Space Battleship Yamato 1974 Complete Episode Commentary

Commemorating the 45th Anniversary of Broadcast

Roto-san’s Book Vol. 42 by Ryusuke Hikawa

Space Battleship Yamato began broadcasting on October 6, 1974. Fascinated by what he saw, Ryusuke Hikawa visited the production studio Office Academy as a second-year high school student. The things he saw and heard there, and what he interpreted from various materials he obtained, set the course for the rest of his life as an author and commentator on the worlds of anime and tokusatsu (live-action special effects works).

He has authored many books and magazine articles since then, including a blog under the pseudonym “Roto-san.” That name also appears on a running series of monographs published as doujinshis and sold at live events such as Comiket.

This book (volume 42, published December 28, 2019) focuses on the first Yamato series, based on talks and lectures Hikawa gave from summer to fall 2019, as well as records from the International Animation Film Festival and Ikebukuro Community College. The text is presented here in English by the kind permission of Mr. Hikawa.