1ST ISSUE
Yamato Newspaper
TV Space Battleship Yamato 2 Latest News
Roadshow article reprint series
Space Battleship Yamato 2 finally launched on October 14! It is sailing smoothly with a high viewership rating of 26% since the first episode. What is the course of Yamato‘s new voyage? There are a lot of precious photos and articles! We will bring you the latest information in “Yamato Newspaper!”
ARTICLE 1
With a decisive battle approaching against the mysterious and powerful enemy, the White Comet
Yamato‘s major remodeling is underway!
We will not be defeated by Andromeda! With the lives of all mankind on the line, Yamato undergoes a major remodeling. It has been further powered up to face a new enemy!
Equipped with powerful new weapons such as a medium-size torpedo boat and time radar!
In Yamato 2, unlike the movie Farewell to Yamato, the ship has undergone considerable modifications. The main modifications are as follows:
(1) Medium-size torpedo boats are mounted on both sides of Yamato. It is not as fast as the Cosmo Tiger II, but in terms of attack power, it has more weapons. (2) Time radar = equipment that can record and replay events within the past two hours. If used effectively, it can be a powerful weapon. It is mounted on the bow. (3) Extended range of the main guns. (4) The Wave-Motion engine is powered up, and the recovery time after Wave-Motion Gun firing is faster.
The modification of Yamato was introduced in Episode 2. Unlike Andromeda, Yamato‘s modifications are limited to a range that the crew can operate by hand. The policy of complete automation by computer, by order the Earth Defense Forces Headquarters, was strongly opposed by the Acting Captain Kodai, Engineer Sanada, and others. It will be interesting to see how these new weapons will be used in the future.
ARTICLE 2
They boast, “The Gamilas Empire is indestructible!”
Dessler and Zordar are united in their quest for Earth!
Gatlantis and Gamilas – the two cosmic powers that unexpectedly join forces to invade the Earth! The universe is in danger!
In the film, Dessler and Talan are the only survivors of Gamilas, serving under Great Emperor Zordar. Although Dessler had not lost his pride as the former leader of Gamilas, he was still a rather pathetic figure. But not this time. Along with the remaining fleet of Gamilas, four generals under his command are still alive and well, and Planet Gamilas in the Small Magellanic Nebula lives on. Therefore, he is on equal footing with Emperor Zordar.
When Sabera and the other leaders under Zordar disregard Yamato, he strongly warns them not to underestimate this foe. A proud warrior, Dessler has never forgotten the humiliation of his defeat by Yamato. Zordar, who recognizes Dessler’s pride and ability as a fellow warrior, gives him a new battleship and entrusts him with the battle against Yamato. Dessler sets out for the planet Telezart with a combined fleet that includes the ship he acquired from Zordar and the remaining fleet of Gamilas.
Meanwhile, Zordar also steadily advances his invasion of Earth. The third fleet (led by flagship Yamato) is on its way back to Earth after completing its mission to patrol the outer reaches of the solar system when they are attacked by the Naska fleet. Their powerful laser cannons destroy the Venusian solar energy concentrator and transfer station, and the entire planet is plunged into the panic of blackout.
Under these circumstances, a mysterious message received by Yamato on its way back to Earth is deciphered. It is a woman’s voice, pleading for help. The message seems to be related to a white comet that suddenly appeared around this time, but this is unclear.
At the same time, the remodeling of Yamato is underway. The opinion of the Earth Defense Forces Headquarters is that only Earth should be protected from foreign enemies, but Kodai argues that they should think about the peace of the universe as a whole. His claims, along with those of Sanada and Yamato‘s crew, are fiercely contested.
Dessler, and perhaps even more so the White Comet, is targeting the earth. How will Yamato fight them?
ARTICLE 3
The characters of the comet empire, including Chief of Staff Sabera, have undergone a major image change!
Since the beginning of Yamato 2, TV stations have been receiving inquiries like this — “The faces and costumes of Sabera, Goenitz and other characters of the Comet Empire seem to be slightly different from those in the movie. Is this wrong?”
Did you think so, too? Take Sabera, for example. In the movie, she wore military-style fashion with red lines on a pure white suit. On TV, she wears a bright red costume and a cloak. Her face looks a little different, too. Why is this?
This is due to the production’s intention to depict their personalities more clearly than in the film. In the movie, there was only a general “evil” image. They want to show the characters on a deeper level, and it would be difficult to convey this with exactly the same faces and costumes as in the film.
What kind of “masterpiece” will we see now that they have appeared with new images? This is another way to enjoy TV anime.
[Translator’s note: the unspoken reason for the costume change was to reduce the drawing and cel painting demands; simpler designs allow for more screen time. See an article on the evolution of art designs here.]ARTICLE 4
Summaries of Episodes 7-10, broadcast in November and December 1979.
ARTICLE 5
The captain is Ryu Hijikata, a symbol of the new era.
Andromeda vs Yamato
Andromeda‘s performance is superior to Yamato‘s, including its Dispersion Wave-Motion Gun. Moreover, all equipment is operated automatically by computer. This mechanism, a true fighting machine, is supported by the latest and greatest knowledge of Earth’s science. Even Yamato, which saved Earth in the past, seems to be a shadow of its former self in front of this new machine. Andromeda is the symbol of a restored earth. Has the era of the old Yamato already passed?
Yamato returns to Earth from the outer solar system. Just before landing, Yamato and Andromeda, both insisting on their own ship’s priority, nearly collide head-on! They miss each other at the very last moment, thus avoiding a major accident. This moment in the first episode symbolically shows the relationship between Yamato and Andromeda in the future.
In Episode 5, Yamato takes off for the source of the mysterious message and is confronted by Andromeda. Both ships turn all their guns on each other and prepare for battle. In the end, Andromeda lowers its guns to avoid a confrontation.
In each case, the tragedy of friendly fire is averted because Andromeda captain Ryu Hijikata understands the feelings of Yamato‘s crew. Hijikata is the captain of the Andromeda, an ace of the new era. He is in a position to confront Yamato, but at the same time, he has a cool-headed view of the situation. He also sees through the weakness of a bloodless mechanism. He is portrayed as a man with even more appeal than in the movie.
ARTICLE 6
Analyzer’s rival appears
Analyzer is popular not only for his indispensable investigative and analytical skills, but also for his human-like personality. He appears in the first episode of this TV series, and is seen pulling up Yuki’s skirt. He is always trying to cool down Yuki, who is full of thoughts about Kodai.
Like Andromeda to Yamato, his new robot rival appears. Analyzer is shocked when his claim of “No matter what, I’ll always be by your side” is answered by, “You stay out of this!” Let’s see what will happen in this showdown.