Photos posted on Twitter by Minoru Itgaki, manpon, and tskmst_au04
June 26: Chapter 6 premieres
The Azure Labyrinth opened in 71 theaters, and fans swarmed in to see it despite the ominous weather conditions that would make this a premiere day unlike all others. A few Twitter comments painted the picture:
An earthquake hit while I was at the movies, and it suddenly turned into 4DX, which surprised me. In earthquake-prone Japan, when they’re this frequent, it makes me worry. Right now, with the rainy season front and typhoons soaking the soil with rainwater, please no earthquakes.
– Mt_bismarck
Photos posted on Twitter by mat_hama, mirai182ise, and kida4483
Today, during the screening, an emergency earthquake alert went off. Smartphones started ringing all over the place > shaking > emergency exit signs lit up > screening interrupted as the lights in the auditorium came on > theater staff arrived and explained > announcement that screenings would resume sequentially starting from theaters where safety had been confirmed > 10 minutes passed > resumed from the interrupted part without rewinding. I felt reassured by the response. Thank you to everyone at the theater.
– AnalyzerAU09
Photos posted on Twitter by konakanaCRZ, hudoushin, and Mineki
Others had things to say about the onscreen action:
First five minutes, they went and did it! LOL
– nag_1971
My theories were way off the mark, but that made it even more interesting.
– UU_MSAXELA
Yamato surpasses high-level anime, always delivering it.
– hudoushin
There’s a lot I want to say, but it was amazing, and also Arizona‘s mysterious gear seems way more insane than I thought.
– 9nine_harukaze
The sheer amount of info is overwhelming, right? My brain’s practically fried from how dense it was. Just insanely packed. Is this really the final chapter coming up???
– yuugiri
As the title suggests, a complex development that traps you in the labyrinth, putting things on a razor’s edge. It’s only dawning on me now, but maybe folks who don’t know the original series will actually find it easier to follow? The shift to the offensive is finally crystal clear, but I wonder if this will wrap up next time.
– Nozama
June 26: Chapter 6 program book
The 40-page program book was the first source of print media for the new chapter.
See it from cover to cover and read Harutoshi Fukui’s introduction here
June 26: Chapter 6 limited edition Blu-ray
Anyone who bought a movie ticket could get in line to buy a blu-ray of the episodes they were about to see, plus the usual Blu-ray extras. This time that included cast and staff commentaries, teasers & trailer, the “story so far” segment, the Chapter 5 Yamatalk, and the Chapter 5 Science Beginners video shorts. Also found in the package was the 12-page Blu-ray booklet.
See it from cover to cover here
The exclusive bonus books contained the storyboards for Episode 22, flipped with the script for Episode 21, and a 36-page guide to the character design of REBEL 3199.
June 26: Chapter 6 theater goods
The shelves in theater souvenir shops were filled with a new wave of tie-in products from multiple categories.
See them all here
Photo above right posted on Twitter by kotoriyou9
June 26: Week 1 handout
For those who came in unprepared to buy extra stuff, there was a freebie waiting as they entered the theater. For the first week, every ticket holder got an illustration board featuring Sanada and Sasha.
Photo posted on Twitter by htr_ymt
This added one more to the ongoing collection, to be completed when Chapter 7 arrives. Speaking of which…
June 26: Chapter 7 promotion
Chapter 7 arrives October 30! The teaser art by Kia Asamiya was unveiled, depicting Yamato facing off against a giant crystalline structure, probably the heart of Dezarium. The title of Chapter 7 is Rainbow of Reincarnation and the tagline reads, “A Magnificent End.”
The image was offered as a poster to anyone who bought advance ticket vouchers (shown above right). See a textless version at the end of this page.
June 26: 1/1000 Arizona model
Hello, gorgeous! From the moment it first appeared in Yamato III (for a grand total of one scene), fansn around the world have been daydreaming about Space Battleship Arizona. It was originally designed by Yutaka Izubuchi (who went on to direct Yamato 2199) and has always represented a step forward in the Yamato design aesthetic. The fact that it took over 45 years to manifest as a plastic model kit is inexcusable, especially with the overwhelming number of garage kits that pointed directly to its popularity.
Photo posted on Twitter by 2202Yamato2205
Bandai announced that there would be a surprise as soon as you opened the box, and this was it: a set of parts that match nothing we’ve seen before and were not explained in the literature included with the instructions.
Photo posted on Twitter by 2202Yamato2205
Here’s what they look like when built, each of which includes its own support arm. These extra parts, plus the elaborate base and the new molds that had to be created for this model, all combined to boost the price into the stratosphere (well over $100).
As for Arizona‘s on-screen action, it already surpassed its Yamato III scene count in REBEL 3199, and is witnessed again at the end of Chapter 6, preparing to launch. The image above was seen in the trailer for the next episode (which will kick off Chapter 7), showing the new mystery objects in use. Obviously, there is plenty more to learn.
Meanwhile, see a photo gallery of finished Arizona models here
June 26: Pro Tweet
Despite any personal misgivings about the state of Twitter (or X if you insist), it still allows us to keep an eye on the Japan side of Yamato world. At any given moment, a 3199 staffer could post some gold.
Get a closer look at this one here
Photos posted on Twitter by kortoku
June 26: Isao Sasaki on TV
The great one appeared again, performing the Yamato theme on a music show called Masterpieces of Japan. According to the promo, he revealed the song he wants to hear at the very end of his life, but this information has not yet been discovered.
June 26: Stage greeting #1
The first stage greeting for Chapter 6 happened at the end of opening day, despite a typhoon-driven downpour. The guests were the “big three” from the production staff: Hideki Oka (scriptwriter), Naomichi Yamato (Director), Harutoshi Fukui (General Director).
Find out what they had to say here
June 26: Music break
To close out Chapter 6’s premiere day, we have this contribution from the Soka Gakkai Kansai Wind Orchestra, posted on Youtube here:
We present the Space Battleship Yamato Suite (composed by Hiroshi Miyagawa and Akira Miyagawa), performed at the 45th Annual Concert of the Soka Gakkai Kansai Wind Orchestra, held on April 13, 2025, at the Higashiosaka City Cultural Creation Hall. Following the anime’s success, a symphonic suite was conceived to further develop the original soundtrack; this project sought to express the anime’s worldview purely through music while incorporating elements of classical music.
The Overture begins with a majestic atmosphere, serving as an introduction that heralds the journey into space and evokes the grandeur of Yamato.
Space Battleship Yamato is a movement based on the anime’s theme song, characterized by a powerful and hopeful melody that calls to mind the scene of Yamato setting sail.
Sortie begins with the theme of the White Comet Empire, featuring a rhythm reminiscent of the pop music scene where Hiroshi Miyagawa was active, and combines it with the Yamato theme to create the tension of a battle scene.
Great Love sees the bonds between the protagonists, as well as the crew’s sorrows and hopes, expressed through the flute and euphonium; the piece concludes with an emotionally rich melody and a magnificent finale.
June 28: Stage greeting #2
On Chapter 6’s third day in theaters, the stars came out to shine. Megumi Han (Sasha), Daisuke Ono (Kodai), and Makoto Furukawa (Alphon) all had strong scenes in the film, and it gave them plenty to discuss on stage.
Read all about it here
June 29: Voice actor interviews
Animate Times and Hobby Japan Web both got into the interview game when they posted more conversations with Tasuku Hatanaka (Domon) and Tomo Muranaka (Kyozuka).
Read them here
June 29: Official website update
Every new chapter brings new data, and this time the official website only waited three days to roll out the updates.
See the character guide here and mecha guide here
June 30: Cast comment video
In the second cast video for Chapter 6, Tomo Muranaka (Kyozuka) reacted sharply when Houko Kuwashima (Yuki) asked her to rate Domon’s “worst confession” as seen on screen.
Watch it here (use Google Translate to follow the conversation)
June 30: Yuki Mori figure news
In May we learned about the next Yuki figure to come from Megahouse. June ended with more photos and the announcement that preorders would open on July 2 for a December release.
See the pics at Hobbywatch here
Also spotted in June
Michio Murakawa on Bluesky
It’s been a few months since we checked in with manga/animation artist Michio Murakawa, but he’s certainly been busy.
See his latest Yamato-related art and musings here
Fan art
The character category was overwhelming in June as the approach a new chapter whipped up the creative spirit. The mecha category, though lighter, was nothing to sneeze at either.
See the June character gallery here and mecha gallery here
Fan models
If eclectic takes on Yamato modeling is what you’re shopping for, June’s output will fill your cart.
See the latest 3D works here: Gallery A | Gallery B
Juuzo Hizikata gallery
In Report 30, the Fan Profile feature introduced the English-speaking world to Juuzo, who’s been creating his own special style of fan art and modelmaking since the 1980s. This exposure may have energized him, because his output in June flew above and beyond that of anyone else; so prodigious that it earns him a gallery page of his own.
See it all here
Hoshi Suzu blogs
If you’ve been following Hoshi Suzu’s weekly 3199 blogs over the last year or so, you’re familiar with what he’s been hoping to see as each chapter gets closer. How did he respond when Chapter 6 broke wide open? This is where you get to find out.
Read his June entries here
Visual experiment
As we know, the chapter titles for REBEL 3199 have followed a color theme that started with Black Invasion and has now advanced through Azure Labyrinth. Prior to the reveal of Chapter 7’s title, a fan with the Twitter handle tskmst_au04 turned this into an infographic, overlaying the title of each chapter onto a field of matching color. We’re watching for a completed followup.
Yama-UFO
“What’s that, a UFO?” Inspired by the teaser catchphrase for Chapter 6, Twitter user MiyaT found this item from the knockoff file.
“A mini kite with not even the slightest hint of Yamato vibe on the package.”
See a big collection of vintage knockoff products here
This should probably be a sitcom
Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture: “Dreamer” opened on July 7. What is “Dreamer”? Maybe a destination for Yamato and Leiji Matsumoto fans from around the world.
Learn more about it here
SFR Yamato 2 episodes
The Stone Faced Reaction crew has completed their watch-through of Yamato 2 and now has a commentary video for every single episode! Want to relive it with some new friends? Click here for the playlist.
What’s next
The return of the 50th Anniversary Exhibition makes old things new again, Chapter 6 continues to thunder across Yamato world, and YOU get yourself over the Icons of Anime website to fill out the survey and make sure this ambitious documentary gets made! All the Yamato news from July comes to your screen in Report 32 next month! Until then, follow our Facebook page for daily posts and breaking news!
And if you’re still hungry for more Yamato reportage, click here for the latest wave of Vintage Report backlog, exploring weird, wonderful, and unexpected finds from the years 1978-83!
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.)
I did watched chapter 6. Very good and I am disappointed that Akira Yamamoto was only shown for a second. Now 8 episodes altogether that she didn’t appeared. Now every single characters has more screen time than Akira. Can’t complain too much because the one positive thing I would say about it is that it’s an absolute guarantee that she will survive not just 3199 but the whole series. I am disappointed that she’ll never have her moment but I’m glad she’s going to be alive. I’m happy that Kaoru is back even though she might be a clone and Yuki is back being the captain but for the Arizona ship. We have one more chapter to go and it’s going to be crazy how they’re going to wrap it up with 4 episodes. Which is why they’re hasn’t been any trailers or chapter 7 as of now because it’s going to have so much information that it’ll be a spoiler more so than even chapter 6. Keep up the good work Tim!