Published at the official website. See the original post here

■ Date & Time: Thursday, June 4
■ Venue: Shinjuku Piccadilly theater, Tokyo
■ Speakers: Houko Kuwashima (Yuki Mori), Tasuku Hatanaka (Ryusuke Domon), Tomo Muranaka (Miyako Kyozuka)
Harutoshi Fukui (Chief Director), Naomichi Yamato (Director)
Eriko Nakamura (Moderator / Mikage Kiryu)

L to R: Eriko Nakamura, Tomo Muranaka, Tasuku Hatanaka, Houko Kuwashima,
Director Naomichi Yamato, Gen. Director Harutoshi Fukui

Regarding Chapter 6, which finally sets the story racing toward its climax, Tomo Muranaka (voice of Miyako Kyozuka) commented with deep emotion: “We’ve steadily recorded episode by episode, so with every chapter release, I get this feeling of, ‘We’ve really come this far.’ Now that we’re at Chapter 6, we’re finally close to the climax. It’s a mix of emotions: the sense of accomplishment from what we’ve done so far, the changes I’ve experienced personally, and my gratitude to all of you. I’m truly happy to be able to share this moment with so many people today.”

Tasuku Hatanaka (voice of Ryusuke Domon) said, “After the shocking ending of Chapter 5, everyone has finally been able to see this.” He emphasized the density of the work, adding, “Chapter 6 is absolutely packed with content. I didn’t fully realize it while we were recording, but I was truly surprised by the sheer volume of this chapter. It took a tremendous amount of energy, it really burned a lot of calories.” He smiled as he added, “As Domon, I ended up flying into a rage in front of others and causing trouble again. I felt a twinge of embarrassment about that.”

His comment drew laughter from the audience, who had just finished watching the film. When Houko Kuwashima, who voices the heroine Yuki Mori, laughed and remarked, “I never thought the day would come when I’d share the stage with these two [Hatanaka and Muranaka],” she playfully teased the pair, whose characters, Domon and Miyako, go through a lot together in Chapter 6. She added, “Actually, I’ve never once recorded with them in the studio. I’m happy to see the two ‘hottest’ members of the Yamato crew up close.”

Observing this exchange, Director Yamato also appeared deeply moved by the film’s completion, noting, “Chapter 6 has it all: romance, elements of horror, and action. Thanks to the cooperation of our talented staff, we were able to craft something with such depth. We’ve finally made it this far.”

The conversation then turned to behind-the-scenes details regarding the spectacular opening scene of Chapter 6, in which Yamato circles the skies above modern-day Tokyo. How did they go about selecting these locations? Chief Director Fukui revealed, “Naturally, we needed permission to feature the Skytree in the film. After making repeated requests to the relevant parties, we were able to depict the scene exactly as we envisioned it.”

Meticulous calculations based on Tokyo’s actual geography went into planning Yamato‘s flight path. Chief Director Fukui exlained: “If you travel along Yasukuni-dori [where the Shinjuku Piccadilly is located] and change course near Uguisudani, the Skytree appears right before your eyes. Deliberately heading toward the Skytree and veering away at the last moment to shake off the Self-Defense Force jets pursuing the Yamato, that’s a high-level maneuver by Shima. And if the path takes us through Ueno, we simply couldn’t leave out the statue of Saigo-san.” This drew impressed murmurs from the audience.

In fact, to capture these realistic scenes, Chief Director Fukui and the Yamato directing team had conducted a location scouting tour across Tokyo several years prior. Director Yamato shared a heartwarming anecdote about how they climbed the Skytree together and walked around taking photos of the Saigo statue.

He revealed the behind-the-scenes details of the film, which features modern Tokyo scenery, explaining, “After drawing storyboards, there’s always a risk you might have to redraw everything from scratch depending on whether you get the necessary permissions. With that in mind, I decided to take responsibility and draw the storyboards myself rather than asking someone else.”

The conversation then turned back to Domon’s “rebellion.” Commenting on Domon, who once again resorted to drastic measures following the events of 2205, Hatanaka gave a smile and remarked, “You don’t usually stage a rebellion that many times in one lifetime.”

He reflected on his passionate performance, saying, “I wanted Domon’s lines this time to reflect his true feelings, 120% of them. He was deeply moved by the sensation of landing on Earth in 2026; his actions stem from a misguided sense of justice and a desire to somehow redo the past, but I really let him lose his temper. It was surprisingly easy to pour my emotions into the role.”

The panelists then teased him about the turbulent evolution of the relationship between Domon and Miyako, leaving Hatanaka momentarily flustered.

To wrap up the lively event, Chief Director Fukui addressed the audience on behalf of the panelists. “When I watched the entire work again recently, the first thing that struck me was how strong the women are,” he said with a touch of humor, noting that voice actress Houko Kuwashima had said the same thing after the preview screening.

He concluded by building anticipation for the finale: “Yamato is a franchise with a long history, yet it constantly evolves by absorbing the atmosphere of the times. Please look forward to seeing what kind of conclusion awaits us after this sixth chapter.”

Yamato Arrives in 2026 Tokyo: Where Will It Go from Shinjuku?
Harutoshi Fukui Teases: “We’ve Planted Various Things…”

Published at Mantan Web. See the original post here

On June 4, a stage greeting celebrating the completion of REBEL 3199 Chapter 6 was held at the Shinjuku Piccadilly theater in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. The event featured the voice cast, Chief Director Harutoshi Fukui, and Director Naomichi Yamato. A major topic of discussion was the ending of Chapter 5, in which Yamato crossed a space-time node and arrived not in the future, but in Tokyo in the year 2026. Chief Director Fukui and others discussed the highlights of Chapter 6.

At the end of Chapter 5, Yamato appeared in the skies above Shinjuku. A teaser visual released for Chapter 6 also depicted the Tokyo Skytree. Chief Director Fukui revealed the creative process behind this, noting, “Tokyo Tower is the same height as Yamato, so the composition didn’t quite look right. I asked if we could include the Skytree, and it was approved. I wanted it positioned right above this location [Shinjuku Piccadilly], so I had decided on Shinjuku. Then came the question of the flight path to the Skytree: moving along Yasukuni-dori and then veering toward the sea around Uguisudani, it was a high-level maneuvering technique.”

He expressed his delight at the completion of Chapter 6, adding, “We had various elements planned, and I’m glad we managed to pull it off successfully.”

Director Yamato described the film as being packed with content, stating, “It features dramatic moments, romance, a touch of horror, and action; thanks to the efforts of the staff, we’ve created something with real depth. I am deeply impressed by their work.”

Also taking the stage that day were voice actors Houko Kuwashima (Yuki Mori), Tasuku Hatanaka (Ryusuke Domon), Tomo Muranaka (Miyako Kyozuka), and Eriko Nakamura (Mikage Kiryu). Kuwashima commented on Hatanaka and Muranaka, saying, “To see the two of them standing side-by-side up close like this! They’re a hot duo, I thought they looked so fresh and earnest.” Her remarks hinted that Chapter 6 would focus on the story of Domon and Miyako.

Muranaka spoke with deep emotion: “We’ve been steadily working through the recording sessions, and as the chapters are released one by one and we reach Chapter 6, drawing ever closer to the climax, I’m filled with a mix of emotions: a sense of accomplishment for what we’ve achieved, personal growth, and gratitude toward everyone.”

Hatanaka bowed his head as he said, “It’s absolutely packed with content. I was amazed at the sheer volume, thinking, ‘It’s all going into Chapter 6!?’ The recording process was incredibly intense. I’m happy, but also a little embarrassed. I went on wild rages and caused trouble for others. It’s like Domon is saying, ‘I’m sorry.'”

In the trailer, Domon was depicted grappling with a temptation similar to the “historical alteration” the Dezarium are attempting to carry out, declaring, “If Yamato heads to the planet Garmillas in this era, we can change the future.”

Hatanaka shared his thoughts: “That was Domon’s true feeling, and I wanted to express that sentiment at 120% capacity. I really let loose and exploded with rage. It was a case of his sense of justice misfiring, yet it was so true to Domon’s character. I rode that wave of emotion, which made it easy to really get into the role.”

When asked about the highlights of Chapter 6, Kuwashima said, “There are so many. By the time you reach Chapter 6, the story has deepened and you’ve grown to love all the characters. But for me, it has to be the Ginga. It was so cool!”

Chief Director Fukui added, “The women are strong. Yamato is a long-running series, but I think it evolves by absorbing the atmosphere of the times. I hope everyone looks forward to the conclusion.”

See this stage greeting on Youtube here (closed captions and auto-translate ON)

Backstage at the Shinjuku Piccadilly, photos posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee and Eriko Nakamura

Photos posted by Tasuku Hatanaka, Aoni Official, and Houko Kuwashima

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