When Yamato 2205 debuted in 2021, interviews with writer Harutoshi Fukui revealed that he felt obligated to keep going after Yamato 2202 rather than leave all the story threads dangling for someone else to pick up. What was not revealed at the time is that when he submitted his story proposal for Yamato 2205, it also covered REBEL 3199. In other words, the entire next phase of the Yamato remakes was conceived in a single package.

This was revealed in August 2022 with the publication of Yamato 2205 Complete Works, an art book for the series that included the first portion of Fukui’s memo. Now that 2205 is finished and REBEL 3199 is off the ground, it’s time to have a look.

Translation by Anton Mei Brandt

Space Battleship Yamato 2205 + Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199 Memo

THEME

A continuation of Farewell rather than Yamato 2

As you know, the world of Yamato branches into two with the theatrical film Farewell to Yamato, Soldiers of Love and the TV series Yamato 2. The main characters diverge as well. In the world of Farewell, Yamato and its crew perish in a final charge, while in the world originating from Yamato 2, Yamato and main characters survive and continue on to the Resurrection chapter.

Despite sharing the common ancestor of the first installment, the texture of these two worlds is completely different. To put it bluntly, Farewell is the work that directly tackles the themes of “anti-war,” “creating an ideal post-war society,” and “the sublimation of humanism” raised in the first work, becoming a legend through its mutual destruction ending. On the other hand, Yamato 2 and beyond kept those themes in view but failed to properly integrate them, instead giving a semblance of thematic structure through the unlikely motif of “love.”

The basics of business are “story” after all, so in terms of continuing the franchise, that was not necessarily a wrong judgment. There are certainly fans who grew up familiar with this version of Yamato. Although it never reached the same fervor as Farewell, it managed to acquire a new generation of young fans and expand its market, at least up until Be Forever Yamato. Considering that trajectory, the way Yamato‘s business was handled during this period should not be criticized.

However, as the anime business matured, pioneered by Yamato itself, fans who valued thematic depth and continuity over “story” became more apparent. The old business model started to cast a shadow over Yamato.

They tried having the characters pass the baton to a new generation, but the popularity of the two leads was so overwhelming that the new characters were ignored. After quite some time passed and the leads aged, they reset the timeline to keep them young. Since they wanted the original captain to be there to witness Yamato‘s final voyage, they undid his death — essentially making it so he never died.

Translator’s Note: In The New Voyage, characters like Tetsu Kitano and Shigeru Sakamoto were quickly introduced and soon forgotten by the chronology of the animated works. Same goes for the cast of Yamato III, where the few remaining crew members only got a small cameo at the tail end of Final Yamato. Fukui tries to not let characters be forgotten in the same way for the remainder of the reboot saga, with some classic characters also returning in the Aquarius Algorithm novels, set between Final Yamato and Yamato Resurrection.

While such contrivances could be dismissed in live-action works centered on actors, they could not be overlooked in an animated work like Yamato. Precisely because everything is fiction, fans demanded continuity in the themes and worldview. The anime franchise business model only came about after the serialization of Mobile Suit Gundam, which emphasized a coherent realistic world and gritty character depictions.

At the time, there was likely no recognition of a need for improvement, leading to fans’ growing sense of dissonance with each new series, and Yamato‘s viewers flocked to the more grounded world of Gundam. That was the situation after Yamato III. The Yamato that had so passionately embraced its themes and moved the nation’s youth to tears with Farewell became synonymous with commercial contrivance within five years.

Translator’s note: Summarizing Fukui’s analysis, one could argue that Yamato’s franchise model was made up as they went along. Before Yamato and Gundam, shared chronology in anime was rarely seen. Fukui essentially argues that Yamato’s attempt at franchising was outshone by Sunrise and their Gundam franchise, which always had the benefit of hindsight, taking what worked with Yamato and ditching what didn’t.

This new project, Yamato 2205 and REBEL 3199, is based on The New Voyage and Be Forever Yamato, the original works which marked that turning point.

Both enjoyed respectable viewership and box office performance. As mentioned earlier, this was a period of expanding market share thanks to an influx of second-generation fans like myself, so the works had high recognition. However, also as mentioned before, the thematic significance tracing back to the first work was lost. The poignant atmosphere of Farewell had disappeared, leaving only the formula of the heroic Yamato waging an epic battle against new invaders on a grand scale. Simply remaking these works would amount to tracing a history of failure.

While maintaining the grand scale, we will faithfully inherit the worldview and story from 2202 while circumventing the flaw in which increasing concepts merely inflate things to the point where the universe feels crampt. We will rebuild the original concepts in line with the themes, and aim for a more contemporary SF human drama peppered with striking imagery from the originals. This is the same approach used in 2202, but a major difference this time is that the originals lack a clear theme.

What theme shall we provide, then? There seems to be as many answers to that question as there are people, but there is actually only one. Namely, what they wanted was a work that inherited the passion of Farewell to Yamato. There can be no doubt about this one point. The New Voyage not as a sequel to Yamato 2, but as a continuation of Farewell. It is the same with Be Forever Yamato. A story that could convincingly inherit and carry on that fervor and poignancy. In a sense, that is what Yamato 2202 did; while being a remake of Farewell, yet saying “we will not bid farewell,” it resurrected the themes of the first work. Thus, the ideal starting line for constructing the New Voyage fans expect has been established.

The remaining question is how to plot the course from the subsequent Be Forever onward.

As mentioned earlier, while not directly confronting them, these two original works did not completely forget the themes originating from the first work, either: “anti-war,” “creation of an ideal post-war society,” and “the sublimation of humanism.” These can be glimpsed in occasional lines from various characters, the lyrics of the theme song sung by Akira Fuse, and the overwhelming sense of bliss that flows in BGM for the last scene of Be Forever, organically intertwined with the story. There is not a sense of urgency, but the creators’ strong desire of “humans must eventually overcome war and strive for a utopia” comes through.

Translator’s note: A strong example of this in the post-Farewell works would be Sasha’s closing speech in Be Forever, where she directly implores Yamato’s crew (and the audience by proxy) to build a future full of love and peace, and to not grieve those who passed, but remember what good they did. This scene was directly mirrored at the end of Yamato III, once more delivered by Keiko Han (who voiced both Sasha and Ruda). Fukui took (to me) clear inspiration from these moments when writing Teresa’s ending monologue in 2202, with messaging that’s remarkably similar.

At the time, that likely came across to children as mere rootless romanticism mixed with the contrived story developments. But for the creators who had already seen the pinnacle with Farewell, perhaps there was no other horizon left to aim for. Thinking that, I cannot help but feel a certain poignancy.

“Do not lose hope” is not a metaphor, but a powerful message urging that humans will surely reach utopia someday, so keep walking toward it. If we interpret that as the underlying theme of the entire Yamato series, the path forward for this remake project naturally falls into place. The “Wave Motion Gun-wielding but guilt-ridden Yamato” = “the battleship fated to be a symbol of anti-war” established in 2202 overcomes numerous trials, fulfills the “role humans are meant to play in the cosmos that only the ancient Αkerians knew,” and guides humanity to the promised utopia. Or, because of “love,” rejects that and affirms humanity’s imperfection. In that case, Yamato, having chosen for humanity to remain imperfect, embarks on an eternal voyage to end the war still raging somewhere a thousand years later, taking on that responsibility… But I may be getting ahead of myself.

Translator’s Note: This sentiment is certainly shared by Final Yamato’s ending, where the narrator definitively puts the iconic ship and its Captain to eternal rest in the sea of stars, begging us all to accept their sacrifice and move on completely from war as a concept. In that sense, Final Yamato’s themes managed to evoke something very differentーyet equally poignantーas Farewell.

Inheriting the theme — or the curse, one could say — from the first work, and heading toward the horizon the originals consciously or unconsciously aimed for; such a grand chronicle can be conceived. And unavoidably standing there is the series-spanning theme of a paean to humanity.

Translator’s Note: According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, A “paean” is “a song, film, or piece of writing that praises someone or something very enthusiastically.” Though not commonly used today, I found no better word to use in translating Fukui’s intention here.

As with Gatlantis in 2202, the existence of alienated beings incompatible with humans paradoxically brings the essence of humanity into relief. Precisely because hardship is certain to increase in the times ahead, we will not settle for a facile paean to humanity. Rather, we will aim beyond the 2202‘s discourse on humanity by depicting a conflict with aliens who have abandoned their humanity in a situation akin to the harsh reality we have inherited. Waiting at the end of this path is the unimaginable truth of the ancient Akerians, to be revealed in the “final chapter” of this remake series. But whatever it may be, Yamato will continue to stand by humanity. Defying the reality that will become increasingly harder to affirm year by year, it will endure as a fortress for the people’s hearts.

2205 and REBEL 3199 will serve as the hop and step toward that finale. First, we will gently change course in that direction while extracting the appeal of the originals and constructing a story that amplifies and evolves the passion of 2202. We will weave in the drama of a generational that the originals could not achieve, offering nostalgia and vitality to the first generation of fans now entering their twilight years. For the younger fans who started with 2199, there will be a sense of youth they can walk alongside in the present. All will share the thought of “let’s keep going” in the face of the hardship both generations will surely feel. Without “love,” humans cannot live. Confirming/affirming that, and proceeding further onward, Yamato will depart for the third time.

Space Battleship Yamato 2205: The New Voyage (Working Title)
8 episodes planned
Theatrical event screenings in 2 parts, 4 episodes each

Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199 (Working Title)
26 episodes planned
Theatrical event screenings in 7 chapters, 2-4 episodes each

Since both works share many aspects of their setting and worldview, we can consider budgeting them together to some extent.

STORY

The Bolar Federation’s Miscalculation

It is nothing short of ironic that the planet Galman, the only world inhabitable for the Garmillans who cannot live long without the Salzer sun, happened to lie within the territory of the Bolar Federation.

Or rather, it seems that planet was originally the home world of the ancient ancestors of Garmillas, and the Bolar Federation later began claiming territorial rights over it. However, Abelt Dessler has no intention of dredging up such ancient history. With Garmillas’ lifespan expected to expire sooner than projected, a pressing situation, his sole desire is to proceed with the emigration plan to the legendary hope of Galman as amicably as possible by humbly entreating the Bolars, putting pride aside. However, the Bolars have no intention of ceding the planet to Garmillas.

Dessler is aware of this. Regardless, he attends humiliating negotiations time and again to buy necessary time. But one fateful day, preparations are finally complete. As usual, Dessler declares the end of negotiations before the imperious Bolar officials who demand his submission. Simultaneously, his hidden fleet springs into action with Berger, Frakken and their special forces dividing the Bolar fleet as Dessler’s main forces carve the planet Galman out of Bolar-controlled territory.

The battle is over quickly. Dessler proclaims that it would be just as easy to invade the Bolar homeworld, instantly annihilating their capital, leaving the Bolar officials no choice but to retreat with parting taunts. Their miscalculation stems from underestimating Dessler as merely a pitiful deposed dictator.

From here, the grand plan to relocate all inhabitants of the Garmillas homeworld begins. Dessler contacts the leadership back home to inform them he will lead his own fleet there, then watches a video message from his nephew Ranhart that has just arrived. Ranhart, formerly Klaus Keyman of Garmillas, left this will for his uncle before his final battle, sent to the Garmillas fleet along with a message from Kodai. Dessler exhales deeply, finally able to keep his promise (to find a new home) as footage of Yamato‘s return to Earth plays on the monitor before him.

Three years have passed since Gatlantis vanished along with the Ark of Destruction, and Yamato‘s miraculous return. Listening to his departed nephew’s voice, Desler mutters to himself, “I wonder if the boy is doing well.”

2205

The discovery of a new home planet for Garmillas should have been good news for their Earth allies, but the situation is not so simple.

The problem is that this planet, located in the same galaxy as Earth, lies within the territory of the Bolar Federation. Even if Dessler’s fleet managed a blitz occupation, whether seen as an invasion or territorial reclamation, future territorial disputes with Bolar are now inevitable. Since Garmillas has a defensive pact with Earth, the latter could be dragged in depending on the circumstances. Turning a powerful interstellar nation in the same galaxy into an enemy… in this era without the Time Fault, that would be Earth’s worst nightmare.

There are also arguments over whether it was worth taking such a risk by siding with Garmillas in the first place, who had once pushed Earth to the brink of destruction. They joined forces against Gatlantis, but the fact remains that Garmillas killed 70% of Earth’s population. Would it not be wiser for Earth to cut ties with Garmillas and pursue an independent diplomatic course? Such dissenting views have grown, tormenting Director Todo, Ambassador Varel (who has been reassigned to the rebuilt lunar embassy), and others.

Amidst this, Susumu Kodai is appointed the third captain of Yamato, as well as the commanding officer of the 65th Fleet Escort Unit comprised of the flagship Yamato and two dreadnought carriers. But this is clearly a propaganda unit (perhaps with Yamanami as the unit commander and Kodai as an observer).

The Space Battleship Yamato has saved Earth twice. Its young captain was granted a reprieve by the will of all humanity in exchange for the Time Fault, a symbol of Earth’s goodwill. “We must not forget our decision from that time.” Such propaganda is now being deployed as economic and political instability arise from the loss of the Time Fault.

The final blow comes from the Garmillas-Bolar conflict. For a while, the government spoke of the “will of all humanity,” but the referendum result was actually a narrow margin, with rumors that the military rigged the vote count. Contrary to the government’s claims, Earth was not truly united.

In fact, there are many whose livelihoods were shattered by the loss of the Time Fault. Was that decision really worth it? That thought crosses people’s minds, manifesting in Kodai as obsessive self-doubt. “Am I worth that much?” For an earnest man like Kodai, that notion manifests as an unyielding sense of self-torment. “I was saved by the will of all humanity on Earth. My life belongs to Earth.” In exchange for losing the Time Fault and becoming a weakling nation among powerful interstellar states, he will devote everything to protecting Earth. No time to pursue personal happiness. He would bear the burden of others and walk the path of self-negation.

Kodai Susumu, 27 years old. Still not officially married to Yuki…

The Rookies

Replacing the scattered crew aboard the two carrier dreadnoughts are new crew members coming aboard Yamato.
-The son of the late Chief Engineer Tokugawa, Tasuke.
-A self-assured pilot assigned to the air corps, Sakamoto.
-A scion to rival the Nanbu Corporation, Ageha.
-The brash musclehead Raiden.
-A female Garmillas officer sent as part of a personnel exchange program.
-Leading these rookies is (Tetsuya) Kitano, himself only distinguished by having served on Yamato‘s past two voyages with little actual experience or ability to speak of compared to the rookies.

Translator’s Note: The “female Garmillas officer” described in this memo makes no appearance in 2205, and Ageha only has a small cameo in a class photo. Ageha is confirmed to appear in 3199, and what looks to be either a new female Bolar or Garmillan officer was revealed last year on the official website. Perhaps this is that very same character? Either that, or her role has been repurposed for Melda now that her duty as Garmillas’ Iscandar ambassador has come to an abrupt end.

And then there is Ryusuke Domon, the problem child. His family ran a military subcontractor factory that went bankrupt due to the Time Fault’s closure, driving his father into reckless money-chasing that led to a fatal accident (suspected suicide). A person with Domon’s background should never have been allowed to serve in the Yamato propaganda unit. However, Domon hacked the military’s computer system to alter his service records, securing a bridge crew position on Yamato. His aim is to ascertain the true nature of Captain Kodai. If Kodai does not measure up be worthy of his father’s life and his family’s livelihood, Domon will expose his real face to the media.

His scheme is perfectly calculated, made possible by assistance from an anti-government group who helped him hack the records. With decent grades from the academy to boot, he nearly pulls it off — until his ploy is exposed at the last minute. Though slated for dismissal, Kodai’s personal intervention relegates Domon to kitchen duty instead.

For Kodai, perhaps Domon’s antagonistic stance mirrors his own resentment toward Captain Okita for his brother’s death. But more so, it may be an acceptance of his self-imposed penance. Those eyes demanding “are you worth that much?”…bearing that pain is part of his role. Resigning himself to that is the only way for the present Kodai to find solace.

And Yuki, having steeled herself to simply let Kodai be for now…the sole reassurance allowing her to deflect the others’ concerns with a smile is the lingering memory of the future child born between them, witnessed in the higher dimension. “Kodai may have forgotten, but…” That unvoiceable unease persists within her.

Carrying such human conflicts aboard, the 65th Escort Force, with Yamato as its flagship, sets out for training…only to encounter an unimaginable crisis ahead.

The Dark Nebula Empire

They come from beyond the supermassive black hole at the galactic center, and their name is Uralia, also known as the Dark Nebula Empire. Their true nature is left unexplained in 2205. There are only hints that they may represent the eventual fate of future humans from the year 3199.

Their objective is to seize Iscandar’s Cosmo Reverse System manufacturing system, or rather, to conquer Iscandar itself to take the system. With the mass Garmillas emigration underway and a gap appearing in their defenses, it provides perfect timing for Uralia’s invasion.

As Dessler’s fleet warps out near their home for the first time in ages, Uralia’s invasion begins. Driven by his feelings for Starsha and his late brother, Dessler orders an all-out retaliation against Uralia’s atrocities, which trample on those sentiments. Berger and Frakken struggle to protect the emigrant fleet. Six months into the plan, the emigration ratio is still only at 30%. Melda, stationed on Iscandar, also tries to join the fight, but then Uralia’s automated planet Goruba appears. Using its ability to freely maneuver the entire planet, their true plan to seize Iscandar itself is put into motion.

Dessler fights with all his might, but once Uralia realizes the twin planet Garmillas is becoming a tether to Iscandar, they mercilessly rain missiles down to pulverize it. The unmoored Iscandar falls under Goruba’s control as the dying homeworld meets its bitter end — its citizens and the resting places of Desler’s brother and mother meet a wretched fate.

Driven by vengeance and a need to rescue Iscandar, Desler gives chase as Iscandar is warped away by Goruba toward Uralia’s home base…which lies in the direction of Earth.

Crossing the Subspace Gate

The first to detect the anomaly is Yamato, equipped with advanced reconnaissance systems. Or perhaps the remnants of the Cosmo Reverse System still aboard resonates with Iscandar’s disturbance.

Having completed its role in lunar restoration, Yamato is needed to spearhead the mass recovery plan for Saturn. Thus, it cannot go to the rescue. It is determined that the 65th Fleet Training Unit, on maneuvers in deep space, is in the best position to make contact with the drifting, warping Iscandar ー though conventional warp navigation would take months.

With no alternatives, the rookies like Domon propose using the Balan subspace gate, which is still undergoing repairs. It will allow them to reach the intercept point in mere days by borrowing the Wave-Motion engine’s immense output to temporarily power the gate. But that means only Yamato can make the transit. Success is fifty-fifty at best, and would set the gate’s repairs back to square one. It’s a high-risk, high-cost gambit, but for the sake of rescuing Earth’s benefactors…Domon’s burning conviction begins swaying others until met with two “nos.”

One comes from the Earth Federal Government. Whether the unknown enemy that attacked Garmillas and Iscandar is Bolar or a new alien race, intervention could drag Earth into the crisis. Cooler heads argue against rash action, a hard line even the allied Todo and Varel annot sway. Within this, Serizawa whispers to Todo of a way to grant Yamato autonomous authority, but their hopes are unexpectedly betrayed.

Captain Kodai himself issues a statement of unconditional compliance with Earth’s decision. The same man who three years prior defied orders to confront the crisis in space, speaking of wanting to be citizens capable of rising to such perils, is now willing to rebel no more. While Domon and others rage, those who know Kodai’s anguish like Yuki, Shima, and Sanada can say nothing as he turns his back on his own heart. Seeing Kodai’s torment through their words, Domon resolves on a course of action. Rallying the rookies to seize control of the ship with the original crew turning a blind eye, Domon will force their way to Iscandar against Kodai’s wishes, pushing him from behind. That is one projected path, but will it play out that way?

Even if they do reach Iscandar and join up with Dessler’s fleet, Kodai’s conflict will not simply blow over. Driven solely by the thought of discarding personal feelings, he does not hesitate to use the Wave-Motion Gun if strategically appropriate, leading Berger and others to see him as a completely different person from the Kodai of old. How will Dessler view this Kodai? If Dessler derides him by saying, “Is this the small man Ranhart entrusted the future to?” his words may trigger Kodai to reveal his true feelings, the catalyst to regain his humanity.

Amidst such personaldramas, battles unfold between the allied fleet of Yamato/Dessler and the Dark Nebula’s vast armada, gradually revealing the true nature of the Cosmo Reverse System coveted by Uralia. And behind Starsha seems to be a presence like Sasha, a new life born between herself and Mamoru Kodai, embodying Iscandar’s secret. How will Kodai and Dessler react when that secret is revealed? Tracing yet diverging from the previous paths, an unpredictable “New Voyage” will set the cosmos of 2205 ablaze…

The story will progress as outlined, introducing the new crew and tackling Kodai’s journey of reclaiming his humanity in 2205, before moving on to the next installment, Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199.

The true nature of Uralia, possibly future humans themselves, and their objectives will be revealed in the next installment, for which I will provide another proposal. The methodology of inheriting the concepts from 2199 while depicting Yamato‘s signature “tenuous atmosphere” remains the same this time. While incorporating the striking scenes and developments fans expect under the New Voyage and Be Forever banners, we aim to achieve a modernity that surpasses the originals by infusing the sensibilities of the present day.

To depart on this “New Yamato” voyage with “New Faces and Resolve…”

Harutoshi Fukui
February 27, 2019