Writer’s Summit Day 2
After the extended conversation presented in the previous segment, Yoshinobu Nishizaki and his team reconvened for two more shorter sessions at the end of January 1982. The story of Final Yamato was definitely taking shape, but was still far from script-ready. The presence of writer Aritsune Toyota on day 2 brought an extra dimension to the proceedings, thanks to his extensive knowledge of both science and science-fiction. Like most of the others, he had been involved in Space Battleship Yamato since Series 1, but only shared with Nishizaki and Eiichi Yamamoto the distinction of having developed the original story from the ground up.
The source for this transcript of the second session was the Final Yamato deluxe hardcover book published in late 1983 by Westcape Corporation. Translation is by Tim Eldred with support from Neil Nadelman.
The 2nd Day
January 29, 1982
Nishizaki: Shall I try to summarize it a bit here? Yamato rushes to explore the galactic collision and witnesses the collapse of the Galman-Gamilas empire. Dessler might be dead. Planet Vulcan is submerged by the influence of Aquarius, but some people escape. Yamato rescues a boy from Vulcan, gets attacked on the way back to Earth, and returns in tatters.
After their planet falls, the Vulcans intend to emigrate to Earth, and they change the course of Aquarius as a means of conquest. Aquarius is a planet of only women and Vulcan is a planet of only men. Vulcan has a big aircraft carrier.
Dessler appears in the last battle, defeats the Vulcans, and the queen is rescued. At that moment, the release of water toward Earth begins. Yamato blows up the planet with the Wave-Motion Gun and prevents the inflow of water. That’s where we are.
The water planet came to Earth 4 billion years ago, and its orbital period was affected by the intersection of another galaxy with the Milky Way. (Diagram above right)
Kasahara: Aquarius was a god of goodness that created metabolism for the Earth. But this time it is feared that its water will destroy Earth. Aquarius tries to communicate this, but Vulcan interferes and attempts to destroy the Earthlings.
Eiichi: is there a way to get rid of the water? How will Vulcan be able to settle on Earth after that flood?
Nishizaki: I think it would disappear naturally. Is there any idea other than a course correction?
Kasahara: When Evil takes control over Good, the mystique of Aquarius is lost. There is hardship in life and love. We want to set it up so that Aquarius brings pain and fighting to Earthlings.
Nishizaki: When the Vulcans’ theory sets Aquarius on its course, Yamato‘s impact in saving the queen is weak.
Toyota: At any rate, Yamato has to go there or else it won’t know what the situation is.
Kasahara: Isn’t the idea that the change to its course is particularly severe this time?
Eiichi: Until now, there was only a gradual shift to its orbit. The amount of damage to Earth is not always the same when the orbit varies.
Kasahara: It interacts with Earth every so often, and this time it can interact with it to a certain extent.
Nishizaki: I think there will be considerable casualties this time, including the crew of Yamato. Until Aquarius came along, Vulcan was not thinking about invading Earth. Knowing that the orbit of Aquarius will take it to Earth and cause a flood, they consider emigration.
Kasahara: That’s what Evil does to Earth this time.
Masuda: Their first move is to defeat the humans who escape. Then they interfere with contact between the Queen and Yamato. At that point, Vulcan is more than just a passenger.
Nishizaki: At first, Yamato thinks the Vulcans are citizens of Aquarius. It’s better for Yamato to launch for the purpose of changing its orbit.
Considering a floating continent above Aquarius rather than a satellite
Kasahara: Is it safe for Aquarius to release water?
Toyota: If there are hydrogen atoms to make water, it’s safe even if it doesn’t release water. We don’t want to use a hydrogen bomb on the water planet because it has inhabitants. How about they can only do a course correction? (Figure C)
Nishizaki: Maybe Aquarius has a “something” on it that would save Earth, and Earth wants it. (Figure D)
Toyota: At that distance, the flooding of Earth wouldn’t be due to the sun’s gravity, wouldn’t it?
Nishizaki: The flow of water is severed and the orbit is changed by using Planet 11. Yamato goes to get the “something.”
Masuda: Yamato could solve it by getting in a good position to shoot at a satellite of Aquarius. This could be the suggestion of the main woman.
Kasahara: The main body is god, and the satellite is a nymph with inhabitants, which Vulcan captures.
Nishizaki: Rather than that, I’m thinking of a floating continent on Aquarius.
Toyota: I would say an asteroid is a closer equivalent.
Kasahara: If we insert another celestial body, wouldn’t explaining it take more time and effort?
Nishizaki: There are several floating continents on Aquarius, and Mr. Kasahara’s theory is to make one of them a target for bombing. The sacrificial spirit of the Queen could be expressed by shooting it.
Kasahara: I think it would be confusing in the middle of the story to explain that the position of the 13th planet leads to this and that.
Toyota: I think so, too. Since there are 44,000 asteroids in the belt zone, that would feel closer to Earth.
Nishizaki: Use the great asteroid belt? It was also used in Meteor [Warner Brothers, 1979].
Shirato: I wonder how close to Earth an asteroid could approach. It seems about to the moon.
Nishizaki: How about we make it a satellite one-fifth of Earth’s diameter and then have it pass by a satellite of Jupiter or Saturn? That could interfere with the orbital track.
Toyota: That would be hard to explain. We might explain it by showing that there is a 13th planet, and it’s being towed to the location of M [Aquarius].
Nishizaki: If we’re talking about attraction, maybe the gravity of the solar system’s planets is drawing it in. Planet 13’s orbit is disrupted…
Toyota: That may be pushing believability. The one towed by Yamato is still natural.
Kasahara: A lot of explanation becomes necessary when different celestial bodies appear, and it’s too much trouble.
Masuda: Under these circumstances, how about exploding the moon?
Nishizaki: The dream will be lost if the solar system is broken.
An Idea to fire large amounts of natural Californium from the Wave-Motion Gun
Kasahara: There can be an explosion on the planet, but what if there’s some special ingredient that’s altered by the heat energy of the blast when the deuterium explodes, and that lets you sever the water? However, that ingredient isn’t on Earth.
Nishizaki: The process makes it into heavy water. I’m always stuck on the number 13, and haven’t put it in other proposals, but if it’s on Aquarius’ course and is influenced by Aquarius, it could be turned into a hydrogen bomb. Kasahara-san, you were saying the planet itself could possess that, right?
Kasahara: That’s right. It might be better if the planet Aquarius possessed something like that. And it is sacrificed.
Masuda: That way wouldn’t be unreasonable. That property does exist.
Toyota: The design for Aquarius isn’t clarified yet, but could it shine from the center like a paper lantern?
Nishizaki: The assumption is that it has a core.
Toyota: For example, there could be a normal world in the center which people live on, surrounded by several worlds of only water. Heat and light are supplied from there. We could say they have cores of heavy water, and that pressure creates nuclear fusion, radiating heat and light. That would light up the central world. Or we could have the water world at the center and the normal one on the exterior.
Nishizaki: For example, assuming there is a nucleus and a floating continent, should we put it very close to Aquarius’ sea? We could make it a planet in a remote place, but then the waters of Aquarius would be raining on it, wouldn’t they? I think trying to sell that with an SF sensibility would be difficult. If it’s too close, then it will suffer the effects of the explosion to Aquarius.
Therefore, I’m saying it should come from a completely different and more mysterious place. I understand Mr. Kasahara’s opinion that it can get messy no matter how we do it, unless we use supernatural powers.
Toyota: How would we portray it graphically? For example, on a planet of water if there is heavy water at the center, maybe it would produce heat and light and shine like a lantern. Should this “paper lantern” have several pieces?
Shirato: Maybe it should be one main piece with several “Earth worlds” surrounding it.
Nishizaki: I want to have that Earth world be a continent floating on the surface of the sea. How about that design?
Toyota: Like Mt. Horai. [Translator’s note: this is a mythical mountain of eternal youth. Read about it here and here.]
Nishizaki: With a powerful mechanism in the crust.
Toyota: If you make this too mecha-heavy, it changes the ending. If there’s a giant power device here, with them using a matter transporter or something like that to send heavy water to it, they could send an island if they wanted to.
Masuda: We should have Yamato carry one of the Mt. Horais.
Nishizaki: That can’t be portrayed. We’ll have to use a beam, and then make it supernatural powers later on.
Masuda: I want one of the supernatural powers to be due to God in the end. However, they don’t have the means to blow it up with a nuclear explosion there, and have to rely on Yamato for that.
Nishizaki: There is an atomic substance called Californium at Mt. Horai, and it must be obtained to set off an explosion. So the enemy will try to protect it.
Kasahara: I wonder if nymphs are living there, too.
Nishizaki: The queen is the only one on the central island, or whatever it will be, and there is Californium there. It won’t be realistic if we use psychokinesis or a beam to pick it up. How about a story where we have some object fly in and they need the Californium to detonate it?
Kasahara: Is Californium a liquid?
Toyota: It is metal. During the Vietnam war, America developed a nuclear round that can be shot from a rifle. It’s not a naturally-occurring element, it’s artificial.
Nishizaki: Here, it is natural. It must be put into a nuclear warhead and fired into the heavy water core with the Wave-Motion Gun.
Toyota: The Wave-Motion Gun fires a beam.
Nishizaki: The theory is that Californium is wrapped into it. Therefore, it has to be Yamato.
Toyota: I wonder if we can portray this or not. We could have the Wave-Motion Gun blow this floating island into space. If the aim is just a little off, Aquarius will massively explode. Then we blow up the thing we blasted into space.
Nishizaki: That’s better than before. Let’s consider the idea of putting Californium into the Wave-Motion Gun and firing it into the central core.
In order to preserve the mystique, the orbit can be corrected by the Queen’s supernatural power
Toyota: There’s a difficulty. It would explode as soon as the Wave-Motion Gun hits it, so a heat-resistant capsule would be required.
Kasahara: If Californium is used, does the EDF calculate that the 13th planet can prevent water from coming here? They investigate first, then go to attack.
Nishizaki: If we showed the presence of Californium early on, it wouldn’t be interesting. The first reason to launch should be to prevent an attack and a disaster. I’d like to concentrate on Yamato and leave the space base for the end as much as possible.
Masuda: An advanced guard surrounds the Earth, and headquarters assumes it is a powerful enemy.
Kasahara: But they don’t know where they came from or what they are.
Nishizaki: When they hit the enemy’s beachhead, they’ll understand where they come from. They gradually come to understand the occupation of Aquarius, which is also in the SOS. They’ll also know they have to detonate it somehow before it reaches the Roche Limit.
Masuda: Yamato will know of the queen’s existence. Otherwise, the purpose for launching will not be understood.
Kasahara: All they’ll know is that an SOS has been sent, but not why it’s been sent.
Nishizaki: Yamato sorties to destroy the attacking enemy, but the reasoning for why they’d be defending this heavenly body might be a bit weak. I have a feeling that we need to know of the queen’s existence at that point.
Kasahara: There is also the attack on the emigration ships, the main problem being that they have to deal with the flood.
Nishizaki: But if there is the matter of a large flood, isn’t escape the first priority? The main enemy force has to be destroyed sharply. Unless the source is defeated, the attacks will come one after another.
Masuda: While defending mother Earth, the water planet must be removed before it comes within the Roche Limit and causes disaster.
Nishizaki: They know in advance that the orbit of the 13th planet was changed, but they don’t know how. After trial and error, they understand that it was under the influence of heavy water.
Masuda: Suppose we render Yamato‘s Wave-Motion Gun helpless. What could be done then?
Nishizaki: Therefore, though they went to the enemy’s big aircraft carrier at first, they turn around and head for Aquarius. After launch, they find out about the occupation plan and that the enemy wants to flood Earth with Aquarius.
Kasahara: The launch of Yamato must be tragic and dramatic, but it’s still a little weak in the current story. Its purpose should be clearer.
Toyota: This is unrelated, but a better term for the Roche Limit would be the influence point of power. For example, even though the water planet goes around the sun, if the orbit of Mercury gradually decayed, it would fall. It would start to crack and look like a football. Broken parts would spread out like Saturn’s rings. The distance at which cracks would start forming is the Roche Limit. So it’s better to call it the influence point of gravity.
Maybe at this distance, if we have it moving at a speed where it’s just passing through, I think we could have it pass suitably close to Earth without a problem.
Masuda: Then we should establish the threshold for when Aquarius’ waters flow down.
Toyota: I’m not sure how it relates to the speed. Since the distance to Earth is 36,000km, we could have it moving a bit slower, and it’s being attracted by the moon as well.
Kasahara: By a process of observation on the Earth side, they gradually understand the real nature of the enemy after launch, and although it would be nice to know the process of the rescue, some reasons for launching don’t come up.
Masuda: Since what they learn are the details, we need to clarify that in the outline.
Hideaki: There is the boy who was rescued. What capability does he have for explanation? Or does he only tell the lies of the Vulcan people?
Kasahara: He knows the communication codes of the Vulcans.
Eiichi: This is the third time now for the pattern of a disaster coming to Earth being resolved by something we get from a woman. Then for dramatic development a guy from Vulcan goes to Aquarius and changes its orbit to head for Earth. Then the queen sends an SOS message to Yamato. They’re attacked by the enemy on the way there, get hit, then finally reach Aquarius and beat the enemy. Yesterday’s proposal that involved Dessler was more interesting.
Masuda: The reason it was set into the pattern we have today, with Mr. Nishizaki having a Vulcan person control the course of Aquarius, was to change it so it isn’t too mysterious.
Eiichi: So we go to get a small thing in order to blow up the planet. The enemy won’t hand it over, and a battle erupts on the enemy planet. If it’s Californium, then it’s the third time for this pattern and the great battle with the enemy feels small. The mystique could be maintained with some adjustment. If we do it that way, we could have the course changed without it being too specific.
Toyota: Since the energy of the heavy water is right in the center, if a hole was injected into it somewhere, I wonder if you’d be able to twist it whichever way you like.
Nishizaki: Then we wouldn’t lose the mystique. I don’t want the orbit to be changed by the supernatural power of the queen.
Toyota: Breaking toward the core from the sea surface is like Moses parting the Red Sea. We could call it a “phase tunnel.” The sea is suddenly divided, a hole opens, and we dive down to start the injection. When it is done, the planet turns. Maybe the enemy’s battleship fires a beam from above. It would be possible to control it if there are two points.
Eiichi: The Vulcans use Aquarius simply because it’s a missile with an atomic bomb. The queen’s SOS. Yamato launches. Okita and Dessler join forces and the enemy is defeated at last. The water planet approaches the point of no return, and the 13th planet appears by chance and it is destroyed.
Nishizaki: That’s good.
First of all, Yamato should not destroy other planets when it explodes
Toyota: Since the jet of a star is the fire of nuclear fusion, it’s like a blue gas. Because it is helium gas. We can make that the reason for why it accelerates.
Kasahara: Since Kodai defends the providence of heaven that evil tries to change with the power of science, it is better to change the orbit. Closing the distance will make for a very different effect in the picture.
Masuda: It would probably be good for the water to begin flowing at the distance of the moon. Mr. Toyota says it should also flood the moon.
Toyota: If it centers on the 13th planet, it will be too close to Earth. It’s better to bring in an asteroid. However, you can’t depict Yamato pulling it.
Nishizaki: How about a battle that dives into the water?
Toyota: Yamato dives into the sea and keeps fighting.
Nishizaki: We’d have to take your idea of the Wave-Motion Gun being ineffective when it hits a hybrid alloy metal.
Eiichi: Or some substance in Aquarius. Something Earth doesn’t have.
Kasahara: Do Yamato and Dessler come back together after the space city is destroyed?
Nishizaki: Yamato has to go because there is a time limit before the flood. We have to wipe out the enemy within that time limit as well. We could return to the queen on the island or join a large space fleet. Which is more picturesque?
Toyota: The present anti-tank gun does not punch through armor. When a high-velocity tank shell is fired, gunpowder burns in the high heat at the point of destruction. An enemy’s armor is melted and the flame kills everything inside. Therefore, if a missile or artillery shell are used in the Wave-Motion Gun, maybe we shouldn’t have it directly strike what it’s shooting at. It would be called a Hyper Thermonuclear Missile.
Nishizaki: That might be good. I’d like to return the discussion to the idea of the 13th planet. It needs to be picturesque to give shape to dreams.
Toyota: Whatever you do with it, it has to be controlled. I’m not comfortable with it appearing by chance.
Kasahara: Using a planet like that shouldn’t be done in the first place. Yamato itself should be blown up. There would be no one on board.
Nishizaki: Mr. Shirato, you’ve been going on Yamato for ten years, are you on board with blowing up the ship?
Shirato: For the time being, this is the finale.
Toyota: Yamato is laden with heavy water. When tachyon particles leak just a little, the heavy water explodes…
Hideaki: Kodai and Yuki cry as they close it up.
Masuda: It can be done!
Toyota: I just want to confirm, when the space city of the enemy is defeated, we can start anew, can’t we? At that time, it would be hard to fill it up with heavy water.
Masuda: There probably isn’t time.
Kasahara: Suppose it’s loaded from Dessler’s battleship. Either way, this messes up Yamato, doesn’t it? That’s Mr. Nishizaki’s proposal.
Hideaki: It breaks in with a snap and pours into the first bridge.
Kasahara: For the spirit to survive by destroying other planets would never do.
Masuda: It is not Yamato-like. Yamato started out in this by intending to blow itself up.
Nishizaki: The flow of water will not be changed by the explosion of Yamato.
Toyota: No, it needs to carry a load of heavy water from the start.
Nishizaki: How would you write a scene in which the young people leave? It has go down before that.
Toyota: All hands abandon ship.
Eiichi: Analyzer is left in the engine room. Somebody has to operate it.
Nishizaki: Okita goes down with it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be musical.
Masuda: The young people see it off, and we cut to flashback scenes.
All we can do is load Yamato with heavy water, then block up the Wave-Motion Gun to explode
Eiichi: The Queen of the Water appears in space at the very end. It’s an old story, but we “hear the voice of Neptune,” to reflect on the soldiers who died. It would have a deep impression. An image of Okita walks in and everyone lines up in a salute. And then Kodai and Yuki don’t do their thing immediately after the sinking, and instead we give it some space. If we do that, then I think we have to cut back to scenes of Okita.
Kasahara: That’s right. Does Earth go back to normal after they return for a memorial service? Maybe six months later?
Eiichi: The cutback would be of a dignified Yamato flying toward a grave, and Okita looks back at the two people with warm eyes.
Nishizaki: Let’s go with it. There’s no way to explode Yamato other than the heavy water theory.
Kasahara: And it’s no longer confusing. It’s the 13th planet, right? Then the picture will be considerably forceful. We can bring it closer to Earth.
Masuda: The barrel of the Wave-Motion Gun is blocked up, and firing the full load of heavy water makes it explode.
Eiichi: Yamato is running on its Wave-Motion Engine. Because the engine room uses Wave-Motion Energy, the energy coupling part would have to be removed. The setup is that when the Wave-Motion Gun is fired, it becomes impossible to move for a while. Therefore, the engine room would explode when the barrel is blocked up.
Nishizaki: Kodai and Yuki are wrapped up in it along with the embodiment of the god of Aquarius. The voice of heaven says they should live on. Good.
Shirato: All the crew will be left, surely.
Nishizaki: They can die if it’s necessary to the story.
Eiichi: Only Sanada should remain. The barrel of the Wave-Motion Gun is blocked, right?
Kasahara: How about Sanada is injured and finishes the device as his breath fades?
Nishizaki: Since Okita remains, Dr. Sado would be better. Still, the tradition of Kyushu Bogasaki never dies! [Translator’s note: this refers to the resting place of the IJN Battleship Yamato.]
Eiichi: I’d consider a method that would allow you to desperately revive it again next time.
Kasahara: Please consider this a single story. Something else can be done later.
Eiichi: There will be a great deal of weeping when it sets out, loaded with heavy water.
Nishizaki: It’s a mission of no return. It’s better not to inform the others about accumulating the heavy water. Okita is determined to prepare for his last moment of life. The crew knows nothing. Only Dr. Sado knows the feelings of Okita.
Masuda: There is the problem of the “blessings and trials” of the water planet which periodically passes Earth and brought the first metabolism. It’s the purpose for its coming this time. Its philosophy could be a warning against the corruption of Earth’s civilization.
Kasahara: The concept of Earth’s people deteriorating is counter-productive. Though I think we can write a critique of Earth people who make science omnipotent.
Toyota: Humans aren’t the only Earth creatures who escaped, there could be animals, too.
Masuda: Aquarius is turning into an Oriental image now.
Nishizaki: I’m considering it as a crystal, in harmony with nature.
Toyota: A paradise world, the image of Mt. Hourai.
Kasahara: Is it more important for the story to center on Kodai and Yuki, or Kodai and Okita?
Nishizaki: It should center on Kodai and Yuki, but not like in Be Forever.
Masuda: That’s good. Be Forever was a bit effeminate, and was slow.
Nishizaki: If we focus on Okita and Kodai and the ship’s crew, it will be a story that depicts the heart of a “man of the sea.”
Distortion leads to bizarre, obsessive behavior. There may be that side to Kodai
Kasahara: Amidst the drama, in the end it’s established that Kodai and Okita are two of a kind, but in the meantime, will they have any ups and downs and confrontations, or not?
Hideaki: Isn’t this Okita the Okita from part 1? If so, I think his involvement with Kodai will be a little different from the others. Kodai has grown up since he was the rowdy boy of part 1. We can’t do the same growth story with Kodai and Okita here.
Kasahara: Kodai violated orders by bringing back the Vulcan boy, so he was removed as captain of Yamato and parted from his friends. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he had the same revival operation as Okita. Naturally, Kodai is fractured and isn’t the old Kodai. Okita appears at this time.
Kodai was quite a humane person until now, but he becomes a man who burns with a tremendous sense of duty in his second mission. This distorted sense of duty leads to an overemphasis on science, and Okita calls him back to his humanity. Okita has become a substitute for himself. And with the existence of the queen, an “attraction” between them and Kodai comes out.
Nishizaki: It would be in complete contrast to the nature of Kodai as a humane officer who saves a child, and he becomes a crewman who only burns with a sense of duty.
Masuda: He’s revived after being removed as the captain and also being removed from the crew. This distorted concept of Kodai becoming a lone wolf hasn’t been seen in the story before now.
Kasahara: In short, he’s a dropout. Today’s youth constantly pursues a sense of purpose. A good high school, a good university, a good company, a good job. It’s the same environment Kodai now finds himself in.
Nishizaki: Yamato is opposed to present-day apathetic youth, and praises justice and beauty in the universe. Part of what has sustained Yamato is their empathy for its message that, with it, they realize things they can’t normally accomplish. Today’s kids have a lot in common with Kodai and have a deep impression.
Kasahara: The idea about the crew fainting gives personality to Yamato that will earn the sympathy of the viewer. I want to have Kodai and Yamato interact one-on-one. Before now, he thought of Yamato as the strongest mecha to protect the Earth, but now it’s also a friend.
When it comes to Kodai boarding Yamato again, he burns with excitement and a sense of duty to save Earth, but he goes too far and gets a backlash from the crew. I like that. He is strongly opposed to exploding Yamato with heavy water and he clashes with Okita. Okita has no choice but to share the fate of Yamato.
The viewers will have the same feeling as Kodai, and they’ll understand Okita’s feelings upon his death. True love for Yamato comes from using it for the sake of others. And for the love of Kodai and Yuki.
Nishizaki: It would be Yuki who brings comfort to the refracted Kodai.
Masuda: Kodai is far from his former self after he passes through a pin-cushion of distortion and loneliness, and fights more intensely than before. I think that becomes the action of the middle section that Mr. Nishizaki wants. We build up the process of growing up as an adult, and it would be interesting to present a viewpoint toward Yamato different from Okita’s.
Kasahara: Kodai must be a hero when he boards Yamato. I can’t accept that he would board Yamato with a cynical nature.
Masuda: Yuki Mori would be worried about Kodai. This distortion would produce an intense obsession and erratic behavior.
Nishizaki: In some cases, he may forget about Yuki in the face of death. We might put him in a hard place like that.
Until now, there was no opportunity to realize the true meaning of mature love between man and woman
Eiichi: I wonder if the closing sex scene is a “coming of age ceremony.” Okita talks about becoming a true human being. Okita appears to marry Kodai and Yuki this time. Okita once taught Kodai to become a man who fights. But this time he teaches him to become a man who loves.
Nishizaki: That’s good. Until now, we didn’t have the opportunity to realize the true meaning of love between man and woman, and becoming an adult man.
Masuda: From Yamato part 1 forward, Yamato has always been a human drama. Until now, the fight was for the extraordinary love of humanity and space, so this time in order to truly mature as a human, you have to love your neighbor first.
Eiichi: The meaning of Okita’s appearance is, first of all, to win the battle for love, and secondly, in response to Kodai, to take over as a fighting man because he wants to teach him that he must love something.
Kasahara: I want to have Okita comfort and encourage Kodai. Those are the words kids want most. Even a dropout has a right to live. Kodai is a soldier, so he’s constantly living to be victorious, but what I want to write is that the times when you lose are just as important.
Nishizaki: At the time of the first film, we were told that “You can’t live your life only to fight,” but in a world which pushes you to get into a good high school, a good university, a good company, there are things which tell you that’s wrong.
I charge Kodai to live his life this way as I would like to. The boys who saw that pounded me with letters demanding to know, “Despite all that, what’s the idea of making him fight once more?!” This time, in the interests of the meaning of the balance sheet after 10 years, we ask the question, “Just what is Yamato?” It’s necessary to ask once again just how important that part of it is.
Kasahara: Is Yuki also on Yamato?
Nishizaki: She has to be aboard. In the beginning, she’s worried about Kodai, but I want to add into the story how she gradually realizes how much he’s become a part of her.
Kasahara: Yuki has the feeling of a holy virgin. It’d be good for her to acknowledge her own feelings toward Kodai a bit more.
Nishizaki: I think the part of the holy virgin is necessary to nature. If we overdo it, their coupling in the last scene won’t work. I’d like her to be a woman of Showa 30 (i.e. the year 1956).
When the boy dies it is the one good thing he’s done, so therefore he wants to lay down his life
Kasahara: The Vulcan boy is next. I think he should do something in the story to get caught between Yuki and Kodai, or Kodai and Okita. Isn’t he about 11 years old?
Eiichi: How about making the boy more combative than Kodai? He fights so viciously that it makes Kodai question the good in it.
Masuda: If he comes from a combative race, he should have characteristics like quick jumping ability and agile, aggressive action.
Shirato: Close to the image of a wolf boy?
Eiichi: Probably not. Would his jumping ability increase on Earth because Vulcan is a high-gravity planet?
Kasahara: That’s good. He could make a great jump and cling to Yuki’s neck. When the boy dies he’s doing one good thing, and so he wants to lay down his life.
Eiichi: When Vulcan is destroyed, the boy will die, right?
Kasahara: It’s Yuki’s plan for Dessler to pick up the boy at the end and deliver him to the [Vulcan] emperor. At that moment, BANG–an explosion.
Nishizaki: Is it necessary to destroy the emperor 100%?
Kasahara: That’s right. There will be a catharsis from it. The suicidal explosion of Yamato doesn’t have to be the catharsis.
Nishizaki: Finally, after the fierce battle, the number of people killed is huge. The emperor takes responsibility and blows himself up. Before that, we have the boy make a request, and a very small fleet of ships passes by. I think there would be a catharsis in the big aircraft carrier being critically hit.
Eiichi: The many residents of his planet would be forsaken and killed because of the bad guy trying to take over the Earth. Otherwise there wouldn’t be a catharsis.
Kasahara: In this case, I think destroying the enemy ship would be a catharsis, not killing all the enemy people. The emperor takes responsibility and commits suicide. When he dies, he murmurs, “If I’d been one of the race living on Earth all this time, this never would have happened… It turns out that he has a conscience.
Nishizaki: That’s right. We should write the death of the emperor. Several people from Vulcan are left. Dessler could be asked to rescue them. Then there’s a story between Dessler and the emperor.
Kasahara: I would hope that the Vulcan boy can be seen as one of the common people, and after the emperor dies the audience isn’t left with any worry about them.
End of Day 2 transcript
Requests for Mr. Toyota to examine conceptual issues
This list was created to outline problems and issues for Mr. Toyota to address, since he was only able to attend on the second day.
1. Explanation and diagram of the super-warp phenomenon that returns Aquarius to its orbit.
2. The conventional positions of Vulcan, Earth, and Aquarius’ orbit. Aquarius has a clockwise orbit.
3. The speed of Aquarius and the need for warp.
4. How far is the greatest distance that can be observed from Earth?
5. The wait time from the flooding of Vulcan to the arrival at Earth
6. What kind of mind wave from Vulcan would cause Yamato‘s crew to faint?
7. Aquarius’ position when Yamato launches from Earth
8. The physical characteristics of Vulcan people and their environment.
(A) What if they have supernatural powers
(B) Related to Sumerian women – their current setup after 10,000 years of evolution since being taken by aliens.
(C) Some points that make them different from Earth humans. Their heart is on the opposite side. The color of their face is different. Aliens appearing in Tassili, Africa. The logic of evil is formed due to charged particles. A way to understand they were once the same as human beings.
[Translator’s note: the reference to Tassili Africa is related to ancient paintings of what appear to be alien beings. Find more about them here, here, and here.]
(D) The monument of Palenque and Daniken’s book [on ancient alien visitation] (E) Consider other names for the Vulcans.
9. The implications of a life-revival device. Revival using clone technology. The difficulty of creating the nuances of life. Only Okita was permitted, and now Kodai.
10. Does Earth know Aquarius approaches?
(A) Is there an omen phenomenon?
(B) Caught by a recon satellite and a battleship. Secret measures leak and cause a panic.
11. How much water could cover the Earth?
12. Earth’s measures against it, and process of correspondence?
(A) A single emigration plan for the people
(B) The emigration ships can be constructed in a chain in space.
13. In the solar system, Mars is safe from Aquarius’ approach
14. What is another idea that could change the course of the water planet?
15. Putting a ring around Aquarius
(A) By electron orbit
(B) What name to give it?
16. What are the weak points of Aquarius?
(A) “Something” makes the nuclear fusion at the center explode
17. Aquarius does not rotate.
18. The nature of Aquarius?
(A) Because light comes from underneath, there is no need of green tree colors. Maybe purple.
(B) Are there freshwater creatures?
19. A natural disaster by Aquarius. Total darkness, tsunami, tornado, torrential downpour. Vapor in the atmosphere. Substantial water — shown during the flooding of Vulcan.
20. Any ideas for Yamato‘s method of obtaining heavy water from the core of Aquarius?
21. Characteristics of the Vulcan boy. Language is Japanese, word usage is Sumerian.
22. Characteristics of Sumerian music culture?
The end
Continue to Day 3 (the final session)