Thoughts after watching Episode 3
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The Awakening and Flight of the Giant, Rusty Ship
In this article, I will analyze the third episode of the 1974 version of Space Battleship Yamato from the perspective of a former field engineer, focusing on three points:
– Captain Okita’s decision-making
– The failed attempt to start the Wave-Motion Engine
– The symbolic change from red rust to silver.
It was past 3am. I was sitting in front of the stove with a glass of hot shochu in hand, watching the third episode of Yamato for the umpteenth time.
The year is 2199, and there are 363 days left until the extinction of humanity. Yamato Launches!! A 296,000 Light-Year Challenge – every time I see this title, it always stirs a shiver in my heart. It’s not just an escape story. There’s something built into it that transforms despair into hope. Perhaps I should call it the true nature of catharsis.
Summary of highlights
The Depth of Captain Okita’s “Resolve”
He is not a cold-hearted commander who has set aside personal feelings, but rather the true essence of the “weight” he feels as a father who has lost his beloved son and is shouldering the fate of all humanity.
The Directorial Significance of the “First Failure”
The silence at the starting of the Wave-Motion Engine and its subsequent restart go beyond mere dramatic effect; they are an important process that allows viewers to physically experience the “fear of human extinction.”
Transforming from Battleship Yamato to Space Battleship Yamato
The scene where the rust on the outer hull peels off, revealing the silver hull from within, is a symbolic moment in which the fading past transforms into a hopeful future.
The perspective that “imperfection” resonates with humans
The noises such as “failure, silence, and hesitation” that AI tends to eliminate are what imprint Yamato in our memories as not just a weapon, but as a living, breathing entity.
A universal catharsis where despair and hope intersect
The beauty of the moment when unreasonable violence (planetary bombs) is met with science and technology (Wave-Motion Engines) and human will (Okita’s resolve).
Captain Okita’s “Resolve”: The aesthetic of rationality that rejects subjective emotion
At first, Susumu Kodai viewed Okita as a “cold-hearted commander.” I thought so too. But when Chief Engineer Tokugawa revealed the truth that “Okita had also lost a son” — at that moment, my hand stopped moving as I watched the screen.
How should I put it…it’s not something that can be dismissed with words like “clearly separating public and private.”
“If there’s even a one in a million chance…”
These words aren’t mere spiritualism. They’re the “answer to survival” arrived at by someone who holds the fate of all humanity in his hands, after thoroughly eliminating the noise of personal feelings. They carry such weight that I can’t help but call them that.
An AI would probably write something like “the essence of leadership” here, but to me, all I saw was a father standing there, swallowing his own pain.
Daisuke Shima, clad in the Yamato uniform (white with green lines), his eyes downcast and an expression of endurance.
Wave-Motion Engine Startup: Why “The First Failure” Was Necessary
The crux of this episode lies in the scene where the Wave-Motion Engine starts up. Daisuke Shima flips the switch. A rumbling, ultra-low-pitched hum echoes.
And then…it stops.
It fails to ignite the first time. This pause is strangely gripping. The silence tells us that Yamato is not just a super-weapon. It’s a giant, living machine.
A silence descends. The viewer — meaning me — physically experiences the fear that failure means the end of humanity. For that moment, I couldn’t even hear the creaking of my old house.
And then the missile approaches. The successful restart under these extreme circumstances plunges the story’s tension into a tailspin, then soars to a new height. It’s a well-calculated performance. I hate to call it that, but it’s true. It was more than just a structure; it was the beating of a human heart.
Transformation of “Nature”: From a Rusty Past to a Silver Future
When Commander Schulz of Pluto insulted the ship by calling it a “That rusty old wreck,” I couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t understand.
He had only seen the secondary information of its appearance.
But then, when the impact of launch caused the outer shell to peel off, revealing the ship’s silver hull, I put down my shochu and leaned forward. This depicts the moment when a symbol of a fading past, is reborn as a new, unknown quality that will save humanity.
Hokkaido’s winters can sometimes freeze the human heart, but that silver glow possesses the warmth to melt it.
Episode 3 Summary
The Awakening of Yamato, the Sleeping Lion
Mankind’s final hope is entrusted to the Space Battleship Yamato, which is being secretly modified using the repurposed hull of the battleship that sank in the ocean off Yamato. At its heart is a mysterious “Wave Engine” provided by Iscandar. This engine compresses cosmic energy and is powered by “tachyon particles” that exceed the speed of light, enabling Earth’s first FTL travel.
However, their start was not smooth. Sensing Yamato‘s presence, Gamilas Commander Ganz launches a “super-large missile” from his base on Pluto, intending to destroy the fledgling Yamato before it even takes off.
Captain Okita’s Determination and the Conflict of the Young Warriors
Yamato is led by the battle-hardened Captain Juzo Okita. Before departure, he confronts his crew with a harsh reality: “I cannot guarantee your safety.” However, not a single person walks away.
Among them is the young warrior Susumu Kodai, burning with a desire to avenge his brother, Mamoru, who was killed in battle.
Kodai harbors mixed feelings toward Okita, whom he mistakenly believes to have abandoned his brother. However, when Chief Engineer Tokugawa informs him that “Okita also lost his only son in the same battle,” he realizes the steely determination and deep grief hidden beneath Okita’s calm and collected demeanor.
Launch! A Fateful Strike
As a super-large missile aimed at Earth’s destruction approaches with every passing moment, desperate energy injections continue aboard the Yamato.
“Start the Wave-Motion Engine!”
The situation is so extreme that even a single failure is not an option. With explosive pressure, the sleeping lion finally roars. From its rusty wreckage on the ocean floor off Kyushu, a state-of-the-art space battleship shakes off the dust and surges into the sky.
Yamato fires its main guns at the incoming missile, shattering it with flying colors. It is a victory borne of the tenacity of those who love Earth.
On a 148,000 Light-Year Journey
Yamato finally leaves Earth’s gravitational field. Its destination is Iscandar, 148,000 light-years away, or 296,000 light-years round trip. The unique crew members include Susumu Kodai, Daisuke Shima, Yuki Mori, Shiro Sanada, and Sakezo Sado. Awaiting them are unknown cosmic threats and relentless Gamilas attacks.
Humanity has 363 days left. They must bring the Cosmo Cleaner back to Earth, where their loved ones await. With this grand promise in mind, Yamato‘s endless journey has now begun.
Dad’s Nagging
(To Susumu and His Other Sons)
Snow is falling steadily outside. On nights like these, the sound of the stove burning sounds strangely loud.
When it is revealed that Captain Okita’s son had died, I instinctively put down my shochu. His commands, which seem cold-hearted to an amateur, must have seemed like a series of heartbreaking decisions to those in charge of the situation.
When I was still working, I experienced many situations where pipes froze in the middle of winter at a plant, and one wrong move could have led to a major accident. Even as I thought of the faces of my subordinates and my family, I pulled the lever, trusting only the numbers on the gauges in front of me. If you let your emotions get the better of you, you lose sight of what you can protect. That must be the weight of responsibility.
The fact that the Wave Engine didn’t start the first time is a testament to the reality of living things called machines. It’s similar to the way an old diesel car won’t wake up after a single crank in Sapporo’s winter. Perhaps that desperate silence was a necessary ritual for restarting life.
Susumu, what you saw on the captain’s back wasn’t just a “wall.” It was the “prayer” of a man who had maintained his dignity after countless failures and losses.
When you’re young, you can’t see the silvery resolve hidden behind that rusted shell. But one day, when you too are responsible for someone’s life, you’ll painfully understand the meaning of that captain’s silence.
Major Characters Appearing in Episode 3
Okita Juzo
Captain of Yamato. A commander with an iron will who shoulders the fate of all humanity. He harbors within himself the grief of a father who lost his son.
Susumu Kodai
A young warrior determined to avenge his brother Mamoru. Initially, he opposes Okita, but grows as he learns of his resolve.
Daisuke Shima
Yamato‘s navigation team leader. He is the one who operates the fateful switch when the Wave-Motion Engine starts.
Chief Engineer Tokugawa
A veteran who supports Yamato‘s engineering department. He plays an important role in telling Kodai about Captain Okita’s past.
Yuki Mori
Yamato‘s life team leader and radar specialist. A key crew member who accompanies them on the 148,000 light-year journey.
Shiro Sanada
Yamato‘s chief engineer. The brains behind the voyage from a scientific and technological perspective.
Sakezo Sado
Yamato‘s ship’s surgeon. A unique doctor with a love of alcohol.
Starsha
Queen of Iscandar. The person who sent the Wave-Motion Engine blueprints and a message to save Earth.
Commander Schulz
Commander of the Gamilas Pluto base. He despises Yamato as the “rusty old wreck.”
President Dessler
Leader of the Gamilas Empire. He launches a super-large missile to prevent Yamato from launching.
Conclusion
Dawn is approaching. The stove’s kerosene meter is red.
Why is Episode 3 so captivating? Is it because Yamato flew? It’s not just that. I think it’s because there’s a moment when the scientific technology of the Wave-Motion Engine and Captain Okita’s unyielding spirit perfectly overlap in the face of unreasonable violence – the planet bomb. That beauty.
I’ve been studying AI recently, but I just can’t seem to come to terms with it. I think the “noise” that AI wants to eliminate – the first failure, the silence, the hesitation – is the very essence of human memory.
It’s a difficult story, but no matter how many times I watch Yamato, it teaches me that.
The sound of the Wave-Motion Engine starting up still rings in my ears. That silence, and the subsequent roar. No machine is perfect. It’s precisely because we’re imperfect that we’re alive. Yamato always teaches me that.
What words have stayed with you after reading this article? Well, it’s probably different for each person.
Carrying the Hope of Humanity 148,000 Light Years Away
This infographic analyzes the catharsis of the failed launch, the symbolism of Yamato‘s outer shell peeling off and transforming into a silvery future, Captain Okita’s steely resolve as he suppresses his personal feelings about his son, and the true essence of a professional who pulls the lever known as “responsibility.” It also summarizes the harsh constraints of 363 days and 296,000 light-years remaining.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end.