September 2013: the entire month is a whirlwind of activity as Chapter 7 finishes its theatrical run, the final episodes air on TV, the world of fandom puts it all into perspective, new products and magazine coverage appear, fans participate in a huge art project, the 2199 music vault finally closes, and much more! [2 pages]
From Tim Eldred’s 2013 Yamatour, a detailed conversation with the talented director of Yamato 2199 episodes 9 and 19 with scene-by-scene commentary, inside stories, exclusive artwork, thoughts about the future, and much more.
From the Chapter 7 program book: as the mastermind of 2199‘s mecha presentation, Mr. Nishii talks about his experiences as a viewer of Series 1 and how they colored his opinions of what a remake should accomplish. He also discusses what it took to make Yamato mecha look better than ever.
From Great Mechanics DX #26, September 2013. Shigeru Morita of Studio Nue spearheaded some of the most complex episodes of the series and masterminded the battle of the Rainbow Star Cluster. He talks in detail about the thought process behind the on-screen strategy and creative state of the Yamato saga.
An index to the enormous number of Yamato 2199 articles and publications, with links to reports and translations. Part 1 (Nov 2011 – Sep 2012) Part 2 (Sep 2012 – May 2013) Part 3 (May 2013 – Oct 2013) Part 4 (Nov 2013 – Jun 2014) Part 5 (Jun 2014 – Dec 2014) Part 6 (Dec 2014 – present)
August 2013: Chapter 7 brings the series to an end amidst the busiest month in the saga’s entire history! Interviews, new products, future announcements, special events, promotional tie-ins, and a record amount of fan participation made the end of Yamato 2199 something to remember forever! [3 pages]
From Hyper Hobby, September 2013: an interview with two prominent producers from the Yamato 2199 Production Committee whose job it was to steer the ship through the unsteady waters of public promotion. Here they discuss the unusual responsibility of turning a legacy back into a living legend.
July 2013: Star Blazers 2199 makes the worldwide rounds, new songs, changes for the manga, Yamato 1966, Super Formula racing, the MV release, new products revealed in the hobby magazines, garage kits aplenty, Red-Eyed Ace manga debut, words from Akira Miyagawa, the EARTH design book, and more! [2 pages]
On June 25, the Yamato faithful gathered for this conversation between General Director Yutaka Izubuchi and Daisuke Shima’s voice actor Kenichi Suzumura. Despite fewer guests than normal, there were still plenty of surprises to be had, as Suzumura imparted to the audience his own unique voice acting philosophy.
In these two interviews, published in Hobby Japan and Hyper Hobby magazines, Bandai Hobby Division’s Hirofumi Kishiyama talks about how his team produces the 2199 models at a breakneck pace, and draws a hitherto unknown parallel between this series and Bandai’s first Gundam kits.
May and June 2013: TV episodes 9-13, manga chapter 15, the Chapter 6 premiere, articles from the chapter 6 program book, Tokyo Toy Show, Garmillas model kits released, Maxon article on CG production, Yamatalk Night 6, coverage in hyper hobby, Great Mechanics DX, Weekly Post, and more. [2 pages]
From Hyper Hobby #178, June 2013. A conversation with the producer and sculptor of toy manufacturer Megahouse all about the creation of the 1/8 Yamato Girls figure collection, highlighting the challenges of developing Yuki Mori and Akira Yamamoto in three dimensions.
2199 previously gotten a boost from this gossip magazine back in April 2012 just after the premiere of Chapter 1, and this followup called attention to the program’s numerous attractions for TV viewers.
From the 2199 Chapter 6 program book. Mr. Imanishi talks about how he became involved in the series, how the CG side was developed, and his hopes for how the program will be remembered.
Maxon is a 3D software developer that created Cinema 4D, which serves as a platform for some of the CG imagery in Yamato 2199. High-end users of the software occasionally tell their stories on the company website, and in this case, it was 2199 director of photography Takashi Aoki.
The June 2013 issue of Great Mechanics DX featured a revealing interview about the marketing side of Yamato 2199, conducted with Production IG producer Mikio Gunji. This website has covered the marketing of the series at every step, and now the strategy behind that marketing is finally revealed.
April and May 2013: new CD singles, Treasure Festa Hobby Show, TV episodes 5-8, manga chapter 14, Shizuoka hobby show, voice actor talk event, Pormelia model kit released, Mega Hobby Expo, Chapter 5 on home video, the trailer for Chapter 6, coverage from Animedia, Yomiuri Online, and the hobby magazines.
April 2013: Niigata museum exhibit, manga chapter 13, the Official DVD Guidebook, the premiere of Chapter 5 and articles from the program book, TV episodes 2-4, Yamatalk Night 5, the Yuki Mori figure and many other products appear, and coverage from Animedia and the hobby magazines. [2 pages]
One week of events to promote the TV premiere in April 2013: MBS Character Festival in Osaka, more secrets of Chapter 5, Bandai’s model kit developer interviewed, newspapers give away 2199 posters, Yamato girls at the MBS countdown booth in Akihabara, and the TV episode simulcasts begin on NicoNico.
March 2013: the trailers for Chapter 5, the Yamato race car, secrets from Chapter 5, new books announced, manga chapter 12, Banpresto’s D-Fleet, Cosmo Zero Alpha 2 released, Tokyo International Anime Fair, UNCF model kit set 2, coverage in hobby magazines and Great Mechanics DX.
January 2013: The TV broadcast is announced, Chapter 4 premiere and merchandising, translated articles from the Chapter 4 program book, premium shop products, mecha commentary, Yamatalk Night 4, new coverage in New Type and the hobby magazines, and Garmillas Warships set 1 is released. [2 pages]
December 2012: the first art book, manga chapter 10, the Cosmo Zero Alpha 1 kit is announced, coverage in Great Mechanics DX and the monthly hobby magazines, the Yamato premium shop opens, the Chapter 4 trailer, and new 2199 doujinshi appear.
October and November 2012: Yamatalk Night 3, UNCF model kit set 1, the first soundtrack, Maeda Construction Co. engineers Yamato’s launch, manga chapter 9, the November 11 concert, Chapter 3 on home video, new magazine coverage, and Dengeky Hobby releases the miniature Cosmo Falcon kit.
October 2012: Yamato Crew Fun Club magazine debuts, a custom-wrapped 2199 train, November concert announced, live events in Fukuoka and Tokushima, manga chapter 8, new kits revealed at the All Japan Model Hobby Show, the premiere of Chapter 3, and translated articles from the Chapter 3 program book.
September 2012: Hyper Hobby presents more secrets of Chapter 2, new character updates appear, manga chapter 7, the great Yamato 2199 road trip visits Kyoto and Osaka, and magazine coverage in Great Mechanics DX, Hobby Japan, Dengeki Hobby, Model Graphix, and Figure King.
