July 21 Stage Greetings

L to R: Eriko Nakamura (MC/Kiryu), Kento Ito (Sakamoto), Chitose Morinaga (Raiden), Tasuku Hatanaka (Domon),
Tomo Muranaka (Kyozuka), Wataru Hatano (Bando), Harutoshi Fukui (gen. director)

Stage greeting report for Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199 Chapter 1, Dark Invasion

Tasuku Hatanaka (Domon)

Published at Animate Times; see original post here.

Date and time: Sunday, July 21st, before the screening

Location: Shinjuku Piccadilly Theater

Speakers:
Tasuku Hatanaka (role of Ryusuke Domon)
Tomo Muranaka (role of Miyako Kyozuka)
Wataru Hatano (role of Heiji Bando)
Chitose Morinaga (role of Caroline Raiden)
Kento Ito (role of Shigeru Sakamoto)
Harutoshi Fukui (general director)

Moderator: Eriko Nakamura (role of Mikage Kiryu)

Youtube video clip: introductions

Conversation clip 1 | Clip 2 | Clip 3 | Clip 4 | Clip 5

Pro tip: turned on closed captions, then activate the auto-translator behind the Gear icon

The first chapter has finally premiered in theaters. Tasuku Hatanaka raised expectations for future developments by saying, “The voice recording is still ongoing. We’re in the middle of a long battle, so I already feel nostalgic about the first chapter, which was the starting point. That’s how exciting the future developments will be. So, together with all of you who are watching like this, I want to think again about how the story of Yamato will unfold from here on out.”

In addition to enthusiastic Yamato fans, there were also a few beginners who were watching Space Battleship Yamato for the first time that day. Hatanaka said to them, “Some of you may think, ‘Because it’s a sequel, I might not understand it,’ but that’s not the case. It’s a very user-friendly production. I often find myself thinking, ‘What’s this all about?’ when I’m immersed in the 50-year history of Yamato, but they organize it and show it to me properly. I want people who are watching it for the first time to feel at ease.”

Regarding the title of this series, 3199, Kento Ito commented, “When the information first came out, I didn’t know anything, and I thought that the generation would change to 1,000 years later, and all the characters would be replaced. But that wasn’t the case, and I was happy to see Sakamoto and the others again. So, what is this ‘3199’? I’m sure everyone is wondering, but I can’t tell you yet. I’m also curious about it. There are many points of interest just in the title.”

Tomo Muranaka (Kyozuka)

When asked about the characters she likes in 3199, Tomo Muranaka showed a complicated expression and said, “There was a handsome, sharp-looking guy in the group photo of the classmates we saw in 2205, so I’m wondering if he’ll appear or not.”

Jealous as Domon, Hatanaka asked, “So, is Miyako (played by Muranaka) interested in that guy? It’s fine, but…does she feel interested in him as a man?”

The audience burst out laughing. Hatanaka reiterated his question about “that character,” saying, “I’ve heard that he was originally best friends with Domon. There will be a story with him in the future, so I hope you’ll look forward to it.”

Fukui added, “The keyword is cup noodles.” This comment, which was close to giving away spoilers, excited the audience.

Toward the end of the event, Ito was asked for a final message. “The new series of Space Battleship Yamato has begun. In the previous series, the spotlight was on Garmillas and Iscandar. This one is not only on space and other planets, but on Earth as well. I think what will happen to Earth is something that people today can relate to, so I hope it will help you think about what you want to protect and what you want to preserve in the future while applying your own feelings.”

Morinaga responded, “I’m sure everyone is excited to see it. Although it’s the first chapter, the story moves at a rapid pace, so I hope everyone will keep their eyes open and don’t blink. The sound, the acting, the pictures, the script, it’s all packed in, so I hope you enjoy it.” Adding to that, “This is just a side note, but today when I happened to look at Raiden’s character page, it said, ‘Born on the West Coast of America.’ I actually lived there, so I was happy to find that we have something in common.”

Chitose Morinaga (Raiden)

Hatano then surprised the audience by saying, “I’m really honored to be able to participate in Yamato and work with such great seniors as Shigeru Chiba, Masashi Ebara, and Tessho Genda, who all appeared in the anime I watched as a child. We worked together on a voice recording recently, and they were very friendly and talked to me. There aren’t many opportunities to meet such seniors at work, so it’s really a pleasure, and I’m happy to be able to live out the life of one of the characters. This is just the first chapter, but it’s a long journey. I hope you’ll take your time to watch until the end.”

Muranaka then said, “This year marks the 50th anniversary of the show’s broadcast. I’m sure there are some of you who have been watching since then, but now another long journey is about to begin. I’ve just heard from some people that this is their first time watching Yamato, and I’m excited to see how they’ll react to it. It’s encouraging to know that so many people are supporting us, so I hope you’ll continue to walk with Yamato in the future.”

Finally, Hatanaka spoke directly to the audience. “The story you’re about to watch is the beginning of a journey, a long journey. This is a personal story, but I did the voice recording for 2205 mostly by myself and reading the script at home. Gradually, I started recording with amazing seniors. After interacting with them, suddenly a wave of emotions came over me in places that I hadn’t paid much attention to before. I felt like I was going to cry. I think that was the moment when my heart reacted to the love those people had given me. I feel the accumulation of such connections in Yamato. I believe it is present in the film, and I’d like to be involved in the creation of this work with that in mind. I’d be happy if you could accept the love of Yamato.”

Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199 is “user friendly” says Tasuku Hatanaka. “Everyone, please follow me!”

Published at Natalie; see original post here.

A stage greeting to commemorate Dark Invasion, the first chapter of REBEL 3199, was held July 21 at the Shinjuku Piccadilly theater in Tokyo. Taking to the stage were Tasuku Hatanaka (who plays Ryusuke Domon), Tomo Muranaka (Miyako Kyozuka), Wateru Hatano (Heiji Bando), Chitose Morinaga (Caroline Raiden), Kento Ito (Shigeru Sakamoto) and Harutoshi Fukui (general director). Eriko Nakamura (Mikage Kiryu) served as the MC.

Kento Ito (Sakamoto)

With the voice recording of the REBEL 3199 series still ongoing, Hatanaka revealed his current situation, saying, “Because Yamato has always been close to me, I feel like I’ve been fighting a really long battle.” As a result, he said, “When I look back at the first chapter, which is the starting point, I already feel nostalgic. I want to go back to this first chapter and think again with everyone about where the story of Yamato will go from here.”

Hatanaka said he went to see Chapter 1 at a theater when it opened on July 19. Since some of the audience at the stage greeting were experiencing the Yamato series for the first time, Hatanaka said, “You might be thinking that since there is a previous work, it might be a little confusing, but that’s not the case. REBEL 3199 is designed to be very user-friendly. When I’m exposed to the 50-year history of Space Battleship Yamato, I sometimes think, ‘What does this mean?’ But the movie is designed to help you sort that out.” He spoke enthusiastically, but added, “Maybe!?” in consideration of spoilers.

At the beginning of the movie, there is a scene that looks back on the story so far from Yuki Mori’s perspective. When asked why he chose Yuki as the narrator, Director Fukui said, “The story that we have to look back on would be 60 episodes long if it were a single TV series. We have to introduce it in about 10 minutes, but some characters don’t have a bird’s-eye view of the whole world. That’s why I thought it should be Yuki, so people will learn ten things when they hear one thing.”

Kento Ito commented that he had been thinking about the number “3199” in the title. “Until now, the years were depicted in the Gregorian calendar, but suddenly it’s 3199. So I thought that the generations would change drastically, and the characters would be replaced as well. I was happy to see Sakamoto and the others again, but I was also curious about what this 3199 was about.”

Wateru Hatano (Bando)

Ito also looked up “REBEL” in the title and explained that it means “rebellion.” Wataru Hatano recalled Domon’s initial rebelliousness towards his boss, Susumu Kodai. The audience laughed when he said to Hatanaka, “When you think about how you first met, he’s the most ‘REBEL,’ right?”

When asked which characters in the story he was interested in, Hatano said, “Seiya Kitano, the instructor of the 38th class, who is called the ‘demon’.”

Chitose Morinaga focused on the growth of Domon and his classmates, including Caroline, whom she plays. Tomo Muranaka said, “I wonder if the smart, good-looking guy who was in the group photo of the classmates in Yamato 2205 will appear…”

Finally, Hatanaka commented, “When I was recording my voice for Yamato 2205, I was mostly alone, but gradually I had more opportunities to record with really amazing seniors. When I did that, there were times when I felt like I was going to cry at scenes that I didn’t feel that strongly about when I read the script at home. I think my heart reacted to the love that my seniors showed me. I really feel that kind of connection of love in Yamato. I think that’s in the film, so I hope everyone can receive the love that Yamato has.”

He then appealed to the audience, saying, “This is where it all begins for REBEL 3199! Everyone, please follow along!”

At the end of the stage greeting, the audience was excited to see advance footage from Chapter 2, Burning Sun Sortie, scheduled for release on November 22.

Backstage; photo posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee