Animedia, April 1983

The excitement again Movies of spring scene collection (3)

Ten years after Space Battleship Yamato was born, it reached its finale. By collecting the voices of fans on the opening day, we’ll send a “good bye” to Yamato!

Regretful parting

There is an encounter and a parting. It’s the same with anime. Now a familiar work disappears…

Each fan! How they talked about parting

Report The Premiere

Early in the morning of Saturday, March 19, 1983, fans had already begun to gather from the previous day in front of theaters showing Yamato The Final Chapter. All-night lines had become a specialty of anime movies since it happened for the first time with Yamato part 1.

Lead by middle school and high school students, elementary students also joined up late at night. Saying things like, “My father said it was okay,” they properly had parental permission and made no trouble.


Fans lined up in front of the movie theater on the first day.
Fans from the days of Part 1, also…!?

It seemed that people who were old enough to have been fans at the time of part 1 were also there, and as expected they were deeply emotional about the finale. People who were in junior high when Space Battleship Yamato was broadcast on TV in 1974 have now come of age, a little over 20 years old. They are college students and members of society. However, such people have unique feelings for Yamato and stood in line all night. Standing in line has nostalgia for older fans. (and for this reporter, also…)

Anyway, before the screening started, chatting with them formed the basis for friendship, and it was an ordinary part of the landscape to hear anime songs.

“Even though it’s late, I thought I would come because it’s the finale,” said College Student F. A Yamato fan since part 1, he had been to the Yamato Fan Club headquarters (the fan club started at the time of Farewell to Yamato and continues today under West Cape Corporation) and contributed to the magazine. For such an old fan, it made no difference that Final Yamato was an ending.

Before long, the screening began. The opening Yamato narration, “The universe expands into infinity…” sounded in the theater with the voice of Tatsuya Nakadai. A nebula on the screen and a ball of fire, the still-burning hot young Earth. It was the conventional technique of a Yamato opening with a new sense.

As the story advances, Yamato launches under Okita’s command, makes a forced landing on Uruk, and moves on to Daisuke Shima’s death scene. As expected, as Shima dies there are sobs from seats here and there. Other fans wept at the scene of Yamato sinking. In this atmosphere of farewell, I hear sniffles as the towering bow of Yamato points toward the heavens.

In the last scene, voices of “beautiful!” rose for Yuki’s wedding dress, a guarantee with Animation Director Shinya Takahashi. In the subsequent scene where the couple is bound together, their wordless love is beautifully presented with light, feeling, BGM, and the song Love Supreme.


A slurry of fans surrounded the theater.

Interview Voice of the fans

At the end of the first screening on opening day, I asked people for their feelings about The Final Chapter as they hurried to the exits. There was already a long line for the second screening, and it seemed some people had given up and decided to try for the third. I thought it would be this way on the first day, but it was still the same three days later on the 22nd. That truly makes this Yamato. In fact, there were lines both times this reporter went back for more coverage.

“It was beautiful, Kodai-kun and Yuki. I couldn’t help crying at Shima’s death scene.” (Great grandson of Hikozaemon Tokugawa, Tokyo)

“Dessler was very cool. The scene of him with the white flower was very moving. I’m a huge fan of Dessler!!” (Dessler’s #2, Yokohama)

These were the impressions of emotional-type people. Next we spoke to people who watched it closely.

“Indeed, the Cosmo Tigers drawn by Yoshinori Kanada had that characteristic Kanada action. Anyway, the mecha design was very good.” (Yamashita, mecha buff of Saitama)

“Hmm. The tempo of the story was good. The last part was good even though it was short, but Yamato is great in the end.” (Kazuhiro Shinohara, Tokyo)


Fans wait for the opening, each with expectant
feelings in their hearts for the last
Yamato.

And there is still more to say!!

Music With Yamato

“I think Yamato has been a big part of my life as a child and an adult. Watching the finale today, the feeling was renewed.” (Mitsu Higuchi, Tokyo)

“Honestly, anything was good in the old days, even if it was manga…but didn’t we change our minds a little after we became Yamato fans? Well, I’m not sure.” (Classmate of Daisuke Shima, Chiba)

“Hmm. After all, it’s anime. Anime is easier to like than other productions. I guess that’s it.” (Keiko Terada, Tokyo)

What is Yamato for you!? When asked that, there is a mountain of diverse opinions. The enthusiastic types, the cool types who keep their distance, and the more inscrutable types alike are all anxious about it. It’s only natural for a work this popular to have a variety of fans.

“Well, today I wasn’t pestered by the kids to see it. I dragged the kids to see it. I was a high school student in the days of part 1, and I still get fresh surprises from Yamato.” (I’m a Tokyo office worker, but is it bad to be an anime fan!?)

It was surprising to see many parents with children, like this person. Not just fathers, but mothers are also people who can be called Yamato fans. After all, it’s been ten years.

“Why does it have to end? It was fascinating, I’d like to see the next one.” (Call me ‘Yat-chan’, Tokyo)

There are still young fans. This was possibly the first Yamato movie for some of them.

“Eh…I cried. Ever since Farewell. I didn’t think Yamato could make me cry. Embarrassing!” (A troubled hero who was wondering whether or not to talk, Chiba)

It’s rare for someone who saw Yamato to be embarrassed, but even so, it’s another of the many ways to say farewell.

Last words for Yamato

We collected the words of everyone who said goodbye to Yamato. If it was you, what would you say to Kodai and Yamato!?

Goodbye. Please rest in peace. (Hiromi)

Thank you very much for ten years. (Kiyomi Yamaguchi)

Even if Yamato doesn’t die, space never dies… (Plagiarist)

Now I’ll make a new Yamato!! (is it impossible?)

Today is goodbye. I will not cry. (Kyoko Amano)

Let me raise Yamato. (Salvage)

I really cried. Bye-bye! (Yukiko Takamura)

Is Yamato the home run king of anime!? (Hideaki Kido)

Ha…! Even I’ve gotten old. (Yoshikazu Shimada)

I’d like to see an uncut Farewell to Yamato!! (Masami Nishimura)

I’ll be a fan of whatever comes next. (Lost lamb)

Impression

The best five scenes that remain in your memory after Yamato The Final Chapter, summarized from interviews!

Memorable scene・Best 5

Best 1 The wedding was a fan’s dream!

The last scene was Best 1. Prior to the marriage of Kodai and Yuki, there is a scene of all the characters running along the beach. In the past, West Cape Corporation received many letters about Kodai and Yuki’s marriage in particular, saying “have Kodai and Yuki get married” or “I want to see Yuki in a bridal dress.” This was finally achieved in the finale. The image of Yuki in a pure white wedding dress with white flowers in her hair was very impressive. Kodai has a captain’s coat, which seems to be in a battleship-riding style. In addition, there was a kissing scene with these two for the first time, during which the theater let out a sigh.

Was the scene of the couple being bound together a little embarrassing? That was not the vote. The overwhelming opinion was that “it was beautiful.” Others said, “Yuki and Kodai-kun are accustomed to each other, and it was good for them to finally be together.” It was well-understood that many people have been cheering for this couple.

This magazine has chased Yamato The Final Chapter for some time, and Producer Nishizaki took up this scene at one point. He told us about the departure of Kodai and Yuki, and said it would be a beautiful scene appropriate for the start of their future.

Best 2 Yamato‘s explosion made a strong impression

In the end, the explosion of Yamato had a strong impression on viewers. This scene absolutely took second place.

Okita sits in the captain’s seat, quietly holding the trigger of the Wave-Motion Gun. A mass of water flies toward Yamato with terrible force. Before long, a huge water column rises from Aquarius, the main current pushing against Yamato and growing as if to cover the Earth. Okita pulls the trigger–!! Yamato is torn in two from the center with a flash of white light and causes a great explosion.

When the form that was familiar to every fan was split in two, I think there were many people who cried out, “Oh!” It was a scene with strong impact.

The explosion of Yamato cut off the water flow from Aquarius and creates a huge ocean. It went to its eternal sleep in a sea made of its own energy. When the towering bow with its bottom hull painted red pointed toward the heavens and then gradually sank, I had the feeling that I heard Yamato saying “good bye.”

Best 3 Daisuke Shima dies! Feeling of sorrow!!

Hiding his injury from hand-to-hand combat, Shima grasps Yamato‘s control stick. He drives Yamato to escape the explosion of Uruk. He succeeds in breaking through the weakened bedrock, and when he finally manages to escape, his energy runs out at last.

“Kodai, a man doesn’t only fight on a battlefield. Make Yuki happy. If you bring pain to Yuki…I’ll never forgive you.”

In the arms of his best friend, the Earth Defense Force’s best Chief Navigator goes to his eternal sleep. Shima fans also voted, and this took third place.

Best 4 Yamato‘s forced landing on Uruk had great impact!!

Yamato breaks through the neutrino beam with a shield of Wave-Motion energy and rushes toward Uruk. It smashes through the buildings of Uruk with its 62,000 ton bulk and finally becomes embedded. It was a huge Yamato action scene we hadn’t seen before.

The combined votes of mecha maniacs put this in fourth place!!

Best 5 The scene Dessler fans were dying for!!

“I’m glad that I arrived in time to express my gratitude.” This line, along with the pose of him holding a flower, tickled the hearts of Dessler fans. A lot of older fans voted for Dessler saving Yamato from a crisis into fifth place. It didn’t last long, but it was a firm favorite.


Summary What was Yamato to us!?

In the end, Yamato was our youth

Space Battleship Yamato — when it appeared before us in 1974, it was a work that captured the hearts of many anime lovers. A ship flying in space, the youth drama, Captain Okita as the stern father — at that time, no, even now, it has a lot of elements that appeal to a wide age group. The essence was intoxicating, and Yamato was our singular monument.

Nevertheless, Yamato continued flying through space for ten years and now disappears into space. Every fan — those who liked part 1, those who assumed it ended with Farewell, fans who came in with Be Forever — has the 62,000 ton figure of Yamato in their hearts. And if that figure is within each person and there is the common word “Yamato,” it will appear before us at any time!

The End

Special thanks to Neil Nadelman for translation support

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