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Yoshinobu Nishizaki, Space Battleship Yamato Producer
This is how I want to make a sequel to Yamato
Interviewer: Space Battleship Yamato became an unprecedented hit not only as an anime, but also as a theatrical movie. Naturally, I think there are calls for a sequel from both fans and TV stations.
Nishizaki: Yes, I’ve already received many letters from fans. They want a sequel, and they want to know what happens to Kodai and Yuki Mori. Also, TV stations, agencies, and movie studios have definitely been asking us to make a sequel to Space Battleship Yamato because it was such a big hit.
Interviewer: What is your response to those requests?
Nishizaki: Of course, I’m confident that if we make a sequel and release it on TV or in theaters, it will be a big hit. However, that alone is not enough to start.
Interviewer: Please tell us a little more about that.
Nishizaki: Well, first of all, I have to talk about Space Battleship Yamato. Yamato is a drama of human development. In other words, the story is about people in an extreme situation, such as Susumu Kodai, Yuki Mori, and Juzo Okita, all of whom have only one year left before the destruction of Earth. Kodai, in particular, gradually grows from his brother’s death in battle, from antipathy to respect for Okita, and from his growing love for Yuki Mori. He grows stronger and stronger as a human being.
I am proud to say that Yamato is not just a space opera. Therefore, in the sequel, I would like to continue working with a well-developed theme.
Interviewer: I understand very well. It must be difficult for you as a producer to face the pressure of fans. By the way, we started with the sequel, but could you say something about working on Yamato?
Nishizaki: Well, I think I’m blessed to have such a good staff. First of all, it took me a lot of time to create the sci-fi and story concepts, which is unimaginable nowadays. And then, we had first-rate staff members such as Eiichi Yamamoto, Aritsune Toyota, Keisuke Fujikawa, Arashi Ishizu, and so on. We started with a discussion of this and that, and gradually came to a point where we were able to create something similar to Yamato. I still have all the memos and documents from those discussions. Even looking at them now, I think they’re interesting and valuable.
So, the original proposal and the actual Yamato that was made into a TV program are quite different. However, the basic theme, “Humanity is love,” was already there as an unshakeable concept.
Furthermore, when the TV broadcast was decided, we asked Leiji Matsumoto to appear as a director. The specific story was created mainly by Mr. Matsumoto, which was then adapted into a script by Mr. Fujikawa. I think this, along with the human drama created by Eiichi Yamamoto, is where Yamato decisively became a hit.
In addition, Mr. Matsumoto’s role as designer of the main characters, the mechanics, and other science fiction ideas was also significant. And finally, it goes without saying what a wonderful role Hiroshi Miyagawa’s music played.
Interviewer: On behalf of our readers, I hope that the sequel will be realized and placed in front of the fans as soon as possible.