Translation and commentary by Anton Mei Brandt
Following the norm of previous initial chapter teasers, this one appears to depict mostly moments from the very next episode, titled Fight To The Last! Protect the Immigrant Fleet! With this in mind, one can begin to decipher the general outline: Yamato will escape Digabelas with the consecutive warp to avoid mutual annihilation in the unstable Dark Nebula, only to receive an urgent S.O.S. from the migration fleet and immediately head over to assist them. This just so happens to align with the basic premise for Episodes 10 and 19 of Yamato III.
Episode 10 depicts Yamato responding to an Earth forces S.O.S. sent by Captain Dan (a conceptual precursor of sorts to 3199’s Seiya Kitano, also serving as a mentor to Ageha) leading to a scuffle with the series’ resident stooge, Galman-Garmillas General Dagon (this time Bolar commander Boroze) and the new fleet granted to him by Dessler. Episode 19 depicts Yamato defending a group of alien pilgrims from Bolar commander Hakins, who intends to stop their voyage to planet Shalbart (this time Galman).
Immediately following Chapter 4’s cliffhanger, Yamato and Zerandal confront Dezarium’s massive Digabelas fortress, hidden in a nearby dark nebula. An unknown female voice rings out.
Unknown Female Voice: “The time of showdown draws near.”
The Digabelas is 3199’s take on Dezarium’s Central Supply Base from Be Forever Yamato. Its name has been thrown around by Ranbel in previous episodes. It’s flanked by 2 Gorubas, which when you add up the 6 (now 5) surrounding Earth fills out the original 8 Goruba slots from Be Forever’s post-Digabelas fight, the Goruba ambush. The BGM for this teaser is a new rendition of the original work’s aptly titled Dark Nebula.
Yamato exchanges fire with a Goruba. Off-screen, Dessler shares his thoughts as Yamato’s engine begins to freeze.
Dessler: “The enemy is a witch who torments the universe…”
Dessler’s words reinforce the fear seen in Boroze in previous chapters, continuing to raise questions of whether Uralia is a space vampire from the SUS (Resurrection), a Zemulian (2202), Mother Shalbart/Dezarium (Yamato III), The Darqueen (Great Yamato) or something else entirely. Also, the freezing effect on Yamato’s engine might not be a consequence of the witch, but rather Yamato trying out its new consecutive warp system, seen later in this teaser.
Back on Earth, Yuki appears to have discovered the truth of the Grand Reverse, at the very least its dual-usage role as a mind-wiping bomb capable of enslaving sentient Earthlings. She confronts Alphon in the wine cellar of his manor.
Yuki: “You lot…you’ve handed Earth’s people over to Dezarium with just one bomb.”
Elsewhere on Earth, Makoto meets with Tsubasa’s teacher Yoshiro, who wears a Dezarium com-medal.
Kodai contemplates the right way forward, and we see a running fighter battle past a Garmillan ship.
Kodai: “If it comes to annihilation here…”
On the mecha side, we see 3199’s first rendition of the new Bolar fighter planes, which made a very rare appearance in episode 24 of Yamato III.
images of war across space flood the screen, depicting Yamato struggling to defend Earth’s expelled Garmillan migrant fleet from a contingent of Bolar forces, seemingly led by Boroze.
Alphon (off screen) shouts at someone, frustrated with Earthlings refusing to believe Dezarium’s story.
Alphon: “You still won’t recognize us to be your future?!”
Elsewhere in space, Berth’s Duke Ram confronts Bemlarze and his assistant Darya, in person.
Duke Ram: “Berm! (For) the bird of revolution!”
This part was the most interesting to me. Contrary to my expectations, Ram appears to go straight to the Bolar Federation’s High Commissioner Berm von Bemlarze himself after allying with Dessler, without much struggle. It’s my belief that he intends to appeal to Berm’s emotions, to strike a chord in his heart which allegedly helped spark the revolution which brought down the former Bolar regime, by invoking the ‘bird of revolution’, a Soviet-style symbol of their federation. In fact, whatever Ram says before his vow shocks the stern-looking Berm into rising from his chair, much to Darya’s shock. Could Bolar and Galman unite against the common threat of the witch of Uralia…?
Ram’s ship Ra-Jendora is escorted by Boroze to a massive fortress hidden behind a blue moon, likely the seat of Bolar’s leadership.
Boroze is back. Poor man, if he’s made into a fool again I doubt Bemlarze will appreciate his failures. Back in Yamato III, he wiped out an entire planet – along with Boroze – as punishment.
The fortress that appears bears striking stylistic resemblance to the 8th Task Force mobile command center from Yamato III Episode 19, and its color scheme aligns somewhat closely to Berm’s Mobile Fortress Zespaze from the series’ final episode. For a paranoid group of revolutionaries struggling against enemies with planet destroying missiles, witch-like powers capable of ‘freezing the universe’, and never-ending threats on all sides, building a mobile fortress to serve as their defacto homeworld makes perfect sense. It’s what Dessler tried to do with New Baleras in 2199 after all.
As Mother Dezarium’s voice echoes, we see images of Domon preparing to fire the Wave-Motion Gun, Ranbel diving straight into battle, Lt. Alphon aiming a handgun, and Kodai in his flight helmet.
Mother Dezarium: “By means of resonating waves…now, to the true form… !”
After Ranbel’s failure to stop Yamato in the last episode, it appears he’s giving his all to make up for that, possibly bringing Alphon and his spare body along to confront Kodai.
Sasha, now awoken from her head injury last episode, is shocked to see Digabelas with her own eyes as laser fire zooms past her monitor inside the spherical radar room.
Yamato, glowing blue, prepares to go into its new consecutive warp mode as Skaldart and Mother Dezarium both speak of what’s to come.
Skaldart: “(These) fragments of Iscandar… (they) are exactly as expected.”
Mother Dezarium: “Soon our wish shall be granted.”
Is Sasha blaming herself for agreeing to the Dark Nebula incursion? Or did her head injury unlock some memory that had been rooted out of her while she was Dezarium’s prisoner? Can’t wait to see what Dezarium’s “Millenium wish” will turn out to be. Lots of excitement to come!
Chapter 5 Name: The Fierce/Incandescent Galactic War
The kanji used for “fierce/incandescent” (白熱, hakunetsu) also means “white heat/light,” or “white glow,” meaning that white is the key color next chapter.
Poster text: The “Unexpected” Begins.
Art by Kia Asamiya
