In a welcome surprise, activity in August doubled over the slow month of July, bringing us more summer music events and news from multiple fronts, the most exciting of which is a return of the classics to the big screen. Let’s dive right in and see what happened.
July to October: The World of Takashi Yamazaki, Film Director
Our first entry for the month of August actually sneaks up on us from July; specifically July 15, when an intriguing exhibit opened at the Matsumoto City Museum of Art. Takashi Yamazaki is a name Yamato fans should recognize; he was the director and VFX supervisor for the live-action Yamato movie (2010), and he has a list of other impressive films under his belt, such as the Always Sunset on 3rd Street trilogy, The Eternal Zero, The Great War of Archimedes, and the forthcoming Godzilla Minus One.
Thankfully, a handful of Yamato artifacts was included in the exhibit, and thanks to a couple of Twitter posts, we can get a look at them without a plane ticket. See a short photo collection here.
Find more photos on Twitter here.
The exhibit is open through the end of October. See the official website here. It includes the following English description:
Matsumoto native Director Takashi Yamazaki (born 1964) makes masterful use of visual effects in such films as Always: Sunset on Third Street, Space Battleship Yamato, The Eternal Zero, and Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura. He is known for images so detailed it hardly seems possible they’re digitally composited, and he has garnered high praise in the field of 3DCG animation for his works as co-director on the Stand by Me Doraemon series.
He also writes the scripts for many of his films, his directing prowess doesn’t disappoint fans of the original works, and he has been making highly entertaining movies that touch the hearts of the Japanese people.
This exhibition introduces the world of images Takashi Yamazaki has created not only through storyboards and design sketches, model miniatures crafted for filmmaking, and costumes for the performers, but also through the process of digital compositing and completed films. Come enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at movie-making on everything from his directorial debut Juvenile to his latest work.
August 2: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 228
Hachette’s first Hyuga volume (of five) for the month of August started with the very unsexy “floor” of the display stand. Two flat panels were bolted together and little rubber “feet” were added to keep them stable on a tabletop. It was almost like taking a week off.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See an unboxing video (for 228 & 229) here
See a modeler’s blog here
August 5: Akiba Souken poll
On this day, another fan-run poll at the Akiba Souken website closed with 249 answers to the following question: What’s your favorite mecha from Farewell to Yamato? The results were as follows…
(1) Yamato, 67 votes
(2) Cosmo Tiger II, single seat version, 42 votes (3) Cosmo Tiger II, 3-seat version, 18 votes
(4) Comet Empire Destroyer, 15 votes (5) Andromeda, 14 votes (6) Cosmo Tiger II, orange coloring, 12 votes
(7) Dessler’s Battleship, 10 votes (8) EDF Patrol ship, 8 votes (9) EDF Main Battleship, 8 votes
(10) Zordar’s Giant Battleship, 7 votes (11) EDF Destroyer, 6 votes (12) Analyzer, 4 votes (13) Eater II, 4 votes
Tied at 3 votes each: (14) EDF Landing Craft (15) EDF Cruiser (16) EDF Escort Ship (17) Gatlantis City Empire
Tied at 2 votes each: (18) Deathvertator (19) Comet Empire Missile Ship (20) Multiple Warhead gun (21) Comet Empire Command Tank (22) EDF Lifeboat, large (23) EDF Lifeboat, small (24) Comet Empire Mid-size Carrier
Tied at 1 vote each: (25) Earth Tube Car (26) Comet Empire Paranoia fighter (27) Comet Empire Large Battleship (28) Comet Empire Battle Tank (29) Comet Empire Submarine (30) Comet Empire Large Carrier (31) Earth Transport Ship (32) Comet Empire Ground Fighter
See the original post here.
August 6: Yamato & Villains concert, Nagano
Akira Miyagawa and the Siena Wind Orchestra racked up another great performance together when they revisited the Yamato & Villains concert at the Nagano City Arts Center. As a reminder, this is the first Yamato concert to include music from all three of the remake stories. It remains the only program to include live 2205 music (for now).
You can still watch a recording of the first half from the inaugural July 2021 concert here.
August 9: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 229
The second Hyuga volume of the month was a followup to the first with the remaining “floor” segment and the battery compartment to be installed in the display pedestal. This was another one you could pass off to your eager assistant.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See a modeler’s blog here
August 10: Mandarake Zenbu #117
Mandarake (pronounced Mon-da-RA-kay) is a legendary chain of stores in Japan, the deepest vault you can find for second-hand products for anime, manga, and all things that share their orbit. (Find out for yourself at their website here, and click on “Earth” for the English version.) Zenbu is their monthly catalog of auction items, which all by itself is a fantastic way to immerse yourself into the world of collectibles and almost as much fun to browse as the stores themselves.
Mandarake often publishes “themed” issues of Zenbu, as well; the October 2019 edition had a huge Yamato section, as you can see here. This month’s volume was essentially a tribute to the late great Leiji Matsumoto with all the chain’s Matsumoto-related products pooled into one place.
The catalog runs over 660 pages, and around 300 of them are packed full of merch from all over the Leijiverse: products in multiple categories from Yamato, Galaxy Express, Captain Harlock, and many others. This auction event was significant enough for the Akihabara store to customize itself for window shoppers as seen in the photo below.
Photo posted on Twitter by keiichifukuoka
And, of course, all the products up for auction could be viewed in showcases at every participating store. These mouth-watering (possibly eye-watering) photos were posted on Twitter by GTO.
Photos posted on Twitter by temasa2199 and kiyo1205
August 11-12: Comiket 102
The biggest comic-centered convention on Earth reconvened again for its summer 2023 session, and Yamato fans were there with their latest doujinshis for sale, all regular participants at the biannual Yamaket.
Photos posted on Twitter by chihiroo2202
It’s not known if these were the only Yamato fans to be found (there were probably others), but no other photos were located for this report. All it takes is one to keep the flame lit.
August 12: Shinya Takahashi auctions
Animator/Character Designer Shinya Takahashi put four new watercolor paintings up for sale at Yahoo Japan Auctions in August, reminding the world that he is responsible for one of the Yamato saga’s most popular characters.
See all of Takahashi’s works for 2023 here.
Photos posted on Twitter by mekamiyaph
August 13: AJF 2023 concert
Who do you suppose took the stage to close out the Anime Japan Fes concert? None other than Isao Sasaki, who fulfilled his now-traditional role of leading both the audience and all the artists on stage in a group rendition of the Yamato theme to end the show. Sasaki has been making noise about retirement lately, but he obviously hasn’t crossed that line yet.
August 16: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 230
The 60th volume of Hachette’s Hyuga series returned to the body of the ship itself with the first piece of its internal hangar section. It began with the assembly of a box-like structure, and this volume delivered the first “side” of the box with its respective wiring.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See an unboxing video here
See a modeler’s blog here
August 17: Anniversary news
It’s no secret that Yamato‘s 50th anniversary is on the horizon, just over a year away at the time this report was published. On this day, we got the first news of how that magnificent milestone will be commemorated.
First, there will be three Youtube specials dedicated to Space Battleship Yamato in a series that also commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bandai’s video label, Emotion. Part 1, titled What Can You Ask Me Q&A was posted on September 8 and can be seen here.
Part 2, Space Battleship Yamato Quick Manual, will be added September 22 and Part 3, How to Board Space Battleship Yamato, will follow on the 49th anniversary date of October 6. The panel will include 2205 Scriptwriter Hideki Oka, and Tasuku Hatanaka (the voice of Ryusuke Domon).
Next up, every TV episode of the original Yamato saga will get to shine all over again, exclusively on Japan’s BS10 Star Channel. Series 1 (the HD remastered version) will begin September 18. The standard-def versions of Yamato 2 and Yamato III will follow in October and November.
There was also some movie news, which is kind of a big deal. So keep reading…
August 22: Game news
A major update rolled out on this day for the Yamato browser-sim game Voyage to the Future to strengthen the authenticity of the gameplay and allow users to win prizes.
This sort of news seems of limited value to those of us outside Japan until you remember that an English version of the game is also available (titled Voyagers of Tomorrow) and can be found here.
See a review of the game on Youtube here.
August 23: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 231
The second part of the hangar section “box” was the floor, and this volume allowed builders to attach the first side along with some detail work. The colored strip along one edge isn’t circuitry, it’s a series of caution stripes provided as stickers. On past models, such decor would have been printed onto the plastic. Hopefully Hachette chose an adhesive that will age well.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See an unboxing video here
See a modeler’s blog here
August 23: Sarah Alainn concert
Sarah Alainn is a classically-trained vocalist and violinist who tours with a variety of musicians on a busy schedule that takes her all over Japan. On the 23rd, she and her quintet landed at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan for her “Time to Say Goodbye” program. How does this relate to Yamato? The one she’s saying “goodbye” to is none other than Leiji Matsumoto, which she does through performances of the famous Infinite Universe ballad from Yamato and songs from both Galaxy Express 999 and Queen Millennia.
See her perform these songs on Youtube here.
Visit Sarah Alainn’s official website here.
August 25: Movie news
And now the news that rocked the month: starting today, you could buy a movie ticket to see Space Battleship Yamato (1977) and Farewell to Yamato (1978) in theaters. In this century. In 4K.
Before now, only Farewell had received a 4K upgrade, and it was only shown once in a very limited screening in 2019. But with Yamato‘s golden anniversary on the way, the first film was given the same treatment and now both are heading into theaters on December 8 and January 5 respectively. Here’s the official word about the production:
The 4K remastering of the film has brought the passion that resides deep within the material to a much clearer level. It is as if a cry of the soul is coming to the forefront. We hope you will experience the “excitement of the origin” in theaters with a power that is on a different level from that of today’s digital animation!
Remastering Concept
Return everything to its original form. No unnecessary processing. We will simply polish the images and sounds that were created at the time. This is the ground rule of the 4K remastering process that brings the original Space Battleship Yamato back to life in the modern age.
Sound
Monaural audio was used for the first release. Newly-discovered “master magnetic recording material” was used to further improve the dynamic range and sound quality.
Video
The original negatives, which had been cut up and scattered throughout history, were unearthed and restored, and recorded in 4K size. Any damage or minor defects in the negatives was thoroughly removed. The fresh colors of the “original version” of Yamato shot on 35mm film are once again brought into relief. The remastering work was done by the elite staff of IMAGIC Entertainment Media Service, which boasts the best technology in Japan.
Whether you know the story of the original Yamato or not, we hope you will enjoy this historical masterpiece reborn in its original form on the big screen in theaters.
Photo posted on Twitter by minegi4k
This news was accompanied by a new flyer in movie theaters with both poster images on the outside and information in a foldout on the inside. The fan who posted this photo said, “This is a reality in 2023! A classic, not a remake. The efforts of all the staff and cast, my friends regardless of age, and above all everyone involved in realizing this 4K project, which must have been difficult, is enough to hit my whole body. I want to give thanks.”
Photo posted on Twitter by AnalyzerAU09
That led to eyebrow-raising sights like this one, the original flyer image from 1977 parked alongside the latest film announcements.
Photo posted on Twitter by kurousu_ymt
Those who bought advance tickets online received vintage-style posters for each film. The fan who posted this photo said, “I can’t believe the day will come when I can see these two works on a big screen. I want to tell myself as a kid, when I was watching Farewell on TV alone, that you can see it on the screen when you grow up. Also, there are many wonderful encounters waiting for you thanks to Yamato.”
Right now you might be thinking, “Well, that’s fine for people living in Japan, but what are the rest of us poor slobs supposed to do about it?” And here’s the answer…
Buy ’em on Blu-ray! The first goes on sale February 28 and the second on March 27. Preorder them at these links:
It wouldn’t be Japan if there wasn’t also a more expensive limited edition with amazing bonus items, and they are available at the Yamato Crew website. But as we know, Yamato Crew doesn’t ship overseas, so you’ll need a friend in Japan to handle this for you.
The Yamato movie comes with a voice recording script, and Farewell comes with the complete storyboard in a 500-page book. This is the real gem, since until now, it was only available as a digital version on the previous Farewell Blu-ray.
Yamato LE at Yamato Crew (releases December 15)
Farewell LE at Yamato Crew (releases January 12)
If you’re wondering if this is really all worth it, click here to see the promo video for both films (narrated by Dessler’s original voice actor, Masato Ibu). You have to see the remastering with your own eyes to believe it.
There’s one more surprise in this box of wonders that should not get lost in the shuffle. Just before the first premiere date, the TV Series 1 Blu-ray box from 2012 is going to be reissued on November 22. This is the highest-quality edition that has ever been released, looking better than any broadcast ever could, with a 36-page bonus book and a few audio upgrades. Read more about it here.
Preorder it from Amazon.co.jp here
Preorder it from CD Japan here
August 28: 50th Anniversary Osechi
Osechi is a traditional New Year’s feast with a wide variety of seafood decoratively arranged in a 3-tiered box. Each piece has its own special meaning, and the entire package can be very ornate. To commemorate the approaching 50th anniversary, Takashimaya’s online store is offering a Yamato-themed Osechi for New Year’s parties, complete with a Yamato-themed box cover and wrapping cloth.
Reservations are being taken through November 4. Naturally, this offer is for Japan only.
See more product photos here.
See more info at Takashimaya’s website here.
August 30: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 232
Hachette’s last Hyuga volume for August brought no great surprises; just the opposite side of the hangar box, a mirror of the first with the same electronics. The oblong “window” on each side is a lamp for internal illumination. This was the 62nd volume, with 18 more to go.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See an unboxing video here
See a modeler’s blog here
Also spotted in August
Fan art
The fan art published online in August was simply superb with stunning art in both categories. Some character art commemorated the birthday of Mamoru Kodai and the mecha art always rises to new heights. See the character gallery here and the mecha gallery here.
Fan models
The best descriptor for August’s output was, as these pictures suggest, “prodigious.” See the latest works in these three galleries: Earth mecha | Other mecha | More pics from Wonderfest
Fan Artist Profile
Time to meet another of the talented and dedicated Yamato fans who delivers some of the amazing artwork we see here in the character galleries month after month. (Hot tip: enter the words “character fan art” or “mecha fan art” in the search bar to bring all the galleries to the top.)
Shinba-San
1. What was your first Yamato experience?
I was in junior high school for the 1974 version. There was a rerun in the evening and I would come home that day to make sure I made it.
2. What is your favorite aspect of Yamato?
Beautiful and powerful images and music, fascinating characters and sophisticated mechanical design. The story is about fighting aliens in space, but I was struck by the human drama that unfolded.
3. Are you a Yamato collector?
I don’t have enough goods to call myself a collector. I have a collection of manga, novels and other books, videos, CDs, etc.
4. What is your most treasured Yamato item?
A collection of animation drawings. No matter how many times I look back at them, they are fresh and inspiring.
5. What are your favorite drawing tools?
Pencils and colored pencils. I also use watercolors.
6. Where can your work be seen?
I mainly use Pixiv, but recently I also use Twitter.
7. Does your family share your hobby?
We have different interests, but we share our favorite works by looking at and talking about them and drawing illustrations.
8. Please tell us something about your life outside your art.
I am deeply grateful to those who allowed me to have many encounters and experiences through various pieces of music and several journeys, even though they are now deceased.
9. Are you involved in Yamato activities with other fans?
I am an occasional contributor, but I have not been active in a circle. I generally participate in events such as Yamaket.
10. What do you hope to see in a future Yamato anime?
I would like the story to be based on original outlines, but I believe that changes are necessary to match the current times. If possible, I would like to see the continuation of the Resurrection Director’s Cut version. I strongly request a film that will endure in the next generation.
11. What is your favorite anime after Yamato?
There is no “next favorite anime” that stands out from the rest.
12. What would you like to say to Yamato fans around the world?
It has been half a century since the release of the original. Please continue to enjoy and support Yamato in the future.
13. What should everyone know about Japan and its people?
Japan is an island nation, and I believe that people have always valued harmony within its limited land area. There are unique cultures and ways of thinking born in this environment, and I’m sure there are parts of other cultures and religions that we don’t fully understand. However, I have a great deal of interest and desire to learn more about them. I believe this is a country of people who sincerely wish for a peaceful world without warfare.
Yamatunes for August
Click here
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Finally, Youtuber “Tabris Iskandall” has a whole library of Yamato covers performed on synthesizer, from both the originals and the remakes. Find them all here.