Yamato Origins, Part 6
Story Outline by Leiji Matsumoto

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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There still would have been a Space Battleship Yamato without Leiji Matsumoto, but none can deny that it wouldn’t be the Yamato we know and love today. Unsatisfied with many of the ideas in the 1973 plan book, Matsumoto wrote his story treatment in April and May of 1974, presented here in full.

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Yamato Origins, Part 7
Story Notes by Leiji Matsumoto

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Collected here is a mish-mash of Leiji Matsumoto’s story notes written during the spring and summer 1974, demonstrating how truly inspired he was in this pivotal phase. This included a wide range of characters on the Gamilas side that later informed the concepts of Yamato 2199.

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Yamato Origins, Part 8: The 39-Episode Outline

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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A composite summary of the charts and story memos for the 39-episode version before the forced reduction to 26. Episodes 1-10 made it to TV largely intact, but everything that followed was subject to heavy revision, compression, or elimination. Some of the lost material would later inform the creation of Yamato 2199.

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Yamato Origins, Part 9
The Pilot Film and the Homestretch

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Getting all the story ideas lined up was one thing; turning words into pictures for the first time was quite another. As network negotiations concluded, Yoshinobu Nishizaki decided to produce ten minutes of finished animation for a pilot film as a warmup for the TV series, marking Yamato‘s first breath of life.

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Series 1 Character Design

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Like everything else about the first series, the character design went through many phases before finally taking shape as the anime icons we know now. Leiji Matsumoto began developing the story and the early character designs simultaneously. As time went on and the project got exponentially bigger, others joined him.

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Episode 1 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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SOS Earth! Revive Battleship Yamato!
In the year 2199, Earth hovers on the edge of extinction. The Gamilons, a race from outside the Milky Way, has bombed the Earth and covered it with deadly radiation. But a message from space brings hope for the future.

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Episode 2 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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The opening gun! Space Battleship Argo starts!
A secret plan has come to fruition: the ancient battleship Yamato has been rebuilt into the Space Battleship Argo, the most powerful vessel Earth has ever launched. But a Gamilon attack could end the voyage before it even begins!

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Episode 3 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Argo take off! The challenge of 296,000 light years!
People are called from around the world to board the Space Battleship Argo and make the journey to another galaxy. They are called the Star Force, and they must reach planet Iscandar in one year or Earth is doomed!

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Episode 4 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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World of wonder! Argo leaps past light!
The Argo has left Earth in its desperate mission to retrieve the Cosmo DNA machine from Planet Iscandar, which will remove the radiation that threatens humanity. But first the Star Force must survive a deadly space warp!

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Episode 5 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Escape the floating continent! Crisis calls the Wave-Motion Gun!
Hidden in the clouds of Planet Jupiter is a giant floating island–and a secret Gamilon base. Jupiter’s mighty gravity will trap the Star Force here forever…unless the mighty wave motion gun can set them free!

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Episode 6 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Space Destroyer Paladin sleeps in the icefield
With the Argo running low on energy, the Star Force stops at Saturn’s moon Titan to mine the ore they need to continue the voyage to Iscandar. But they are unprepared for what else they will find!

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Episode 7 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Argo sinks! Fateful battle to destroy the enemy stronghold!
As the Argo approaches Pluto, the Star Force is attacked by the Gamilons’ deadly reflex gun, a cannon with unlimited range. Hit and damaged, the Argo plummets into the frigid seas of Pluto. Will this become its final resting place?

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Episode 8 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Argo braves death! Destroy the reflex gun!
Derek Wildstar leads a task force into the Gamilon base on Pluto to find and destroy the reflex gun. But the Argo is under constant attack, and time is running out for the Star Force!

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Episode 9 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Revolving defense! Asteroid belt!
The Argo is on the edge of the solar system, farther than any humans have travelled…but before they can continue, they have to break a Gamilon blockade–something no Earth ship has done before!

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Episode 10 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Farewell, solar system! From the Galaxy, with love.
As the Star Force prepares to leave the solar system and continue on to Iscandar, they pause to say goodbye to their families. They have been tested in battle…but not all of them can face a trial like this!

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Episode 11 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Resolution! Break through the Gamilons’ absolute defense line!
Desslok, leader of the Gamilons, amuses himself by placing a minefield in the path of the Argo as it plunges into deep space…and his amusement could be the end of the line for the Star Force!

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Episode 12 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Absolute death! The wishing star of Orion, Hell-star!
The Star Force faces two deadly Gamilon traps: an energy net that blocks their way to Iscandar, and a sea of fire that threatens to engulf the Argo. Which way to turn? Or is there no way out?

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Episode 13 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Hurry, Argo! Earth is suffering!
The Star Force captures a Gamilon pilot and gets their first look at the enemy that has nearly destroyed Planet Earth. But to their disbelief, he appears to be as human as they are!

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Episode 14 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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The galaxy’s ordeal! The year 2200 advances!
Not all the dangers of deep space are made by the Gamilons. The Argo is trapped in a massive space storm, unable to continue its voyage to Iscandar. But every day they lose brings Earth closer to extinction!

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Episode 15 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Desperate escape! The galaxy’s different dimension
The Argo becomes trapped in the Sargasso Sea of space, a dimensional vortex that stops spaceships dead in their tracks. To make it worse, General Lysis of Gamilon chooses that moment to strike–and there is no way to fight back!

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Episode 16 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Planet Beeland, underground prison of condemned criminals
Nova and IQ-9 are captured by a race of Bee people while exploring their planet. They are imprisoned to wait for the judgment of Queen Melina–a judgment of certain death!

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Episode 17 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Charge! Balanosaurus special attack group!
As the Star Force nears General Lysis’ Gamilon base on Planet Balan and Captain Avatar is paralyzed by illness, Volgar unleashes a scheme that is sure to stop the Argo–a gigantic space monster!

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Episode 18 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Floating fortress island! Two men brave death!
Trapped by a massive space fortress that shakes spaceships to pieces with a Graviton wave, the Star Force must wait for Wildstar and Sandor to disable it. But if they fail, they will be trapped here forever!

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Episode 19 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Homesickness of space! My mother’s tears are my tears!
Homer is secretly communicating with Planet Earth and gets tragic news from his family…and he is determined to return home with or without the Star Force!

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Episode 20 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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The day planet Balan’s sun dropped!
The Argo reaches Balan, the halfway point on the desperate mission to Iscandar, and the Star Force is caught in a deadly trap! General Lysis intends to crush them with Balan’s artificial sun–and he just might succeed!

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Episode 21 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Desperate Challenge from Lysis’ fleet!
Furious over his defeat at Balan, General Lysis and the deadly Gamilon war fleet draws a line in front of the Argo. And if the Star Force crosses that line, they’ll be in for the fight of their lives!

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Episode 22 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Decisive battle! Fight for honor at the rainbow star group!
The Star Force and the Argo plunge into a showdown with General Lysis and the Gamilon fleet. At stake is the entire mission to Iscandar–and the future of Planet Earth!

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Episode 23 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Finally arrived! Crest of the Magellanic Cloud’s wave!
The Star Force is in the home stretch toward Planet Iscandar, where they will retrieve the Cosmo DNA machine that can save Earth from radioactive death. Only one more thing stands in their way: Planet Gamilon!

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Episode 24 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Death struggle! God, weep for the Gamilons!
Pulled into the depths of the Gamilon and forced to fight for their lives, the Star Force battles desperately against the might of the Gamilon Empire. Before this day, Leader Desslok has allowed others to fight for him…but now he takes matters into his own hands!

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Episode 25 Commentary

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TimEldred

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Iscandar! A dying planet of love!
At last, the Argo reaches Planet Iscandar to retrieve the Cosmo DNA machine that will save Earth from extinction. Their benefactor, Queen Starsha, is the last Iscandarian left alive…but she does not wait alone for the Star Force.

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