Publishing
Model Graphix #391
April, 2017
Model Graphix commanded the attention of Yamato fans with this “Space Naval Review” issue that put Andromeda on the cover and backed it up with a 14-page article. It included an interview with mecha designer Junichiro Tamamori, his first in the 2202 cycle.
See all the pages and read that interview here.
Scale Aviation Vol. 121
April, 2018
2202 Assistant Director/Mecha Designer Makoto Kobayashi has created articles for this magazine in the past, and a new one focused on his mysterious repaint of the Apollo Norm in Garmillas colors. This model, named Neu Balgray, would appear in Chapter 5 about a month later.
Kobayashi also wrote this passage of text to accompany the images. Make of it what you will.
Our planet Earth has fallen to ruin from a distant song, and visitors from different worlds visit a place that has become a wasteland on one side. These visitors dig up ruins and stones buried underground, linking them with the appearance of Earth in another day. However, they don’t know that the actual records left by humans are imaginary stories based on fantasy. The visitors guess at a history of Earth which becomes a fantasy world that did not exist.
The red hull of Balgray creaks as the ship plunges through a sea of clouds and changes course. Klaus and Yamamoto find the resolve to increase speed.
“I don’t like it.”
Although it is urgent, the captain’s dissatisfaction is plain to see.
“This work is also to preserve a friendship,” says the bearded ambassador says dismissively. “Be practical, Fomto Berger.”
“I don’t care. We carry the emblem of our country and that of Japan as well. This is how I’m going to help them. Prepare the deck crew to sortie.”
Such an urgent request in the midst of a live ammunition exercise?
“This is also an expression of friendship.”
“Do we need such a thing?”
“We have a common enemy. There is no reason to refuse.”
“Roger.”
Is it God, or an imaginary master? We create our world. Prepare the blacksmith to return everything to the beginning when it fails. You must have confidence in creation when creating a world.
This magazine can be ordered here.
Scale Aviation vol. 123
August, 2018
Kobayashi contributed six pages to this issue, taking the Czvarke fighter in an unexpected direction and offering a glance at the Earth fleet’s next Andromeda-class ship.
It can be seen at upper left, bearing a modified bridge and the name Aquarius.
Scale Aviation vol. 124
October, 2018
This issue carried a 6-page article by Kobayashi featuring his custom-built variations of Andromeda, all of which would be seen on screen in Chapter 6. This included the hybrid ship Aquarius and a refurbished ZZZ Andromeda.
See all the pages (with some text background on Aquarius) here .
Makoto Kobayashi on Twitter
September, 2018
Those who follow Kobayashi’s Twitter feed are often treated to detailed photos of modeling projects directly from his workbench. A month before the publication of Scale Aviation vol. 124, his feed was full of Aquarius pictures. See these and other projects here.
Andromeda DX Booklet
December, 2018
As mentioned earlier in this article, Bandai’s 1/1000 Andromeda DX model kit came with a sweetener: its instruction manual was augmented with 12 extra pages in full color that examined the style of the ship and offered artwork and information found nowhere else.
Read it from front to back here.
Special Art
Chapter 4 program book
January, 2018
This 44-page full color beauty followed the well-established format with lavish attention paid to stills, designs, artwork, and much more. It earned a spot in this article by dedicating two full pages to Andromeda mecha design by Junichiro Tomamori.
See it from cover to cover here
Chapter 5 Blu-ray sleeve
May, 2018
Assistant Director/Mecha Designer Makoto Kobayashi created this artwork for the Chapter 5 slipcase; a beat-to-hell Andromeda on the front and a fleet lineup on the back that includes some of his designs from Yamato Resurrection.
Chapter 5 program book
May, 2018
The full-color 44-page program for Chapter 5 contained a gorgeous centerspread by the great Naoyuki Katoh with the AAA fleet in action, and another interview with Mecha Designer Junichiro Tamamori.
See it from cover to cover here.
Yamato 2202: A Distant Journey game flyers
May, 2018
For the first time, a promotional flyer was included in the theater handouts for Chapter 5. It announced an entirely new 2202 game called A Distant Journey. There have been many Yamato mobile games, but this is the first browser game, which may increase its accessibility outside Japan.
What made the flyer a point of special interest for collectors was that there were three versions of it, each displaying different art on the back. All it takes is one look to realize that no matter how accessible the game proves to be, the artwork alone will be worth our attention.
Various Products
Mr. Hobby custom paints
June 2017
The Gunze Sangyo hobby company kept pace with Bandai’s Yamato 2199 model kits, releasing custom paint colors as needed. In 2017 they picked up the line again with their first two 2202 products, Andromeda colors 1 and 2.
Theater goods
As new chapters of 2202 hit theaters, they were accompanied by waves of new merchandise, and Andromeda took its place among them, mainly on keychains.
Chapters 3, 4, and 5 each delivered a different style of Andromeda keychain. The button above right came with Chapter 4.
Yamato Crew Premium fan club medallion
November, 2017
when renewal time came around again for members of the Premium fan club, the “commencement gift” was a medallion, about 2.3” across, featuring one of the most iconic scenes of the series.
Clear files
April, 2018
Advance ticket sales have been a vital part of Yamato 2202 marketing, and with Chapter 5 two all-new clear files became part of the package. By purchasing their advance tickets at Lawson convenience stores, fans could pre-order this one featuring Yamato in its close pass with Andromeda. It was made by a company called Loppi, which produced other 2202 products in cooperation with Lawson.
L to R: Harutoshi Fukui, Eriko Nakamura, Houko Kuwashima, Tomoyo Kurosawa, Nobuyoshi Habara
Custom-made “Androglasses”
May, 2018
An advance screening for Yamato 2202 Chapter 5 was held at the Shinjuku Piccadilly Theater in May, 2018. Prior to the screening, Director Nobuyoshi Habara appeared on stage along with Series Writer Harutoshi Fukui, Houko Kuwashima as Yuki Mori, and for the first time Tomoyo Kurosawa who plays a new character, Mina Ichase. The host for their stage greeting was Eriko Nakamura, who plays Mikage Kiryu.
The guests shared pairs of “Androglasses” modeled on the bow of Andromeda and 3D-printed by the 2202 production team. The photo above left was published on Twitter by fabricator Tetsuya Watanabe, a freelancer for CG studio Sublimation. Only three pairs were made, and there are no plans to release them commercially. The photo of Houko Kuwashima at right was published on her Twitter page.
Megane Flower eyeglasses
August, 2018
Custom eyeglass frames were created a company called Megane [Glasses] Flower. This isn’t the first time Yamato eyeglasses have been made, since the same company did a Yamato frame two years previously. But these are all new designs with both a Yamato and an Andromeda motif to be enjoyed by those who look closely.
Get a better look at them here and also at the Megane Flower website here.
Andromeda watch
December, 2018
Imperial Enterprise International is a company that has collaborated with Yamato before, delivering collectible coins and a Yamato-themed watch (which can be seen here). They returned again to craft this handsome Andromeda-themed timepiece with two secondary clocks set into the Wave-Motion Guns: a stopwatch and a 24-hour dial. A secondary stopwatch is also included.
Get an extensive look at it here.
It’s been a couple years since the last update and I’m wondering what your take is on the Hachette 60-volume subscription kit for the 1:350 Andromeda. It’s a little past halfway through, and the video showed a lot of features, but not as many as their 110-volume Yamato kit (no turret motors, for instance). 1270mm/50″ and enough room inside (IMO) for the serious (read: demented) modeler to superdetail and upgrade it. I was hoping, because of your delightful delve into all things Andromeda, you might have some ideas of resources for replacement decals in that scale, or motors to make the turrets rotate, etc. Short of the three-meter “studio model”, this is a forty-year-old dream come true.
I personally haven’t started building either my Yamato or my Andromeda yet, so I can’t offer additional comments on either, beyond what’s been published already. But when I do, I’ll certainly publish them.