Official report: opening day stage greeting for REBEL 3199 Chapter 2, Red Sun Sortie

Combined from articles published by V-Storage and Mantan Web

The stage greeting was held on Friday, November 22nd with General Director Harutoshi Fukui, Director Naomichi Yamato, and Screenwriter Hideki Oka on stage. The moderator was Eriko Nakamura (role of Mikage Kiryu).

After the main screening, Mr. Fukui entered the theater to loud applause and said with a look of relief, “I never thought it would be this difficult to complete. The staff really worked hard, and we were able to get the Blu-rays on the shelves in theaters just in time. It feels like a dream considering the situation a month and a half ago.”

Director Yamato said, “The storyboard for Chapter 2 itself was completed in May or June of last year, but it’s been a year and a half since then. I didn’t expect it to be so difficult. A lot of things have happened, but I’ll continue to do my best, so please continue to support me.”

Oka said, “I’ve experienced the first day of a screening many times, but today’s is the most nervous I’ve ever been. As those of you who have seen it know, it ends ‘like that.’ I’m exhausted. I think everyone is wondering what will happen next. You might be wondering why we hurt them so much. But I think you’ll see the light. After watching the second chapter many times, please look forward to Chapter 3.”

The ending theme song, Reach for the Star, is sung by Daisuke Ono, the voice actor for the main character, Susumu Kodai. “This song really helped me out,” Fukui said, adding, “We had originally asked Mr. Ono to write a theme song, but we hadn’t yet decided which chapter he would sing for. So it was a blessing that he sang for Chapter 2.” MC Eriko Nakamura also spoke with emotion, saying, “Yamato is supported by Kodai-san, and by Ono-san.”

Chapter 2 is an ensemble drama with many more characters. Regarding this, Fukui said, “At the beginning of the script, I usually write the names of all the characters, but those names alone took up an extraordinary four pages.” He continued, “Of course, Susumu Kodai is the center, but this time I wanted to portray the whole group of characters well. And not only on board Yamato, but also on Earth and where Yamato is headed. I wanted to clearly show that the entire Yamato universe is alive by placing people in various places…but even so, it’s just too many, isn’t it?” he said, laughing.

Director Yamato said about animating such a work, “Among the viewers there will be those who have been watching (the series) for a long time, and those who will be watching for the first time. I tried to make it enjoyable for both, so even if you don’t know who the characters are yet, you’ll be able to understand what they’re doing and what they’re facing.”

He reflected on his attention to detail, saying, “However, that meant the hurdles for the animation became higher and higher. There were more long shots with characters lined up in a row. Casual scenes that you might not notice were terrifying for us. Normally, the production staff would have asked us to just do close-ups of the characters and leave the backgrounds to someone else, but the animators did a great job despite the difficulties.”

Meanwhile, Oka, who has teamed up with Fukui since Yamato 2202, was asked again, “What is the appeal of the ‘Fukui Yamato‘?” He responded, “I guess it’s a line that really hits home. For example, at the beginning of Chapter 2, which you saw today, Kodai is walking down the corridor of the supply ship Asuka in a battered state. There is a scene where he passes Captain Kitano. He says something plausible like, ‘Sometimes life is about shouldering a burden that is too heavy to bear,’ but what he says next is what really hits home: ‘It’s okay to fall to your knees at times like that, but not when you’re a captain. Especially while your subordinates are watching you.’ A lot of adults have come here today, and I think you all have your own positions and places. I’m sure Captain Kitano’s words hit some of you just as hard as me. What do you think?” The audience applauded.

But then Fukui added, “We fall to our knees a lot,” and Oka replied, “I never thought that line would boomerang back at me,” and the audience erupted in laughter at the exchange.

In Chapter 2, Kodai’s niece Sasha appears as a child. At the end of the previous film, Yamato 2205, she was born as a baby with a body. Oka explained her background, saying, “When I thought about the date when Iscandar was destroyed in 2205, that was Sasha’s birthday as a human. It’s been about a year, 11 months and 15 days since then in this chapter. So, on her family registery, she is 1 year and 11 months old.”

Fukui added, “Sasha had a full head of hair when she was born, so I think she got her body when she was about six months old. So the correct age is two and a half. If you think about it, I think she was about that age.”

The trailer for Chapter 3 showed Sasha growing up, but Fukui said, “I don’t intend to reveal anything about that. Once you know the reason, you’ll understand. Nothing strange has happened. Maybe I’ve said too much now…”

Oka commented, “Personally speaking, I was nervous about how everyone would react to Sasha (who is a different age from the original) suddenly appearing as a young child, but everyone was incredibly adaptable. They welcomed her warmly. I think that was also helped by the wonderful designs of (character designer) Nobuteru Yuuki, but I was saved by the fact that they accepted the new Sasha.”

In Chapter 2, the secret connection between Dezarium and Earth is also revealed. There are still many mysteries, but Fukui explained, “In the original work, the characters are fake people from the future, but this time it feels like maybe they’re real. There are films that feature things that have human form, but are not human. This structure makes you wonder what it means to be human. They may seem foreign, but what this person does and says is also inside us. Paradoxically speaking, we may be losing our humanity. The story is structured in such a way that it can be read as having a double or triple structure.”

Finally, Fukui once again spoke of his determination to the audience, saying, “Chapter 3 will begin screening on April 11th. We will do our best, so please look forward to it.”

Backstage with Eriko Nakamura, photo posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee

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