back up to Part 1


Left to right: MC Eriko Nakamura, Koichi Yamadera (Dessler), Houko Kuwashima (Yuki), Director Atsuki Sato, Writer Harutoshi Fukui

June 12: Age of Yamato stage greeting

The movie debuted on a Friday, and those who went to see it Saturday morning at the Shinjuku Piccadilly got a bonus event. Here’s what the media had to say about it…

Koichi Yamadera and Houko Kuwashima join the stage greeting for the screening of Age of Yamato!

Published by Aniverse (see the original article here)

On Saturday, June 12, 2021, a stage greeting ceremony was held at Shinjuku Piccadilly to commemorate Age of Yamato, which began its limited-time theatrical run on Friday, June 11. This film is a special compilation of the Yamato 2199 series and the Yamato 2202 series, reconstructed from a new angle. All 52 episodes are composed in a form similar to a documentary movie with new parts added.

Koichi Yamadera (Abelt Dessler), Director Atsunori Sato, Writer/Supervisor Harutoshi Fukui, and Houko Kuwashima (Yuki Mori), took the stage for the special greeting. The MC was Eriko Nakamura, who plays the role of Mikage Kiryu.

After an introduction, Ms. Nakamura read a comment from Daisuke Ono, who played Susumu Kodai and was unable to attend. He was deeply moved by the fact that he was involved, and that his work would be woven into the history of the series. He said, “We will inherit the great work called Space Battleship Yamato, and I think this is a work that we can hand down to the future.” The venue was filled with loud applause.

After that, the speakers of the day appeared on stage and gave a speech filled with gratitude to the audience, then moved on to the topic of the film. When the production team was asked how they felt, they both said, “Finally,” with a sense of accomplishment that the film was finally released after a year and four months since it was announced.

Mr. Fukui continued, “A lot of things have happened, but I’m glad we were able to show it to you.”

Mr. Sato said, “I believe that a work is not finished until it is delivered to you. I’m glad to see you all here.”

When asked about the production process, Mr. Fukui said that he had originally been asked to make a compilation of 2202, and that the purpose of making it was “a chance to develop new customers.” He said, “For the generation that doesn’t know anything about Yamato, I wanted to convey to them that the story is a continuation of the world they know, and I wanted to have the feelings of the characters be told through Mr. Sanada so that the 52 episodes, which is a huge story, would not be boring.”

The two cast members were asked for their impressions after watching the completed film.

Ms. Kuwashima said, “I was struck by the novel idea of reconstructing Yamato through Sanada-san’s narration, not Kodai or Yuki. I am once again grateful to be involved in such a great work.”

Mr. Yamadera said, “I feel like I watched an amazing documentary. But when I think about it, I haven’t done anything for this work, so I wonder if I should be here. Maybe Yoshitada Otsuka [Sanada] or Miyuki Sawashiro [narrator] should have come instead.”

While inviting the audience to laugh, he also expressed the charm of this work by saying that there was a new discovery of reality through Sanada.

In response to the word “reality,” Ms. Nakamura nodded in agreement and said, “The very beginning of (Yamato’s) chronology overlaps with our history, and it’s not fiction. We are always pulled into Yamato‘s world. I strongly felt that this is where the border lies between reality and fiction.

Toward the end of the greeting, they talked about Yamato 2205 which was announced on this same day. Mr. Yamadera said that he had already put the new visual on his cell phone, and although his phone malfunctioned when he tried to show it to the audience, he still managed to get it working. He was pleased that Dessler was depicted in the main image.

At the end of the speech, the four speakers gave messages to the audience.

Houko Kuwashima: “I’m really happy to be here today, and I’d like to thank you for coming. There are still more screenings to come, so I hope that Yamato will reach as many people as possible. Please look forward to 2205 as well.”

Koichi Yamadera: “I’ve seen this film many times, and it’s full of great messages. I think Sanada’s story at the end contains a lot of things that are necessary in this day and age, so I hope you’ll watch it again and again. Thank you very much for your time today.”

Atsuki Sato: “Although the theater was closed a week ago and only half of the seats were occupied, the fact that so many people came to see the film is the best thing that could have happened to me as someone who works in this industry. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I think you will be able to see a lot of different films in theaters. I hope you will love the film. Thank you for coming today.”

Harutoshi Fukui: “If you’ve seen it, you may have some idea of what I’m talking about; this film is not a compilation of everything that’s happened so far, but rather a new starting line. From here, there will be 2205, and maybe even beyond.”

“The remake Yamato series is going to be a big story. This may be the path that the original Yamato tried and failed to take. It may be a completely different path. I’m hoping that I can give the answers to the problems I’ve raised so far and tell a story that concludes this epic.”

“In order to do that, we need as many people as possible to start watching. This will determine the scale of the next product to be made. I would like you all to do your best as salespeople to show this to as many people as possible who have not yet seen it. Thank you very much for your time today.”

Additional details reported by AV Watch:

First, the topic of Age of Yamato was discussed.

MC Nakamura said, “In addition to 2202, it includes 2199 and our world history before that. How did you come up with such a structure?”

Fukui replied, “I wanted to show people who have never seen the series that the world of the film is connected to our own. It’s not just about following the 52 episodes of 2199 and 2202. I wanted to create a new kind of story from the perspective of individual characters.”

Houko Kuwashima said, “I was drawn in by the novel setting of the story, which is told from Sanada’s point of view, not Susumu Kodai’s or Yuki Mori’s. I am grateful to have been involved in such a great work.”

Koichi Yamadera expressed his surprise: “I feel like I just saw an amazing documentary. I felt so much reality that I wondered if such a fake animation documentary had ever been done before.


Houku Kuwashima backstage afterward

In the latter half, the topic shifted to Yamato 2205, for which teaser visuals and other information had just been released.

Fukui said, “The other day, we finished Mr. Yamadera’s voice recording. It became a work that really touched my heart.”

He also talked about the teaser visual with Dessler as the main character: “It’s not an exaggeration to say that 2205 is a work co-starring Kodai and Dessler. I am very excited about the history of the Yamato series and the story that will unfold as it continues to expand.”

Everyone concluded with their final comments to the audience:

Houko Kuwashima (Yuki Mori): “I’m really happy to be here today. There are still a few more screenings to go, so I hope that Yamato will reach as many people as possible. And please keep your eyes on 2205. There are many new crew members, and a new wind is blowing. I’d like to keep an eye on Yuki.”

Koichi Yamadera (Abelt Dessler): “Thank you very much for coming here today. I’ve seen the film many times, but Sanada’s narration at the end is full of important things for the current era. I would like to recommend this work to those who are new to Yamato, and to as many people as possible.”

Director Atsuki Sato: “I was deeply moved by the fact that there were people in a theater that was closed until recently. I believe that a work of art can only come to fruition when it is viewed by everyone. I hope you will love this film as well as the other films.”

Writer Harutoshi Fukui: “This work is more like a new starting line than a compilation of the past works. The remake Yamato series will continue as a grand story. If you watch this work, you can enjoy 2205 to the fullest. I hope you will spread the word to as many people as possible. I look forward to seeing you again at the screening of 2205 with a packed house.”


Backstage after the show. Photo posted on Twitter
by the Yamato Production Committee.

A few more details from Cinema Today:

Koichi Yamadera said, “I feel like I watched an amazing documentary. A person playing a role is always concerned about how much of his work is used (in a compilation film), and some may even resent not getting a scene in at all. This is the first time Dessler’s past has been depicted in the story. I was wondering what I would do if I’d gotten shot.” (Laughs)

Harutoshi Fukui talked about voice recording for Yamato 2205: “The day before yesterday, Yamadera-san’s part was finished. It made me cry.”

Yamadera added, “I put so much energy into it that my back felt like it was going to break.”

Fukui replied, “That’s how passionate your performance was.”


See the event on Youtube here (15 minutes)

See Koichi Yamadera’s “cell phone accident” here

June 16: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 125

The parts in this volume gave builders the first of the four gravity spreaders, attached to last week’s segment. This was the 15th volume for Andromeda, theoretically getting everyone to 25% of the total build. At the moment it seems hopelessly optimistic that Hachette can get it all out in 60, but the jury is still out.

See Hachette’s instruction video here

See an unboxing video here

See a modeler’s blog here

June 17: Yamato 2202 pachinko game promotion

Before the month was out, Yamato would re-enter the realm of pachinko games after a short break. This was the first day the 2202 game (co-produced by Bitsy and Fields) was promoted for its June 28 release, and fans posted some of the advertising on Twitter.

There was also a 25-minute demo video, which can be seen on Youtube here.

June 18: Shinya Takahashi on Yahoo Japan Auctions

He’s back! Sasha’s original character designer returned to offer two new originals for sale on Yahoo Japan. See his previous offerings here (2020) and here (2021).

June 21: Siena Wind Orchestra “Don’t Let Corona Win!” Project

The Siena Wind Orchestra regularly performs in Yamato concerts under the baton of Akira Miyagawa. Or at least they DID before the pandemic began. Faced with flagging funds ever since, they took to the internet to ask their supporters for help. Several incentives were offered at different tiers, and the “Yamato Support” tier had a very special reward indeed: a streamed video of an upcoming Space Battleship Yamato Festival concert (and a program book) for about $100. Regrettably, the offer was limited to donors within Japan.

The good news is that (as of July 4) over 130 supporters signed up for this perk, and the orchestra was well past its initial goal of about $10,000.

June 23: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 126

This volume continued construction around the same segment as the last one, adding another gravity spreader on the opposite side. To gauge which part of the ship we’re talking about, it’s the hull portion right in front of the lateral fins.

See Hachette’s instruction video here

See an unboxing video here

See a modeler’s blog here

June 25: Promotional Meeting of 2021, Part 3

With Age of Yamato starting its third week in theaters, the production committee came up with a doozy of a bonus to get butts back in seats: an actual preview of Yamato 2205 showing more than six minutes of footage, up to the opening title.

They also unleashed the third episode in this video series, which brought the gang back for the first extended conversation about 2205. Read all about it in our first 2205 report, linked at the end of this page.

June 26: Kia Asamiya on Twitter

Mr. Asamiya was back again with a peek at some artwork from his personal archive. He shared eight of his rough drawings from Yamato 2199, including a few from the end credit rolls.

See them all here

June 27: Yamato & Villains concert premiere, Osaka

After the interminable pandemic, it must have been a transcendent moment when the lights dimmed and the opening strains of that most excellent theme song filled the concert hall.

This all-new concert program conducted by Akira Miyagawa brought back plenty of old favorites and a few new ones, pieces devoted to the villains of the saga. This included the White Comet theme on an actual pipe organ and the first-ever live performance of the Goruba theme for the first time in Yamato history.

Attendees shared what they could of the experience on Twitter, but no words could convey it all.

“The Symphony Hall is the best place for Shion and Yamato. I was overwhelmed by the power of the pipe organ when I heard it live.” -uhaccess00

“It was the best. There were many arrangements that I heard for the first time, and I was fascinated by the overwhelming power of the sound. In addition to the maestro’s commands, the enthusiastic performance of his piano and keyboard were also the best! It was really good to go.” -Mat Hama (photos above)

“It was a wonderful performance at the Yamato Festival! I want to hear more, two hours isn’t enough.” -RC2ZC6VAB (photo above)

“I left the hall feeling like I was surrounded by a storm. Tears from the first song onward… It goes without saying that Yamato‘s music is good, but the raw sound echoes straight into my heart. Thank you for holding such a concert during the Corona tragedy. Thank you for the wonderful music!” -Neko Buriko

“Thank you for the Yamato Festival with Osaka Shion. It was wild and deep with rock and contemporary songs. Here’s a photo I personally like.” [from rehearsal, above left] -Chiko Miyagawa (Akira’s daughter, pianist)


Photos posted on Twitter by Seseri pachi7 and Jugonslot

June 28: Yamato 2202 pachinko game rollout

This was the first day for the Yamato 2202 pachinko game, and fans posted photos from wherever they could find it. These games are inaccessible to us, of course, but they always come with interesting designs and artwork.


Photo posted by KEIZkonan


Promotional art


More promotional art

See the game’s official website here (click the green button for a 30-second video)

See more demo videos on Youtube here (10 minutes) and here (30 minutes)

June 30: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 127

By their nature, all symmetrical model kits have repetition in their assembly. After one side is done, you flip to the other side and repeat. Thus, the process for the forward section began again with the last volume for June.

See Hachette’s instruction video here

See an unboxing video here

See a modeler’s blog here


Also spotted in June

Fan art

June brought us some terrific art from both sides of the divide. See a character gallery here and a mecha gallery here.

Fan models

Modelers had more reasons to leave their homes in June, so the overall output dipped just a bit. But it was still an insane number in all categories from weird to wonderful. See them here: Gallery A | Gallery B

On guard

The 3-meter Andromeda model went on display in the Shijuku Piccadilly’s lobby back in December in anticipation of a January premiere for Age of Yamato. When everything shut down instead, it remained on guard for the day when the lights came back on. It was still there on June 3, as reported by the Yamato Production Committee

…and it remained in place for at least another two weeks as shown in this photo from June 18 by Aoi2199. Incidentally, the giant image on the staircase was for the latest Gundam movie, Hathaway’s Flash. This marked the first time in history that you could see a new Yamato movie and a new Gundam movie on the same day.




Snapshot from the past

This was a nice reminder that Yamato movie premieres have always involved oversized promotion. On June 20, trainspotter Shallow Iron posted this photo on Twitter, showing a decked-out commuter train from all the way back in 1980.

Caption: “The movie Be Forever Yamato was released on a weekend, so the Space Battleship Yamato-Go was driven through Shibuya Station.”

See more pics and relive that whole exciting summer here.


Continue to Report 61

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