When Yamato 2205 was first broadcast on Japanese TV in May/June 2024, series writer Harutoshi Fukui enhanced the viewing experience by live-tweeting comments during the broadcast of each episode. Since they were permanently published on Twitter, we can relive them on demand.
Episodes were shown weekly on Wednesdays at midnight on Japan’s channel BS11 from May 1 through June 19.
Episode 1 (May 1)
At the beginning of the episode, Dessler bends his knees in front of the arrogant Bolar and begs him to give up the planet Galman. It is an unthinkable act from him so far. But did Dessler really think Bolar would do him a favor?
The answer is of course no, as should be obvious from the rest of the story, but in that moment when he bent his knees, Dessler was seriously praying.
Many lives were lost to save Garmillas, including his late brother. He hopes that the world will be worth the sacrifices, and that his prayer will be answered. Even though he knows he will be betrayed, he wants to hold onto that wish. After 2202, Dessler must have become a person who can think like that.
Of course, that wish is dashed, but as an experienced adult, Dessler does not lose heart. As soon as he hears the sound of the collar hitting the floor, he returns to reality mode as if to say, “I thought so.”
Dessler starts the countdown as planned, and seems more alive. After all, this is more to his nature. But…human beings are complicated. The tapestry that this complexity creates is the best part of this series.
In stage terminology, the right side is called “Kamite” and the left side “Shimote.” This terminology is also used in visuals. In most cases, the main character appears on the right (kamishimo), and the antagonist appears on the left (shimokami).
Yamato is kamishimo, while Garmillas and Gatlantis are shimokami. Well, if you think back on it, that’s usually how it is, isn’t it?
Near the end of the first episode, Yamato finally appears, but unusually, from the left. The reason for this is that the scene is shown from Domon’s point of view. Yamato is his adversary, so to speak.
But to the audience, Domon is the antagonist and Yamato is the main character. It doesn’t feel right for Yamato to move from left to right. So the camera moves around, and Yamato ends up moving right to left.
From here on, the view is from the Yamato crew’s point of view, including Kodai. Domon, who is watching them, looks like an antagonist who is about to do something.
As you can see, the impression of the scene changes drastically depending on which way the bow of the ship is facing. Similar scenes will appear in the future, so be sure to remember the words kamishimo (right) and shimokami (left).
Episode 2 (May 8)
Even though the island is already in front of him, Domon is still holding Yamato‘s helm in his hand. This is a reenactment of the situation Kitano finds himself in in the original work The New Voyage. But unlike Kitano, who is unable to move due to tension, Domon chooses not to move.
Domon’s actions seem to be intentional. What is he thinking? Even if Kodai did cause his father’s death, Domon does not directly resent him. The public was in a festive mood as they welcomed Yamato, which brought back Kodai and Yuki, without even noticing a man like Domon’s father.
But the apathy of populism, which easily turns its back on people when a crisis approaches, is probably what he hates. Yamato is a symbol of the public’s pride as Earthlings. When he is entrusted with the helm, Domon is tempted by something he never expected.
Oh, I could run Yamato aground if I wanted to. Yamato is not so weak that it will break, but it can embarrass Kodai and the crew, and the masses who worship Yamato. If that makes me feel better, I’ll do it.
My life will be ruined, but if it lets people know that there were victims like my father… “Dad…” Domon mutters, and the image of his father’s face at the end of his life flashes through his mind. Looking up at the sky, seeing Yamato return, his father smiled for the last time.
Yes, my father was one of the masses who loved Yamato. He wouldn’t be happy about something like this. I don’t think I’ll be satisfied with this either. Because…
Shima stands up, thinking, “This is really a bad idea.” But when he sees Domon muttering “I…” he withdraws his hand. As expected, Domon pulls back the helm and says “I…!”
“I…” What does that mean?
During the voice recording, I talked with Hatanaka-san, who plays Domon. I remember that we didn’t decide on a specific line. I told him the nuance was something like, “I don’t despair of the world enough to feel satisfied with this” or “There’s still something I want to confirm.” Then I left it up to him.
And since he pulled off a perfect performance, it might have been better not to put it into words. What would you say? (I’m hoping for some comedy.)
A fan with the online name ayahtt responded on Twitter with the following:
“I’ll show you how to fly Yamato! Maybe.”
Amidst all his thoughts, it occurred to him that Kodai had realized that he was the one who asked the question at Heroes’ Hill, and so had entrusted him with the controls. Perhaps he was trying to convey his true feelings through his actions rather than words? This thought resonated with Domon, even if it wasn’t clear.
Alternate version:
“I didn’t sleep at all last night!”
He was overcome by sleepiness (lol)
Of course. He was suddenly put in charge of the controls. And Domon has some shady business (he broke into the personnel server and changed the data = a crime), so he couldn’t sleep the night before because he was worried about how much he’d been found out. This might be more true.
Right before the commercial break, Hirata smiles and asks, “Would you like another serving?” It’s not hard to imagine that with that one line, he made himself an opportunity to step into a heavy meeting and created the flow for Domon to take on the role of food worker.
This was a snap decision Hirata made after seeing Kodai in trouble. If you don’t have the ability to proactively support him like this, you can’t be Kodai’s friend, since he keeps getting into trouble. It’s no wonder that more than one production staff member said, “Everyone is so kind to Kodai.”
But Kodai also has a line that ends being stopped short with “I…” Going back to the middle of the first episode, it was the scene where he calls out to the statue of Okita at Heroes’ Hill. Kodai says that he and the world have completely changed since he traveled with Okita, reflecting on the upheaval of the past few years.
What are the words that follow “Okita-san, I…!”?
I discussed this during the recording with Ono-san, who plays Kodai, and this is one that I remember clearly. Kodai had been saying “I…” up until that point, but then he suddenly started to express his anger.
“What am I supposed to do?”
That was my thought, but Ono-san thought differently.
“What should I do?”
Needless to say, I was like, “Yes, that’s definitely the way to go!
At that time, Kodai had not yet taken the first step. He was stuck in the shadow of his past, unable to move. The moment I heard that line, I understood.
Daisuke Ono is a voice actor who is possessed by his characters, with a deeper insight than the person who created them. He plays the role as if breathing. In 3199, he faces further hardships, but we hope that he and Kodai will make it through to the end safely.
Episode 3 (May 15)
The Dezarium Hammer penetrates the planet Garmillas and promotes the melting of its core deep underground. As you can see, the image source is a boring machine that you see at construction sites. Countless numbers of them fall from the sky, destroying the planet in a casual way, just like construction work.
When giving the first impression of Dezarium, an entity incompatible with humans, the concept of “construction work” was a good fit. But then, what would be the appropriate size of the hammer? If it’s too small it’s not convincing, and if it’s too big it becomes cartoonish.
This is a surprisingly difficult question, but there was a real-life reference for this. The Tokyo Skytree, one of the most famous landmarks in Tokyo, is located in the neighborhood of my house. Since I came up with the concept for the Dezarium hammer, I decided it was that size.
If 10,000 of them were to stick into the ground and start banging away, I felt like they could shatter the planet, because their majesty was imprinted on my eyes every day.
If you haven’t seen it in person yet, please come and experience the scale of it. It’s nice to see it up close, but I recommend the view from Genmori Bridge or Jikken Bridge.
Unlike live-action films, which depend on how actors perform and how they appear on film, anime voice actors are required to be perfectly “assigned” to the production plan that we have created in advance. The creator must be able to predict the quality of the actor’s voice and the quality of the performance, and then plan accordingly.
Some voice actors perform better than the creators’ expectations, elevating the scene and the work itself to a whole new level. Cho-san, who plays Yabu in this story, is a typical example of this. His conversation with Domon in Yamato‘s observation deck gave me goosebumps when I first heard it.
In response to Domon’s comment, “I’m sorry I can’t be of help to you,” he replies, “It’s fine. I’m more happy to be able to talk to people like this.” The way he says “It’s fine” is so appealing. Ah, he’s such a friendly guy at heart, so I can’t help but be convinced that he could survive on an alien planet.
Sometimes you encounter something that goes beyond what you expected. This is the real thrill of working collaboratively to create a work of art. And Hatanaka-san, a.k.a. Domon, took it all in stride with his simple, straightforward tone.
“Forget about the role of Dessler and cry for real here.” Yamadera responded perfectly to the order with a single cry of, “All of it…Everything.”
2205 does not “apply” for an audience, but rather, has “acting” that draws in an audience to make it its own. If you are an aspiring voice actor or director, please pay close attention to the end.
Episode 4 (May 22)
When screened in theaters, the fourth episode constituted the climax of the first chapter. If you’re wondering what makes it the climax, it’s the scene where Yabu barks at Domon and the others, saying, “Family is a place to belong!” Those who have seen the whole series will know.
The visual highlight is the appearance of Yamato after the Dessler fleet is in big trouble at the end…but the excitement is supported by the emotional swell of each character, starting with Yabu’s scene.
Yabu’s soulful cry shakes Domon and Hoshina and resonates with Kodai’s hidden feelings, becoming a big wave that pushes the Yamato fleet. The drama of the characters gives flesh and blood to the mecha action. This structure is the best part of Space Battleship Yamato.
This is something that is followed closely in 3199, so please enjoy the climax of the first half of the 2205.
series composition/scriptwriter Harutoshi Fukui comment
Earlier, I talked about the directorial terms kamite (right) and shimote (left). When a house appears on stage, the entrance is shimote, and the living room beyond that is kamite, and it is customary that the main focus is always placed in kamite.
Remember the comedy sketches of the Drifters? The entrance where the golden bowl falls is always in Shimote, right? The same is true for the Yamato universe, where the direction of Earth, the subject, is Kamite. So when Yamato leaves for Iscandar, it is Kamishimo (right to left), and when it returns to Earth, it is Shimokami (left to right).
With a few exceptions, this rule is well known to the production team. (In the final scene of 2202, when Yamato returns to Earth, it is Kamishimo, but this is not a “return.” It implies a “heading” to an unknown world.
Following that logic, Iscandar, which is being pulled into the unknown world of Dezarium, is also a kamishimo. The Dessler fleet that is pursuing it is also a kamishimo. The Deda fleet that is trying to pincer attack the Dessler fleet is also a kamishimo.
The rare situation of a triple kamite battle has been continuing since the second half of episode 3 of 2205. The true enemy, Goruba led by Meldars, is waiting in the shadows, but at the moment, it is invisible.
Yamato, which comes charging in from the direction of Earth, is also a familiar kamishimo, of course. How will the four layers of kami, kami, kami, kami be organized in the next episode?
Episode 5 (May 29)
Continuing from the previous episode, Yamato dives toward Iscandar traveling in kamishimo (right to left). In Yamato‘s universe, the direction in which Earth is located is kamishimo, so it’s only natural that it would be like that according to the production rules.
At this time, Iscandar is being pulled toward an unknown universe, so it is in a special situation where it is moving in kamishimo. The Dessler fleet and the Dezarium fleet that are chasing it are both kamishimo.
How do you handle multiple layers of kami? That was the topic of the last episode, and as you can see, the answer is that only the Yamato fleet would turn toward shimokami.
While mowing down the Dezarium fleet, they turn around just above the surface of the sea and finish it off in shimokami! That’s the title shot. Most of Yamato‘s battles take place on the outbound journey, so it’s unusual to see shimokami fighting in full force, which would only happen on the return journey.
There would have been no problem if we had bent the rules and used the usual kamishimo, but it was important that the Yamato fleet was shimokami in order to emphasize the special situation of “risking their lives to protect someone else’s home.”
After this, the usual kamishimo returns after the commercial break, but that’s because the plot is to let Iscandar go ahead while the Wave-Motion Gun is aimed at planets in its path, so the Yamato space rule of Earth being kamishimo is strictly adhered to.
It might be interesting to rewatch previous works while paying attention to such things.
Near the end, Kodai is told by Yuki, “Don’t be arrogant, Susumu Kodai!” This is a scene where many wives who have the same frustrations would have slapped their knees and said, “You said it!” But visually, something a little strange is happening here.
Asuka is positioned above and behind Yamato, and sends out active resonance waves. In the captain’s seat, Yuki is clearly looking down and talking to Kodai, and Kodai responds by looking up, but there is no video screen on either side.
In other words, Yuki is talking while looking at the floor and Kodai is looking at the ceiling, but the way the pictures are lined up makes it look like they are talking to each other. This was done at Director Yasuda’s insistence, and the momentum of the story took precedence over logic, resulting in a very vivid scene.
When you have a dialogue through video screens, you can’t help but feel like the temperature in the theater doesn’t rise to its full potential. Here it flows naturally, so I thought, “This is great!” I secretly decided to imitate it in 3199, but when I actually tried, I found it surprisingly hard to fit in.
That was Director Yasuda’s masterful work, and I’m impressed by it even now.
Episode 6 (June 5)
Following on from Yuki in the previous episode, Kodai is now scolded by Dessler. I think the stage directions in this scene are interesting. Please read along while comparing it with the finished visuals.
Melda: “But even Queen Starsha understood…”
Kodai: “I forced her to bend Iscandar’s principles and made her betray her heart.”
[Script direction)Shima and Sanada look down, thinking, is this really the place to talk about this? Yuki stares at Kodai, saying, “Look at me, calm down.”
Kodai: “I believe Leader Dessler is the right person to persuade–”
Dessler (Interrupts): “Kodai. Why did you come all the way here?”
Kodai: (Gulps)
Dessler: “To save us? Or to run away?”
Kodai looks back at Dessler without a single word in response. Dessler continues to stare at Kodai, while Talan looks at him as if he’s saying, “I think that’s a bit much.” Dessler suddenly looks away.
Dessler: “I understand the plan. I appreciate the kindness of Earth from the bottom of my heart.”
Talan’s “Isn’t that a bit much?” expression is especially exquisite. Dessler realizes this, and at first he retracts his position, but then he still throws out the last line. This is also the case in the first half when he suddenly fires at Goruba.
Dessler’s “I know it’s coming, but I can’t stop it” personality is brought out in a big way in the climax. It would be a pain to have him around, but I guess his transparency is what makes him so appealing.
The rescue mission for the immigrant fleet is about to begin. The plot of the rescue in the fog was inspired by the film Kiska: The Miracle of the Pacific. The screenplay was written by Hideki Oka, a filmmaker of the same generation and taste, who immediately recognized the plot when he read the proposal outline.
One thing I was unsure about was the sound effects for the telegrams displayed in Japanese and Garmillas. Normally, you would add a Morse code-like sound like “tap, tap, tap,” but I wonder if it’s appropriate to use Morse code for an alien civilization.
Then what about the clattering typewriter sound? No matter how I listen to it, the only thing that comes to mind is Lupin III. After much trial and error, we settled on that muffled keyboard sound.
If you don’t know what it is, it’s just a sound effect that passes by from right to left, but in the filmmaking process, your hand stops in strange places, thinking, “What should I do?”
Episode 7 (June 12)
Sanctel spreads out beneath Iscandar. The idea of a “fictional city” where digitized souls live in a digitized memory (society) has become very popular since The Matrix.
The inspiration for Sanctel came from a much earlier work, a fictional city called Zen Zen City that appeared in a 1967 SF novel by Ryu Mitsuse titled One Hundred Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights.
When I read it as a student, I was horrified by the sense of claustrophobia, but now that I’m older and have experienced many losses, I’m starting to think that life in a controlled fictional city isn’t so bad.
Especially in a world like Sanctel, where you can stay forever in the “memories of good times.” If you’re invited when you’re feeling a little weak, you’re likely to go there by accident.
My perception of that part has changed completely since I was a child, so I ended up depicting it in a way that emphasizes sadness rather than eeriness. I think this will resonate with adult Yamato fans.
The narrator of Sanctel, Klaus Keyman, is someone Kodai and Dessler both share a vision of. As their perspectives diverge, Kodai begins to see his brother Mamoru, and Dessler sees his uncle Erik.
Starsha explains that, “It takes the form of someone you trust,” but why did it appear before Dessler as Erik and not his brother Matteus?
Matteus is the one who “promised” to save the Garmillas – the person who forms Dessler’s underlying motivation, and he should have been a much kinder relative than Erik.
In fact, it is this “kindness” that is the problem, and Matteus probably often told Dessler “It’ll be okay,” “Don’t worry,” and “You can do it” to protect the young Dessler from the overbearing adults.
But Dessler is not a child forever, so he gradually realizes that this is not true. In other words, to Dessler, Matteus is a person who sometimes tells “white lies” and is not someone whose words he can truly believe.
Erik, on the other hand, could have killed the very young Dessler if Matteus hadn’t stopped him. Dessler would remember him as someone who “mercilessly confronts harsh reality.”
Therefore, Erik was chosen as the storyteller who tells the truth about Garmillas. When you think about it, Dessler is a really sad person. A great loss awaits him in the next episode, and I wonder if one day he will be able to find true peace.
Episode 8 (June 19)
Text to come shortly after broadcast