The time is the year 2203
The beginning of the story
Space Myth of Aquarius
The sphere glowed blue like a paper lantern, a beautiful planet surrounded by interwoven ice rings like an electron. It was Aquarius, the water planet. Aquarius passed through outer space near the Earth.
And, suddenly, huge water swells rose from Aquarius and a torrential rain showered the Earth’s surface. Water quickly spread over the entire Earth and became a sea. The buds of life contained in it evolved from bacteria to fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Eventually, human beings appeared.
According to space mythology, this happened over 4 billion years ago, and thus it is said that Aquarius brought both “water” and “life” to Earth.
Aquarius now approaches Earth again.
But humans do not know of this yet. The time is the year 2203!
Turned to Ruins – Dessler’s Palace
An accident occurred beyond our galaxy. Another galaxy from a different dimension emerged through a fault in space and intersected the Milky Way. Many stars collided, causing eruptions of x-rays and hydrogen gas.
The Earth Defense Force dispatched Space Battleship Yamato to investigate this abnormality.
Shima: Helm, 20 degrees to port, ahead full!
Kodai: Shima, keep the bow trim!
Shima: Roger!
Yamato advanced, rolling violently through space that had been devastated by the influence of the galactic collision. The destination was Planet Galman-Gamilas
But when they at last arrived at Galman-Gamilas, Kodai was greeted by a spectacle–the scene of Dessler’s palace in ruins.
Sanada: After everything that happened, this is how Dessler met his fate?
Analyzer: He was a fearsome person, but also a good person.
Kodai: Dessler, there were times when we hated each other, and it was difficult to become your friend…but I will never forget your friendship.
Kodai dropped a bouquet into the ruins. Then, a great rumbling suddenly began in space.
Sanada: Kodai, it’s dangerous! We have to leave here!
Kodai: Understood! Everyone, back to the ship!
Kodai and the others returned to the ship immediately.
Kodai: All hands to your stations! Emergency launch!
The star of Galman-Gamilas had collided with another nearby star, which was the cause of the rumbling and a great explosion. Yamato launched, but an intense heat and blast wave approached. Yamato was violently shaken.
Kodai: Shima! We can’t escape! Warp!
Shima: Warp calculation is impossible! There’s no telling where we’ll come out of warp. It’s dangerous!
Kodai: We’ve got no chance here! Warp anyway!
Shima: It can’t be helped! Free warp!
Very familiar with female characters
SHINYA TAKAHASHI
Character design supervisor
I was in charge of design for new characters, the boy of Dengil and the Queen of Aquarius. For the Queen of Aquarius, Mr. Nishizaki wanted a “cold feeling,” “not like a flesh and blood human being,” “the image of a queen of blue water,” and “also put in Leiji Matsumoto’s character style” – although the nose was long and the eyes were wide, I realized this was a merit – I thought about it based on those opinions.
After designing Sasha for Be Forever Yamato and various girls’ series for Toei Animation, I’ve become involved with many female characters. Although it was unfamiliar, the character design is relatively smooth. In the same way, the Dengil boy wasn’t too difficult. Could this have been a result of Mr. Nishizaki’s demand that “he should be cute enough to be mistaken for a girl”?
Imminent Crisis of Submergence – Planet Dengil
Yamato emerged from warp near a certain planet. When an image from the planet was projected onto the video panel, a city was seen being submerged by a flood caused by a terribly heavy rainstorm, and there was the hellish picture of many people in peril.
Kodai: Shima! Descend Yamato toward that planet! We’ll rescue the drowning people!
Operating the Cosmo Hound, Yamato‘s crew rescued people in ones and twos. But as the Cosmo Hound tried to dock with Yamato, they both shook from a great crash. The Cosmo Hound and its crew fell into the water. Only Kodai survived, having saved an unconscious boy.
Kodai: Shima! I’ve got a boy! Send out a rescue ship!
Shima: We need to take off. Yamato itself is in jeopardy!
Kodai: What? You want to leave without recovering the bodies of the fallen?”
Shima: “It’s vital to save the rest of the crew!
As the captain, Kodai’s confidence was shaken. The sacrifice that was paid for this rescue operation was too great. While Kodai confronted this, information about the flooding of the planet became available from radar. Kodai sent it to the EDF commander.
“The cause of flooding was a rogue planet with two-thirds of its mass made up of water. This planet is advancing toward the solar system area, and will approach Earth 6,000 years in the future. I believe if the water planet comes close enough, Earth will also be submerged. But after civilization progresses for another 6,000 years, I believe that some solution will be found.”
At that time, Kodai was not yet aware that when Aquarius passed by, Earth would follow the exact fate of Planet Dengil, which he had seen flooded first hand…
After a while, Kodai visited the boy he rescued in sickbay.
Sanada: Kodai, this boy’s skin is a special color not found on Earth, but the biology of his body is the same as an Earthling.
Kodai: …!?
Yamato is Attacked – Special Missile
As Yamato cruised through outer space toward Earth, a large mobile fleet suddenly appeared. The figure of one young man stood in the center of the bridge in the fortress mother ship. He had escaped from the flooding of Dengil, and was Lugal II, the eldest son of the holy emperor of Dengil. He watched Yamato on the panel.
Lugal II: Heh, I don’t know what planet it came from, but it’s quite a beautiful ship. But all who appear before us are the enemy! Destroy this nuisance! Launch special missiles!
Yamato‘s radar caught the missile attack from the unidentified enemy. Kodai issued orders.
Kodai: Prepare counter-attack missiles! All hands to battle stations! Launch interceptor missiles!
Most of the enemy missiles were shot down, but one hit the underside of Yamato. When this missile exploded, a large hole was blown in Yamato‘s thick armor plating. From there, space radiation dispersed into the ship. The crew fell one by one.
Shima: An unusual missile! It broke through Yamato‘s armor!
Sanada: Captain! This is different from other missiles we’ve encountered. It’s a special missile. Everyone get into space suits!
The Dengil attack intensified. More of the missiles approached. Those that were not shot down caused sequential explosions to Yamato.
While others put on space suits, Kodai issued orders and barely got his helmet on before space radiation entered the bridge.
Kodai: Yuki…
Kodai slowly fell to his knees. There was no further movement among the crew.
Yamato lost control and fell steadily toward the ninth planet of the Dengil solar sytem. At that moment, it seemed that Yamato had also met its fate. But as the bottom of the ship impacted on the slope of a mountain, Yamato‘s automatic navigation defense device was accidentally activated. Yamato began to cruise again, adrift.
And, the Death of Susumu Kodai…!?
At that time, EDF Headquarters was in turmoil.
“The water planet Yamato informed us about is approaching Earth at unusual speed!! It will reach us in 16 days!! Calculated from its water mass, Earth will be completely submerged!”
In the midst of this, Yamato returned to Earth. Yuki Mori pushed people aside and rushed into the ship. She saw the figures of many dead people there.
Yuki: Kodai-kun!
Yuki looked desperately for Susumu. Dr. Sado, who had come on board with Yuki, encouraged her.
Sado: There’s nothing to worry about. It seems those who wore space suits and were hit by the space radiation are in a state of suspended animation.
But Yuki screamed before he finished speaking. She found Kodai only wearing a helmet.
Yuki: No, dead, no!
But Kodai did not wake up. In despair, Yuki grabbed Kodai’s gun and aimed it at her own chest.
Sanada: Idiot!
With that, he stopped her and she broke down in tears.
Considering 30 different designs…
TSUJI TADANAO
conceptual design
Before deciding to go with this design (bottom photograph) I considered 20-30 different versions. Based on Mr. Nishizaki’s requests for it to “function with bedrock energy” and be “beautiful and mysterious,” I intended to make the satellite a huge mobile fortress with a strong presence.
In the design image, the front half is an ultra-modern mecha fortress, and the back half is a mountain like Mount Fuji, and I also considered the colors of a shrine left behind by an ancient civilization.
Mini Information from the Fan Event Film
Note: this refers to the “Message Film” that was shown to fans during the summer promotional tour; read about it here.
A: Will Yuki Mori become Yuki Kodai!?
Yuki Mori might become Yuki Kodai. There is the possibility this time. That was the only answer offered.
It should become clear at the end of the movie. It should be fun, after all. (Laughs) -Nishizaki
B: The anchor mark is removed
The anchor marks are entirely gone this time. There were many such requests from fans. The Final Chapter is made in a way that connects it to the TV version of Part 1, so that’s the reason the anchor is removed, because it wasn’t present in Part 1. -Nishizaki
C: The reason for setting it in the year 2203
In Yamato III, the year was 2205. But if it happens in 2206, Kodai will be too old. After all, I don’t want to make the hero 20 years old.
That’s the reason we’re backing up to the year 2203. I really must ask you to forgive me for this. (Laughs) -Nishizaki
Yamato Dictionary Excerpts
The Yamato Dictionary is small in page size (4″ x 6″), but substantial in the amount of information it contains. Obviously, it’s not practical to translate the entire thing here, but four pages in particular stand out because of their black borders and unusual content. They are each titled “Yamato Outtake Diary” and contain eclectic info that didn’t fit into the rest of the book. All four are translated below.
The book lists production credits, but the names haven’t yet popped up in any other Yamato publication.
Writers: Tokuki Yoshiharu & Manabu Nakamura. Assistant writers: Wanpaku Studio. Reference assistant: Shinjiro Okazaki. Layout: Makoto Shounai.
Yamato Outtake Diary, Part 1
“Grit”
The crew of Yamato is entirely Japanese, and each one seems to have “grit.” But since extraterrestrials, including those from Gamilas, are neither Earth people nor Japanese, they naturally do not have grit. Therefore, they always lose to Yamato. The resilience of main characters and the revival of the supposedly immortal third bridge shows skills that come from this “grit,” and no matter how strong and proud the enemy is, they cannot overcome a few minutes of grit from the crew of Yamato. But the drawback to this thing called “grit” is such things as a “suicide attack.”
Progressive Explosions
One of the phenomenae often seen in the Yamato series is that somehow only the enemy side is destroyed in progressive explosions. Yamato is strong…
Gamilas Peoples’ Complexion
In part 1, the external color of people from Gamilas was pink but became blue. Based on detailed concept notes, is said that this change comes from the spectrum of the local atmosphere. Yamato is a great work.
Female Members
At the time of the party to bid farewell to Earth, there were many people in the meeting place who did not turn up afterward. There were probably too many quarrels involving women, so the trouble was solved by putting them in frozen sleep. Because of this precedent, the female crew members were allowed to promptly return to Earth in Part III.
Space Battleship Yamato
All the crew members are Japanese
Yamato Outtake Diary, Part 2
Starsha & Mamoru Kodai
Starsha and Mamoru had romantic feelings that grew imperceptibly. But speaking of the men of Iscandar, Mamoru was the only one. With nothing to compare or contrast with, was Starsha at a loss? Regrets later.
Armor Plating of Battleship Yamato and Space Battleship Yamato
Within the camouflage of the battleship Yamato‘s rusty hull, the space battleship was built just inside. It’s a wonder that Yamato could be built without breaking the thin armor plating.
Royal Extract
A health food procured from the Planet Beemela. Although it seems that the elite of Gamilas drank it, did they know it was made from the Beemela people themselves? Surely Dessler must have also drunk it.
Yamato‘s Glass?
What stands out to the ear in particular is the sound of glass breaking along with an explosion. Surely, they must have run out of cups.
Yuki Mori’s negligee
The figure of Yuki Mori wearing a negligee was a treat for the eyes in Episode 19, but though it was private time, why would someone bring a negligee into a war? Not that we’re particularly complaining.
Destroyer Yukikaze
Before the decisive battle of Pluto, Mamoru Kodai’s ship Yukikaze was fatally damaged, and it seemed impossible to return to Earth. When this transpired, he said a cool line and began a suicide attack on the enemy, but in fact wouldn’t it have been done out of desperation?
Yamato Outtake Diary, Part 3
Captain Susumu Kodai
After the return from Iscandar, Susumu Kodai was appointed the captain of an escort ship for the supply transport fleet. Was this the proper reward for someone who served the post as deputy captain of Yamato on behalf of Earth? Naturally, posts are given out by headquarters and an officer wouldn’t take it. The salary is low, so no wonder he postponed marriage.
Kato and Yamamoto, you must escape
These two found out that Yamato launched from Earth in rebellion, and although they joined up along the way, they were naturally not authorized to take the Cosmo Tigers they were flying at the time. In other words, they were stolen. They would probably steal towels from a clothesline, after all.
Sabera
Though she occupies the important post of chief of staff for the White Comet Empire, she has the courage to call Dessler by name without any honorific title. However, he thought of her as an ordinary woman rather than the cruel, cold-blooded type. This sort of thing displays the power of a voice actor. (This entry is just an opinion.)
Yaretara
There are five steps of rank in the military soldiers of Gamilas. Yaraz, Yarimas, Yaru, Yarutoki, Yareba, Yare, Yarareta. [Translator’s note: this is how the original text was rendered. Actually, the entry title just refers to the name of the Gamilas soldier on Titan. The rest is apocrypha.]
Debris
When debris is blown off Yamato in an explosion, it falls down into outer space. It flies toward the bottom so as not to interfere with combat allies. Even the debris has “grit.”
Yamato Outtake Diary, Part 4
Akira Yamamoto, Superman
When he began his kamikaze attack on the fighter launch port in the lower part of the Comet Empire, he gave Kodai a parting salute, but at that moment his arm visibly protruded under the canopy. Surely, the momentum would have torn him apart. The “grit” of Yamato‘s crew can also be seen here.
The Big Eyes of Miru
A monitoring fleet commander who reports to Sabera. Since he must constantly watch the actions of others, his eyes probably grow large. His full name is Miru Miru. It is unknown whether or not his younger brother is Chiru Chiru.
Energy Absorber
In Episode 10 of Part II, Sanada hastily built this mecha during Yamato‘s hard fight among meteor showers that absorbed energy. This device drives the asteroids of the asteroid ring, and although he was able to obtain energy, wouldn’t the energy of the equipment be absorbed by the meteors? In any case, it’s a convenient mecha.
Shiro Sanada
A qualified person would anticipate a crisis for Yamato and make a machine for that purpose. Also, magnetic space plating is one of his masterworks. If there was such an excellent engineer, couldn’t he have come up with an idea or two to prevent radioactivity on Earth? It was also surely he who revived Yuki Mori. Seeing Kodai’s joy, he would say something like, “In case this might happen, it’s a good thing I developed Yuki Mori playback equipment…”