Graveyard of the Universe Yamato plunges through a dimensional gap, into a ship’s graveyard. A cruel space, devoid of life. And there, the shadow of an enemy ship appears. Will they work together or against one other? Will men be able to work together, rather than wait for death?
February 2015: two months after the premiere of Ark of the Stars, it shifted to net delivery. February continued the general slowdown seen in January, but also brought new product announcements, new online activity, and a major new concert that kept the Yamato spirit high. Here’s a roundup of all the February action. [2 pages]
From Otona Anime magazine, February 2015. In this interview, Producer Mikio Gunji encapsulates Yamato 2199 history with observations about its progression in the media from the premiere in 2012 to the making of Ark of the Stars in 2014.
The Clockwork Prisoner
Garmilloids are the Garmillas’s vanguard. Are the words spoken by the one we captured the truth, or falsehood? Does the answer lie beyond communication between machines? What is a person? What is a machine? And, what is a heart?
January 2015 looked like a well-deserved break compared to December, but it was still a good time to be a fan. New books, models, magazine coverage, the last Yamatalk, and art from both pros and fans made for a memorable month – and news of Ark of the Stars on home video pointed toward the future.
Wish Upon a Star
A trap waits in the skies. Dark clouds gather, and up ahead, a red sun looms. Its mouth is filled with burning fire, and its arms are Hell’s crimson flames. Fire one blast, to break through an inescapable trap, and effect an impossible escape.
A substantial variety of interviews with voice actors for Kodai and Mikage, Director Yutaka Izubuchi, Composer Akira Miyazawa, Producer Shoji Nishizaki, and musician Taro Hakase. Originally published in the Ark of the Stars program book (December 2014).
With the premiere day of Ark of the Stars in the rear view mirror, things slowed down somewhat for the rest of the month; December 7-31 saw roughly the same activity as the first five days. But even by itself, that would still count as an above-average month with new products in practically every category. [2 pages]
On this, probably the single busiest day in Yamato history, Ark of the Stars could be seen by anyone in range of a Japanese movie theater, along with a historic amount of related activity. This report is entirely devoted to everything that happened on December 6, 2014. [2 pages]
December 2014 broke the record for the most Yamato activity in a single month, EVER. So much happened that it has been broken into three separate reports for easier reading. This first portion covers December 1-5, in which new music, new books, a chocolate Yamato and more marked the approach of Ark of the Stars. [2 pages]
The December 2014 release of Ark of the Stars was especially busy in the area of print media coverage. Here is a comprehensive collection of articles from multiple sources, providing several interviews with cast and crew, background info on the story, a guide to how anime is made, and much more.
Farewell to the Solar System
With different emotions in each of their hearts, the crew of Yamato now leaves the solar system behind. Before them lies a galaxy no human has ever seen. Say a prayer for those who set sail, and a goodbye to those left behind. Let your feelings be heard. Farewell, Earth. We will return! We will return!
November 2014 dialed activity up intensely when A Voyage to Remember arrived on home video, and the promotional campaign for Ark of the Stars went nuclear. A rush of products and announcements later in the month gave us the clear signal that Yamato fever was back! [3 pages]
During the final countdown to the premiere of Ark of the Stars, Director Yutaka Izubuchi finally broke several months of silence with his first interview of 2014. Here he explains when and how the idea of the film was first proposed and what steps were taken to lay its foundations. (From Yamato 2199 Pia)
The premiere of A Voyage to Remember contributed to making October 2014 one of the busiest months in Yamato history, with something new almost every day. The buildup only occupies page 1 of this 4-page onslaught. Not bad for a franchise that turned 40 years old on October 6.
From the Voyage to Remember movie program book: Director Takeo Kato and Writer Shigeru Morita discuss the nitty-gritty of how they struggled to cut Yamato 2199 down to a single feature film without losing the essence of the story – a task neither fully appreciated until they became responsible for it.
Koichi Yamadera is unique among Yamato voice actors, having played the top two characters at different times: Kodai and Dessler. This makes him an interesting guy to talk to, and resulted in these three publicity interviews for A Voyage to Remember, all published on October 10, 2014.
The Sun Sets on Pluto Yamato sinks into the Pluto sea. Yamato, rise… Rise, Yamato! The people of Earth await your return. It is their last hope. Open the vents! Raise Yamato! Target the hidden enemy base, and fire a shot into the aurora-filled skies!
September 2014: this month was all about buildup to the October release of A Voyage to Remember. The heavy pace of public events got even heavier, especially when four of them collided in one spectacular weekend. And then there was the unexpected announcement from Hollywood. [3 pages]
In a unique behind-the-scenes seminar at Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair, the curtain was lifted for an inside view of the anime business with 2199 as a focal point. The presentation was given by series producer Mikio Gunji, and it painted a revealing picture of the risks required to produce a modern-day anime series.
Great Mechanics DX #30 maintained its groundbreaking reputation by becoming the first magazine to feature in-depth coverage of the 2199 movies. Writer Shigeru Morita and Producer Mikio Gunji were both interviewed about the creation of a new chapter in Yamato history.
The Trap on All Sides
The planet with the king of the dead’s name stands before Yamato. Unless the planet is overcome, humanity has no future. All crew, battle stations! Our target is Pluto! Can Yamato break through the trap that lies in wait? The biggest battle of the solar system begins.
August 2014 had a little bit of everything; public events continued and a healthy wave of new products emerged on all fronts. But the biggest news was a brand new trailer for Ark of the Stars that gave us our first look at what was in store. Here’s everything that went on during this exciting month. [2 pages]
For the second year in a row, a high-profile hotel in Japan played host to a Yamato 2199 public event, and this year it was Yamato 2199 World at the Rihga Royal Hotel in Osaka. From August 14-16, fans could party like it’s 2199. Find out what they got up to via their pictures and blogs.
July 2014: a BIG month with a lot of BIG things going on in all areas of Yamato land. A record number of live events swept over Japan (plus two in America), a major campaign with a tourist company kicked into motion, new products popped up everywhere, and the REALLY big news happened in the model kit world. [2 pages]
Gravestone on a Frozen Field
The Wave-Motion Gun… Its terrifying power has damaged Yamato itself. A mysterious distress call…different feelings…what will the man of the sea decide? And Kodai sees a hero, who rests upon a frozen satellite. A requiem sounds in empty space.
Escape from the Jupiter Sphere
The time has come to set sail. Yamato heads for the planet of hope. You…you are the only ones who can save Earth! Cross the light barrier and fly, Yamato! And now, Yamato‘s true form is revealed. What terrifying power does it hold?
Within the first six months of Yamato 2199 magazine coverage, the true standout for quality reporting was Great Mechanics DX magazine, published by Futaba Co. We followed them issue by issue here, but left out this portion of issue #21, which was published in June 2012. Fortunately, the information is timeless…
