Producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki fully recognized the contribution of private fan clubs to Yamato‘s smash success in 1977. Hot on the heels of his announcement that there would be a Yamato sequel, he set into motion phase two of Yamato fandom: the founding of an official fan club. Read all about its most exciting years here.
If one were to track the history of Yoshinobu Nishizaki and his post-Yamato pursuits solely through Japan’s mainstream media, it wouldn’t look like much of a story. But scanning the pages of the Yamato fan club magazines from 1983 onward reveals a different, much more interesting story.
Published by Office Academy, June 1978. This issue was fully loaded with the latest news on Farewell to Yamato, which included coverage of the May 24 press conference/fan club meeting, character and mecha art, another Q&A with producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki, and more.
Published by Office Academy, August 1978. After months of agonized anticipation, Farewell to Yamato had finally been released in movie theaters. This issue commenced with an account of the premiere and moved forward from there to examine what else was happening or about to happen in this pivotal time period.
When Yamato 2 appeared, it divided the fans into two camps; those who considered it an alternate version of the greatest movie ever made, and those who considered it an inferior version of the greatest movie ever made. When this issue was published, Yamato 2‘s fate was still up in the air and opinions were flying furiously.
This issue was published in April, 1979 to coincide with the conclusion of Yamato 2. The ratings were so impressive that Yoshinobu Nishizaki had already given the green light to The New Voyage. Without missing a beat, this issue jumped right from one to the other.
