{"id":25558,"date":"2018-10-12T18:11:07","date_gmt":"2018-10-13T01:11:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=25558"},"modified":"2018-11-14T14:59:13","modified_gmt":"2018-11-14T22:59:13","slug":"342a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/342a\/","title":{"rendered":"Harutoshi Fukui interview, September 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"1810icon\"<\/p>\n

In the tumultuous wake of Yamato 2202<\/em> Chapter 5, writer Harutoshi Fukui sat down for an interview with Hobby Japan<\/em> magazine (issue #593) to discuss the approach of Chapter 6. In addition to intriguing hints of things to come, he offered new insights into the different versions of this penetrating story.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

In the tumultuous wake of Yamato 2202<\/em> Chapter 5, writer Harutoshi Fukui sat down for an interview with Hobby Japan<\/em> magazine (issue #593) to discuss the approach of Chapter 6. In addition to intriguing hints of things to come, he offered new insights into the different versions of this penetrating story.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

From <\/em>Hobby Japan magazine #593, September 2018<\/em><\/p>\n

While we keep an eye on the climax as Chapter 6 approaches, Yamato 2202<\/em> comes to TV on Friday, October 5 and we hear stories with various viewpoints from Series Writer Harutoshi Fukui about Gatlantis, the meaning of Ginga<\/em>\u2019s appearance, and the flow from Chapter 6 to the climax.<\/p>\n

Interview by Hiroyuki Kawai<\/em><\/p>\n

Earth\u2019s sense of crisis accelerates with the Gatlantis threat<\/h3>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> As Yamato 2202<\/em> marks its 6th chapter, there is the impression that Earth\u2019s response is getting more intense.<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> Even if there is an awareness that none of this is normal, no one can stop it once they\u2019ve been put into such a situation. The story of the original Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> and Farewell to Yamato<\/em> was, \u201cHow do you face harsh realities?\u201d It was a work that stuck to that. So the choice of the Earth Government in 2202<\/em> isn\u2019t a fantasy, it\u2019s a caricature of the choices we\u2019ve been making for decades. <\/p>\n

We embraced globalism after the bubble collapsed, and the cost was that both the Japanese-style management system and the concept of lifetime employment collapsed. Even after the 3\/11 earthquake, we cannot part with nuclear power plants. Now it is said that if the development of AI continues, it will \u201csurpass humans\u201d in 2045.<\/p>\n

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

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Even if you understand it, you can\u2019t stop it.<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> The Earth turns bright red and people experience a situation just before extinction. Even if you\u2019ve arrived at an extreme idea, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s unreasonable to say, \u201cI don\u2019t want to taste fear and despair any more.\u201d We even caught the scent of extinction from the 3\/11 earthquake disaster. If we\u2019d been told at that time that there was a way to completely prevent earthquakes and tsunamis, we might have acted upon it without hesitation.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Accepting it even if it seems to be abnormal\u2026<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> You might be wondering why the captain and crew of Ginga<\/em>, which appears as part of the Wave-Motion fleet as Yamato<\/em>\u2019s successor, are women. This will become clear in Chapter 6, and for that reason I think you\u2019ll feel the Earth side\u2019s psychology of feeling cornered.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Based on the fact that its Wave-Motion Gun is sealed, it has the impression of a ship that takes on a special role.<\/p>\n

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

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s not a seal, actually\u2026there is something there, and you\u2019ll see it with your own eyes in Chapter 6.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> What\u2019s the reason for Ginga<\/em> to appear in the first place?<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> When I made up the rough composition, I definitely wanted to feature a second ship with Yamato<\/em>\u2019s standing. Yamato<\/em> has a one-and-only presence, but I also wanted a sub from a merchandising perspective. It would just be a joyride if that\u2019s all there was to it, so I intend for it to embody the theme of 2202<\/em>. Therefore it took on such a form. Ginga<\/em>\u2019s core Cosmo Reverse System has a variety of possibilities. I think it will have a very interesting presence.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The time fault makes me feel more afraid than reassured.<\/p>\n

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

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> There\u2019s not just the mass-produced Andromeda<\/em>s, but Andromeda<\/em>s given to Garmillas will also appear. Furthermore, a technical fusion advances along with the color. Its AI adopts the most optimal structure without the boundaries of either military, so it\u2019s experimenting in the battlefield. The result will be a demo battleship that cannot be called either Earth\u2019s or Garmillas\u2019. What comes next is a feeling of worthlessness. If people don\u2019t come together, and instead adopt the efficiency of AI leadership, that\u2019s what will happen.<\/p>\n

How is the nature of Yamato<\/em>\u2019s enemy like the former Japan?<\/h3>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Now that Chapter 6 is coming, the circumstances on the Gatlantis side have become quite clear.<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> Gamilas and Gatlantis were depicted as distinct entities in the original, weren\u2019t they? With Gamilas, they were the same as human beings from Earth, and it was depicted as a story of regret. \u201cWhy did we have to fight?\u201d On the other hand, Gatlantis wasn\u2019t portrayed as human beings at all.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> What kind of presence did Gatlantis have in Farewell<\/em> and Yamato 2<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> It was an adult society where you will find a job. Lifetime employment was the basis for finding work at the time. When you became a salary man, you expected to continue that way for the rest of your life. In addition, in the time just before the 80s, the first principles of America-style efficiency had begun to spread in Japan after postwar reconstruction.<\/p>\n

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

We were swept up in that overwhelming power, which had a presence that dominated our lives\u2026that was the original Gatlantis. On the other hand, Kodai and the others had no way to counter that mighty system, but they didn\u2019t want to lose their humanity. As a result, Farewell<\/em>\u2019s message to young people\u2019s hearts at the time may have been, \u201cI will try to protect my humanity by choosing death.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Forty years have passed since then, so what is the Gatlantis of 2202<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> The Gatlantis we face as adults isn\u2019t what it used to be. It has to have an aspect that laughs at human nature. That\u2019s the kind of presence that forces people to make an inhuman choice based on the principle of efficiency I mentioned before.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The relationship with Yamato<\/em> is also different from the past, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

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

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> Yes, but from the viewpoint of the Yamato<\/em> side, it becomes a story of pressing one\u2019s sense of values, and the structure is maintained by depicting circumstances on the Gatlantis side as, \u201cThere are no easy answers.\u201d The design is also classical with Yamato<\/em> feeling like a family-run operation and Gatlantis embodying modern efficiency and pessimism. This structure, in the context of the modern age, is directly related to the question of how we Japanese should retaliate.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> What kind of power does Yamato<\/em> possess?<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> In the original, Yamato<\/em> was a story about humanity. As the sequels piled up, was it merely about unconditionally strong mecha, or did it become a hero work that relied on familiar characters? At least the first Yamato<\/em> and Farewell<\/em> were not works that pursued a simple catharsis. It was a story in which flesh-and-blood human beings worried, suffered, and fought. They were confronted with regrets over that fight, but it was a still a story of human beings who had to devote themselves to a bloody battle. It might be the tragic nature of Yamato<\/em> that held such fascination for youngsters at the time.<\/p>\n

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

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Because it wasn\u2019t a larger-than-life presence, we could place ourselves in it.<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> In 2202<\/em>, Kodai in particular has been confronted by difficulties and conflicts beyond those appropriate for his age, which overlaps with the difficulties we face when becoming adults. That\u2019s what I wanted to do with it. In the old days, there was a sense of, \u201cWe\u2019re all riding on Yamato<\/em> together.\u201d The ending of Farewell<\/em> was so moving because the thought was that this is our ship, not something we look at from afar.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> When you\u2019re at a very tender age and you think of the choice that was forced on the crew, you may arrive at an unexpected answer.<\/p>\n

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

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> For example, the behavior of Kato to choose his child over his friends is something I couldn\u2019t understand even one millimeter of when I was young. (Laughs) When I was that age, I thought, \u201cEven though that child is saved, you\u2019ll both be together when the world is invaded,\u201d and, \u201cThat just sells out the whole world.\u201d But any world is a good one if the child is alive. For that reason, I think you can feel that human beings put tremendous effort into deceiving themselves.<\/p>\n

Returning to the original, and an ending that goes beyond imagination<\/h3>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> In Chapter 6, will Zordar\u2019s past become a turning point with the situation on the Gatlantis side?<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right. Gatlantis raises clones to take over the next generation. Basically, if a new individual is born, their predecessor raises it, like Goland did. In other words, unlike clones that are common in SF, individuals who take over their memories and experiences don\u2019t just pop into existence, they have to be brought up from the beginning. <\/p>\n

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

But Zordar has a point that makes him decisively different from others on Gatlantis. It\u2019s still a point to be opened up\u2026some will be able to imagine it after seeing Chapter 6.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> It feels like Gatlantis is gradually becoming human, but conversely Earth is rapidly becoming Gatlantis.<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> Right. The Earthlings may be fighting against their own worst future.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Does it feel like you\u2019re making up 2202<\/em> from here on?<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> By updating an old work to become contemporary, Yamato 2199<\/em> revived the work called Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>. 2202<\/em> advances on top of that, but I\u2019m returning Yamato<\/em> more to the direction of its origin in order to talk about its essential theme again. When I got involved with Yamato<\/em>, I couldn\u2019t come up with any idea other than that.<\/p>\n

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

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> You may also feel the meaning of seeing Yamato<\/em> in this time.<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> and Farewell<\/em> to Yamato<\/em> are like Japan\u2019s postwar history. It can be said that it summarized what its creators felt about Japan after the war. In that sense, 2202<\/em> will coincidentally conclude along with the Heisei period<\/a>. There may be aspects to it that also summarize our generation.<\/p>\n[Translator\u2019s note: the Heisei period is expected to end April 2019.]
<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Finally, the TV broadcast will begin on October 5. There may be great meaning in having it seen by a new generation.<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> I think a lot more people will be touched by it in the future now that it will be broadcast on TV. The original was a work that made very sharp points in the first place. Before that, anime was seen as \u201csomething only children watch,\u201d and it was the first work that proved it could stand up to adult viewing. The TV world is full of regulations these days, but I haven\u2019t forgotten to reproduce the weight of the original. I hope you\u2019ll watch it without being misled by the old nuances of its appearance.<\/p>\n

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

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> With the storyline of Chapter 6, it feels like we\u2019re going in a different direction than Yamato 2<\/em> and Farewell<\/em>. What kind of ending will it come to?<\/p>\n

Fukui:<\/em><\/span> Chapter 6 is the point where it is most different from the original, but when you finish watching it, I think you will feel that it\u2019s going in the direction everyone\u2019s comfortable with. It has a feeling of, “oh, I didn\u2019t expect this\u2026what\u2019s going to happen?” First of all, as the title Regeneration Chapter<\/em> says, everything will be overturned. Please feel the passion of Chapter 6 when it rises up again in theaters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25558"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25652,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25558\/revisions\/25652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}