March 24: Hobby Japan Web
The online version of Hobby Japan posted part 17 of the Yamato Mechanics series, which examined the Bolar battleship Ra-Jendora.
Read it here
March 24: Hobby Japan #683
On the same day, the next issue of the magazine hit store shelves. Inside was part 18 of the series, focused on Gladiator, the command ship of Earth’s unmanned fleet in 3199.
Read it here
Just one page away was a new, unfettered interview with Directors Harutoshi Fukui and Naomichi Yamato, who could at last speak freely about the shock ending of Chapter 5.
Read it here
March 25: Chapter 5 Blu-ray
The standard edition of Chapter 5 went on sale today with jacket art by Character Designer Nobuteru Yuuki (see it larger at the end of this page). Its arrival meant fans had to play another game of “bonus item roulette” and decide which extra they wanted most. Here are the options they had to choose from:
March 27: On to Chapter 6
March 26 was the final day for Chapter 5 in the theaters that held it over for a fifth week. The next day we got another news blip from Bandai Namco when the slipcase art for the Blu-ray (by the great Naoyuki Katoh) was revealed.
Chapter 6 is scheduled to premiere on June 26, and the standard edition of the Blu-ray will follow on August 26. One of the bonus items will be a clear green version of the Cosmo Python Mecha Collection model.
Meanwhile, the first description of what’s coming next was posted in the STORY section of the official Yamato website:
Chapter 6: The Azure Labyrinth — Synopsis
Having crossed a spacetime nexus, the Space Battleship Yamato arrived in a new world. It is not the future, but rather Tokyo in the year 2026 — the past.
It is an era long preceding the battle against the Garmillas, an Earth of old, bearing no trace of the planet bombs. If Yamato were to set course for Planet Garmillas in this era, the future could be changed.
The “historical alteration” that the Dezarium sought to enact…that very same temptation now lies before Ryusuke Domon. The future in which humanity is transformed into Dezarium, along with the entire history of war — all of it might vanish. The Space Battleship Yamato, and they themselves, could vanish as well. Yet, even so… peace would remain.
A fervent desire to rewrite tragedy. Under the watchful gaze of Sasha, she of the crimson eyes, Yamato begins to undergo a dark transformation. What awaits at the end of her wake…?
March 29: Ryusuke Hikawa on Facebook
O.G. Superfan Ryosuke Hikawa, without whom we probably wouldn’t be talking about Yamato today, dug out some more production art from his collected archive. These images depict Dessler from the final episode of Series 1. The image in the center is a director’s correction for the face seen at left.
Hikawa added the following comment:
When I saw these original drawings by Kazuhide Tomonaga back after Grendizer had aired, I remember thinking, “Ah — so this is the prototype for Captain Gorman!” even though they had clearly undergone some heavy revisions. Also, there’s a particular original drawing that still baffles me to this day, the one where Dessler takes off his helmet (far right) and it actually still exists. It goes without saying, of course, that it was ultimately cut from the final version.
See the original post here
March 30: Studio Khara on Twitter
On the day of Yamato‘s 50th anniversary (Oct. 6 2024), Hideaki Anno made the showstopping announcement that he’d been granted the rights to create a new Yamato anime project. Everything went quiet until this day when the silence was finally broken on the Studio Kahra Twitter page:
Today, March 30th, marks the 51st anniversary of the broadcast of the final episode of Space Battleship Yamato. This week, we are scheduled to hold the 41st main production meeting for Yamato. We also have various other sub-committee sessions on the docket, including CG checks and more.
Perhaps it is Yamato’s destiny to be defined by frequent, marathon-like meetings. Regardless, we continue our production work today with quiet, steady dedication. Please bear with us just a little longer until we are ready to unveil the title, staff roster, and key visuals.
(As shared by our company President)
See the original post here
March 31: Event news
The Yamato Production Committee reminded everyone that the next round for the 50th Anniversary Exhibition was now under a month away, set to open in Fukuoka on April 24. Presale tickets went on sale with undisclosed visuals of six Yamato crew members.
March 31: Concert news
Concert season is almost upon us again with two performances coming up April 4 and 19 from the Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra. The “major announcement” shown above was posted on Twitter. And yes, the mystery person described as “that voice” is exactly who you think it is. (Come on, who else could it be?)
March 31: CG video by Haru
You should know by now that if you see a CG video with the name “Haru” on it, the next thing to do is click “play.” He closed out the month with a new Youtube clip with the following description:
Space Battleship Yamato 2199-3199: Carrier-Based Aircraft Landing Gear
Please take a look at the landing gear mechanisms I’ve created so far for the carrier-based aircraft of Space Battleship Yamato.
Click here to watch it right now!
Also spotted in March
1/700 Yamato “Hideaki Anno” model
Originally released with a remastered DVD box set in 2008, the long-admired but hard-to-get 1/700 Yamato produced by Hideaki Anno finally emerged from the shadows in the first 50th Anniversary Exhibition (March 2025) where preorders opened for the very first reissue.
Early in March 2026, excited fans shared the news online when the model finally arrived. Some wondered if they should actually build such a precious item, but others dove right in.
See a photo gallery of finished kits here
Read about the origins of this remarkable model here
Fan art
The arrival of Dessler’s birthday in March propelled a lot of fan art, but there was still plenty to love in every other category.
See the character gallery here and the mecha gallery here.
Fan models
“Prodigious” was the best single-word description of modelers’ output with a surprise around every corner.
See them all here: Gallery A | Gallery B | Gallery C
Hoshi Suzu blogs
Our favorite Yamato blogger burned brighter than ever, driven to comment on all his favorite parts of Chapter 5 and offer up some well-reasoned speculation on where the story might go now.
Read all of his March entries here
Who else would notice this?
Yamato fans are a special breed, for sure. Follow Hancho_3142 on Twitter here.
Golden moments
This image was posted on Twitter by manga artist Yoshihiro Ohba with the following caption:
Bits & Pieces from the Showa Era
I decided to spruce up a Yamato drawing I created a couple of years ago, marking the first time I’d drawn it in decades, to coincide with the release of the Space Battleship Yamato book by manga artist Yuki Hijiri. Mind you, this isn’t the latest iteration of the ship; it’s Yamato just as I remember it from back in my middle school days!
This one followed two days later:
Back in an era before anime magazines existed, I used to sit glued to the TV screen every Sunday, watching intently as the show aired, and obsessively copy down every frame! During recess at junior high, classmates would often ask me to draw for them, so I’d whip out a drawing of Yamato and give it to them as a gift!
Years passed, and eventually we gathered for our class reunion, now just a bunch of old geezers. That’s when one of the girls from my class spoke up! She said, “You used to draw Yamato for us all the time back in junior high, didn’t you?”
The guys chimed in, too: “Yeah, that’s right! You drew Yamato and Lupin the Third, too!” It really amazes me how well everyone still remembers that stuff!
Stone Faced Reactions videos
After completing their episode-by-episode commentary on the first Yamato series, this Youtube channel continued into Farewell to Yamato and Yamato 2. As of this writing, they’re more than halfway through it, so there’s plenty to watch.
See their entire Yamato playlist here
And now, back to Star Blazers
In 2021, something quite historic happened when a huge collection of original Star Blazers recording scripts turned up on Ebay and were successfully acquired for the Cosmo DNA nerve center. They covered the entirety of the Comet Empire series with just two missing pieces. In March, one of those pieces was generously donated by Toy Stable, in honor of their friend Albert Penello. And now it’s available to all!
Read it here
See the entire collection here
Fan Artist Profile
Time to meet another of the talented and dedicated Yamato fans who delivers some of the amazing artwork we see here in the character galleries month after month. (Hot tip: enter the words “character fan art” or “mecha fan art” in the search bar to bring all the galleries to the top.)
KirA__blacK
1. What was your first Yamato experience?
Space Battleship Yamato 2199. I discovered it back when I was a student, and that’s what got me started watching the rest of the series.
2. What is your favorite aspect of Yamato?
The way the enemies are portrayed. Rather than being depicted merely as “beings to be defeated,” the series conveys that they, too, have things they wish to protect and beliefs they hold dear. This evokes complex emotions during the battles. Sometimes I even feel empathy or sadness toward the enemy, and I think that aspect really adds depth to the work.
3. Are you a Yamato collector?
Mainly character merchandise and plastic models. I also collect books to use as reference materials when drawing the characters.
4. What is your most treasured Yamato item?
An A3-sized “Chara-fine Graph” print of Leader Dessler. There is a single print where the serial number matches the title’s year (No. 2205) and I was lucky enough to get my hands on it. Since he is my absolute favorite character, I cherish it very deeply.
5. What are your favorite drawing tools?
For digital art, I use Paint Tool SAI and ibisPaint. For traditional art, I use black pens, Copic markers, and similar tools.
6. Where can your work be seen?
I’m currently active on Twitter, so you can view my work there.
7. Does your family share your hobby?
Yes, they have a deep understanding of my hobby. I’ve been drawing since I was a child, and they have always been incredibly supportive of me.
8. Please tell us something about your life outside your art.
I enjoy playing video games, watching anime, and similar activities.
9. Are you involved in Yamato activities with other fans?
I enjoy attending events and going to see the movies together with other fans.
10. What do you hope to see in a future Yamato anime?
No matter what form it takes, my hope is that the voyage of Yamato will continue on forever, never coming to an end.
11. What is your favorite anime after Yamato?
I primarily enjoy anime from the era before today’s modern productions. Titles such as Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Saint Seiya, and Initial D.
12. What would you like to say to Yamato fans around the world?
Those of us who held our breath during the very same scenes, and whose hearts burned with passion at the sight of the very same light, are still beating with that same shared pulse today, somewhere on this Earth. To everyone across the globe who loves Space Battleship Yamato, and in honor of this miraculous connection we share, I offer my deepest, heartfelt gratitude.
13. What should everyone know about Japan and its people?
Even without the need for many words, our hearts can touch and connect in a single, shared moment. The people of Japan cherish this kind of quiet, subtle connection. It is an invisible resonance that undeniably exists, and it breathes life into our day-to-day existence.
Yamatunes for March
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What’s Next
Not only has the countdown to Chapter 6 begun, we’re just about halfway through it already. In the meantime, we’ve got a new concert season getting underway, the victorious return of Yamaket, and other things that haven’t happened yet at the moment these words were typed. Set course for the next report to catch up with all the news from April. Until then, follow our Facebook page for daily posts and breaking news!
If you still have a nose for news, Vintage Report 47 takes us to the conclusion of 1983 and the original production years. How did it end? With a 70mm bang! Click here to see it for yourself.
Cosmo DNA writer/editor Tim Eldred here, inviting you to a party that’s just one click away. If you’ve enjoyed this website and my various Star Blazers comics, it’s my duty to tell you that they represent only a fraction of a career that spans more than 40 years. ARTVALT is where I open my archives and roll out all sorts of weird and cool things ranging from unknown to world famous! New updates happen on the first of every month!
And HEADS UP: a brand new sci-fi webcomic titled The Last Blue Eagle is underway and ready for you read RIGHT NOW! Click here to join the fun! (No paywall.)
Great stuff as always. When I first watched chapter 5 where at the very end of it, I was shocked with the Time Machine took place this year! Gives me an imagination if that would’ve been possible, I would be praising Yamato and Akira Yamamoto!
I was doing some random research a few weeks ago. I went to Wayback Machine to see the history of the Star Blazers subreddit on Reddit. I’m surprised that the subreddit has been around since January 15, 2013 during the middle of the 2199 era when it was airing in theaters in Japan. That was 11 days before I even turned 14 years old. I’m also surprised that last Tuesday was the 14th anniversary of 2199 series and I was 13 at the time. It gives me so much imagination that I have so much adventure with my favorite character, Akira Yamamoto for many years. Anyway, when I was looking at the history of the subreddit, I read that during the first 5 years, it didn’t even have 500 followers on Reddit at the time until around 2019. Then around the COVID pandemic hit, it increased rapidly and now it has as of this text, over 5.7k followers almost 6 thousand which is crazy. I hope the fanbase of the franchise worldwide keeps growing and growing. Long live Space Battleship Yamato!
I just want the second volume of 3199’s music so I can listen to the Bolar main theme already :*)