{"id":1977,"date":"2013-06-28T06:47:59","date_gmt":"2013-06-28T06:47:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=1977"},"modified":"2019-07-04T08:08:20","modified_gmt":"2019-07-04T15:08:20","slug":"689","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/689\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Battleship Yamato 2199<\/em>, Report 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

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March 2012: The manga debuts in New Type Ace<\/em> and magazine coverage explodes in Hobby Japan, Dengeki Hobby, Great Mechanics DX, Nikkei Entertainment, New Type, 2nd Magazine,<\/em> and Megami<\/em>. The premiere of YRA Radio Yamato<\/em> and the first product tie-in. Also: early model sheets for Garmillas and Iscandar mecha!<\/p>\n

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Before commencing with the deluge of news from the month of March, it’s necessary to point out that if you’re in the habit of visiting this website only when new updates go online (every 60 days), you might have missed our special update on March 1 when we posted Report #3<\/a> and an account of the February 18 Special Launch Event<\/a>. If so, click on each of those names to get caught up. We’ll wait right here for you.<\/p>\n

\nDone? Good, because since this update is being published only a few days before 2199<\/em>‘s public debut, we can look at the entire runup to the April 7 premiere. Naturally, March was a month of heavy magazine coverage in Japan, with a few extra announcements sprinkled in here and there.<\/p>\n

\nWe’ll jump right to the best announcement of all: Yamato 2199<\/em> will be SUBTITLED IN ENGLISH. Re-read that sentence as many times as it takes to sink in. If you buy it on Blu-ray disc (CD Japan<\/a> and Amazon.jp<\/a> are both ready to serve overseas customers) you can view it on an standard North American Blu-ray player WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. This amazing news was issued on March 15. Both Anime News Network<\/a> and newshound August Ragone<\/a> shared it with their online readers. (Click on the names to read their coverage) As indicated on the poster shown at right, 2199<\/em> Volume 1 will be released May 25. It is not currently known if the DVD will also include subtitles.<\/p>\n

\nSo with that out of the way, let’s dive right into the deep end.<\/p>\n

\nSpecial thanks to Sword Takeda and Neil Nadelman for translation support.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Hobby Japan<\/em> April issue (published Feb 25)<\/h3>\n

The new designs for the Earth Defense Fleet were revealed in full color, and got some designation upgrades to boot. At upper left we see Captain Okita’s flagship, now named Space Battleship Kirishima<\/em>, and below that we have an entirely new vessel, a cruiser named Murasame<\/em>. At upper right we see our old friend Mamoru Kodai’s Destroyer Yukikaze<\/em>, as sleek and handsome as ever. Below that are stills from the trailer released in February, which can still be seen here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nOr, watch both the teaser (from 2011) and the trailer in one sitting here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Dengeki Hobby<\/em> April issue<\/h3>\n

(Ascii Media Works, published Feb 25)<\/h3>\n

Dengeki<\/em> also did its part, giving us a few more angles to enjoy–plus our first look at some enemy Gamilas ships. Like the EDF, they’ve also gotten new names. From top to bottom, they read Destria<\/em>-Class Heavy Space Cruiser, Kelkapia<\/em>-Class High Speed Space Battle Cruiser, and Kripitera<\/em>-Class Space Destroyer. All three are upgrades of older designs, re-engineered by Director Yutaka Izubuchi.<\/p>\n

\nAs with previous issues of Dengeki<\/em>, pro-modeler and Yamato<\/em> superfan Noboyuki Sakurai weighed in with his thoughts on the new mecha:<\/p>\n

\nSo, the Earth fleet was finally revealed this month.<\/p>\n

\nThe new trailer was released, and you may have already noticed an unfamiliar ship type on the screen. This is a cruiser, which has been newly designed. In the original series, there were only two types of ships in the Earth fleet, “Okita’s Battleship” and the “Assault Destroyer,” and since such a fleet organization was unnatural, this new ship appears to compensate.<\/p>\n

\nI should specifically mention that the name Kirishima<\/em> has been attached to “Okita’s Battleship.” The name Yukikaze<\/em> was properly attached to the other type of ship, but “Okita’s Battleship,” which was a name given just for “convenience” was too ambiguous, and this new concept should attract the interest of battleship fans. Because Kirishima<\/em> was also the name of a battleship in the old Japanese Navy, it is easy to understand it as a battleship class. The basic shape of its hull respects the original with almost no changes, but the parts have more detail now as usual. We should confirm what sort of function these parts perform in the drama. Incidentally, the bridge turret is also a symbol of Kirishima<\/em> and it is fired here for the first time.<\/p>\n

\nThe Earth fleet also includes a cruiser and a destroyer, named Murasame<\/em> and Yukikaze<\/em> respectively. There is a unit name attached to each one. You can confirm in the pictures that the name of each ship is written on the side of the hull. In the trailer, we can confirm a cruiser named Nachi<\/em> and a destroyer named Shimakaze.<\/em> The naming of both asserts their authority as warships.<\/p>\n

\nThree different Gamilas ships have also been revealed. Although there were three types of “Destroyer” in the original work, the 2199<\/em> versions have been divided into three classes. These designs also carry out a brush-up of the old ones and the more organic silhouette emphasizes the existence of Gamilas as a different civilization. By the way, the Destria<\/em>-class has been newly established as a heavy cruiser equivalent to the old “Destroyer.” Judging from the direction of the old Episode 1 that we already know, this seems to be an appropriate change.<\/p>\n

\n-Nobuyuki Sakurai<\/em><\/p>\n

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The magazine also went the extra step of covering character designs (click here<\/a> for an enlargement). Mr. Sakurai commented on these as well:<\/p>\n

\nHere we introduce the characters that have already been presented at the official site<\/a> and elsewhere. Because the color art was shown at the official website and in anime magazines, here we present the valuable black & white art. The Yamato<\/em> characters shown here were designed by Nobuteru Yuuki. Speaking of Mr. Yuuki, he once created the art for the Yamato 2<\/em> LD box<\/a> and also the legendary video documentary The Quickening<\/em><\/a>. His mania as a “fan” is familiar.<\/p>\n

\nIn these designs, even if the character has changed greatly, some still have a strong trace of the old days, and I’m probably not the only one who thinks the balance is wonderful. Also notice the pose of each character. Aren’t the standing positions of some characters similar to the design sheets of the old works?<\/p>\n

\nMr. Nobuhiro Okaseko, who dealt with character design for the first series<\/a>, drew Shima in particular way, and this design is drawn the same way in a pose which “raises the left hand.” This stance strongly shows the respect for Yamato<\/em> that reflects Mr. Yuuki’s standing as a fan. These designs caught the attention of older fans, such as fans of Kodai or of Nanbu, and they seem to have been favorably and positively accepted.<\/p>\n

\nThe “big three idols” of the Yamato<\/em> generation have neither the same dress nor hairstyle now that we’ve entered the 21st century. I think it may be said that these changes are proper and appropriate to the times. With the Yamato<\/em> crew reborn this stylishly, I sincerely hope 2199<\/em> will be loved as much as the previous works. I will clearly say that I love these designs.<\/p>\n

\n-Nobuyuki Sakurai<\/em><\/p>\n

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And now that the seal on Gamilas mecha has been broken, it’s time to unveil the last of the design sheets that were privately collected back in 2010. But be aware, this is only a tiny glimpse into a deep well. Much more will be revealed from official sources in coming months.<\/p>\n

\nClick here<\/a> for Gamilas mecha<\/p>\n

\nClick here<\/a> for Iscandar mecha<\/p>\n

\nThen click here<\/a> to see what was added to the mecha page of the official 2199<\/em> website on March 30.<\/p>\n

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Nikkei Entertainment<\/em> April issue (Published by Nikkei BP, March 3)<\/h3>\n

Nikkei<\/em> is a monthly magazine that casts a wide net to cover TV, film, music, home video, and plenty more. Their April issue carried this two-page article that provided our first look at Analyzer, a general overview of the saga (the chart at upper left is a capsule view of everything done from 1974 through the live-action movie) and the first published comments from Director Yutaka Izubuchi, which highlight how the series will carve out its own turf.<\/p>\n

Space Battleship Yamato 2199<\/em>: The fans’ long-awaited remake of the classic Yamato<\/em><\/h3>\n

The SF animation Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> will be remade for the first time in 38 years, revived as Space Battleship Yamato 2199<\/em>. <\/p>\n

\nSpeaking of Yamato<\/em>, it caused a large boom in the 1970s, and was a masterpiece that laid the foundation of Japanese anime. A live-action film starring Takuya Kimura was shown in 2010 and raised 4.1 billion yen, proving that there were still many passionate fans.<\/p>\n

\nThe expectation of the fans is growing suddenly; although a sequel anime and a live-action movie have been released so far, the is the first time the original has been remade. Mr. Yutaka Izubuchi serves as the General Director. His policy is that, “The basic format hasn’t been broken, but the settings and characters are being brought up to date.”<\/p>\n

\nThe basis for the Yamato<\/em> story is the classic Journey to the West. A huge space battleship and its crew journey into space in search of a device to save the Earth, and the story is told up to their return. This universal story and the mechanic identity of Yamato<\/em> are the two “fundamental” points, maintained in this new work as much as possible. On the other hand, the nature of the drama and the settings built upon it have changed significantly.<\/p>\n

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Modernizing a Showa Concept<\/h3>\n

The first target of this work are the fans of the past, now grown to adults. The goal is to regain the vitality of the Yamato<\/em> market by appealing to fans of the previous work, now in their 30s-50s. For this reason, the characters who play a major role in the drama are tailored to the times.<\/p>\n

\nKodai was the “hero” children yearned for in those days.<\/p>\n

\n“If anything, the truth was that Kodai was the opposite of that,” said Mr. Izubuchi. Kodai was a “hot-blooded person” who took bold action with no regard for life, the type of leader who motivated people around him with passion. But he is now reborn as a new character who is steady, calm, and vigilant and who grapples with conflict to fill the leadership role.<\/p>\n

\n“I looked back at the original again and saw the actions of Kodai as a man who ignored orders and rushed forward trusting only in his passion. However, a hot-blooded man showing the impetus of the Showa era seems out of place today. Therefore I gave him a different role as a character.”<\/p>\n

\nOther characters have been rearranged from a similar perspective. The background for this is the change of stance among viewers who watch hero anime.<\/p>\n

\n“The biggest difference in the hero image of the past and the present is if he is taken as the viewer’s other self. Therefore, in the present day the bold hero is a caricature (satire), and I feel that more supporting-type characters are required.”<\/p>\n

\nIn addition, we now live in a time when we can watch relays from the space station in our living rooms. Compared to that time, both the creators and the audience have a knowledge and recognition of space that has increased dramatically. Therefore, the concepts of Yamato<\/em> have been significantly revised this time. For example, in the previous work, the setting was that “Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> is converted from the Battleship Yamato<\/em> used in World War II.” However, remodeling a battleship that sank 200 years before into a space battleship is scientifically impossible. Therefore, the concept of “remodeling the Battleship Yamato<\/em>” has been discontinued in the new work.<\/p>\n

\n“Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> has been newly constructed while disguised<\/em> as the wreckage of the World War II battleship to deceive the eyes of the enemy.”<\/p>\n

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Yamato<\/em> fans gather for the production<\/h3>\n

For this new version, any doubt felt by the viewers over the new concepts and interpretations must have some underlying collateral. The visuals of the characters and the battleship are assembled based on the idea of creating a work that can withstand modern sensibilities. The change of social conditions has influenced some of the concepts, too. In one case, there was only one woman on the crew in the previous work, the heroine Yuki Mori. In this remake, multiple female characters appear on both the Yamato<\/em> side and the Gamilas side.<\/p>\n

\nCareful conceptual changes were performed intensively during the early months of the production. Mr. Izubuchi was caught in the wake of the [original] Yamato<\/em> anime and has been involved in the anime industry as a designer since he was in his 20s.<\/p>\n

\n“If I get to make Yamato<\/em>, I want to do it this way,” is what he used to say, calling it a “simulation.” That’s the sort of staff that gathered for this project.<\/p>\n

\n“About Yamato<\/em>, I think that Mr. Hideaki Anno and I are the most familiar with it in Japan,” said Mr. Izubuchi. Mr. Anno is an enthusiastic Yamato<\/em> fan who presides over Studio Color, and is the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion<\/em>. He participated this time by storyboarding the opening title.<\/p>\n

\nIn addition, the veteran creators who have gathered are fans of the original work. Music is also an indispensable element of Yamato<\/em>. The many famous tunes and theme songs composed by the late Mr. Hiroshi Miyagawa are still constantly heard on TV specials about classic anime and such. His son Akira Miyagawa was asked to do the arrangements and add new music that was performed by a live orchestra. And it was announced that Mr. Isao Sasaki, who sang the original theme, pitched in again for the new one.<\/p>\n

TV broadcast to follow theatrical release<\/h3>\n

The business development of 2199<\/em> is taking a new approach. The 26 episodes have been divided; Chapter 1 (episodes 1 & 2) will be shown in ten theaters across the country from April 7, and Chapter 2 (episodes 3-6) will be shown from June 30. In all, 7 chapters are due to be shown. DVD and Blu-ray packages will be sold at the time of release. The plan is to broadcast all the episodes on TV after their exhibition in theaters.<\/p>\n

\nThis is the reverse of the normal pattern, in which there is a TV broadcast first and a film adaptation follows after a successful marketing campaign. This new pattern has already succeeded for Mobile Suit Gundam UC (Unicorn)<\/em>. Using the method of releasing DVDs and Blu-ray discs through theatrical presentation has resulted in sales of over 500,000 pieces.<\/p>\n

\nMr. Mikio Gunji of Production IG is responsible for the business development of this project.<\/p>\n

\n“Deployment first to the conventional fans is carried out this time, and the strategy of extending into the younger generation will be taken after that. This is possible because the Yamato<\/em> brand is already widely recognized. It is a business model which becomes possible only because there are core fans who would love to see it at a theater and will spend their time and money on it from the beginning,” he said.<\/p>\n

\nAdvertisement is also uncommon for an anime work, and this development attaches great importance to the internet, weekly magazines, newspapers, etc. Signs of the core fans’ reaction have already been seen; 1,000 tickets to a live launch event<\/a> on February 18 were sold out that same day.<\/p>\n

\nWhether or not Yamato<\/em> can create a whirlwind for the second time has earned a high degree of attention inside and outside the industry.<\/p>\n

\nEnd of article<\/em><\/p>\n

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New Type Ace<\/em> issues 5-7 (Published by Kadokawa, January-March)<\/h3>\n

New Type Ace<\/em> is a high-profile manga magazine that we’ve seen in previous reports; it was the first to publish color character art in the 5th issue (top row left, January 10) and it continued in the 6th (top row right, February 10) along with the exciting announcement that an all-new 2199<\/em> manga by Michio Murakawa would debut in the 7th issue (March 10). The page spreads shown on the bottom row above were from issue 7, intro pages which lead into the first page of the manga.<\/p>\n

\nClick here<\/a> to see enlargements of these page spreads<\/p>\n

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The presentation in issue 7 gave us a good look at the new Dessler, and another Gamilas ship was revealed along with him: the one pointing to his foot is labeled Hyzerad<\/em>-Class Space Battleship, and it doesn’t seem to match anything from the original 1974 series. A page from the manga is shown above right; it opened with four color pages and totaled a whopping 63 pages that adapted the entire first episode.<\/p>\n

\nClick here<\/a> to see the first manga chapter in full, and look for a nice surprise about it in the links at the end of this report.<\/p>\n

\nMichio Murakawa occasionally updates his blog with his personal views on the project. His February 29 blog entry<\/a> was the subject of an English-language report by August Ragone, posted on his own blog March 5th. Read August’s account here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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C3 Convention, Hong Kong<\/h3>\n

2199<\/em> got its first offshore exhibit at the C3 hobby and anime show in Hong Kong on March 10. These photos were shot by blogger Quentin Lau and have been reprinted here by permission. Visit his blog<\/a> to see the full-size originals and much more from the event.<\/p>\n

\nAs indicated in the Nikkei Entertainment<\/em> article, Production IG is handling all the marketing for the series, and their display included some more production designs that have not yet been published. Production IG set up this booth again at the Tokyo Anime Fair<\/a> from March 22-25.<\/p>\n

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New Type<\/em> April issue (Kadokawa Group Publishing, March 10)<\/h3>\n

New Type<\/em> magazine goes all the way back to the mid-80s (its name originates from Mobile Suit Gundam<\/em>), and is still the slickest monthly anime magazine around with exclusive art gracing its pages every month. They commissioned this gorgeous piece directly from the 2199<\/em> production unit, which provides a good look at the new uniforms’ shoulder insignia (see the enlargement below or click here<\/a> to see the whole thing bigger).<\/p>\n

\nThe article featured an interview with Director Yutaka Izubuchi that builds nicely upon the one in Nikkei Entertainment<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Revive, Yamato<\/em> ~ Gather to the Cause of Yamato<\/em> to Fulfill a Promise to the Young<\/h3>\n

Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>, which was broadcast in 1974 and had a great influence on history, is about to leave for a new voyage. It was not uncommon for ambitious creators to go beyond Yamato<\/em> and enter the anime industry. When reconstructing the great work, what did Director Yutaka Izubuchi fix his eyes upon?<\/p>\n

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“Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> was very much an epoch-making work at that time. However, we cannot deny that some parts look old when we look at it from the present viewpoint. For a long time there has been a desire to readjust that. Since it is a work with an excellent format, it will become more comfortable for new fans if it is readjusted. Overcoming hardships, acquiring, and returning…the basis of the story is Journey to the West. It has a universality that any generation can enjoy.”<\/p>\n

\nThere is no change to Yamato<\/em>‘s excellent foundation. The sense of incongruity seen and felt from a modern viewpoint will be rectified. It is a craftsman-like concept to totally restore the vividness of the cultural heritage.<\/p>\n

\n“It means thinking more logically. For example, as to how to construct the characters, the original pulled in the fiery passion of the 70s generation. That can be understood with a sports theme, but seems severe now. Kodai often violated orders; wouldn’t it seem funny for him to be made a deputy captain? If there is a place where the story is inconsistent and becomes incomprehensible, we’ll wipe it out. If I revise what I thought to be strange and it adds depth to the story, I’ll actively use it. Longtime fans may not like it though. Old fans, including me, see every element of Yamato<\/em> as treasure.” (Laughs)<\/p>\n

\nIzubuchi himself is a genuine fan, so he puts all his energy at the service of every fan who is as enchanted with Yamato<\/em> as he is.<\/p>\n

\n“After Farewell to Yamato<\/em> (the second feature film) there were many characters who were retro-fitted in and we learned ‘actually it was this way.’ Such elements were incorporated in as if they existed from the beginning. It increases the depth of the story and becomes service for the older fans.”<\/p>\n

\nWhile removing the incongruities, there is also a part that aims in new directions.<\/p>\n

\n“The most basic parts of the work are highly complete music and a high degree of mechanical design. On the other hand, the original had the nature of groping for the best arrangement of character design, and in fact we now have characters that will absolutely satisfy older fans. However, I thought, ‘wait a minute.’ Even if I like it, how will Yamato<\/em> be seen by the new generation? Therefore, for the sake of more recent anime fans, we did designs that can hook them into common ground.”<\/p>\n

\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Many creators who entered the industry because of Yamato<\/em>, such as Hideaki Anno, are participating in 2199<\/em>. Izubuchi says this is “significant.”<\/p>\n

\n“There are many people who rode Yamato<\/em>‘s wake into the world of anime, such as Mr. Anno and the scripwriter Shigeru Morita, too. Now that we’ve reached a turning point in our 40s and 50s, everyone is distinguishing themselves together on Yamato<\/em>. Although Mr. Anno has his hands full with his own work, he still helped with the opening title storyboards anyway, and I thought his participation was quite natural.” (Laughs)<\/p>\n

\nYamato<\/em> is no longer just a legend or an older work any longer, either. With 2199<\/em>, old and new fans alike can board a newly-born ship together.<\/p>\n

\n“This is a new start for Yamato<\/em> that I want to raise up for a younger generation. Although it is a restart for us, it is a start for those who will watch it for the first time. In that way, 2199<\/em> will be an original for everyone. I’ll be happy if you watch it with such a feeling.”<\/p>\n

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Metallic Sticker Set<\/h3>\n

The next news arrived on March 15 when the official website announced a sort of “customer loyalty reward program.” As if anyone needed extra encouragement to see all seven of the 2199<\/em> theatrical features, a series of seven foil stickers is being created, each one reproducing a different uniform emblem. When the last sticker is given out for movie #7 (currently scheduled for February 2013), collectors will be given a panoramic album for them, illustrated by Yamato<\/em> veteran Naoyuki Katoh<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nGet a better look at the set here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Great Mechanics DX<\/em> #20 Spring issue (Futaba Corp, published March 15)<\/h3>\n

In their December issue, (presented here in report 2<\/a>) the editors of the quarterly Great Mechanics DX<\/em> announced that they intended to actively take up Yamato 2199<\/em> in their next issue, and they weren’t kidding around. Issue 20 featured a massive 16-page article with a lengthy staff interview and a big fat helping of never-before-seen designs.<\/p>\n

\nIt’s too long to include on this page, so click here<\/a> to see the entire thing. (Or continue reading and catch another link at the end of this page. It’s definitely a must-see.)<\/p>\n

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2nd<\/em> magazine, May issue (AE publishing co., March 16)<\/h3>\n

In its heyday during the original production years, Yamato<\/em> was a wide-reaching phenomenon that got media coverage from sources that never even mentioned anime before. Here’s the first modern-day echo of that: an 8-page article in a clothing magazine that put another spotlight on Director Yutaka Izubuchi.<\/p>\n

\nSparsely designed, it nevertheless delivered an interview that added still more to the growing conversation.<\/p>\n

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Returning to the original point that he wouldn’t be who he is if not for Yamato<\/em>, we take on modern Yamato<\/em><\/h3>\n

Interviewer:<\/em> Mr. Izubuchi is working on Space Battleship Yamato 2199<\/em>, a remake that has become a hot topic before its screening. You were hooked by the original Yamato<\/em> from its on-air days, so could it be said that you wouldn’t be Mr. Izubuchi without Yamato?<\/em><\/p>\n

\nIzubuchi:<\/em> I think that is right. I don’t think I could do the work I’m doing if not for Yamato<\/em>. It was an epochal work. But those who liked to say so at the time were a minority. We didn’t even have the word anime in those days, it was still called TV manga, and elementary students watched it. In middle school and high school, we had to watch it on the sly.<\/p>\n

\nHowever, Yamato<\/em> appeared and didn’t succumb to public pressure. On the contrary, I strongly felt that it could propagate great works. There were wonderful works before Yamato<\/em>, such as Lupin III<\/em> and Triton of the Sea<\/em><\/a>, but Yamato<\/em> was ahead of the pack in terms of visual SF with well-made gimmicks. It was done at a level that even an adult could watch without feeling foolish.<\/p>\n

\nI often say that without Yamato<\/em> there couldn’t be a Gundam<\/em> It was the background of an era.<\/p>\n

\nInterviewer:<\/em> I heard that you and your friends made a Yamato<\/em> fan club.<\/p>\n

\nIzubuchi:<\/em> It wasn’t an official thing, we just did it on our own. In the middle of high school, I entered a study circle for tokusatsu<\/em> [special effects films and TV shows], and my friends and I gathered in a coffee shop once a month to talk about Yamato<\/em>, animation and SF. It was a time of supreme bliss to talk earnestly about those subjects.<\/p>\n

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Interviewer:<\/em> Your passion as a fan gave you an opportunity to enter the anime industry.<\/p>\n

\nIzubuchi:<\/em> Being in a fan club wasn’t the reason I got into the industry, it was just conversation about the things we liked. I sent a letter to Nippon Sunrise (now simply “Sunrise”) asking for a tour, and I got permission to “come on X day.”<\/p>\n

\nI was able to talk with Tadao Nagahama, who directed Voltes V<\/em> and Combattler V<\/em>. Mr. Nagahama loved to talk with fans. When they showed me their illustrations, I was told, “Why don’t you try drawing a bit?” What I drew for them was just stuff I did at random, wild ideas I had for my own anime character and creature designs. It felt like the creatures were inviting me to see them. When you go to a studio as a fan, you’ve accepted an invitation.<\/p>\n

\nInterviewer:<\/em> That’s great.<\/p>\n

\nIzubuchi:<\/em> I actually became a job candidate. (Laughs) But even if I graduated from college and found a job, I thought I wasn’t cut out to be a salaryman. Now, when you have a chance sitting there in front of you, it’s basically saying you should go for it. My parents said I should take responsibility for myself. At first it felt like a part-time job.<\/p>\n

\nInterviewer:<\/em> You’re a mechanic design fan, too.<\/p>\n

\nIzubuchi:<\/em> As far as mechanic goes, I’d liked that and special effects since before Yamato<\/em>, but I never really had a special sense for mecha. In Record of Lodoss Wars<\/em>, for example, I did illustrations including character design, and I liked to draw characters. But design became a stepping stone since I wanted to get involved with filmmaking, including production and directing. But with that said, I’ve continued doing mecha design for nearly 30 years, after all. (Laughs)<\/p>\n

\nI wanted to try directing or scriptwriting, and thought Patlabor<\/em> might be an opportunity. I did scriptwriting and a little storyboarding. I directed for the first time on Rahxephon<\/em>, and did secret behind-the-scenes producing after that. (Laughs)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em> You wanted to concern yourself with the big picture, not just design and illustration.<\/p>\n

\nIzubuchi:<\/em> I’ve done manga, too, but I like complete image works, including tokusatsu.<\/em> I like live-action film, too.<\/p>\n

\nInterviewer:<\/em> For Yamato 2199<\/em> you haven’t made many changes to the fundamental elements or the story structure.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em> That was important to me. When the structure and designs are changed in other remakes, I usually say “you’re kidding!” (Laughs) I wouldn’t destroy the image, because things like Yamato<\/em> sunk into the red Earth against the setting sun are key visuals. Yamato<\/em> against the setting sun is an element that cannot be removed. However, when I think about it logically I question why Yamato<\/em> was in that kind of place. Even though I’ve always wondered why you’d build it right where the enemy can plainly tell where it is (laughs), I’d never give up this visual.<\/p>\n

\nInterviewer:<\/em> Please state your message to the 2nd<\/em> readers from the Yamato<\/em> generation.<\/p>\n

\nIzubuchi: Yamato<\/em> wasn’t an anime that was made during a period of high economic growth. In fact, it can be said that it could only have been made by a country that had lost a war. It had the feeling of, “We can still do this. We’ve overcome hardship and moved forward before.” It may be second-guessing, but after encountering the great earthquake last year, Japan went through a time of great adversity. Although the original dealt with radioactivity and could lead to misunderstanding, I think it’s significant in that it was about working through adversity.<\/p>\n

\nWhen you watch their fight to overcome hardship, and it props up your own feelings even a bit, I think it makes you happy.<\/p>\n

\n

\n
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<\/span><\/p>\n

Announcements<\/h3>\n

Various announcements and events popped up in late March to keep fans apprised of continuing developments.<\/p>\n

\nOn March 15, fans outside Tokyo got the welcome news that they would have a chance to relive the 2199<\/em> Launch Event that took place on February 18. It had been edited down to a half-hour documentary, paired up with Episode 1, and would be shown in two movie theaters on March 25: one each in the cities of Nagoya and Osaka. This may not mean much to fans outside Japan until you realize that it would make a nice bonus feature on a future DVD or Blu-ray.<\/p>\n

\nThe next announcement was quite intriguing: a creative alliance has been established with an unusual company called Maeda Construction Fantasy Business Division<\/a>. How’s this for a job description: they run fantasy concepts through a sort of “reality filter” and conceive what it would take to build them in real life. For example, if you wanted to build a full-size, working giant robot or spaceship, they will figure it out for you–and they have already done so with such anime favorites as Mazinger Z<\/em> and Mobile Suit Gundam<\/em>. As of March 19, they have been assigned to apply their knowledge to Yamato 2199<\/em>. [Update: read the results of this project here<\/a>.]\n

\nYutaka Izubuchi delivered a one-hour lecture in anime production on March 26 at Toho Film Academy<\/a> for just 50 participants, all of whom received a signed poster afterward. The announcement from the school’s website is shown at right.<\/p>\n

\nJapan’s online Hikari TV, which began streaming the first 2199<\/em> movie on March 28, teased it on March 26 by showing just the first half of Episode 1, the Pluto battle. The online Bandai channel did the same. Neither stream was accessible from outside Japan, but the fortress was penetrated anyway. See the segment on YouTube here<\/a>!<\/p>\n

\nAnother March 26 highlight was the premiere of the Yamato 2199<\/em> online radio show, titled YRA (Yamato Radio<\/em>) through the online radio network Onsen<\/a>. The hosts are voice actress Aya Uchida (who plays the new character cadet Yuria Misaki) and voice actor “Cho” (who plays Analyzer, formally designated AU09) and the purpose of the show is to introduce listeners to life on board the ship from impressions of the Captain to what’s available in the lunch line.<\/p>\n

\nThree of their regular segments are: “Think About Catch Copy” in which listeners are asked to submit promotional sentences that can be read over the Yamato<\/em> theme, “Love Letters From Earth” in which listeners write heartfelt thoughts to their favorite characters, and “Wave-Motion Gun to Your Heart” in which those stuck in one of life’s many ruts can describe what’s got them down and get an honorary Wave-Motion gun blast to clear away their troubles. YRA is scheduled to run on Mondays at Onsen, and may be available to overseas listeners.<\/p>\n

\nThe first product tie-in emerged on March 29 when the fast food chain Lotteria offered a 2199<\/em> clear file (below right) with the purchase of certain food items. This art is new, and looks just about right for a future video sleeve. Click here<\/a> to see an enlargement.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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What’s Next<\/h3>\n

Click here<\/a> to read the amazing 16-page article published in Great Mechanics DX<\/em> #20. Everyone will laugh at you if you don’t.<\/p>\n

\nThe Long Voyage<\/em>, Volume 1 of Yamato 2199<\/em>, will premiere in select Japanese theaters April 7, giving the public its first look at Episodes 1 & 2. <\/p>\n

\nNew Type Ace<\/em> will continue Michio Murakawa’s manga adaptation in issue 8 and beyond; new issues are published monthly on the 10th, and might be available at a Japanese newsstand or bookstore near you. Amazon.jp is always a reliable source.<\/p>\n

\nSee the first half of Episode 1 on YouTube here<\/a>!<\/p>\n

\nAnd finally, the nice surprise hinted at earlier: click here<\/a> to visit August Ragone’s Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Manga Project<\/em>, to see the first manga chapter translated into English!<\/p>\n

\nContinue to Report 5<\/a><\/p>\n

Bonus<\/h3>\n

Just before this report crossed the finish line, one more item rolled in. The May issue of Megami Magazine<\/em>, published by Gakken Marketing, came out on March 30. Megami<\/em> means Goddess<\/em>, and the magazine is loaded with cheesecake. Since there is now a Yamato<\/em> series with completely modern character design, it earned a pinup. And it probably won’t be the last.<\/p>\n

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