Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Videography

After the series content itself, Bandai Visual’s video release of Space Battleship Yamato 2199 was (and continues to be) the single most important element of the production, the primary means of recouping costs and opening the door to a worldwide audience that Japanese cinema and TV had no way to reach. While the English subtitles clarify the story for us, however, the rest of the package is entirely in its native language. The main purpose of this videography is to sort all that out.

For starters, all seven chapters were released on video to match their theatrical formatting. The series was later broadcast on Japanese TV with some differences: footage had to be cut for length, opening and closing titles were changed, each episode had a prologue clip, and numerous captions were added for clarity. In order to keep a clear division between these versions, the TV version has not been released on video. Thus it can only be obtained the old-fashioned way, by getting copies from Japanese friends. (Which is essentially how anime conquered the world.)


Theater editions: slipcase, disc package, storyboard book, postcard, intro book

All seven chapters were released on both Region 2 DVD and Region-free Blu-ray in Japan, but only the Blu-rays are equipped with English subtitles. Other than the subtitles, there is no difference in content. Chapters 2-7 all contain bonus features which are described here; each chapter got its own teaser, movie trailer, and TV commercials, and there were also a few special programs. Unfortunately, none of the bonus features are subtitled – only the episodes got that treatment.

From the beginning of the video campaign, some fans insisted on waiting for a box set at the end. This intention was misguided, since box sets in Japan do not follow the US pricing model. Since revenue from video sales is crucial, the prices almost never go down (it took over 25 years for the original Yamato movies to be bargain-priced) and a box set can actually be more expensive depending on its bonus features. For that matter, as of early 2014 there is no actual Yamato 2199 box set available, just customized boxes that were sold separately.


Yamato Crew editions: voice actor scripts in place of the storyboard book

Over and above all that, there were also the theater-exclusive Blu-rays – limited editions that could only be purchased at movie theaters during the run of a specific chapter – that came with a bonus storyboard book. This was one of 2199‘s major innovations, and one that had never been tried before. If you liked the movie, you could literally take it home with you. (In two cases – chapters 2 and 7 – the Blu-rays were not ready in time and had to be pre-ordered.) The Yamato Crew website came up with their own exclusive; fans who bought the discs at the website could get voice-actor scripts for each episode.

All that and more is examined here to help clarify what you may have already collected, or what’s available to you when you’re ready to start. The entire series can still be ordered from Amazon.co.jp or the more English-friendly CD Japan.


Chapter 1
The Long Voyage

Bandai Honneamise Blu-ray: BCXA-485, DVD: BCBA-4316
Theater Edition: April 7, 2012
Standard Edition: May 25, 2012

Ep. 1 Messenger from Iscandar
Ep. 2 Toward a Sea of Stars

Extra features

Introductory booklet
Opening title storyboard book
Episode 1 storyboard book (with limited edition only)
Slipcase with art by Naoyuki Katoh (early pressings only)

Click here to see the packaging and intro booklet


The “Yuki army” stormed Yodobashi department store (Akihabara) to promote
the arrival of Chapter 1 and the approach of Chapter 2 on May 25, 2012.


Chapter 2
Desperate Battle in the Heliosphere

Bandai Honneamise Blu-ray: BCXA-486, DVD: BCBA-4317
Theater Edition: July 12, 2012
Standard Edition: July 27, 2012

Ep. 3 Escaping the Jupiter Sphere
Ep. 4 Gravestone on a Frozen Field
Ep. 5 The Trap on All Sides
Ep. 6 The Sun Sets on Pluto

Extra features

Introductory booklet
Episode 3 storyboard book (with limited edition only)
Slipcase with art by Naoyuki Katoh (early pressings only)

On the disc:

• Yamato 2199 Launch Countdown event, screening version
A cutdown of the live show held in Tokyo, February 18, 2012. This abridged edition of the event was later shown theatrically in Nagoya and Osaka. Features interviews and stage performances.

Yamato 2199: Before the Premiere ~ Our Yamato Special
TV special originally broadcast April 1, 2012. More of the same content described above.

• Episode 3 audio commentary (director and voice actors)

Click here to see the packaging and intro booklet


Chapter 3
The Endless Voyage

Bandai Emotion Blu-ray: BCXA-487, DVD: BCBA-4318
Theater Edition: Oct 13, 2012
Standard Edition: Nov 22, 2012

Ep. 7 Farewell to the Solar System
Ep. 8 Wish Upon a Star
Ep. 9 Clockwork Prisoner
Ep. 10 Graveyard of the Universe

Extra features

Introductory booklet
Episode 10 storyboard book (with limited edition only)
Slipcase with art by Naoyuki Katoh (early pressings only)

On the disc:

• Interview with singer Isao Sasaki

Yamato 2199: Before the Chapter 2 Premiere ~ Our Yamato Special 2
TV special originally broadcast June 24, 2012. Interviews and review of Chapter 1.

• Chapter 1 Digest (theatrical prologue for Chapter 2)

• Episode 9 audio commentary (director and voice actors)

Click here to see the packaging and intro booklet


Chapter 4
Defense of the Galactic Frontier

Bandai Emotion Blu-ray: BCXA-488, DVD: BCBA-4319
Theater Edition: Jan 12, 2013
Standard Edition: Feb 22, 2013

Ep. 11 A World I Once Saw
Ep. 12 What Lies Beyond
Ep. 13 The Wolf from Another Dimension
Ep. 14 The Whisper of the Witch

Extra features

Introductory booklet
Episode 13 storyboard book (with limited edition only)
Slipcase with art by Naoyuki Katoh (early pressings only)

On the disc:

• Creditless opening title

• Scene digest (theatrical prologue for Chapter 3)

• Yutaka Izubuchi X Yasuhiko Yoshikazu conversation

• Chapter 1 commercials and trailers
• Chapter 2 commercials and trailers
• Chapter 3 commercials and trailers

• Episode 13 audio commentary (director and voice actors)

Click here to see the packaging and intro booklet


Chapter 5
The Sorrow of Intergalactic Space

Bandai Emotion Blu-ray: BCXA-489, DVD: BCBA-4320
Theater Edition: Apr 13, 2013
Standard Edition: May 27, 2013

Ep. 15 Point of No Return
Ep. 16 A Choice for the Future
Ep. 17 Out of the Forest of Memory
Ep. 18 Over the Black Light

Extra features

Introductory booklet
Episode 15 storyboard book (with limited edition only)
Slipcase with art by Naoyuki Katoh (early pressings only)

On the disc:

• Yutaka Izubuchi X Mitsuru Kashiwabara conversation

• Scene digest (theatrical prologue for Chapter 4)

• Chapter 2 teaser (seen at end of Chapter 1 on streaming TV)
• Chapter 3 teaser (seen at end of Chapter 2 on streaming TV)

• Episode 16 audio commentary (director and voice actors)

Click here to see the packaging and intro booklet


Chapter 6
Arrival! Large Magellanic Cloud

Bandai Emotion Blu-ray: BCXA-490, DVD: BCBA-4321
Theater Edition: June 15, 2013
Standard Edition: July 27, 2013

Ep. 19 They’re Coming!
Ep. 20 Under a Rainbow Sun
Ep. 21 Prison Planet 17
Ep. 22 The Planet That We Head For

Extra features

Introductory booklet
Episode 20 storyboard book (with limited edition only)
Slipcase with art by Naoyuki Katoh (early pressings only)

On the disc:

• Scene digest (theatrical prologue for Chapter 5)

• Chapter 4 commercials and trailers
• Chapter 5 commercials and trailers

• Chapter 4 teaser (seen at end of Chapter 3 on streaming TV)
• Chapter 5 teaser (seen at end of Chapter 4 on streaming TV)

• Episode 19 audio commentary (director and voice actors)

Click here to see the packaging and intro booklet


Chapter 7
And the Ship Sailed On

Bandai Emotion Blu-ray: BCXA-491, DVD: BCBA-4322
Limited Edition: Oct 10, 2013
Standard Edition: Oct 25, 2013

Ep. 23 One Man’s War
Ep. 24 The Distant Promised Land
Ep. 25 The Forever War
Ep. 26 Memories of the Blue Planet

Extra features

Introductory booklet
Character postcards (2)
Episode 26 storyboard book (with limited edition only)
Slipcase with art by Naoyuki Katoh (early pressings only)

On the disc:

• Nana Mizuki (end theme singer) interview

• Chapter 6 commercials and trailers
• Chapter 7 commercials and trailer

• Chapter 6 teaser (seen at end of Chapter 5 on streaming TV)
• Chapter 7 teaser (seen at end of Chapter 6 on streaming TV)

• Scene digest (theatrical prologue for Chapter 5)
• Scene digest (theatrical prologue for Chapter 6)
• Scene digest (theatrical prologue for Chapter 7)

• Episode 26 audio commentary (director and voice actors)

Click here to see the packaging and intro booklet


Chapter 7 was deemed important enough by Bandai Visual to get its own foldout flyer, which offered a
capsulized version of the entire series on the inside and put a teaser for the 2014 movie on the back.


The “Yamato Girls” promote the arrival of Chapter 7 at Yodobashi department store (Akihabara) October 25, 2013.


Continue to part 2

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