Michio Murakawa’s adaptation of The Whisper of the Witch goes far beyond the anime, using dreamscapes to provide glimpses of the crew’s lives on Earth prior to the mission. Those sequences are described here so that non-Japanese readers can share Murakawa’s thoughtful passion for these characters.
From Dengeki Hobby Web: this interview with 2199 Mecha Director Masanori Nishii was published to mark the arrival of Yamato 2199 Hyper Mechanical Detail Artworks, the ultimate mecha art book on the series. He discusses the demands of creating Yamato mecha AND prepping it for the printed page.
This record encompasses everything from mooks and manga to novels and specialty publications that takes the 2199 experience beyond the screen. Use this as a checklist for your own library, find links to buy what you’re missing, and discover the real-world literature that plays a role of its own. [2 pages]
June 2015: activity dropped after the video release of Ark of the Stars, but there were still news announcements, an interview with the director, the last music release, a new manga chapter, and plenty of action in the Twitter-verse. It’s all rounded up here.
From Hobby Japan, July 2015: Yamato 2199’s Chief Mechanical Designer talks about the use of CG in the anime and many of the decisions behind the on-screen action in the movie, including the creation of the Gatlantis ships rendered in CG for the first time.
The Wolf From Another Dimension Yamato hides, wounded. The eyes of a hunter search for it. The shadow of an invisible enemy, sharpening its fangs. Is there any way to escape those fangs? A howl resounds through the emptiness of space.
The arrival of a new movie on home video means we all get to take a big step forward into the next chapter in Yamato history. That’s what May 2015 was all about – the end of the worldwide wait for Ark of the Stars. And it was surrounded by the kind activity that Yamato fans live for. [2 pages]
This interview with Yutaka Izubuchi was featured in the booklet that came with the home video release of Ark of the Stars in May, 2015. The booklet is included in its entirety.
What Lies Beyond
Those who come from beyond the horizon. Two worlds. Truth and fact. Two truths each create their own sense of “right.” Is there any hope to be found beyond them? Yamato presses forward, across the galactic seas.
In April 2015, some very lucky fans got to see the upgraded version of Ark of the Stars at special theatrical screenings of the “Blu-ray edition”, Yamaket 5 brought fans together for a day of celebration, and other interesting news flashes pointed the way to the future.
A World I Once Saw
Everyone lives with secret feelings. It takes courage to reflect on a horrible past and one’s own mistakes. But look toward to the future. Now is the time to go forward. Yamato advances on an unimaginably long journey.
March 2015 was peppered with interesting developments on multiple fronts as the home video release of Ark of the Stars got another month closer. From Concert 2015 to several unique products and events, here’s everything that crossed the radar scope. [2 pages]
Graveyard of the Universe Yamato plunges through a dimensional gap, into a ship’s graveyard. A cruel space, devoid of life. And there, the shadow of an enemy ship appears. Will they work together or against one other? Will men be able to work together, rather than wait for death?
February 2015: two months after the premiere of Ark of the Stars, it shifted to net delivery. February continued the general slowdown seen in January, but also brought new product announcements, new online activity, and a major new concert that kept the Yamato spirit high. Here’s a roundup of all the February action. [2 pages]
From Otona Anime magazine, February 2015. In this interview, Producer Mikio Gunji encapsulates Yamato 2199 history with observations about its progression in the media from the premiere in 2012 to the making of Ark of the Stars in 2014.
The Clockwork Prisoner
Garmilloids are the Garmillas’s vanguard. Are the words spoken by the one we captured the truth, or falsehood? Does the answer lie beyond communication between machines? What is a person? What is a machine? And, what is a heart?
January 2015 looked like a well-deserved break compared to December, but it was still a good time to be a fan. New books, models, magazine coverage, the last Yamatalk, and art from both pros and fans made for a memorable month – and news of Ark of the Stars on home video pointed toward the future.
Wish Upon a Star
A trap waits in the skies. Dark clouds gather, and up ahead, a red sun looms. Its mouth is filled with burning fire, and its arms are Hell’s crimson flames. Fire one blast, to break through an inescapable trap, and effect an impossible escape.
A substantial variety of interviews with voice actors for Kodai and Mikage, Director Yutaka Izubuchi, Composer Akira Miyazawa, Producer Shoji Nishizaki, and musician Taro Hakase. Originally published in the Ark of the Stars program book (December 2014).
With the premiere day of Ark of the Stars in the rear view mirror, things slowed down somewhat for the rest of the month; December 7-31 saw roughly the same activity as the first five days. But even by itself, that would still count as an above-average month with new products in practically every category. [2 pages]
On this, probably the single busiest day in Yamato history, Ark of the Stars could be seen by anyone in range of a Japanese movie theater, along with a historic amount of related activity. This report is entirely devoted to everything that happened on December 6, 2014. [2 pages]
December 2014 broke the record for the most Yamato activity in a single month, EVER. So much happened that it has been broken into three separate reports for easier reading. This first portion covers December 1-5, in which new music, new books, a chocolate Yamato and more marked the approach of Ark of the Stars. [2 pages]
The December 2014 release of Ark of the Stars was especially busy in the area of print media coverage. Here is a comprehensive collection of articles from multiple sources, providing several interviews with cast and crew, background info on the story, a guide to how anime is made, and much more.
Farewell to the Solar System
With different emotions in each of their hearts, the crew of Yamato now leaves the solar system behind. Before them lies a galaxy no human has ever seen. Say a prayer for those who set sail, and a goodbye to those left behind. Let your feelings be heard. Farewell, Earth. We will return! We will return!
November 2014 dialed activity up intensely when A Voyage to Remember arrived on home video, and the promotional campaign for Ark of the Stars went nuclear. A rush of products and announcements later in the month gave us the clear signal that Yamato fever was back! [3 pages]
During the final countdown to the premiere of Ark of the Stars, Director Yutaka Izubuchi finally broke several months of silence with his first interview of 2014. Here he explains when and how the idea of the film was first proposed and what steps were taken to lay its foundations. (From Yamato 2199 Pia)
The premiere of A Voyage to Remember contributed to making October 2014 one of the busiest months in Yamato history, with something new almost every day. The buildup only occupies page 1 of this 4-page onslaught. Not bad for a franchise that turned 40 years old on October 6.
