Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Report 53

November saw a steady pace of activity as the Age of Yamato movie promotion got fully underway and energized online activity seemingly from all corners. It was also a particularly creative month for the fan community, as you’ll see here.

November 1: Akiba Souken voice actor polls

The month got off the ground with a pair of polls at the Akiba Souken website in which fans voted for their favorite actors in two categories: the classic Showa years and everything since. To no one’s surprise, the respective voice actors for Kodai took the number one spot in both polls.

See the original posts here and here. See the translated results here.


Photos posted on Twitter by Stike Gundam and Colors7Miya

November 4: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model, Vol. 93

It was not a glamorous month for builders of this massive model kit, since all the November volumes were occupied with internal electronics rather than recognizable exterior parts. Nevertheless, eyes lit up as lights and motors passed their critical testing phases on the way to the March 2021 finish line.

“Colors7Miya” commented on Twitter, “It is very difficult to work on alone. You’ll need a spouse to help you, or a hanging crane-like dock. It is fully expected that it will be difficult for one person to do the wiring work at the final stage.”

See Hachette’s instruction video here

See an unboxing video here

See a modeler’s blog here

November 11: Yamato theme by Foresta

Showa 40 Otoko is a Gen-X magazine we’ve heard from a few times now, thanks to its unique coverage of the Yamato legacy. On November 11 they announced a partnership with a men’s chorus named Foresta to revive songs that appeal to their readership. First up, the Yamato theme!

The rendition is fantastic, but the article that announced the partnership closed with some problematic words for translators: “Real men who have learned classical music confront Isao Sasaki in a thick harmony. Please watch it at a loud volume. Let’s come!!”

See Foresta’s new rendition on Youtube here.


Photos posted by “Baseball Samurai Saki” and “Stike Gundam”

November 11: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model, Vol. 94

This was an unusual volume, in that instead of new parts it delivered replacement parts for the second main gun turret. Evidently the original build didn’t turn properly for some builders, so they were directed on how to disassemble it and replace the parts (an operation much trickier the second time around due to a lot of neighboring obstacles). There is no indication as of this writing on whether this will add an extra volume to the series.

See Hachette’s instruction video here

See an unboxing video here

See a modeler’s blog here

November 13: Star Blazers Lambda, Chapter 7

In this chapter of the Space Battleship Yamato Next manga by Ryuko Azuma, we jumped back a year to see the beginning of the NerfThis program through the eyes of Nina Nelson, the first of the Topness pilots. More interesting hints of the backstory dropped as we caught up with current events.

See the chapter with description here.

November 16: Shinya Takahashi on Yahoo Japan Auctions

Character designer/illustrator Shinya Takahashi must have done well in previous auctions, because he returned in November with more original art for sale. This time he offered two new portraits of our beloved Sasha…

…and two more of Yamato’s other eternal teen, Miyuki Kodai.


Photos posted at Baseball Samurai Saki blog

November 18: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model, Vol. 95

This week’s volume contained the motor for the aft shock cannon and four Cosmo Tigers that required their tail nacelles to be attached. They served as a reminder to everyone that the entire aft section of the ship (including the flight deck) is still coming. With only 15 volumes left.

See Hachette’s instruction video here

See an unboxing video here

See a modeler’s blog here

November 19: Age of Yamato promotion begins

And now the main event: the official promotional launch for Age of Space Battleship Yamato: Selections from 2202! The occasion warranted a completely new website sporting the gorgeous key art for the film, which is scheduled for a January 15 premiere. (The same day as the next Cosmo DNA update! Coincidence?)

The new site can be found at starblazers-yamato.net and also functions as a portal to Yamato Crew, the official 2199, 2202, and forthcoming 2205 sites. As of this writing, it offers trailers and home video data, with placeholders for later features.

November 19: Age of Yamato trailer

The full-up, 1-minute trailer for the film paid off the promises of the October teaser by showing us finished versions of scenes we previously saw in layout form. It opened with an on-camera testimonial from Sanada, giving rise to speculation that he may serve as a narrator.

See it on Youtube here.

November 19: Age of Yamato flyer & ticket voucher

The flyer for the film landed in participating movie theaters, highlighting its new scenes and narration, touting it as a 2-hour rebuild of the story rather than a straight compilation. The new key art by Character Designer Nobuteru Yuuki creates the first moment in Yamato history that both Starsha and Teresa appear in a single image. See a larger version at the end of this page.

Fans who purchased advance tickets received them in the form of a “MovieTick” card voucher and a poster of the new key art (to go with the earlier version released in September).


November 19: Age of Yamato video news

Speaking of which, we finally got to see the full version of the earlier key art when Bandai Emotion released this image of the wraparound video slipcase. Following a tradition that began with Yamato 2199, the painting is by the great Naoyuki Kato.

Bonus features on the DVD and Blu-ray for Age of Yamato include a “special record collection” (probably event footage), trailers and commercials, an audio commentary, and more. English subtitles are not indicated. The theater-exclusive edition will come bundled with bonus booklets containing script and storyboards. The scheduled release date is February 25.

And now some REALLY good news: for the first time, international customers can preorder the theatrical edition from CD Japan here!

November 19: Symphonic Suite 2202 news

Akira Miyagawa has been promising a Yamato 2202 symphonic suite since the days when 2202 was still in production, and now it’s real. This album will reach back to the glory days of his father Hiroshi’s 1977 Symphonic Suite Yamato, which elevated Yamato to classical status and revolutionized anime music itself. The disc contains eight tracks, samples of which can be heard in a 4-minute Youtube video here.

The CD will be released with Age of Yamato on January 15. Preorder it from CD Japan here.


Screenshots by friend-of-the-website Minoru Itgaki

November 21: Untitled Concert

In other music news, Yamato got a nod on this popular long-running TV program dedicated to classical music. It often features musicians sharing their passion for pieces that influenced them, and on the November 21 episode, host Kanji Ishimaru talked about his love for the music from Farewell to Yamato. He explained that as much as he loved the album, he was disappointed not to find The Scarlet Scarf on it. The other musicians on the show obliged him with a live performance of the song on guitar and cello. Recordings are unavailable outside Japan, so all we have after the fact are some screenshots and the knowledge that it happened.

Incidentally, Akira Miyagawa has been featured on Untitled Concert more than once, and it was previously hosted by Yamato alumni Kentaro Haneda for seven years.

November 24: Walter Simonson X Yamato

It’s no secret that there’s a large overlap between comic book artists and anime fans, but it’s still a nice surprise to find that overlap in someone as accomplished as Walter Simonson, whose work in American comics goes back to the 70s.

He posted both the rough and inked versions of this piece on November 22 and 25 respectively, citing it at 12″ x 9.” He commented, “Whew! That’s a lot to cram into a relatively small drawing. Maybe I’ll go back to 17 x 11 if I ever do this again!” Yes, please!

November 25: Fanfic comic

Back in May, we were given the gift of a truly exceptional Yamato webcomic titled The Green Hills of Earth by Russian fan DashaKO (enjoy it again here). In November she revisited her thoughtful pairing of Shiro Sanada and Neredia Rikke in a new story titled Bring Back the Future. And by her kind permission, we bring it to you in full.

See it all right right here!

November 25: Star Blazers/Yamato Premium Fan Club Magazine Vol. 9

The latest issue sported new art of Sanada on the cover (by Nobuteru Yuuki) that fronted for an series of articles on his character with several interviews (staff and voice actor) and new illustrations. Read the Harutoshi Fukui interview on Sanada’s role in Age of Yamato here. The only up-front 2205 news was a 2-page spread shown above displaying the latest Yamato design. The magazine also delivered the final chapter of Aquarius Algorithm and the start of a new autobiographical column by Exec Producer Shoji Nishizaki.

Keep an eye on upcoming updates as content gets translated.


Photo posted on Twitter by TakeChannel36

November 25: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model, Vol. 96

It was back to internal wiring for the last volume of November, this time installing another switchboard under the aft deck to power motors and LEDs in the superstructure. December would bring more of the same with just over three months to the end.

See Hachette’s instruction video here

See an unboxing video here

See a modeler’s blog here

November 25:
Yasuhiko Yoshikazu, My Back Pages

Every Yamato fan should immediately recognize the name Yasuhiko Yoshikazu. Though better known for his manga and work on the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, he served as a storyboard artist on Yamato from Series 1 through The New Voyage, bringing some of the most iconic scenes to life.

Ohta Books published this thick paperback in November, culled from over thirty hours of interviews conducted by Makoto Ishii for Continue magazine. Thus, the book is mainly text, but also contains scattered illustrations and a 24-page color prologue to Yas’ next manga series. It covers his entire career, which includes a Yamato conversation that you can read here.

Find previous interviews with Yas here and here.

Order the book from Amazon here or CD Japan here.

November 26: Concert news

The month closed with some delightful news for the future, especially for anyone who will be in Japan next June. The 2021-22 season of the famed Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra will feature an all-Yamato concert conducted by Akira Miyagawa on June 27. If you happen to live in a country that’s no longer under quarantine, start making your travel plans now. For the rest of us, maybe a new CD will come of it.


Also spotted in November

1/200 Diecast Yamato jet model

It’s been a while since Skymark’s Yamato jet went out of service, but its most enduring artifact – a 1/200 model kit – was evidently picked up and remarketed at some point by a specialty company called Gemini Jets.

This kit doesn’t turn up in a scan of their website, but this photographic proof from an online auction is enough to prove that she lives on.

Interested? Order it from CD Japan here.

Game art

Tsutaya’s Yamato 2202, A Distant Journey remains the last mobile game standing in the continuing history of Yamato mobile games for Japanese phones.

Shown here is promo art for their current campaign, which includes an animated component named “Live 2D.” Tsutaya’s Twitter page can be found here.

Fan art

November brought us plenty of new art, some of which commemorated Klaus Kiman’s birthday.
See the latest character art here and mecha art here.

Fan models

You’d think the monthly flood of custom models would dry up at some point, but it just keeps on pouring out. This month’s batch is divided into three galleries: Yamato/Andromeda, Earth mecha, and alien mecha.

Cosplay

Examples of Yamato cosplay are much rarer than they should be, which means that anyone who dabbles these days pretty much has the spotlight all to themselves.

This Kaoru Niimi shoot was posted on Twitter by the fetching Mai Hiyoshi. She’s welcome to take the spotlight any time!

Lost in space

Bandai hasn’t announced any new model kits to accompany Age of Yamato, but a fan with the enviable Twitter handle Yamato Otoko 2205 tapped in to remind us that they still have unused prototypes of a Patrol Cruiser and Frigate lying in storage somewhere (as seen in this photo from the September 2019 All Japan Model Hobby Show). Come on, Bandai, do the right thing.

Music history

Longtime fan Joseph Narkewicz shared an interesting find on the Star Blazers/Space Battleship Yamato Facebook page. It’s a historical song that sheds new light on one of Hiroshi Miyagawa’s most moving Yamato scores, the ballad of Hero’s Hill. The song in question is titled Ode of Showa Restoration, and was written in 1930 (five years after the start of the Showa era) to elicit public support for the Japanese emperor against a growing liberal democracy. (Read more at Wikipedia.)

Hiroshi Miyagawa was known to dislike military anthems, but a case could be made that the tonal similarities between Ode and Hero’s Hill are evidence of influence.

Hear it for yourself on Youtube:

Click here for Ode of Showa Restoration (with subtitles). Find two more versions (no subtitles) here and here.

Click here for the Hero’s Hill theme.


Continue to Report 54


Click here to see this experimental tapestry of art, music and animation for yourself. The final chapters were added October 26. I hope you like it!

6 thoughts on “Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Report 53

    • One way to moderate that impatience would be to go on a hunt for the 1978 versions. The soonest we’re likely to get any new kits would be the arrival of Yamato 2205.

  1. Can anyone recommend an importer who deals with the Hachette gimmick models? I remember seeing this on the FB group before but I’ve been gone from Facebook for about two years and without an account I can’t dig into the comments to find it.

    I want to get on board for the Andromeda while there’s still time!

    • At this point, it may be too late to start collecting the 1/350 Yamato, but you’re definitely here in time for Andromeda.

      One method would be to buy the weekly volumes from either Hobbylink Japan or Amazon.co.jp or CDJapan. You just have to hope you don’t miss any, because the only backup for that would be online auctions.

      The sure-fire method of not missing any volumes would be to subscribe with Hachette via an agent or proxy. My agent can be found at cathandsagent.com. Tell him I sent you.

      Also, keep in mind that we don’t have any information on how to enroll for Andromeda yet. I will follow the news and report it as usual (on here and the Facebook page).

      • Thank you Tim, this is exactly the information I was looking for. I will keep an eye out both here and what little I can see of FB as a non-member and will follow up with your agent once there is an enrollment date. Ensuring continuity of supply through an agent subscription will definitely be the way to go.

        As for the Yamato herself, maybe they’ll change it just enough for 2205 that Hachette feels compelled to upgrade and re-release. If they don’t, I’m sure someone will eventually put out a non-gimmick 1/350 (of the updated ship – I know there’s an original series 1/350 out there).

        Then I guess the only question will be: display it with the Andromeda or display it with a 1/350 wartime Yamato?

      • Thank you Tim, I am all signed up through Cat Hands. Looks like Hachette has a website for it now too.

        https://hcj.jp/andromeda/home.html

        I knew it wouldn’t be a bargain undertaking but it looks like shipping is going to be the surprise killer. Oh well, price of doing business.

        Can’t wait to turn my basement into a shipyard!

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