Episode 7: Iscandar, the Dying Planet of Sorrow

by Kathy Clarkson and Anton Mei Brandt

First note of interest: the title of this episode is based on Episode 25 from the original TV series: Iscandar, Dying Planet of Love.

We open on a field where Iscandar’s Blue Crystal flowers sway gently in the breeze, bathed in light.

“The Blue Crystal,” says Yurisha. “The color of that flower is the color of sorrow.”

In the distance we see the palace as she continues speaking. Nearby, Kodai descends in his Cosmo Zero. Kodai glances out of his canopy over to the small shuttle that carries Dessler. Starsha stands waiting for them to land.

“Sister, have you ever considered giving up on your fruitless salvation efforts and opening up Sanctel instead? Wouldn’t that bring peace to the universe? Humans always fight. They can’t seem to reach the same state that the creator, Akerius, had achieved. In order for humans to obtain eternity as they are, we must rely on Sanctel. That’s what Dezarium wants. It’s the only way for humans to be free from sorrow. We still have time. Please perform the ritual for Garmillas.”

[AMB]: The words we’re hearing are likely a continuation of the discussion between Starsha and Yurisha back in Episode 4, concerning Sasha and Sanctel. As viewers might remember, that conversation was cut off prematurely.

[KC]: We’re seconds into the episode, and I have to say I’m already feeling a lot of foreboding. This is gonna be a heavy one.

[AMB]: We’re immediately delving into pre-established 2199 lore! Back in 2199 Episode 24, Yurisha shared some subtle hints about the Blue Crystal flower and its role as a Wave-Motion Energy conduit, but that’s as far as it went. It’s very fitting, then, that we’re treated to the Blue Crystal leitmotif and expanded lore.

What are they discussing, then? Namely that Starsha’s salvation efforts these past untold centuries have relied on voluntary cooperation between the seven different seeds of humanity spread across the galaxy by Akerius (the progenitors of humankind) but that these efforts have borne little fruit, instead propagating conflicts. Apparently, this Sanctel place deep within Isk San Aria holds the key to achieving eternity – or rather, immortality – and if Yurisha’s judgment is to be trusted, that’s exactly what Dezarium seeks.

Can you believe it’s been over a decade since 2199? Do you recall any thoughts, ponderings or feelings you had when first witnessing its take on Iscandar? Any interesting theories you might want to share that came true in 2205?

[KC]: The revival feels a bit younger for me; I had fallen away from the fandom somewhat, and didn’t learn about the existence of 2199 until five years later. I do remember being happy with everything except Abelt, but I liked all the layers they were adding to the story. It was more of a hope than a prediction that the writers of 2202 and 2205 would redeem His Majesty and boy howdy, they did not disappoint.

[AMB]: We’re in kind of the same boat, then. My first experience with Yamato was with 2199, sometime in 2015. It began an odyssey that won’t let go of me! An eternal voyage.

[KC]: It was definitely disheartening for me that Funimation didn’t release Star Blazers 2205 in the States, especially after Japan’s confirmation that the story would continue with 3199. I am not giving up on this franchise.

The ships land and we see Yurisha standing above on an observation deck, gazing down with a concerned expression on her face as we hear Starsha’s response.

“Yurisha, not much time has passed since you became what you are. Once enough time passes, you’ll understand that with eternity in its hands, mankind will not achieve salvation. Eternity and happiness can never coexist.”

Kodai and Dessler leave their ships and approach, exchanging glances with Starsha but saying nothing.

[AMB]: For reasons unknown to us, Yurisha’s chosen to sit out Starsha’s upcoming tour of Sanctel, opting to stay with Sasha’s orb. As for the tense mood in the air, last episode Starsha announced the truth about Garmillas’ blue blood would be revealed today. Dessler and Kodai are bracing for it.

[KC]: That is presuming Starsha didn’t tell Yurisha specifically to go wait upstairs. I don’t think she wants to reveal this truth to anyone.

[AMB]: It’s interesting to hear what Starsha has to say about Yurisha. As some may recall, back in 2199, Yurisha was mentally closer to a child than a fully grown woman. She barely knew what a hug was, or the difference between familial and romantic love, much like her prime inspiration, Sasha in Be Forever Yamato. She’ll later reveal Yurisha is much younger than her appearance lets on, closing that classic era reference point.

Strap yourselves in, because explaining what it means to maintain ‘eternity and happiness’ won’t be easy! Starsha’s lived a hard life.

[KC]: At long last, at least some kind of explanation for why this woman just stays here.

We jump forward to a dark, cavernous room that seems to be filled with clusters of pipes or conduits for some blue glowing energy. Starsha is speaking to Dessler and Kodai. Their footsteps echo through the vast chamber.

“You both already know that the humans who currently inhabit this universe were created by the intervention of the ancient Akerius civilization, am I correct? We are all children of Akerius. Yet time of birth, and the time necessary for us to grow and evolve, differs. Our personalities are different as well. The same goes for human siblings.”

[AMB]: Starsha taking Kodai down to the inner sanctum of Iscandar was first seen in the alternate ending to the original Space Battleship Yamato movie (1977). There, Starsha was not depicted as a flesh and blood human, but instead as a being of projected light, very similar to her projected image at the end of the last episode.

The environment harkens back to its depiction in New Voyage, with crystal obelisks adorning the place. The plot structure and the large open space however, harkens back to Yamato III’s depiction of Shalbart’s inner sanctum. Originally, Starsha’s trek downward led to a secret self-destruct switch. Not this time around (yet). In the previz for this scene in 2205, they were originally meant to traverse a spiral staircase. That bit was probably cut for time.

“The path leading to Sanctel in the early days was an image of a well-like vertical hole extending deep beneath the royal palace, as if descending into hell. Since there was no light source, I thought about making Starsha luminous, or the floor luminous, and so on. Eventually, we ended up with a structure like the [Tokyo] Metropolitan Area outer drainage channel.” – Director Kenji Yasuda.

Read more about the making of 2205 here.

Why mention siblings in this instance? Because Kodai and Dessler both lost a brother to war and conflict, wars fought in order to protect the peace they themselves cherished. It also hints at the form she’ll choose in just a minute to better explain Iscandar’s origins.

[KC]: I wondered if she was altering her appearance or just ducked out to run the explanation program so she wouldn’t have to face them.

[AMB]: And another revelation! Iscandar’s civilization (which has existed for at least a millennia) is considered another child of Akerius, meaning they didn’t exist at the time Akerius did. With this, we can perhaps make a somewhat complete map of the seven races that have spread out in the universe.

(1) Iscandar
(2) Galman/Garmillans
(3) Earthlings/Zaltsians/Dezarium
(4) Alterians
(5) Zemulians/Jirelans
(6) Bolar/fake Gatlanteans from Ark of the Stars
(7) Telezart (pre-Teresa)

Of these, as we’ll soon find out, only Iscandar and Telezart ever got close to the same spiritual enlightenment as the Akerian progenitor race.

As for my reasoning, 2199 explains that our differences are actually just skin deep, hence why characters like Berger’s sister Melia and Yamato’s Kiryuu Mikage can look like genetic copies. The Gatlanteans in Ark of the Stars were hinted at being mere brigands hired by Zordar, and later inferred in 2202 to definitely not be of the same race based on the fact that they openly show emotions and aren’t used as suicide bombers. Since their skin color aligns quite close to the Bolars we see on planet Galman, one could easily craft a theory about how they’re indigenous people of planet Berth (under Bolar rule from Yamato III with similarly-skinned people), who fled the planet to become mercenaries after the planet gave itself up to Bolar rule.

Likewise, 2202 hints at more than one point how the Jirels, who in 2199 were said to be the closest descendants to ancient Akerius based on their telepathy (henceforth called ‘cosmowave’), weren’t the first “witches.” Zemulia’s Sabera was one herself, capable of the same biological telepathy that would later be integrated into the Type-Zordar humanoid by its creators.

As for Teresa, I’m of the belief that her original race is completely separate from any we’ve seen so far, but based on the looks of her protectors in 2202’s first episode, and her narrative ties to Yamato III’s Shalbart, one could perhaps infer that it was Galman pilgrims who attained her form in millennia past! But that’s just speculation.

[KC]: Maybe I’m getting on a high horse here, but I don’t know that there’s anything spiritual or enlightening in what we’re about to learn Iscandar did.

[AMB]: Dezarium would argue the opposite!

Starsha walks a few steps ahead of them and stops before a doorway, turning slightly and not quite looking back at them.

“On that account, Iscandar is one of the earliest civilizations to develop, much like the eldest son, having a tireless desire to improve and a thirst for knowledge. A greedy, controlling and very selfish first son.”

She precedes them through the entranceway. Kodai runs after her while Dessler remains standing.

[KC]: I noticed he was walking a lot closer to her than Kodai was, though. And what’s this? Starsha trash talking Iscandar? Go on…

[AMB]: The direction in this scene, where two younger and less-developed races follow their elder, hints at the different paths they’ve taken. Whereas Garmillas has tried to temper itself after decades of war and conflict, Earth rushes forth to seize the impossible without a care for the consequences, chasing the voice of who’s undoubtedly already a dead man: Klaus Keyman, or Ranhart Dessler.

In what way is Iscandar a “greedy, controlling and a selfish first son?” Let’s just say that their version of eternity on a stick was less fluid than Telezart’s.

Once inside the room, Kodai turns to look for Starsha, but it is Keyman that he sees and who begins talking as if he had been the one speaking all along.

“Because of that, the people of Iscandar realized early that every rule of the universe would become an obstacle in reaching the state of the ancient people of Akerius, who created us and then departed elsewhere.”

Kodai, who appeared a bit distressed by Starsha’s words, now seems shocked by the specter before him. Outside the room, Dessler can see him too, and calls his nephew’s name, looking a bit slack-jawed.

[AMB]: Surprised? Don’t be. Keyman was conceptually based on Lt. Alphon from Be Forever Yamato, who’s actually set to return in 3199. Perhaps this and other scenes/mentions of Keyman are meant to be a prelude to his return in the form of Alphon in the next work. Who knows? Based on what he looks like in 3199, would you say there’s a bigger or smaller chance our Keyman returns in the next work?

[KC]: The resemblance is positively uncanny, but I’m just not sure what the point would be of bringing Keyman himself back, unless Abelt is still looking to retire. We did see a return of Captain Okita in the original series, and I can’t say I was a fan of that plot point, but if the character does come back, he better wind up with Akira.

Looking at the 3199 character designs, I see Keeling is also in uniform again, with his abundance of hair. Are we just going to forget that Abelt had a guy back in 2199 named Keeling? He may not even be dead. Long lost relative, perhaps? As if we need more than one of them.

[AMB]: I’m 100% sure 2199 Keeling is not dead. We last saw him back in 2202, seemingly switching teams from Gimleh’s faction to the democratic faction. Then again, 2205 makes it clear that most of Team Abelt had the chance to rejoin the government, so who knows? Having two Keelings in 3199 might make for a funny gag.

Whether or not Alphon will be Keyman 2.0, I’m sure someone on Yamato’s crew will point out that uncanny resemblance. They’d have to, wouldn’t they?

Keyman looks down at his own hand.

“Once you escape all physical restraints, including this body-”

“Keyman, is that you?” Kodai interrupts. “Why are you here?”

“What you’re looking at is a human form that both of you can recognize,” the image of Keyman tells them. “It appears an acceptable shape must be chosen for the truth to be told.” The image suddenly brightens with some internal greenish light, then goes back to appearing normal.

“What are you?” Kodai asks.

“Wait,” Dessler says suddenly, and the image of Keyman turns to him. They stare at each other as the music rises, but say nothing. The scene shifts away.

[KC]: Here we are at the scene where I wondered if Starsha changed herself to look like Keyman, or activated him and ran away.

[AMB]: In this scene, it appears his human shape has been adopted to better illustrate Starsha’s point: in order to truly become “eternal,” you have to escape the body’s constraints like Telezart did. This way, by probing the memories of Abelt and Susumu (who actually knew Keyman), one can make anything appear before you. Like in a dream.

There might be some meta commentary here as well: Dessler (who’s more pragmatic) tries to evaluate the scene before him at a distance, still hearing Starsha’s words through the visage of his nephew. Kodai meanwhile, gets so absorbed by the possibility of Keyman being alive that her words go in one ear and out the other! Last time he heard a spiel about Akerius, Zordar broke his heart and mind, so I can hardly blame the guy.

But what is Starsha talking about? Akerius transcended the human form, which is enshrined in Teresa’s image from way before Telezart’s people achieved her form, and then “departed elsewhere.” Where, exactly? Heaven? The world of forms? Iscandar was equally as curious, and thus tried to emulate their progenitor. But first, other civilizations which stood in their way had to be quelled and silenced.

Were you surprised to see Keyman return, Kathy?

[KC]: Not in this context, with Starsha using him as her spoonful of sugar.

[AMB]: And lots of spice, but nothing nice.

On the bridge of Hyuga, Berger’s pensive face looms over Sanada on a large screen.

“Scared?” Sanada asks.

“Right, I can’t stop shaking,” Berger responds. “Every Garmillas soldier seems disturbed ever since they heard Starsha’s proclamation about telling us the truth. It’s like their bodies are telling them that they shouldn’t know about it. Being in combat would be much better than this.”

We see a shot of their ships (Lambea, Hyuga and the UX-01) escorted by various Garmillas craft in space, Goruba looming over them. It seems the current truce is holding.

[AMB]: Berger has every right to feel the jeepers creepers. As we’ll soon find out, he’s absolutely right about their human shapes rebelling against the onset of the revelations to come. This plays perfectly into what Starsha just told us about “freeing ourselves from the human shape,” since such a thing can be easily manipulated through scientific intervention.

The BGM for this scene is A Garmillan Dictator’s Anguish, a variation of the Garmillan National Anthem leitmotif that’s become synonymous with revelations about Garmillas ever since 2199. Very fitting.

[KC]: Oh boy. It’s coming. The big reveal. How do Japanese fans feel about Iscandar’s truth?

[AMB]: I haven’t encountered much resistance to it in the Japanese fan community.

[KC]: 2202 was met with some resistance and derision in favor of the more familiar and two-dimensional story, so I wondered if there might also be some controversy over twisting the narrative on this former benevolent, willowy space goddess.

[AMB]: Luckily for Starsha, she personally doesn’t have to bear most of the responsibility this time around. As revealed in previous commentaries, her role is akin to Ruda’s in Yamato III, the inheritor of a stained legacy.

Back inside the chamber on Iscandar, Kodai is staring up into the darkness, which seems to stretch beyond what he’s able to see.

“This is the entrance to Sanctel,” the Keyman image tells them. “In order to proceed, you must undergo a ritual.”

“Ritual?” Kodai asks.

“The civilization of Telezart reached the same state as ours when they abandoned their bodies. They attained the crystallized entity called Teresa, but they became isolated because of their intermediate existence. The people of Iscandar are different. We preserved everything within our memories and obtained the ability to change the universe with them.”

[AMB]: Here’s a first! Unlike in the original New Voyage, we actually get to hear Starsha (through Keyman) acknowledge Telezart and Teresa. Based on her account of the preceding events, Telezart’s ritual became the standard for metaphysical ascendance a millennia ago. Its recipe was tweaked by Iscandar due to the observed and unwanted side effect of Telezart’s people all losing their individuality.

2202 explains that Teresa is a metaphysical manifestation of the entire race of Telezart, all coalescing into one singular entity whose fluid existence is locked in a higher metaphysical realm akin to Plato’s world of forms. This was not the desired outcome for Iscandar and its people; they wanted to maintain the capacity to interact with and influence the real world, rather than just floating in the clouds as an observer of time and space.

Thus, the Sanctel ritual was conceived, capable of both preserving an individual’s memory AND safekeeping their soul for eternity. All it costs is abandoning your human shape! The power of memories became its own battery of sorts, capable of transfiguring the galaxy as a whole, for good and for worse. In short, Starsha’s revealing the conception and discovery of Wave-Motion Energy!

[KC]: Wow, Iscandar are some selfish mofos. Definitely not ready for the level of technology at their disposal.

[AMB]: Around the same time Iscandar began this process, Zordar was out looking for the Ark of Destruction, Zemulia was covered in heavy mist, and Telezart became Teresa. What a wild time to be alive.

Visually speaking, this elevator shaft harkens back to both the alternate ending of the ‘77 Yamato movie, and Yamato III’s Shalbart romp. In the latter example, princess Ruda of Shalbart reveals to Yamato’s crew the truth of her home, and unearths all the miracle tools hidden deep under its crystal pyramids on the planet’s outskirts.

Kodai and Dessler stand on a platform, the room extending far below them as well as above. From the depths, a pillar of golden fire shoots upward and engulfs the area before them.

“This path is normally irreversible,” the Keyman image tells them. “But in your case, you’ll only have a brief dream.”

The curling flames turn to ribbons of fire which swirl around them. Kodai stutters in response, but Dessler remains stone-faced until they are both lifted bodily by the rushing winds and tossed into the fire stream.

“Don’t be afraid. Open your heart.” Keyman’s voice offers this advice to Kodai as he floats in light, completely nude and seemingly unconscious. He opens his eyes and orients himself, gasping at the sight before him as Keyman continues; Kodai is surrounded by sharp, jutting crystals of blue, green and yellow.

“There are countless civilizations containing the wisdom of multitudes of intelligent lives. Every element of those planets, including Iscandar, is stored in this gigantic memory vault called Sanctel. Within those crystals, a number of memories remain active, living on in eternal joy.”

To Kodai’s horror, his body begins to dissolve into tiny particles of light, until he vanishes completely from the scene.

[AMB]: This refined, golden stream of flame is the same kind we saw back in Episode 5, when Yurisha urged our heroes to fire at Iscandar’s energy vault to forcibly move the planet out of the range of Yamato’s WMG. It isn’t the first time we’ve seen it. Back in 2202 Episode 21, Andromeda Kai and Ginga joined forces to fire an amplified four-way split WMG at the Ark of Destruction’s gravity well, temporarily disabling it. We also saw a variation of it fired at the Ark in Episode 24, when Yamato utilized its Transit WMG.

As Starsha once prophesied in 2199, WME is a source of great power that requires equally great responsibility; in this instance, it’s capable of giving Kodai and Dessler a temporary glimpse into what it means to forsake the body and attain “eternity,” Kodai’s nude shape reveals that he’s undergoing the Sanctel ritual, bathed in a golden hue. The various crystals beneath him represent, as Keyman’s voice says, memories of intelligent lives. If I can be crass, this is the modern iteration of the World Economic Forum’s wet dream: for all intelligent life to live in the pod, safeguarded by higher powers (Iscandar). It’s utopia made flesh – or rather, made mind.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen similar topics explored in Japanese animation. In the long-running shounen anime Naruto Shippuden, the main antagonist Madara Uchiha’s goal is to create an eternal world of dreams where everyone gets to live forever in peace, re-experiencing their greatest dreams and realizing what was left unfulfilled, all without actually affecting reality.

It also holds some tangential connection to Gundam’s concept of Newtypes, evolved humans capable of implicit understanding without requiring physical contact or verbal communication. In Gundam Unicorn’s last episode, another work written by Harutoshi Fukui, the series ends with the protagonist character Banagher’s spirit floating in space, naked, witnessing the world from a pure and non-judgmental perspective.

Does the future proposed by Iscandar entice you whatsoever, Kathy? Will you live in the pod forever, reliving your greatest triumphs without moving forward? Without making progress?

[KC]: I suppose if I was absolutely certain that there was nothing beyond our mortal existence, yes, I might choose to live out eternity in some kind of Groundhog Day scenario of my happiest memory. Although if it’s just the one, won’t I get bored eventually, or does Sanctel wipe my mind with every reset? This is sounding less and less ideal.

[AMB]: Maybe the feelings of joy and contentment transfer as well, in perpetuity? Starsha’s demeanor doesn’t fill me with confidence in this theory, but then again everyone else in Sanctel has been there for over a millennia.

Perhaps Dezarium aren’t after anything malicious like a weapon, but rather the memory storage technology required to safeguard their mounting millennia of memories? Could they too wish to cease constant strife and technological evolution, and to simply rest, if they truly do live in the year 3199?

[KC]: I would still put money on Dezarium wanting something other than the usual annihilation, just not a lot of money.

A blue butterfly alights on a bright, yellow flower among many within a patch green grass. A net comes down, trapping the butterfly, and we see that it is wielded by Kodai as a much younger boy.

“You did it, Susumu,” someone calls. Kodai turns to see his older brother standing behind him. They regard each other for a few moments, then time jumps forward slightly and Kodai is holding the butterfly in a clear container. His brother sits beside him.

“This male Alpine Black Swallowtail will complete your collection,” Mamoru observes. “This butterfly can obtain eternity. Once mounted, this butterfly will remain beautiful forever. But you know it, don’t you? Such happiness won’t last forever.”

Susumu turns in fear to see a planet bomb hurtling toward him. Now Mamoru has been joined by their parents.

“What if you could forget about everything and live in this moment forever?” Mamoru asks him. As the four of them watch, a city skyline is obliterated by giant, glowing Planet Bombs.

“What if you could live and re-live your favorite moment as many times as you wanted?”

[AMB]: Fans of the original series will immediately recognize what this moment is harkening back to. Sadly omitted in 2199 was Susumu’s taxidermied butterflies, a hobby he picked up during his first years on Earth during wartime with Gamilas. Fascinated with protecting and maintaining life through that process, he refused to see reality for what it truly was, and all of a sudden he lost his family. That’s when both his hobby and childhood died.

This iconic moment has since been recontextualized in the reboot saga to mean something more profound to the original audience: by bringing back this aspect of Susumu’s character, the writers recognize the older audience’s memories, offering to preserve them at a great cost, without moving forward (the meaning behind Susumu’s name). They’re essentially saying that the reboot could have simply recreated everything that once was without change, but what kind of beauty is ever retained this way? It all returns to nothing in the end without perpetual change.

Why does Mamoru make special note of the Black Swallowtail “completing his collection?” It’s hinting at the darker tones the forthcoming revelations will take, and how far Iscandar went in order to “offer salvation to all intelligent life in the universe,” as Starsha’s 2199 mantra goes. While maintaining, worshiping and revering life that’s long since gone through a process like taxidermy may delay the inevitable decay of the physical form, It’s no substitute for true eternity. Marble statues will crumble, wooden houses will decay, and ink will fade, no matter what we do.

Special notes: their blurred cameo in 2199’s Jirel episode aside, this is the first time we see Susumu’s parents so clearly in the reboot saga. The date for the planet bombing of Tokyo we see here was revealed in Age of Yamato to be April 2nd, 2193. Visually, the lighting SFX in this scene follows the original New Voyage method of applying natural lighting effects to spice up scenes. This lends a unique, tangible feeling to 2205 when compared to the other reboot works.

There is the blinding flash of an explosion and Susumu’s terrified face is replaced with young Abelt’s as he looks up at his Uncle who kneels before him.

“Abelt, you are an incomplete human,” Grand Duke Erik tells him. “Everyone is incomplete. That’s why people kill each other, even on the same planet.”

There is a replay of Abelt’s mother shoving past him to get to his older brother’s casket at his burial. She collapses against it, sobbing.

“Such twisted people are scattered throughout the universe,” Erik continues. “Humans annihilate each other, and they’ll inevitably bring destruction upon the universe. Before that happens, we can turn entire civilizations into memories for preservation.”

[AMB]: Though 2202’s staff hinted at bringing back some of the bigshot voice actors from Dessler’s family for future installments, I never expected Erik’s voice actor Kazuhiko Inoue to return so soon! In all honesty, I expected Abelt’s brother Matteus to fill the tour-guide role in this scene to better juxtapose Susumu and Mamoru, but there’s a good reason for it. Erik reveales to audience members, through his speech and the visual direction, what wasn’t necessarily made clear in 2202: Matteus died in the aftermath of the Great Unification War of Garmillas, likely at the hands of dissenters to the Dessler regime. Perhaps it was karma for waging the war in the first place.

[KC]: Now I’m curious whether his wife was involved with them even back then.

[AMB]: You’re giving the writers too much fuel for scenarios to hurt Abelt! In all honesty, I think she only joined up with the resistance after Matteus died. That’s what her words in 2202 make me think, at least.

[KC]: My bad. That must have been subconscious. And you’re right, she does insinuate that she has joined the resistance out of revenge for Matteus’ loss.

[AMB]: It’s disturbing to see Starsha messing with the minds of Susumu and Abelt to effectively manipulate them the same way Teresa did in 2202, though I’m more inclined to believe the latter’s manifestation of spirits was genuine, rather than a manipulation of memories. This scene perfectly portrays the different values and ideology between the two civilizations. Abelt’s encounter seems to take place on the day Erik reveals Garmillas’ fate, or perhaps the day of Matteus’ funeral.

Mamoru holds the pinned butterfly in its frame. The Kodai brothers are standing in a room filled with hundreds of pinned butterflies.

“Just like this butterfly retains its beauty, all living things can live in peace. Multiple civilizations can coexist forever in static time. If we use the Cosmo Reverse [Rebirth?] System, we can even reconstruct a real civilization from its memory.”

The newly preserved Swallowtail begins to move and glow the same green as Keyman’s image did. It flies away and the younger Kodai is alone in a field, looking up at a night sky filled with stars and glowing green butterflies. His older brother’s voice continues.

“That is, if we choose to abandon our eternal happiness and venture outside once more.”

[AMB]: What the ritual at Sanctel is capable of doing is to not only record our memories of what once was, but to actually preserve them as they truly were. If ever we wish to leave our pods, we can do so, going as far as to recreate whole civilizations from memories alone! We knew most of this from Starsha’s explanation of the Cosmo Reverse System since 2199, but we also know there were supposed to be consequences, such as the life force of the universe being used as fuel in incestuous fashion. It works on an almost alchemical principle of equal exchange.

What I’m saying is that Iscandar solved the problem of world peace! Instead of coexisting in the material plane, we can all live in our own pods, eternally reliving our glory days until the end of time, free from the burden of flesh and bones.

[KC]: I…yeah. These people are not enlightened.

[AMB]: I concur! They are clearly drunk on the wine of the gods in the same way Edmund was swayed by the white witch’s Turkish delights in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. They just can’t escape their own base contentment, as if they’re decomposing on the couch without a single responsibility.

Visually, the scene where Kodai looks up to the stars bears an uncanny resemblance to an illustration of space used during the exploration of Shalbart’s past in Yamato III.

All three voices speak at once; Mamoru, Erik and Keyman: “Now, let’s begin the ritual.”

Several beams of light lash out toward an unknown planet. Young Abelt stands with his Uncle at the same window where they conversed in the earlier memory, only then it was thundering and raining outside. Now they watch as those beams stab into the planet, destroying it.

“Don’t avert your eyes,” Erik commands as Abelt looks on in horror. “In order to store all the elements of a planet, the civilization and its people, we must wipe them from the real world. That is the ritual. It’s been repeated over and over to preserve lives and civilizations forever. Genocide by Iscandar.”

[KC]: Okay, Not-Really-Keyman said they were going to have dreams, so even though this bizarre evolution technology is centered around memories, these dreams were specifically constructed in order to spill Iscandar’s dirty little secret. Abelt didn’t experience some buried trauma from that time when the pretty lady next door obliterated a planet. Hopefully.

[AMB]: It’s as you and the image of Keyman said: appropriate forms were chosen to best reveal the truth, chosen specifically to increase the subject’s willingness to trust and believe. Susumu wasn’t in Tokyo when the planet bombs fell, nor was Abelt necessarily present when Iscandarian weaponry harvested two planets at once. Symbols of authority and trust, meaning Mamoru and Erik, had their forms borrowed by Starsha.

This scene explains why Mamoru and Okita’s souls and memories were used as the conduits necessary to reconstruct Earth as it once was back in 2199. Only something from Earth can recreate Earth, which was why it was necessary for Yamato’s crew to pick up Mamoru on Iscandar themselves. The tears of love Susumu once shed for the dead Yuki were enough to – in unison with the Blue Crystal flower Yurisha gave Yuki – act as an appropriate memory of her, with Mamoru becoming the conduit for her resurrection. Their love was made manifest.

Now that the cat’s out of the bag, let’s discuss “genocide by Iscandar!” To gather and preserve a planet’s memories, everything about it has to be obliterated in the same way one boils down the ingredients required through chemistry to bake a cake! They’re then consumed by Sanctel, given space in its spacious belly, from where its ingredients can be regurgitated at will and leisure. Most elements harvested by Iscandar’s method choose to live blissfully in said tummy, though. One could even read this as implying that Wave-Motion Energy not only steals energy from the universe, but also transforms its targets into metaphysical elements – or energy.

[KC]: It’s barbaric and exactly why I wondered what people would think about this plot element. I know that I like to be judgey about Starsha, but I don’t know that many other fans do.

[AMB]: In this instance, I don’t think anyone will fault you for condemning the Iscandarian method. I sure don’t.

Susumu Kodai in his younger form floats above the remains of the decimated planet as he listens to Mamoru’s voice.

“You must be thinking something’s wrong. You’re correct. The people of Iscandar were the first to turn themselves into elements. It began with a few people, and eventually everyone followed. All except for the royal family, which manages the memory vault. The people of Iscandar abandoned their physical bodies and laid themselves within Sanctel.”

As he continues speaking, we go from the view of the destroyed planet to the crystals and from the crystals back to the destroyed planet. Small white flickering lights can be seen glimmering inside some crystals.

[AMB]: At least Iscandar’s people weren’t hypocrites. So convinced that their path to peace and tranquility was the right way, they ended their own physical selves. What does that then make Starsha? A projection? An avatar? An idol? What we do know is that she too is a member of the royal family, who were all supposed to make a more impactful appearance in 2205 from the draft stage. Initially, Dessler’s upcoming gun-pointing moment was to be aimed at them, rather than Starsha. This idea was later rejected since it would lessen the impact of the love between Starsha and Abelt.

What are those white flickering lights? Based on when they’re shown throughout the narration, we can infer that these are the current true forms of each member of the royal family, including Starsha and Yurisha. It’s the same kind of flickering light we saw inside Sasha’s pod earlier.

Though this is merely conjecture, one could infer that the planet we just saw destroyed was one of the Bolzon planets from the original saga’s novelizations, based on the red backdrop. The king of Bolzon and his civilization could then be preserved inside Sanctel, if one wishes to believe so.

“If so, who’s performing the ritual of destroying lives and civilizations with a massive army? What was needed was a strong body, as well as the weakness of surviving only in a specific environment. Such slaves are easy to manipulate. They must worship Iscandar as a god and follow its orders faithfully.”

We get an aerial view of the palace on Iscandar as three Garmillas ships descend in. Starsha sits on her throne as rows of Garmillans kneel before her. A planetary body with a distinct green tint is shown sitting in space: planet Galman.

“Iscandar discovered a planet and abducted its blue-skinned locals…”

We see images of the people of Galman.

“…who were then forced to migrate to Iscandar’s twin planet.”

[AMB]: The scene with Starsha is the same flashback we saw in Episode 2, where Abelt first met her. With this, we now have conclusive data on how Iscandar came to be worshiped as a religious icon, and what it truly means to offer salvation to all intelligent life in the universe. Galman’s people were chosen for their extraordinary sturdiness and their low survivability beyond specific environmental conditions, making them easy slaves.

[KC]: Right, right. Why destroy civilizations yourself when you can get people to do it for you? Then you can sleep easy at night, your reputation intact. Hoo-boy.

[AMB]: If everyone’s chosen the path of abandoning their human forms, somebody has to pursue Iscandar’s policy of salvation-by-genocide!

[KC]: This reminds me of the absolute BS Dessler quote from the original Bolar Wars. Something like, “Only through a policy of peaceful aggression can we truly achieve peace in our time.” Yeah, whatever, pal.

[AMB]: Like many other elements from Yamato III, it was borrowed for 2199’s take on Abelt! Which is why I think it’s doubtful for his expansionist policies to resurface in 3199. He’s already grown past that desire, and now only wishes to give his people a peaceful home. What I instead envision for Abelt is the forced war he’s now stuck in with the Bolar Federation, where he’ll be urged and pushed toward “liberating” Bolar planets through an explosive and deeply devastating conflict filled with death and misery. Problem solved!

[KC]: If they stopped being a military dictatorship, they’d have to get rid of those eye-catching uniforms. Full disclosure: I will tolerate a lot as long as Dessler and Talan are still around.

[AMB]: Style remains style!

On the mecha side of things, the three coreship-esque Garmillan ships are called Garmillonia Zeo, with zeo being the Garmillan pronunciation of zero. It’s approximately 90 meters in length and completely unarmed. The bridge part can detach, just like its successor craft the Zoellegut, which at first became the next generation Deusura craft before it was used in Zoellick’s staged assassination in 2199.

Next, we see the mural depicting the “goddess” with the twin planets in her hand from the opening of the fifth episode.

“Utilizing the Cosmo Reverse [Rebirth?], the infertile planet was reborn as an identical copy of their home planet.”

Next is Starsha on her throne again as a young Abelt looks up from where the other Garmillas representatives kneel before her.

“The slaves are called Garmillas. In the ancient language of Iscandar it means ‘Galman Ape’.”

[KC]: When I demanded that this Dessler be given a more significant redemption arc, I didn’t think they would lay it on quite this thick, but I bought this ticket and I’m taking the ride.

[AMB]: It comes as quite a surprise, doesn’t it? Whether or not the “Galman Ape” name was chosen for kicks or because it was the most fitting name for a race chosen to act as genetically-manipulated slaves, we don’t know. Maybe both reasons apply. In any case, Abelt isn’t going to take this very lightly.

Garmillas and their people were, as Abelt inferred in Episode 1, pilgrims descended from Galman with shared ancestral roots. The Garmillans became Iscandar’s leashed dogs who spent a millennia ravaging the cosmos and gathering civilizations until Starsha stopped the process. Which brings us back to the goddess: I maintain that she can’t possibly be Starsha, but rather a predecessor who’ll fill the same shoes in 3199 that Mother Shalbart and Ruda filled in Yamato III. What do you think? And what was your initial reaction to this reveal?

[KC]: I don’t know if it has become clear yet whether there is a royal line on Iscandar, or whether it has only ever been one royal family. I suppose Starsha could be a reconstituted version of this ancient queen, who has finally had a change of heart about the decision made a millennia ago, but I don’t think the show is taking it that far. Dessler needs to be redeemable. But if he loves Starsha, she needs to be redeemable, too. As for the reveal, it blew me away. My vague musings as to whether Dessler might actually get the girl in this version were obliterated in an instant.

[AMB]: Same here.

Starsha approaches young Abelt and kneels before him.

“Grow up quickly, Abelt.” Starsha whispers in his ear, rising. There is a bright light and young Abelt stares at her in anguish, rapidly morphing back into the man who walked into this chamber with Kodai. All three figures are now at the bottom of the shaft. With a strangled cry he pulls his sidearm, pointing it in Starsha’s face.

Shocked, Kodai calls out to Dessler while Starsha stares at him impassively.

“Knowing all this, do you still wish to save me?” She asks him. He scowls at her, not answering. But he doesn’t shoot her, either.

[AMB]: This is the very same sidearm he’s kept ever since 2199, all the way back when he pondered what it meant to wage an eternal war for the sake of peace in the universe, all for the sake of the woman he loves. That love is now being tested.

[KC]: *frantically adjusts seat belt*

[AMB]: Don’t buy into her provocations, Dessler! She’s just as hungry for that fast bullet to the brain as you and Kodai have been throughout the entirety of 2205! If only there was a disgruntled young man who could knock some metaphorical sense into these three. Oh, and this is the last chance we’ll have to figure out the meaning behind Starsha’s words from the flashback! What did she mean by wanting Abelt to “grow up quickly”?

[KC]: He’s going to ask her that question himself in a few moments. My first instinct was that she was hoping to break this cycle under Dessler’s rule, whether by attempting to establish a legitimate friendship with him or by manipulating him romantically. Now that her exposition is about to confirm she was consciously trying to change the Iscandar/Garmillas dynamic, I’m going to stand by that instinct.

[AMB]: Reasonable! I took her appeal as the subtle expression of a desire to pawn off her duties on his shoulders, only to later regret it as he grew into a fine man.

Cut to the ships waiting above Iscandar and then a closeup on Yamato.

“It’s so quiet it’s almost creepy,” Medical Officer Miyako Kyozuka says softly. She is standing with Domon on the observation deck. “Will Captain Kodai bring Starsha–”

“I’m certain he will bring her,” Domon answers. “He isn’t the kind of person who would abandon someone.”

Miyako gives a little smile, satisfied with that.

[AMB]: If it wasn’t made clear earlier, I was referring to Domon as the hero we need. He’s in for a harsh reality check once Kodai returns. Never meet your heroes, I suppose. Miyako’s trust in his judgment is wholesome, though.

[KC]: Can’t speak for anyone reading along, but I knew which fresh, young Yamato hothead you were talking about.

Back in Sanctel, Kodai is angry. Dessler hasn’t lowered his weapon.

“The Garmillas are slaves who were brought from Galman by Iscandar?” Dessler asks in a surprisingly conversational tone. “Loyalty to Iscandar and the pride in our noble blue skin are just mere results of mind control on the entire race. The life of our planet was shortened due to the stress of turning a lifeless planet into a copy of Galman thousands of years ago. It eroded planet Garmillas and hastened its death. It was all to keep the blue-skinned slaves in captivity.”

He is frowning now. Starsha turns her face away from his gaze and the barrel of his pistol.

“It was a long time ago. Iscandar closed the memory vault thousands of years ago and stopped turning lives and civilizations into elements.”

She walks away from him. Dessler keeps his gun trained on her.

“It’s not because we realized our mistakes,” Starsha continues. “We indulged in reliving the happiness of the past and lost interest in outside worlds. The evolution of all living things…I redefined such Iscandarism, a relic of the past, and tried to establish a new relationship with Garmillas.”

[AMB]: Kodai, wanting to intervene, realizes he has no ground to stand on and stays quiet. This isn’t unlike when he heard the tragic tale of Gatlantis back in 2202, where he likewise was overwhelmed by the sadness of it all.

Garmillas’ rapidly deteriorating health is now fully revealed to be the consequential side effect of an improper and hasty implementation of the Cosmo Reverse System on Iscandar’s twin planet, fully justifying the comments made in both 2199 and 2202 by Starsha and Dessler as to the fickle nature of the system’s reliability when forced into incompatible scenarios. What this also implies is that the memory of a planet or civilization was sacrificed in order to save Earth back in 2199, a sin us Earthlings will have to unknowingly bear for the rest of time.

Starsha seems to strengthen my own view that the Royal Family’s past policy of universalism was set before her time as custodian of Iscandar, but not one she was inherently against in the far off past as a planetary element. Yurisha argued for the continuation of this policy at the start of this episode, only to be berated by her older sister as not having the same wealth of knowledge and experience that comes with living for as long as Starsha herself has.

[KC]: Quite simply, Yurisha is too young to know any better.

[AMB]: Starsha changed the policy from “the evolution of all living things,” to “the salvation of all intelligent life.” At her behest, Garmillas’ past was effectively erased, giving their kind a new lease on life. Once Abelt grew up, he commissioned that famous mural by Takuhito Kusanagi, formalizing the revitalization of Iscandar worship and the union of their utopian ideals. But Abelt took it too far. Or as Zordar would say, because of love, people kill and steal, and the universe ceases to exist.

How cruel it must seem for Dessler, to hear that their oppressors didn’t unshackle them out of kindness or pity, but simply out of boredom. They lost interest in cataloging mankind and became spiritual hedonists, endlessly indulging in the past. Is that truly a way to live?

[KC]: I gave him so much grief for killing that bird from Iscandar in 2199, and here comes Japan one decade later to show me who the true monsters are. And as other characters will point out, what Iscandar has been doing hasn’t been anything like living. Not for a long, long time.

[AMB]: Izubuchi’s bird metaphor will never escape this intense scrutiny it seems!

“But you sought a planet to replace the dying Garmillas,” Starsha continues, “and began an intergalactic invasion. It was the same path Iscandar went down, which is why–”

Dessler finally lowers his sidearm and finishes for her, unable to look her in the eye.

“Earth became the subject of your relief as it suffered the threat of extinction from the Garmillas invasion.”

He closes his eyes, almost smiling. And then suddenly he is glaring at her again, his weapon back up.

“And then you sent information about Planet Galman to us.”

Kodai gasps. Dessler keeps his gun trained on the back of Starsha’s head.

[AMB]: In a strange turn of events, an odd chance or perhaps fate, Iscandar and Garmillas switched ideological seats. The former rulers tried to reign in the ambitious young blue-bloods, failing to stop their intergalactic advance which threatened to destroy more civilizations than it saved.

Her hypocritical salvation of Earth was never intended to spite Garmillas’ attempts at finding a new home, but rather to protect a planet like the one they had once created just to ruin, paying for sins better left forgotten. Finally, after asking Teresa for guidance and answers in 2202, Dessler finds out the truth. But was it more than he bargained for?

Finding planet Galman is no longer the result of chance or luck as it was in Yamato III, but a deliberate scheme of belated compensation forged by Starsha. Clever new twist on a past work.

[KC]: Agreed, although Abelt isn’t going to find it very clever.

[AMB]: I also have to add that seeing the multitude of planets stored in Sanctel makes for an impressive image. There are probably hundreds of civilizations within its bowels, each full of millions of souls, all inhabitants living in their own dreamlands.

[KC]: The crystals are pretty. Knowing how they got there, a lot less so.

“Why?” he snarls. “You told me once to grow up quickly! Was it because you wanted to tell me the truth?! Or to make me shoot you?!”

His eyes are wild with grief and rage at this point. There is a drawn out, silent moment and then he drops his pistol to his side.

“If so, you’re beyond arrogant. The Queen of Iscandar giving her one life as repentance for past sins won’t settle as a recompense for the oppression suffered by the people of Garmillas!”

Kodai looks nervous about what might happen next, but Dessler just turns and starts walking away.

[KC]: Not that I thought Dessler was going to shoot Starsha, but still; I can’t believe Dessler didn’t shoot Starsha.

[AMB]: Initially I was surprised as well. But on repeat viewings, it all adds up. The promise he made to Ranhart about seeking a peaceful future for his people and new home is all realized here, where after so many decades of war and retributive justice, he simply opts to walk away. Part of him knows Starsha isn’t to blame, so her taking the fall would do little to mitigate the damage done by the royal family, nor would it make his race any happier.

Then there’s that other pesky element at play called love, which will take Abelt to greater heights by the end of the episode. Even after everything he’s been through, after all that he’s sacrificed for her, Abelt still loves her. Because just like Starsha, he too tends to betray his heart by acting in ways that invoke the ire of others. It’s what Hyss reminded us of back in Episode 3, which almost ended with Abelt committing suicide by flame. Kodai’s tried similar suicide attempts throughout 2205 as well, and now it’s Starsha’s turn.

As Captain Hijikata told Yamanami in 2202: “There’s no responsibility in dying.” They have to pick themselves back up, live with their sins, and do better. That’s the only way. Don’t become a Zordar!

[KC]: True; it’s not worth much at all if he realizes his error and chooses to make good his escape instead of facing his accusers and detractors and working to make things right.

“None of my actions are for redemption,” Starsha finally responds. Dessler stops but does not turn around. “The reason why I tried to save Earth and told you about Planet Galman was simply to save myself. I’m a descendant of Iscandar, which self-righteously committed tyranny. I’m also a member of the royal family, which manages Sanctel. I tried to ease my pain, as I’m destined to live forever. Aren’t you the same? You’re trying to save me to ease the pain and suffering of losing Planet Garmillas. You can’t atone for anything by doing so. We only needed each other to console ourselves.”

Dessler ponders this for a moment. With a soft sigh he closes his eyes, and as Starsha and Kodai look on he continues to walk away.

[AMB]: Of course, it’s very easy to completely buy into Starsha’s rant here as true, but later events will quickly disprove this notion. Right now, she’s doing her best to repent not for the sins of her people, but rather for the sin of laying the future of the universe and its peace on the shoulders of young Abelt Dessler. By allowing herself to become his object of hatred, Abelt can fully detach from his own sins (which she alluded to back in Episode 1) and live on as a just, fair ruler.

Abelt tried doing something similar to his own people back in 2199, where he named every nasty weapon after himself to leave a permanent mark as the handy evil man of Garmillas, taking all sins on his own back. In 2199 Episode 23, a moment struck writer Fukui as important enough to have Abelt reflect on it in 2202 Episode 16: “I must be the one to commit the sin of sacrificing noble Garmillan lives for the future of Great Garmillas. I shall live with that sin forever.”

Starsha believes he’s simply coping, but he actually loves her; Abelt momentarily believes Starsha is rejecting him, but she’s simply trying to save his soul. They truly are two peas in a pod.

[KC]: And yet, in some unspoken understanding of the trope, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a single fanfic in all my days that ships the two of them together.

[AMB]: Another job for me, then!

The BGM for this scene is Truth of Iscandar, a fresh new variation of the Blue Crystal leitmotif previously given new life in the theme for Sanctel. What do the voice actors have to say about the new aspects afforded to their iconic characters?

Koichi Yamadera (Dessler): They are awkward, trapped, and the stakes are very high. Dessler in 2205 has a humanity about him. It becomes clear that he was not a completely strong person. In 2202 we delved into his past, which made it easier to express his various emotions. Dessler’s humanity comes through in this story, so I was able to perform naturally.

Kikuko Inoue: Starsha has both the strength of a queen and the vulnerability of a woman. However, in the past, she has never shown her vulnerabilities. This time, the script was filled with sadness, so I was able to play the role naturally.

The approach to their performances was entirely different as well, with one needing a bit more guidance than the other…

Inoue: Harutoshi Fukui, the scriptwriter, talked about a lot of things in between the recordings.

Yamadera: We recorded separately, but for me, there was nothing to it. I just read the script, understood it, felt it, and so on.

Inoue: I think it’s because in your case, they can leave it up to you with confidence. In my case, it was very encouraging to receive advice and a little information like, “This is how Starsha feels,” or “This is how she feels this time, but this is how it will be in the future.” I was nervous and anxious about playing Starsha after a long time, but I received encouraging words at the recording, like, “That was good.” Also, the music in the video I received beforehand made it easier for me to get emotionally involved.

Read more of their interview here.

“To live means to continually change,” Starsha says to Kodai as they watch Dessler walk away. “I learned that from your brother. These collections of memories indulge themselves in happiness and they refuse to change. They’re no different from being dead.”

“Dezarium is after the massive amount of knowledge here,” Kodai postulates.

Starsha bows her head, not quite confirming his suspicion.

“These systems use the best of those Wave-Motion civilizations,” she says. “And these can be made to coalesce into a dreadful weapon. We can’t let them have it. No matter what.”

[AMB]: As previously discussed, Mamoru Kodai’s name means to preserve the past, but here Starsha reveals he taught her the meaning of moving past it – the meaning of Susumu’s name. By living on through memories alone, nothing ever changes or grows, it simply stagnates with no direction or purpose. It’s no wonder a ruler like Starsha grows weary with life after millennia, as if feeling her soul withering without truly being given the eternal rest it strives for. Cosmic horror on the personal plane.

As Kodai postulates, the massive wealth of information afforded to Sanctel’s database can indeed be of great value to forces of both good and evil. Starsha believes Dezarium is the kind of civilization that has a stronger tendency to use this wealth of information to produce terrible weapons of mass destruction, rather than creative and transformative tools of peace and tranquility.

[KC]: It’s the reason why vampires are such miserable assholes, isn’t it? They’re effectively immortal, but while the world continues to grow and change they remain stagnant.

[AMB]: Yes. The concept of being a vampire initially sounds quite appealing and romantic, but the reality is not.

And those final words from Starsha? It’s mostly unspoken, but she’s definitely telling Kodai that she intends to die here in order to stop Dezarium from getting what they want. Rather than try and stop her, Kodai wordlessly accepts her sacrifice and moves on.

[KC]: Well, that should come as no surprise to anyone.

An unspecified amount of time later, Autoplanet Goruba hangs in space while Starsha delivers her ultimatum.

“I’ll surrender Iscandar on one condition. Let the Garmillas migrant fleet escape safely and hand it over to the Earth-Garmillas joint fleet.”

“I accept,” Meldars agrees after very little deliberation. “I want to pay respect to your benevolence in trying to save all intelligent life forms.”

[AMB]: Personally speaking, though, I of course empathize with condemning Meldarz for destroying Garmillas. I have to once again stress that their kind seems awfully pragmatic and idealistic in their millennium dream. Whatever this “Grand Reverse” tool the 3199 promo materials refer to is, it likely has more to do with saving their kind and home than it does destroying others, but that’s likely going to be another big twist in 3199. And don’t forget, the jury is still out on whether the word (borrowed from English) is “reverse” or “rebirth.” Both have implications.

Meldarz respectful acceptance of Starsha’s demands reinforces my belief that they’re future humans who perhaps still worship a similar mantra. Perhaps their dream is closely linked? Maybe they wish to save all intelligent life in their own way, through digitalization or forced universalism?

[KC]: With the treatment that Zordar and Starsha have now gotten, I think anything is possible for Dezarium.

[AMB]: What about Prime Minister Bemlayze of the Bolar Federation, Mr. “I’m the sole lord/God of the universe, execution is to be expected”? It would honestly crack me up if they managed to make him of all people into an understandable, down-to-Earth guy. In a recent interview about past Yamato works, writer Hideki Oka wrote about how he was “a perfect villain.”

Oka: It gradually becomes clear during the course of the story that there’s no such thing as a “decent” person who promotes colonial rule. Bemlayze, the vulgar prime minister of the Bolar Federation, is the definitive example of this. (Read more here.)

I mean… it would be incredibly impressive, and I’d welcome the attempt with all my heart, but I don’t envy the task at hand.

[KC]: It’s pretty unlikely, considering the arrogance and disdain that was shown to Abelt Dessler when he showed up to liberate Galman. If we’re going to accept a peace-loving Abelt who is still firing his Dessler Cannon every other episode, his conflict will have to be with some real garbage individuals.

[AMB]: I’ll hold out hope for Prime Minister Benevolayze to show up!

On Asuka, Technical Officer Mikage Kiryu reacts in surprise as a personal transmission comes in from Captain Kodai.

“Patch me through,” says Captain Mori, looking and sounding anxious as she picks up the headset.

“Yuki…I-I don’t know what to do anymore.” His voice is hopeless and lost.

“What happened?” Yuki asks him. “Captain Kodai? Kodai!”

But there is no response other than his sobbing as he returns to Yamato.

[KC]: I feel you, Kodai. Finally these tropey, unexplained elements have an explanation. A terrible, horrifying, devastating explanation.

[AMB]: And with them comes another damning choice forced on Kodai, this scene in particular mirroring his call to Yuki from the Cosmo Zero in 2202 Episode 9. Only this time, there’s no devil by the name of Zordar to push him in one direction over the other. Should he head back to save Starsha? Or should he accept her decision to forsake herself and Iscandar in order to save Dessler and Garmillas? What would a decent human do?

Humanity once chose Kodai and Yuki over the Time Fault, but does Kodai have that same allegorical luxury now that he’s indebted to Earth? His tears, which we haven’t seen since 2202’s 25th episode, speak louder than words. He can bear it no longer.

[KC]: It’s a heavy, impossible choice, to be sure.

On board Yamato, the bridge crew turn as one as Captain Kodai arrives, hat pulled down over his eyes.

“Once the Garmillas fleet escapes, Starsha will have Iscandar self-destruct,” he states.

Some people react, but none more strongly than Shima, who aggressively grabs his friend and commanding officer by the ascot.

“Couldn’t you force her to come?” He shouts.

“That person’s resolve…is firm,” Kodai says, sounding calm but looking distressed. After a moment, Shima lets him go and Kodai adjusts his uniform.

“Seriously?” Domon pipes up loudly from across the bridge. “Are you really all right with that?”

Kodai stares at him impassively and says nothing.

[AMB]: As a Captain of Earth, Kodai’s decision can’t be affected by his personal connection to Starsha as the love of his dearly departed brother’s life. At a different time, a different place, with less responsibility and more youthful idealism, he could have disobeyed his rationalism and become a true man of Yamato. The time for this has passed, and he’s now shackled by the debt he owes to society. That’s what it means to grow up in the modern world, and to face reality. But Domon refuses to accept this. Even so, what can he do? Even Shima releases his grip after seeing Kodai’s tear-stained eyes for himself. It’s over.

[KC]: That different time you describe is where Domon is now.

Music starts up as this chapter begins its conclusion. We see the refugee boats leaving Iscandar while Frakken’s crew says a final reprieve for Heyni, lost at sea. On Lambea’s bridge, Berger lowers his head in consternation and discontent, while Melda Dietz cries openly in her cockpit. Starsha’s words go with them as they leave her to her fate.

“Farewells are difficult, but it’s very important to have an end. As long as the memories in Sanctel remain intact, we can regenerate our bodies as many times as desired. But such an existence is meaningless. You only live once. That’s why you foster a strong will to find fulfillment in your life. ”

Song lyrics:
A lovely image that still remains in my heart
A gentle smile shows through shining tears
You have gone on a journey into distant space
You man of love and courage… I could never forget you, my dear!

[AMB]: The last vestige of their home and origin is paid a final farewell, as the second home their bodies and hearts desperately revere is left behind. Berger curses his powerlessness as Melda likely mourns the loss of Yurisha, whom she had served dutifully as a friend and religious icon for the past six years. Heyni’s laid to rest without a body or ashes, likely to never be seen again, giving us a glimpse at a grieving Frakken. This scene is tough to get through, especially with that somber vocal version of the Parting leitmotif.

Speaking of, said track has its own history. Parting was written for the original New Voyage. It was used in the scene where we part with Starsha, and also where we part with her daughter Sasha in Be Forever. This piece was so iconic they turned it into an ending song (with vocals) for Yamato III as part of a contest where fans were given the opportunity to send in their own song lyrics.

I can’t think of any better moment to revive the song than this, where we’ll see an amalgam of the parting scenes from both New Voyage and Be Forever play out. On a side note, the original singer Mitsuko Horie was very happy to hear they’d reuse her original recording of the song for this episode.

[KC]: Not ashamed to admit that I sob through this scene every time I watch it.

[AMB]: Even as I wrote this I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking about the implications behind Starsha’s words: we only live once, and our attempts at achieving true eternity will never bear the fruit we think it will. As the song lyrics for this portion go, the people we lose in our lives will never truly be gone as long as we remember them, but at the same time we can never preserve every memory we hold dear, no matter how hard we try. What matters most isn’t incessant preservation, but to live our one life to the fullest, so that when we take that eternal journey at the end we don’t regret a single thing.

Not only do we say farewell to Starsha, Iscandar and the fictional past of this story, but also to the story itself: it’s likely the last time it will ever be revisited in animated form. It’s also the last time those who once fell in love with Starsha’s peculiar vulnerable beauty will see her alive. Just imagining how Dessler feels at this moment breaks my heart. This just isn’t fair to anyone.

[KC]: He’s a character doomed to stoically accept every crap sandwich the plot feeds him, and they did not pull any of their punches.

The scenes continue to shift. We see the three Earth Captains in their ships as the combined fleet begins to move out of the area. Then we’re back on Iscandar, hearing Starsha’s words to Yurisha as they stand together watching the sky.

“A life ends when the time comes. That’s what life really is. That’s why I didn’t revive Sasha when she died for Earth. The next time Sasha is reborn, I want her to have a brand new life. I was going to give her name to a new life, which has come into Iscandar for the first time in thousands of years. But now, that won’t come to pass. ”

We see inside the palace, and the familiar container with its glowing ball of energy.

Like white petals called forth by the wind
Listen and believe in eternal love
I reach out my hand to you!
Is the sky getting dark…? Are you lonely…?

[AMB]: Another revelation. If she wanted to, Starsha could have revived Sasha, their sister who died on Mars, but she chose not to. Why? Because life shouldn’t be treated with the same fickleness as Iscandar did in millennia past. No matter how dark and lonely the skies of Iscandar became, she would never force Sasha back into this eternal existence that plagues the weary souls of Iscandarians.

If we’re to believe Starsha’s word here, reincarnation might possibly be the real deal in this universe. She seems to believe in a variation of the Buddhist teaching of Samsara, where we go through life, death and rebirth. The new life she refers to is that of the life inside the capsule, an oddity in Iscandar history in both the classic and reboot timeline.

[KC]: There is another reason too, of course; Sasha is still destined for life among the Earthlings, where hopefully more problematic anime tropes will be left by the wayside, like her crushing on her Uncle Kodai after going from infant to teen idol in a day.

[AMB]: A variation on Sasha’s tragic tale of love was depicted in 2199 when it was implied that Yurisha had trouble distinguishing between her familial love for Starsha and the romantic love shared between Yamato crew members. No matter what shape her tale takes this time around, it’s bound to get Freudian at some point.

“I’m sorry, Yurisha. You were hastily created from Sanctel so we could interact with the people of Earth. I don’t think you understand what I’m talking about.”

Yurisha listens, growing more upset.

“I don’t, but-” she rushes forward to embrace her sister. “Let me hold you like this for now.”

The sisters embrace as the music swells and the other ships begin to depart.

On his flagship, Dessler looks introspective as Meldarz orders that the transfer of Iscandar resume. Goruba’s lower portion opens menacingly.

My dear, I will never forget you, or the blue Earth
With everlasting love in your heart, I’ll live on!

[AMB]: How very human of Yurisha. In the face of impending doom and the death of their whole kind, all she ever wanted was to hold her sister in a tender hug, a feeling she once learned about when her consciousness possessed Yuria’s body back in 2199. You can tell this simultaneously breaks Starshas’ heart and invigorates it with the strength to do what must be done.

Starsha also reveals a longstanding Be Forever-adjacent theory about Yurisha: she truly was as young as she appeared back in 2199, likely not older than a couple years at most. She was the reboot’s take on the original Sasha, a young child trapped in the body of an adult. Suddenly everything about her referential behavior in 2199 makes sense, and Sasha’s farewell to Starsha from Be Forever is recreated before our very eyes.

Those ruins from Yurisha’s memories as a child in 2199’s Jirel episode were probably genuine memories from her childhood, from the time she went through the Sanctel ritual. I’m continuously impressed by writers Oka and Fukui’s effortless handling of past material and how they can retroactively inform future events.

“With everlasting love in your heart, I’ll live on,” is the portion of the song that plays when the scene changes to a closeup of Abelt’s eyes as he considers what to do with himself. My heart weeps.

[KC]: There is something to be said about the caliber of writing since we do weep, because of course we know how it’s going to play out, which arguably should soften the blow somewhat.

With her sister close, Starsha presses a gem on her garment and a holographic symbol appears in the air before her. She holds her palm up toward it and it activates, moving through icons and patterns until it coalesces into a holographic button, which her finger extends toward slowly…

I’m sure I’ll return…
As long as there’s love. As long as there’s love…

[AMB]: This small gimmick wasn’t something Starsha originally had, but rather a holdover inherited from princess Ruda of Shalbart. She activates a similar brooch-switch on her dress to activate the elevator leading down to Shalbart’s storage of wonder weapons and miracle cures.

If one wishes, one could interpret the song lyrics here to refer to the Sasha who died on Mars. Perhaps if enough love can be gathered, she’ll be reborn in that capsule of new life.

Dessler’s flagship turns suddenly, and Yamato’s Miki Saijo announces his abrupt reverse course. But he’s not heading back to Iscandar; rather he is on a collision course with Autoplanet Goruba.

As his attack theme starts up, Dessler is shown standing on the bridge with a resolute General Talan.

“Sorry,” Dessler tells him.

“It’s all right,” Talan assures him without even blinking or glancing away from their target. “You’ve lived your life enough for other people.” He closes his eyes. “You can do whatever you want for the last time.” He closes his eyes, resigning fully to Abelt’s wish.

[KC]: I mean, I’m sure there are a lot of other people on that ship who have no real interest in sacrificing themselves as a testament to His Majesty’s love and free will, but I appreciate this nod to Talan’s unwavering loyalty.

[AMB]: Probably, but if you recall the Deusura III is fully staffed by Gimleh’s clone boys from 2199, who recently went so far as to kill Miru in 2202 to save their leader. I’m sure they don’t mind!

As discussed in previous episodes, this is another chinmoku (silence) moment between Talan and Abelt. Without needing more than a single word, Talan fully understands Dessler’s intentions, his will and his resolve: to save the woman he loves, he will lay down his life.

Having gone through the whole journey of unearthing Dessler’s true heart of hearts, the revelations with Gimleh in 2202 and his desire to die all the way back in Episode 3 of 2205 after reuniting with Hyss, Talan finds this current arrangement to be the most reasonable place for a space grave. At least this time, it won’t be for nothing.

[KC]: If my made-up backstory is correct, Talan has fulfilled his promise and can go to Garmillas Valhalla unburdened.

The Dessler Cannon emerges from the gun deck.

“He can’t be!” An astonished Captain Sanada rises from his chair on Hyuga‘s bridge.

Abelt stands ready, eyes wild. “Dessler Cannon, fire!” The beam lances out, hitting Goruba dead on and creating a large focal point within the energy surrounding the structure. It is through this focal point that Dessler drives his flagship, much to Meldarz’ surprise.

“Abelt…!” Starsha gasps, staring into the sky as if she can see what’s happening. Perhaps she senses it.

With the Deusura III jutting out the side of the Dezarium superweapon, Dessler turns to look frantically over his shoulder, presumably toward a channel he has opened to Yamato.

“Kodai, shoot me! Only its outer surface is special! Fire your Wave-Motion gun at my Deusura! That’ll surely trigger the destruction of this fortress from the inside! This is the only way, Kodai! If we can destroy this fortress, Starsha won’t need to have the planet self-destruct. I don’t care if she’s an illusion or if she’s the devil’s pawn, who’s toyed with the people of Garmillas. I…love Starsha, you know.”

[AMB]: First off, the dual performances of Kikuko Inoue and Koichi Yamadera here are strong enough to rival the classic work, which most fans would consider an impossible feat! I’d go so far as to say Yamadera’s emotive performance at the very end is some of the best he’s delivered in his entire career! Unsurprisingly, he pays special reverence to the original voice actor Masato Ibu in an interview he did with Inoue:

“It’s a famous scene, and people talk about Masato Ibu’s great performance. I wanted to keep that in mind. Lately, I’ve been wondering if I’m the only one who cares so much about past works. When I take over a role from a great actor in another film, I reflect on whether I’m trying too hard to be like them.”

“I have a lot of respect for past works, and in the midst of trying to create a new Yamato I wondered, ‘Why am I tying myself down?’ I’m a fan of Yamato and I love it, but that doesn’t mean I can catch up with the greats. I try to think that the best performance is the one I put my heart and soul into in front of a mic.”

This man knows the weight of the legacy he carries on his back.

Read more here.

Forced by extraneous circumstances, both Abelt and Starsha reveal how they truly feel… as far away as possible from one another. Why does it always have to be this way? At least Abelt has impeccable timing as always.

[KC]: He has excellent trigger discipline as well.

[AMB]: As always, this scene was handled with great care and understanding for the source material. After years of letting the obvious remain unspoken, he reveals his most secret feeling to Kodai alone: he loves Starsha. Doesn’t matter if she’s part of a family of genocidal murderers. Or if she toyed with his entire existence from day one. Or if she’s a mirage, or if she truly only did use him to lick her own wounds. He still loves her on a deeply personal level, beyond all of the superficial details.

Starsha, realizing that her strong-manning didn’t work, is left powerless as she screams for Abelt to stop. In the original work, Starsha’s scream from the last episode that stopped Meldarz is what saved Abelt from killing himself. This time around, it can’t happen, because he’s fully resolved to end this his own way, momentarily stealing her chance to go out in a blaze of glory. It adds a new layer of tension for old and new audiences alike. How will they resolve the mess these three hearts – Kodai, Dessler and Starsha – have put themselves into?

[KC]: There were definitely a few moments here when I was sweating it out, not at all sure what was coming.

Abelt’s expression goes from manic to almost beatific as he speaks, while Kodai transitions from horrified to resolute.

“Come about 180 degrees!” He orders.

Shima and Domon both call out to him in shock. Kodai stands.

“Prepare to fire the Wave-Motion Gun! The one to pull the trigger will be me!”

We close on this standoff with only one more chapter before 2205 comes to its dramatic conclusion.

[AMB]: What a doozie, as they say! I’m very impressed with what they did musically throughout this episode, especially near the end where they inserted Parting. It came as a shock to most fans. Another neat musical sleight of hand was to combine the New Voyage track Starsha, (when Dessler asks Kodai to shoot him) with Tears, (when Yuki died in Kodai’s arms in Farewell to Yamato.)

By doing this, the reboot musically conveys why Kodai makes the decision to fire the Wave-Motion Gun at Abelt here: because he knows all too well what it’s like to lose the woman he loves (two or three times, depending on how you count!) Regardless of the personal harm to Starsha by doing this, he’ll make sure it happens to save Dessler’s own Yuki.

[KC]: The music was particularly gorgeous and evocative this episode.

[AMB]: Starsha’s tale was given an unexpected depth that still has a few jabs left to throw in the final episode of 2205, and hopefully we can guide you all through the proceedings to the best of our abilities!

As with the previous episode, this one covered even less ground from the original work, relative to its runtime, around 5-7 minutes. As of now, 81-83 out of 95 minutes have been covered from the original New Voyage. Next episode will expand greatly on the source material, while at the same time giving us some fresh new material and Yamato III goodies.

Continue to the final episode

Coda

Theatrical release: Space Battleship Yamato 2205, The New Voyage Chapter 2: STARSHA contained episodes 5-8. It premiered in Japanese theaters February 4, 2022.

Japanese video: Theater-exclusive Blu-ray February 4, 2022. Standard Blu-ray & DVD March 29, 2022.

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