Here we continue our roundup of the prodigious press coverage for the movie, picking up in mid-July 1980 and rolling all the way through the blockbusting August premiere. See what all the major publishers (and some minor ones) had to say as the epic unfolded.
In the history of fantasy films, animated or otherwise, few premieres can compare with the rollout of Be Forever. The anticipation for this film burned even hotter than it had two years earlier. Ever the showman, Yoshinobu Nishizaki supervised an avalanche of events and set records that have yet to be broken.
Hio’s Be Forever was based on a script that had not yet been edited for film production. So once again, the manga captures a version of the story that didn’t make it all the way to movie theaters. This turned out to be the hidden jewel in an adaptation that otherwise offers little variance from the source.
Part 6: Into Eternity
When Be Forever premiered, it had been almost six years since the debut of the saga; enough time for a second generation of fans to join the fold. Bandai welcomed them in with its now-classic model kits and added some brand new ones to keep veterans happy.
Turn the roulette to move out into space, and your trip begins! Breathtaking thrills are reproduced in this board game! Who will prevent the extinction of Earth?
So reads the blurb on the box, and it just barely hints at what awaits inside.
This retrospective essay was written in 2000, on the occasion of the Eternal Edition CD collection. Each volume in this set featured extensive liner notes and commentary. Presented here is the commentary for Be Forever Yamato, written by Yu Hayakaya.
