October 2023 gave us a nice uptick over the activity of September with product announcements, live events, reruns on TV, a big screen revival, and more. Here’s what held everyone’s attention as Yamato reached its 49th anniversary on Planet Earth.
October 1: Anime music concert
What better way is there to start a month than with live Yamato music in concert? Fans got that chance at a performance of the Shimizu Philharmonic called Enjoy Anime Music With Orchestra, held at Marinart Hall, Shizuoka. The playlist included Ghibli and Disney titles with the Yamato theme as the heavy hitter.
October 1: Kantai collection reissues announced
Originally released in 2017 by Bandai Premium, these finely-crafted 1/2000 Yamato and Andromeda miniatures are set to be reissued in December and January respectively. Preorders opened on this day. Each comes with a mirrored display stand as shown above.
See more photos here
October 4: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 237
Hachette’s first Hyuga volume for October gave modelers some big moves. Attaching stabilizer fins to the lower stern allowed for all interior fibers and wires to be connected up and then covered by the “hangar box” that had been assembled over the last few weeks.
This photo, posted on Twitter by Sousui, gives us a bird’s eye view of progress so far. The remaining volumes are set to deliver more internal pieces, various aircraft, and the flight deck itself.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See an unboxing video here
See a modeler’s blog here
October 6: Series 1 Blu-ray promotion
The first Yamato series debuted exactly 49 years ago on this day, and Bandai Emotion marked it with a new commercial for the reissue of a Blu-ray box set originally released in July 2012 (read more about it here). Set for release on November 22, it is absolutely the best version you can buy.
See the commercial here
Order it from Amazon.co.jp here or CD Japan here
October 6: Emotion 40th Anniversary Youtube special, Ep. 6 part 3
The final part of the 6th episode of this Youtube series (commemorating the 40th anniversary of Bandai’s Emotion video label) landed on the 49th anniversary with an episode titled More Trivia! How to get into Yamato. The hosts welcomed back Scriptwriter Hideki Oka and Domon’s voice actor Tasuku Hatanaka for a deep-dive into Yamato lore.
See it on Youtube here
Find all current episodes of the anniversary video series here
October 8: Okayama Hobby Festa
Hobby show season continued with the return of this annual event in Okayama prefecture. And wherever hobby shows appear, you can depend on a Yamato presence.
See more photos from the day here
Join the Facebook group here
Visit the Twitter page here
October 10: Movie promotion
On this day, history repeated itself when advance tickets went on sale to see the Space Battleship Yamato movie in theaters starting December 8. That’s the ORIGINAL 1977 Space Battleship Yamato movie, now remastered in 4K and ready for fresh eyeballs (see Report 26 for details).
Click here to see the promotional trailer (narrated by Masato [Dessler] Ibu) at the Midland Square Cinema website
October 11-15: Kio Edamatsu art exhibition
Kio “Edakio” Edamatsu has been very outspoken about his time as a designer and animator on the Yamato remakes, more active on social media than any other staff member. His third art exhibition opened on this day, presenting his design work from Yamato 2205, Mobile Suit Gundam~the Witch from Mercury, and others.
He described it thusly: The setting design of animation is a job that connects people, taking an image created in someone’s mind and giving it shape so that someone else can draw it. Through exhibits and explanations, I hope to introduce the interesting aspects of creating animation that I have seen in the course of my work, as well as the fun that is unexpectedly created through chemical reactions between people.
Follow “Edakio” on Twitter here
October 11: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 238
The second volume for October was simpler than the first, focusing on the area forward of the interior hangar box. Bracing beams were attached across the open cavity and master wiring was secured to anchor points for distribution to the aft section.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See an unboxing video here
See a modeler’s blog here
October 13: Shinya Takahashi on Yahoo Japan Auctions
Character Designer Shinya Takahashi, best known to fans for his work on Be Forever, Yamato III, and Final Yamato, emerged with six new character paintings in October.
He posted four for sale at Yahoo Japan on the 13th and two more on the 20th, all featuring Sasha and Miyuki Kodai from Yamato Resurrection.
See larger versions here
October 13: Hideaki Anno speaks
Anime director/auteur Hideaki Anno celebrated Yamato‘s 49th anniversary a week later than most others when he released the following message online:
49 years ago, on my way home from cram school, I happened to come across a second-hand bookstore on Kotoshiba Street and encountered the two-color special edition of Shonen Sunday [containing an early Yamato article; see it here]. I also encountered the first serialization in Bouken Oh by Matsumoto-sensei, which I found and bought at my favorite Ishikawa bookstore on Kosan-dori. The shock of these encounters made me give up watching Monkey Army, which was a competing program, and tune into the second episode of Yamato 49 years ago today at this hour. I saw it for the first time on a black and white TV (which my parents didn’t throw away because it was still good).
If it had not been for that encounter with Space Battleship Yamato at that time, I don’t think I would be where I am today. The coolness of the opening visual and the song that started right after it! I was numbed by the rising of the main title, and gripped by the movement of Yamato as the camera pulled away from the captain’s quarters directly connected to it. It grabbed my heart and I still feel that way to this day.
I regretted so much that I had missed the first episode. (I had no choice but to sacrifice watching Great Mazinger by intentionally shifting my cram school time so I could run back to my apartment the moment class was over.) I always sat in front of the TV at 7:30pm on Sundays. I vividly remember the shock of the first episode, which I finally got to see when it was rerun, which I had been craving for.
Once again, I feel that 49 years ago today was the time when my life was decided. I posted this to express my personal appreciation for the epochal work Space Battleship Yamato.
A big fan of Yamato for 49 years, since the 2nd year of junior high school.
– Hideaki Anno
October 18: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 239
This week, new parts arrived for Hyuga‘s interior hangar section to fill up the little niches in the deck surface. Also on hand were parts for the front half of the remote control, arriving much earlier than expected.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See an unboxing video for 239 & 240 here
See a modeler’s blog here
Photo posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee
October 21: Be Forever Yamato screening at Fukuyanime 6
Big screen revival of Be Forever Yamato, complete with the Warp Dimension effect? Yes, please!
That’s what awaited fans at the 6th annual Fukuyanime convention in Fukuya Japan. The film was screened exactly as audiences saw it in 1980, hosted by remake writers Harutoshi Fukui and Hideki Oka. This audience was also treated to a new Yamato 3199 promo video and told to expect more news online November 14.
It turned out to be a substantial collection of new mecha designs, which can be seen here. The next day, some new character designs were posted here.
Oka and Fukui in the lobby, photos posted on Twitter by the Production Committee
Fan reactions (from Twitter):
The time has come for one of my dreams to come true again! To watch Be Forever on the big screen for the first time. – S Meijin
Photo posted on Twitter by Aoi2199
I’m glad I convinced my family to come see Be Forever at Fukuyanime. I heard various stories from various people!! I’m glad I still like Yamato!! – hamachan2001
For the special screening of Be Forever, apparently a blackout curtain that was thought to have been discarded was found, and the Warp Dimension was hurriedly recreated! Thank you to everyone involved! – Roward
Yamato decor at a local restaurant, photo posted on Twitter by the Production Committee
When the screening began, monaural sound could be heard. Then there was the sound of a dark curtain opening after Kodai’s line about passing through the dark galaxy! The double galaxy appeared before us with a stereo blast on a screen expanded to 16×9! For the second time in my life, I couldn’t help but cry out. It felt like a dream to experience it in a theater again. I’ll never forget it. – chin7chun8chun
It was an incredibly happy time. Cheers to everyone for good work. – kuro
October 21 & 29: Anison Fantastic Concerts
Another cool thing about October (besides the temperature) was that it began AND ended with chances to hear the Yamato theme performed live. In this case, there were a pair of anison (anime song) concerts about a week apart at two venues (Lovely Hall in Kawachinagano City and Ecorma Hall in Komae City). Both featured the one and only “King of anison” Isao Sasaki alongside other living legends in the anison community, including Mitsuko Horie who sang for Yamato III.
The performers gave the crowd all their favorites and closed with group renditions of the Yamato theme, which is pretty much a tradition wherever Sasaki appears. (He’s been making noise about retirement lately, but has yet to actually do so. No hurry, your majesty.)
October 23: Yamato 2 on Star Channel
Following a daily rebroadcast of Series 1, Yamato 2 was back on the air at satellite network BS10 Star Channel. This was part of a complete TV revival to help promote the forthcoming 4K remasters of the first two movies. Yamato III would follow in November.
October 25: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 240
The last Hyuga volume of the month was an odd one, consisting only of the circuit board inside the remote control. The back half would come in the next volume, at which point the whole thing could be sealed up and activated.
For both Yamato and Andromeda, the entire piece came at the end in one volume rather than three. Its release this early in the run suggests that it will be used for lighting tests before the model is complete, but this remains to be seen. Ten more volumes to go!
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See an unboxing video for 239 & 240 here
See a modeler’s blog here
October 26: Jumbo Soft Vinyl Yamato announced
Originally introduced two years ago, this 110cm-long giant was teased for release from Premium Bandai but then disappeared back into the weeds with no further information. Until NOW! Preorders opened on this day (through November 27) for shipping in March 2024. It goes for a staggering 85800yen (a mere $600 as of this writing) and comes with rotating guns, optional wings, stickers, decals, and an acrylic Kodai figure.
See more photos here and at the end of this page
If you have a friend in Japan, you can order it for 15% off here
You can also preorder it from Hobbylink Japan here.
October 29: Yamaket 22
Short of a movie opening, there is no better way for Yamato fans to end a month than to throw a party. This was the 22nd time for Yamaket, a sub-set of the bi-annual Torilozi fan gathering in Tokyo. They came together to sell their latest Yamato doujinshis and handicrafts, catch up on each others’ lives, and speculate on what’s coming next.
See a huge photo gallery of the event here
October 31: Star Blazers/Yamato Premium Fan Club magazine Vol. 17
The cover art for this issue came from manga artist Michio Murakawa, who said it was purely speculative; it may or may not appear in the forthcoming Yamato 3199. But from that you can correctly deduce that 3199 is the hot topic. New character and mecha designs are presented, and interviews with Writer Harutoshi Fukui and Mecha Designer Yasushi Ishizu deliver the latest info.
Read the Fukui interview (and more 3199 news) here.
The other big deal this time was the 4k upgrades for the original Yamato movie and Farewell, described by those who were directly involved in the remastering process. Read their interview here.
It’s also worth noting that the premium fan club recently shifted its infrastructure, and now a membership is no longer needed to purchase copies of the magazine. It can be bought directly from the online store at Yamato Crew here, but as you should know by now, they do not ship to addresses outside Japan. You’ll need a local friend to buy one and ship it to you.
October 31: Voyage to the Future game decor
The browser game Voyage to the Future marked the holiday with special Halloween rewards for players: custom art of Yamato, Domel’s saucer, and Iscandarian sweetheart Yurisha. Enjoy.
Also spotted in October
Fan art
Fans knocked it out of the park again with a huge collection of works to warm your heart. See the character gallery here and the mecha gallery here.
Fan models
There’s always something you never expected to see in the world of Yamato modeling, which is constantly charged to 120% with creative energy. See the latest masterworks here.
Lego MOCs
Just one side step away from the model kit world is the realm of Lego MOC (My Own Creation). A new player in that realm is Dice Designs MOC Studio, which focuses entirely on Yamato mecha.
See a photo gallery of their works here
Visit their Facebook page here and Twitter page here
Dice’s designs are not yet for sale, but alternates can be found at Webrick here
Documentary video
This unexpectedly entertaining documentary on the WWII Battleship Yamato can be seen on Youtube. At just a little over 17 minutes, it does a terrific job of summarizing the origins and capabilities of the beast, and offers a detailed account of its sinking. And you definitely want to stay tuned for the surprise ending.
See it here
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.)
Yoshiko Iwazurai
1. What was your first Yamato experience?
I saw the original Space Battleship Yamato as a child in reruns, and from there I watched all the way up to Yamato III. Then last summer I watched Yamato 2199 and was drawn back into the world.
2. What is your favorite aspect of Yamato?
Kodai’s way of life in the original Yamato. I was fascinated by his determination and receptiveness when I was a child. I also like Kodai in the works from 2199 onward, but he has become much more human. And I am drawn in by the more detailed settings and beautiful drawings and mecha while following the worldview of the original work.
3. Are you a Yamato collector?
No, I fell in love with the newest one very late in life, so I have collected very little. I still want goods of the characters. Now I buy setting materials and other items. I used to buy books when I was a child.
4. What is your most treasured Yamato item?
Nobuteru Yuki’s Yamato 2199 Early Character Designs & Illustration Collection book is my favorite.
5. What are your favorite drawing tools?
Procreate on iPad.
6. Where can your work be seen?
Mainly on Twitter.
7. Does your family share your hobby?
My daughter and I watched 2199 together. I watched the original Yamato with my brother.
8. Please tell us something about your life outside your art.
My life is closely tied to comic art. I’ve been a game designer and illustrator.
9. Are you involved in Yamato activities with other fans?
I enjoy talking with friends on social networking sites, and sometimes I illustrate images for the novels they write. Also, another friend of mine has been kind enough to publish my work in a fanzine.
10. What do you hope to see in a future Yamato anime?
I hope that the main character and his friends will be depicted in a straightforward manner, living a life of human suffering, without the production being obsessed with details. I am also looking forward to seeing more action from Dessler.
11. What is your favorite anime after Yamato?
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (Stardust Crusaders).
12. What would you like to say to Yamato fans around the world?
I haven’t finished watching everything yet, so I don’t fully understand Yamato, but I’m happy to have found again the work I fell in love with at the beginning of my life. I’m thinking that everyone must have had a wonderful encounter with Yamato. Thank you for loving this Japanese animation with its long history.
13. What should everyone know about Japan and its people?
Nowadays, Japan has become a society where it is difficult for young people to live. The number of young people is drastically decreasing due to the rapid aging of the population, and support for the animation industry and other jobs is disappearing. Everyone is struggling to support this aging society. All Japanese people are making every effort to support tourist attractions and culture, which people around the world have told us they love.
Yamatunes for October
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