Presented early to cut down the suspense: all the news from October 2026, up to one week before the premiere of Chapter 7! A major live concert, interviews, and the announcement of a whole new Yamato production made this month one for the record books. Try to keep up…
Photo posted on Twitter by Takumi
October 2: REBEL 3199 Chapter 7 preview screening
The luckiest fans in Japan got to start October by jumping right to the end of the month. How? By seeing a Chapter 7 preview screening at the Shinjuku Piccadilly theater in Tokyo. Afterward, staff and cast members took the stage for the now-customary greeting. On hand were MC Eriko Nakamura (Mikage Kiryu), Megumi Han (Sasha), Keiko Han (Mother Dezarium), Takuya Eguchi (Ranbel), and directors Naomichi Yamato and Harutoshi Fukui.
It goes without saying that they had a LOT to talk about and managed not to reveal any spoilers. See extensive coverage of the stage greeting here.
How about the movie itself? Fans posted reactions on Twitter, also careful to observe the no-spoiler rule. Sample comments:
It was an amazing theatrical work that left me with a shocking impression in an anime movie, comparable to Farewell to Yamato! – Yuki Mori & Ram & Kyoko
One night later, I’m drifting in a daze, realizing it wasn’t a dream after all. I can’t spoil it, but there’s one thing I want to convey: I want everyone involved in AI development to see this! This work is a compass for the future. – S Meijin
Right after the screening, I realized that I’ve been a Yamato fan all this time just to watch this 7th chapter…and with that feeling, before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face on their own. This is a grand masterpiece where you can confront your own heart multiple times throughout the story. Spoilers are just tasteless noise that would ruin it, and I won’t get in the way! I’d rather erase my memory today and experience it again in a pure, unspoiled state. – maru13111
Photo posted on Twitter by Hobbystream
October 2-4: 64th All Japan Model Hobby Show
For the first time, fans could see all the options available to them through Bandai’s 1/1000 Space Battleship Yamato Deluxe Set, an aptly-named model kit containing every version of the ship from every remake series. Enough parts are supplied in a single box to build two ships of your choosing, plus an in-scale Cosmo Hound. (Scheduled for release October 31.)
Photo posted on Twitter by daina_min
Also on hand was the full lineup of 1/100 Cosmo Tiger miniatures, forthcoming from a company named S14 (S-one-four).
See a photo gallery of both displays here
Kia Asamiya jumped in on Twitter to share his box art for the Deluxe Set, which he said was the toughest yet, his first time painting six Yamatos in a single image.
October 2: Mono magazine no. 990
World Photo Press turned heads when they rolled out the first 3199 cover story in Mono no. 942 just before the premiere of Chapter 1 (July 2024). They bookended it on this day with a 12-page article containing updated story info and three interviews.
See it all here
October 2: Music news
Since every 3199 chapter has its own ending song, many fans assumed the closer would be Until the Day of Love, Akira Fuse’s song from Be Forever Yamato, which is just as joyous and exhilarating as ever. Today, we learned that it will be in Chapter 7 (Fukui insisted on it), but it won’t be the end theme. How could they possibly top it? Believe it or not, they found a way.
Also, new promotional art was revealed with seven characters backed by rainbow colors (to match the chapter title Rainbow of Reincarnation).
Get the whole story here
Photo above right posted on Twitter by Mamizou
October 3: Yamato & Villains concert
This concert has been performed many times since its debut in June 2021. Driven by themes representing each faction in the story, it’s always a crowd pleaser – especially when they fire up the pipe organ for a round of White Comet. It happened again at Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall, and plenty of attendees told us all about it.
Read their accounts here
October 5: Yasuhiro Fujiwara on Twitter
The irrepressible voice actor for Ghader Talan returned to the social media waves to register his latest thoughts about the role…
My 27th year in this career. And yet, my voice wavered during that first recording session.
October 9th, about a year ago. The day before the release of REBEL 3199 Chapter 4, the official team posted a short video. The moment I played it, what I heard was the voice of Ghader Talan. It was the scene where he issues a command to the entire fleet in response to the incursion of a planet-destroying missile.
The actual recording for this scene took place in the autumn of 2024. In fact, I believe it was right around this time of year. It was before I had yet proudly declared myself “the second actor to play Ghader Talan.”
Of course, it wasn’t a surprise prepared specifically for me by the official team. (Laugh) But for me, it was a massive surprise. Because…”I want to appear in Space Battleship Yamato.” That desire was one of the driving forces behind my decision to become a voice actor.
I became a voice actor, spent years working in the studio, and before I knew it, 27 years had passed in my career. Even so, when I stood before the microphone for a series I had long admired, my voice wavered slightly, something that rarely happens to me. On top of that, the role was Ghader Talan. I was taking over a beloved character from a series with a long, storied history.
I was happy. But at the same time, I felt the weight of it all. Yet, Sound Director Tomohiro Yoshida didn’t rush me. He didn’t try to force me to relax. He didn’t try to shoehorn my performance into a rigid mold. He waited patiently until I calmed down and was ready to stand there as Talan of my own accord.
In those moments, I gradually became convinced of something: I was being trusted. “I’ve entrusted this role to Yasuhiro.” “Yasuhiro can bring this Talan to life.” They didn’t say those exact words to me. But precisely because that message came through to me, I gradually regained my composure. And then, as the second to hold the role of Ghader Talan, I was able to deliver that command.
It is a truly wonderful thing to work in an environment where one’s dignity is respected. Rather than simply dictating, “Perform it this way,” they wait for the moment when the actor begins to truly live as the character, trusting in the actor’s performance and drawing it out. Perhaps that is the essence of the “trust” shared between a sound director and a voice actor.
That day, Space Battleship Yamato, a work I had long admired, ceased to be merely an object of my admiration. It became a world where I, too, lived as a performer.
A year has passed since then. Now, I can say with confidence: I am living within the world of Yamato as Ghader Talan. To the version of myself from that day who couldn’t yet say those words aloud: It’s going to be okay. It really is, starting right here.
Find Yasuhiro Fujiwara on Twitter here
October 6: 52nd anniversary
Yamato crossed another anniversary mark on October 6, and the occasion was marked by some very big news indeed. Hideaki Anno’s Yamato anime project, first announced exactly two years earlier, earned headlines when its name was finally released to the public: Space Battleship Yamato √2199. The “check mark” is pronounced “Root,” and it’s just one of many tidbits that got fans all abuzz.
Click here to read everything we know so far about the project, and the news that followed the announcement.
October 6: 50th Anniversary Exhibition announcements
The exhibition was strangely offline during what seems like an ideal month to attract customers, but its next two revival dates were announced instead.
On December 11, it will reopen at a Marui department store in Kita-Senju, a suburb just north of Tokyo. On January 30, it will take up residence at its most prestigious venue yet: the Battleship Yamato Museum in Kure, the port city at which the original ship was built. It will stay there for over three months, scheduled to close on May 9.
If anyone reading this words has wanted to see this exhibition in the place it most deserves to be seen, this is the one you’ve been waiting for.
October 7: Tribute video
A fan with the Twitter handle “Admiral Izumo” offered up their own tribute to the anniversary, a 2.5 minute video that pulls together Yamato footage from a variety of different sources, set to a 2013 version of the theme sung by an army of vocalists.
Watch it here
October 9: Christie’s auction
Yamato production cels have appeared in online auctions for decades, but these two reached another level when they appeared on the Christie’s website for consideration.
These auctions closed October 21. See the results (and get a look at some other cel treasures) here
Photo posted on Twitter by S_Meijin
October 10: Fukuyanime 9
Would you believe that, in the era of REBEL 3199, you could see Yamato III in a movie theater for one night only? It happened at Fukuyanime, the annual anime convention held in Fukuya. That’s the hometown of 2202 director Nobuyoshi Habara, so he delivers at least one panel each year. This time he brought along Scriptwriter Hideki Oka, and they teamed up with two other experts to honor the work of anime legend Toyoo Ashida.
Photo posted on Twitter by ayaka19790825
In case that name doesn’t ring a bell, brush up on your anime history; he was there at the very beginning of Yamato, animating (among other things) the classic Planet Bomb detonation sequence that is etched into your memory. By the time of Yamato III, he was directing entire episodes. Two of them (3 and 14) were shown at a movie theater called Station Front Cinema Mode as part of the panel presentation.
Photos posted on Twitter by ayaka19790825 and karapon2199
The time was spent discussing Ashita’s long career arc from start to finish from the standpoint of both those who worked with him and those who were inspired by him. Cosplayer “karapon2199” turned up as classic General Dagon to keep everything in order.
See Dagon in a video clip here
October 10: SDF Forces “Friendship Concert”
Twitter user otoyanNARA brings us this tidbit:
Today, there’s a Self-Defense Forces concert in our local area [Kashihara City]. I used to watch SDF performances of the Yamato theme on Youtube, and sure enough, it was solidly on today’s program! Just as expected – super excited!
Gat a taste of how the Maritime SDF Band handles the Yamato theme here
October 11: RIP Hiroshi Tsuchida
A member of the crew departed tragically early on this day. The news went public on October 20 that Hiroshi Tsuchida, the voice of Chief Engineer Shou Yamazaki, passed away due to heart failure.
From Cinema Today:
Born in Tokyo on February 8, 1972, Tsuchida gained popularity after being cast as Saizo/Ninja Blue in Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, the 18th installment of the Super Sentai series, which aired from 1994 to 1995. In 2024, marking the 30th anniversary of the series, he delighted fans by reprising his role in Ninja Sentai Kakuranger: Part 3 – The Middle-Aged Struggle, a true, direct sequel arriving 30 years after the original.
He has been active in a wide range of roles, primarily as a voice actor. His credits include voicing the protagonist Lightning McQueen in Disney & Pixar’s Cars film series, as well as portraying memorable characters in numerous high-profile works, such as Grisha Yeager in the hit anime Attack on Titan and Trainer Okita in Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top.
The Yamato Production Committee responded to the news with this Tweet on the 20th:
Hiroshi Tsuchida, who voiced the character Shou Yamazaki in the Space Battleship Yamato remake series, passed away on October 11, 2026. We are deeply grateful for the immense contributions Mr. Tsuchida made to our work. We pay our respects to his achievements and offer our heartfelt condolences.
See Mr. Tsuchida’s prodigious credit list here
October 13: NOTE blog
It’s always a good day for a Yamato deep dive, and a blogger named “Maestro” (who cites Yamato as the trigger for his music career) gave us one when he took a fresh look at Final Yamato.
Read his findings here
October 13: Realsound article
You know you’ve made a mark on the world when people are still talking about you 14 years after your exit. A writer for the Realsound website named Shigeru added more to the conversation when he discussed Yoshinobu Nishizaki after reading his biography, The Man Who Made Yamato (2015).
His article, titled How Did Space Battleship Yamato Transform the Anime World?, can be read here
October 16: Chapter 7 Blu-ray news
Package art for the limited-edition Blu-ray was revealed, giving us a look at the slipcase by the great Naoyuki Katoh and the storyboard booklet cover by Character Designer Nobuteru Yuuki. We learned in this interview that the theme of Yuuki’s cover art is to reimagine Yamato characters as pop idols.
When the standard-edition Blu-ray goes on sale December 23, different retailers will offer different bonus items. The model to be offered is a Yamato Mecha Collection kit in clear plastic with glitter effects.
October 16 & 25: Behind the scenes concert videos
If you ever wondered how much mojo it takes to perform The White Comet on a gigantic pipe organ, Chiko Miyagawa and her father Akira give you a taste in a video shot during the rehearsals for Yamato & Villains.
Part 1 can be seen on Youtube here | Part 2 can be seen here
(turn closed captions and auto-translate ON)
October 16: Poll results
Over two months after the character and mecha polls went live (on August 7), the popularity results were finally announced, and some terrific new art was revealed to commemorate it.
Click here for the full story
October 16: Today’s Science for Beginners announcement
“Science for Beginners, finally complete! Don’t miss the emotionally moving finale!”
Along with the conclusion of 3199, we’ll also soon be witness to the last round of these entertaining explainer videos, which have been telling their own parallel story since Chapter 1. This image was posted on the Yamato Production Committee’s Twitter page with the following note:
The long-running Science for Beginners series will reach its final episode. As a bonus feature included with every edition, the entire series, up to and including the final episode, will be available to watch ahead of the general public release. Watching this is guaranteed to make Chapter 7 even more enjoyable! Be sure to check it out early.
Photo posted on Twitter by Crescent Moon
October 16: Osaka station promo
Big public promotional displays made their debut on this day, two weeks before the premiere. This giant poster was spotted at Osaka station in connection with a local cinema, using the “rainbow” character art we saw earlier in the month.
The catchphrase repeats the main poster text: “Even if everything is a lie – Our feelings last forever.”
Photo posted on Twitter by Kota_Aldebaran
October 16: Shinjuku Piccadilly displays
An old friend returned to the “home base” theater in Tokyo when the 1/100 Yamato display model was reinstalled in the lobby, instantly attracting every camera in range. But that wasn’t all they came for…
Photo posted on Twitter by Popoki Cat
The marquee signs lining the staircase were filled with all seven of the rainbow-backed character images, leading the eye up to a monitor cycling the movie trailer released in September. And there was still one more attraction…
Photo posted on Twitter by fukapon
In the theater waiting area, fans were delighted to find a Chapter 7 banner display, something that used to be a regular photo op for all the chapters of 2199 and 2202. This is the only one we’ve seen for 3199, which is appropriate for the sendoff.
The first fans to get the full impact of all this decor visited the Piccadilly that night for a unique opportunity…
Photo above right posted on Twitter by kanta63jp
October 16: Movie marathon 1
Hey, look! It’s our old pal Anton Kholodov, now residing in Tokyo, turning up at the Piccadilly to join the first of two overnight screenings. (If you remember your fan lore, you will know why it’s especially appropriate for Anton to mimic Dessler’s gesture). What was on the schedule? Starting at 11:30 pm, you could watch ALL of Yamato 2205 and then follow up with the first two chapters (6 episodes) of REBEL 3199! The entire program ran until 5:00am, which would definitely have been a challenge for the elderly Yamato generation.
Those who took up the challenge were rewarded with a large-size art board with four of the character images on it.
Overseas reaction: “It can’t be broadcast in the US.” Why couldn’t the work be erased even after it was altered?
October 18: Video at Astonishing Japan
Tim Eldred here, stepping out of my “reporter” persona to tell you that someone in Japan has discovered this website. That’s not really news, Japanese fans have been telling me for years how much they appreciate it. But this is something else: a 22-minute video on a Youtube channel called Astonishing Japan ~ Things from Japan that surprised the world.
This is all about Yamato‘s impact on American fans, and how it affected the course of their lives. I am mentioned and quoted extensively, and it culminates with the December 2010 interview where a group of us visited the home of Leiji Matsumoto. Marvel editor Tom Brevoort is also quoted, though he wasn’t with us that day.
From what I can tell, this is an accurate account, based on content from right here at Cosmo DNA!
Give it a watch here (turn closed captions and auto-translate ON).
Official description:
In the autumn of 1979, on weekday afternoons across America, children returning home from school would watch an animated series that concluded each episode with the same recurring announcement: a countdown of the days remaining for Earth. 363 days, 362 days…as the story progressed, that number visibly ticked downward.
The series was Space Battleship Yamato, which had premiered in Japan in 1974. In the United States, it was adapted as Star Blazers, reworked to meet the standards for children’s television: alcoholic beverages were changed to spring water, characters were given English names, and the ship itself was renamed the Argo. In the second episode, an entire three-minute flashback sequence was cut.
Yet, the production team, who had gone so far as to alter the very contents of the characters’ drinks, found themselves unable to touch one specific scene that appeared on a Monday during the sixth week of the broadcast. Whose image did the creator of that scene have in mind? And what was stirred within the children who watched that episode on those weekday afternoons?
Tracing the journey from American living rooms in 1979 to a room in Nerima, Tokyo, in December 2010, this account relies solely on publicly available records.
October 18: Hobby Japan Web
The online version of Hobby Japan posted the 24th installment of Yamato Mechanics, profiling the long-lived Garmillas carrier Lambea.
See the post here. Read it in English here.
October 18: Mantan Web interview
Mecha design interviews for REBEL 3199 have been rare, but Mantan Web delivered one out of the blue today spotlighting Mika Akitaka, lead designer for the Dezarium and Bolar sides.
Read what he had to say here
October 23: 7 days to launch
October 23: Voice actor interviews
The Animate Times website and TV Fan magazine both arrived on the same day with new voice actor interviews. This gave us two conversations between Daisuke Ono (Kodai) and Makoto Furukawa (Alphon) and a rare one-on-one with Houko Kuwashima (Yuki). Read them here:
Animate Times interview | TV Fan interviews
October 23: Theater goods announced
Collectors eagerly await the moment when they can start forming their wish-lists. One week before showtime, all the goodies to be sold in theaters with the arrival of Chapter 7 were revealed. After going through this 25 times, you’d think all the fresh ideas would be used up. But you would be mistaken.
See the Chapter 7 lineup here
Photos posted on Twitter by S_Meijin and Rei Akira
October 23: Movie marathon 2
The diehards converged on the Shinjuku Piccadilly once again for a test of their mettle. This week, Chapters 3-6 of REBEL 3199 were run back to back from 11:30pm Friday through 5:30am Saturday. The bonus gift this time was an art board to complement the previous one (shown above right).
Superfan S_Meijin, having seen Chapter 7 at the start of the month, wrote: “After watching Chapter 7, I gained so many new insights into the messages about modern society that Chief Director Fukui wove in…it’s just amazing. Just six days until the premiere of Chapter 7. I’m too excited!!
What’s Next
Yamatour 2026 launches as the final week burns off the calendar one day at a time! Fans converge from all parts of the globe for the grand finale of REBEL 3199! Can you bear the suspense? Well, you’ll only have to put up with it until our NEXT report brings it all home on November 15! Until then, follow our Facebook page for daily posts and breaking news!
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! The latest chapter was posted October 25. Click here to join the fun! (No paywall.)