Yamato<\/em>, but the ratings were poor. However, enthusiastic fans flocked to the studio. Junior high school girls were thrilled to see the production site with their own eyes and formed fan clubs.<\/p>\nThus, fans who watched anime religiously, not just out of admiration, but with a proactive attitude and a deep knowledge of anime, began to emerge. They would go to TV stations in groups to demand reruns. When they got information about new shows or staff members, they would form three or four fan clubs before even knowing the story.<\/p>\n
There is a fan term called \u201cbeautiful chara.\u201d \u2018Chara\u2019 refers to characters, or the people and animals that appear in anime. Beautiful is the literal meaning of the word. However, it can refer to a character on the side of evil. <\/p>\n
In anime, where villains are typically portrayed as hateful or foolish psychopaths, one handsome character first appeared in the robot\/romance\/action series Brave Raideen<\/em> (broadcast from April 1975 to March 1976), the demon prince Shurkin. This trend continued with General Garuda from Combattler V<\/em>, Tony Haken from Planet Robo Danguard Ace<\/em>, and Prince Heinel from Voltes V<\/em>, and is now carried on by Richter in the currently airing Fighting General Daimos<\/em>, captivating female middle and high school students with the aesthetics of evil.<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cIt’s no wonder there are no flaws\u201d The animation production site is always running at full capacity. At Toei Animation Studio, one feature-length film for theatrical release and six TV episodes are currently in production simultaneously (in Higashi-Oizumi, Nerima Ward, Tokyo).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nSIDEBAR: The tightrope walk of anime production<\/span><\/h3>\nThe history of weekly 30-minute TV anime began in 1963 with Astro Boy<\/em>, created by Mushi Productions. Anime is said to be as labor-intensive as \u201chand-baked senbei.\u201d It takes a lot of time and money to produce, so even major animation companies avoided it, but they managed to pull it off.<\/span><\/p>\nMany people in the production field believe that the reason anime has remained immature as an industry even today is because Japanese animation started with “making it quickly and cheaply.” Around the 1970s, when TV anime began to be mass-produced, quality started to decline due to cost-cutting measures. Some companies even resorted to recruiting voluntary retirees to address financial losses, leading to labor disputes.<\/span><\/p>\nCurrently, 2,000 people are involved in production, but even with this workforce, the maximum output is 20 episodes per week. In reality, however, 29 episodes are being produced. It’s a miracle that there are no gaps in the schedule.<\/span><\/p>\nTo compensate for staff shortages, some companies have started producing anime in South Korea. They outsourced parts of the production process, but recently inflation has caused labor costs to rise even there, leading some companies to stop outsourcing. To address this labor shortage, Toei Animation has launched a six-month training program for new animators. However, the trend of animators leaving the industry due to low wages continues. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cFour or five years ago, we had five or six stock episodes ready by the time a show aired, but now we only have one,\u201d says an anime producer at a TV station. <\/span><\/p>\nThis trend has even reached voice actors, with popular actors having to perform in a different episode each day. Moreover, the scripts are handed out on the day of recording, and if the animation isn’t finished in time, they have to record their lines with only rough sketches to refer to.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cDespite this, we continue this work to truly bring the characters that fans demand to life,\u201d says Akira Kamiya (32), the voice actor for the character Satonaka in Dokaben<\/em>, speaking passionately.<\/span><\/p>\nAnime, which is finally gaining recognition, is being supported by those who aim to establish it as a lasting cultural phenomenon, despite the precarious nature of its production.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Is he really a \u201cgood guy\u201d?<\/h3>\n
Villains are destined to die. They either lose their fated battle against the protagonist, discover their birth secret, suffer from love, and commit suicide or die in battle. Recent stories often evoke Greek tragedies, further boosting their popularity. In the anime information magazine Animage<\/em>, which debuted in May this year, handsome characters are featured in every issue.<\/p>\nOn \u201cthe final day,\u201d some fans sent razor blades to the staff with messages like \u201cWhy did you kill my Richter?\u201d and others became so fanatical that they ran a fever. Is this the extreme result of the current boom? It would be hasty to assume that all of the most enthusiastic fans are the ones who sent the razor blades.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdults tend to make snap judgments, but I wish they’d stop. We believe that beautiful characters make us think about what evil is,\u201d said Yuki Maho, president of the nationwide Combattler V<\/em> Fan Club. Yuki also saw the first TV anime, Astro Boy<\/em>, when she was in kindergarten, so she can be considered part of the true anime generation.<\/p>\nThe TV broadcast of Yamato<\/em> began when she was in the third year of junior high school, when anime fans were still a minority. She recalled being mocked as she talked about the spirit of anime fans.<\/p>\n\u201cIn shows like Combattler V<\/em> and other robot anime, the mood when five friends unite to form one entity is what appeals to me. In the new Yamato<\/em>, the protagonists see an Earth where peace and prosperity continue and wonder, \u2018Will this last? Is this really the kind of Earth we want?\u2019 Then they disobey orders and set out on Yamato<\/em>–that emotional depth really moves me. Yes, I too don’t think the world will stay the same forever.\u201d<\/p>\nThe anime fans I met through this interview were all well aware of the constraints imposed by sponsors during TV broadcasts and the commercial mechanisms behind the success of theatrical anime. Directors who defied toy company sponsors to create stories without fighting robots are held in high regard. They also said that such a boom couldn’t last forever, and that eventually, high-quality works supported by true anime fans would emerge.<\/p>\n
When asked about concerns over war glorification or destruction hidden behind love, they respond, \u201cWe’re well aware of that.\u201d They are cool and detached, yet know when to get passionate. In other words, they do not stray from the current \u201cgood kid\u201d framework.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s precisely because they’re good kids that I’m concerned,\u201d says Miyu Hayashi (35), a disc jockey for Tokyo Broadcasting System’s Pack in Music<\/em>. Amidst the soft and mellow trend in late-night radio, Hayashi’s show is popular for its hard-hitting style.<\/p>\nWhen Yamato<\/em> was released last year, he spoke his mind and received a flood of counterarguments. From that experience, Hayashi concluded, “It is true that today’s children, represented by anime fans, are looking for unchanging heroes. However, they cannot find them in real life. Even sports heroes can fall from their pedestals at any moment in today’s world. That’s why I think they look to anime heroes.\u201c<\/p>\nWhen asked who they respect most, about 40% of the respondents said their parents. Hayashi sees a connection between this and the trend toward anime.<\/p>\n
\u201dYoung people are becoming more conservative, or rather, they aren’t interested in social issues and don’t think for themselves. So they turn to the world of anime to explore their thoughts.”<\/p>\n
So, when Yamato<\/em> fans counter with, \u201cWhat’s the point of thinking about it?\u201d or \u201cThen make an anime to replace Yamato<\/em>,\u201d that’s the bottom line, isn’t it? Indeed, children who are good at studying or sports are labeled as \u201cgood kids,\u201d and this repeated evaluation of whether they are \u201cgood kids\u201d or not may have given rise to the desire for self-expression and the creation of anime fans. <\/p>\nThe concentration of criticism toward Hayashi-san can also be seen as a defense of self-expression. Even when we talk about the anime generation or fans, each individual’s preferences and aspirations are diverse and scattered in many directions. Children will retort. Is something sprouting from within them? Or will they continue to race through their own universe forever?<\/p>\n
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Exploring the \u201cYamato<\/em> Phenomenon\u201d as Teen Culture<\/h2>\nHideo Takayama<\/p>\n
Director of the Children’s Research Institute. Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1930. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Yokohama National University. Worked at a publishing company editing books related to education and children’s culture, then became director of the Modern Children’s Center in 1962. Has been in his current position since 1965. Conducts research on \u201cThe Life and Consciousness of Children Today.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nWhy the \u201cYamato<\/em> phenomenon\u201d?<\/h3>\nSpace Battleship Yamato<\/em> is about a group of people who, in order to protect the Earth and live forever in space, decide to ram their ship into an enemy super-battleship (just like a kamikaze attack!). On their journey to death, the hero Susumu Kodai speaks to his lover Yuki Mori, who has fallen into an eternal sleep:<\/p>\n\u201cYuki, we’re finally together. I’m sorry for causing you so much pain\u201d (Oh, \u201cLove and Death in Space,\u201d as if it were here). \u201cYou’re the most important thing to me. My love for you. Let’s be married and become stars in this eternal universe.\u201d (\u201cLet’s become stars,\u201d huh? That’s a line you don’t even see in shojo manga these days).<\/p>\n
As a member of the \u201cYami Ichika Ato\u201d generation born in 1930, I was jostled by the packed audience and had a rather twisted reaction while watching the final scene of Farewell to Yamato<\/em>. However, the teenage girls around me were wiping away tears with handkerchiefs, holding their breath, and completely engrossed in this \u201cspace opera” version of a double suicide.<\/p>\nThe fact that these young people, who are supposed to be so cynical these days, were shedding tears and reacting so directly to this cheap aesthetic of self-sacrifice made me feel a sense of dissonance toward them, which became the starting point for my curiosity. At the same time, I wanted to understand the underlying nature of the Yamato<\/em> phenomenon as a part of teen culture. This is because the success of Yamato<\/em> was not calculated in advance by the film industry, but rather arose when middle and high school students incorporated it into their own entertainment culture.<\/p>\nWhenever I had the opportunity, I asked teens why and how they liked Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\nThe \u201cYamato<\/em> experience\u201d as private room culture<\/h3>\nWhen interviewing teenagers, it became clear that the Yamato<\/em> phenomenon was not limited to movie theaters and living rooms with TVs. The spaces that supported the Yamato<\/em> phenomenon as a teen culture were, first, their private rooms, and second, the spaces where they played and communicated with their peers.<\/p>\nAbove all, teenagers are exposed to a vast amount of Yamato<\/em> information while confined to their private rooms. Through magazines like Animage<\/em> (an anime specialty magazine) and Roadshow<\/em> (a movie magazine with a special issue on Yamato<\/em>), they gather diverse information ranging from the structure of Yamato<\/em>‘s combat mecha to the actual production process of the movies. <\/p>\nOn radio DJ shows, they hear letters from peers about Yamato<\/em>, movie music, and requests for theme songs, which they record on their cassette players and save. In particular, the theme music played a significant role in the Yamato<\/em> phenomenon. The LP of the previous film, Yamato<\/em> Part 1, sold 800,000 copies. In this way, the Yamato<\/em> experience became established as private room culture among teenagers. <\/p>\n\n
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\nWaiting for the screening of <\/em>Farewell to Yamato,
\na long line surrounds a movie theater in Ginza, Tokyo.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhy private room culture?<\/p>\n
Today, the daily lives of middle and high school students are surprisingly limited and impoverished. On weekdays, school hours are unusually long, and when club activities are included, they don’t return home until evening. On days when they attend cram school, they don’t get home until it’s dark. Once they step inside the front door, they rarely leave the house until the next morning.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the pressure of the competitive exam system weighs heavily on them. When they return home and try to build models or play the guitar, they hear their mothers say, \u201cStop messing around and study. The final exams are coming up soon.\u201d They have no choice but to retreat to their private rooms, which serve as study spaces. In this way, teenagers are scattered and isolated in their rooms. Their daily living sphere is far too narrow and lonely.<\/p>\n
But at the same time, the information environment surrounding teens is extremely rich, and the network is infinitely expanding. From this overwhelming amount of information, they must be sensitive to catch information that touches on today’s sense of the times.<\/p>\n
Narrow living space and wide information space–teenagers must resolve this contradiction while confined to their rooms. The quickest way for them to grasp the sensibilities of the times is through manga magazines, various hobby magazines, radio, cassette recorders, and stereos.<\/p>\n
Through these information media, the culture of private rooms is liberated in a pseudo-way toward the outside world. Teenagers who come into contact with Yamato<\/em> information while in their private rooms share the \u201cYamato<\/em> experience\u201d as members of the same generation.<\/p>\nIn the whirlwind of communication among peers<\/h3>\n
Teenagers’ desire to connect with the sensibilities of their era is rooted in an inner urge to communicate with their peers. They use the telephone as a means of communication.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, is that you? What are you doing right now? Today, Akira Kamiya (a voice actor who is very popular among teenagers) is going to appear on Culture Broadcasting’s Orange Street.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n“Really? I’ll listen to it. Hey, in Yamato<\/em> Part II, Kamiya’s role is only a small part, isn’t it? I’m so disappointed.” <\/p>\nMiddle school students, especially girls, engage in intense phone communication. If they are not scolded by their parents, their chatter continues endlessly. It is understandable that a private phone is always at the top of the list of things teenagers want. That’s why, among friends who get along well get together, there’s always a whirlwind of lively conversation. Information about Yamato<\/em> seems to be the perfect common topic to liven up the conversation.<\/p>\n\u201cI like Dessler, the president of Gamilas, the best! He’s evil, but he’s strong and impressive, and he’s wonderful!\u201d <\/p>\n
“You’re really into it, aren’t you? Let’s start a Dessler fan club!\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI love Captain Okita. I wish he was my dad.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cHey, wasn’t Okita’s voice done by Goro Naya? He also voices Inspector Zenigata in Lupin III<\/em>, right?\u201d <\/p>\n\u201cReally? Oh my, that’s messing with my image!\u201d (Middle school girls) <\/p>\n
And so, the aimless chatter and information exchange continues.<\/p>\n
Incidentally, when you witness this strange conversation, you can discover the unique way teenagers interact with each other. Having grown up without experiencing any major setbacks or disappointments, they are very straightforward with their friends. Therefore, even in conversation, they don’t try to assert themselves or make the other person submit.<\/p>\n
They tell jokes, make puns, tease each other, gently criticize each other’s preferences, and nod in agreement. Listening in, it’s like watching a comedy sketch or a stand-up routine. This is more than just conversation for the sake of enjoyment; it might be more accurately described as the \u201cplayfulness of conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The principle of enjoyment<\/h3>\n
However, this \u201cplayfulness\u201d is not limited to their communication. It is a principle that permeates all of their cultural and leisure activities. What we see here is not so much a strong desire for self-expression among young people, but rather a \u201cprinciple of enjoyment\u201d that allows them to easily empathize with one another.<\/p>\n
For example, late-night radio broadcasts, which were once considered a secret place of communication for students preparing for entrance exams, have now become a salon for middle school students to engage in casual conversation. The Ivy League look, which once symbolized the establishment in the eastern United States, has been stripped of its original spirit and has become fun streetwear for teenagers.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, rock and folk music, which emerged around the 1970s as a violent \u201cprotest\u201d against the established cultural order, have now transformed into bright, upbeat happy rock and disco sounds, exemplified by groups like the Bay City Rollers and the Bee Gees.<\/p>\n
A high school freshman girl I met during this interview, who is the president of a Yamato<\/em> fan club, said, \u201cWe’re just fans, enjoying ourselves by screaming and cheering. We don’t have any of that anime fanaticism.\u201d<\/p>\nCertainly, whether it be anime fans or rock fans, it is rare to see them maniacal about something. They are simply interested because it seems interesting. They enjoy collecting information about it, and then enjoy exchanging information with their friends. When this tendency is purified, teenagers’ play loses all tension with its object, giving rise to \u201cinformation catalog play,\u201d where they simply collect information and compare it for fun, and \u201cimagination games,\u201d where they freely manipulate interesting materials in their imagination. <\/p>\n
“In Yamato<\/em> Part II, Yamato<\/em> is supposed to have self-destructed, but Teresa, who was leading Yamato<\/em>, flew away with antimatter, right? So Teresa was the one who defeated the enemy, and Yamato<\/em> may have actually survived and could reappear.” This is the testimony of a seventh-grade boy.<\/p>\nBy witnessing the \u201cYamato<\/em> play\u201d of those teenagers, I felt as if a question, which had been bothering me ever since I saw the expressions of a group of junior high school students in the Yamato<\/em> audience, had suddenly been answered on my way home from the theater.<\/p>\nThey had been so engrossed in Yamato<\/em>, wiping away tears, but on the train home they were chatting casually about the progress of their summer vacation homework and new fashion trends, without saying a word about their emotions over the death of the “Warriors of Love.” What could that mean?<\/p>\n
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SIDEBAR: Character Merchandise<\/span><\/h3>\nMany industries are eyeing \u201ccharacter merchandise\u201d to ride the popularity of anime protagonists. Most TV anime sponsors are food, confectionery, and toy companies. Just having a character sticker on a product boosts sales. If you turn a robot into a toy, the show itself becomes advertising, so the effect is direct.<\/span><\/p>\nHeidi of the Alps<\/em>, which surpassed Yamato<\/em> during its TV broadcast, gained explosive popularity in Europe and spawned over 600 merchandise items. \u201cIn Europe, where American-style gag manga is mainstream, the detailed portrayal of Heidi’s personality was the key to its success,\u201d is the analysis by Shigeto Takahashi, president of Mizutaka Enterprise, which holds the copyright.<\/span><\/p>\nHowever, behind this glittering facade lies the harsh reality of production companies making anime at a loss. No matter how much is spent on production, a single episode can only be sold for 4 to 5 million yen on TV. The 500,000 yen loss is an upfront investment in copyright–the foundation for merchandising.<\/span><\/p>\nAccording to industry sources, the standard royalty fee is 3% of the retail price and 5% of the wholesale price (50% of the list price).<\/span><\/p>\nPopy, a major toy maker, is confident of its industry-leading position, saying, \u201cEverything is a hit. Even Ultraman<\/em>, which is currently being rerun, is selling well. The industry doesn’t change much in terms of materials, even if there are mechanical changes,\u201d says Executive Director Ren Mori.<\/span><\/p>\nThe company’s 200 character products all sell like hotcakes. The high copyright fees are no burden here.<\/span><\/p>\nFor Yamato<\/em>, over 200 companies applied to the copyright holder, Office Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt was a pity, but we turned them all down,\u201d said a company representative. “This is because we want to avoid childish products and focus on the image of works targeting middle and high school students, in line with our plans for the TV series Yamato<\/em> 2 starting in October.”<\/span><\/p>\nAsahi Sonorama, which publishes novels and manga based on Yamato<\/em>, sold 3 million copies of Part 1 alone. There are also rumors that a major publishing company is planning to launch a magazine targeting anime fans. The character merchandise market, which started with popular stickers on confectionery, continues to expand.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nThere are as many anime fan club magazines as there are
\nstars in the sky. They feature reports and parodies, and
\nthe content seems to be expanding.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nA lighthearted metamorphosis<\/h3>\n
I actually felt the same question a little while ago at the Bay City Rollers concert at the Budokan. After going wild for BCR, with many people fainting, the teenage girls outside the venue immediately returned to being ordinary, quiet middle school students, talking in subdued voices about their anxiety over final exams. <\/p>\n
When a person experiences deep emotion and excitement while immersed in the darkness of a theater, isn’t the world they perceive upon exiting the theater fundamentally different from the world they knew before entering? Yet, why are they so easily able to return to the same mundane reality they knew before entering?<\/p>\n
That’s right. They weren’t excessively passionate about Yamato<\/em> or BCR. They weren’t crazy. The two hours in the theater were just the culmination of their long-standing \u201cYamato<\/em> play\u201d and \u201cBCR play,\u201d which were simply information games for them. Come to think of it, maybe they were able to enjoy the frenzy of \u201cSayonara Candies\u201d [the farewell tour of a famous pop group] because they knew it was the last time. In that sense, “farewell to Yamato<\/em>” was an important key to the success of the film.<\/p>\nWith this finale, their interests will shift to new objects and they will transform themselves with ease. There will be no embarrassment or attachment in this lighthearted metamorphosis.<\/p>\n
Young people cannot go crazy in the \u201cnow\u201d<\/h3>\n
Today’s young people may instinctively avoid going crazy. Adults may shake their heads at the apathy of young people, but in reality, it is the adults, including parents and teachers, who have expected and forced this upon them.<\/p>\n
For example, if a middle school student has a strong passion for soccer and wants to devote all of their youthful energy to it, their parents would likely say, \u201cYou should play soccer in moderation and study hard so you don’t fall behind in high school.\u201d Adults are constantly forcing young people to live “today” in moderation for the sake of preparing for \u201ctomorrow,\u201d rather than allowing them to fully enjoy \u201ctoday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Therefore, the fact that teenagers self-censor their passion for soccer, rock music, or movies may stem from unconsciously internalizing their parents’ expectations. In that sense, Yamato<\/em> is a safe, \u201csnack-like entertainment package\u201d that does not inspire true madness.<\/p>\nHowever, by playing with it casually, they may have experienced a momentary sense of freedom from the exam system and the educational control of adults. The logic of this escape is clearly evident in the \u201cYamato<\/em> phenomenon.\u201d<\/p>\nTeenagers took the culture given to them by adults, adopted it in their own unique style, modified it, and arranged it to thoroughly play with it, transforming it into their own unique teen culture. The takeover of established culture! <\/p>\n
\u201cLife transcends death. Can you die for love?\u201d The message imbued with the passion of Yamato<\/em> producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki was lightly dismissed by the teenagers and appropriated as their plaything. However, it is also certain that Nishizaki himself had created the very framework that made Yamato<\/em> susceptible to such appropriation.<\/p>\n<\/br><\/p>\n
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Popular Program Analysis Series: Space Battleship Yamato 2<\/em><\/p>\nThe Ultimate Anime Showdown: The Battle for “Father and Son Acquisition”<\/h2>\n
Reporter: Yoichi Matsuo<\/p>\n
Asahi Geino, November 2 issue (published October 26, 1978)<\/em><\/p>\nThe first episode of this program had a viewership rating of 26.7% (according to Kanto Video Research). It even crushed the rival shows airing at the same time, including the Mito Komon Clan<\/em> and the Howl at the Sun!<\/em> family. Yamato<\/em>, you are strong–but why are you so popular? As a father raised on Norakuro<\/em>, I can’t help but be curious about the fervor behind it. Looking into it, it feels both modern and reminiscent of \u201ca path we’ve walked before.\u201d<\/p>\nAnd so the Z flag was raised!<\/h3>\n
Let’s start with the slang that’s popular among high school students.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, everyone, the English teacher is taking a break, so let’s warp the sixth period world history class!\u201d \u201cAgreed!\u201d (Applause)<\/p>\n
\u201cWarp\u201d apparently means to shorten class time by moving it forward. It’s borrowed from Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>, referring to the \u201cspace jump navigation\u201d used to catch up with enemies a million light-years away. If you start thinking, \u201cIs that possible?\u201d or \u201cAccording to Einstein…\u201d and get all complicated, you won’t be able to sync with the young people of today.<\/p>\nAs the saying goes, “Lightning never strikes in the same place twice,” but Farewell to Yamato<\/em> has been a long-running hit since its release on August 5, and even now, with the autumn breeze blowing, it’s still doing well. During summer vacation, it’s elementary and middle school students and their parents, but lately, high school girls and office ladies are the main audience, with many repeat viewers, according to the ticket taker. <\/p>\nFans shout, \u201cKodai-kun, you’re awesome!\u201d and \u201cShima-kun, keep it up!\u201d Last year’s Yamato<\/em> part 1 drew 2.25 million viewers, grossed 2 billion yen, sold 800,000 records, and generated 700 million yen in book sales, with 200 million yen in related merchandise sales\u2014-a massive success. This year, with Farewell<\/em>, the attendance is already nearing three million. There’s no way to ignore this Yamato<\/em> fever, so starting in October, Nippon TV network is airing Part 2. The real enemy isn’t Gamilas or the White Comet Empire\u2014-it’s the rival TV networks.<\/p>\nAt a press conference, a TV station staff member declared, \u201cOur target viewership rating is 30%. We’ll blow the rival shows to smithereens with
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