Photo posted on Twitter by Akira12ymt_DQ99
Published by the official website. See the original article here
■ Date and time: Friday, April 11th (after the screening)
■ Location: Marunouchi Piccadilly
■ Speakers:
Harutoshi Fukui (general director)
Naomichi Yamato (director)
Hideki Oka (screenwriter)
Eriko Nakamura (host/role of Mikage Kiryu)
The host for this day was Eriko Nakamura, the voice actor who plays Mikage Kiryu. After the main screening, Director Fukui, Director Yamato, and screenwriter Oka appeared in the packed venue wearing theater merchandise; happi coats [Sasha support version]. When they turned away from the audience to reveal the illustration of Sasha on their backs, everyone erupted in excitement.
Sharing the current state of mind on the premiere day, Director Fukui said, “I’m amazed we made it in time. A month ago, I couldn’t believe that today would come. Most of all, I’m relieved.”
Director Yamato responded, “I always say that we’re on the edge, but the storyboards are not behind schedule. They were ready in 2023. After all, it takes a lot of time, and everyone’s cooperation and strength, to create something like this. I hope everyone will enjoy it in that sense, too.”
Oka added, “I greeted today with a very calm mind. I’m confident that it’s finished in a way that everyone will enjoy. And from here on, Yamato will start to fight back. Future chapters will get more and more interesting.”
Regarding the highlights of this third chapter, Director Yamato said, “There are many battles unfolding, but they’re not the same battles. To that end, we’re gathering the strength of all the staff, and I think this third chapter is the easiest way to see that.”
Director Fukui commented, “I’m sure there are some people who have been watching Space Battleship Yamato for many years, but they probably never expected to see an elementary school classroom. In the coming chapters, you will see more and more scenery that has never been seen in Yamato before.” He added, “This is a plot that was written five or six years ago, but there are some parts that are eerily relevant to the current times. I’m also worried about what will happen in the real world as the series continues.”
On the other hand, Oka said that the highlight of the third chapter is the relationship between Ageha and Domon. “In the original Yamato III, the two were best friends, but in reality, there weren’t many specific depictions of them being best friends. There was a scene where the two of them were lying down on the grass on Planet Phantom, but for a long time, fans had been filling in the gaps in their heads and enjoying it. Mr. Fukui dug deeper into that. I feel like I was able to take something I had been thinking about for a long time and make it tangible for everyone.”
Incidentally, in the third chapter, cup noodles are featured prominently as an item that connect Ageha and Domon, and Oka also revealed the story behind it. “Fukui-san writes a composition memo every time, but at first, there wasn’t a single word about cup noodles in it. I put the script together based on that memo, but when I gave it back to Fukui-san, he suddenly inserted a moment about cup noodles in detail. I was blown away when I read it. It turned out to be a great scene.”
In light of the new trailer for Chapter 4, Oka said, “It’s full of things that everyone wanted to see and know, and things that make you wonder, ‘Is this really how it’s going to turn out?'”
Director Fukui continued, “Meanwhile, the story on Earth is going to delve deeper and deeper into territory that you’ve never seen before. You’re going to wonder if it’s really going to be resolved.”
Regarding the progress of Chapter 4, Director Fukui laughed and said, “The sound work is finished up to the beginning of Chapter 6. So why is the picture for Chapter 4 still blank?” Oka added, “It’s perfect as a radio drama.” Nakamura responded, “We’re now 50% done, so we made it!” and the audience burst into applause.
Oka concluded by saying, “This series is based on Yamato III and Be Forever, and we’ve been working on it by gradually answering the questions we’ve had since long ago, such as what made those scenes so wonderful and what challenges remain, while adding new value. I’m confident that you’ll enjoy it all the way to the end.”
Director Yamato added, “As I mentioned at the beginning, this chapter has a lot of content and many key points. I hope you enjoy every moment of it.”
Finally, General Director Fukui sent a message: “When we screened Chapter 1, I said it was the best work I had ever done, but today, while working on the sound for the beginning of Chapter 6, I felt that it really could be the best. I can recommend it with confidence.”
Additional coverage from Mantan Web:
Hideki Oka hinted, “The catchphrase for Chapter 3 is, ‘Inviting you to the labyrinth of time,’ and Fukui-san’s invitation to the labyrinth begins from the third chapter,” to which Fukui nodded and said, “I think you’ll understand what I mean if you watch it two or three times.”
Hideki Oka said of the fourth chapter, “From this point on, it gets more and more interesting. This is where the counterattack begins,” and “It’s full of things you wanted to know and see.”
The appearance of the battleship Arizona in Chapter 3 has also been a hot topic. Oka said of the Arizona, “She’ll play an important role. She’ll be a major highlight moving forward.”
Harutoshi Fukui appeared on stage wearing a T-shirt with a mysterious cat design and a happi coat with a large Sasha design on the back. Regarding the mysterious cat on Fukui’s T-shirt, Oka tilted his head and said, “I haven’t figured it out yet either,” and Fukui revealed that it is the “trademark of a moving company” that appears in Chapter 3.
Backstage photo posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee