Director Harutoshi Fukui x Director Naomichi Yamato
How did you become the director? What is the mystery of 3199?
The first chapter of the latest work in the popular Space Battleship Yamato remake series is Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199, Dark Invasion. It will be screened from July 19th. A new interpretation has been added to the third movie Be Forever Yamato (released in 1980) and it has been reconstructed into a total of 26 episodes/seven chapters.
Harutoshi Fukui, who was in charge of the series composition and scriptwriting for the remake series Yamato 2202 and Yamato 2205, will serve as general director and be in charge of the series composition and scriptwriting, which is also a hot topic.
The director is Naomichi Yamato, who has worked on Night Raid Flash and the Macross Delta movie Absolute Live. We asked Director Fukui and Director Yamato about their thoughts on 3199.
Click here for the original post
Harutoshi Fukui (L) and Naomichi Yamato (R)
Becoming the general director and deciding what to do
Interviewer: Mr. Fukui, you’ve been given the title of general director.
Fukui: Honestly, it’s no different from before. On the contrary, things were strange up until now, so this time I’ve been given a proper title and asked to carry it on my shoulders. Up until now, I’d have a say in a lot of things, but it was a bit awkward because a different person had to carry it.
This time, I’m trying to make up my mind. I’ve started to pay more attention to the specific details, like the finish of each scene, but the fundamentals haven’t changed. Up until now, I’ve left it up to the director as long as the direction was set, but I sometimes add things when they come to the top.
Interviewer: How did Director Yamato come to be involved?
Yamato: I was involved in 2205 as a director, and I was working as assistant director on another project at the time, so I was doing them both simultaneously. After the project I was assisting on ended, Mr. Fukui asked me to join him.
Fukui: When I saw the number of episodes he was in charge of on 2205, I could see that he was putting in a lot of effort, so I knew I couldn’t let him go in the future. Your name was also fate, wasn’t it?
Yamato: I think it might be the first time in history that a director’s name and the title of a work are the same. (Laughs) It’s my real name. In elementary school, I was nicknamed “Space Battleship,” and I watched it with my father as a child.
Interviewer: What is your impression of Space Battleship Yamato?
Yamato: I think it’s mostly like a textbook. I respect many of the staff involved, and it’s like a standard for expression.
The mystery of “3199” will be revealed in the second chapter
Interviewer: The remake series consists of 2199, 2202, 2205, and the title of the new work is 3199. What does this number mean?
Fukui: It’s not clear in the first chapter, but it will be revealed in the next chapter. In the original work, there is a surprise box that is opened at the end, but when the second chapter begins, it will all be unlocked. Even more surprises await after that. Once you’ve experienced the surprise box, it isn’t a surprise any more, so we’ll open it from the beginning and show you. From there, something incredible will happen, and you might wonder if the surprise box will open even further!
Interviewer: What will be depicted in 3199?
Yamato: The original work, Be Forever Yamato, has a strong visual impact, and it depicts the reasons for each character’s actions, their intentions, and their conflicts. 3199 is a work that is filled with the conflicts we are living through today.
Fukui: It’s more localized than ever. The earthquake, the coronavirus, the tension of not knowing when we might be drawn into a war, the emergence of AI, how do we preserve our humanity? These are issues that Japanese people have faced in recent years, and they are reflected directly.
Interviewer: Although this was also depicted in 2202 and 2205…
Fukui: I think it will be more personal because it’s portrayed in a different way than before. I also experienced the fear of peer pressure. We had such unpleasant experiences during the war and should have been more careful, so it’s clear that human nature has not changed in recent years. In other words, was it ever easy to control?
The eeriness of not being able to see the enemy’s face
Interviewer: In the first chapter of 3199, it’s impressive that you can’t see the enemy’s face.
Fukui: That was the case in the original work, but now there’s a different eeriness to it.
Interviewer: The original also has the atmosphere of the Cold War.
Fukui: However, now when something similar suddenly happens, I can only think of a couple of things, like, what country is this? What are we fighting in the first place? I don’t know what we’re fighting.
Yamato: Things that were fresh back then look different now, and there’s no point in making the same thing as before. I think it’s important to see what moves the hearts of today’s audience. Mr. Fukui’s script has volume, so I have to express fluctuations rather than just letting it flow. I’m trying to make a work that resonates with people’s hearts.
Fukui: I think Be Forever Yamato is a work that reached a limit of anime expression. It clearly changed the fan base from The New Voyage into a family franchise. In that sense, it works. It has a bit of Yamato-like naniwabushi [classic song], but it’s not too serious. You could also say that it’s a very well-made fun movie.
It’s definitely going to be great
Interviewer: Are there any visual expressions that have never been seen before?
Yamato: There are many unique designs in Be Forever Yamato, but I’m trying to express them while keeping in mind what the remake series has accumulated so far.
Fukui: The design of the Bolar, which has a unique feel, was done by Mika Akitaka. It seems to follow the original work, but there are also some changes, which is wonderful. With Yasushi Ishizu for Garmillas and Junichiro Tamamori for Earth, the designers are separate, so each one brings out their own unique style, adding color to the work.
Interviewer: What about Yamato‘s design?
Fukui: The hull itself is the same as 2205, but the anchor mark on the bow has been added. 2205 and 3199 were originally planned together, so we intended to use it as is. We wanted to announce 2205 and 3199 with very little time between them, but we ran into difficulty with rising production costs due to the coronavirus, so it took a long time to make.
Yamato: In order to follow the previous series and satisfy the fans, it’s not enough to just make something you like, so we’re getting help from a lot of different people. There are also specialists.
Fukui: When I asked, “How does this work?”, Yuka Minagawa, who is in charge of literature, and other specialists in each field, provide me with a lot of research. It’s also rare to have such a large number of people working on the actual production. All the designers are in attendance, and sometimes orders are made on the spot. For 2022, the assistant director [Makoto Kobayashi] was also a designer, so that’s been followed.
Yamato: The production flow is unique and more complicated than other works. Scenes that seem to flow in an instant are also created in great detail. Thanks to everyone’s help, we managed to complete the first chapter.
Interviewer: It’s going to be a long journey, with seven chapters in total.
Fukui: I knew it would be a tough job, but I accepted the role because I knew I could make something great. I wanted to do it even if I had to take full responsibility. The script is finished. I haven’t said this much myself, but I think it’s the best work I’ve ever made, including my novels. That’s why I accepted the role of general director. I think I’ve told the story I wanted to tell. I hope you’ll look forward to it.