The last full month before the release of Final Yamato was filled with media coverage that dutifully repackaged official information with some speculation thrown in. The premiere date was delayed a week to March 19, both to extend production time and dodge the 3-movie pileup on March 12. Here’s the rundown…
DOKAAAAN!!! THE END!!!
Arguably the biggest spoiler of the film was pushed front and center throughout the month of February on a new flyer, many magazine articles, and plenty of newspapers. Why on Earth would Yoshinobu Nishizaki and company give it away this early? Ponder that question as you read this report and look for the answer near the end.
February 1: Kodai [I] & Yamato single b/w Yamato Tribute ~ Poseidon
Naturally, Isao Sasaki was called upon to reprise his role as the ‘Voice of Yamato’ on both of these new songs. Kodai and Yamato (which was a sort of wordplay, since ‘Kodai’ is also an antiquated Japanese word for ‘self’ or ‘I’) is the first song heard in the film. It is loaded with emotion, symbolic of Kodai and his feelings of guilt as he ponders his relationship to Yamato.
The B-side was not heard in the movie. Yamato Tribute~Poseidon is a refreshing, optimistic song with Sasaki at his manliest. It carries the soul of Yamato outside the scope of the anime and handily demonstrates the standard of excellence reached after years of collaboration between Aku, Miyagawa, and Sasaski.
Find translated lyrics here
February 1: Fanroad, March issue
The first magazine to break ground this month was also the funniest. Fanroad was always tongue in cheek, written by fans for fans, and jumped into parody at every opportunity. That was the fuel for a 7-page article that used a Final Yamato news report as a launch pad for all sorts of shenanigans.
Read it here
February 1: Third Grader, March issue
Regardless of how many third graders were actually into Yamato at this point, Shogakukan’s monthly magazine served them up a simplified version of articles that would appear in coming weeks, just a little heavier on the pictures.
February 1: Tohato tie-in campaign
Most of the Yamato productions from 1977 onward added the all-important snack food tie-in to its publicity campaign. After all, if you want people to know about your thing, getting it onto food packaging is a great way to make it visible. For Final Yamato, a deal was made with a snack food company named Tohato. The campaign slogan was “I love Yamato,” and the goal was to collect enough points to get yourself into a lottery to win an animation cel. The snacks consisted of potato crisps and hot dog-flavored popcorn.
The prize campaign ran from January 16 through late March. February 1 was when the rubber really hit the road with the premiere of a TV commercial. The stills shown above were and published in a 2018 doujinshi titled Hero’s Trajectory, which preserved much of the data you’ll see in this report.
February 2: Komeito Shimbun newspaper article
An article summarizing the plot, highlights, and other details about Final Yamato was published on this day. It included an interview with Isao Sasaki about the single that had been released the day before.
Read the article here
February 2: Series 1 rerun
There’s no better advertising for Yamato than Yamato itself, proven once again when a welcome rerun of the first TV series started on this day. This was the fifth rerun on the Yomiuri network, stripped daily to end shortly before the premiere of Final Yamato.
February 6: Weekly KuriKuri newspaper article
KuriKuri was a newspaper for teenagers, sent to subscribers of the Mainichi Shimbun. It would regularly include content on anime, manga, voice actors, and other topics that ignited this age group (a 1978 edition is shown above). Volume 295 contained a substantial interview with Isao Sasaki conducted by three high school students.
Read it here
February 9: Middle 1st Year Course, March issue
Gakken’s student digest for 7th graders had a 4-page article on Final Yamato that not only summarized the plot, but also urgently announced that Yamato would explode at the end. It was just one of the many spoileriffic articles on offer in February.
Read it here
February 9: Middle 2nd Year Course, March issue
Gakken’s student digest for 8th graders presented a lot of the same information in another 4-page article, but this one added a few more details to the mix. Although it was known that Yamato would explode, Nishizaki dangled the fact that you still didn’t know what would happen after that. This article took a guess and got it almost exactly right.
Read it here
February 10: Animage, Vol. 57
A triple-feature titled ’83 Spring Cinema Big Battle rounded up Crusher Joe, Yamato, and Harmagedon. Final Yamato got four pages titled The contents of the last 40 minutes, which included the January press conference revelations, music news, and more.
Read the article here
February 10: The Anime, Vol. 40
Final Yamato took the cover with a new painting by character designer Shinya Takahashi. There were two articles this time, an 8-pager that put all the known story details together with Nishizaki’s press conference announcements, and a 5-pager in which Nishizaki himself was interviewed by All Night Nippon radio producer Don Ueno.
Also mentioned was an upcoming TV broadcast for Be Forever Yamato, another grand display of marketing power.
Read the articles here
February 10: My Anime, March issue
This issue’s 5-page Final Yamato article touched on the press conference, published a lot of new stills and paintings, and interviewed veteran staff member Kazunori Tanahashi.
Read the article here
February 10: Animedia, March issue
Final Yamato got a 7-page story that also covered revelations from the January press conference and speculated on how they all fit together.
Read the article here
February 14: High 1st Age, March issue
Obunsha’s student digest for 10th graders devoted five pages to Final Yamato with a look back at the previous feature films and a look forward to what was coming in just over a month.
Read the article here
February 15: Final Yamato novel part 1 (Asahi Sonorama)
In case you’ve lost count (it’s not hard), this was the THIRD novelization of Final Yamato, a 2-parter from Asahi Sonorama’s “SF Novel” imprint. At 232 pages, it contained 8 pages of color stills and 15 pages of design art. Yoshinobu Nishizaki was credited as the author (though it was probably ghostwritten), and it went a little deeper into the story than its two predecessors by including the battle against Dengil at Pluto.
A fourth novelization from yet another author was still on the way.
February 15: Keibunsha 138, Final Yamato Encyclopedia part 1
Like its competitors, Kodansha threw extra effort into their coverage of Final Yamato since it was obviously going to be their last opportunity. Whereas previous movies warranted only one volume apiece in the Keibunsha Encyclopedia series, the last was granted two, published on either side of the theatrical premiere. This had the effect of making Part 1 into a retrospective of the Yamato saga, with comparatively little on Final Yamato (though it did summarize the first half of the story).
February 16: Sports Nippon Newspaper article
In case there was ANY DOUBT left, this brief column from Sports Nippon ASSURED its readers that Yamato would explode. It also said the quiet part out loud concerning past criticism of Nishizaki as the guy who never kept his promises.
Read the article here
February 21: OUT, April issue
Despite its role as Yamato‘s number 1 cheerleader in 1977, OUT had neglected the old favorite since its brief Yamato III coverage in 1980. (The editorial staff had changed since then, so this wasn’t a huge surprise.) This month’s 4-page Final Yamato article echoed the creative spirit of the past by including a custom-made map of the movie’s events, based on the information that was known at the time.
Deeper in the magazine was another fan letter that continued the conversation about Yamato‘s legacy among fans who wished it had ended in 1978.
Read the articles here
February 21: Battle of SF Animation Synthesizer Fantasy album
The synthesizer craze was still going strong in 1983, and Columbia was only too happy to roll out one album after another covering anime music. This one was essentially a “best of,” but it wasn’t just a selection of existing material; each side was an extended medley of newly-recorded themes from across the anime spectrum. Yamato, Gundam, Captain Harlock, Macross and many more, all sandwiched between 2001 and Star Wars. If your meager allowance could only get you one LP, this was it.
Listen to the entire album on Youtube here
February 21: Lonely Girl LP, Junko Yagami
By this time, all but one of the new “insert songs” created for Final Yamato could be found in stores. That was rectified when Junko Yagami’s fifth studio album made its debut, containing the first recording anyone could buy for her ending song Love Supreme. It was one of ten tracks, and predated the single by a little over a week.
Get more data on the album here
Listen to it on Youtube here
February 21: Roadshow, April issue
A sheet of Final Yamato stickers was just one item of interest in this issue. It also contained two pages of film highlights, more promo for the upcoming Be Forever broadcast, and a 3-page article collecting anime poster images.
See it all here
February 21: Screen, April issue
Kindaieigasha [Modern Movie Company] did Roadshow one better when their own movie magazine Screen came with a full-color, 28-page pamphlet covering all the March premieres. It gave basic information on the three big SF movies and followed up with a handful of others.
See it from cover to cover here
February 22-24: Final Yamato voice recording
In what can only be called a historic event, the dialogue recording for Final Yamato was held over three days, from Tuesday, February 22 to Thursday, February 24. The location was the same used ince the first TV series, Avaco Studio in Waseda, Tokyo. All the regulars were there including Kei Tomiyama (Kodai), Yoko Asagami (Yuki), Takeshi Aono (Sanada), Goro Naya (Captain Okita) and many more. After Series 1, Goro Naya had served as the narrator for every TV series, so his presence was not as rare as one might suspect.
On the other hand, one important member of the family was sadly absent. Hideo Nakamara (Shima) was unable to participate due to the same illness that kept him out of the radio drama in January. At his request, Isao Sasaki took the role that would bring Shima to his last scene ever.
Click here to see a brief video clip from the session, featuring Tomiyama and Asagami.
February 23: Sports Nippon Newspaper article
Another reporter gleefully dug into the movie horse race, this time pitting Yoshinobu Nishizaki directly against his friend and business rival Haruki Kadokawa, who was just finishing up Harmagedon. This writeup mined their competition for all it was worth, which must have played right into their publicity goals.
Read the article here
February 24: The Best One, April issue
Gakken’s entertainment magazine was the last one of the month to package up all the general info on Final Yamato. The Anime Channel section gave it three pages, closing with a list of production notes that somehow managed to escape the attention of other publishers.
Read the article here
February 25: Fan club magazine 33
The official publishing date on this issue was February 25, but it wasn’t the first time that the content contradicted that claim. To be precise, it contained coverage of the Yamato Grand Festival, which didn’t happen until March 15. However, there was also a pair of articles that covered the radio drama and voice recording.
Read both articles here. See the rest of this issue here.
February 26: Princess Information Vol. 24
The 24th issue of the Yoko Asagami fan club newsletter arrived in mailboxes as the countdown to Final Yamato came down to just under three weeks. The interior of the newsletter isn’t currently available for review, but might be someday.
February 27: Kirin ad tie-in
In the battle for attention, no magazine was safe from movie spoilers. This ad for Kirin beverage products appeared in Asahi Junior High School Student on February 27, and would reappear a week later on March 6. It also turned up in Mainichi Junior High Student and Mainichi Children’s Newspaper.
What did it have to say about the film?
LEFT SIDE:
The man who has been talking about dreams and romance is finally reaching the finale!
It was ten years ago that Space Battleship Yamato first appeared before us. Yamato has always fought to protect peace for humanity. What we have learned from Yamato is love and undying courage.
Now, the time has come for Yamato to complete its mission. Please witness the love between Kodai and Yuki and Yamato‘s final exploits with your own eyes.
RIGHT SIDE:
Yamato explodes! What will be the fate of the Earth and humanity?
Awaiting Yamato on its final journey is the Dengil Empire, which is plotting to invade Earth. The fate of Earth now rests in Yamato‘s hands. However, the enemy’s attacks are unimaginable, and there is only one way to fight back…Yamato‘s huge explosion!
Why does Yamato explode? Will it disappear into cosmic dust? Or perhaps…what will become the fate of the crew who fought alongside it, and of the Earth itself?
February 28: Final Yamato manga vol. 1
Akira Hio, who drew more Yamato pages than anyone else, returned to bring Final Yamato to manga for the first and only time. Since it had to be adapted from a script that was still somewhat volatile, it preserved scenes that would later be cut from the film. Like the first two novelizations, it ended with Yamato‘s launch from Earth. The second volume would follow four months later.
Read more about it here
Also spotted in February
Fan gatherings
Picking up on another thread that revved the engine in the vintage years, Yoshinobu Nishizaki tore himself away from the crush of last-minute production and went out for road trips where fans were waiting. Three of these events happened in February: on the 5th in Fukuoka (Tokyu Hotel), on the 11th in Nagoya (Aichi Prefectural Culture Hall) and a “Yamato Festival” on the 12th in Osaka (Osaka Welfare Hall). The photos above were from one of these events in which Nishizaki was joined by singers Tomoko Kuwae and Isao Sasaki.
Final Yamato Cruise announced
Previously teased in magazine articles, the full scoop on a new cruise adventure was revealed when this flyer began to make the rounds. Described as “A romantic trip on a luxury cruise ship during spring break,” the flyer announced that crew members were being “recruited” for three weekend cruises to take place from March 29 through April 4. Yamato cast members would come along to make it a party at sea.
The events listed were film screenings, autograph sessions with talk shows, a live singing competition, a stamp rally, and various prize lotteries. The stars scheduled to ride along at the time of this promotion were singers Isao Sasaki and Tomoko Kuwae, and voice actors Kei Tomiyama (Kodai) and Yoko Asagami (Yuki). The cruise ship New Yutopia would be renamed Yamato for the duration of these trips, which were co-sponsored by Nippon Airlines.
Unlike the 1980 cruise for Be Forever Yamato, this wasn’t one you could win. Everyone had to pay their own fare. The promo stated that, “This will be a fitting final voyage for Final Yamato. If you miss this opportunity, you’ll never be able to board Yamato again!” And they weren’t wrong.
Final Yamato Game
The second of two games published by Bandai, this one wasn’t quite as extensive as the first, having only to concern itself with a single film. Despite this, the production values took a step up with full-color game pieces and a new set of playing boards. The single rulebook had no new illustrations, but the game designers certainly had new comments.
Read much more about it here
Finally, Yamato Explodes!
That’s what it says right there in the headline. And here’s where we get an answer to the question posed at the top of this page. If you’ve read all the articles, you might have put it together already.
This marketing strategy was a coordinated response to an undercurrent of criticism. Yoshinobu Nishizaki had become somewhat notorious for promising “this Yamato will be the last one” and then reneging on it afterward. It happened with Farewell in 1978 and Be Forever in 1980. This image of inescapable fate addressed the criticism head on by saying, “Look. This time FOR SURE.”
See it some more in a collection of newspaper ads below.
Space Fanzine Yamato published
As we’ve seen in the historical record, Star Blazers fan clubs emerged one by one in different parts of the US since the series began airing in late ’79. But the first actual English-language fanzine made its debut this month. Clocking in at 48 pages, it served as a concordance of data for both the show and its merchandising, making it a reference point for all of fandom despite a print run of only a few hundred copies. In a very real sense, it was the progenitor of the website you’re reading right now.
Click here to read more about it, and see the entire thing from cover to cover.
February context
Two major anime works appeared this month that would go on to earn “classic” status. February 5 saw the TV debut of fantasy/adventure/mecha series Aura Battler Dunbine, the latest in an ongoing string of genre-defining hits created by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Mecha design was by Yamato veterans Kazutaka Miyatake and Yutaka Izubuchi. More info here.
On February 11, the first movie spinoff of the ongoing Urusei Yatsura series premiered in theaters, Only You, directed by anime auteur Mamoru Oshii. Yamato character designer Shinya Takahashi contributed. Find more info here.
Anime magazines published in February
Two covers for Crusher Joe, two for Urusei Yatsura, one for Final Yamato.
What’s next
Music, books, magazines, media, model kits, a giant concert, and a movie. This is what a Yamato premiere month is all about, baby! Get your arms around the climactic month of March 1983 in Vintage Report 44!
Newspaper ads from February
February 1
This spring, 10 million Yamato fans across Japan will be excited!
February 16
Ten years after its birth, Yamato, which loved humanity and protected the Earth, now goes to its eternal rest…
Soul-shaking impact and emotion! Finally, Yamato explodes!!
Farewell, Yamato. You were a passionate memory of my youth.
Will your end be stardust in the universe, or will you return to the seas of your homeland?
Lower left text: Starting with a grand space myth, the courage of men fighting against a giant enemy nation, and the beautiful love story between Kodai and Yuki, the final drama is powerful and moving, right up to the spectacular final 40 minutes! A timeless masterpiece with the greatest romance in the history of anime!
Lower right box: We are inviting 3,000 people to the Final Yamato Grand Festival! A big event will be held to celebrate The Final Chapter. On the day, we will have special guests and fun things to celebrate as well as special gifts. March 15th, 4pm (with address to apply for tickets).
February 22
A soul-shaking, shocking and moving Final Yamato!
Will Yamato explode? What about the love between Kodai and Yuki? What will be the outcome of this drama of fighting men? The hot topic in Japan right now!
The All Night Nippon special was inundated with inquiries, overwhelming phone lines. Calls to witness Yamato‘s final moments are spreading!
February 22
Soul-shaking impact and emotion! Yamato finally explodes?
What happens in the climax at the end of the series?
Farewell, Yamato. You were a passionate memory of my youth.
February 22
Final Yamato, with the best visuals and music ever!
February 25
Full page ad in Hochi Shimbun, including release information on albums and singles from Columbia. The last item on the list is a 3-LP 10th anniversary set titled Juzo Okita’s Monologue, scheduled for release in May. Unfortunately, it did not materialize.