Date: September 29, 2013. Location: Hall A of the KDX Higashi Shinjuku building in Kabuko-cho, Tokyo
Scenes from the four-hour marathon webcast with elapsed time for each.
02:00 – the first salute to the live audience officially gets the show off the ground.
08:40 – the Yamato Girls each present written messages for the benefit of the home viewers, giving their vitals, such as Twitter and blog addresses. (See them here.) First up, Shiki Aoki cosplaying as Akira Yamamoto.
Next, Sayako Toujo (as Yuria Misaki) and Momoko Miyauchi (as Makoto Harada).
Last but not least, Rio Nanase (as Kaoru Niimi).
45:03 – special items provided by the audience get some screen time. First, a combat group hand puppet.
46:27 – then a pair of handmade Starsha and Dessler figures (left) and giant Pocky sticks (right). The girls always nibbled on Pocky during a TV episode in past webcasts, so this time somebody brought them sticks that would last the entire show.
53:29 – the first special guest arrives, race queen Noa Mizutani of Team LeMans. Despite the fact that the Yamato car was in actual race that day, she brought her own special brand of sunshine.
1:01:42 – the broadcast of Episode 26 begins. Again, since the webcast can’t play any part of the show, the sound is dropped for home viewers.
1:03:4 – the first shock of the episode when Niimi spots the apparation of Mamoru Kodai. Or does she?
1:08:09 – an altogether different kind of surprise, the marriage announcement of Harada and Kato.
1:08:33 – everyone looks at the happy couple in a new way. It goes without saying that each Yamato Girl has a special bond with her on-screen counterpart.
1:09:59 – the next twist: Harada sees Yuki Mori revive from her coma inside the Iscandar capsule!
1:12:04 – but a cruel fate tips the scale in the other direction and Kodai’s gaze falls upon her now-lifeless face.
1:13:01 – a commercial break comes up (for the EARTH design book) and the tears begin to flow from the emotional workout. But they haven’t seen anything yet!
1:13:34 – the tension breaks when the Yamato Girls’ commercial pops up and everyone has a good laugh.
1:15:20 – the mood lightens during the wedding party and Yamamoto vetoes Shinohara’s ham-handed attempt to take advantage of it.
1:17:03 – despite the festivities, dark clouds gather when Kodai’s resolve finally breaks and the girls feel every ounce of it go.
1:17:12 – everyone watches in suspense as Mamoru observes his brother’s grief.
1:17:51 – hearts break for Kodai as he finally accepts the inevitable.
1:18:48 – flashbacks to Kodai and Yuki’s most memorable moments plunge the knife deeper, and Shiki finally joins Sayako and Rio in the tissue brigade. Momoko watches silently.
1:20:01 – Mamoru makes his final gesture to his younger brother. At this point, Sayako and Rio are weeping openly.
1:20:38 – a miracle! The tears are unstoppable.
1:20:58 – Yuki opens her eyes at last (as we all knew she would).
1:22:47 – but this is Yamato. It’s not going to be that easy. Okita says his final words: “Earth…what good memories.”
1:23:14 – the Cosmo Reverse System powers back up. Rio writes down the line spoken by Okita for later reference.
1:23:35 – a dawning realization spreads over the crew and the viewers alike. This is what was meant to be.
1:24:03 – Yuki reappears on the bridge. Yuria Misaki is the first to blurt out what everyone wants to say: “Welcome back!”
1:25:06 – everyone can see the future from here.
1:26:14 – Earth regains its shining blue color. The tears begin to subside.
1:26:33 – then the most unexpected shock of all! Complete new story – Theatrical release, coming in 2014! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster!
1:26:54 – the episode ends. There is applause, but few words.
1:27:27 – the girls try to put themselves back together. Momoko is still unreadable.
1:27:50 – Shiki tries to speak. Words fail her. A first.
1:28:11 – Shiki gives up and hands the mike over to Momoko to rally the crowd. Rio continues to struggle.
1:33:27 – Noa Mizutani rejoins the group and everyone starts to share their views of the episode that just utterly destroyed them.