After Yamato III‘s first month on the air, Be Forever was still rippling through the publishing world and all seemed well in camp. At least on the surface. Underneath, things were less secure. What was going on, and why was the home office suddenly changing its name?
Deja Vu all over again
Some time in November 1980, ratings information had been gathered on the first month, and it was not promising. The average was only about 6%, even with no competing anime program in its time slot. This was substantially less than Yamato 2 and far below what was expected after another hit movie summer. The Yomiuri network’s conclusion was that Yamato wasn’t as big a deal as it used to be, so they pulled a page out of their earlier playbook and reduced their broadcast commitment.
When they did this on Series 1 back in 1974, it resulted in a 39-episode story being chopped down to 26, a 33% reduction. This time it was worse; a 52-episode plan was cut in half to 25. Needless to say, a lot of story had to be jettisoned. Because of production lead time, Episode 9 was the first one to be rewritten, which is why the pace of the story picks up afterward. Read about some of the deleted content here.
Academy becomes Westcape
You had to look pretty carefully to see that something was happening on the business side. Specifically, you had to look at the very bottom of the back cover of the fan club magazine. On issue 18 (August 1980), there was the old familiar “Office Academy” name. Then for the next three issues it changed to “Nishizaki Music Publishing.” Finally, on issue 22 (April 1981) it changed again to Westcape Corporation. What was going on? Did someone else take over Yamato?
Given how close this took place to the Yamato III cutdown, you’d think the two were related. After all, if you set yourself up for a year of business that suddenly became half a year, you can imagine a level of turmoil that might close down a company. In fact, the name change had nothing to do with Yamato III.
Outside the confines of Office Academy, strange and complex things were underfoot. They involved a frozen food company, a buddhist organization, a shady lawyer, a former prime minister, accounting malpractice, and a near-catastrophic level of personal loyalty. How did those things lead to the founding of West Cape Corporation?
Click here to find out. Fair warning: your head will spin and your eyes will cross before you reach the end of it.
And now, on with November 1980…
November 1: Terebi Kun, December issue
The home office was not at all shy about showing everyone what Yamato III had to offer, even after only three episodes had aired. At the start of December, this article in Terebi Kun was awash with characters and mecha yet to be seen on screen. It also promoted a 1981 Be Forever calendar that would go on sale later in the month.
November 1: Bouken Oh [Adventure King], December issue
The second chapter of the Yamato III manga by Hiroshi Aizawa ran a very generous 21 pages and took the crew all the way to Neptune where we meet both Captain Ram and the aggressive Commander Dagon.
Read it in English here
November 1: Animec No. 14
Rapport Publishing’s bimonthly anime magazine ran a half-page feature on Yamato III that revealed (at least in silhouette form), the giant Dessler Battleship that wouldn’t be seen until the end of the series. This was the accompanying overview…
Space Battleship Yamato III, From October 11th on Nippon TV
Saturday, 7to 7:30pm
Is this a new one?! Yamato 2 was a remake of Farewell to Yamato, but Yamato III is a completely new show. The contents have already been talked about, so please enjoy watching it on TV.
Well, the highlight of this Yamato is the new crew members! Takeshi Ageha’s coolness is likely to be popular with Yamamoto fans, and Ryusuke Domon’s enthusiasm is likely to make him the second Susumu Kodai. (Isn’t K the son of Captain Domon? Or maybe that’s a different program).
And one more thing, the new Dessler ship is ridiculously huge. After all, the Dessler cannon alone is almost as big as Yamato.
A color image (at right) could be found a few pages away with this blurb above it:
It seems Yamato will continue to fly in space forever, with many new crew members and new equipment, so please look forward to it…
November 1: Yamato III Episode 4
Hit Mars!
On Planet Galman, we find Dessler issuing commands to his new generals in a renewed effort to dominate the galaxy. Back in Earth’s solar system, Yamato‘s crew engages in tough training drills as the ship travels outward on its new mission.
Read our commentary on this episode here
November 5: Leiji Matsumoto Anime Fantasy World
Published by Kindaiegasha as an extra edition of The Anime magazine, this was the first book dedicated to Matsumoto’s anime works with its main focus on Legend of Marine Snow, which was broadcast in August. It included a rare glimpse of his earlier anime series Danguard Ace and Starzingers and a chronological manga index up to the time of publishing.
See the Yamato pages and read Matsumoto’s commentary here
November 8: Yamato III Episode 5
SOS! Spaceship Legendra!
Yamato reaches Neptune and makes contact with Captain Ram’s damaged Legendra, flagship of Planet Berth and the only Bolar ship left in the fight with Dagon’s fleet. They escort Ram back into space, and Dagon launches an attack on them both.
Read our commentary on this episode here
November 9: 4th Grader, December issue
Shogakukan’s student digest for 4th grade elementary kids featured a lavish Yamato III article that previewed more characters and mecha to come. (A physical copy has yet to be obtained, so these photos must suffice for now.)
November 10: Animage Vol. 30
Yamato III magazine coverage for November was assembled well before the cutdown decision was made, but a shift in editorial priorities made for some odd timing. This issue of Animage had only three pages on the series with commentaries rather than detailed reporting. The magazine’s interest waned noticeably after this, with only one more article to follow.
Read the article here
November 10: The Anime Vol. 13
The Anime, on the other hand, stepped up its coverage in a big way with an enthusiastic 8-page article that set the tone for many more to come. An interview with Yoshinobu Nishizaki dug deep into character interaction, and a new visit to the production studio netted commentaries from several staff members, which included the first mention of a young up-and-comer named Yutaka Izubuchi.
Read the article here
November 10: Be Forever Yamato “Final Deluxe” hardcover book
From concept to promotion to finished film, Be Forever was a perfect storm of high-end talent and out-of-the box thinking at all levels. Their work was reflected in the production values of this incredible volume, which raised the bar even by previous standards. From front to back, it had more to say about the film than any other single publication and contained a huge amount of material found nowhere else.
Read more about it here
November 11: Super Anime of the Century TV special
The full title of this 90-minute program was Super anime of the century: Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999, and now the mysterious Queen Millennia is coming at you! Like the Anime Fantasy World book mentioned earlier, it was an exploration of Leiji Matsumoto’s best-known anime projects with quite a twist: new animation!
As viewers watched, the characters from Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamato landed in 1980 Tokyo and six of them kept an appointment at the home of Matsumoto himself.
A blurb from that day’s newspapers described the program thusly:
Leiji Matsumoto, the creator of Galaxy Express 999, is currently producing a new space roman, Queen Millennia. Ahead of the broadcast next spring, we will explore the world of Leiji Matsumoto from a new angle with rare VTR animation. This anime is a new method that makes full use of computers, developed by taking hints from a simulation used by NASA for the Voyager probe that explored Saturn. Live video images and anime can be easily combined using this method.
Does this sound like must-see viewing to you? If so, click here and watch it right now!
November 15: Yamato III Episode 6
Great Battle Near Planet 11!
Captain Ram is killed and the Legendra is destroyed by Dagon’s fleet. Yamato turns the tide, but the last enemy ship desperately rams and boards her, kicking off a hand-to-hand struggle. Some are ready for it. Others are not…
Read our commentary on this episode here
November 15: Be Forever Yamato anime comics Vol. 2
The second volume from Akita Shoten’s Champion Graphics imprint picked up after the destruction of the Dark Nebula’s supply base and continued through the rest of the movie in 160 pages.
Most of the visuals were quite compressed, but opened up briefly for the “warp dimension” moment and readers were given some imaginative prose to go with it:
It was a mysterious universe filled with dazzling light. At the end of their 400,000 light-year journey, the world that unfolded before the Yamato crew was a universe that the human race on Earth had never even predicted or imagined, stretching far into the infinity of the beyond…
As Yamato advanced through unknown space, the dark nebula swirled behind them. It was truly a double galaxy. A black galaxy woven by the dark nebula and a white galaxy filled with sparkling light overlapped, vividly displaying the mystery and wonder of the creation of the universe.
November 22: Yamato III Episode 7
The Rough Seas of Planet Alpha!
After leaving the solar system, Yamato sets down on Planet Alpha for repairs. Dagon returns to his base near Barnard’s star and launches a phalanx of missiles at Alpha. Yamato’s gunners fend off the missiles and the ship sets coarse for Barnard.
Read our commentary on this episode here
November 22: The Best One, January issue
Gakken’s monthly entertainment magazine added Yamato III to its anime guide for the month of December, including these synopses of episodes yet to be aired…
Duel on Planet Barnard
Above the first planet of Barnard’s Star, Yamato is subjected to a fierce “reflector satellite cannon” attack from the Dagon fleet. However, thanks to the efforts of Domon, Ageha and others, Yamato manages to eliminate all of the enemy’s reflector-equipped aircraft! Angered, Dagon finally fires his last resort, a planet-destroying missile, at Yamato. Yamato intercepts with the Wave-Motion Gun. Kabam! The Dagon fleet barely manages to warp and escape.
Meanwhile, in Yamato‘s image room, an old man draws his last breath. It is Tomoko’s father, who had been rescued by Yamato from the first planet of Barnard. Tomoko had also lost her husband to an endemic disease. But there is already a new life growing in her belly. (Airs December 6th)
Counterattack by Dagon’s New Fleet
After fleeing in a panic, Dagon plans to attack Yamato again with his new aircraft carrier fleet. Meanwhile, Yamato rescues a spaceship studying the weather in space. The weather ship, successfully repaired, leaves Yamato and heads for an observation station, and Dagon’s attack begins. The station is destroyed.
Yamato, heading to the rescue, is hit by Dagon’s fierce attack. Yamato is unable to warp due to an engine malfunction and is swept away by the space currents of Cygnus. “We’ll break through there!” But that’s exactly what Dagon had in mind. Before long, a giant space tornado is approaching Yamato‘s path! Yamato is in a desperate situation! (Airs December 13th)
November 22: Screen Magazine, January issue
Kindaieigasha’s monthly entertainment magazine gave Yamato III a color page all to itself with the following description:
The year is 2205. Suddenly, an abnormal increase in nuclear fusion begins in the sun, and it is about to explode as a supernova. Humanity has only one year left to survive on Earth…
The Space Battleship Yamato takes off into space as an exploration ship to search for a planet where humanity can emigrate. Soon, with the emergence of the arch enemy, President Dessler, Yamato is plunged into the middle of a huge interstellar war.
With Susumu Kodai as captain and new crew members, Yamato is once again heading to the edge of space, carrying the passion and romance of youth! (Currently airing on NTV)
November 25: Be Forever Yamato Definitive Edition mook
This full-color spinoff of Movie Terebi [TV] Magazine provided an excellent overview of the film organized by subject. It contained sections on Yamato mechanics, Earth character profiles, Dark Nebula mecha and characters, and a story digest. This was the last Movie Terebi Magazine special devoted to Yamato following volumes on Series 1, Farewell, and The New Voyage.
November 29: Yamato III Episode 8
The Last Pioneer
On Earth, an attempt to reverse the runaway fusion on the sun ends in failure. On Barnard, Yamato‘s landing party discovers an Earth pioneer family struggling to survive. Dagon launches a reflex gun attack from the opposite side of the planet.
Read our commentary on this episode here
Also spotted in November
Dark Nebula Patrol Tank model
It only showed up in a handful of scenes, but evidently the patrol tank was a more attractive project for Bandai than, say, the Goruba or any of the fightercraft from the Dark Nebula side. On the other hand, it rolled around quite well, which probably enhanced its play value.
1/700 Yamato New Mechanic Model
First issued in October 1978, the “Mechanic Model” was a 15″ long beauty that got closer than any other model to the official profile drawing of the ship, despite having the flat bottom that was endemic to all the vintage kits.
The killer app was the “cutaway” feature that allowed builders to construct the interior and pull one side off to display it. This too was based on official artwork that had been in circulation for years. The 1980 reissue earned the word “new” by adding decals and extra parts to match its Be Forever configuration.
1981 calendars
Yamato appeared in two calendars published in the month of November. The 1981 Be Forever calendar was the first Yamato product to be issued under the new Westcape Corporation name, and it was the biggest to date, an extravagant 14″ x 20″. Every month had a different original painting derived from the film, Most of which have never been reprinted.
See it from front to back here
The 1981 Family Seal Calendar was issued from Academy and matched the format of their 1980 edition; it featured characters from multiple anime programs including Yamato, Heidi, Maeterlinck’s Blue Bird, and others. The word “seal” referred to stickers all over the front page, the largest of which could be made into a kite (which is why wooden dowels were attached).
See it from front to back here
1981 Yoko Asagami fan club calendar
Yuki’s voice actor was still one of the most popular across the board at the end of 1980, at which time her fan club issued a dedicated calendar for 1981. it featured ten photos of the “princess” at work and at play. The cover page offered a DIY paper doll which included a Yuki costume option.
Click here for more images
Anime magazines published in November
Animage Vol. 30 (Tokuma Shoten), The Anime Vol. 13 (Kindaieigasha), Animec No. 14 (Rapport), OUT January issue (Minori Shobo).
What’s next
Popy goes big with an unprecedented Yamato III toy line just in time for Christmas, the series soldiers on, and we reach the end of 1980 with a roundup of everything that escaped a calendar date. See it all in Vintage Report 32!
Newly-discovered backlog
February 1979: Kitami Ice Festival
Thanks to Twitter user Dr Kon, we now know of yet another Yamato ice sculpture, this one created in early 1979 at the city of Kitami, located in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido. The rounded shape above and behind the bridge tower is an image of Starsha.
August 4-10, 1980: Yamato Exhibition in Hiroshima
In the churn of live events surrounding the premiere of Be Forever, all of the known display artifacts, such as the 1/1 Analyzer and the large-scale Yamato “precision cut model” were in high demand at venues in Tokyo. So what were you to do if you wanted to hold an exhibition in a more far-flung city like Hiroshima? Answer: make your own displays.
The only remaining evidence of this is the flyer shown here, for a week-long exhibition at Hiroshima’s Daiichi department store. But what a tale it tells! For at least this one moment in history, you could see a 2.5-meter Yamato, a 3-meter Comet Empire giant battleship, a 5.4-meter Cosmo Tiger (about 1/3 scale), and much more! None of these objects has turned up again anywhere in the historical record, but it’s tempting to think they still exist somewhere, to be rediscovered and get the admiration they deserve.
Click here to read the flyer text
Bonus
Bandai model kit promotion, November and December 1980
