{"id":29627,"date":"2021-01-11T22:37:42","date_gmt":"2021-01-12T06:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=29627"},"modified":"2021-02-14T22:29:44","modified_gmt":"2021-02-15T06:29:44","slug":"510a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/510a\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Battleship Yamato 2202<\/em> Report 54"},"content":{"rendered":"

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There was a slight uptick in Yamato<\/em> activity as 2020 drew to a welcome close and a year of new productions approached. Most of it came from outside the official channels, but there were some rumblings from within as well, including the return of what now seems like an old friend.<\/p>\n

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It’s that time! When Yamato<\/em> movie posters start showing up all over Tokyo, the GOOD kind of pandemic is happening again. Photos posted on Twitter by moric08<\/a> and ponimoe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There was a slight uptick in Yamato<\/em> activity as 2020 drew to a welcome close and a year of new productions approached. Most of it came from outside the official channels, but there were some rumblings from within as well, including the return of what now seems like an old friend. Read on\u2026<\/p>\n


\nPhotos posted on the blog of \u201cBaseball Samurai Saki\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

December 2: 1\/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 97<\/h3>\n

The first volume of December continued the unglamorous work of wiring up and connecting electronics and fiber optics into the stern half of the superstructure. Also included were a second set of four Cosmo Tigers for the upcoming hangar bay assembly.<\/p>\n

See Hachette’s instruction video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See an unboxing video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See a modeler’s blog here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 4: Yamato Crew merchandise<\/h3>\n

One of the December traditions in Yamato<\/em> land is to get a first look at new art in the calendars for the next year. The 2021 Yamato<\/em> wall calendar lives up to that tradition with eight pieces created for Age of Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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The desktop version offers twelve pieces derived from the Distant Journey<\/em> mobile game. Get a better look at both of these calendars here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Also on offer at the Yamato Crew online store is an embroidered towel to commemorate Age of Yamato<\/em>, which made December 2020 was the first month for merchandising from the film.<\/p>\n

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One more item, available to fan club members only, was this Christmas gift set featuring a clear file, personal thermos bottle, and a postcard. As usual with this stuff, Yamato Crew only ships to addresses in Japan. But we all get to see the pictures.<\/p>\n

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December 5-19: Italian art exhibition<\/h3>\n

Meanwhile, other pictures could be seen at Galleria de Nisi in Rome, where painter Fabrizio Spadini exhibited his works inspired by iconic anime and manga characters. The exhibit was named The Colonization of the Imaginary<\/em>, and included at least one painting of our favorite\u2026<\/p>\n

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The Italian website Anime Click quoted the artist thusly: \u201cOn display there are works that draw on the masters of the early 1900s: Picasso, DeChirico, Carr\u00e0, the Futurists. I think that a century after the early 1900s we are now facing a social revolution that will see social relations change based on technological and AI developments. With my works, I like to make people reflect on the relationship between man and machine.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

See more of Spadini’s work at Anime Click<\/em> here<\/a>.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto at upper right posted by Take Channel 36<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

December 9: 1\/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 98<\/h3>\n

After several weeks of interior parts, this volume finally returned to the outside of the model with the first hull panels for the stern section, a lower fin, and the hatch for the hangar bay. None of these parts could be attached to the hull yet, but it was a good indicator of the project moving into its final stage.<\/p>\n

See Hachette’s instruction video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See an unboxing video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See a modeler’s blog here<\/a><\/p>\n

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December 9: Piano prodigy<\/h3>\n

2020 was a fantastic year for Yamato<\/em> music, and almost all of it was fan-generated. With everyone stuck at home for quarantine, we got to see performances that wouldn’t otherwise have happened. And here’s a great one to go out on, a jaw-dropping piano solo of the Yamato<\/em> theme by a young prodigy named Souki.<\/p>\n

See his performance on Youtube here<\/a> and find more on his Twitter page here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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December 11: Star Blazers Lambda<\/em> Chapter 8<\/h3>\n

In this chapter of Space Battleship Yamato NEXT<\/em>, Topness leader Nina Nelson has a crisis of confidence at the worst possible time, an unusual attack from the alien Seireness that threatens to overwhelm and destroy the NerfThis fleet. If that sentence makes no sense to you, it’s time to catch up.<\/p>\n

See Chapter 8 with description (and links to all previous chapters) here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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December 13: Top 20 Anime poll<\/h3>\n

Bunshun Online<\/em> reported on the amazing box office returns on the new anime movie Demon Slayer<\/em>. It opened October 16 and went on to unseat all others as the biggest theatrical moneymaker in anime history. This motivated Bunshun<\/em>\u2019s editorial department to conduct a street survey to determine the favorite anime title among 200 participants over the month of November. Yamato<\/em> came in at a very respectable No. 8.<\/p>\n

The full list was as follows: Demon Slayer, Detective Conan, Mobile Suit Gundam, Star of the Giants, Lupin III, Doraemon, Astro Boy, Yamato, Dragonball Z, Totoro, Sazae-san, Slamdunk, One Piece, Nausicaa, Tomorrow’s Joe, Laputa, Evangelion, Spirited Away, Attack on Titan<\/em>, and Gintama<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Quotes were collected for each entry. The Yamato<\/em> quotes were as follows:<\/p>\n

“The visuals were beautiful at that time, and even high school girls enjoyed it.\u201d<\/span> (female, 60)<\/p>\n

“The strongest battleship Yamato<\/em> will be revived as a space battleship 254 years later. Yoshinobu Nishizaki’s plan to travel to Iscandar to save humanity, and Leiji Matsumoto’s mechanic and character design are all excellent.”<\/span> (Male, 56)<\/p>\n

“Yuki Mori is the best heroine of youth.”<\/span> (male, 63)<\/p>\n

“Because I was absorbed in the Tamiya model waterline series, I was crazy about it. I was sweating at scenes where they escaped from Gamilas traps.”<\/span> (male, 57)<\/p>\n

“The love of humankind is beautifully depicted in a spectacular battle in space. When I heard the theme song, I hummed along and felt something stir inside me.”<\/span> (male, 77).<\/p>\n

“It was quite innovative that it didn’t finish with a happy ending or a grand finale.”<\/span> (female, 53)<\/p>\n

“The highest peak in the origin of science fiction anime.”<\/span> (male, 57)<\/p>\n

“The idea of \u200b\u200bflying a battleship into space was amazing.”<\/span> (male, 57)<\/p>\n

See Bunshun<\/em>\u2019s full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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December 14: Movie news<\/h3>\n

With now just one month to go until the premiere of Age of Yamato, Selections from 2202AD<\/em>, the familiar promotional machine started running and at least one element of life returned to normal. First, up the exclusive theatrical Blu-ray, shown above (Yuki Mori figure sold separately).<\/p>\n

It will be available in theaters on January 15 and online through Namco Bandai and Yamato Crew a week later. Running time is 118 minutes plus 7 minutes of extras, but no English subtitles. Audio commentaries by cast and crew.<\/p>\n

Four booklets will be bundled with the exclusive Blu-ray: a regular art booklet, a new short story titled The Way of My Heart<\/em> by Yuka Minigawa with a cover by Nobuteru Yuuki, a storyboard book with new scenes by Kia Asamiya, and a screenplay by Yuka Minagawa and Harutoshi Fukui.<\/p>\n

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Mini art prints by Nobuteru Yuki are offered as bonus gifts for advance purchases. The one on the left is for the Blu-ray while the one on the right is for the Symphonic Suite Yamato 2202<\/em> CD (releasing January 15).<\/p>\n

Quarantine rules permitting, a preview screening will be hosted by Osamu Kobayashi on the evening of January 14 at the Shinjuku Piccadilly. Joining him will be writer Harutoshi Fukui, Director Atsunori Sato, and Exec Producer Shoji Nishizaki. Composer Akira Miyagawa was scheduled to appear, but he contracted an asymptomatic case of COVID-19 at the end of December (more on this down the page). A ticket lottery was held for Yamato<\/em> fan club members.<\/p>\n

A stage greeting will be hosted by Eriko Nakamura on the morning of January 16 at the Shinjuku Piccadilly. Joining her will be the actors for Kodai and Yuki, along with writer Harutoshi Fukui and Director Atsunori Sato. The event will be live-streamed across the country to all 35 theaters showing the film.<\/p>\n

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Theater goers will receive a free film clip from the movie while supplies last (above left). Yamato Crew offered a bonus clear file with advance purchase of the Blu-ray from their online store (above right).<\/p>\n

Pay-per-view streaming starts January 15 with an exclusive commentary by Fukui, Nobuyoshi Habara, and host Osamu Kobayashi.<\/p>\n

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In the rush of all this, we can’t overlook the imminent arrival of the new Symphonic Suite Yamato 2202<\/em> CD. The clear file shown here was offered as a bonus to those who purchase it in theaters and online.<\/p>\n

In advance of all this, the Shinjuku Piccadilly in Tokyo and Namba Parks Cinema in Osaka both featured a week-long film program for all seven chapters of Yamato 2199<\/em> from January 1-7.<\/p>\n

The TV station Tokyo MX began weekly Sunday night broadcasts of selected 2199<\/em> and 2202<\/em> episodes from January 3 through the month of March. The episodes were curated by Director Atsunori Sato, and he served as a host along with MC Eriko Nakamura. A new Age of Yamato<\/em> TV special would be shown in this timeslot on January 10.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto posted on Twitter by minegi4k<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

December 15: Yamato Crew fan club membership kits<\/h3>\n

In addition to the calendars shown earlier, another yearly reveal in December is the renewal kits for members of the Premium Fan Club. There are three levels, gold, silver, and bronze. Everything shown here goes to the gold members. (1) Art canvas by Kia Asamiya, (2) Kodai and Yuki towel, (3) 2202<\/em> animation layout book Vol. 2, (4) Yamato<\/em> face mask, and (5) customized Age of Yamato<\/em> poster.<\/p>\n

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Taking them one by one, the art canvas is a new image of Yamato<\/em> taking down a Comet Empire Kalaklum. Kia Asamiya himself posted the photo at right on Twitter, saying he originally conceived it as a calendar image over a year ago. Visit his Twitter page here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The face mask and towel are shown here, posted on Twitter by Sousui<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Picture Collection<\/em> book is a followup to last year’s volume, which was initially awarded to gold members. Silver members could purchase copies later from Yamato Crew. More details on this will be shared when a copy is obtained.<\/p>\n

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The personalized poster is a first for Yamato Crew, a reduced-size Age of Yamato<\/em> poster with the club member\u2019s name added to the crew credits. And finally, another perk that comes with membership is a pair of postcards; one for your birthday (shown here) and another for the New Year holiday (keep reading).<\/p>\n


\nPhotos posted on the blog of \u201cBaseball Samurai Saki\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

December 16: 1\/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 99<\/h3>\n

This turned out to be an unexpectedly interesting volume in that it revealed previously-unsuspected internal parts. In addition to a third set of four Cosmo Tigers, it contained the first pieces of the rotating hangar barrel, which means it will be a visible part of the interior. A new lower hull plate accommodated last volume’s hatch, and a 4-prong socket appeared which will undoubtedly connect to a master power source in the forthcoming display stand.<\/p>\n

See Hachette’s instruction video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See an unboxing video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See a modeler’s blog here<\/a><\/p>\n

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December 16: Judge John Hodgman<\/em> podcast<\/h3>\n

Well now, here’s one you didn’t expect. No doubt many of you (hopefully the majority) are already fans of actor\/writer\/comedian John Hodgman, whose interests cover a broad spectrum of topics. He publishes a weekly podcast through Maximum Fun called Judge John Hodgman<\/em>, and\u2026he’s a Star Blazers<\/em> fan. This was previously known due to casual mentions in his book Medallion Status<\/em> and previous podcasts.<\/p>\n

In this episode, however, he came fully out of the closet with the admission that he grew up on the show and can still sing the theme song. Does he? Find out for yourself here<\/a> (and become a regular listener afterward).<\/p>\n

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December 17 & 22: Shinya Takahashi art auctions<\/h3>\n

Shinya Takahashi, character designer for Be Forever<\/em> and Final Yamato<\/em>, emerged again on Yahoo Japan Auctions with four new originals for sale. This made for an impressive output since he began in late summer. All of his works for 2020 can be seen here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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December 22: Chiko Miyagawa’s blog<\/h3>\n

Chiko Miyagawa, daughter of Akira and granddaughter of Hiroshi, became a visible member of the Yamato<\/em> family about a year ago when it was first announced that she would participate in an April concert called Yamato Meets the Classics<\/em>. The lousy rotten Coronavirus got in the way, so that didn’t happen. However, she did perform a piano duet with her father in August, which was covered in Report 50<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On December 22, she shared the following story on her blog, something that could only come from inside the Miyagawa household\u2026<\/p>\n

Last night, I was looking for a certain Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> score composed by my grandfather. I went into the library with a light heart, thinking that it would be somewhere in Akira’s music library. A shelf of Yamato<\/em>-related scores. But there were so many of them. Yamato<\/em> sheet music.<\/span><\/p>\n

In one corner of the stacks, there were all kinds of Yamato<\/em>-related sheet music in Hustle-Copy envelopes. [Hustle Copy is a music publisher.] It’s so much that I couldn’t even fit them in my hands. Each envelope was marked with \u201c2202<\/em>,\u201d “2205<\/em>,” “Nantara Concert,” “Kantara Concert,” and so on. But I had no idea where the song I was looking for was sorted.<\/span><\/p>\n

I tried my best to find it by myself for about five minutes, but I couldn’t figure it out and gave up. I asked Akira-san, “Hey, where can I find the sheet music for that Yamato<\/em> song?”<\/span><\/p>\n

My father replied, “It’s in the library, but in a place only I can find it,” and followed me to the library. I should have asked him where it was from the beginning.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sheet music I was looking for was not where I expected it to be, but we found another one instead. Akira-san was looking at the sheet music, saying, “Wow, when I looked at this from the side, I found the old sheet music written in my handwriting and Hiroshi’s.” Even though they are father and son, Akira’s and Hiroshi’s notes are completely different. And Akira’s old sheet music is completely different from what it is now. (Even this was praised as “beautiful” at that time by Akira-san.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Wow, I didn’t know it was so different! We were looking at the sheet music together for a while. After that, we found the one we were looking for and all was well. I wonder how many notes Akira-san has written in his life. Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Ligeti. It was a moment when I realized that the world we live in today is made possible by the notes that everyone has written.<\/span><\/p>\n

Find the original blog entry here<\/a>, which is followed by some live performance clips.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto posted on Twitter by Take Channel 36<\/em><\/p>\n

December 23: 1\/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 100<\/h3>\n

The volumes finally crossed the 100-mark this week (just ten more to go) and the payoff was big with all the remaining parts to assemble the hangar barrel and add four more Cosmo Tigers for a total of 16. Also included was another stern hull plate that brings the rear torpedo tubes into view.<\/p>\n

See Hachette’s instruction video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See an unboxing video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See a modeler’s blog here<\/a><\/p>\n

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December 25: 1\/350 Andromeda<\/em> announcement<\/h3>\n

In a month of unexpected things, this had to be the most unexpected of all. Hachette must have done all right with the 1\/350 Yamato<\/em>, because its big brother is next!<\/p>\n

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Scheduled for launch on March 10, Andromeda<\/em> threatens to smash everything in its path with all the lights and sounds of a proper Earth flagship. And since it threatens to stretch to an astonishing 51″ (over FOUR FEET long), you’re gonna need a bigger shelf.<\/p>\n

See the promo video here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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December 26: 1\/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 101<\/h3>\n

As if to make room for that behemoth, Hachette inexplicably rushed the next Yamato<\/em> volume out several days early. And you know you’re getting close to the rear end when the engine shows up. The parts in this volume yielded a big chunk of it and the compartment to contain it, along with another hull plate that’s definitely beginning to taper down.<\/p>\n

See Hachette’s instruction video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See an unboxing video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See a modeler’s blog here<\/a><\/p>\n


\nPhoto posted on Twitter by pacino16430912<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

December 26: Shinjuku Piccadilly display<\/h3>\n

It’s beginning to look a lot like Yamato<\/em>mas! Three weeks to go until the premiere, and the giant 1\/100 scale, 3-meter-long Yamato<\/em> is back where it belongs in the lobby of the Shinjuku Piccadilly theater! We’ve seen it many times in the past, and it’s a wonderful sight to shake off those pandemic blues.<\/p>\n

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The video panels on the staircase going up to the theater alternated their displays between 2199<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

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\u2026and then 2202<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

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\u2026and then the key art we’ve seen for Age of Yamato<\/em>. (All photos posted on Twitter by minegi4k<\/a>)<\/p>\n


\nPhoto posted on Twitter by minamune<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

And finally, there was the customary giant photo-op poster in the waiting area. Yamato<\/em> is BACK, ladies and gentlemen.<\/p>\n

See more photos here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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December 28: Radio show<\/h3>\n

Shigeru Ishiba is a name that last came up in Report 51<\/a> when he made an unsuccessful run for Prime Minister. Had he won, he would have been the first Yamato<\/em> fan to be in charge of Japan. Instead, he remains in our fold. The following article about him was published at JOQR<\/a> on December 28\u2026<\/p>\n

Shigeru Ishiba and Kyohira Furuya Talk about Space Battleship Yamato<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

On December 30th at 8pm, Bunka Hoso will broadcast a special year-end dialogue between Shigeru Ishiba and Kyohira Furuya, talking about Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Writer Kyoshiro Furuya, who is a Wednesday commentator on News Wide Sakidori<\/em>, declared himself a “fan of Ishiba” when the program covered the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election. Since Furuya and Ishiba have the anime Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> in common, Furuya’s dream of “discussing Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> with Mr. Ishiba” came true in this special program.<\/p>\n

Furuya asked Ishiba about the appeal of the Yamato<\/em> series. Mr. Ishiba, who was a university student when Farewell to Yamato<\/em> was released, went to the movie theater three days in a row from the first day and said, “I was continuously moved from beginning to end. I saw it four times on the first day, three times the next day, and twice the day after that. No matter how many times I saw it, I would always cry at the same point,” he recalled, highly praising the film. “There was no Yamato<\/em> before it, and there was no Yamato<\/em> after it.”<\/p>\n

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Toward the end of the program, Mr. Furuya asked, “If Earth were to be invaded in the future, around the year 2200, what position would you like to hold, Mr. Ishiba? Would you be the Director General of the Earth Defense Forces? Or would you board Yamato<\/em>?”<\/p>\n

Mr. Ishiba referred to the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq when he was the Director General of the Defense Agency. “When I sent the SDF to Iraq, I was often told, ‘If you’re going to give orders like that, you should go yourself.’ I tried many times to go, but every time I tried, the media found out. I was scolded by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, who said, ‘I understand that you want to go, but if you do, you will cause trouble for everyone’.”<\/p>\n

In addition to the above, the program included \u201cSpace Battleship Yamato<\/em> from the Meta Perspective of Postwar Japan,” “Ishiba’s Choice of Great Lines from Yamato<\/em>,” and “Can Collective Self-Defense Be Established Between Earth and Gamilas?”<\/p>\n

Friend-of-the-website Minoru Itgaki listened to the program and recalled that when Mr. Ishiba was asked if Yamato<\/em> could be operated under current Japanese laws, his response was “no problem.” So that’s a relief.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto posted on Twitter by Take Channel 36<\/em><\/p>\n

December 30: 1\/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 102<\/h3>\n

This volume was released a full week early, which potentially moves up the concluding volume to the last Wednesday in February. In this one, the stern section began to take shape with the engine in place and another hull plate with catapults and a nacelle to round it out. The appearance of magnets on the section shown above indicate that a hull panel will be removable to display the interior.<\/p>\n


\nPhotos posted on Twitter by NCC1701refit<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

See Hachette’s instruction video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See an unboxing video here<\/a><\/p>\n

See a modeler’s blog here<\/a><\/p>\n

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December 31: New Year greetings<\/h3>\n

The year ended as it should, with messages of good will for our next orbit. The sullen Kodai was posted by Michio Murakawa on his Instagram page<\/a>, Mi-kun was posted on Twitter by Leiji Matusmoto\u2019s company<\/a>, and the Yamato<\/em> image was on a postcard sent out to fan club member (including friend-of-the-website Minoru Itgaki).<\/p>\n

Kodai was probably thinking about Akira Miyagawa, who was prevented from conducting the Yamato<\/em> theme at his traditional New Year’s Eve concert. At his official website<\/a> on January 2nd, Miyagawa expressed his disappointment and said, “I’ve received many messages of support. Thank you very much. My condition is only mild at the moment. (Unfortunately, I was only asymptomatic at the beginning.) However, I will celebrate my 60th birthday this year. I expect to be back as early as the week of January 10th, and I believe I will be able to report good news in a few days.”<\/p>\n

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Also spotted in December<\/h3>\n

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Air Comiket<\/em><\/p>\n

Japan’s COVID lockdown got in the way of Comiket back in August, and was still an obstacle in December, which made 2020 the first year without a Comiket since the event began in 1975. Nevertheless, fans are still making doujinshis and this year the sales are virtual.<\/p>\n

Visit the Air Comiket website here<\/a> and see what’s happening in the Yamato<\/em> category.<\/p>\n

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Fan art<\/em><\/p>\n

December was a fantastic month for fan art in both categories. See a character gallery here<\/a> and a mecha gallery here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Fan models<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s hard to imagine the effort it took to break the record AGAIN, but fandom pulled it off with the largest number of modeling projects posted online since we started following them. Click on these links for the latest galleries:<\/p>\n

Yamato<\/em> and Andromeda<\/em><\/a> | Earth fleet<\/a> | Fightercraft and others<\/a> | Garmillas and Gatlantis<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Lego Yamato<\/em><\/p>\n

Here’s a bit of serendipity for you: right before Christmas, Yamato<\/em> fan Robert Machemer spotted a Lego Yamato<\/em> on display at Oxford Valley Mall in a Philadelphia suburb. He posted it on Facebook<\/a>, and another resident named Steve Woolman posted the photo above of the same model. It wasn’t for sale, the builder just wanted to share it.<\/p>\n

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Then, in the same Facebook thread, another fan named Albert Penello came forward to say that he was the creator of the MOC for this model. That stands for My Original Creation, a term for Lego builder plans created by fans for fans. Albert offers the instructions for free here<\/a>, and also provided the link for instructions with bootleg bricks here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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(Pssst! He also has a MOC Andromeda. But don’t tell anyone.)<\/am><\/p>\n

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With this ring\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

You know you’ve found your perfect match when they agree to wedding rings like these!<\/p>\n

These photos were posted on Twitter by michal38yamato<\/a> with the following explanation:<\/p>\n

The wedding rings have been completed. Simple, yet very cool!! The engraving on the inside is: our initials, date of engagement, Yamato<\/em>, Andromeda<\/em>, anchor, and 1974 (year of Yamato<\/em>‘s first broadcast). The workmanship is suitable for those of us married to Yamato<\/em>. I will cherish it for the rest of my life. Extreme gratitude!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Big models being big<\/em><\/p>\n

Big Yamato<\/em> models in unexpected places can grow the heart of any Grinch.<\/p>\n

The first comes from yukesnpl<\/a>, who posted these rare found-photos on Twitter of the famous 6.5-foot-long “precision cut model” built for special events back in 1978. It was built by a company called Gunji Model Manufacturing, which also built props for Toho monster movies.<\/p>\n

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The source of these vintage photos is unknown, but you can read much more about this amazing artifact here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The cardboard Analyzer shown above right comes from another source. It was spotted by Okama Rio, who posted the photo on Twitter with a surprising story.<\/p>\n

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Out on a walk in (undisclosed location), Rio spotted elaborate cardboard sculptures of anime characters outside a grocery store called Okabayashi Shoten and asked to take photos. The shopowner said more amazing things were waiting inside, and there was another big Yamato<\/em>, in addition to other sculptures. See them all here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Naturally, other Twitter users made the same delightful discovery and posted photos of their own. See them here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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You can do it, Soto!<\/em><\/p>\n

The last and most heartwarming photos of the year comes from cyclist namij58g<\/a>, posted on Twitter December 6. It was taken at Bikelore10<\/a>, an annual 2-day event in Saitama City described as a “bicycle culture festival.” It includes a 2km circuit course that anyone can try, no matter what planet they hail from.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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