At the dawn of 1979, Yoshinobu Nishizaki’s Office Academy studio was on the highest trajectory ever seen in the TV anime industry, which at the time was just 17 years old. Choosing to strike the iron while hot, he took Office Academy into expansion mode, organized around merchandising and new anime productions. The first of these began in January, a little thing we now call The New Voyage.
Here’s what happened in Yamato world during that busy month…
January 1: Roadshow, February issue
Behind Farrah Fawcett’s weirdly uncomfortable smile lay a big preview of movies coming to Japan in ’79, and also some Yamato material. At right is an ad placed by Nippon Columbia to promote the three hottest LPs: Symphonic Suite Yamato (now a little over a year old, but still selling strong), and two Farewell albums: the symphonic collection and the 2-disc Drama set.
Elsewhere in this issue could be found the second installment of Roadshow‘s continuing Yamato Newspaper featurette, which reviewed story content through Yamato 2 Episode 6 along with other odds and ends.
Read the article here.
Meanwhile, the monthly top ten reader poll put Farewell to Yamato at number 6 in the movie rankings for November.
January 1: Terebiland, February issue
The first issue of Tokuma Shoten’s Terebiland for 1979 gave Yamato a strong cover presence and an article that caught readers up on the latest TV adventures. The magazine also continued its run of providing a Yamato-related bonus gift…
…in this case a Yamato 2 “deluxe trump” playing card set, which came bound into the magazine as a DIY project. You’d separate all the cards, fold up a box to store them in, and even get a Yamato 2 postcard in the process.
Bonus items like these were common in children’s magazines at the time, resulting in a lot of ephemera to make collectors crazy in later years.
January 1: Terebi Kun, February issue
Meanwhile, over in the pages of Shogakukan’s Terebi Kun, readers got a 5-page lesson in the science of warping, which might come in handy…someday.
January 5: Keibunsha Encyclopedias
Volume 31: Space Battleship Yamato, 324 pages
Volume 32: Farewell to Yamato, 324 pages
Keibunsha is a well-known imprint of Japan’s biggest publisher, Kodansha, and the name is most often associated with a line of thick paperback digests, with each volume devoted to some form of entertainment. There were already 30 of them when the first Yamato volume appeared, a grab-bag of stills and artwork in both color and black & white that organized everything in the story. Also included was an episode guide and extensive production notes.
The Farewell Encyclopedia was released the same day, and flipped the format with story pages first (stills in both black & white and color) and the encyclopedic portion second (model sheets and descriptions). The production notes included a photographic tour of Academy Studio during the production of Yamato 2.
See it here.
January 6, 1979: SF Bic, issue 4
SF Bic was a short-lived monthly magazine from Someisha that felt more like a grab-bag than a periodical, with a hodgepodge of articles that covered random aspects of SF. In this issue, for example, you could find a catalog of foreign TV shows, various manga, short stories, pulp magazine cover galleries, and a 4-page review of Yamato novelizations.
Read the review here.
January 6: Yamato 2 Episode 13
Fierce attack! The Telezart landing operation!
Having broken through Dessler’s deadly traps, Yamato reaches Planet Telezart and descends to look for Teresa…but a wave of Comet Empire missiles and a battalion of tanks is determined that they will go no further.
When Yamato 2 reached its halfway point, it delivered a remarkable month-long run of episodes that kept viewers riveted on competing dramas at both Telezart and Gatlantis. Neither of these stories had been even hinted at in Farewell to Yamato, masterfully demonstrating the potential that could be unlocked in longform media.
Read our commentary for this episode here
See a complete scene-by-scene breakdown with storyboards here
January 10: Animage #8, February issue
Animage had quite a treat in store for Yamato fans in this issue, a 5-page article on the making of Yamato 2 that interviewed main staff members and delivered a shocking headline about the very episodes they were about to see: “Shima and Teresa will fall in love.”
Read the article here
January 11: Middle 3rd Age, February issue
Obunsha’s student digest magazine for 9th graders provided an excellent lesson in self-control. The very first feature in this issue was a full color, 6-page article that dangled spoiler-heavy synopses for episodes 14 and 15, both of which had yet to air on TV. Anyone who could resist the urge to devour them on the spot was a force to be reckoned with.
January 11: Middle 3rd Year Course, February issue
Gakken’s student digest magazine for 9th graders laid down exactly the same challenge with the same synopses, which would be a pretty good indicator that the two publishers were going to the same Yamato publicity office for content. However, this issue added a short collection of quotes from readers, which read as follows:
What does Yamato mean to junior high school students?
The sci-fi anime Yamato 2 is causing a nationwide boom. What exactly is the appeal that has fans so excited? Let’s hear what junior high school students have to say about it, based on a survey conducted in this magazine.
“I liked Captain Okita, who died in the first movie. I liked the way he hid his illness while commanding Yamato. I felt like I wanted to jump into his arms and spoil him.”
(Mori, Sapporo, Hokkaido)
“The sight of Yamato, burning with a sense of mission to save all mankind, and single-handedly facing an enemy that is many times bigger, makes my heart warm with emotion. But it’s not like I’m longing for something like the old kamikaze spirit. ”
(Nakayama, Shinjuku, Tokyo)
“Wave-Motion Guns, warp travel…this is exactly what makes space-age sci-fi so fascinating, with all the scientific mechanics and weapons that pop up one after another. ”
(Satoshi Yanagihara, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture)
“Our frustration has reached its peak because of exams after exams. At such times, when we see the all-powerful super Yamato defeating bad guys one after another, we feel refreshed. It is a kind of refreshment.”
(Hitomi Yamada, Ogi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture)
Different people perceive it in different ways. But what can be said in general is that today’s young people are looking for a hero with a pure Japanese spirit of self-sacrifice. That is why fans shed tears for tragic heroes and applaud Yamato for fighting despite its wounds.
January 11: Asahi Shimbun article
On this day, the evening edition of the Asahi Shimbun [Newspaper] offered fans a nice surprise; a brief “behind the scenes” article on Yamato 2 in which a reporter visited both the voice recording studio and Office Academy for an inside look at the production.
Read the article here
January 13: Yamato 2 Episode 14
Counterstrike! The discovery of Teresa!
As Yamato‘s landing force fights their way deeper into Planet Telezart to find Teresa, Dessler finds himself in a battle of wills with Sabera…a battle that lands him in a Comet Empire prison!
Read our commentary for this episode here
January 17: New Voyage pre-production begins
With Yamato 2 firing on all cylinders, an important decision was finally made: the series would break sharply away from the ending of Farewell, keeping the main characters alive and opening the door for sequels. Thus, the race was on to create the next Yamato story. The format had not been decided, though most assumed it would be another feature film with the potential for a followup TV series. This, after all, was the framework suggested by their earlier successes.
In the months of January and February 1979, the writing team created and modified several story treatments, passing them back and forth and building one idea on top of another. Inevitably, some fascinating but untenable concepts were discarded.
Read the first story draft by Hideaki Yamamoto (which opens with a certain wedding) here
January 20: TV Anime Theme Song Collection
This 368-page paperback was a companion volume to on ongoing series of books from publisher Akimoto Shobo that was the first to catalog TV anime in chronological order. It was a text-only digest containing lyrics for hundreds of anime theme songs from the very beginning up to the end of 1978, all Yamato songs included. Just the thing to tuck into your pocket for karaoke night.
January 20: Yamato 2 Episode 15
Teresa, the beginning of love!
At last, Kodai’s landing party finds Teresa of Telezart and learns the true nature of the White Comet. Teresa also has her first tender meeting with Shima, and reveals to him her most deadly secret.
Read our commentary for this episode here
January 20: Space Battleship Yamato Complete Collection
This spinoff of Tokuma Shoten’s Terebiland magazine came in an unusually large format (about 10″ x 11.75″) and was a true feast for the eyes. 94 pages of several different sizes were all bound together into individual sections that examined the mecha of the first series and Farewell to Yamato, making this one of the first books to serve as a compendium of everything seen so far.
Characters were also covered to a lesser extent, with some artwork from Yamato 2. Of special note was a unique cutaway drawing of the Andromeda and several pages that examined the internal systems of Yamato, which (though highly speculative) made for some interesting viewing.
January 20: Farewell to Yamato Panel Book
With Farewell back in theaters for the month of January, there was impetus to develop new spinoff products, and this one from Keibunsha/Kodansha would have been relatively easy to create on a tight publishing schedule. It was a set of 11 large-format (Approx. 14.25″ x 10″) mini-posters on card stock with their own slipcase. Though it was labeled “Panel Book No. 1,” it is unclear whether any more were produced.
See all the mini-posters here
January 20: Space Battleship Yamato storybook Vol. 2
Shogakukan’s Anime Cartoon Masterpiece series, Vol. 6
The first book in this two-volume set from Shogakukan came out December 20. The followup volume started from the fleet battle in the Rainbow Cluster and took the story to the end in 40 pages of color stills and minimal text. Shogakukan utilized this format for many other children’s books based on movies and TV shows, including both anime and live-action. There would be a total of 7 Yamato volumes up to and including The New Voyage.
January 25: The World of Leiji Matsumoto LP
With Yamato, Captain Harlock, and Galaxy Express 999 all on the air simultaneously, Leiji Matsumoto was riding higher than ever. There was no better time to collect all of his beloved anime themes onto a single album, which is exactly what Nippon Columbia did. It brought together opening and ending songs for all three of his biggest shows, plus Starzinger, Danguard Ace, and lesser-known “image themes” for Emeraldas and The Cockpit for a total of 14 tracks.
Promotional postcard shown above left.
January 27: OUT magazine, March issue
Regardless of what was happening “above the line,” OUT never stopped being a magazine by fans for fans. The Yamato article in this issue perfectly represents that approach; it was simply the transcript of a round-table discussion that was rich with rumors and opinions.
Yamato 2 was nearing its halfway point when the conversation took place, and with each new episode enlarging the context, there was plenty to discuss. The preface said it all: “Nothing is more comforting than picking on someone’s faults. Thus, we subject Yamato to criticism this time. But we also love Yamato, too (worship, worship).”
Read the article here
In addition to the main Yamato article, there was also this two-page spread that upped the ante for spoilers by publishing synopses for episodes 17, 18, and 19, which would air in February. There was also a brief announcement for the coming Galaxy Express 999 movie in August, and this short interview with Writer Keisuke Fujikawa:
We spoke with Mr. Keisuke Fujikawa, who is in charge of the script for Yamato, continuing from the previous work. We wonder what will happen to Kodai-kun…
Interviewer: Last time you compiled a TV series into a movie, but this time it’s the other way around.
Fujikawa: After all, everyone has seen Farewell many times and knows it well. So we made a lot of adjustments based on that.
Interviewer: Do you make it with fans in mind?
Fujikawa: Yes, that is to say, the theme is “love.”
Interviewer: Do you mean love as a serious issue for youth?
Fujikawa: Rather, it is a call for young people to think about what kind of love is important to them.
Interviewer: There are a lot of characters, but which do you like the most?
Fujikawa: I guess I would have to say Kodai. I feel his youthful charm. I also like Saito this time. As for the enemies, I like Dessler. Domel is also good, but…
Interviewer: What will happen at the end?
Fujikawa: It’s not like the movie, it’s completely different. I’m confident that it will not disappoint you.
Interviewer: Please tell us your impressions of being involved with Yamato.
Fujikawa: It’s exhausting. All I can think is, “I want to quit as soon as possible.” But after a while, I find myself wanting to do it again. It can be said that it is material with a mysterious charm.
January 27: Yamato 2 Episode 16
Teresa, Farewell to Love!
Shima begs Teresa to flee Telezart before the arrival of the Comet Empire, but she is certain that she will be compelled to use her tremendous destructive power again – a power even stronger than the new love she has found.
Read our commentary for this episode here
Also Spotted in January
Mecha Collection model kits 1-8
Bandai’s simultaneous rollout of the first eight kits in the miniaturized “Mecha Collection” series were like a thunderclap that turned every head. In one move, the dual barriers of skill level and affordability were removed. Now you could buy a Yamato model for just 100 yen (think of it as a dollar) and you didn’t need to be an expert builder. If you messed up, so what? Just go get another one. They’re cheap.
This was an ideal way to lure in young children and newbies alike, and it worked wonders for Bandai, pushing them to the front of the line in the competitive world of modelmaking. Between Yamato and Mobile Suit Gundam, 1979 was the year that changed the company’s fortunes forever.
Here’s more from Bandai Character Plastic Model Chronicle (Gakken, 2007):
In order to secure the low cost of 100 yen each (about $1 US), Bandai decided from the beginning on the size of the box, including the runner size that would fit into it, even if the kits themselves didn’t have a unified scale. They also took other cost-cutting measures to keep the price down. They printed the instructions inside the box cover to save on paper. The box was made from recycled cardboard and used only three ink colors instead of the standard four (red, blue, yellow and black). Experts these days notice the missing black, but back then it’s highly doubtful anybody had a clue.
Regularly, mecha for the supporting characters was not manufactured at all, but the Yamato series added them to the lineup. These smaller kits appealed to various groups of people, from the anime fans who became plamodelers, to kids who barely had enough allowance to buy their favorite kits, to even the experienced scale modelers, all of whom were a part of this boom.
In the past, many models were built, played with, got broken and that was it. The newer ones could be collected and displayed. This special line of kits continued until June of 1981 with 30 different items.
Read more from Plastic Model Chronicle here
Anime magazines published in January: Animage #8 (February issue), OUT (March issue), Quarterly Fantoche Vol. 1
Fantoche and Yamato had an interesting shared history. It was the pet project of artist Yoshikazu Hirose, who had served as a color designer on the first Yamato TV series. Thanks to this connection, it was the first magazine to ever carry a Yamato cover story (read it here). Since it launched in October 1975, it may also be considered the first anime specialty magazine, though its extensive coverage of foreign animation may be a disqualifier.
It vanished after its 7th issue (August 1977), then popped back into existence with a new Volume 1 in January ’79. It offered no further Yamato coverage, but continued to give a strong nod toward American productions such as Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings. Four issues of Quarterly Fantoche made it out the door before the magazine was permanently laid to rest.
See its full history here.
What’s Next
Things to come start to take shape. Amid another flurry of new merch and ongoing media coverage, the writing team speeds through more story drafts for The New Voyage, and a powerful wave begins to build on the other side of the planet. Click here to relive all the action from February 1979 in Vintage Report 18!