Translated by Anton Mei Brandt
Ram, a Bolar Federation soldier from Planet Berth, engages Kodai in talks, a troubled look on his face. Kodai is shocked to hear his reasoning for joining the Bolar Federation.
Susumu Kodai’s voice: Why would you do what the Bolar tell you?
Ram: The Witch of Uralia.
This scene immediately brings to mind Kodai and the Yamato crew’s first real interaction with the Bolar Federation in Episode 5 of Yamato III (below). They rescue Ram and his sinking ship, the Legendra, hearing of Bolar’s benefits as sovereignty insurance for weaker planets. In stark contrast to 2205’s initial depiction of the Bolars, Yamato III’s introduction is primarily from Ram’s perspective, as a man struggling against Galman’s General Dagon to defend his home, Planet Berth. This hints at a change in direction in this new take on the story.
This also marks the third time we hear of the “Witch of Uralia” in 3199; first from Boroze in episode 1, then Bemlayze’s secretary Darya in Episode 3. The name “Uralia” can be found in Aritsune Toyota’s draft script for The New Voyage, which proposed it to be the Dark Nebula Empire’s true name. The Dark Uralians were said to be at war with the White Shalbartians, hence the need to mine for the weapons-grade minerals native to Gamilas and Iscandar in the TV Movie.
Could Uralia and Shalbart be one and the same in this story? A witch at the center of the universe, akin to the “Dark Queen” (DARQUEEN) from Leiji Matsumoto’s cancelled Great Yamato project (right), which conspicuously was to take place in the year 3199? 2205 hints at the Shalbart of this story — as opposed to the Shalbart we see in Yamato III — being an offshoot of the Iscandarian religion, prompting even more questions.
Quick shots of Yamanami shouting an order from Yamato‘s first bridge, and Sasha smiling happily as she greets the crew on Galman.
Another quick shot of Frakken on the bridge of his Dimensional Submarine, then we switch to the only Earthbound scene from this teaser. A ball held for Earth’s elite at the President’s residence is subject to a terror attack, with Cosmo Marine soldiers turning away from the sight.
Perhaps their latest stunt went awry, a false flag operation of sorts carried out by Dezarium to discredit Aihara’s movement?
Dessler, leader of Galman-Garmillas, exposits about Ram and Planet Berth as Admiral Dietz and Fomto Berger prepare to defend Planet Galman, or perhaps gear up for an offensive.
Dessler: The Bolar homeworld (bears down on us)…and with it, the ferocious general of Planet Berth, the old rival. Ram is coming.
We last saw Admiral Dietz commissioned to defend Planet Galman from future Bolar retaliation in 2205. Berger was last seen in Episode 10 of 3199, fighting a contingent of Bolar forces, only to later pick up a conspicuous pod housing a grown-up teenage Sasha Iscandar. It appears they’re both ready to defend against either Ram himself or the Bolar Proton Missile hinted at in the first Key Visual poster for Chapter 4.
Unsurprisingly, Dietz and Berger still command their golden Zoellegut and Lambea, respectively. What is surprising however, is the lack of any Yamato III-era Galman ships, of which we know mecha design material exists for 3199 (below). Perhaps their construction is a military secret, as well as an audience surprise?
Dessler finishes his line and we see the chapter title: Pale Blue Maiden / Sasha.
Sasha, first downcast then hopeful, witnesses something on Planet Galman.
Not much to go on, but if I were to wager a guess, Sasha’s either witnessing the Ruda/Shalbart religion on Galman (communicating with Ranbel if she’s actually Lt. Alphon), bearing witness to a statue of the Shalbartian Goddess who bears an uncanny resemblance to her mother Starsha, or she’s having her Be Forever heart-to-heart with Uncle Kodai, or perhaps Uncle Dessler. Endless possibilities!
Ranbel receives a communique, his com-medal flickering between red and green, frustration building as his panel screen glows a fierce purple.
A bright light grows in the distance as the Cosmo Hound approaches.
Ram rallies his troops with a rousing speech, then departs to fight Galman-Garmillas.
Ram: We must show them our rage! The fate of Planet Berth hangs on (the outcome of) our battle with Galman-Garmillas.
Yamato, with the aid of two UX-01 space submarines, enters dimensional space. While there, Sasha sees something the rest can’t, surprising Kodai. It’s a Dezarium “Capture Net”.
This Capture Net is likely from Ranbel’s Grodez, the very same one we see snatching Alphon, Niimi and little Sasha at the end of Episode 6. As for why there are only two space submarines present instead of four? In 2205, Frakken’s XO Hainey was lost alongside one of the four to Meldarz’ Capture Net. Given what we see in Episode 10 of 3199, Frakken’s new space submarine was likely built from the skeleton of his own UX-01, leaving only two 2202-era space submarines left on active duty.
Sasha’s ability of farsight/clairvoyance was featured in Be Forever Yamato, aiding the ship in avoiding far-off asteroids and the like. This ability was inherited by Yurisha in 2199, a new and original character added to the Yamato saga. However, if this ‘older Sasha’ is an imposter akin to Lt. Alphon wearing a replica of her body, it’s possible he’s simply communicating with Ranbel to earn Kodai’s trust through a ruse. Sneaky.
Frakken appears at the last second, aiding them with his new Galman-Garmillas space submarine.
Frakken returns with his new and improved space submarine, ready to counter the Capture Net technology that once stole the life of his trusted XO. Using his older generation hardware as bait is a clever move, especially given those are likely going to be decommissioned anyway. My guess is that this is what annoys Ranbel.
A lone Bolar Proton Missile exits warp, its apparent target being Galman’s Capital City of Ruda.
Ram’s voice: Our comrades’ countless sacrifices have paved the way for this one chance…Legendra, don’t you dare miss!
Though I’m loath to admit to the possibility, it appears Ram is dead set (pun intended) on following his original counterpart’s short-lived fate. As has become the standard with Yamato teasers however, there’s tons of red herrings and misdirection involved, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Ram was completely unaware of the Proton Missile heading toward the city of Ruda. He’s likely made to play a plum role, dragging attention and manpower away from Galman’s defense, with the aim of creating an opening for the Bolar authority’s planet-destroying missile to eliminate what they believe to be a modern source of Uralia worship: Ruda city.
As for how I know the missile is of Bolar origin and not Galman? It bears the same color scheme as the Bolar missile which failed to destroy Planet Galman in Yamato III, and it emerges alone from the right side of the screen (adversary side), through a Bolar glass-crack warp hole.
Ram bellows out a challenge to Dessler as crosshairs find Dessler’s palace.
Ram’s voice: Supreme Leader Dessler…brace yourself!
Dessler turns toward the camera in response to something unseen.
Finally, Sasha offers a mumbled prayer, wearing a pair of flash-resistant goggles in anticipation of what most likely is a Wave-Motion Gun charge.
The lone shot of Dessler could take place anywhere, but my bet’s on his reunion with Kodai, a pivotal moment in Yamato III’s 16th episode. As for Sasha’s goggles? They indicate that she’s present when Yamato fires the WMG at the Bolar Proton missile, crying not out of fear, but because of the horrors of using such a brutal weapon, or perhaps in relief knowing her uncle is a man who only uses such weapons for good. This is not unlike the tears Kodai sheds in 2202, Episode 13.
The prayer is a different story. In the original 70mm release of Final Yamato, many scenes were different from how they appeared on the home release version of the movie. One such scene depicts the revived Captain Okita’s final moments before firing the WMG at Planet Aquarius’ flood of water. Okita holds his hands in prayer, hoping that this will help save Earth.
BONUS: Chapter 4 Key Visual
Chapter Name: Pale Blue Maiden / Sasha
Poster text: With that one blow…the world was ‘detuned’.
3199 is chock full of innuendo, multiple meanings to words and wordplay in general. Think REBEL / LEVEL, the duality of Mio(young) and Sasha (older), Operation DAD (father / Defense Against Dezarium), and so on. The most literal way of translating the poster would be: “With one blow…the world spun out of control / was driven mad.” And it’s a very valid translation. However, when using “kuruwaseru” to describe an instrument, “detune” is what it means. Why choose that? Because Deda and Meldarz kept hammering us with a line in 2205, of how Dezarium is here to “tune” our discordant world, in an effort to eliminate the “noise.”
When Yamato destroyed Meldarz’ Goruba ‘with just one bomb,’ as he puts it, any attempt to tune our world was ruined. “The records have become distorted. Wave-Motion energy…that accursed power,” was the main culprit, according to Mother Dezarium. Is Yamato going to be responsible for something terrible by stopping Bolar…?