Is the battleship Arizona bigger or smaller than Yamato?
The attention to detail in the anchor mark on the bow!
REBEL 3199 Mechanical Design Talk Show Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Secrets
Published May 8 on the official website. See the original article here
On May 8, a special screening event titled Yamatalk Part 2: Mechanical Design was held, featuring General Director Harutoshi Fukui, Director Naomichi Yamato, Screenwriter Hideaki Oka, and Mechanical Designer Junichiro Tamamori. They discussed the design secrets of the battleship Arizona and other mecha design-related topics.
Looking out over the venue, Director Yamato expressed his gratitude, saying, “It’s been nearly a month since the screening began, and I’m truly grateful to see so many of you here. Thank you very much. We look forward to your continued support.”
The guest for that day’s Yamatalk was Junichi Tamamori, who has been involved in the series since 2199. Based on previously unreleased design materials, including those for the battleship Arizona, he shared many valuable stories. When asked for his thoughts on Arizona, which finally appeared in Chapter 3, Tamamori said, “I’m overwhelmed. I wish they had shown a little more than just the main guns, though,” causing the audience to burst into laughter.
“There’s a sequence to things. It’s just the beginning,” Fukui added, ”This time, it’s a masked character with the face hidden. I think it’s beautiful to reveal it step by step,“ hinting at future developments and exciting the audience.
Tamamori’s thoughts on designing Arizona were projected on the screen. It read, “Arizona is a battleship that looks cool to anyone who sees it. But it never got to shine and faded away. The tragedy and frustration of Arizona surpasses that of Andromeda in Farewell to Yamato.” Tamamori added, “I want to avenge Arizona‘s frustration. Yutaka Izubuchi, the director of 2199, designed it in his younger days, and I did my best to breathe life into it as a ship that exists in the world of the remake series, while fully respecting its appeal.”
Regarding this sentiment, Tamamori said, “Many of our generation grew up with Yamato through model kits, but Arizona wasn’t even released as a model. In the series, it only appeared in two or three scenes at most. It would launch, and in the next scene, it was already sunk or destroyed. It was truly a shame.”
Oka added, “That’s a common sentiment among many Yamato fans. The escort battleships led by Arizona that appeared in Yamato III each only had a few scenes. Yet, for over 40 years, Yamato mecha fans have continued to delve deeper into them. Historically speaking, that’s not normal.” The audience erupted in applause.
When it came to designing the battleship Arizona, which has been so beloved by fans, Tamamori smiled and said, “Fans have already created designs by drawing Arizona, modifying plastic models, or even using 3D printers. Since they’ve already established the form, there were parts that were challenging for us to work on.”
Amidst this, how did he design Arizona? Tamamori explained the background while his design drawings were projected on the screen.
“It’s based on something I previously drew for the Yamato Magazine [Vol. 11, shown at right]. In terms of the remake series, it’s closer to the Dreadnought class, or perhaps a little closer to Yamato. There was discussion about whether to make it larger or smaller than Yamato, but we decided that it could be a little larger. In the remake series, Yamato is 333 meters, and Andromeda is 444 meters, using repeating numbers, but we couldn’t use repeating numbers for Arizona, so we went with 337 meters. It’s a bit longer than Yamato.”
Fukui, the general director, couldn’t hide his surprise, exclaiming, ”I didn’t know that!”
After that, Tamamori talked about the main turret, secondary guns, the bridge, and internal structure of Arizona based on detailed setting materials, which was met with great interest not only by the panelists but also by the audience.
Regarding the future of Arizona, Director Fukui said, “Everything has already been decided, but we’re adding new weapons that make better use of what’s seen in the remake. I think we will not disappoint your expectations, including who will be on board and who they will fight against, so please look forward to it.“
Next, he explained the design of Yamato. Fukui explained that he was particular about the anchor mark on the bow, saying, ”Actually, it was tried out on Ginga (in 2022) but when it was painted on, it became too small, so we had to figure something out for Arizona. Also, when I saw Ginga, I thought that the shape of the anchor was quite different between the regular shape of the Cosmo Navy, and the one with these three holes. In my discussion with Mr. Tamamori, we decided to make it a relief. For me, that’s where the appearance of Yamato in 3199 came into view.”
Incidentally, according to Tamamori, the relief part of the anchor was imagined to have a three-dimensional feel like the badge on a student cap.
He also explained the omnidirectional radar room installed on Yamato. Tamamori came up with the concept, size, and layout of this system.
“There was originally a big planetarium-like sphere in the original work,” Fukui said. “Moving the seats of several operators with a crane would be physically impossible no matter how you think about it. But I didn’t want to ruin that atmosphere. The second bridge isn’t used much, so I thought, why not just demolish it and put it there?” But his idea was met with strong opposition from everyone, and was rejected.
Tamamori proposed placing it between the fifth and sixth decks of the bridge. “That space had been left open in the design since the 2199 days. If we were to eventually put the radar room somewhere, it would probably be around this area, so we left the space open,” Tamamori said casually, surprising the audience and earning a round of applause.
“When you look at the Be Forever Roman Album, there’s a pin-up in the front. It shows the internal structure and other details. We also referenced those parts,” said Tamamori, revealing his deep respect for the original work. Oka and the others couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s really great that you’ve been involved in this project from the beginning!”
Following that, numerous designs created by Tamamori, such as the Gladiator, Ajax, Cosmo Tiger II, Cosmo Python, Type-5 Space Armor, and the Cosmo Hound, were unveiled one after another, with the audience leaning forward intently as they listened.
Finally, Director Yamato said, “There’s still some time before Chapter 4, but there will be other events and things to enjoy as well. Please continue to support us.”
Fukui added, “It was an honor to work with Mr. Tamamori again after so long. Mechanical designers have incredible spatial awareness. Everyone is amazing, but Tamamori stands out. His lines are flawless, yet they have a certain flair. He truly has a unique talent. I hope we can continue to work together in the future.”
Tamamori then revealed, “It’s getting more interesting with each chapter. I’ve been promoting it in my hometown. The other day, my mother, who is nearly 80, said she wanted to see Yamato.” The audience responded with loud applause.
Finally, Oka called out to Tamamori, “I hope you’ll be able to stand here again in six and a half years,” and the event came to a close.
Additional coverage from Mantan Web:
Mr. Tamamori said, “I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Izubuchi (the designer of Arizona) and exchange opinions. He said, ‘It was something I designed when I was young…’ Fans have drawn it, made garage kits, and it’s popular, so everyone has their own feelings about it.” Arizona holds a special place in the hearts of fans.
In 3199, the concept is that “the ship was built in North America and underwent major renovations in Japan.” Regarding the design, Tamamori explained, “Since TV screens are 4:3, the ship looked short, but Mr. Izubuchi’s concept art was longer. Maybe it should be a bit larger than Yamato? That’s why we settled on 337 meters.”
Conceptual diagrams of the internal structure were also revealed, with the explanation, “If we are to do a Final Chapter, I want to design it in a way that connects to the world of Syd Mead. Rather than emphasizing the hand-drawn feel, he focused on logical lines and considered a four-module structure. If I can participate in the future, I want to utilize this structure. Even if someone else does it, I hope they will reference it.”
In Chapter 3, the full appearance of Arizona is not yet revealed. Fukui said, “The face of a battleship is still the bow. It’s currently hidden. Taking it step by step is beautiful. I can’t say when it will appear yet,” but he revealed that it will have a prominent role in the future.