Space Battleship Yamato
Fan Club Magazine #26

New Year message from Chairman Nishizaki

New Determination Toward “The Final Chapter

I’ve been thinking over the last year how to resolve the form of Yamato, with which I’ve kept company for 10 years. And…’82!

“From 1981 to 1982, an old year left and a new year came. I’m sure everyone’s chest swells with expectations for the new year. This year, no matter what happens, be it happy, difficult or sad, I welcome the coming days of 1982.”

Full-scale work is waiting for Space Battleship Yamato The Final Chapter in 1982. From Chairman Nishizaki, who is busy preparing such things as story composition and designs, to you members of the Yamato fan club, new year’s greetings are sent with determination toward The Final Chapter.

Congratulations to everyone in the fan club!

Dear members of the Space Battleship Yamato fan club, congratulations for 1982, the year of the dog. Thank you very much for your warm support of Yamato. Among all of you out there, I’m sure there are men and women in the membership who were born in the year of the dog. Well, truth be told, I would be one of them. This is the year of Final Yamato. I intend to double and triple my best.

Toward fruitful years with Yamato

Ten years have flown by since the planning for the TV anime version of Space Battleship Yamato. The fans who were boys and girls in those days have now reached marrying age and play their active parts magnificently in the ocean of society. And so you now set out onto the sea of life, just as Kodai, Shima, Aihara, and Nanbu did from the space soldier training school. At times, storms may arise that will inundate you with great waves, but I’m sure you’re well-equipped to weather this great voyage. The blood of youth burns with sports and study, and brightness shines out during that time. I’m hard at work and hope for a fruitful ’82.

The origin of Yamato to The Final Chapter

All last year, I thought about The Final Chapter. As the producer who has kept company with Yamato over ten years, I chose the final resolution. For a year, I’ve been thinking about what kind of form to resolve it in, and how to give glory to the crowning beauty of Yamato, which I continued to love as a producer. And now at the beginning of the year, the thing you can all be sure of is that I must draw upon the origin of Yamato.

The origin supporting Yamato is that “space is an ocean,” “Yamato is a warship sailing that ocean,” “Yamato is moved by the captain and various human stories” all at once. This origin will become the main point that penetrates The Final Chapter. And among the successive Yamato captains, I’m painfully aware that none rose higher than Captain Okita.

Preparations are progressing steadily! Final Yamato promises to be satisfying by all means!!

Final Yamato in progress!!

Lots of letters come to me from the fans every day. Most of them ask if we’ll really do “The Final Chapter,” and letters of both encouragement and anxiety wonder if we will truly make a last moment in “Yamato The Final Chapter.”

The fan club magazine had content on our brainstorming meetings and I think you also understand from the producer’s messages that we are progressing steadily. Currently two people are in the middle of frantically writing a script worthy of The Final Chapter: Hideaki Yamamoto and Kazuo Kasahara.

Mr. Kasahara has the actual experience of boarding a battleship, and I think a meeting of reality and drama can be expected. Leiji Matsumoto also participates in the middle of this busy arrangement, and is wracking his brain over how to present the origin of Yamato.

I take pride in Space Battleship Yamato being one of the works that represents the Japanese movie world and encourages a new industry. Yamato is going to reach a finale–and a movie company that represents Japan is examining the most suitable time and place. Therefore, though the original schedule may run later than originally planned, I promise as a producer that you will see a work that will satisfy everyone all over Japan.

By the time this magazine arrives, I would like to be able to announce it in the next issue. And aside from that, while this may be a personal matter, I’m sure that one of you out there is the one who sent me the adorable Akita puppy. Let’s do our best like an energetic Akita to make 1982 a good year.

Yoshinobu Nishizaki
New Year’s Day 1982

Special Plans Toward Final Yamato

2nd Section: Brainstorming “Summary Report”

Wondering what kind of story Final Yamato will become? From the “brainstorming” that was serialized in this magazine from Fan Club headquarters, we extracted the big points and explored the whole picture. Let’s think about this report and deduce The Final Chapter from it!!

After the brainstorming series that began in issue 23, we have finally entered the stage of script composition. This time, we’d like to announce that we’ve organized the content of the brainstorming and independently reasoned out Yamato The Final Chapter on our own.

In three previous works, the invasion of an alien enemy lead to the launch of Yamato. Yamato brushes interference aside and repeatedly warps to the area of the enemy, arrives with great difficulty, and causes a reversal. This has become one Yamato pattern. This time, too, I think this fundamental point hasn’t changed.

Earth experiences a crisis, and The Earth Defense Force organizes a large fleet around Yamato, taking a great voyage toward the stronghold of the enemy. They encounter interference from the enemy along the way. The Earth fleet falls off one after another in repeated battles, and Yamato is the only one left to resolve it.

There is no doubt that it will be a mighty expedition story. And in the role of the honorable captain of the ship who is one with Yamato, in terms of the current brainstorming, only a revival of Juuzo Okita is conceivable. How Captain Okita of Hero’s Hill is revived and how the inevitable pros and cons of his resurrection break down will become a chance for both masters Kasahara and Yamamoto to show their brainpower.

Then, of course, comes the resolution for Kodai and Yuki. Will these two get married, or fall in battle? To reason out the starting point of this problem, Fan Club headquarters would like to judge it from the personality of Producer Nishizaki and the style of Mr. Matsumoto. As for the result, I think that how it ends can only be left to the fans’ imaginations.

When all is over, Kodai and Yuki lean close together and gaze into the direction of Earth’s future–as the two stand silhouetted in the sunset (or sunrise), spring has finally come for them. Yamato theme music flows.

The next think we’d like to consider in The Final Chapter is Dessler. About Dessler–though it is certain he will appear in The Final Chapter–how he will become involved with Susumu Kodai can’t really be guessed from the brainstorming. All we can say about Dessler himself is that he will come into focus.

The villain’s part is a very important element in the story. In reference to Ryunosuke Tsukue in the novel called Dai-bosatsu Toge [Sword of Doom], it’s possible, assuming a nihilistic existence in the mold of Nemuri Kyoshiro, that he would be a cold, calculating intellectual. If such a person is the commander of the enemy, Yamato will have a very hard fight.

A variety of flowers bloomed over the concept for the enemy fleet. For example, the main body of the enemy is ten thousand ships with all-robot crews. It is a space federation of humanoid types. Something like that.

It is thought that these will come out of the model for The Final Chapter, but a large situation is missing from the above reasoning.

(In the beginning I tried to attack Producer Nishizaki and each staff member individually, but they told me nothing of this “secret.” I will repeat my attacks with tenacity in the future, and as soon as the information becomes available, I want to announce it in the magazine.)

I think you are able to understand and feel that Yamato goes back to the starting point in order to glorify the finale. As for next time, I’ve caught some info on the scheduling for design drawings, script, and story. Please expect it.

In addition, whether or not the reasoning of you members is the same as ours at Fan Club headquarters, please keep writing in. We’d like to announce our expectations while showing everyone’s opinion in the magazine.

3rd Section: From the blazing staff to everyone in the fan club!

Space Battleship Yamato, which is going to give its final glory this year is finally being drawn!! Everyone on the staff is blazing along with this masterpiece. Here are their enthusiastic messages to you!!

Individual lively characters

Kazuhiko Udagawa

At present, because the details of the story are not yet decided, I cannot say anything specific. Since it has been said that Producer Nishizaki is planning a big screen or cinescope presentation, I’m thinking about the creation of scenes that can withstand it. After all, in comparing TV and Vista to widescreen, the animation paper also grows into a completely different class and it’s very difficult to make a scene with depth. The harmony of color is also important. On the other hand, I accept the challenge to make The Final Chapter the conclusion of the Yamato series. Furthermore, as when we did Be Forever, I want this to be a story where every character makes their presence felt, with each individual portrayed vividly.

PROFILE

Born August 6, 1943. After working for Mushi Pro and Art Fresh, became independent in 1968. Founded Anime Room and played an active part in various aspects afterward. Was a key animator on Farewell to Yamato and art director on Yamato 2<, The New Voyage, Be Forever, and Yamato III.

Spending time thoroughly

Shinya Takahashi

It was from Be Forever that my relationship with Yamato began in earnest (though I helped with some key animation on Farewell). At that time, like Mr. Udagawa and Mr. [Kenzo] Koizumi, we did our best not to be beaten by the staff on the original TV series. In the subsequent Yamato III, I asked Mr. [Yoshinori] Kaneda to compensate for my weak mecha scenes, and I was able to work relatively calmly in a tight schedule. For some reason, Mr. Nishizaki only lets me draw female characters, but my intention is to draw anything (other than mecha).

The popularity took off for the character of Sasha in Be Forever, which I designed in cooperation with Mr. Matsumoto, and I think I did a good job even if I do say so myself. I face The Final Chapter and take my time slowly and carefully, beyond the character of Sasha (please let me also do the enemy side, Mr. Nishizaki), and within the macho Yamato world this time, I think I want to draw a moody love scene.

PROFILE

Born 1943 in Tokyo. Joined Toei at the age of 20 as an animator on Wolf Boy Ken, played an active part afterward independently on Tales of Old Japan and Moomin. Did key animation on Farewell to Yamato, and character design/supervision on Be Forever and Yamato III.

Valuing “Encounters With People”

Tsuneo Ninomiya

This time, with the introduction of Mr. Udagawa as production supervisor, I have begun to participate in Yamato. Now it is a feeling of “new blood for Yamato.” For myself, it is my first theatrical work, but the motivation to make a blockbuster called Final Yamato is enough anyhow. I like the villain characters in Yamato, particularly Dessler. If he appears in The Final Chapter, I’d very much love to draw that character. Because I value “encounters with people” on the job, I hope I can interact with a variety of talented staff members on this work.

PROFILE

Born May 30, 1940 in Tokyo. Joined P pro at 26 as an animator on Harris’ Whirlwind, then went freelance and played an active role as director of White Fang and Hurricane Polymar.

[Translator’s note: this final column is at the far left bottom of the page spread shown above, which includes the headshot.]

Using experience in the Imperial Japanese Navy

Kazuo Kasahara

The battleship that really existed was remodeled with imagination as a feather in the sky rather than being tied to the surface, a wonderful idea for the last ten years. This time I’ve joined the scriptwriting staff of Final Yamato and take great pleasure in the responsibility of newly expanding this idea and creating an entire story appropriate for Final Yamato. Because I have experience as a sailor who joined the Japanese navy in the past, I want to incorporate the good face of the naval organization and the scent of the people I glimpsed at the time to bring a feeling of reality to Yamato in the midst of the human drama. When this magazine reaches everyone’s hands, I’ll be writing the script while wearing a nejiri hachimaki, I’m sure. I may be staring at the manuscript with pleasure and responsibility.

[Translator’s note: a nejiri hachimaki is a traditional braided headband worn for mental concentration or stirring up one’s “fighting spirit.”]

PROFILE

Born 1927 in Tokyo. After passing through occupations in hotels, shops, and transportation, he joined the Toei publicity department and started writing scripts at 33 years old. His work includes Battle Without Honor and Humanity, Hill 203, and Great Japan Empire. Now active as a freelancer.

The End

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