{"id":31602,"date":"2021-01-10T15:24:45","date_gmt":"2021-01-10T23:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=31602"},"modified":"2022-03-13T14:56:15","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T21:56:15","slug":"620a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/620a\/","title":{"rendered":"Visual References"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yamato<\/em> departs from Icarus<\/h3>\n

At the climax of Be Forever<\/em>\u2019s opening sequence, we witness the recently refitted Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> breaking through its asteroid camouflage, headed to the Dark Nebula! This was a callback to one of the earliest concepts for Series 1, in which the ship would be concealed inside an asteroid that would occasionally blow off and then reform its rocky cover. This, of course, got a more direct callback with the “asteroid ship” in 2202<\/em> Ep. 5. See the Asteroid Ship<\/em> proposal here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The original launch, one more time<\/h3>\n

Given that 2202<\/em> was a spiritual amalgam of previous works, Director Nobuyoshi Habara got the chance to recreate the ship’s original Series 1 launch sequence once more with the liftoff from Zemulia, which was also evocative of Uruk from Final Yamato<\/em>. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Earth Council members from previous works<\/h3>\n

Always in the background and rarely at the forefront, these figures did little to aid Yamato<\/em>\u2019s crew in the original works. Small numbers in even smaller roles notwithstanding, they\u2019ve seemingly returned for the reboot project, starting with 2202<\/em>. This includes the Earth president himself, who inherited a bigger role than his fictional predecessor. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sasha\u2019s Tumble<\/h3>\n

Innocuously sweet to some, unbearably gratuitous to others, this short sequence from Be Forever<\/em> saw Kodai\u2019s niece Sasha trip over her uncle in the midst of turbulence, much to her apparent joy. It would be remiss of the reboot to pass up on this scene after having gone to great lengths to echo Sasha in the new character Yurisha Iscandar. On her way with Kodai to rescue Yuki at a Garmillan Prison Planet, they\u2019re hijacked by the Project Izumo mutineers Ito and Yabu. Unfortunate circumstances ensue, leading to Yabu taking Kodai\u2019s place in this scene. Unlike Sasha, however, Yurisha\u2019s nowhere near amused.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Frakken and Domon at Leptapoda\/Berth<\/h3>\n

In Yamato III<\/em> Ep. 12, Domon bears witness to the harsh and cruel injustices committed by the Bolar Federation against the people of Planet Berth, which has now become a prison planet. His urge to rush in and punch the prison wardens is held back by Yuki. She empathizes with Domon, but can\u2019t allow his youthfulness to spark an interplanetary incident. <\/p>\n

In 2199<\/em>, Frakken and his XO Heiny witnessed a similar scene, albeit more personal. Domel\u2019s wife Eliza is imprisoned and forced to serve the prison warden, and they have to grit their teeth at a young Zaltsian comrade-in-arms being beaten for fulfilling his duty to serve Yuki (as the fake Yurisha). After first holding back Heiny, Frakken\u2019s past as a vagabond gets the best of him, almost resulting in a swift suckerpunch at the warden. Before it can happen, Yuki trades on her faux Iscandarian authority, sheltering the boy. Crisis averted.<\/p>\n

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Hirata\u2019s lemon tea<\/h3>\n

This cup of lemon tea is a fond memory for fans of Yamato III<\/em>. Hirata – a kitchen officer in Yamato III<\/em> and supply officer in 2199<\/em> – serves this tea to Kodai every day after his punishing training regimen. Domon, a new member of the crew, has trouble seeing eye to eye with his seemingly cold-hearted Captain. Hirata dissuades his worries, explaining that all soldiers have a given duty that only they can perform. For Hirata, it\u2019s to provide comfort in times of need. Hirata serves this lemon goodness at various points in 2199<\/em> and 2205<\/em>. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yamato<\/em> vs Planet Bombs<\/h3>\n

Yamato III<\/em> spent a lot of its time on spectacle-filled battles. In Episode 4, Yamato<\/em> narrowly avoids the brunt of a next-generation planet bomb missile. Yamato<\/em> blows it up, then gracefully passes through the smoke. In Episode 9, the ship takes out a Galman planet missile base in the Barnard Star system. In the wake of its destruction at the hands of Yamato<\/em>\u2019s Wave-Motion cartridges (first introduced in Be Forever<\/em>), a large mushroom cloud billows out, noticeable from outside the planet\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n

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Yamato<\/em>\u2019s launch sequence in 2199<\/em> saw the ship come eye-to-eye with a first-gen planet bomb missile. The ship narrowly avoids it, blows it up, then gracefully passes through the heavy smoke left in its wake. In Episode 6, the crew decides to take down the Garmillan Pluto base. Throughout the last eight years, it had been responsible for the indiscriminate launching of planet bombs on Earth. After the base is annihilated, all that remains is a large mushroom cloud, noticeable from outside the planet\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n

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UX-01 in Blue<\/h3>\n

In Yamato<\/em>\u2019s first and only encounter with Frakken and his space submarines in Yamato III<\/em>, a striking piece of visual imagery presents itself: four submarines in clear blue water. In 2199<\/em>, Frakken had a single UX-01 space submarine under his command, making this visual homage impossible to recreate. But this image made a grand return in 2202<\/em>\u2019s climactic 24th Episode.<\/p>\n

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Eliza\u2019s dress<\/h3>\n

As brought up in previous entries to this \u201creboot comparison\u201d article series, the religious followers of Mother Shalbart on Galman-Garmillas seem to all be wearing fashion similar to what can be seen in Leiji Matsumoto\u2019s later collaboration with Daft Punk: Interstella 555<\/em>. Or space hippies, if you prefer that visual connection. <\/p>\n

In 2199<\/em>, political dissent replaced religion as the subject of persecution and Eliza Domel represented the oppressed. Intentional or not, her chosen fashion in a scene depicting her rebellious activity does resemble what we see in Yamato III<\/em>. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Followers of Shalbart<\/h3>\n

The followers of Shalbart have been given their due in these retrospectives, so I\u2019ll omit any extensive details. In short, the space faring vessel that\u2019s set to take this unspecified race of humanoids on a vagabond trek across the stars also acts as a refuge. This short one-episode story was sewn together with the Planet Phantom arc for Ark of the Stars<\/em>. One of its visual callbacks was a raggedly-clothed lady carrying her child. <\/p>\n

Coincidence or not, the visual motif of a woman cradling her baby was used to great effect in 2202<\/em>, this time depicting Zemulian witch and soon-to-be-exile Sifar Sabera as the mother. I personally believe the visual motif of glass breaking against the vagabond lady was referenced in 2202<\/em>\u2019s 20th Episode when Zordar strikes Sabera\u2019s body with his blade in a flashback. <\/p>\n

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The space-faring vessel itself? When lodged to the ground, it\u2019s very similar to the hair massage-looking structures we see on Zemulia in 2202<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Dead Skalagek Soldier<\/h3>\n

During the journey to find a new home in Yamato III<\/em>, our heroes stumble upon one of the many planetoids in the Skalagek system, discovered by other scouting ships. While there, they find the skeletal remains of a fully armored soldier. This morbid visual, among many others from Yamato III<\/em>, was visually referenced in Ark of the Stars<\/em>. <\/p>\n

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Uruk\u2019s Throne Room Display & Warp<\/h3>\n

Farewell<\/em>\u2019s depiction of Gatlantis merely dipped its toes into Gatlantean tech. Yamato 2<\/em> went into greater detail on its peculiarities, exploring everything from archaic prisons to resurrection surgery. What Gatlantis never had, but the Final Yamato<\/em> antagonists from Uruk did, was an impressive holographic display in a lavish throne room. <\/p>\n

Uruk itself was also capable of warping planet-sized objects. 2202<\/em>\u2019s depiction of Zordar, heavily inspired by Emperor Lugal from Final Yamato<\/em>, received these technological marvels for his reboot depiction. The planet-warping capability has also been granted to the reboot version of the Dark Nebula’s Goruba<\/em> in 2205<\/em>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Lugal\u2019s Demise<\/h3>\n

The death of Emperor Lugal was as visceral as it was swift. It\u2019s clearly a brutal and painful death, yet pitifully ironic in how Yamato<\/em> fails to even take notice. This same thing goes for Razera in 2202<\/em>, who seems to have inherited Lugal\u2019s memetic destiny.<\/p>\n

(Honestly, there were a LOT of dissolve-to-death moments in the original saga, this one just seems to be a particularly good matchup.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Passing Through Queen Aquarius\u2019 Image in Death<\/h3>\n

After Captain Okita\u2019s poignant sacrifice at the end of Final Yamato<\/em>, the ship sinks into the depths of the hardening ice crust left behind by the water planet Aquarius. It releases a unique, one-of-a-kind death rattle as it vanishes. In a post-credit sequence, Yamato<\/em>\u2019s spirit rises from its submerged wreck to meet with Queen Aquarius\u2019 ethereal image. It passes through, becoming one with the universe. <\/p>\n

2199<\/em> Ep. 5 carefully recreated the ship\u2019s iconic sinking sequence in a clever fakeout, then 2202<\/em> Ep. 26 reversed the metaphor by having Yamato<\/em> reemerge from the waters of Teresa\u2019s dimension. In both the narrative and visual sense, Teresa embodied the spirit of Aquarius. Yamato<\/em> passing through the Queen’s spirit was inherited by Teresa in 2202<\/em> Ep. 24, merging that scene with Farewell<\/em>\u2019s depiction of Yamato<\/em>\u2019s ultimate sacrifice. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Split-WMG and ruined Andromeda<\/em> barrels<\/h3>\n

The Split-WMG was first depicted in Farewell<\/em>\u2019s Battle of Saturn. Andromeda<\/em> fends off Gatlantean Admiral Balsey\u2019s fleet with the blinding light of the EDF\u2019s might. The split-WMG wouldn\u2019t be seen again until Resurrection<\/em>, where the EDF fleet (led by capital ship Blue Noah<\/em>) fends off its own set of invaders with a stunningly gorgeous volley. Later on in that movie, the remains of Yuki’s ship from that battle are witnessed by Captain Kodai on the planet Amal, its WMG barrels a wreck.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Seeing as Makoto Kobayashi, a prominent Mecha Designer on Resurrection<\/em> and Deputy Director on its Director\u2019s Cut, returned to fill both positions for 2202<\/em>, it\u2019s no surprise to see this visual splendor brought back for 2202<\/em>! The split-WMG is utilized in several episodes. The shredded WMG barrel was handed down to Captain Yamanami\u2019s Andromeda<\/em> in Ep. 18.<\/p>\n

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Metsler\u2019s Command Ship<\/h3>\n

Resurrection<\/em> featured a slew of unique mecha designs courtesy of Makoto Kobayashi. One of these was SUS Admiral Metsler\u2019s capital ship. Intentional or not, its imposing cross-like figure made a brief visual return in 2202<\/em>\u2019s opening episode with the Calaklum space cross. The Calaklum was a background mecha in Yamato 2<\/em> that was boosted to prominence through some additional lore in the reboot. <\/p>\n

The ship is unearthed from a large rock structure at an ancient Akerian dig site near a floating continent base. Its inner structure appears to be mostly organic, allowing it to be \u201cgrown\u201d inside the Akerian Ark of Destruction. This lore goes hand-in-hand with Metsler\u2019s group in Resurrection<\/em>, who are interdimensional space vampires with an ancient and mysterious past.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Floating Continents<\/h3>\n

The primordial waters of Aquarius not only fertilized life as we know it, it also housed our progenitors themselves. In Final Yamato<\/em>, the crew encounters the spirit of Aquarius and bear witness to the planet\u2019s long-gone civilization\u2019s architecture on floating continents. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For 2202<\/em>, similar floating continents became the subject of an ancient Akerian dig site, with the Akerians being the reboot\u2019s take on Aquarius (as established in 2199<\/em> and Ark of the Stars<\/em>). The water itself conjoined with Teresa\u2019s illusory planet Telezart, and by extension, her higher dimension. Aquarius architecture has also been referenced in the reboot, attributed to Akerius. <\/p>\n

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Teresa\u2019s Seance<\/h3>\n

Farewell<\/em>\u2019s depiction of Teresa was more mysterious and otherworldly than Yamato 2<\/em>\u2019s. For 2202<\/em>, a great many notes were taken from the metaphysical portions of Starsha, Sasha, Mother Shalbart and Queen Aquarius from the subsequent works. <\/p>\n

Like Starsha and Sasha, Teresa now exists in a realm beyond our own, capable of speaking directly to the living as a metaphysical entity. Like Mother Shalbart, Teresa\u2019s voice could echo throughout the universe and her visage could manifest to those who wished to believe in her. And just like both her original counterpart from Farewell<\/em> and Queen Aquarius from Final Yamato<\/em>, Teresa took on the role of passing on heavy burdens, giving the crew all the knowledge needed about the ancient enemy they faced. In Final Yamato<\/em>, it was the original humans of Uruk. In 2202<\/em>, it was the Gatlanteans.<\/p>\n

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Recollecting Starsha<\/h3>\n

Following Dessler\u2019s turn from a path of conquest to redemption in Yamato 2<\/em>, he returns home to Gamilas in New Voyage<\/em>. On his way there, memories of his neighbor Starsha come back, superimposed over Iscandar. 2199<\/em> took kernels from this scene and presented hints of the pair\u2019s mysterious past from the original works, such as their first meeting after Abelt assumed the mantle of monarch. 2202<\/em> directly referenced New Voyage<\/em>\u2019s direction and story beats in its own take on this scene, allowing Dessler\u2019s love for Starsha to take center stage prior to 2205<\/em>. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Then in 2205<\/em> Part 1, the aforementioned New Voyage<\/em> scene was given an twist: Dessler first met Starsha as a young boy. At the time, a terrible secret was imparted to young Abelt. Be on the lookout for what this terrible secret could mean in 2205<\/em> Part 2. <\/p>\n

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Dark Nebula Commander Deda<\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s be honest: Commander Deda wasn\u2019t much of a character in the original New Voyage<\/em>. That said, what little screen time he did get was fun in a quirky way. He was a big, muscular brute with a penchant for laughing at the overconfidence of his human adversaries. After using Iscandar as a shield and growing overconfident himself, Yamato<\/em> swiftly deposed him. The remains of his ship hailed down on Iscandar, creating a chaotic storm of debris. <\/p>\n

In Ark of the Stars<\/em> – a movie which takes many story nuggets from New Voyage<\/em> – the Gatlantean lower caste soldier Dagarm is introduced. As a character, he ticked all of Deda\u2019s superficial boxes. Deda’s overconfidence, his laugh and subsequent death carried over to Dagarm, including the aftermath of his ship\u2019s destruction. All this said, Deda has returned for 2205<\/em>, and his character is a completely different beast from his original counterpart.<\/p>\n

As a bonus, his imposing scar was inherited from Yamato III<\/em>\u2019s Captain Gustav. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gamilas\u2019 Destruction, Pleiades<\/em> & Deda, Meldarz & Goruba<\/h3>\n

In The New Voyage<\/em>, Dessler returns to Gamilas to find scavengers from an unknown area of space, plundering his planet for resources. Distraught and angered, he orders a direct strike, resulting in a terrible accident that ends up overheating Gamilas’ core and destroying the planet. <\/p>\n

2205<\/em> Part 1 saw this harrowing sequence brought back to life, with many shots being direct callbacks to the original New Voyage<\/em>. The drilling machines took on elements from the Be Forever<\/em> tripod mecha, such as their impenetrable shields and their numerical superiority. Just like in the past, Garmillas\u2019 destruction causes Iscandar to warp away with Dark Nebula Commander Deda in pursuit. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Deda and his superior Meldarz both made their return in 2205<\/em>, alongside the iconic Great Pleiades<\/em> and Goruba<\/em> mecha. The iconic reveal of Great Pleiades<\/em> was carefully reconstructed with some added visual composition harkening back to Be Forever<\/em>\u2019s Admiral Kazan\u2019s fleet.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Be Forever Yamato<\/em>\u2019s end sequence<\/h3>\n

Be Forever<\/em>\u2019s ending saw an otherworldly message of harmony imparted by Sasha to Kodai, an image of absent friends, and Kodai and Yuki embracing each other across space and time. The movie concludes with a shot of our galaxy, properly finishing with Yamato<\/em> returning to Earth. <\/p>\n

Ark of the Stars<\/em> paid some visual homage to this ending, while 2202<\/em>\u2019s optimistic conclusion decided to reference it wholesale. Biggest difference? For the first and only time in Yamato<\/em> history, the titular ship returns home from screen right, rather than screen left. This may have been a directorial choice by Nobuyoshi Habara to set apart 2202<\/em> from its predecessors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hyperon Bomb Effects<\/h3>\n

As previously discussed, the Dark Nebula Empire\u2019s Hyperon Bomb targets a species\u2019 brainwaves and fries them on a galactic scale. 2202<\/em>\u2019s Golem system does the same, but rather than targeting humans it specifically targets flesh-and-blood humanoids. This genocidal weapon freezes the targets in place, their final moment forever visible in their horrified expressions. <\/p>\n

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Kodai and Sasha on the Exterior Deck<\/h3>\n

After Yuki\u2019s shot and kidnapped at the start of Be Forever<\/em>, Kodai thinks about her as he polishes his fighter out on Yamato<\/em>‘s deck. Sasha appears and does her best to soothe him in spite of her own identity crisis. <\/p>\n

This scene was referenced in 2199<\/em> when similar circumstances led Yurisha to comfort Kodai with information about Yuki\u2019s whereabouts. Sasha\u2019s identity crisis was shifted to Yuki, whereas the exterior sequence between Sasha and Kodai became set dressing for Yuria (possessed by Yurisha) and Hoshina. See for yourselves.<\/p>\n

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Kazan\u2019s Ambush<\/h3>\n

After arriving at the Dark Nebula in Be Forever<\/em>, Yamato<\/em> is ambushed by Admiral Kazan. His ships are naturally camouflaged in the thick fog of their abnormal space. Using this to his advantage, Kazan tricks Yamato<\/em> into a dark, stormy cave where his comrade Grotas awaits with several Goruba Autoplanets. <\/p>\n

2199<\/em>\u2019s penultimate episode saw G\u00f6er implement the same strategy against Yamato<\/em>, but rather than tricking the ship to its doom with Grotas, he redirected the ship into subdimensional space for a rematch with Abelt Dessler. <\/p>\n

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Dagon fleet ambush + DIY turret<\/h3>\n

In Yamato<\/em>\u2019s first battle with Dagon in Yamato III<\/em>, the Galman-Gamillas commander retreats, leaving his remaining ships to fend for themselves. One especially loyal ship braves the danger and boards Yamato<\/em>. The crew sets up defenses in the cafeteria, engine room and corridors, building an especially impressive DIY cart turret. <\/p>\n

These visual elements were echoed in 2199<\/em> when Dessler boards Yamato<\/em> in Ep. 25. In Yamato III<\/em>, Hirata dies and Tasuke Tokugawa protects the engine room. In 2199<\/em>, engineers Toyama and Iwata die, while Hikozaemon Tokugawa protects the engine room.<\/p>\n

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Magellanic Galaxy & Dessler\u2019s Cape<\/h3>\n

In Yamato III<\/em>, Dessler recounts to Kodai how planet Galman was liberated by the Gamilans, giving us a brief but memorable image. First a view of Dessler, then his silhouette containing the galaxy. <\/p>\n

2202<\/em> adapted this in the conversation between Kodai and Teresa, ending with a beautiful rendition of the Magellanic galaxy. In 2205<\/em> the beautiful galactic landscape returns, along with a cape-fluttering sequence after the liberation of Galman, bringing the callback to full circle.<\/p>\n

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Phantom Tentacles<\/h3>\n

Yamato III<\/em>\u2019s Planet Phantom was uniquely sentient, capable of protecting itself with tentacle-like appendages. In Ark of the Stars<\/em>, these strange tentacles returned in a very different way. Instead of planetary limbs, they became the impetus for a new species of squid-like alien creatures (named “Medula” in the movie’s program book). These are energy absorbing natives of a hollow planet.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gustav\u2019s Death<\/h3>\n

Near the end of Yamato III<\/em>, Yamato<\/em> comes into contact with Galman-Gamilas Commander Gustav. This commander\u2019s unique appearance and mannerisms were transferred and split up between Gatlantean lower caste Commander Dagarm, and Garmillan Commander Fomto Berger in Ark of the Stars<\/em>. Dagarm gets Gustav’s threatening conversation with Kodai, where the latter fails to convince the former that there can be peace. <\/p>\n

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Berger gets Gustav’s heroic sacrifice and burning bridge sequence, a moment in both timelines where these hotheaded commanders get the chance to show their true colors. <\/p>\n

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Future Boats<\/h3>\n

When Starsha meets up with Yamato<\/em>\u2019s crew in Series 1, she does so on foot. When she bids them farewell with Mamoru, the pair depart in a pink speedboat. In 2199<\/em>, Starsha greets Yamato<\/em>\u2019s crew aboard a technologically advanced swan-like Gondola. Where\u2019d this idea come from? Yamato III<\/em>‘s Shalbart civilization, of course. To travel to the great ruins of Shalbart, a ferry ride is required. This isn\u2019t the only element borrowed from Shalbart in 2199<\/em>, but it’s a notable one.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Miyuki Kodai\u2019s confirmed existence<\/h3>\n

Yamato Resurrection<\/em> jumped forward 17 years after the events of Final Yamato<\/em>, showing the audience the new Kodai family. A bleak and dismal relationship between Kodai and his daughter Miyuki was at the forefront. This daughter is confirmed to be in the making in 2202<\/em>\u2019s final episode, at least according to 2202<\/em> director Nobuyoshi Habara.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Marveling at Uruk\u2019s History<\/h3>\n

At various moments throughout Final Yamato<\/em>, characters from both Dengil and Earth take the opportunity to view Uruk\u2019s vast and majestic history, from marble statues of demons, to stone tablets and ancient architecture. At one point, Emperor Lugal himself details to his son the long trek they made from Earth to Dengil in the far-off past, aided by demonic aliens and their space-faring technology. The long trek aboard a celestial ark was picked up by Ark of the Stars<\/em>, while the iconography and ancient past portions of this story arc were carried over to 2202<\/em>\u2019s take on Gatlantis.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Eater<\/em>-class ships<\/h3>\n

While the name \u201cEater\u201d comes from older design documents, their appearance resembles the SUS flagship\u2019s blade-like appendages seen in Resurrection<\/em>. Bearing Makoto Kobayashi\u2019s involvement in mind once more, I\u2019ll leave you the readers to be the judge on this one.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yamato<\/em> Aiming at the Artificial Sun<\/h3>\n

In Resurrection<\/em>\u2019s climactic battle against the SUS fortress, Yamato<\/em>\u2019s crew concludes that the superstructure they\u2019re facing is powered by a nearby Sun. By firing at it, they can stop the fortress in its tracks. 2202<\/em> picked up this visual motif and applied it to Yamato<\/em>\u2019s first WMG salvo of that series, its target being an artificial Garmillan Sun near the newly established 11th planet. Some familiar direction is apparent during Yamato<\/em>\u2019s second WMG salvo at Stravase in Ep. 9.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Skirt Flip<\/h3>\n

A few times across the original series, we see Analyzer flipping Yuki\u2019s skirt to illustrate the humor of the time. While this element was not revived for the reboot series, we do see what can be described as a tongue-in-cheek callback in 2199<\/em>. In one zero-G sequence, Makoto\u2019s short nurse skirt is inadvertently flipped by the lack of gravity, resulting in a fit of embarrassment in front of Dr. Sado.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mazer and Deskul<\/h3>\n

Almost all the minor characters from the Gatlantean side in Yamato 2<\/em> returned in 2202<\/em>, with one exception: Deskul. He was a brutish, rude and slimy commander who appeared for a single episode. His role was to order his subordinate and spy Mazer to infiltrate Yamato<\/em> and discover its secrets. Upon Mazer\u2019s return, he\u2019s not allowed back on the command vessel due to fear of subterfuge and treachery. Mazer can\u2019t return home or to Yamato<\/em> with any dignity, so he commits a kamikaze assault.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2202<\/em> brought back Mazer, but this time he supplanted the original Deskul\u2019s role as the angry commander who failed to bring down Yamato<\/em>. The original Mazer became a minor character in 2202<\/em>\u2019s first two episodes. Having piloted the giant Super Calaklum battleship unearthed at the Akerian floating continent base, his body is later recovered after he fails to kamikaze Earth itself. Upon waking up, his living-dead body triggers a self-destruct sequence, blowing up the EDF lab! This character is unnamed, but he’s a dead ringer (ba-dumpsh!) for the original Mazer.<\/p>\n

<\/br><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Kodai\u2019s captain\u2019s coat<\/h3>\n

Throughout the original saga, Kodai\u2019s design remains mostly the same.<\/p>\n

He wears a red\/white tactical officer uniform, with a few military exceptions and no alterations all, the way up to Yamato III<\/em>, where he adds a Captain\u2019s coat. This coat is navy blue, differentiating Kodai from seniors like Okita, Hijikata and Yamanami, who all wore black coats with red details. This was likely to signify his permanent promotion to Captain of Yamato<\/em> and to symbolically show his ascendancy to adulthood. Until that point, he\u2019d only ever served as Acting Captain in times of pressing need.<\/p>\n

At the start of Farewell to Yamato<\/em>, Kodai wears a navy-blue coat over a homogenized EDF uniform. This design decision was likely made to depict Yamato<\/em>\u2019s free spirit being swallowed up by the EDF war machine, and to signify a passing of the torch from Okita\u2019s black rationalism to Kodai\u2019s bright blue youthful spirit.<\/p>\n

Once he boards Yamato<\/em> for the Telezart mission, Kodai ditches this coat\/uniform combo for the rest of the series. This trend of depicting Kodai wearing a coat over an EDF uniform for the prologue portion of subsequent works can be seen in The New Voyage<\/em> and Be Forever<\/em>. He briefly wore a coat in Yamato III<\/em> and Final Yamato<\/em>, but only over his familiar red\/white uniform.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2199<\/em> saw Kodai in the red\/white uniform, as was to be expected. He also wore a ceremonial coat when meeting Queen Starsha on Iscandar, similar to the one in Yamato III<\/em>.<\/p>\n

2202<\/em> saw Kodai in a buttoned, black Captain\u2019s coat with red details aboard Yunagi<\/em> and for ceremonial events on Earth, ditching it once Yamato<\/em> departs for the Telezart mission. <\/p>\n

2205<\/em> sees Kodai fully embracing the black Captain\u2019s coat. He has formally become the Captain of Yamato<\/em> and thus dresses for the occasion like his Yamato III<\/em> counterpart. But as in that series, he does change when necessary, such as in 2205<\/em>\u2019s climax where he dons EVA gear.<\/p>\n

<\/br><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yuki\u2019s Fashion Sense<\/h3>\n

Yuki Mori\u2019s no stranger to fashion. In fact, she found alternate outfits for each story, including the original series. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a list with its corresponding reboot appearance:<\/p>\n

Series 1: Nurse uniform (seen in 2202<\/em>), yellow plugsuit (seen in 2199<\/em>\/2202<\/em>), white gown (seen in 2199<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Farewell\/Yamato 2<\/em>: Pink civilian attire (seen in 2202<\/em>)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Series 1\/New Voyage\/Yamato III<\/em>: Pink dresses (Unused)<\/p>\n

Be Forever<\/em>: White military jacket and scarf (seen in 2202<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Final Yamato<\/em>: White double-breasted EDF coat (seen in 2205<\/em>), White plugsuit (seen in 2202<\/em>, used by Toko Katsuragi)<\/p>\n

Resurrection<\/em>: White double-breasted Captain\u2019s coat and hat (seen in 2205<\/em>). <\/p>\n

<\/br><\/p>\n

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

Thinking Man & classical music<\/h3>\n

Strap yourselves in for a convoluted story. <\/p>\n

“The Thinker” is a famous bronze sculpture from 1904, originally cast in small plaster form by Auguste Rodin in 1880. Initially, the statue was named \u201cThe Poet\u201d and was commissioned to be the centerpiece for \u201cThe Gates of Hell,\u201d a large doorway surround based on the 14th-century poem The Divine Comedy<\/em> by Dante Alighieri. Whether this statue is supposed to illustrate Dante himself is a point of contention in the art world. <\/p>\n

Now, why do we call this statue “The Thinker” these days? Apparently, it\u2019s because some foundry workers at the time thought it looked awfully similar to Michelangelo\u2019s statue of Lorenzo de Medici called \u201cIl Pensieroso\u201d (The Thinker). After this observation reached Rodin\u2019s ears, he decided to allow the statue to become its own separate art piece. Subsequent castings of varying sizes were supervised, produced and shipped out across the world, with three or so dozen still in existence. It\u2019s often seen as a symbol of philosophy. <\/p>\n

Back to Yamato<\/em>…<\/p>\n

Arriving at Dezarium in Be Forever<\/em>, the crew is greeted by a red carpet procession with classical music in the air. The Great Emperor reveals the Dark Nebulan Empire\u2019s supposedly true origins as humans from the future. Yamato<\/em> crew member Tasuke Tokugawa discovers an odd discrepancy in the DNE\u2019s museum of history: a replica of the thinking man statue, but mirrored. He makes a rough sketch – that in itself is inaccurate – then later presents it to Kodai while the ship is under attack. Their conclusion? The Great Emperor lied! They\u2019re impostors!<\/p>\n

In a surprise deepcut reference to this, 2205<\/em> depicts Dezarium Admiral Meldars ruminating on Yamato<\/em>\u2019s futility in the mirrored Thinking Man pose, all while listening to impressionist pianist and poet Claude Debussy’s classical piece Reverie (Dream).<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The pictures provided here depict the major differences in \u201cThe Thinker\u2019s\u201d depiction.<\/p>\n

Original sculpture: Right hand supports the chin. Right and left arm rests on the left thigh.<\/p>\n

Dezarium copy: Completely mirrors the original Thinker. Left hand supports the chin. Left and right arms rest on the right leg. <\/p>\n

Tokugawa\u2019s sketch: Right hand supports the chin. Right arm rests on the right leg. Left arm rests on the left leg.<\/p>\n

Meldars: Completely mirrors Tokugawa\u2019s original sketch from Be Forever<\/em>. Left hand supports the chin. Left arm rests on the left leg. Right arm rests on the right leg.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Note: While classical music has been used in Yamato Resurrection<\/em>, the Be Forever<\/em> connection is much stronger in this case. But who knows, maybe the bright scarlet designs of the new Dezarium army are supposed to harken back to the baddies from Resurrection<\/em>, such as Metzler and his SUS space fortress?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a list of all four classical pieces of music used in 2205<\/em>:<\/p>\n

1. Claire de Lune<\/em> – Claude Debussy
\n2. Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 in E flat major<\/em> – Frederic Chopin
\n3. Reverie (Dream)<\/em> – Claude Debussy
\n4. Fantasia in D Minor, K. 397 (Fragment)<\/em> – Amadeus Mozart <\/p>\n

<\/br><\/p>\n

Return to the index<\/a><\/p>\n

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