These story ideas for Yamato Resurrection were written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki in 1993. Most of the concepts that made it to the screen were already in place, but there were some interesting glimpses of what might have been — AND what could yet be if a sequel is made.
A monstrous black hole approaches Earth, threatening to swallow the entire planet. A massive emigration effort is underway, but a determined enemy stands in the way of salvation. Now, the time has come for Space Battleship Yamato to awaken after a 17 year slumber!
In November 2019, the classic Yamato saga expanded for the first time in ten years when Aquarius Algorithm debuted in the pages of Star Blazers/Yamato Premium Fan Club magazine. Written by Katsuya Takashima, it bridges the gap between Final Yamato and Resurrection.
To mark the ten-year anniversary of Yamato Resurrection, we present interviews with three of the most important members of the animation staff: Director Yoshinobu Nishizaki, Character Animation Director Tomonori Kogawa, and Mechanic Director Nobuyoshi Habara.
A comprehensive collection of 2008/2009 mecha design by Makoto Kobayashi in four categories: Yamato 2220, Yamato aircraft, Earth Federation ships, and SUS mecha.
Here is a complete synopsis of Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection combined with stills from various sources. This synopsis gives EVERYTHING away. You must decide whether you want to know it all now or wait to see the movie for yourself. This website bears no responsibility for your choice.
This is a work-in-progress with the goal of assembling as complete a timeline as possible of Resurrection events and products. Data will be added and revised as new information becomes available. As the entries on this list receive coverage elsewhere on this site, links will be added to help you find them.
This 1993 interview included five staff members; three veterans and two new participants who had came on board for the first round of development on Yamato Resurrection. The project was discussed in a fair amount of detail, and was remarkably consistent with the film that finally emerged 16 years later.
The first word breaks in August 2008 of Yamato’s return to the big screen after a 25 year absence. A report is published at Variety.com (in English!) and brief test footage appears.
Roots of Resurrection: A look back at the early genesis of the film in 1994 when a documentary introduced the people involved and the conceptual art that emerged from the first round of development.
After the first footage is screened at Yamato Party 2009, it is released on a promotional DVD and subsequently exhibited at major events such as Comicon International. Read about this and a profile of the film’s character designer, anime veteran Tomonori Kogawa.
A record of events from August and September, 2009. Serious promotion begins as a flyer is released to theaters, the official website goes live with artwork, data, and a trailer, and the first products appear.
A record of events and products in the fall of 2009. The official website expands, the voice actors speak to the media, and Yoshinobu Nishizaki gives his first interview to Animage magazine.
Merchandising gets off the ground, the “Perfect Revival Exhibition” opens, a promotional press kit appears, an exhibit opens at the Tokyo Anime Center, the Yamato Crew website goes live, the first print coverage begins, and Nishizaki makes his first personal appearance at the November sneak preview.
The movie opens in December 2009 and the merchandising machine explodes with food products, magazine coverage, a major clothing line, live exhibits, TV specials, the first-ever Yamato app, music releases, and exclusive products that accompany the film itself in theaters. All this and much more!
A record of events and products from January through April 2010, including new apparel, figure announcements, a customized PC, CD singles, and the first word of home video releases. See it all here.
The film makes its first international appearance in Montreal, arrives on DVD and blu-ray, products roll out from Yamato Crew, Yamato-themed health insurance(!) is offered, garage kits are announced, and the massive Resurrection Complete Box appears in October.
Resurrection is resurrected when the Director’s Cut is announced in early 2011. Product releases continue, including new garage kits and the Resurrection Fever pachinko game. The Director’s Cut itself is released for one week only, in late June 2012.
During the run-up to Resurrection in December 2009, a unique event was held in Tokyo: a gallery exhibition featuring artifacts from the production years and some teasers for the film. See extensive photos and read an eyewitness report here.
The Director’s Cut arrived on home video March, 2012 and Enagio Studio announced their intention to expand it into a trilogy. To help encourage everyone to lend their support, here is a comprehensive look at what the Director’s Cut actually is.
An overview of the changes made to the Director’s Cut highlighting its heavily-revised ending, and the backstory of Resurrection translated from story notes written in 1993. [2 pages]
We examine the unusual genesis of the Director’s Cut and lead staff members talk about the creation of the film, including Executive Producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki, Co-director Makoto Kobayashi, and others.
Mr. Kobayashi has also enjoyed a unique Yamato career, having been a major participant in the new projects of the late 80s/early 90s. He then returned to get Resurrection over the finish line and take the lead on the 2012 Director’s Cut. This interview took place the week of its premiere in February 2012.
From the moment Resurrection was announced, one of the first questions from the fan community was, “who will write the music?” Volume 5 of Animage Original magazine, published in October 2009, was the first to seek out an answer, which is presented in full here.
A rundown of all the music releases for Resurrection, including the CD singles and the revised soundtrack for the Director’s Cut. Also features translated lyrics for the end theme, Dedicate My Love.
