Posted on February 11, 2023 by TimEldred

Yamato 2205 Episode 2 commentary

by Anton Mei Brandt, Kathy Clarkson, and Tim Eldred

Episode 2: Yamato, a New Departure!

The opening title gives us a short montage of sequences from 2199, Ark of the Stars and 2202, set to a familiar tune from decades past: the iconic opening theme from the original TV series.

[AMB]: A new voyage set to an old tune. The title ends on a new image: The Milky Way galaxy and the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy. What was your first reaction to hearing 2205 bring back the original original opening song?

[KC]: That was a definite treat! I prefer the Japanese, but the English version is easier for me to sing along to. I actually have Animetal USA’s heavy metal version on regular rotation. I’m very fond of it.

[AMB]: Thematically speaking, there’s likely a grander purpose behind the original theme’s usage here. So much so that it would be remiss of the future dub crew to not include the original Star Blazers theme.

From here on out, 2205 will make a point of not re-recording vocal tracks from the original New Voyage and Yamato III, opting for the originals. This serves a double purpose: on one hand, it makes their usage connect more strongly with older audiences who grew up with them. On the other hand, it sows the seeds of Be Forever Yamato’s pseudo time travel storyline early on, but also sets up a key theme of 2205: re-evaluating the past.

On the first point: why do this so late in the game? As is known to fans from around the world, 2199’s focus on moe-fying the female characters did not necessarily resonate with the core Yamato fanbase. 2202 reversed gears in this regard; its marketing focused less on anime girls, more on mecha. The anime followed suit starting with 2202, and culminated in centering Age of Yamato on a character beloved by older fans (Sanada). If one were to believe the production team behind the reboot, older Yamato fans took it to heart.

On the second point: 2205 isn’t just a fusion of The New Voyage and Yamato III, but also Be Forever. Characters to be introduced from the Dark Nebula Empire will have a peculiar fascination with old recordings of Earth music. The original recordings of classic vocal Yamato tunes provides us with two important hints: 2205’s narrative will deal with the metaphysical past of the SBY franchise, but also the past of series regulars like Dessler and Starsha.

The episode begins with a flashback: an envoy of three Deusula core ships carrying members of Garmillas high court lands on Iscandar’s capital. Joining his uncle – the Archduke Erik Vam Dessler – is a young Abelt Dessler, who in the present narrates how this day was the first time he met Queen Starsha.

“Iscandar… the twin planet to our planet Garmillas. It’s the planet of love, which plots the salvation of all intelligent life. It’s the guiding light and spiritual support for the culture of Garmillas.”

[AMB]: Iscandar’s stated goal to bring salvation to all intelligent life, as well as Garmillas’ pious worship of Iscandarians, were pillars of 2199 lore. Glad to see this recognized once more.

[KC]: We are getting SO MUCH MORE about the relationship between these two planets than we ever have before. I loved the fact that 2202 introduced some of the history between Dessler and Starsha and 2205 is delivering.

[AMB]: We were cautiously optimistic about the reboot expanding on 2202’s efforts to recontextualize the vagueness of 2199’s lore, weren’t we? And we had different views on whether the Starsha flashback Dessler had in 2199 indicated that he first met her during his young adulthood, or if he possibly had met her prior to his boy band look. You argued the former, and you appear to have been right!

[KC]: It looks that way, only now I have more questions. Some will be addressed, others likely never, but why doesn’t Starsha appear to age? Why is she always wearing the same outfit? What does she do on that planet all day, all alone? Is she actually alive? Has she ever left Iscandar? Was Abelt legit trying to court her? Did she sit for the creepy mural he had made of the two of them? Did she ever see it? Does she like him, but only as a friend? Was she stringing him along for some other purpose? Did she give him that bird he choked out in 2199, or did he just take it with him when he was there that other time wearing that awful ascot?

[AMB]: As for the mural, Starsha has her own copy in her palace, so she has definitely seen it. It’s depicted after her talk with Hyss, in 2199 Episode 24. And the blue birds? One or two of them can be seen hovering around the pair in Starsha’s flashback, so I think it’s safe to say that’s where he got it.

[KC]: She has her own mural? How in the Greater Magellanic Cloud did I miss that? And thank you for the visual image I will carry now of Teen Heartthrob Abelt just snatching one of those birds out of the air right in front of Starsha and walking off with it. “Fine. If you won’t go out with me, I’m taking this bird!”

[AMB]: For those who aren’t caught up with the expanded world building from 2202, here’s a short summary: By the time of Abelt’s third birthday, Erik Vam Dessler had successfully united the divided duchies of Garmillas after a seven-decade long civil war. Though strife still followed, a united planetary nation was slowly becoming a reality. On Abelt’s eighth birthday, he swore a blood oath with his brother Matheus to find a way to save their world from its looming death. Based on Abelt’s apparent age in this scene in 2205, we can infer that this meeting takes place shortly after said blood oath.

Any details omitted can be found in our 2202 Episode 15 commentary here.

[KC]: I mean, it was weird enough for me to accept the fact that this lady just sat around on her planet all alone, all day in the original story, refusing Dessler’s calls. But the reboot has been giving us context for things like this from the beginning. And here we have Sweet Baby Abelt, brought by his Uncle to meet with Starsha, who appears…exactly the same as she always does.

[AMB]: In the original series, I suppose one could argue that the calls they had were antagonistic to say the least. Starsha was always a defiant pacifist, content to fade away rather than assert her will on others – that which the Dessler regime did to creatures on Balan and Beemela.

[KC]: This Dessler seems to have more history with her. Not only do we have this meeting where presumably he is being introduced to Starsha, but we also saw him meeting with her on Iscandar when he first takes over from his Uncle at eighteen. And despite their political impasse, they seem to genuinely like each other. What do they talk about? Another question for my list.

[AMB]: War. Peace. Blue birds. That kind of stuff, probably. On the mecha front: It’s interesting to note that thanks to the inclusion of the Deusula core ships in this scene, we can infer that Abelt wasn’t the first Dessler to use this particular class of ship in 2199. In fact, it appears as if it’s designed especially for the Dessler dynasty.

In the throne room, three dozen or so Garmillans take a collective knee for Starsha, whose curious gaze is fixed on Abelt. Whether she’s perturbed or intrigued, we don’t know. Their eyes meet for a brief moment until Abelt looks away. Starsha walks up to the young boy, lowering herself to his level. She caresses his cheek and whispers a secret unknown to us.

“Starsha, the first time I saw you, you looked so mature. What were you trying to tell me at that moment… ?”

The monologue ends. We’re back in the present, aboard the Deusula III.

[KC]: What a little cutie he was back then. Anyway, I guess he meant that literally and wasn’t talking about her poise.

[AMB]: You’re referring to her age, right? Considering they first met over 30 years ago, it’s an odd thing to see her remain in pristine shape to this day. It’s almost like she doesn’t seem to age…

[KC]: Right? I know all will be explained in later episodes, but right now it’s very intriguing. Especially since they don’t reveal yet what she whispered to him.

[AMB]: Since this is a shorter series, and since this commentary is meant to be read after watching, I vote we end the embargo on spoiling future events here and now. This is what Starsha told him: “Make sure to mature with haste/grow up quickly.” The reason why will remain somewhat ambiguous. How did you read her wish?

[KC]: My first instinct was that she meant it in a kind of dark, foreboding way; that Abelt cannot afford to be a child for long in his position. And later, when we learn the nature of the relationship between Iscandar and Garmillas (which I still don’t think we need to get into just yet) I started considering that she might have just been eager for Abelt to take charge of the situation. Maybe she sensed that he would forge a better path than his Uncle. But of course, with all the joking I’ve done over the years regarding Dessler’s rather problematic interest in Queen Starsha, it’s also amusing to look at her comment as the tables turning on that front.

[AMB]: Interesting takes, all worthy of consideration. My own is fairly simple: it appeared as if Starsha saw something pure in a young child like Abelt, who unwittingly or not took a blood oath that requires him to live the rest of his life for the sake of something beyond himself. That is, saving Garmillas without divulging the secret of the planet’s fate. You and I both know why she would relate to a young soul forced to live such a life, as will be explored in 2205’s penultimate episode.

[KC]:This is probably closest to the writer’s intent, I would think.

[AMB]: This entire flashback sequence is inspired by a similar one from the original New Voyage, where Dessler reminisces about the fall of Gamilas and his newfound impressions of Starsha and Iscandar. One of the last images he saw was Starsha’s face set into Iscandar, an iconic image that was recreated in 2202, Episode 16. Since said image had already been used, we now get a different one, surrounded by blinding lights as Dessler’s brought back to the present.

Talan reports to Abelt that a “visual signal” (equivalent of space morse code) is being sent from Evacuation Fleet 28, led by a couple of Gaiderol-class ships. He reads out its message as the fleet passes them by: ‘Long live, Dessler. We’ll see you on the new world, Galman.’ Smiling, Dessler orders Talan to send a visual signal back from him personally: ‘I pray for your safe voyage.’

[AMB]: “Long live Dessler,” or “Gaare Desura,” is a Garmillan slogan used in strict and loving veneration of the Dessler family. In 2199, this phrase often ended conversations with the former dictator, but by 2202, few Garmillans seemed comfortable singing his praises. Among those that were, one man alone stood out as the chief architect behind the plan to relocate Garmillas’ population to space on New Baleras. You know where I’m going with this aren’t you…?

[KC]: I’m going to presume for the time being that Abelt’s discovery of the planet Galman and arrangement with President Hyss has maybe put him back in the good graces and fond wishes of more people than just Talan and who you’re alluding to.

[AMB]: Hopefully so. But only two men used the “Gaare Desura” phrase in 2202, and both of them cheerfully opened their reunion with Abelt with it: Ghader Talan, and Heydom Gimleh. So I’m positing that the moral enigma that is Gimleh is spearheading the evacuation operation front and center! Since last episode established that several 2202 pro-Desslerites were readmitted to both the government and military, and since Gimleh (love him or hate him) had a genuine desire to save Garmillas from its fate, I feel safe in claiming that this is the man himself messaging Dessler.

[KC]: It certainly could be; we know that he’s not gone. Here’s a weird, random observation: 2199 gave us Frakken and Keeling, both of whom were originally introduced in Yamato III. But remember Gaidel? That bald, corpulent general with the huge portrait of Dessler in his quarters, who gets in trouble for screwing with Yamato because apparently he worships Dessler but never bothered to look into anything about him? He’s nowhere to be found in this reboot so far. What if that’s Gimleh’s role? To be the guy who tries to impress his boss in all the wrong ways? Ah, it’s just a thought after a long day of recreational marijuana. Besides which, there’s really no comparison. Gaidel was almost loveable. Certainly comical. My cousin and I used to joke about Dessler needing to take out restraining orders on the guy. But Gimleh committed genocide. I’m never gonna be okay with him.

[AMB]: Fair points all around. And I agree; in fact, through some investigative (Yamato) journalism, I discovered where, and to whom, traits from missing Yamato III characters like Gaidel and Dagon went for this article series.

But back to Gimleh: If this is truly him, then why not confirm his well being more clearly? Well, the slew of revelations he imparted to us in 2202 is a whole can of narrative baggage that 2205’s tight script can’t afford. If he makes a single vocal or visual appearance, the story becomes obligated to answer more questions, distracting from the tale that’s presently being told. This answer also explains why we don’t get to see Berger’s sister-in-law Neredia, nor Domel’s wife Eliza, in 2205.

[KC]: I don’t know that Neredia and Berger are related. I think Neredia’s sister was killed in the war before she could marry Berger. In any event, it is a shame that these characters are missing, but we’ve gotten Melda back, at least!

[AMB]: You’re right! They never did have the chance to marry. This is a good opportunity to remind audiences that Berger’s girlfriend Meria served with him aboard the same ship during Gatlantis’ excursion into the Large Magellanic Cloud, led by Dagarm’s mercenary force. This storyline is depicted in Ark of the Stars through a familial – although strained – bond with Meria’s sister Neredia. Their bond was restored throughout the movie, and hopefully they’re still close to this day.

[KC]: Oh, they definitely are. I wish we would see more of this female Garmillas General. She appears to be the only one. Another missed opportunity for an offshoot series. Meria did die in a battle between Garmillas and Gatlantis, didn’t she? I could swear I remember something about Berger having a hate on for the Earthlings because he held them responsible for her death, but maybe I’m making that up.

[AMB]: The first workplace assignment she got in the military was the place raided by Dagarm’s forces, resulting in her death. The reason Berger resented Yamato in particular was because of what happened to Domel and the rest of his friends at the Rainbow Star Cluster. He sought vengeance on the ship for taking everything away from him.

[KC]: Also fair. Okita did Domel dirty. LOL!

[AMB]: What little we know of Neredia and Meria can be gleaned from their character guides. Neredia’s a Colonel in the Garmillan military, serving in the security forces. After Meria’s death, she gained recognition during the “Battle of Chitabere,” earning her this uniquely distinguished rank for a Garmillan woman. Even more interesting to note is that she served alongside Berger for this battle, and that a short relationship sparked between them.

[KC]: Oh, what’s this, now? Inquiring fanfic writers want to know. Or more accurately, they want to fill in the blanks themselves. Berger definitely deserves some happiness. I may always favor Talan, but I really love that this character gets a back story and a movie and some triumphant moments in the series.

[AMB]: Cool beans, as they say. Currently, Dessler’s posse includes a classic Series 1 character who originally died (Berger), a manly Series 2 gentleman (Talan), and a suave merc from Series 3 (Frakken) as mainstay characters. In that sense, we’re truly blessed.

[KC]: It would make a great sitcom, I’m just saying.

[AMB]: With Gimleh being the group’s Newman!

[KC]: This has to happen.

Talan informs us that this fleet’s arrival marks a third of Garmillas’ population evacuated, but some still refuse to leave. In two more weeks, Dessler’s own fleet will have successfully made their trip home.

“Your Excellency, if you appeal to those that remain on Garmillas, surely the skeptics will change their tune,” says Talan, but is cut off by Abelt, inspecting his chalice.

“You mean after hearing from someone aboard this ship, Talan?”

Straightening his back, Talan profusely apologizes.

[AMB]: The ship’s presently painted red, a commonality found with ships based on the Gelvadez-class. That is to say, it isn’t blue.

[KC]: So it looks like here we’re finally seeing a bit of the informal friendship between these two that I have always fangirled over. Dessler is definitely messing with him.

[AMB]: Some of the more amusing Garmillan-centric moments from Yamato 2 and Yamato III were between these two dorks. It’s a welcome addition to the reboot saga.

“Applying the noble blue color to Your Excellency’s command ship will be done with as soon as possible.” before Talan can prostrate himself any longer, Abelt interjects.

“Sometimes red is good.”

Dessler’s fleet trails off.

[KC]: General Talan has always been portrayed as a pretty straightforward military man, so I figure he gets uptight about these kinds of things. It’s nice to see Dessler genuinely doesn’t seem to care about such formalities. I do wonder if/what I am supposed to infer from his comment about red being good. That his heart is full of love, now? That he’s out for blood? Is it a reference to Kodai’s officer class? Am I just reading too much into it because of the weed again?

[AMB]: Maybe he’s simply referring to the wine in his glass? Or Yamato’s stark red bottom deck colors? Or is he off-handedly shaking off his blood heritage, loosening up? Or did he, much like you, partake in the ingestion of recreational herbs?

[KC]: Hah! No need to go down a rabbit hole. I feel like he’d talk your ear off when he’s high. And between you and me, Talan is the one who definitely needs to lighten up more.

[AMB]: Still waiting for that on-screen heart-to-heart about what happened to Velte, his brother. One can dream…

[KC]: Talking about Berger earlier reminded me that my favorite member of Dessler’s military doesn’t get this treatment, for whatever reason. We’ll just have to content ourselves with assurances that there is no one better for Dessler to have at his side.

[AMB]: That we will.

Back on Earth, on Yamato’s forward deck, UNCF Vice-Commander Serizawa is holding a graduation speech for the new space cadets from the National Defense Academy. He recounts the turbulent happenings of their time.

“Presently, Garmillas is undergoing a mass migration. Men, surely you’re aware that they’re at odds with an interstellar alliance called the Bolar Federation. The situation is tense. As members of the UNCF, you have a very important responsibility at a time like this. Defense Fleet 65, with the Space Battleship Yamato as its flagship, will begin a long voyage to the Magellanic Cloud in order to escort our delegation to Garmillas and Iscandar. In addition, this long trip will serve as an important training mission for the new crew.”

[AMB]: During Serizawa’s speech, we see both new and old faces. Among those not mentioned in the previous episode are Earth ambassador Lorenz Burrel of Garmillas, engineering staff member Tetsuo Kuri (new character), and the bored Space Cavalry recruit Caroline Raiden. Burrel has stepped down from his position in Garmillan Military Intelligence to join both Captain Yamanami and Serizawa as members of the “Peace Corps,” to promote “reborn Earth as a peaceful nation.” Kuri’s an 18 year old boy, eager to do his best. He’s one of only two truly new Yamato recruits in 2205, and was likely created to fulfill the original film’s goal of introducing completely fresh characters.

Raiden ticks the same boxes as Akira Yamamoto did in 2199 in all the best ways. Rather than simply gender-swapping the original Goro Raiden from Yamato III, Caroline was written to be his canonical daughter. In this universe, Goro’s a Japanese diplomat, and Caroline’s mother is of American origin. They divorced when Caroline was eight years old, and she chose to move to Japan with her father. Growing up in the outskirts of an underground city during the war with Garmillas, she met a soon-to-be introduced pilot cadet, Shigeru Sakamoto, and forged a strong bond. The reason she initially chose to attend the Space Defense Academy was to get away from her “strict father.”

[KC]: How is it that you already know so much about her?

[AMB]: The 2205 Character and Mecha guides are everyone’s friend! Link can be found here.

Speaking of the character guides, we need to mention someone who was featured in the cinema pamphlet for Chapter 1, as well as the Complete Materials book. He sits just behind Nanbu, beside Sakamaki, and is named Sousuke Jimi. From here on out, he’ll serve as Asuka’s chief navigator, like Shima aboard Yamato. In the past, he was a classmate of Nanbu’s at the Space Force Cadet School. Today, he lives happily with a wife and two daughters. He personally chose to board Asuka for this mission. Little else is known about him, but he’ll doubtless receive some attention in future stories.

“As you know, Yamato is known for prioritizing human lives over military readiness. It represents our policy of peace…”

Serizawa’s speech fades out as the camera lingers on Domon. We flash back to a private conversation in Captain Kodai’s cabin with Yamanami, Sanada and Hoshina, who’s concerned about his Captain’s safety.

Apparently, Ryusuke Domon registered with what can only be described as falsified background data, masking his connection with Domon Hightech and his father’s death. Hoshina posits that Domon tricked the system on purpose and is gunning for Kodai. Sanada, on the other hand, points out that the boy’s a top achiever who would have been drafted despite the aforementioned circumstances.

[KC]: So many court-martialable offenses have to just happen for space opera to succeed.

[AMB]: With a stunningly low conviction rate! Unless you’re Yang Wenli from Legend of the Galactic Heroes, because then you’re in for a world of hurt.

Hoshina’s appeal to security melds with Sanada’s cold, calculating logic to form a reasonable appeal to Kodai’s better judgement. Of course, like his mentor Okita did for Kodai’s brother Mamoru, he’s definitely taking Domon’s father’s death to heart. He blames himself for the fallout, and perhaps tries to absolve himself from the sin of someone else’s loved one dying for his sake. If you wonder why this is the one and only scene with Kodai in Okita’s cabin… this is why.

[KC]: Kodai may have Okita very much in his thoughts right now, but he is his own captain, forging his own way.

[AMB]: Which speeds up the original saga’s schedule by a significant amount! Kodai had the opportunity to serve as Captain in an official capacity during the original New Voyage, his misgivings weren’t as thoroughly explored as in Yamato III. Between these two works, he’d by one-upped by Captain Yamanami in Be Forever, and the return of Captain Okita in Final Yamato! There are two reasons why this won’t happen in the reboot:

1: Yamanami is his own character now, no longer the meta-allegorical shadow of Okita and Hijikata. The reboot saga will do its best to prove that Kodai, in spite of his struggles, has the guts to stand on his own as Yamato’s captain for the foreseeable future, with the likes of Yamanami only serving as instructors for the next generation.

2: Head writer Fukui has expressed on at least one occasion that he has no desire to bring back confirmed-to-be dead characters. Sure, we can experience visions, dreams, or flashbacks with them, but they won’t be reanimated (Okita), or be replaced by look-alikes (Saburo Kato / Shiro Kato). That’s why characters like Berger and Gimleh can return, but not Okita, since the latter was 1000% confirmed dead.

“I wondered why this anime (the original Yamato saga), which had always been so sincere about life and death in its storytelling, became this way (bringing back dead characters). I want to pursue the ideal form of fiction in the remake series, including that. That’s why dead people don’t come back to life (Okita), and look-alikes don’t appear. I’d like to warn all the Yamato fans out there, I’m not going to show Shiro Kato.”

Read more here.

This group serves a similar function as the Disney Star Wars group, barring any obligations to necessarily have to appeal to some nebulous “broader market.” For good or bad, Yamato’s staying power throughout the past 5 decades has been carried by passionate souls and individual fans, rather than committees.

[KC]: So this would be the driving force behind a Yabu spinoff if we’re going to get one.

[AMB]: Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Aboard Hyuga and Asuka’s respective bridges, Ota and Nanbu comment on the absurdity of letting a newbie helm Yamato’s departure. None receive an answer. Back on Yamato, Niimi and Yamazaki respectively report all personnel being accounted for. Auxiliary engines are online. Yamazaki turns to Domon.

“We can go any time.”

Noticing Domon’s nervousness, Shima tells him to relax his shoulders. As the auxiliary engines begin channelling power, Yamazaki follows suit, encouraging Tokugawa over the comms speaker to do the same.

[AMB]: If it wasn’t made apparent by last episode, Shima’s growing into a brotherly boss figure for Yamato’s new recruits, gently but decisively cheering them on. By becoming XO, he’s allowed himself to mature, following in Hijikata’s footsteps. This validates Dr. Sado’s prophetic words from 2199’s first episode, about how Kodai and Shima are shaping up to become analogous to Okita and Hijikata.

[KC]: I’m just going to give a shoutout to Shima here because as a character I think he is disregarded and underused in this series more than Talan.

[AMB]: He really has been, hasn’t he? In part, I’d argue this is because 2199’s thorough exploration of his original counterpart included elements from later works. That said, in 2202, we lost out on some bonding time with his brother Jiro, and his love story with Teresa was cut because it didn’t fit the new story with her being a conglomeration of enlightened, purified souls and all. But in the original New Voyage, Shima had nothing much to do at all. In that sense, he’s at least been afforded his rise through the ranks from Yamato III, and we do get to see small glimpses of him being the new dad of the crew.

Hopefully, we’ll be afforded more time with Shima in the next work, since Kodai’s bigger gripes are mostly resolved by the end of 2205. Speaking of original saga elements and Shima, what are your thoughts on him potentially falling for Yuki again? Is that something we want brought back?

[KC]: Shima? Absolutely not. What a ridiculously unnecessary throwaway angle. I know you fetishize Yuki, Japan, but come on.

[AMB]: Shima’s hidden love for Yuki is one of the major twists in Final Yamato after all, so there’s always the possibility that they’ll dredge that storyline back up from the past. Back then it was likely meant more as a meta moment for the audience, with Shima as their avatar. Japan’s love for Yuki was and still is strong, so it was only appropriate for Final Yamato to recognize the audience’s investment, allowing Shima to give his life as he imparts his blessings. Through Shima, the fanbase who fawned over Yuki gained absolution.

[KC]: Okay, but they better not do it again.

The ship gradually picks up speed in the water, its bow is aimed at a nearby forested island. Tokugawa receives the order to open the Wave-Motion Engine’s shutdown valve, but he panics. When asked by Kuri what speed they’re currently at, he flubs and says 4 (instead of 3). The befuddled Shoji Wakasa can barely keep up. Kuri inputs the incorrect speed and Tokugawa shuts down the valve before Shoji can stop him, forcing Yamato to a sudden halt.

[AMB]: Shoji’s the other completely new character introduced on Yamato this season. He’s a seasoned veteran who survived the Enceladus garrison massacre in 2202, Episode 17. His responsibilities deal with damage control and the training of new recruits, a role Yamazaki and Tokugawa used to fill. Unfortunately for him, he’s not used to training this number of energetic recruits.

[KC]: This is more awkward than the time Tommy Webber scraped the Protector along the launch bay door during takeoff in Galaxy Quest, where the actors are mistaken for their characters by an alien race, who builds them a working model of their ship and expects them to fly it. Things don’t go so well their first time out of the gate.

[AMB]: Overestimations and skewed expectations… good stuff.

Yamato’s two escorts – Hyuga and Asuka – breeze by. When asked by Nanbu if they should halt the departure operation, Yuki orders him to keep going. Sanada informs Yamanami that they’ll keep going. Impressed by their speed and efficiency, he turns to Kodai with some remarks, but realizes midway through speaking that Kodai is unperturbed, his gaze fixed on Domon. At the same time, Yamazaki reprimands Tokugawa for fudging the speed.

“Idiot! It’s speed 3! What did you learn in school?! Tokugawa! Don’t let your father down!”

Tokugawa, tense as can be, gives a meek response.

“Yes! Man, I was perfect in practice. What am I doing?”

[KC]: Living under a long shadow, I’m afraid.

[AMB]: And for a long time to come, no doubt. In the original saga, he never truly came into his own as a strong-willed force of engineering might until Yamato Resurrection. Oh, and it goes without saying that this is an almost word for word adaptation of the same scene from the original New Voyage, unlike the snubbing of Kitano.

[KC]: Interesting to see what they choose to keep and what they choose to adapt in interesting new ways.

[AMB]: Agreed. Also, this is another one of those “restored deleted scenes” moments from the original work, which is infamous in the Yamato community. Originally, we never saw much of how the ship reacted to Tokugawa’s mishap, but this time we received a gorgeous aerial shot.

In the meeting room lounge, a flustered Serizawa tries to fight gravity in front of Burrel.

“Is the ship all right? It’s so unstable,” he says.

Burrel gives a friendly wave as Serizawa buckles his seatbelt. “Calm down, and take a seat. It’s strange that two people who were enemies only a few years ago are now on the same ship.” Serizawa gives him a look of surprise. “There are many issues of concern, but this peace..,” Burrel abruptly stops. Serizawa takes a moment to think, then turns his gaze to a glass-encased Yamato model before finishing Burrel’s sentence “… mustn’t be lost.”

[KC]: Very different dynamic between these two now. Serizawa is a changed man, I think. And Burrel…We don’t have a lot to go on with him. Putting them together on this journey may give us more insight to his character.

[AMB]: Two or three years ago, these two were still foxes, trying their best to stalk and outwit the prey that was their rival. Now, with the dust settled on their history’s greatest calamity, they have to set aside their differences. By the way, for those who haven’t had the chance to see the recap clip for 2205’s first half, it’s narrated (in character) by Kotetsu Serizawa.

There, he recounts humanity’s failures at international policy-making and wartime decision-making. At the very end of his recap, when he reaches 2203, that’s where the juicy part comes in: when humanity voted on the resolution to save Kodai and Yuki – over maintaining the technological powerhouse that was the Time Fault – Serizawa voted against his own government-backed proposition, choosing Kodai and Yuki.

[KC]: You had faith that he would get there eventually!

[AMB]: And I won’t gloat! The joy of seeing this bumbling old fool learn to listen to his heart is enough of a reward.

Flywheel activated. WME engine ignition countdown. Three, two, one. Contact and ignition. Kodai then recites his mentor Okita.

“Yamato, TAKE OFF!”

But Domon isn’t accelerating. Instead, he’s taking Yamato on a straight collision course with the nearby island. Kitano and Shima cast worried glances, asking what’s wrong. Realizing that he might be up to something, they want to do more, but since Captain Kodai isn’t saying anything, they can’t interfere. Asuka and Hyuga have already taken off, their respective crews concerned for Yamato. Domon thinks back to his father’s passing. Shima’s concern gets the best of him, and he rises from his seat. But Domon mutters something to himself.

“Father… I… I… !”

[KC]: I liked the expressions on the other two captain’s faces. Sure, they both trust Kodai implicitly, but this is a big risk.

[AMB]: Indeed. That pair, and Shima, know all too well what Kodai’s going through on the inside, though. As big a risk as this is, it’s a necessary rite of passage to let Kodai fill the shoes of Okita, his beloved father figure and mentor.

Domon finally pulls Yamato up to the sky, grazing the trees beneath it! A familiar tune starts playing as the widowed former Yamato nurse Makoto Kato witnesses its takeoff from a distance, together with her son Tsubasa (a name meaning “wings”).

“Look, Tsubasa. Yamato… dad’s ship is leaving.”

The five-year old child raises a miniature model of his father’s Cosmo Tiger to the sky, perhaps as a salute.

Also witnessing the takeoff from UNCF HQ is none other than Commander Heikuro Todo.

[AMB]: “Yamato! New Departure!” by Isao Sasaki, straight from the original TV special! For this episodic take, however, sound director Yoshida opted to use the version edited for broadcast. For you fellow Yamato music nerds out there, this track can be found on the Yamato Sound Almanac Music Addendum, Disc 3, track 28. And this won’t be the only obscure track in 2205. Stay tuned!

Read more here.

[KC]: Fortunately, I’m finding, at least, that my own resistance to change doesn’t include issues of social justice, but when it comes to diversity my views and values have never been conservative.

[AMB]: We all wish to conserve that which we feel gives us safety, is what I think Fukui’s trying to say. When outside forces threaten to disrupt a previous balance, or alter the state of equilibrium, it can cause disillusionment regardless of intention. It’s also worth keeping in mind that, to the average middle-aged Japanese person, times are changing faster than anything we’re experiencing. Unnaturally so.

Swedish democracy has been on a steady path for over a century. American constitutionalism has been in effect for over two centuries. Japan went from an almost three century long shogunate (1603-1868), to empire under the turbulent times of the Meiji period (1868-1912), to Taisho democracy in the 1920’s, and later back to imperialism, lasting all the way to 1945. The industrial revolution for us westerners lasted 150 years. Japan industrialized in 50 years, starting in the late 1800’s. What Japan is, should be, or shouldn’t have been, is a constantly fluctuating question. Its foundation is its long history and culture, rather than a state of rule, or an ideology. It’s worth keeping this in mind when we discuss American conservatism v.s. Japanese conservatism, I think.

[KC]: Very true; thank you for that perspective!

In Earth’s rebuilt capital, adults and children, Garmillans and Earthlings alike, all enjoy the sunny day. The fleet’s departure is broadcast on giant view screens across the city, with Yamato front and center. A familiar Garmillan girl gives a silent prayer for the ship’s safety, holding her hands together.

[KC]: It’s great to see Earthlings and Garmillans just hanging around together on the same planet. Irii, the Garmillas refugee rescued during the war with Gatlantis, is a few years older but it would seem that her admiration for Yamato has not wavered.

[AMB]: The new capital looks a lot less grim and more wholesome in contrast. And yes, seeing Irii back is a treat; in fact, this time she has a full name according to the Chapter 1 movie program: Irii Pojetto. When the time comes, the likes of her, Aiko Tokugawa and Tsubasa Kato will surely helm Yamato. On the topic of her prayer: is she praying for Iscandar to keep Yamato safe, or has she perhaps converted to Shinto-Buddhism?

[KC]: I don’t know if I’ve ever seen any other Garmillas using that gesture when showing reverence to or for Iscandar, so I am going to say she picked that up from Earthlings at least. But with the subtlety of this show, Irii could well have converted.

[AMB]: That’s true! When showing reverence for Iscandar, they do so by getting down on one knee, hands crossed over their chest. If she’s converted to Shinto-Buddhism, maybe it’s time for her to meet Tsubasa Kato’s grandpa, who’s a Shinto priest. Perfect justification for their meeting!

[KC]: I’m going to put Irii down on the list for spinoff shows we want.

[AMB]: We’re really getting ahead of ourselves…

[TE]: That sure looks like a Teresa prayer to me. If there’s still room for religion, and people know anything about her, she’s a prime persona for worship.

On the bridge, Domon is stunned by the bright, beautiful shining rays of the sun. This prompts satisfied grins from Shima and Kodai, who ceremoniously grips the brim of his hat. The song continues…

Stop time, so that peace will remain
Now is the age of dreams
Remember Yamato!
Remember Yamato!
When the red star passes over the galaxy
When the darkness falls once again
New faces, new determinations
and a new Yamato begins their journey!

[AMB]: Without the Time Fault, we can no longer abuse time to maintain the peace. The age of dreams was chosen in its place. Unlike in the disastrous post-war era depicted in 2202, Yamato isn’t allowed to be forgotten. We need to remember. When new dangers come to confront humanity’s dark shadow, a new generation, aboard a new Yamato, will be ready to set out on new journeys like this one, in order to protect the peace. More fitting lyrics are hard to come by.

Two scenes progress concurrently. In Yamato’s officer’s lounge, Kodai’s submitted himself for questioning by the three Peace Corps members: Yamanami, Burrel and Serizawa. Serizawa questions his judgement in letting Domon helm Yamato in spite of his sketchy actions and background. In fact, he wants Domon off the ship. In the med bay, Miyako chews out the one-time helmsman for his foolhardy attempt to alter his personnel file without the crew noticing, asking why he did it. Domon seems more interested in a nearby class photo.

Why’s Domon in the medbay? Dr Sado, on Hoshina’s behest, submitted Domon to a thorough full-body examination to check for contraband material, such as explosives. But he’s clean. He admits to falsifying his background, and as a consequence, he prepares for his military status to be revoked.

[AMB]: Isn’t it interesting how Hoshina, the starry-eyed optimistic sleeper agent from 2199, has seemingly absorbed many of the departed Shinya Ito’s rationalistic tendencies? Like Ito, he too believes excessive caution and wariness of outsiders is warranted. But I’m not sure if he’s handling it like the professional he wants to be.

[KC]: Thinking about some of the other plot points that make up 2205, Hoshina is not the only one being judgy.

[AMB]: Anyone in particular you’re thinking of?

[KC]: Little Miss Cosmo DNA herself, of course. But she has been from the start.

[AMB]: Touché!

Music note: this is our first exposure to Domon’s new theme, composed by Akira Miyagawa. In the original Yamato III series, he never really had a unique leitmotif. It’s upbeat, jazzy, and dare I say a bit groovy. A good fit for Yamato’s next generation. While on the topic, I’d like to note Yamato’s score will continue to evolve. In fact, sound director Tomohiro Yoshida teased in April of last year that Rebel 3199 will see some fresh developments, including a 4-channel surround soundscape.

“The next work will largely be a remake of Be Forever. We will be incorporating advanced 4-channel sound. I don’t have a specific idea yet, but I’d like to try something new in 3199. So please look forward to the next work in terms of sound as well.”

Read more here.

Kodai, repeating Sanada’s previous assessment of Domon, still wants to give the boy a chance based on his previous merits. He reasons that his judgement in this case was based on calculated risks. It was worth giving this a try over barring entry for a promising youth just because of his lineage, and the grudges that may come with it. Burrel, composed with a tea cup in hand, asks if Kodai is being completely honest with them.

“It appears to me that your nasty habit has surfaced once again,” he says.

“Shouldering responsibility all on your own… a nasty habit indeed,” adds Yamanami. Kodai can’t muster a counter-response. When the discussion reaches a standstill, Hajime Hirata from the resource department makes his entrance, bringing refills of his splendid lemon tea.

“Would you like another cup?”

[AMB]: Kodai has a habit of self-inflicted punishment, such as when he stayed in Teresa’s dimension to appease the war dead. Yamanami in this scene recognizes his appeal to “responsibility” as analogous to his own experience trying to suicide bomb Gatlantis, in 2202 Episode 21. Back then, he recalled a time when Hijikata once told him, “there’s no responsibility in death,” ultimately saving his life.

[KC]: It’s true that Kodai feels compelled to shoulder this burden along with a number of others, but honestly I think he believes that just being part of Yamato’s crew will have a positive effect on Domon.

[AMB]: For sure! And it took one man from his past (Hirata) to read Kodai’s wishes like a book.

Originally from Yamato III, this man’s been serving lemon tea since the 80’s. For the reboot saga, he was brought into the fold as early as 2199’s first episode, setting the stage for him being a classmate of Kodai, an element borrowed from III.

One of the more iconic scenes in Series 3 depicts him teaching Domon that there are other ways to serve humanity aboard Yamato than to simply fight or shoot things. He does this by preparing a cup of lemon tea for Kodai to have after his reclusive training session (a self-imposed task Kodai took on after 16 hours of non-stop training for everyone aboard). To paraphrase Hirata: “This is the only thing I can do for him… but it’s what I do best.” With that, Domon’s a changed man. Sadly, Hirata is taken from us in the very same episode. Luckily, we won’t lose him in 2205.

A fireboat shuttle from Ginga docks in Yamato’s hangar, bearing a case of experimental Garmillan tech and one engineer: Sukeji Yabu. Aboard Asuka, Nanbu can’t help but vent his frustrations with recent proceedings.

“Yabu and Domon… we’re exchanging a mutineer for a hacker, huh?”

Captain Yuki orders him to let it go, flustering the poor man. She enters a stage of deep contemplation.

[KC]: Nanbu can shut his stupid mouth.

[AMB]: He’s always been a loudmouth and a busybody. Probably why things never worked out between him and Yuki. That said, even Yuki doesn’t seem to hold Yabu in a particularly high regard. Together with security chief Ito and intelligence officer Niimi, Yuki almost lost her life back in 2199 after all. Perhaps Nanbu’s just white-knighting for the love of his life.

[KC]: It’s true that I have a different perspective as a viewer. And that I am horribly biased toward Garmillas. Okay, fine. But Yabu is still a sweet pea pod and all these suspicious Earthers can fight me.

[AMB]: The fireboat depicted here is originally from Final Yamato and Yamato Resurrection. Since the mecha aspects of the reboot are seemingly shying away from Makoto Kobayashi’s design work, it might explain why they chose to revive the Final Yamato design, rather than its Resurrection counterpart. If you can’t remember the original design, don’t worry, your memory’s perfectly fine! It had a very limited presence in those movies.

Back in the medbay, Miyako, Tokugawa and Bando discuss the day’s events. News of Domon’s discharge has made the rounds, though they’re hardly surprised. Tokugawa points out that Domon has looked tormented ever since his father passed away. We then zoom in on a class photograph featuring these three and a couple more faces. Domon looks happy.

“He stopped smiling like that,” Tokugawa sighs. Miyako clams up, but Bando asks why Domon even bothered boarding Yamato. Tokugawa musters a reply. “I don’t know, but it could be just like us.” A short pause. “‘Don’t let your father down’, perhaps.” Bando can’t find it within him to concede this, and points out that Domon embarrassed the whole 38th class.

[KC]: Don’t worry, Bando. Yamato’s crew have done way more embarrassing stuff than that.

[AMB]: They sure have, haha. Also, what Tokugawa’s referring to here with “Don’t let your father down,” is the comment he received from Yamazaki. Perhaps Domon’s here to make sure the investment that was his father’s death isn’t squandered by Yamato’s crew? In this sense, he’s the antithesis to what Yamato stands for, and becomes the perfect litmus test for Kodai.

[KC]: There is a recurring theme of making fathers proud running through this story, even if sometimes those literal fathers are traded for nephews or former captains.

[AMB]: The BGM in this scene is a softer rendition of Domon’s theme, musically informing us that it’s more or less a leitmotif for his entire class at this point. This includes some fresh faces that won’t show up in 2205 proper, but do show up in the class photo. To the far left is a dashing, quiet-looking youth. Next to Caroline, there’s a towering military man, either there to bless one of his kids, or he’s simply an instructor who wishes to partake in a photo with his class.

Using Yamato III, the Be Forever PS2 games, and interviews with Fukui and Oka, we can infer who these two mysterious figures are! The one on the left is undoubtedly Takeshi Ageha, the other focal point youth from Yamato III besides Domon. He was cut for pacing reasons, so as to not bloat the already huge cast list. This was done in spite of receiving a high rating among “characters we want in 2205” from the staff. His omission was likely further spurred on by the fact that he’d be yet another ace pilot character who would probably steal the show from Sakamoto. In the original New Voyage, Sakamoto makes a lukewarm entry and is later forgotten by the franchise entirely, other than in the PS2 games and the Aquarius Algorithm novel. What story justification will be written in 3199 for his absence here? He was probably tending to his sick mother, as he did in Yamato III.

The decorated officer is probably either Takeshi Kitano’s older brother, or Goro Raiden (Caroline’s diplomat father). For reasons explained later, Goro is a less likely candidate. This is primarily because he has a strained relationship with his daughter, and is not a military man. Therefore, our best bet is that he’s Kitano’s older brother, who was also supposed to show up in 2205, serving on Asuka. “Wait, Kitano has an older brother?” I hear you say! “We can’t know if Ageha will actually show up in 3199!” I hear you say! Well… last year, writers Fukui and Oka held a stage talk, discussing some basic pointers for 3199, the next work in the franchise. That series will begin in the year 2207, and will feature Takeshi Ageha and Kitano’s older brother. But who is this older brother?

In the PS2 game adaptations of Be Forever Yamato, characters like Kitano and Sakamoto are saved from irrelevance by being retroactively brought back to the franchise. Kitano, however, is a much different character from his original counterpart, with a completely different design. For this reason, it was decided to take his PS2 counterpart and transform him into a new character. Since the military man in the photo looks to be an experienced serviceman, with an uncannily similar appearance to Kitano’s, it’s no doubt that the 38th class instructor is none other than his big brother. If the Dark Nebula Empire invades Earth in 2207, just like they did in Be Forever Yamato, he will no doubt serve as a field officer in the partisan resistance force, replacing Mamoru’s role in the original work.

Read more here.

As a handcuffed Domon is being taken to the Fireboat, Hirata shows up to halt his expulsion. He mentions his name and position as chief of the resource division, then inquires as to Domon’s experience cooking rice, more specifically, rice balls (onigiri). Two half-hearted affirmatives is all it takes for him to be qualified to serve in the ship’s galley.

“As of now, you’re assigned to the resource department as a quartermaster. We have some brass on board for this trip, and we have to cook all of their meals by ourselves. Our situation’s so dire that we could use help from cats.”

[TE]: His remark is a genuine Japanese saying. The sentiment is, we’re so overwhelmed we’ll even accept help from cat paws.

[KC]: Is this Hirata’s idea, or Kodai’s?

[AMB]: Since Hirata’s an old friend of Kodai, we can likely infer that he proposed this solution, taking on full responsibility for Domon’s reeducation and potential mutinous tendencies. Kodai then likely approved, as did the Peace Corps.

Speaking of Hirata and his Resource Department: isn’t it funny how this one Yamato III element – where Hirata serves as Domon’s mentor – completely writes out the OMCS from the story? For those that don’t remember, the OMCS was the advanced self-cooking food replication machine introduced in 2199, capable of recreating foods with ease. The way they bring back Domon’s shenanigans as a cook from Yamato III is to add that “Earth’s ambassadors are bigshots, so they prefer hand-made food.” A bit silly perhaps, but that’s Yamato for you. The brass is rarely accustomed to battlefield conditions.

Domon is shocked to hear that Hirata has the Captain’s permission to offer him this job. Without second-guessing where this is going, Hoshina moves to unshackle Domon, unamused by this development.

“Cooking supports everyone, and it’s a tough battlefield. Prepare yourself. Let’s go.” As the pair walk off in silence, Yabu calls out to Hoshina. He quickly rebukes Yabu, saying he has no pleasantries to spare for an outsider, then walks off. Nervous consternation wells up before Niimi steps in behind him, offering some consolation.

“Sorry, Yabu. Please understand that the current mood onboard isn’t exactly welcoming.” Her soft tone of voice gets more authoritative, and she orders the handover of all the “Gesh-Vual-related material.” She’ll bring it all to the technical analysis room. Yabu straightens his back, giving her response befitting a man of the military.

[AMB]: A big focus for 2205 is reexamining the past, both the classic Yamato works, and previous plot points in the reboot. This includes the remnants of Project Izumo, and the scars they carry.

[KC]: Hoshina, welcome to my s**t List. You’re on a fast track to the top now that Abelt’s earned his cape privileges.

[AMB]: Somehow throughout the chaos of the past six years, Yabu, Hoshina and Niimi have made it out okay. For Hoshina though, a man he thought had paid for his sins with his life, returns from the grave without having to pay for his part in the 2199 mutiny. At the same time however, Niimi was pardoned for trying to stop Ito, and Serizawa was let off the hook along with the rest of the military. Depending on your standing in larger organizations like the military, responsibility is seldom dished out in retributive fashion in Japan. This is likely due to the following:

In Japan, there exists a substrata in society referred to as “Amakudari (descended from heaven).” These are public ministers whom, once they’ve reached the upper echelons of society as politicians, have no more steps to climb up the career ladder. When their terms are up, or they’re let off, they have no traditional parachute of a monetary package to sustain them as we do here in the west for our politicians. Therefore, Japanese society inevitably concocted the concept of Amakudari: those that descend from heaven (the higher levels of society) need to be treated with respect, and thus get positioned in heavy-hitter jobs among public and private corporations, regardless of their skills in said jobs. This explains the untouchability of certain public officials in Yamato.

[KC]: I don’t remember Yabu being all that complicit with Ito’s mutiny attempt and he really can’t be blamed for his time spent serving in the Garmillas Navy. They don’t understand how cool Frakken is.

[AMB]: Ah! When I referred to Yabu partaking in the mutiny, I was more so referring to him tacitly agreeing to hijack Kodai and Yurisha’s ship with Ito, which lead to them crashing on the Garmillan prison planet. When it comes to the initial mutiny, he was more or less coerced by Niimi to join them. Poor kid was just scared he’d never get to return home again. And yes, Frakken IS cool.

On the topic of what Yabu just gave Niimi… Gesh-Vual technology is what powers the UX-01’s dimensional dive, a Chekhov’s Gun that will return in the finale.

[KC]: Nothing that you see or hear on this show should be overlooked or discounted.

Ginga’s crew exchange salutes with Yamato. Their military salutes are met with Yamato salutes. In Kodai’s cabin, Yamanami officially recognizes his decision to keep Domon aboard, in spite of his rebellious streak. As Domon arrives at the ship’s tumultuous kitchen, Yamanami expounds on his concerns.

“However, he’s not the only problem. Lack of human resources and fast-paced training… newbies all tend to get carried away. Our Yamato fleet is like a newborn baby, who needs to stand on its own two feet before reaching outer space. It’s not going to be easy, Captain Kodai.”

What follows is a two-week long training montage.

[KC]: I’ve got nothing. I was just going to get all nostalgic or silly about montages.

[AMB]: Nothing wrong with that. Mind getting a bit nostalgic for us?

[KC]: Just in the sense that this show came on the scene in the late 70s, but the 1980s is when it really enjoyed its tremendous popularity, and montages were a huge part of a lot of my favorite live-action television shows and movies at the time as well.

[AMB]: Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Training day 1: Air Wing Mock Combat Training
Location: Luna debris field.
Training instructor: Akira Yamamoto, Saburo Kato’s successor as Wing Commander.
Major participants: Sho Sawamura, Hiroki Shinohara, and rookie pilot Shigeru Sakamoto.
Purpose: Two-fold. For one, they’re testing out the new Cosmo Python, Hyuga’s main space fighter. For two, this gives the 65th fleet’s respective ships the opportunity to pick up their air force compatriots on the Moon.

[AMB]: Since the Cosmo Tigers return to Yamato from the Moon, we can safely infer that the Air Force base on Luna has been restored after the war with Gatlantis. The reason the Air Force is on Luna, in both the classic saga and the reboot, is because it’s much easier to sortie from there, and much closer to training locations.

The new Cosmo Python is a completely fresh mecha design, unseen in the classic saga! Here’s an excerpt from the mecha guide to describe it’s capabilities:

In the development of the next ship-based multi-role fighter, the Cosmo Python was created as a prototype fighter / attack aircraft with an emphasis on total striking power. A positron cannon is installed in the center fuselage as a large anti-ship gun. The left and right fuselage are mostly used as armament bays. Each part of the fuselage is unitized and movable with an articulated structure. Each connection can be shifted into a mode optimized for normal combat, high maneuverability, and long-range cruising. An active stealth field generator is installed to improve stealth performance. The Higgs drive and synchronized warning radar improve the search performance. It is installed on Combat Carrier Hyuga and operated by test pilots.

[KC]: Nice to see Akira back where she belongs, and I do love this upbeat disco sound.

[AMB]: It’s not just any disco sound, it’s the NEW new Cosmo Tiger theme! First heard in the original New Voyage, this classic composition has been reworked twice for the reboot. It was first heard in 2199 Episode 5, when we’re properly introduced to the Cosmo Tiger squadron led by Kato. The track experimented with adding vocals (Wan Da ba Da), forging a unique take that’s still remembered fondly. For 2205 however, they went back to its New Voyage roots, combining the Steller’s Sea Eagles BGM with the New Cosmo Tiger theme to create a mashup for the ages! Those guitar riffs are so fresh!

This sequence depicts hotshot rookie Sakamoto, as well as air force veterans Akira and Sawamura, trying their best at outmaneuvering the new, technologically superior Cosmo Pythons, launched from Hyuga and led by their old comrade Shinohara. Akira manages to outmatch a rookie Python pilot with piloting skills alone, but her rookie wants to try something different.

In spite of Akira warning Sakamoto not get too cocky, and not to rush into an early death in the dense debris field… he does so anyway, claiming it’s more fun this way. Sakamoto baits the Pythons to pursue him, then proceeds to break apart a nearby piece of Moon salvage with his vulcans, stunning his adversaries and scoring three simulated kills in one sneak attack. This earns him the respect of former gunnery chief Namio Sakamaki aboard Hyuga, and some casual disgruntlement from Captain Yuki.

[KC]: Yuki’s thinking; “Just what we need. Another hotshot.”

[AMB]: Another suicidal hotshot even. What are your thoughts on Sakamoto’s short introduction? Does he leave a more lasting impression this time around? In the original work, Kodai went so far as to call him “the new Kato,” only for him to not show up again other than possible background shots in Final Yamato.

[KC]: We both know that Melda Deitz is really the only fighter pilot on this show that matters to me. Sakamoto is a trope that thrives in space opera, but this isn’t his show.

[AMB]: He sure tries his best to prove otherwise! All three training sequences are in part inspired by The New Voyage asteroid field run, and in part inspired by Yamato III Episode 4’s 16-hour training sequence. In the former, Kodai (now Akira) instructs Sakamoto in how to dodge asteroid debris, only for the fresh recruit to start firing at incoming asteroids and roughly grazing them to impress his Captain. Were it not for Kodai’s intervention, he’d have been crushed by incoming debris created by his reckless actions.

This time Sakamoto gets away with his behavior, proving his superiority in air maneuvering with style! In the third training sequence, The New Voyage portion of this training will continue.

Training day 7: Space Cavalry Descent Training
Location: Titan, a former moon of Saturn.
Training instructor: Shiori Nagakura.
Major participants: Caroline Raiden and Shigeru Sakamoto.
Exercise purpose: Coordination training between Yamato’s air force and Asuka’s new Type 5 space cavalry Mobile Space Armor.

[AMB]: The second training sequence depicts a standard landing procedure, the goal being to increase synergy between the Air Force and the Space Cavalry. In 2202, these two groups were haphazardly forced to work together after Yamato picked up the 11th planet’s Space Marines. With completely different mindsets, and completely different MO’s, strife quickly followed and almost blossomed into infighting. Likely on Nagakura’s suggestion, a new standard training procedure was thought out to better acclimate the two units to one another. This borrows from both the aforementioned New Voyage training sequences, serving as bonding exercises between Yamato’s gunnery department and the new Air Force.

But why train here? Why Titan, the 6th moon of Saturn? Let’s hear it from SF consultant Shinya Ogura:

“In the original script, Saturn’s 13th satellite, Telesto, was set as the location for the exercise. However, from the standpoint of research, we thought it was impossible to conduct the exercise there, so we changed it to the 6th moon, Titan. The main reason was that Telesto is small, with a maximum width of about 32km, and has almost no gravity. It is not suitable for descent maneuvers. Under the circumstances, it is doubtful that it would survive after Saturn’s collapse. Titan, on the other hand, has plenty of gravity, and is just out of orbit from the rush of the former Saturn’s atmosphere, which has been converted to plasma and trapped in the magnetosphere. It would be a good candidate for training.

ABOVE RIGHT: This illustration was created to explain the reason for the change in the exercise site. In addition, it was created to explain the situation of the collapsed Saturn. It was used as a background in the main story.”

Read more about Mr. Ogura’s consulting work on 2205 here.

About a dozen Type 5 Mobile Space Armors descend from Asuka’s deck on Nagakura’s orders, herself included. As they freefall toward Titan, Yamato’s Cosmo Tiger II pilots are expected to pick them up and carry them safely to the moon, with Nagakura paying close attention to Caroline.

“Raiden, if you cut corners just because this is a drill, I’ll kick your ass!” To this, Caroline gives her a half-hearted thanks before rapidly beginning to fall, landing on the hull of her old friend Sakamoto’s fighter. The mecha have special magnetic palms, helping them better stay connected to the Cosmo Tiger II airframe.

“Long time no see, Caroline. I’ll make sure you’re well escorted,” he tells her. Peeved, but with no complaints, she yells at him to make a proper touchdown first.

[AMB]: Nagakura’s intentions for this exercise were pure, but there’s not much good to be done with this pair. After a surprise reunion between Sakamoto and Caroline, who were childhood friends, these two daredevils decide that this whole exercise is nothing but a game to be won against their fellow graduates. According to the character guide, Sakamoto’s the only one she allows for to call her Caroline, apparently. This tidbit gives the scene some romantic undertones, which I think is adorable.

On the mecha: These beasts have been slimmed down from their previous iteration, the type 2 from 2202. Perhaps to fit the numerology, 2205’s version is the type 5. Go figure. Below is a list of specs for all you mecha-savvy friends out there…

This armor was developed by incorporating operational data of the Type 2 Mobile Space Armor to increase mobility of the armored spacesuits being developed by Technology Headquarters. It is positioned as an infantry weapon to handle anti-spaceship mobile weapons with an emphasis on trench warfare and maneuverability. A momentum wheel on the back is used in conjunction with crawlers on the legs to improve mobility on land. During space maneuvering, the wheel’s high-speed rotation and the arm movements are used in tandem. It achieves high concealment by controlling its posture with mass balance. Its basic operation is airdrop by troop transport boats or space deployment by cavalry combat boats. However, during the training voyage of the 65th Escort Squadron, combat training is conducted in cooperation with the air force, using rappelling equipment.

From far off in the distance, Serizawa and Burrel observe the exercise. The Garmillan gentleman is astounded by what’s become of Saturn since Gatlantis invaded the Solar System, two years ago. According to Serizawa, returning Saturn to its former glory is on Ginga’s restoration schedule, though a much lower priority than Luna. Jokingly or not, Serizawa lets slip that he wishes Iscandar would simply lend them another Cosmo Reverse System. This greatly offends Burrel.

“Please don’t upset Starsha with such careless comments.”

[AMB]: Seeing what’s become of Saturn since it got crushed… it’s hard to wrap your head around such galactic destruction. Good on the reboot for depicting consequences with all their blemishes.

[KC]: I would just like to state now, for the record, that the level of deference that is given to Starsha of Iscandar has never sat well with me. That being said, I’m pretty sure it’s there to be intentionally juxtaposed with what’s coming.

[AMB]: Future developments will explain to us exactly how long Garmillas people have served Iscandar. Close to a millennia, in fact. It’s hard to shake off religious convictions when the saint you worship is said to be the personification of pacifism and goodness in the universe, wishing for the salvation of all intelligent life. Burrel in particular likely holds special reverence for Starsha as a consequence of his superstitious nature, which was explored in 2202 when he fully believed in the myths and legends of Teresa passed down in Garmillan lore.

Whatever thoughts one may have about Starsha, I think it’s fair to be a bit offended at someone who abused the power of the Cosmo Reverse System casually asking for another. Especially someone who, in 2202 Episode 2, told Burrel that the promise Okita made to Starsha about not using WME was not granted by a plenipotentiary, and is therefore void. Damn, you were right… this series is dense!

[KC]: I don’t think either of us ever expected to find me defending Serizawa, and I’m pretty idealistically opposed to the creation of the WMG, but be that as it may, someone who would make you travel under the nose of your enemy to provide you with the means of your salvation, and then consider it an offense to beseech them for the means to save a second planet doesn’t sound like the “personification of pacifism and goodness” to me.

[AMB]: What a curious turn of events. I’m playing devil’s advocate for Burrel, and you’re defending Serizawa. To quote you, from our 2202 Episode 26 commentary: “his (my) heart grew three sizes that day.”

[KC]: Serizawa is here on a PR mission, so who knows? It could happen again.

Meanwhile, with Sakamoto’s help, Caroline is the first of her comrades to land on Titan. His wacky maneuvers did forcefully detach another student’s type 5 mech from his ship however. Their instructors – Nagakura and Yamamoto – have clearly had enough of their devil-may-care attitude, and discipline them off-screen. The next time we see the pair, they collapse in one of Asuka’s long hallways, right at the feet of their pissed off teachers.

[AMB]: Sakamoto and Raiden’s self-destructive tendencies depicted in this scene likely damaged the Type 5 she borrowed for the exercise, but was not enough grounds to punish the pair. In fact, eagle-eyed viewers will spot Sakamoto purposefully playing around with his Cosmo Tiger II, leading to a fellow student on his hull being thrown away. In all honesty, this was dangerous enough to have possibly resulted in loss of life. This gave 2205’a staff a great opportunity to revisit the underpants run from the original New Voyage, with the bruise marks on their faces to indicate that, like Kodai with Sakamoto, they were slapped for showing off recklessly.

[KC]: I totally missed that and presumed that they were running down the hall because they have some kind of friendly rivalry and are always trying to best one another. This being a reprimand makes a lot more sense.

[AMB]: Part of the reason they couldn’t make this an underpants run is because it would be awkward to see a woman forced to run around in her underwear. Speaking of Caroline, the decision to make her an Akira 2.0 arose from the fact that 2205’s “fat quota” had already been reached, according to Fukui. Since the wide-bodied Goro was already chosen to return, Hideki Oka suggested they make her a female, since Yabu and Tokugawa were already too much! Or they just wanted to be more creative with the character this time around, since he was quite undeveloped in Yamato III. Fukui’s comment was likely meant to be more tongue-in-cheek, as indicated by him telling his interviewer that this was just “between you and me.”

Read the full interview here.

Training day 14: Anti-ship Combat Training.
Location: Gatlantean Calaklum debris field near the 11th planet.
Training Instructors: Captains Susumu Kodai, Shiro Sanada, and Yuki Mori.
Major participants: Tasuke Tokugawa, Hiroki Shinohara, Takeshi Kitano, Ryusuke Domon.
Exercise purpose: Gain familiarity with the 65th fleet’s new equipment in ship-to-ship combat, in particular Asuka’s Type 4 Wave Barrier deployment round. Simultaneously, live indoor mock battle exercises, designed to mimic the ever-changing battlefield, are conducted to increase combat readiness potential in all recruits.

[AMB]: Now how about that Wave Barrier deployment round? What’s so special about it? Let’s allow professor Shinya Ogura to explain this, too:

The supply carrier Asuka is equipped with a “Type 4 Wave Barrier Deployment Round,” a huge “net” with a diameter of 8,000 meters that powerfully guards against enemy attacks. The Experimental Ship Ginga was powerful enough to generate a “wave barrier” in space itself, but the basic concept of a “wave barrier” is “a technology to strengthen physical properties by propagating wave energy resonated by a wave coil through bulkheads and armor.” In essence, it was born from a change in thinking: “All we need is something to transmit (strengthen) the energy!” This is the idea behind the wave barrier round. By transmitting energy to a filament-like net (superconducting net), a shield can be created.”

ABOVE RIGHT: Concept image of the body of the wave-shield deployment round proposed by Mr. Ogura. At this stage, the image looked like a brush with the filaments exposed.

LEFT: In the process of construction, a fairing covering the filament is attached to the wave barrier deployment projectile. The upper figure is a line drawing for color-coding reference. The lower figure is a 3DCG model created by Mr. Ogura to illustrate each stage of operation. This model data seems to have been used directly in the “wave motion barrier round” scene in the film.

RIGHT: This is an example of the deployment of a wave barrier projectile. The deployed diameter is about 8,000 meters. It is said to be rapidly deployed by the centrifugal force of rotation, just like the solar sails of real planetary probes. Although it has a time limit until it runs out of energy, it is the strongest equipment for Asuka, which has limited attack power.

Read more here.

Yamato warps out near the 11th planet, breezing through scattered debris from Garmillas’ artificial sun and the remains of the Gatlantean Legionnaire Cannon from two years ago. The potential reactivation of these energy signatures is being monitored by one of the last remaining unscathed finished models of the Andromeda-class, the Alpheratz. It’s the 21st model of the initial production line, and is thus fully staffed by a crew of flesh and blood. Immediately after warping out, Kodai orders his crew on full combat alert, anti-ship combat! Tokugawa can barely keep from puking.

[AMB]: In 2202 Episodes 6-7, Yamato was stranded on the 11th planet. Faced with the might of millions of reverse-engineered Akerian Calakrum ships, the ship fired its WMG at the heart of an artificial sun built by Garmillas. This knocked out and destroyed a majority of the Gatlantean ships, stranding them in space. Alpheratz now has the duty of monitoring their energy readings in case they come back online. Of course, ever since Zordar activated the Golem system, it’s very unlikely that anybody survived aboard these ships. That said, the risk is worth taking seriously. Just like with Saturn, this reboot doesn’t shy away from depicting clear consequences of war.

Hyuga’s Cosmo Python squad, under Shinohara’s command, sneaks a few faux missile hits into Yamato’s aft. To simulate real damage, crewmen plant smoke machines near the “damaged” portions, leaving resource department employees like Domon in an unfavorable position. Back on the bridge, Miki Saijo reports to Kitano that Asuka’s within range; unfortunately for Kitano, he fires too late, giving Asuka enough time to launch one of its defensive Wave Barrier rounds, shielding the ship from all simulated harm. Rubbing salt in his wounds, Gunnery Chief Nishina berates Kitano for his dull performance, forcing an apology from him.

[AMB]: Here comes the training sequence’s biggest Yamato III connection: the mock ship-to-ship battle. Soldiers receive fake wounds, the kitchen is prepping rations, the decks simulate battle damage with smoke machines, the air force coordinates with Yamato’s gunnery department, a UNCF ship observes the ordeal, Ageha (Shinohara this time) leads a group of fighters to assault another ship, and so on. This is all derived from Yamato III.

However, Kitano being too slow on the uptake reverses what happens in The New Voyage. Back then, he fired too early, almost killing the entire air force, including Kodai. Instead of Nishina berating him, it was Gunnery Chief Nanbu. Clever reversal there! Rather than Kitano being a rookie with a happy trigger-finger, this time he’s nervous about fulfilling the tasks of his predecessor (Kodai), failing to take action in time.

Then enters Domon, bringing combat rations to all. He tries to meet Kodai’s gaze, but receives no attention from the busy Captain. He moves on to deliver the rest to other stations aboard Yamato. Some complain about his tardiness, but he remains undeterred. In the technical analysis room, he has a brief run-in with a hardworking Yabu, researching the Gesh-Vual system he brought with him from Garmillas. Yabu can tell that Domon recognizes what he’s working on, but before they have the chance to speak any further, Domon runs away, flustered. Yabu comments to himself, “Youth is quite something. Daddy can’t afford to fall behind.”

[AMB]: Scenes like these make you wonder, what was Domon’s father working on inside the Time Fault? Clearly high level clearance was needed to enter his line of work.

[KC]: Ah, again I was thinking this scene was just meant to convey that Domon is obviously too smart to serve rice balls, but you’re right. Earth and Garmillas were sharing tech in that Time Fault and Domon has seen one of those before. Also I think the kid is smart, Yabu knows it and Yamato’s current persona non grata are gonna team up, maybe. On a somewhat related topic, Domon’s enthusiasm with the onigiri is a delight to watch.

[AMB]: Considering that three UX-01 space submarines were forged inside the Time Fault during its tenure, with improved space-diving tech, I believe we can confidently assert that Domon’s father’s company worked with Gesh-Vual technology. Who knows, maybe he was assassinated for knowing too much. I don’t think we’ll ever find out.

And isn’t it ironic how far Yabu has come, compared to the original series? He went from trying to establish a delusional last-ditch patriarchy on Iscandar with Yuki to becoming a family man with a Zaltsian on Garmillas. How wholesome. And now he has his own twink best friend! It’s too bad we never get to see how Yabu feels about the death of Tokugawa the elder though.

[KC]: It’s just like I’ve been saying since 2199. Everybody got better in the makeover except for Dessler.

Back on Garmillas, evacuation efforts have stalled. Yabu’s own family has finally gotten off-world, but escort ship delays have halted their migratory fleet’s advance. One of Yabu’s adopted daughters, Reza, has brought along an encapsulated Garmillan flower in pristine shape: a Marenel flower. Her big brother Oddo asks why she bothered bringing something they can’t eat, and the pair’s third sibling and sister, Liza, misinterprets what Oddo’s saying, barking back that he can’t eat the flower. Supposedly, her suspicion arose from Oddo eating a bug once.

[KC]: Focusing on Yabu’s family is making me sick with worry. They are adorable and nothing had better happen to them.

[AMB]: Oddo’s lil’ bowtie is adorable. Last episode, a short message from Keyman mentioned his mother being infatuated with Marenel flowers, and how he wishes for his uncle Dessler to plant some on the next homeworld candidate he finds. Remember that? Well, Oddo and Reza’s argument here is casually revealing the story’s core, about choosing to protect what’s beautiful in spite of how unnecessary it might be in the practical sense.

Those flowers hold meaning despite lacking utility, and they’re worth protecting, even if we leave our own homeworld behind. It’s a reminder of something that once was, that can be planted over and over. You can always rebuild, restart, redo.

[KC]: Random thought, but this is not the first time flowers have been a factor. As I recall the “memory flower” of Iscandar was gifted to Yuki from Yurisha in 2199.

[AMB]: GREAT point! Said 2199 story element will be brought back in 2205’s penultimate episode. Good thing we gave everybody a recap during our 2202 episode commentaries. For those that need an even briefer recap: Wave-Motion Energy is derived from planetary memories (from every living being), stored in unique flowers called azure crystals. These are harvested on Iscandar for reasons that we’ll find out later.

Whenever Yamato fires the WMG, irretrievable energy from the cosmos is wiped out, along with its collective galactic memories. With the help of proper tools, such a planetary element – a “soul” – can be used to restore another soul. That’s how Mamoru’s soul in the Cosmo Reverse System brought Yuki back to life in 2199.

In the midst of all this, their mother Varna tries to gather the courage to tell them something important. She eventually gets their attention, blurting out that she’s pregnant, this time with Yabu’s child. A bit downtrodden, she apologizes for giving them a sibling they’ll only be half related to, since Yabu isn’t from planet Zalts, nor is he the father of these three kids. Her two daughters quickly embrace Varna for a hug, ecstatic over gaining another family member.

[AMB]: They may not be related by blood, and Yabu may not be the real father of these three kids, but they still accept him and the sibling-to-come regardless. The purity of childhood is on full display.

[KC]: The more wholesome the content, the more my anxiety ratchets up. I know how space opera works.

[AMB]: A world of pain that never ends. But with some hope, too!

The whole sequence is excellently carried by some stellar voice performances. To me, the kids especially sound like real kids, rather than voice actors. How mistaken I was. Turns out all three of them – including their mother – are cameo performances by cast members who voice other characters in the series. Liza is Chitose Morinaga, the flexible voice behind Caroline Raiden in 2205. Reza is Eriko Nakamura, who’s voiced linguist Kiryuu since 2199. Oddo is Tomo Muranaka, who voices Miyako Kyozuka in 2205. Varna is Mie Sonozaki, who voices Neredia Rikke in Ark of the Stars.

So Neredia isn’t forgotten! She just… voices Yabu’s wife instead! That must have been a fun conversation starter at the studio. My personal theory is that Neredia was supposed to have a speaking role, but it was scrapped early in production. Regardless, they’d likely already contacted Mie Sonozaki beforehand to book her in, and she just happened to be a perfect fit for Varna.

“Thank you.” her voice is hoarse. “When we get to Planet Galman…”

Suddenly, a huge fiery explosion rocks their neighbouring migratory vessel! A black spear, long and sharp, pierces through half a dozen vessels as it plummets down to Garmillas’ surface. It’s accompanied by synthesized sounds, a fiendish red glow pulsating throughout its chromed body.

[AMB]: Those screams of countless civilian lives being snuffed out… hauntingly brutal for a Yamato work. Hearing it juxtaposed with the joy of impending childbirth, and the incoming synthetic sounds of the Goruba theme… effective set dressing to say the least.

[KC]: See? See? Something awful is happening. I knew it. And not just because I’ve seen the original. Ugh, the synopsis for the next episode is gonna be gut-wrenching.

[AMB]: All in all, this episode adapted about 15 minutes from The New Voyage and 10 minutes from Yamato III, but somehow managed to squeeze in plenty of fresh new elements along the way. So far, 2205 has adapted 27 minutes from New Voyage’s 95-minute length.

The order of things was quite different as well. In The New Voyage, we witness Yamato’s departure, its reunion with the Cosmo Tigers, and then we cut to Dessler reminiscing about Starsha. After that, the events of the next episode transpire, and THEN we cut back to Yamato and its training sequence. By placing the Dessler scene at the start of this episode, and book-ending it with the prelude to next episode’s great tragedy, we experience zero tonal whiplash like in the original work.

[KC]: I’m unhappy that this is only an eight episode story arc, but I am happy about what they seem to be cramming into that small space already.

[AMB]: Did you know 2205 was originally slated for only SIX episodes, since the writing staff felt the story didn’t need more than that? It was thanks to script writer Hideki Oka that we received eight instead, since he argued it would be a good thing to explore these events in more detail.

“At the beginning, we wanted to make three episodes plus three episodes, for a total of six episodes. The old New Voyage was only 90 minutes long, so we figured we could do it in that amount of time. But based on our experience with 2202, we couldn’t do that. I asked them to make it at least four episodes plus four episodes. Once we started working on it, the amount of information became more than we could use.”

Originally, Yabu wasn’t even supposed to be a major part of the story. In fact, he wasn’t set to return. The idea was bounced around by Hideki Oka, but Harutoshi Fukui in particular shot it down with force. Same thing apparently happened with the Time Fault concept. Fukui couldn’t see it working at first, but inevitably warmed up to it, just like with Yabu. Fukui justified his opposition on the basis that it would hurt the pacing, and there was no good connecting glue to justify his return, it was said. Script team writers Oka and Minakawa discussed how this came to change, and why Yabu was allowed to return in the end:

Minakawa: “The reason his story was scrapped once was that I thought it wouldn’t fit. Also, there was the concern that Yabu’s presence would create multiple story arcs. But as the script progressed, the story of Yabu and the story of Domon came into contact with each other. In the end, it came together in a way that kept the axis intact. That flow was great.”

Oka: “In the third episode, there’s a long scene between Yabu and Domon. It was originally supposed to be Domon and Shima. Since there are few scenes where Shima is shown in closeup, I put him there. But Mr. Fukui said, ‘I’m sorry, but I’m going to use Yabu there.’ Looking at the whole story, that was definitely the right decision. That was the scene we needed.”

And yes, this does mean Shima was robbed of another moment to shine. Read more here.

[KC]: Ah, well that is more hard luck for poor Shima, but interesting insight as to how it was all decided!

[AMB]: Stellar departure, enticing set pieces, and intriguing world building. 2205 is off to a great start!

Continue to Episode 3

Coda

Theatrical release: Space Battleship Yamato 2205, The New Voyage Chapter 1: TAKE OFF contained episodes 1-4. It premiered in Japanese theaters October 8, 2021

Japanese video: Theater-exclusive Blu-ray October 8, 2021. Standard Blu-ray & DVD November 26, 2021

Series credits

Writer: Harutoshi Fukui
Scriptwriter: Hideki Oka
Director: Kenji Yasuda, Satelight Studio
Character Design: Nobuteru Yuuki
Guest Character Design: Chiziru Kobayashi, Takahiro Kishida, Kiyoshi Tateishi
Mecha Design: Junichiro Tamamori, Yasushi Ishizu, Mika Akitaka
Prop Design: Kio Edamatsu
Art Directors: Hiroshi Aroku, Yusuke Ikeda, Kenichi Tateto
Color Designer: Kumiko Nakayama
Director of Photography: Shinya Matsui
CG Animation Director: Hiroyuki Goto
Editing: Ryoko Kaneshige
Music: Akira Miyagawa, Hiroshi Miyagawa
Sound Director: Tomohiro Yoshida
Executive Producer: Shoji Nishizaki
Production: Yamato 2205 Production Committee

9 thoughts on “Yamato 2205 Episode 2 commentary”

Anthony on February 19, 2023 at 1:49 pm said:

When will Episode 3 commentary be out as I check daily?
Though I am surprised to see Domon on helm I thought that kitano would take the helm or shima would.

Reply ↓
- TimEldred on February 19, 2023 at 1:55 pm said:
  
  The answer is on the “what’s new” section of the homepage; Cosmo DNA updates on the 15th of every month.
  
  Reply ↓
Anthony on February 19, 2023 at 1:56 pm said:

When will Episode 3 commentary be out?
Though I expected shima or kitano to take the helm not domon. Though I thought hoshina would be happy to see yabu back.

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- Anton Brandt on June 9, 2023 at 9:58 am said:
  
  Please do elaborate!
  
  Reply ↓
Andreas Möhn on February 20, 2023 at 12:20 am said:

It is remarkable to see how neatly the training scenes serve two purposes: not only to (re-)introduce the characters but at the same time to wrap up what happens to the debris left by Gatlantis throughout the Solar System. Am I the only one intrigued by the nightmarish suggestion the Legionnaire Cannon might come to life again? You know how in this show, they never seem to throw in such things at random … and how convenient this super-weapon is lying around, perhaps waiting to pull the trigger in Yamato III …

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- Anton Brandt on June 9, 2023 at 10:01 am said:
  
  For sure! The last date presented to us (training day 14) also reveals that the last day in the 2-week span it would take Dessler to return to Garmillas is at hand, meaning Dezarium forces are free to ravage the planet for hours if not the entire day before he can arrive.
  
  Indeed… that would be a terrifying prospect. Would be a shame if Dezarium or Bolar forces got it working again.
  
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Jordan Tan on February 24, 2023 at 7:58 am said:

Phew, finally gotten time to read this after being preoccupied by other matters…
In my thoughts regarding the mecha in this episode, I was genuinely surprised to see that the Desular coreships were used way back when Abelt was young. This seems to suggest they were originally designed as Royal Yachts for the Dessler family as some RL royal families do have their own private ships for their own use like the one in England.

The Asuka didn’t give me a strong impression at first when I first saw the promo images of the 1/1000 scale model. Especially in comparison to her PS2 game inspired half-sister the Hyuga. However, the more I looked into her hidden tricks up her sleeve and her specs, I realized that she not just only be the more capable of the two modified D-type carriers but also perfectly represents the current direction of the Cosmo Navy in the post-Gatlantis War.
With those wave motion shield bullets and a modified version of the CRS that was probably reverse-engineered from the original, she’s practically a smaller mass produced version of the Ginga, should it ever be fully produced. With the addition of a modified rear hangar space with a large elevator that can accommodate transport or fighter craft of various sizes, it’s a pretty versatile vessel that can perform amphibious or planetary assault missions or aid rescue operations in a crisis. Perfect in line with the current peacekeeping policy of Earth and its has no WMG too which should keep Starsha happy. Probably…
Speaking of Ginga, she seems to have underwent a refit which a few external changes that I liked. They toned down the number of windows that are lit which made it less obnoxious than her previous form. And her dome only has vertical struts now. Annoyingly they haven’t changed the dark interior of the bridge but then again, I’ve pretty much gotten to use to it now. It’s not that much different from another bridge of another ship of a certain exploratory cruiser with an equally controversial aesthetic form… *Cough USS Titan-A…

The last ship that I want to bring up is of course the Alpheratz. This particular AAA-class ship in my opinion has a bit of a contradictory existence because of where it fits within the expanded Andromeda family tree that was established in 2202. According to the Andromeda 2202 DX 1/1000 model kit booklet, there were only three standard manned Andromeda-type battleships built which were of course the OG three: Andromeda (AAA-01), Aldebaran (AAA-02) and Achilles (AAA-04). The only other manned ships (aside from the carrier variants) were the special modified variants in the form of the over-gunned assault Amaterasu (AAA-06), the two Aquarius twin Ginga-inspired exploratory sisters (AAA-07/08) and of course the three Garmillas-styled L’Andromede vessels built for Garmillas whose numbers range from 09-11.
Alpheratz’s number is 21 which brings up a few questions… Why switch back to the original basic design after all these experimental variants? It feels illogical to built more battleships based on the original Andromeda design especially if they’re manned since we know that the Earth Federation eventually switched to the unmanned Black Berserker Battalion units we saw at the Battle of Mars. Even if they existed, what are the other ships between 12 to 20 and why haven’t we seen them? We only saw two other manned AAA-type battleships in the 2202 fleet battles that isn’t the Andromeda herself, the Aldebaran and Achilles respectively. And even if we assumed that the hull numbers from 12 to 15 became the Neu Balgray-type carriers that Berger would temporary command (albeit with different hull designations), there still will be five more ships before Alpheratz would be constructed.

Granted official published promotion works are easily retcon in newer media releases of episodes or films, I still find the explanation of existence of another manned AAA-class battleship a bit far fetch considering what we seen especially with that high hull number of 21. However, there is a possibility that we might have seen that her before. At the start of Yamato 2202 episode 22, where the Yamato was being given its Final Battle refit, the front profile of a manned damaged Andromeda in standard fleet colors could be seen in the background just in the background of the shot between Yamato and Ginga. Most of the fanbase assumed it was the Achilles at the time, having survived the recent Mars battle. But considering Bando’s passionate mention of how his father died aboard the ship and Anton implying that the vessel met her fate during the war, it might actually be the Alpheratz as we didn’t see the side of the hull where the name or the white markings that the Achilles was known to have on the sides of her hull.

Of course this is just fan speculation. Until we get official work from the production team of the remake Yamato, the fate of the remaining three first elite manned Andromedas of the OG five after the war is still a mystery.

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- eggs mceggs on February 27, 2023 at 5:56 am said:
  
  In regards to the multiple Andromedas, I think it follows a similar logic to how SpaceX are working on their Starship Programm. That is making multiple at once, scrapping defective variants.
  There were 1 Amaterasu, 2 Aquarius, 3 L’Andromede. These numbers feel too small for production ships, so maybe they were all test beds. I can see the original 3 Andromedas and Carriers being such as well.
  The 4 Gamillan carriers and remaining numbers up to, or beyond, AAA-21 being production ships. Some in early development probably were converted or scrapped due the BBB line. But those nearly built might of been finished as a result of it being cheaper. Leading to the Alpheratz being so high numbered.
  
  Reply ↓
- Anton Brandt on June 9, 2023 at 10:09 am said:
  
  The original core ships can be found in the 2205 complete materials book.
  
  Personally speaking I don’t consider Ginga’s design controversial. It fit with 2202’s theming and general story development. The Ginga having a dark bridge is no issue for me.
  
  As it pertains to AAA-21, I’m with eggs mceggs. We also have to keep in mind that the Time Fault factory ran for 6 more months after the end of 2202 episode 25, meaning there’s a 6 year (in factory) production time gap where new variants were tested and built. I doubt the parliamentary vote on the Yuki/Kodai rescue plan took just a day or two to organize either, so the military had plenty of time to wrap up whatever they had left in production before the vote was held and the plan executed.
  
  Reply ↓

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Yamato 2205 Episode 2 commentary

Episode 2: Yamato, a New Departure!

Coda

9 thoughts on “Yamato 2205 Episode 2 commentary”

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