November 2024 ticked all the boxes for what makes a Yamato month great. News and products from every front, live events, media coverage, and a brand new chapter in theaters to really tie the room together. Here’s the whole gigantic laundry list.

November 1: Dawn Chapter book 2, Malignant Memory

In September 2021, the original Yamato saga returned to life for the first time since 2009. A new novel titled Space Battleship Yamato Dawn Chapter, Aquarius Algorithm was published to tremendous acclaim from the fan community and began an effort to fill the 17-year gap between Final Yamato and Resurrection. Read all about it here.

After a three-year wait, the second book has arrived. There is little information available about the story content, but it contains glorious illustrations by Ryuji “Umegrafix” Umeno, and this intriguing summary of what happened in book 1:

Previously in Dawn Chapter

The “Galactic Crossing” was a cosmic disaster. Susumu Kodai, commander of the guard fleet, retired to the reserves, taking responsibility for interfering in the internal affairs of the planet Belraina in the midst of the damage. Two years have passed since then, and it is now 2215.

“I want you to check how Yamato and Captain Okita are now.”

Shiro Sanada’s words awaken the silent Kodai. Together with his wife Yuki, Tetsu Kitano, and Tasuke Tokugawa, he travels to the Aquarius ice sphere, where Yamato sank, to find traces of it.

After an accident involving his daughter Miyuki and Papilyzer stowing away on their ship, Kodai and his friends reach the ice sphere, where they encounter the remnants of the Dengil army operating behind the scenes. The space icebreaker Hyoka saves the group from peril. Kodai is told by its leader, Kosaku Omura, that “Yamato still exists.”

They finally reunite with Yamato deep inside the Aquarius ice sphere. Although it is split, Yamato retains its general shape, and the Wave-Motion Engine and Captain Okita’s remains are protected by “ice crystals” that are the crystallization of Aquarius’ water.

At the same time, the remains of the city satellite Uruk warp out into the solar system. Dengil’s goal is to crash Uruk into the Aquarius ice sphere and wipe out the Earth. There is only a little time left. Kodai comes up with the idea of “firing the Wave-Motion Gun from the divided Yamato to intercept the bedrock.”

With the help of the Science Bureau led by Sanada and the anonymous genius girl Maho Orihara, preparations for the revival of the Wave-Motion Gun proceed. The intelligence and mental strength of all humans converge, and Yamato, which was supposed to be dead, fires its final Wave-Motion Gun.

One year later, Kodai founds the Galactic Refugee Rescue Team, a private organization that rescues and supports interstellar refugees, and sets sail for the sea of stars with his comrades. Meanwhile, Shiro Sanada becomes the Director of the Science Bureau and begins the Yamato Reconstruction Plan.

Although neither Kodai nor Sanada realize it, their actions are in direct conflict with the intentions of a “mysterious entity” that was supporting the remnants of the Dengil faction. This entity, which still lurks in the shadows, becomes aware of Yamato and Earth through this incident.

As an ominous shadow spreads across the Milky Way Galaxy, what awaits the Kodai who set off on their journey 60,000 light years into the Bolar Federation?

Copies of Malignant Memory out in the wild; photo posted on Twitter by Kuma Hachi bookstore.

Order your copy of the book here

Photo posted on Twitter by Aoi2199

November 1-3: TIFF screenings

Outdoor Yamato movie screenings continued at the Tokyo International Film Festival for the first three days of November: Farewell to Yamato (4k version) on the 1st, Age of Yamato on the 2nd, and the original movie in 4k on the 3rd. The first two days were beset by rain, but the hardcore fans took it in stride, watching the battles against the Comet Empire as the “sky was weeping,” as one fan put it.

When it came to the final day, a special guest turned up…

It was none other than Yoko Asagami, the original voice of Yuki Mori. And that voice still had plenty to say, describing her audition process and the impact the role has had on her life.

Her appearance was generously covered by online media; read all about it here.

Watch the presentation (with live translation) on Youtube here

November 2 & 3: Rowguanes ’24 Exhibition

From the official website: This plastic model club was founded by actor Koji Ishizaka on February 23, 2009. It was started by seven people, including some in the media, with the aim of helping the older generation rediscover the joy of plastic models, making them easy and fun to build, and “giving back” to the plastic models that have enriched our lives. The goal is to spread the word about plastic models as something that can shine into the future.

An annual modeling competition is held in the spring for the “Rowguanes Cup,” and other general exhibitions are held throughout the year in Yokohama. This event was one of those, and space was reserved to commemorate Yamato‘s 50th anniversary.

See a photo gallery here

Photos posted on Twitter by SNK22

November 3: HOBAS model display

More modeling action took place in Hokkaido, where the fan-run HOBAS (Hokkaido Yamato fan club) erected their own exhibition to help promote the opening of a new model shop.

See larger versions of the photos here

Photos posted on Twitter by elfriede

November 6: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 280

Construction began on the aft portion of Hachette’s 1/350 Patrol Ship model. Building upon the bottom hull panel in the last volume, the first piece to be attached (and lit) was the lower port side panel.

See Hachette’s instruction video here

See a modeler’s blog here

November 8: REBEL 3199 Chapter 2 preview screening

And it begins! The first fans to see Chapter 2 found their way to the Shinjuku Piccadilly theater and got more than they bargained for. Prior to the screening, a stage greeting introduced the girl we’ve all been waiting to see AND the actor providing her voice: Megumi Han in the role of Sasha. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because her mother Keiko Han performed the same role 44 years earlier.

We also got to finally see little Sasha herself, both in the official character design by Nobuteru Yuuki (left), and an interpretation by Michio Murakawa (right). Murakawa posted his art on Bluesky with the following caption:

It seems the information ban has been lifted online, so here’s a picture of Sasha from Yamato 3199. I’m not keen on drawing [original designer] Shinya Takahashi’s characters, but drawing Yuuki’s characters is fun. It’s exciting. These are designs that aren’t done out of habit, but rather are imbued with an understanding of people through their forms and expressions.

Of course, there was a lot more to be learned at the screening. Read the official report here.

See the complete presentation on Youtube here (captions and autotranslate ON)

See a highlight version here

November 9: NewType magazine, December issue

It’s been many moons since Yamato got attention from NewType magazine, but the fact that its publisher (Kadokawa) also handles the manga and recent novels means the two are never far apart. This issue featured a generous 6-page article that included the first Chapter 2 interview with General Director Harutoshi Fukui.

Read it here

November 9: Hobby Japan Web article

Hobby Japan magazine has long been a source of Yamato coverage, both inside and outside the modeling world, and on this day the HJ website posted a making-of article (which also appeared in the latest issue) for the extraordinary model featured in last month’s All Japan Model Hobby show. It’s a brilliant reproduction of the Chapter 2 teaser poster, and its construction was described in detail.

Read the article here

November 10: Yamato Mechanics Part 1

HJ Web struck again the next day with the first installment of a new series by Yamato novelist Yuka Minagawa. Titled Space Battleship Yamato Mechanics, the opening spotlight landed on Yamato itself with an overview of its various upgrades through 2207.

Read the article here

November 10: Yomiuri Online article

It’s never too late for a “where are they now” lookback. On this day, Yomiuri Online looked back to 1979 and the release of the Yamato Choral and Piano Suite. More specifically, they spoke to members of the choir that actually performed on the album. What did they have to say about the experience 45 years later?

Read the article here

Photos posted on Twitter by elfriede and pipipi1014

November 13: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 281

The counterpart to last week’s hull panel arrived in this volume, allowing builders to complete the entire lower section of this segment.

This photo, posted on Twitter by K1115Uta, demonstrates where the segment joins the main assembly.

See Hachette’s instruction video here

See a modeler’s blog here

November 15: 7-day countdown begins

Starting today, the Yamato Production Committee ramped up anticipation by posting an image every day leading up to the premiere of Chapter 2.

November 15: Music news

Oh, didn’t you hear? The greatest anime music album of all time has gotten a makeover (both the jacket art AND the music mix) for a new release on December 25.

Read about it here

Preorder it from Amazon.co.jp here or CD Japan here

November 16: 6 days to go

November 16: REBEL 3199 opening title

The opening for REBEL 3199 has less new animation than its predecessors, but it overflows with information, giving us a whirlwind tour of the Yamato timeline from the year 1969 onward.

See it on Youtube here

November 16: Hokkaido Maschinen-no-kai

Another weekend, another model show. Did someone say Hokkaido? That’s where HOBAS hangs out!

See a photo gallery of their display here

November 16

November 16: Shochu Kojika

This company, which manufactures shochu wine, wants you to properly toast Yamato‘s 50th anniversary with customized bottles. Throughout the month, they updated fans on Twitter with photos of the packaging process.

November 18 & 20

Left: “This is the label for the Warp & Starsha bottle.”

Right: “The famous scenes in Farewell are the exchange between Saito and Sanada, and Cosmo Tiger Kato’s final expression of having given it his all. I still cry when I remember it.”

November 24

Preordered cases would begin shipping on November 28. See information on the official website here.

That’s part 1 of 3! Continue to Part 2