A flurry of interviews accompanied the premiere of Yamato 2202 Chapter 7 in February and March, 2019. Various online news services asked cast and staff members for their impressions as the latest work in the legendary Yamato saga came to a close. Collected here are the shorter ones, which provide a broad overview from multiple perspectives.
Director Habara: the final chapter of Space Battleship Yamato, “A work supported by love,” is completed
Talking about Yamato, Director Nobuyoshi Habara said, “The site is made up
only of people who have a personal view of Yamato, including myself. There were
discussions and clashes, and that’s why we were able to make something good.”
Published by Kyodo, February 21. See the original article here.
Space Battleship Yamato 2202, Soldiers of Love, the series that revived the popular anime with a new interpretation, is completed with the finale, New Star Chapter. Director Nobuyoshi said, “The staff, cast, and fans all supported me. It was a work supported by a lot of love.”
As a passionate fan since the first Yamato was broadcast on TV in 1974, Habara was originally interested in the work of an animator “to make moving pictures.” The first movie that pulled him into a story that went beyond the images was Farewell to Yamato (1978), the basis of the 2202 series.
When he was approached to direct, he had to grapple with strong feelings. “I was worried about whether or not I was up to it, but it would have been frustrating to watch someone else make it,” he said. So he decided to participate and “bear the labor pains.”
While incorporating CG into the production to produce powerful images, he carefully listened to the music at important points, always mindful of “Yamato-ness” in the directing. In order to express the size and mass of battleships, they were depicted many times larger than their original scale.
“In the era of hand-drawing, it came naturally. There are things that can’t be expressed by correctness alone,” he emphasized.
In the final chapter, the battle with the White Comet Empire Gatlantis comes to an end. “I want you to see the end of Soldiers of Love by all means,” the director said. Chapter 7 New Star Chapter will premiere on March 1 in 35 theaters nationwide, including Tokyo and Osaka.
Untold stories of Yamato 2202 design
Published by Mantan Web, February 23. See the original article here.
New Star Chapter, the seventh and final chapter of Yamato 2202, the latest part of the popular anime Space Battleship Yamato, premieres on March 1. Yamato’s design has been updated each of the many times this popular work has been remade. Junichiro Tamamori has dealt with its mecha design continuously from 2199 to 2202, and he talked about the appeal of Yamato’s design.
A design suitable for the present day, uniquely expressed with CG
Yamato 2202 is a sequel to Yamato 2199, which was seen in theaters and on TV from 2012 through 2014. Its motif is Farewell to Yamato, released in 1978. All seven chapters were written by Harutoshi Fukui, the writer of Another Nation’s Aegis and Mobile Suit Gundam UC.
When Mr. Tamamori got the offer about ten years ago, he was a fan of the series and had drawn Yamato illustrations for doujinshi (fanzines). He said it gave him great joy. “It was what I was waiting for! That’s what it felt like.”
The first Space Battleship Yamato broadcast began in 1974. Forty years later, Mr. Tamamori thought about “recapturing the design from the perspective of what is appropriate for the present day.”
“Yamato’s original design is wonderful. I’m conscious about making use of its form. I rebuilt it to match the times. It couldn’t be done the same way. After the era of Yamato, Gundam, and Macross, the techniques of anime expression evolved. For example, with CG it’s possible to depict the gradual curve of the hull surface that couldn’t be drawn by human hands.”
“There were places where I thought about a design that could take full advantage of light, shadow, and so on. You can’t fake it in CG, and you can make fine detail. But contrary to that, I tried not to make it too intricate, since there could have been a sense of incongruity if you saw individual screws, So I put in the necessary things and left out what was unnecessary.”
The untold story of a classical atmosphere in Ginga’s design
In 2202 Chapter 6 Regeneration Chapter, the new Yamato-class ship Ginga became a hot topic. Characterized by the feature of an observation dome, it has a striking shape that is both like and unlike Yamato.
“Assistant Director Makoto Kobayashi put together the design, and I was involved in organizing it. It’s a suitable sister ship to Yamato, with a design that matches the world view of 2202. It isn’t a mass-production type of Yamato, and it’s an experimental ship instead of a battleship. Many battleships, including Yamato, were designed in the 19th and early 20th century, in the neo-gothic era after the Industrial Revolution. Would it be possible for us to incorporate a classical atmosphere, like the Eiffel Tower? I took up the challenge of the observation dome with that thought.”
Yamato is a very popular work, and whenever a remake is done, fans express various opinions. Therefore, designing it is difficult.
“Yamato has various forms in the old works. The form is different between Farewell and Yamato 2. There are those who enjoy it as a model kit, too, and each fan has their ideal form. That’s it! That’s all I can say.”
Talking about the appeal of Yamato, Tamamori says, “There is a spirit to the challenge of the design and the attitude toward the work. I’m trying to make a visual that hasn’t been seen before.”
He also seems to be designing with love. “I’m conscious that there are many fans, and I try to think about their feelings objectively.”
Love is a big theme in Yamato 2202, and the love of the staff that includes Mr. Tamamori should attract many fans.
Click here to see a larger gallery of the art in this and the next interview.
With love in the backgrounds, the “Yamato-ness” will not be lost
Published by Mantan Web, February 24. See the original article here.
New Star Chapter, the seventh and final chapter of Yamato 2202, the latest part of the popular anime Space Battleship Yamato, premieres on March 1. The beauty of 2202’s images is attractive, from the inside of Yamato to the dazzling outer space backgrounds. We talked with Art Director Yoshio Tanioka about drawing the backgrounds “with love.”
How to create in accordance with new concepts
Mr. Tanioka is in charge of various backgrounds in 2202 including buildings, mountains, outer space, and the corridors or the engine room on a ship. Mr. Tanioka and his staff created 300-400 individual background pieces.
“It takes three to four hours to draw one piece. A poster could take a full day. It gives me a long time to think.”
Mr. Tanioka creates a background based on an image by Assistant Director Makoto Kobayashi. He looks at the script and storyboard to see what will be shown, then expands upon it by gaining a greater understand of what’s being presented.
It’s not just the story of 2202 that differs from previous Yamato, but also the design and the backgrounds.
“I study past designs, but since some things in them are fundamentally different from our concepts, I rebuild them into something modern. I create it in accordance with new concepts. There’s also an image of the original work, so I try not to leave that behind. For example, Zordar had a strong image of evil in Farewell. This time, Zordar is not good or evil, so the thought is to depict him with a different type of existence. It comes from a completely different cultural sphere, so I try to create a cultural difference in the art.”
Don’t change it in places where the impact is strong
On the other hand, there are things that cannot be changed. If the “Yamato-ness” is lost, the heart of the fans will also be lost.
“The Wave Engine’s orange color cannot be changed, because then it wouldn’t look like Yamato any more. We don’t change it in places where the impact is strong. There are a lot of greys in the color, but there are a lot of variations. Andromeda’s grey is different from Yamato’s grey. I change the color for each panel on the floors and walls.”
Since it is an SF work, many fictional weapons appear that don’t exist in reality. They don’t exist, but they have to be realistic.
“It’s fictional, but I make sure that it doesn’t look fake. I have to show it like that. It has to look like somewhere you can live. You have to tell good lies so people can enter the onscreen world. But in the end, it’s about sensation rather than logic. I think the standard of the fans is whether there is love in it or not.”
After completing all seven chapters, Mr. Tanioka says, “I felt the weight of the project, and at first I was scared of participating in it. But I found my resolve. I was ready to give it my love. I had to be faithful to the fans. It was hard work…but every time I went to a preview, I saw it as a fan.” (Laughs)
The backgrounds of 2202 are also filled with love. There may be new discoveries when the details are examined.
Special Chapter 7 talk with Daisuke Ono as Susumu Kodai X Hiroshi Kamiya as Keyman
Published by Animate Times, February 25.
See the original article here.
Ahead of the March 1 premiere of Yamato 2202 Chapter 7 New Star Chapter (the finale), we bring you this talk with Daisuke Ono (Susumu Kodai) and Hiroshi Kamiya (Klaus Keyman).
Interviewer: First, please tell me your impression when you read the script for Chapter 7.
Ono: Up until now, [Writer] Harutoshi Fukui continued to say “The love of Kodai and Yuki will be tested.” When I read the last script, it was a really rough ride. There was a rewarding feeling, that it was good to be here.
Kamiya: I read a work from the standpoint of a character, and Yamato 2202 is packed with many peoples’ feelings depicted in various ways. It’s the story of a ship that gets into deep trouble. There are parts of it where nothing can be done, and there was a strong impression of indecisiveness. There’s also the episode where everyone is at the mercy of Teresa’s enigmatic words. But, in trying to arrive at this seventh chapter, by treating this contradiction in regard to whether it’s peoples’ confusion, the direction they have to take, and the future towards which they must strive, the answer comes out clearly. I felt that the story written by Harutoshi Fukui and Hideaki Oka, and gathered together by Director Nobuyoshi Habara, was amazing.
Interviewer: Please tell me your impressions of performing Kodai and Keyman.
Kamiya: At first, Keyman’s interests paralleled with Kodai’s didn’t they? Kodai had a bigger mission, and Keyman’s role in ensuring that Yamato sailed safely was necessary for the mission he had to fulfill. Because he was on board Yamato, too. That’s why I advised Kodai more and more. I think it was an arrangement in which they seemed to help each other.
Ono: At first, he just got on board Yamato as a resident military officer. It was very interesting that he gradually became a crew member. Keyman shoulders a variety of things. At first, he wasn’t a character who put everything on the table.
Kamiya: I think the encounter with Dessler was his big climax. If anything, before that I felt like I was off to the side. Even when Yamato faced a crisis, part of me took a detached view of it all. In a way, it was “boring” just to play a character with only that role.
Ono: Because of the sadness in his past and his origin, I thought he could only watch people around him dispassionately.
Kamiya: After meeting Dessler, I couldn’t help but become a more harmonious character. A decision was entrusted to Keyman. Even when movement was happening, there was still some vagueness in my mind when I performed it. It was a lot of fun.
Ono: To put it in a single word, it has a feeling of “shiftiness.” (Laughs) Little by little, the unrefined side of human nature emerges, and you think “Do we already have another protagonist here?”
Interviewer: Can you tell me some of the highlights of Chapter 7, which brings us to the end?
Kamiya: In the eyes of Keyman, there is the fate of Yamato and the mission he must fulfill. Which will he choose? I think that’s the point. Torn between them, what will he ultimately do? That becomes a big point.
Ono: For the fans, I think the expectation is that there will be scenes of Kodai and the others fighting for their lives. Chapter 7 is total war, the same as the original work, Farewell to Yamato. However, 2202 conforms to the present day. At the very end, I think you’ll feel that it is a New Star Chapter.
Interviewer: Please give a message from the two of you to the fans who will watch Chapter 7.
Kamiya: Yamato 2202, which revived Space Battleship Yamato for the present day, with the best staff and techniques, comes to its conclusion. I thought it was a beautiful finale. Please participate in the big event.
Ono: I went on a voyage with Yamato in 2199 and was able to come to here. I feel like I’ve been rewarded. I’m glad to have traveled so far. I want everyone to see it.
We listen to Writer Harutoshi Fukui and Director Nobuyoshi Habara on the meaning of love depicted in the finale of Yamato 2202…
Published by Mantan Web, March 1.
See the original article here.
New Star Chapter, part 7 of Yamato 2202, Soldiers of Love in the popular Space Battleship Yamato series, was released on March 1. The much-talked about work involves Writer Harutoshi Fukui (Another Nation’s Aegis and Mobile Suit Gundam UC), Director Nobuyoshi Habara (Fafnir of the Blue Heavens) and an extravagant staff. The final chapter has arrived at last.
Love is one of the themes of 2202. What is the meaning behind depicting love now? What happens in the end? We talked with Mr. Fukui and Director Habara.
We can now see the difference between 2202 and Farewell to Yamato
Yamato 2202 is the sequel to Yamato 2199, which screened in theaters from 2012-2014 and was broadcast on TV. Its motif was Farewell to Yamato, which was released in 1978, and Yamato 2, which was broadcast in ’78 and ’79. Seven chapters were released, starting with Beginning Chapter in February 2017.
2202 is based on Farewell and Yamato 2, but also seems different from the past works. Fukui thought about what it meant to refine them for this era.
“If you refine an old thing, it won’t match the old one. I couldn’t do better than them. There is meaning in what is left out, but it’s impossible to put it out exactly as is in the present day. So I had to dismantle what was appealing about Farewell at that time. If the people who saw both Farewell back then and 2202 today see the difference now, will it still have meaning? I thought about that. How has the situation of Japan and the world changed? You can confirm that if you see both. Of course, you could also just see 2202.”
At the start of the plan, Director Habara said he thought, “Shouldn’t we just do Farewell as is?” But he changed his mind when he saw Mr. Fukui’s plan.
“Farewell is my favorite, and there’s some fundamentalism to it. So I thought, why not just do it as is? But when I saw Mr. Fukui’s plan, it was deep and wonderful…and I got the feeling that the rudder had been cut. In consensus with him, I wanted to preserve familiar scenes from Farewell. No matter when you look at Farewell, there’s a point where the flow of the completed scenes gives you a catharsis.”
Choosing to depict love
in the smartphone era
While dismantling Farewell, there was something in its nucleus Mr. Fukui wanted to preserve, the theme of “love.” The title of Farewell and 2202 both contain the words Soldiers of Love.
“The word love is often caught up in gender relationships. It’s more than that, it’s humanism. Humanity. There are times like now when humanity faces a crisis. There is also AI, which will try to shake itself free of humanity. I have a firm belief that humanism and love are modern themes. But it’s not like in Farewell, where you can die to protect the purity of your beliefs. It’s about God surrendering to humanity.”
In 2202, the main character Susumu Kodai is forced to make the ultimate choice. His agonized figure is impressive. Choice also seems to be a big theme.
“For older Japanese, there were many grey areas. But in the net society, each individual can speak anonymously. Rather than broadening your horizons, the smart phone is seen as a tool that lets you fill up your time only with what you like. It’s stressful when something you don’t like gets in the way. When someone makes a mistake, they’re immediately subjected to an intense beating. This can’t be described as a conversation between human beings. It becomes public opinion, and all we want is black and white.”
“In 2202, a choice is pushed for, and it becomes unreasonable not to make a choice. When you think about the results it will bring, you can’t do it. Even if not choosing throws you into hell, this is still better than making a choice that will throw away your humanity. Lives may be saved at the moment you make a choice, but you may become less than human. Isn’t that the origin of humanity? I had to think about that from there. Viva human nature!”
The ending of Farewell was considered to “glorify suicide.” How will 2202 reach its ending?
“What we talk about in 2202 is consolidated in the ending. What was done to protect humanism? Up to that point, only sad things happened in 2202. At the end, it was finally time to make a miracle.”
2202 is the latest, definitive version!
According to Director Habara, Mr. Fukui’s scripts for 2202 had a lot of information, and there seems to have been a lot of hardship.
“The scripts are dense, and there is a lot of information between the lines of dialogue. I made the visuals to preserve the main subject as much as possible. Since I’m in the target generation for Yamato, I felt a direct relationship with it. While I worked on it, I collected various opinions from Mr. Fukui and the staff. There’s never been a work like this before. I’m glad that there was time for me to deepen it. Making Yamato has been a treasure. Both Yamato and Yuki Mori are the most beautiful they’ve ever been in Yamato history. I think it’s wonderful.”
“2202 is the latest, most definitive version for now,” Mr. Fukui said. “When I think about it, there has been a contradiction from the very first work. Yamato is a battleship, but the story is anti-war. I took that head on from the start. If 100 people absorb it, I think they’ll absorb it in 100 different ways. I’ve done it all! That’s my feeling about it,” he concluded confidently.
What kind of love will be seen in the last chapter? What choice will Kodai make? It seems likely to be full of highlights to the end.
Fukui’s enthusiasm in conveying different meanings for different people makes me like him even more. And Habara’s comment about Fukui’s scripts being dense made me laugh haha, this duo (like’em or hate’em) have worked perfectly together from what can be gathered behind the scenes, and they’ve done their best.
I salute them both!