Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Report 29

As the final countdown to the final chapter began, December 2018 gave us plenty of news that started to provide a view of Yamato world after the conclusion of 2202, which included a very exciting announcement at the end of the month. Here’s all the action that brought 2018 to a close.

December 5: Yamato Travelogue

V-Storage’s all-Yamato news site ran what looks like its last Cast Comment piece, this time with the voice actor for everyone’s favorite blue-skinned enigma, Koichi Yamadera. (See the original post here.)

Please tell us your impressions and features about the character you play.

Calm disposition. Cold-blooded ruthlessness. Unrivaled charisma. Uses any means for his purpose. A lot of pride. Those impressions were so obviously depicted in various episodes of 2202! “You’ve lived on while carrying all of this on your back?” I’ve come to like Dessler more and more.

Please talk about a memorable moment in relation to your work.

I’m a big fan of Masato Ibu, who played the original Dessler, and I always felt great pressure. Meanwhile, I was more nervous than usual when portraying Dessler’s past, which has not been shown before, but it gave me great pleasure as a voice actor.

What is the appeal of Yamato?

While it’s about “protecting mankind from a tremendous crisis” in an ensemble drama of magnificent scale centered on Yamato’s crew, it’s also a story of love that depicts the subtlety of individual feelings.

December 7: Episode 10 on TV

In Fascination and crisis of the space fireflies, the crew is wrought by internal conflict and a new Cosmo Wave from Telezart puts them back on their path. Then a face from the past returns to haunt the future!

See the trailer for this episode here.

December 12: Yamato Crew Christmas merch

On this day, Yamato Crew released a collector’s set for the holidays, a clear file and postcard featuring a new Yuki Mori image. The greeting on the back of the postcard read “We sincerely wish that you will take the time for a Merry Christmas.”

December 12: Yamaket 13 announced

The Twitter page for the bi-annual fan convention Torilozi perked things up by giving us our first look at the superb promo art for the next Yamaket, created by fan artist/Yamaket organizer KIYO. (See it larger at the end of this page.)

Visit the Torilozi Twitter page here and Kiyo’s page here.

December 13: Hatena Blog

On this day, Bandai Hobby’s insider blog took a peek at two of 2019’s forthcoming model kits, the upgraded 1/1000 Yamato and 1/72 “Blackbird” Cosmo Zero. See their post here.

December 13: Nobuteru Yuuki on Twitter

Character designer Nobuteru Yuuki gave us all an early Christmas present when he tweeted his layout drawing for the “captain’s fraternity” glimpsed in a brief Untouchables moment in Episode 21.

In his Tweet, Yuuki announced that he’d just finished his work on Chapter 7, and also that Episode 25 features the climax of the story. According to him, “the final episode is like an epilogue.”

Visit his Twitter page here.

December 14: Episode 11 on TV

The TV broadcast moved into Chapter 4 with Dessler’s challenge. The man himself is back, driving Yamato into a dangerous dimensional fault, and acting not at all surprised when they escape. This was accompanied by a change of end title, picking up Chapter 4’s ending song Crimson Red.

See the trailer for this episode here.

December 15: Funimation Box set 1 announced

English-speaking fandom gave a hearty cheer heard round the world when Funimation announced the March 26 release date for the first half of the series on home video. The set will contain the first 13 episodes and come in two editions: Standard (above left) and Limited (above right). The Limited Edition includes a 40-page art book, 8 cards, Funimation’s on-camera interview with Ken Meseroll and Chris Wehkamp, and a box to accommodate part 2 upon its release.

Preorder the standard set here and the limited edition here.

December 20: Kadokawa promotion

A 15-second video ad was released by Kadokawa Publishing to promote the 2202 novelizations (release date for Vol. 4 still unannounced) and Yamato 2202 OUT magazine, scheduled for February 20.

See it on Youtube here.

December 21: Chapter 6 home video

Chapter 6 went into general home video release on this day, available on both Blu-ray and DVD with the same bonus content as the theater-exclusive version.

Order it from Amazon.co.jp here, or from CD Japan here.

Fans who ordered their copy from Amazon.co.jp got the sixth audio drama CD, titled Garmillas Ambassador who returned home to a Yamato date: a voice actor welcomes you!

CONTENT INFO

December 21: Episode 12 on TV

The crew has its first close encounter with Gatlantis in Astonishing White Comet Empire, Yamato breakout! The two Saberas make contact, to the fatal detriment of one.

See the trailer for this episode here.

December 25: Hobby Japan #596

There was only one Yamato page in this issue, bringing fans up to date with current announcements for future products: Chapter 7 and the forthcoming upgraded model kits.

December 26: Hatena Blog

Bandai’s hobby blog struck again with a peek at bonus items that would be released with the new 1/1000 Andromeda DX model in just three more days: expanded decal options and an entire book on the ship. (Keep reading for more.)

See the blog article here.

December 27: Yamato World event announced

In March and April, Hiroshima’s shopping mall/amusement park Marina Hop will be the site of a new Yamato exhibition event. As of this writing, it will consist of display panels, dioramas, and products for sale, including some custom Yamato World swag. More news as it happens.

December 27: Music news

Mark your calendars: March 2 is the next big day for Yamato music collectors. Volume 2 of the 2202 soundtrack album will arrive in a 2-disc package, and a theme song collection will be released simultaneously. It will include two versions of the main theme (one with vocals) and all the songs from Chapters 1-6 in both full length and TV size. No information has yet been published concerning songs for Chapter 7.

December 27: Tsutaya game campaign

From this day through February 28, fans were encouraged to retweet information about Tsutaya’s Yamato 2202 mobile game A Distant Journey. Participants would be entered into a campaign to win clear files autographed by voice actors for either Kodai, Shima, Kato, or Keyman.

Visit the campaign website here.

December 27: 1/1000 Apocalix scratch-built model

Hobby.com published photos of an amazing model of the Gatlantis flagship Apocalix, commanded by Baruzey against the Earth fleet in Chapter 5. The modeler’s name was given as “Plaban” and the total length is an astonishing 49 inches. See a photo gallery here.

See it on Hobby.com here and on Youtube here.

December 28: Episode 13 on TV

The action ratchets up in Telezart landing operation, fight the enemy missile fleet! Yamato slams right through Goland’s defense forces and crosses another line by firing the Wave-Motion Gun at live targets.

See the trailer for this episode here.

December 29: 1/1000 Andromeda DX model kit

With all the Andromeda customizing seen in Chapter 6, it was only fitting that Bandai released a deluxe (DX) version of the ship to put the same power in the hands of fans. This kit includes all the parts needed to build either the battleship or carrier variants, and multiple decals to decorate the ship as you see fit – with a smaller set to customize the Mecha Collection mini-kit. Light and sound features are not included.

This is the first kit to include the Wave-Motion splitter seen on the “final battle” version of Andromeda in Chapter 6, and it comes with an entirely new book dedicated to the ship. Bandai indicated that this was a thank you to fans who made the earlier Andromeda kits such a success.

See a photo gallery of the kit and book here

See more product photos at Hobby Search here.

December 29 & 30: Comiket 95

With another Comic Market came another wave of Yamato doujinshis to suit fans of all persuasions, AND some prize-winning cosplay to boot.

See a photo gallery for Comiket 95 here.

December 29: Hachette announcement

And now for the best news of the month. Back in Report 23, we covered the original announcement for this astonishing product: the 1/350 Yamato Diecast Gimmick Model from Hachette publishing. Back then, it was a test-market item limited to four parts. Apparently they achieved what Hachette intended, because on December 29 they launched a gigantic website to promote the full-up release of this gigantic model kit.

Do yourself a favor and explore Hachette’s website here.

All the details were written up in Report 23, so we’ll stick to the basics here:

The finished model will measure out at 37.5” long. Parts will be released once a week in 110 volumes (starting January 30), meaning it will take about two years to receive them all. They will be sold in stores and via mail-order subscription from Hachette. The first volume will be 299yen (about $3) and all subsequent volumes will be 1799yen (about $18). Total price over the entire subscription lands somewhere around $2,000.

The kit includes light, motion, and sound features. You can see the whole thing in a TV commercial here and a 7-minute demo here.

Bonus products will be offered, including a startup kit for subscribers. Magazine pages will be bundled with the model parts, allowing fans to build up a Yamato 2202 encyclopedia as time goes on. Custom storage binders will be sold, and a large acrylic display case will be available to subscribers who add another 250yen a week.

The question that’s probably ricocheting around in your head right now is “HOW DO I GET THIS FROM OUTSIDE JAPAN?” One method would be to subscribe through a Japanese friend. Another is to keep an eye on Amazon.co.jp. Foreigners can’t order toys or models from them, but the weekly nature of this product classifies it as a periodical. For example, Hachette is also releasing a large model of the IJN Battleship Yamato in exactly this format (see it here) and Amazon has no barrier against overseas buyers for that one. Cosmo DNA will keep a close eye on this situation and sound the alarm when the 1/350 Yamato appears there.

Meanwhile, Cosmo DNA has already taken steps to subscribe directly from Hachette. So even if you lack the resources to go after this beauty, you can still watch one come together in future coverage at this website.


Also spotted in December

Makoto Kobayashi on Twitter

This month, Kobayashi published more photos of his 1/1000 Laboratory Aquarius model, which can be seen in a photo gallery here.

Visit his Twitter page here.

“Edakio” on Twitter

Staff animator Kio [Edakio] Edamatsu treated us to more views from his drawing table when he shared some of his background layouts on Twitter.

See a gallery here and visit his Twitter page here.

Fan art

Fans had a lot to art about in December: impressions from Chapter 6, more episodes on TV, Yuki Mori’s birthday, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and whatever else grabbed their imaginations.

See a character gallery here and a mecha gallery here.

Fan models

Since on-screen mecha pretty much went nuts in Chapter 6, modelers took it as permission to do the same with plastic in December. See a prodigious photo gallery here.

Heroes Record art

More slick production art appeared on the official Twitter page for the mobile game in December, leading up to holiday celebrations.

See a gallery here and visit the Twitter page here.

Yamato 2202 Official on Instagram

In addition to a Twitter page, the official production committee has an Instagram feed that features such fun as commemorative murals to mark characters’ birthdays. Shown here are just two; visit their page here to see more.

High-altitude fandom

Mountaineer akiakiakihisa entered the fandom hall of fame on December 25 by posting these shots from the summit of Aconcagua, the highest mountain in both the southern and western hemispheres, at a height of 6.9km. Now THAT’S dedication. (Just for the record, it’s a Cosmo Fleet Special miniature from Yamato 2202, about 6.5” long.)



Continue to Report 30

One thought on “Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Report 29

  1. Im honestly starting to think the ending would be that of a remake of Farewell, which i dont want as Yamato Crew are an amazing team and I want more. I havent been told if Yamato III will get a remake so if it has then please tell me.

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