{"id":34126,"date":"2023-04-01T22:37:14","date_gmt":"2023-04-02T05:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=34126"},"modified":"2026-06-14T10:56:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T17:56:42","slug":"767a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/767a\/","title":{"rendered":"Vintage Report 11: July 1978"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2304icon\"<\/p>\n

The final month before the Farewell to Yamato<\/em> premiere was a steady climb of excitement and anticipation as film production plowed through its final stages and publicity ratcheted up to maximum. Here’s what a full-blown case of Yamato<\/em> Fever looked like…<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

The final month before the Farewell to Yamato<\/em> premiere was a steady climb of excitement and anticipation as film production plowed through its final stages and publicity ratcheted up to maximum. One magazine after another gleefully published a new wave of art images and talking points released by Toei, while a live exhibition and a new concert series marked the final countdown.<\/p>\n

Here’s what a full-blown case of Yamato<\/em> Fever looked like…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 1: Manga Shonen<\/em>, August issue<\/h3>\n

A five-page article was built around the announcement of the Yamato<\/em> Symphonic Concert series, which would soon give fans their first opportunity to hear a full-fledged live orchestral performance.<\/p>\n

Read the article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 1: ASCII<\/em> magazine #13, July issue<\/h3>\n

The headline of this article read: The love and excitement of Yamato that microcomputer fans all over Japan have been waiting for!! Now, it comes back to life on a CRT screen!!<\/em><\/p>\n

This unusual entry in the 1978 chronicles is one of the earliest crossovers between Yamato<\/em> and home computing. We saw a previous encounter in January<\/a>, but this one went a step farther, providing readers with coding to reproduce their own playable game derived from the battle with Goland, which had not yet been seen on a movie screen.<\/p>\n

How did the ship fare against an 8-bit enemy? Read the article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 3: Bouken Oh [Adventure King]<\/em>, August issue<\/h3>\n

As the home of Leiji Matsumoto’s serialized Farewell<\/em> manga, you’d expect Bouken Oh<\/em> to do something special, and they did. As soon as you opened the cover of this issue, you were greeted with a 2-sided foldout promoting the film.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Side A introduced Teresa, the crew, and the mecha of the EDF fleet<\/div>\n

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

<\/p>\n

Side B did the same for the Comet Empire<\/div>\n

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

<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Chapter 2 of the manga was extremely lethargic, taking 30 pages just to get Kodai’s escort ship down to Earth out of the path of Andromeda<\/em>‘s test flight. This was most likely out of a desire not to give away excessive details before the film opened, but the pace would continue to be lethargic for more than a year.<\/p>\n

At left is an ad for the collected paperback editions of both Yamato<\/em> and Captain Harlock<\/em> manga.<\/p>\n


\nL to R: Kei Tomiyama (Kodai), Yoko Asagami (Yuki), Isao Sasaki (Saito)<\/em><\/p>\n

July 3: Voice recordings begin<\/h3>\n

On this day, the original cast reunited for the first of four voice recording sessions. The followups would happen on the 6th, 8th and 9th. The main ingredient required for this was a reliable workprint of the film with all the dialogue scenes at least close to their final edit. It was the first time any of the actors saw their characters on screen since the dubbing of the original TV series, which must have been exhilarating.<\/p>\n

OUT magazine had a reporter on the scene to capture their views for publication. Keep reading to see the result.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> for a photo collection of the first day.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 5: Kinejun<\/em> #740<\/h3>\n

This marks the first time an anime film became a Kinejun<\/em> cover story, and though the coverage inside wasn\u2019t nearly as flashy as Animage<\/em>, its editorial standard was far more sophisticated and penetrating.<\/p>\n

Yoshinobu Nishizaki and Leiji Matsumoto were interviewed at length, both discussing aspects of the Yamato<\/em> success story that hadn\u2019t been reported before. Farewell to Yamato<\/em> got a glowing early endorsement, and the screenplay was included for fans to read line-by-line\u2026at least up to the scene in which Yamato<\/em> took its first shot at the Comet Empire. They would have to visit their local theater to find out what happened next. (Or buy Kinejun<\/em> #743 for the conclusion.)<\/p>\n

Read the articles here:
\nNishizaki interview<\/a>
\nMatsumoto interview<\/a>
\nMovie overview<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 5: Fan Club meeting, Nagoya<\/h3>\n

On this auspicious day, Yoshinobu Nishizaki made a personal appearance in Nagoya to meet with members of the official fan club. Of course, the main topic of conversation was the approaching film, and fans gave Nishizaki quite a different experience than the press.<\/p>\n

Luckily, the whole thing was transcribed and published in the Farewell<\/em> Roman Album in September. Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 5: Symphonic Concert premiere, Nagoya<\/h3>\n

As it turns out, Nishizaki wasn’t in town just for the fan club meeting. He was also there to MC the first-ever live Yamato<\/em> concert. It was the start of a series that would visit six cities, culminating in tokyo on July 30.<\/p>\n

Regrettably, no recordings of these concerts have ever been released, but we know their content well: the first half was a live reproduction of the original Symphonic Suite Yamato<\/em>, and the second half did the same with the Farewell<\/em> symphonic album, which was actually recorded between concert dates – which made this a unique rehearsal process.<\/p>\n

The performance dates were as follows: Hiroshima, July 7 \/ Kyushu, July 10 \/ Sapporo, July 14 \/ Fukuoka, July 17 \/ Osaka, July 18 \/ Tokyo, July 29 & 30. Fan club meetings were held in tandem at all locations except Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Read much more about the concerts here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Advertising from Shueisha, the publisher of Roadshow<\/em> magazine. Right side: Symphonic Concert dates. Left side: books and novelizations coming in August and September.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 8: Middle 1st Age<\/em>, August issue<\/h3>\n

The student digest magazines were all over Yamato<\/em> in July. This one (for 7th graders) carried a 7-page article with the story synopsis that had previously appeared in June publications and threw in some stills that hadn’t been seen yet. They also hit the main publicity points and listed the concert schedule for July.<\/p>\n

See the article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 9: High 1st Age<\/em>, August issue<\/h3>\n

Obunsha’s student digest for 10th graders lead with four color pages on Farewell<\/em> featuring the official synopsis (again) and color images. Sanada was mistakenly identified as Shima, but everything else worked out nicely.<\/p>\n

See the pages here<\/a><\/p>\n


\nPhotos by Carlo Savorelli<\/em><\/p>\n

July 9: Yamato<\/em> in Italy<\/h3>\n

The story of Yamato<\/em> in Italy begins the same way as it did in the rest of the western world: with the export of the compilation film that traveled under the title Space Cruiser Yamato<\/em>. This is the one that was cut down to about 90 minutes and dubbed in English before Star Blazers<\/em> existed. (Read all about it here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

The film was subtitled in Italian and screened on July 9 at the 16th International Science-Fiction Film Festival held in the city of Trieste from July 8-15, 1978. Its title was Incrociatore Spaziale Yamato<\/em>, which simply means Space Cruiser Yamato.<\/em><\/p>\n


\nPhotos by Carlo Savorelli<\/em><\/p>\n

Following the film festival appearance, this 60-page hardcover storybook became the first Yamato<\/em> product to be produced in a western country. Published by Salani, the book’s indicia said it was based on the film Space Cruiser Galaxy<\/em>, distributed in Italy by Evi Film. This was an odd claim, since the film did not in fact get distribution.<\/p>\n

Naturally, there’s more to be learned about this topic. Click here<\/a> to follow the threads.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 10: Animage<\/em> #2<\/h3>\n

With the movie premiere now less than a month away, Animage<\/em> placed an easy bet by making Farewell to Yamato<\/em> the cover story of their second issue, which appeared just over six weeks after their first (it would go monthly from here). The 16-page article was practically an art gallery with huge color stills, a brief report on the May press conference, and plenty of juicy story info.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to see Animage<\/em> #2’s complete coverage. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, back on the production side, voice recording for the movie ended just one day before this magazine was published and final editing sessions commenced the day after.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 11: Middle 3rd Age<\/em>, August issue<\/h3>\n

Another student digest (this one for 9th graders) picked up the extended story synopsis and combined it with production notes, some of which hadn’t been seen elsewhere yet.<\/p>\n

See the 6-page article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 13: Playcomic<\/em>, July 27 issue<\/h3>\n

If you’d somehow missed the extended story synopsis that had appeared in multiple publications by this time, Playcomic<\/em> gave you another opportunity. It was woven into a 5-page article that came with a bonus poster displaying Yasuhiko Yoshikazu’s painted Yamato<\/em> from the main movie poster.<\/p>\n

See the article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 15: Rendezvous Comic<\/em> #3<\/h3>\n

Since the editors of OUT<\/em> were fans who turned pro practically overnight, it\u2019s easy to imagine them as kids suddenly put in charge of a candy factory. This is as good an explanation as any for the rapid debut of their second and third publications, Rendezvous<\/em> and Rendezvous Comic<\/em>, a bi-monthly manga anthology that launched in the spring of \u201978. Naturally, it carried a few Yamato<\/em> articles as well. The third issue was released just before the OUT<\/em> magazine shown above and contained a new interview with Yoshinobu Nishizaki.<\/p>\n

Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 15: Movie Information<\/em> magazine<\/h3>\n

This tabloid-format magazine from Kokusaijohosha specialized in big photos on big pages, but only a single page was devoted to Farewell<\/em>, probably on the assumption that they didn’t have a large anime readership. The text was split into a brief story synopsis and this commentary:<\/p>\n

This is a sequel to last year’s big hit, Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>. In Part 2, the entire universe faces an unprecedented crisis due to the appearance of a giant white comet. The story is about a group of young space soldiers, including Susumu Kodai, who fight a courageous battle on board Yamato<\/em> in defiance of the Earth Federation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The producers were determined to make a film that would be as good as Star Wars<\/em> and Close Encounters of the Third Kind<\/em>. The film takes on new challenges, including the use of a pipe organ for the villain’s theme. It features the work of popular lyricist Yu Aku and fashion designer Yukiko Hanai.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoshinobu Nishizaki is in charge of planning, original draft, screenplay, and general production. Leiji Matsumoto is the general director of designs. The film is directed Toshio Masuda with music by Hiroshi Miyagawa. The voice cast includes Kei Tomiyama as Kodai, Yoko Asagami, Hideo Nakamura, Goro Naya, and others from the previous film. The cast is expected to be joined by a big star in the role of a new character this time.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 19-23: Sound editing<\/h3>\n

With voice and music recording now complete (in what must have been a killer schedule, given the intervening concert tour), the last step was to tie it all together with the visuals in a series of mixing sessions that took place over five days. The single most important component for this to happen is called a “locked picture.” That meant film editing was finished and no more timing changes would be made. It was still possible to shoot retakes during this period, but all revised scenes had to conform with what had been locked.<\/p>\n

In the pre-digital era, all sound sources would have been on reel-to-reel tape and every cue had to be methodically arranged in their proper order, then blended into a single track. Most Japanese theaters were not equipped with stereo sound equipment yet, so the entire film was mixed down to mono. “Simulated stereo” mixes were later created for home video.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 20: SF Movies and Tokusatsu, Grand Feature<\/em><\/h3>\n

Small-format paperbacks with big page counts were popularized by Kodansha with the “Keibunsha” series, and another publisher named Jitsugyo Japan Co. had their own version called the “Children’s Pocket Encyclopedia.” This particular volume brought everyone up to date on SF works (while Star Wars<\/em> was conveniently playing in Japanese theaters), including entries on home-grown favorites.<\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

July 20-26: Yamato<\/em> Exhibition, Osaka<\/h3>\n

On this day, a traveling Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> exhibition opened at the Daimaru department store in Osaka. The \u201cCut Model\u201d and the full-scale Analyzer were there, along with animation cels, production documents, screenings of TV episodes, plastic model dioramas, and the centerpiece shown above: a 4\u00d75 meter bridge panorama featuring mannequins of Kodai, Yuki, and Shima. Admission and product sales brought in 1.5 million yen over the course of the tour.<\/p>\n

The ad shown below right (from the most recent Manga Shonen<\/em> magazine) listed the specifics of the event, which must have been a revelation for those lucky enough to see it in person:<\/p>\n

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

1. Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> scene collection (all 26 episodes of the TV series and the second work)
\nOriginal cels and stills from Yamato<\/em>. A number of scenes from the first and second works will be displayed on large panels.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Precision cut model of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>
\n(Read more about it here<\/a>)<\/p>\n

3. Space panorama<\/p>\n

4. Yamato<\/em> first bridge deck diorama<\/p>\n

5. Yamato<\/em> battle diorama<\/p>\n

6. Brave figure of Yamato<\/em> diorama<\/p>\n

7. Universal multipurpose robot [Analyzer] <\/p>\n

8. Artifact display
\nMany valuable documents about the first and second works of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

9. Super Anime Corner<\/p>\n

a) Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> TV screenings
\nEpisodes 2, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26<\/span><\/p>\n

b) Screening of a Farewell to Yamato<\/em> demonstration<\/p>\n

Simultaneous event: Yamato<\/em> product fair held by Office Academy Co. Ltd.<\/p>\n

\nOsaka venue
\nJuly 20 (Thursday) to July 26 (Wednesday)
\nDaimaru dept. store, Shinsaibashi<\/p>\n

Tokyo venue
\nJuly 28 (Friday) to August 2 (Wednesday)
\nMatsuya dept. store, Ginza<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\nNagoya venue
\nAugust 4 (Friday) to August 9 (Wednesday)
\nMitsukoshi dept. store, Nagoya<\/p>\n

Shizuoka venue
\nAugust 10 (Thursday) to August 15 (Tuesday)
\nMatsuzakaya dept. store, Shizuoka<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

July 21: Roadshow<\/em>, September issue<\/h3>\n

In the last issue before the film’s premiere, Roadshow<\/em> gave Farewell<\/em> plenty of attention, including an image boost on the fan page (upper right). See it larger here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This prominent 2-page spread appeared just a few pages in with the following text: <\/p>\n

This is the sequel to the hit Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>, which depicted love and romance in the vastness of space. In the previous film, Yamato<\/em> played an active role in saving the Earth, and this time it sets out on a difficult battle to save the entire universe.<\/span><\/p>\n

After receiving a message from Teresa, a beautiful girl from the planet Telezart, Kodai, Sanada, Shima, and other former Yamato<\/em> warriors learn of danger in the universe. The new enemy is the White Comet Empire led by Emperor Zordar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along with Yamato<\/em>, battle scenes dynamically develop between the new battleship Andromeda<\/em> and its powerful enemies. The theme of fighting for “love” is powerfully and romantically expressed in this film. In 1978, the year of the science fiction boom, this is the most promising work of space animation.<\/span><\/p>\n

(Source: Office Academy \/ Distributor: Toei)<\/span><\/p>\n

The spread included promotion (at far left) for the first of Roadshow<\/em>‘s two books dedicated to the film. The ad said it would come out on July 28, but the date on the book itself stubbornly reads “September 5,” so we’ll stick with that.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The main feature was a 4-page interview, in which film journalist Kazuko Komori caught Executive Producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki near the end of production. He spoke about the evolution of Yamato<\/em> up to this point, his own early career, and his ambitions for the near future, which bore almost no resemblance to what would actually happen.<\/p>\n

Read the interview here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 21: Series 1 third rerun on Yomiuri<\/h3>\n

It was now a familiar story; originally a ratings failure due to circumstances beyond its control, Yamato<\/em> scored new viewers and captured commanding numbers every time it reappeared. It had to be especially gratifying for Nishizaki and his staff to see it return to its home network, Yomiuri TV, from which the infamous decision came down to drop the episode count to 26. Now it was back again for a nightly rerun when popularity was at an all-time high. It would conclude on August 25 with a very healthy rating of 13.8%.<\/p>\n

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

July 25: The Rival\/Teresa Forever<\/em> single<\/h3>\n

Following the lead of their last single (Starsha, Thoughts Among the Stars)<\/em>, lyricist Yu Aku and composer Hiroshi Miyagawa wrote two more \u201cimage songs\u201d to accompany the new film. After the single was released, they would be featured in the Farewell<\/em> radio drama, which was broadcast shortly before the August 4 movie premiere.<\/p>\n

The Rival<\/em> was sort of lost in time when its B side, Teresa Forever<\/em>, rose to prominence as the end theme of Yamato 2<\/em>, but once heard it is unforgettable. The song can be interpreted as Kodai\u2019s dream-image of his nemesis, Dessler. Like The Scarlet Scarf<\/em>, its meaning was clearer to older listeners. Teresa Forever<\/em> took on a more personal viewpoint when transplanted to Yamato 2<\/em>, where it came to symbolize her romance with Shima.<\/p>\n

See translated lyrics here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 28: OUT<\/em> magazine, September issue<\/h3>\n

Animage<\/em> had the flashiest coverage, but all the hardcore otaku knew OUT<\/em> was where they would find the articles they really wanted, written by fans for fans. After the Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> issues<\/a> put the magazine on the map in 1977, the inmates took over the asylum and pursued their hobby for all it was worth.<\/p>\n

Their continuing love of all things Yamato<\/em> was on full display here in more than 30 pages of articles containing mecha design art, product reviews, character guides, and interviews with the cast and crew.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to see OUT<\/em>‘s complete coverage.<\/p>\n

Click below to read individual articles:
\nFashion Designer Yukiko Hanai<\/a>
\nVoice actor interviews<\/a>
\nProducer’s message<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 28: Farewell<\/em> staff screening<\/h3>\n

By all available accounts, production of the film was completed in time for a staff-only preview screening at Toei Studio in Oizumi, Tokyo. Seven months earlier, it only existed as words and sketches. Now it was a complete feature film that would endure for the rest of time.<\/p>\n

The screening was not a press event, so it wasn’t covered in the media. However, it was the scene of a little-known battle of wills that had persisted for months with Yoshinobu Nishizaki on one side and Studio Nue’s Haruka Takachiho on the other. Takachiho would not tell the story of this battle until February 2022, but it is one for the history books.<\/p>\n

Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 29: TV Guide<\/em> magazine<\/h3>\n

How do you REALLY get people to focus on Yamato<\/em>? By broadcasting the first movie on TV the night before the second movie opens in theaters. TV Guide<\/em> saluted this brilliant move with its first Yamato<\/em> cover story, a 10-pager that brought it vividly back to life, buttoned with a glowing commentary by film critic Masako Suganama.<\/p>\n

See the article here<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Also spotted in July<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

Movie trailer<\/em><\/p>\n

The exact date of the Farewell to Yamato<\/em> trailer’s debut has yet to be unearthed, but it would certainly have been in theaters for the final month before the movie arrived. Additionally, it was preceded by two teasers, the first of which must have appeared sometime in the spring since it contained no animation from the film.<\/p>\n

See both teasers and the full trailer on Youtube here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Theatrical flyers<\/em><\/p>\n

Free flyers are still a common promotional item in Japanese movie theaters, typically showing up at the same time as a trailer. The back of the flyer read as follows:<\/p>\n

* Yamato<\/em>‘s final chapter has finally appeared!<\/span><\/p>\n

Set in the vast and infinite universe, proclaiming a magnificent romance, Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> was applauded by young people all over the country. One year later, it is welcomed back by the enthusiastic voice of fans. Under a new concept, the latest work Farewell to Yamato<\/em> has finally been born to meet the challenge of even greater goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

* Scale and thrills far surpassing the previous work!<\/span><\/p>\n

Farewell<\/em> surpasses its predecessor in both scale and content. In the year 2201, the peaceful Earth is once again in danger. Susumu Kodai and other young space warriors board Yamato<\/em>, which was once decommissioned, to launch into their final battle. In addition to Kodai and his beautiful lover Yuki Mori, the crew includes familiar members such as Shima, Sanada, Tokugawa, new companions, and a new captain to replace Captain Okita. Furthermore, there is the sadness of Teresa, a beautiful girl imprisoned on the planet Telezart, Emperor Zordar, leader of the evil empire, and the reappearance of Dessler, who was thought to be dead. The story is filled with breathtaking battles and breathless fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

* Appearance of the amazing enemy, the White Comet, and fascinating new mecha!<\/span><\/p>\n

A giant white comet suddenly appears in the far reaches of space. It repeatedly expands and contracts, destroying and absorbing many stars with its supergravity. It will soon come close to destroying the Earth as well. Numerous new enemy battleships fly in, super-large aircraft carriers, large battleships, missile ships, a submarine lurking in the darkness of space, a large tank army awaiting on the planet Telezart…exciting mecha and characters appear one after another.<\/span><\/p>\n

* Wonderful romance and emotion!<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you die for the one you love? And when moving toward an ideal, can you risk your life to fight the evil that blocks it? With this theme, the main character Susumu Kodai proves it himself. While nurturing his love for Yuki Mori, he confronts a gigantic enemy. For love, for the purpose of saving the Earth, never giving up hope, Kodai challenges all possibilities. And in the end, seeing the love between these two people is sure to bring tears of joy and emotion to the hearts of all. The love depicted here ranges from the love between men and women to the love between friends, and a grand love for the universe. The film strongly emphasizes the importance of people living in harmony with each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

* The power of a finale beyond imagination!<\/span><\/p>\n

The white comet that Yamato<\/em> is going to face is unprecedented, filled with ideas and tricks. What could possibly happen? For the last 30 minutes, you will be speechless in amazement. You will have to wait and see for yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

* A top-class staff gathers all their strength!<\/span><\/p>\n

The film is produced by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, the creator of Yamato<\/em>, who is well known to young fans. Directed by Toshio Masuda, design directed by Leiji Matsumoto, Composer Hiroshi Miyagawa continues from the previous work. Farewell to Yamato<\/em> features lyricist Yu Aku and costume designer Yukiko Hanai, a successful fashion designer. It will be one of the most talked-about anime productions of all time.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The lower portion of the back was left blank for local screening information to be added later, as in these two examples.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Advance tickets<\/em><\/p>\n

Thanks to the first Yamato<\/em> movie, everyone in the movie business learned what happens when you underestimate demand. The answer to that was to sell more advance tickets. The tickets for Farewell<\/em> are shown above left; the lower portions were torn off when the user entered the cinema. At right is the sleeve in which these tickets were issued.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Guerilla marketing<\/em><\/p>\n

By far, the most valuable element of the first movie’s promo campaign was the fan base. Nishizaki turned their passion into action in a brilliant grass-roots movement to spread the word. Now that he had an official fan club as a nerve center, he put it to work again on Farewell<\/em>. At some point, this document turned up in the mail boxes of club members all over the country.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It was a sort of handbook for how to reignite the movement in support of the new film. The interior was a comprehensive list of contact information for radio and TV stations. Fans were encouraged to write and call in, asking for Yamato<\/em> airplay and TV reruns. It’s unclear how much this helped Farewell<\/em> to succeed, but it certainly played a role.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Image model<\/em><\/p>\n

In November 1977, it was called the “Deform Display Model.” Eight months later, Bandai reissued it in a new box with a new name, “Image Model.” Inside, it was exactly the same, a forced-perspective version that imitated the now-iconic image of the ship.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yamato model with Teresa panel<\/em><\/p>\n

The conventionally-shaped Yamato<\/em> model kit was reissued in July as well. The previous version was the “gold” edition released in March. Now it was finally available in standard colors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A new backing board was included, giving it the name “Teresa Panel.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Terebi Animation Exciting Brass LP<\/em><\/p>\n

Besides the Rival\/Teresa Forever<\/em> single, this was the only music release for July, a Nippon Columbia album featuring several classic anime themes rendered by a brass band. The Yamato<\/em> theme and The Scarlet Scarf<\/em> were joined by Gatchaman, Star of the Giants, Astro Boy, Triton of the Sea, Devilman<\/em>, and others.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Children’s Light, August issue<\/em><\/p>\n

One more entry into the July media catalog was this children’s magazine, a copy of which has yet to be obtained here at the Cosmo DNA nerve center.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

All that’s known so far is what’s displayed in these photos: a healthy attitude toward TV anime in general and Yamato<\/em> in particular. That’s really all you need sometimes.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Arcadia Special Issue doujinshi<\/em><\/p>\n

Harlock<\/em> was the provocative name of a doujinshi published by a private group calling themselves Space Battleship Yamato FC in an attempt to distinguish themselves from the official fan club. Arcadia Special Issue<\/em> was a spinoff of Harlock<\/em> containing a “digest parody,” 40 pages of illustrated fanfic with some manga on the side.<\/p>\n

See it from cover to cover here<\/a><\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

What’s Next<\/h2>\n

Theaters sold all the advance tickets they could, but it still didn’t stop the kids from showing up early and camping out. This was the scene outside movie theaters on the night of August 4, an enthusiastic replay of what happened a year earlier. In Vintage Report 12, we dive right into the premiere month and watch everything explode all over again! Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July context<\/h3>\n

Two other major SF anime titles were released in July. The Gatchaman<\/em><\/a> feature film (July 15) was a compilation of the original TV series with a few minutes of new animation. Captain Harlock: The Mystery of the Arcadia<\/em><\/a> was an episode of the Space Pirate<\/em> TV series that had been reformatted for wide screen and expanded to 34 minutes. It was shown as part of a Toei Manga Matsuri [Festival] for children on July 22. In it, Harlock battles a revived Battleship Musashi<\/em>, which looks AWFULLY familiar.<\/p>\n

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