{"id":41856,"date":"2025-09-20T16:23:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T23:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=41856"},"modified":"2026-03-24T22:58:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T05:58:37","slug":"074b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/074b\/","title":{"rendered":"Vintage Report 41: November & December 1982"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2510icon\"<\/p>\n

The last months of 1982, animation on Final Yamato<\/em> was going at full speed while the outside world saw a big upswing in merchandising, especially in book and music publishing. For diehard fans who had seen everything else in real time, it must have felt like a surge of Yamato<\/em> Fever all over again.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

The last months of 1982, animation on Final Yamato<\/em> was going at full speed while the outside world saw a big upswing in merchandising, especially in book and music publishing. For diehard fans who had seen everything else in real time, it must have felt like a surge of Yamato<\/em> Fever all over again.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 3-28: Farewell to Yamato<\/em> screenings<\/h3>\n

What’s a great way to promote the next Yamato<\/em> movie? Get the most popular one back in theaters. That’s how November began, with a limited “traveling” release of Farewell<\/em> in 14 cities throughout the month. So why isn’t this entry marked by an image from Farewell<\/em>? Because this was when a new Final Yamato<\/em> flyer showed up in theaters.<\/p>\n

The catchphrase on the front, seemingly spoken by Queen Aquarius, reads:<\/p>\n

“An eternal romance that spreads across the universe. I want to convey to you now the passionate emotion of Final Yamato<\/em>.”<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The back side promoted highlights: “Yamato<\/em> fulfills her last mission!” and “Excitement and impression in every minute” and “Love scene of Kodai and Yuki depicted for the first time!” and finally, “The climax of spectacle and romance in the last 40 minutes!”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The lower section promoted the merch: music from Nippon Columbia, models from Bandai, and additional music from Animage<\/em>. Below that was a section reserved for specific theater information, which in this case was hand-stamped at the Toei Palace theater in Dotonbori, Osaka.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And that wasn’t all! Moviegoers also got to see the Final Yamato<\/em> trailer, which was the cue for advance ticket sales to begin.<\/p>\n

Watch it on Youtube here<\/a> | See the previous teaser trailer here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

From left: single-seat advance ticket, 2-seater advance ticket (with a 400 yen discount on the second seat), and another 2-seater version with the lower part torn off after use.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 10: Animage<\/em> Vol. 54<\/h3>\n

Tokuma Shoten, the publisher of Animage<\/em> and many other things, was heavily invested in Final Yamato<\/em>, even starting its own record label to publish music. Thus, it was part of a \u201cBig 3\u201d movie article that also included Crusher Joe<\/em> and Godmars<\/em>. Yamato<\/em>‘s segment was 5 pages with a Yoshinobu Nishizaki interview, backed up by comments from two staff members and artwork from the new 1983 calendar. Also included was coverage of the 10th anniversary party from October.<\/p>\n

Read the articles here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the issue, readers got a sense of what Tokuma Shoten would soon be rolling out. Above left was a full page ad for two new books in the Roman Album series, titled Perfect Manuals. The text promised a definitive look at the entire series, including The New Voyage<\/em> (which didn’t get its own volume) and a healthy upgrade for Series 1. Both would be published in December.<\/p>\n

Above right was a promotional poster for this issue of Animage<\/em>, which rearranged Yoshinori Kanada’s cover art. Kanada was employed by Tokuma Shoten to provide illustrations for their upcoming products, which gave them exclusive access to images like this. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 10: The Anime<\/em> Vol. 37<\/h3>\n

This month marked the 3-year anniversary of The Anime<\/em>, which was commemorated with special interviews (leading with Yamato<\/em>) that spanned the medium. The 6-page Final Yamato<\/em> article, titled The True Spirit of Yamato<\/em>, dug into the mythos with a Nishizaki interview, a discussion with the four key members of the writing staff, and another report on the anniversary party.<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

November 10: My Anime<\/em>, December issue<\/h3>\n

My Anime<\/em> was a magazine that bucked trends and defied expectations. This month it not only became the first to publish a Final Yamato<\/em> cover (painted exclusively for the magazine by character designer Shinya Takahashi and included as a postcard), it also set a new record for the number of internal pages devoted to Yamato<\/em>: a 24-page bound-in booklet titled Yamato Decade<\/em>, packed full of retrospectives and interviews.<\/p>\n

See all the pages of Yamato<\/em> Decade here<\/a>. Read a complete translation here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 10: Animedia<\/em>, December issue<\/h3>\n

Animedia<\/em>\u2018s Final Yamato<\/em> article was a mere two pages this month, featuring a short interview with Nishizaki on major story points. Also included was an ad for the first Yamato<\/em> book from Animedia<\/em>, to appear in December.<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

November 14: Symphonic Suite in concert<\/h3>\n

Earlier in 1982, Nishizaki announced plans for a new symphonic concert tour during the runup to Final Yamato<\/em>. Those plans did not go forward, but the year was not bereft of live Yamato<\/em> music. Sponsored by the Lion’s Club, this concert was titled Singing Toyotomi Japan<\/em>, and was a free performance of the 1977 Symphonic Suite. It was as big a deal as it gets, featuring both Hiroshi Miyagawa as conductor and Isao Sasaki as singer\/narrator.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This newspaper ad promoted the event like so:<\/p>\n

The endless romance of space for you…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> is about to resurface in the world of stories, with the hope of becoming an unforgettable milestone in the history of anime, creating passionate memories of youth in people’s hearts. Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra, known as the leading amateur orchestra in Japan, was founded in 1965 and has been attracting enthusiastic attention from all over the country as both a citizen’s orchestra and a form of youth activity.<\/span><\/p>\n

This youthful enthusiasm has captured the heart of Yamato<\/em>‘s composer Hiroshi Miyagawa, which has led to the performance of Symphonic Suite Yamato<\/em> under the direction of Miyagawa himself for the first time in the nation. We hope that, thanks to your warm support, Yamato<\/em> will resonate across the country and into the universe.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

November 21: Yamato Digital Trip Synthesizer Fantasy<\/em> album<\/h3>\n

The synthesizer craze was still going strong in Japan in the early 1980s, and Nippon Columbia responded with a long line of Digital Trip<\/em> albums that showcased a growing number of artists. For a time, any anime film or TV series was fair game. Since the only major expenses were licensing fees and the services of a lone musician, even the most obscure subject was bound to turn a profit. That said, Columbia showed sound judgment with this line, seldom taking a wrong step in their choice of properties.<\/p>\n

Musician Jun Fukamachi was a natural choice for this one, having already performed on the Prelude to Final Yamato<\/em> album earlier in the year. The tracks were derived from Series 1, Farewell<\/em>, and Be Forever.<\/em><\/p>\n

Listen to it on Youtube here<\/a> | Click here<\/a> for an enormous library of Digital Trip<\/em> albums on Youtube<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 21: Anime Piano, Yamato\/Gundam<\/em> album & sheet music<\/h3>\n

Released on the same day as the Digital Trip<\/em> album, this one is a real gem, an entire album of skillful piano solos with one side each devoted to Yamato<\/em> and Mobile Suit Gundam<\/em>. The Yamato<\/em> tracks were performed by soloist Aoki Nozomi and made such a strong impression on their own that they could be enjoyed by listeners who hadn\u2019t yet seen the anime.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Fans could also buy a book of sheet music published by Tokyo Ongaku Shoin [Tokyo Music Study] to create their own solo performances at home.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 21: Roadshow<\/em>, January 83 issue<\/h3>\n

Shueisha’s Roadshow<\/em> magazine was on-task for all the previous Yamato<\/em> movies, and they were now back in the field for The Final Chapter<\/em>. The magazine now had a section titled Anime Frontline<\/em> that carried the latest news, and this issue rounded up all the films that would be released in early ’83.<\/p>\n

Read their Final Yamato<\/em> entry here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

November 25: The Best One<\/em>, January 83 issue<\/h3>\n

Gakken’s showbiz magazine was mostly preoccupied with TV and music idols, but the Anime Channel<\/em> section was still buzzing with news about the many titles on both large and small screens. This issue offered the following blurb on Final Yamato<\/em>:<\/p>\n

Where will Kodai and Yuki’s love lead?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The final installment, set to be released in March 1983 (by Toei Distribution) to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Yamato<\/em>, is a culmination of the series so far, and is packed with highlights.<\/span><\/p>\n

The climax of the film is the scene where protagonist Susumu Kodai and his lover Yuki finally unite. The consummation of their love and Yamato<\/em>‘s spectacular final moments are sure to stir deep emotion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The grand setting, including the threat of the gigantic enemy Dengil and its city-satellite Uruk, and the water planet that floods Earth every 4 billion years, is also a source of excitement.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 26: Final Yamato<\/em> Storyboard part D completed<\/h3>\n

All the heaviest action in Final Yamato<\/em> was captured for the first time in this portion of the storyboards. They corresponded with part D of the script, which went all the way to the end, but the content was so dense that it had to be split into parts D and E.<\/p>\n

Part D picked up from the crash-landing on Uruk and finished with the Captain’s announcement that Yamato<\/em> would be scuttled to stop the approach of Aquarius. It covered 30 minutes of film time in just over 150 pages.<\/p>\n

See every page of storyboard part D here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 30: Space Battleship Yamato Theater Version Total Collection<\/em><\/h3>\n

As a spinoff from The Anime<\/em> magazine, this was the first book to carry a Final Yamato<\/em> cover image and pre-release coverage. It began with photo-stories on the previous films, then moved into a feature tracking the Kodai & Yuki love story from its beginnings. A character and mecha encyclopedia was followed by an extensive glossary that included entries from Yamato III.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 30: I Love Anime! From Yamato to Gundam<\/em><\/h3>\n

A unique name for a unique book, probably the first to provide an in-depth examination of how anime and anime fandom evolved together during the 1970s. Written and edited by Noriaki Ikeda and published by Tokuma Shoten, it contains contributions from fans who were there to see it in real time. Some, like Yamato<\/em> superfans Ryusuke Hikawa and Asami Kushino, served as contributing writers. The book covers a wide range of topics with wit and wisdom, and provided the first chance for fans to begin telling their own story.<\/p>\n

Read the Yamato<\/em> content from this book here<\/a><\/p>\n

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

Also spotted in November<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

Wave-Motion doujinshi Vol. 16<\/em><\/p>\n

Now pretty much the last holdout from the heyday of Yamato<\/em> doujinshis, this issue from Yamato<\/em> Fan Club Wave-Motion had 24 pages of articles, cartoons, manga, and more.<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

Star Blazers Fandom Report issue 8<\/em><\/p>\n

The last quarterly issue for 1982 opened with the latest news of convention activities by American fans, an update on what was known about Final Yamato<\/em> (based on coverage in the latest anime magazines), Michael Pinto’s report on the Star Blazers Mini Con from August, fan art, and reader mail. At this point, there were four unique chapters of the Star Blazers Fan Club with a callout for more.<\/p>\n

Read this 8-page issue here<\/a><\/p>\n

Anime magazines published in November<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
Animec<\/em> No. 26<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Animage<\/em> Vol. 54<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The Anime<\/em> Vol. 37<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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

<\/p>\n

\n
My Anime<\/em>, Dec<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Animedia<\/em>, Dec<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
OUT<\/em>, Jan 83<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/br>
\nTwo covers each for Urusei Yatsura<\/em> and Final Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

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

<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

December 1: Fanroad<\/em>, January issue<\/h3>\n

Minori Shobo’s magazine devoted to fan activity jumped on the Final Yamato<\/em> bandwagon when they published this short notice:<\/p>\n

’83 marks the 10th anniversary of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>!<\/span><\/h3>\n

Fans’ eyes will inevitably be drawn to the final theatrical anime, Yamato Final<\/em>, due for release in the spring. A party was held to encourage producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki, and the staff seems to be in high spirits. The interest in what final message he’ll deliver shows no sign of fading.<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn’t much, but the blurb did include a blurry photo of something no one else seemed to notice at the October party. The caption reads:<\/p>\n

Unique portraits displayed at the Yoshinobu Nishizaki encouragement party.<\/em><\/p>\n

They were, in fact, caricatures of six prominent members of the production staff. They would be put to use in early ’83, but here are better versions for now:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yoshinobu Nishizaki (older, “planning the 20th anniversary”), Leiji Matsumoto (balancing Yamato<\/em> vs. Arcadia)<\/em>, Hideaki Yamamoto (fretting over a massive script)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Director Toshio Masuda, Composer Hiroshi Miyagawa, and Lyricist Yu Aku.<\/div>\n

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


\nFront and back cover art by Tomonori Kogawa<\/em><\/p>\n

December 2: Space Battleship Yamato Perfect Manual 1<\/em><\/h3>\n

Roman Album No. 53 Excellent, 212 pages<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cExcellent\u201d was a new classification for Roman Albums, indicating a step up in both page count and content. With Final Yamato<\/em> now fast approaching, Tokuma Shoten had limited chances left to ride the Yamato<\/em> train, and the Perfect Manuals brought out their best efforts. <\/p>\n

The first volume was a welcome do-over of the first three Yamato<\/em> Roman Albums, each of which was still special in their own right but no longer lived up to modern standards. This was particularly true for the first TV series, which got far better and more complete coverage here (84 pages worth) than it did in Roman Album No. 1. This included a full-color story guide and model sheets for each individual episode. <\/p>\n

Farewell<\/em> spanned 56 pages with a scene-by-scene photo story supported by a large collection of model sheets, which now included many rough designs. Yamato<\/em> 2 got a more modest 32 pages, but still nicely augmented material in Roman Album No. 31. The book closed with an extensive character catalog for the entire saga and an extended interview with Yoshinobu Nishizaki (read a translation here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 8: Final Yamato<\/em> Storyboard part E finished<\/h3>\n

Hot on the heels of part D, this portion picked up with the surprise return of Lugal and the more surprising return of Dessler for a decisive showdown. It went on to cover Yamato<\/em>‘s return to Earth and the standoff with Aquarius up to the moment of detonation (17 minutes of screen time). This, however, was still not the end of the movie. The material following the detonation still had to be grappled with, which would take the process into January, far later than everyone originally thought. <\/p>\n

(Note: sorry if you were hoping to see every page of part E; this section of the storyboard has proven very difficult to obtain. But the watch continues.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 9: Middle 1st Age<\/em>, January issue<\/h3>\n

Obunsha’s student digest for 7th graders was the first to announce another effort to return Yamato<\/em> to the public eye. Nippon TV was set for a rebroadcast of the Yamato 2<\/em> compilation movie for January 3. The announcement took the form of a single-page summary of the story.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 10: Animage<\/em> Vol. 55<\/h3>\n

Covering four pages, this issue’s Final Yamato<\/em> article was the most interesting one of the month, consisting of an open letter from a concerned (and very articulate) Yamato<\/em> fan to the production staff, and an insightful answer from producer Eiichi Yamamoto. <\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

December 10: The Anime<\/em> Vol. 38<\/h3>\n

The Anime<\/em> was chock full of articles with Yamato<\/em> connections. An SF short story titled Waum<\/em> (which seems never to have gone beyond these pages) was illustrated by Character Designer Shinya Takahashi. Design powerhouse Studio Nue got a bound-in booklet that summarized their best-known works (skipping Yamato<\/em> for some reason). Fans of Yoko Asagami (Yuki\u2019s voice actress) and Keiko Toda (see her voice credits here<\/a>) could read a travelogue of their trip to Los Angeles and New York. White Fang<\/em>, a TBS anime series with character design by Yasuhiko Yoshikazu, got a hefty retrospective.<\/p>\n

Yamato<\/em> fans got a bound-in poster and a splashy 5-page article that talked in-depth about Final Yamato<\/em>‘s color design. See them here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Finally, a calendar for 1983 was attached as a bonus item. Out of necessity, it had to make use of images from popular titles of 1982, but also devoted space to the forthcoming movies of ’83. Thus, Harmagedon<\/em> and Crusher Joe<\/em> got their due. Yamato<\/em> was given the two pages shown above.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to see the whole thing<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 10: My Anime<\/em>, January issue<\/h3>\n

My Anime<\/em> greeted the coming of 1983 with a one-size-fits-all cover montage and a bound-in booklet commemorating the 20th anniversary of TV anime. The Final Yamato<\/em> article ran five pages and can be seen here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 10: Animedia<\/em>, January issue<\/h3>\n

Animedia<\/em>‘s 2-page Final Yamato<\/em> article discussed the color schemes and roles of mecha on both sides of the story. Also included was a poster created by Character Designer Shinya Takahashi (above right).<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

Another bonus item was this calendar booklet covering the first half of 1983. Since Crusher Joe<\/em> and Final Yamato<\/em> would both premiere in March, they were given equal footing in that month.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 10: Space Battleship Yamato Total Collection<\/em><\/h3>\n

Animedia<\/em> special, 136 pages<\/p>\n

This comprehensive book opened with a section devoted to characters and favorite scenes up to and including Yamato III<\/em>, spent a few pages on the development of the first TV series, then went into a black and white encyclopedia of characters and mecha. After a few pages of song lyrics, there was a wholly unique section devoted to the mechanical intricacies of the ship and an index of every crew member. The book closed with event reports and a brief glimpse at the forthcoming Final Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 15: Final Yamato<\/em> Cobalt Library novelization, part 1<\/h3>\n

Most of the previous Yamato<\/em> stories got multiple novelizations, and it was to be the same for the last round. Shueisha Publishing was the first to get one out the door, a 236 page paperback written by Ken Wakasaki based on the screenplay.<\/p>\n

There were no stills available from the movie yet, so the images in the book consisted of promo art seen in magazines, shots from earlier stories, and occasional diagrams to map out what was described in text. Part 1 ended with the launch of Yamato<\/em> and remnants of the Earth fleet to break Dengil’s grip on the solar system.<\/p>\n

It was the first opportunity for fans to digest the first third of the story in detail, which equaled about 50 minutes of screen time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 15: Alien<\/em> No. 1<\/h3>\n

Released by Shonen Gahosha, this one-shot manga collection was published as a special issue of the monthly Shonen King<\/em>, in which Leiji Matsumoto was a regular contributor. It jumped right into the pool with a lead story on the 3-way movie battle coming in March. The first interior page of the magazine is shown above right with this headline:<\/p>\n

Spring is the best season for anime!?<\/span><\/p>\n

SF Anime Land<\/span><\/h2>\n

’83 spring theatrical anime guide special<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the final installment of the Yamato<\/em> series, which marks the 10th anniversary of its planning<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

One page flip brought you to this 2-page spread. Read the text here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As for the rest of the magazine, it offered self-contained stories by Leiji Matsumoto, Monkey Punch, and several others. The lion’s share of its pages (and also the cover) was devoted to an SF adventure manga titled Star Shimak<\/em> by Akira Seki, which seems to have since faded into obscurity.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 15: Songs recorded by Tomoko Kuwae<\/h3>\n

After some press buildup (as seen in the last Vintage Report), Tomoko Kuwae took her seat in the Columbia recording studio to perform her vocals for two Final Yamato<\/em> “insert songs.” This consisted of the ballad Love of Two<\/em> for the Kodai\/Yuki flashback sequence, and Rainbow to Tomorrow<\/em> for the film’s epilogue (music by Tranzam). Both would be released simultaneously as singles in January.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 18: Love Supreme<\/em> recorded by Junko Yagami<\/h3>\n

Three days later, the tapes rolled again as singer\/songwriter Junko Yagami arrived in studio to record Love Supreme<\/em>, the last song that would be heard in a Yamato<\/em> film in the original saga. She actually recorded extra vocals so that the album version of the song would differ from the single version. They would be released in January and February respectively.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 18: Dirty Hero<\/em> premieres<\/h3>\n

This must have been a bittersweet day for Yoshinobu Nishizaki, who announced in 1980 that he’d optioned the rights to turn a popular novel about motorcycle racing into his first live-action feature film. Details are elusive, but subsequent financial turbulence forced Nishizaki to sell the rights to his rival Haruki Kadokawa, who directed and released the film through Toei Pictures without Nishizaki’s involvement. It later gained the international title The Last Hero.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This promotional flyer was commissioned by Nishizaki in 1980 to announce his acquisition of film rights. The art is probably by Yamato<\/em> veteran Takeshi Shirato, and the back of the flyer promoted the motorcycles to appear on screen. Nishizaki was an avid motorcycle collector, so this was probably part of his personal fleet.<\/p>\n

See a music video for the movie here<\/a> | See the trailer here<\/a> | IMDb page<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 20 & 26: Yoshinori Kanada doujinshis<\/h3>\n

Also known by the nickname “Iko,” veteran animator Kanada had helped to set the visual tone for Final Yamato<\/em> and was now producing artwork for products soon to arrive from Tokuma Shoten. He also found time to round up some of his Yamato<\/em> “groundwork” for two doujinshis.<\/p>\n

IKO volume 1 (50 pages) was published on the 20th, and was filled with Final Yamato<\/em> concept art. See it from cover to cover here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Studio No. 1 “NG Special” followed on the 26th, a 36-page collection of random layout art from many different productions that came out of Kanada’s studio. There was only minimal Yamato<\/em> content, but the timing was unmistakable.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

December 21: Romantic Violin Yamato<\/em> album<\/h3>\n

The third and final album in the “Rhapsody Series” finally arrived on this day featuring ten tracks by musicians that had now earned the title of royalty in “Studio Orchestra Yamato<\/em>.” Their work would soon be heard again in a parade of Final Yamato<\/em> soundtracks.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 21: Roadshow<\/em>, February 1983 issue<\/h3>\n

The film got a color spread in the opening pages that linked to a new interview with Yoshinobu Nishizaki. Here, he talked briefly about having to divest from Dirty Hero<\/em> and gave the first hints of what his post-Yamato<\/em> life might look like.<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

December 22: The Best One<\/em>, February 1983 issue<\/h3>\n

Final Yamato<\/em> got a full page in this issue’s Anime Channel<\/em> section with a brief on the plot and another announcement for the Yamato 2<\/em> TV compilation movie.<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

December 23: Space Battleship Yamato Perfect Manual 2<\/em><\/h3>\n

Roman Album No. 54 Excellent, 244 pages<\/em><\/p>\n

The second volume delivered a scene-by-scene photostory for The New Voyage<\/em> (with deleted scenes) that was only rivaled by the Office Academy hardcover book, and made up handsomely for the complete lack of a New Voyage<\/em> Roman Album. This was followed by an 8-page Be Forever<\/em> photo-story focusing entirely on a single battle scene. 24 pages of model sheets rounded up both films in a single section, then the book moved on to Yamato III<\/em> for 40 pages of material that made an excellent addendum to Roman Album 43. <\/p>\n

An art gallery followed this, then a huge catalog covering every piece of mecha across the entire saga, grouped by culture. The book concluded with a large section on the planning of the original TV series and extensive cast & crew commentaries, which included a special essay by Leiji Matsumoto (read it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 25: Symphonic Suite Yamato<\/em> sheet music<\/h3>\n

The latest collection of piano scores from Tokyo Ongaku Shoin was quite a package: sheet music for 14 Yamato<\/em> songs and the entirety of the Symphonic Suite. That was probably enough to keep most fans at the keys for years.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 25: Princess Information<\/em> Vol. 23<\/h3>\n

The last 1982 issue of the Yoko Asagami fan club newsletter came out on Christmas day. The back cover featured fan art of Layla, the character she voiced in Baxinger<\/em>. The rest of the issue is, so far, unavailable.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 26: Hal 9000<\/em> Vol. 4 doujinshi<\/h3>\n

Published by a fan group named Circle Solaris, the first 11 pages of this 40-page fanzine contained a variety of illustrations and comments on Yamato<\/em>. The entire approach was loose and breezy in the style of a jam-zine with contributions from club members. The rest of the issue went on to do the same with other anime, including other anime works that were set to debut in the spring.<\/p>\n

See the Yamato<\/em> content from this ‘zine here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 27: OUT,<\/em> February 1983 issue<\/h3>\n

The first magazine to break Yamato<\/em> to the wider world (in 1977) was finally back on the Yamato<\/em> beat with this issue. The back cover carried an ad for Nippon Columbia’s upcoming release of their first Final Yamato<\/em> soundtrack album, which also appeared in other anime magazines earlier in the month.<\/p>\n

The commanding headline read: <\/p>\n

“Farewell, my beloved Earth…” Yamato<\/em> sets off on a space journey from which it will never return! The greatest masterpiece in the history of anime music! Finally completed!!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Inside, a two-page spread laid out the basics for the coming film. It was the first publication to actually list a release date, but it turned out to be incorrect. Rather than March 12, it would come out a week later on March 19.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

December 29: Final Yamato<\/em> Storyboard, final part completed<\/h3>\n

The last moments of Captain Okita and the ship of legend were finally captured on paper to bring the film to its definitive ending. These 17 pages would produce about six minutes of screen time, leaving only the epilogue to be completed.<\/p>\n

See this section of the storyboard here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

December 31: Final Yamato Animage<\/em> novel, part 1<\/h3>\n

The second of Final Yamato<\/em>‘s four different novelizations kicked off on the last day of 1982, written by Kiego Masaki with illustrations by Yoshinori Kanada. Published by Tokuma Shoten, it was part of Animage<\/em>‘s “AM JuJu” imprint and ran 272 pages. It ended at the same point as the Cobalt novelization, with Yamato<\/em>‘s launch against the invading Dengil fleet.<\/p>\n

Unlike the Cobalt novelization, this one has been entirely translated to English. Click here<\/a> to read it!<\/p>\n

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

Also spotted in December<\/h3>\n

The first newspaper ads for Final Yamato<\/em> began to appear in December. Shown at right is a tall vertical version from Daily Entertainment News,<\/em> published on the 15th.<\/p>\n

The text reads:<\/p>\n

In the spring of ’83, 10 million Yamato<\/em> fans nationwide will catch a fever!<\/span><\/h3>\n

The time has come for Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>, which loved humanity and the Earth, to meet its heroic end…<\/span><\/p>\n

A different horizontal ad ran in Yomiuri Shimbun<\/em> [Newspaper] on the 27th, which likely gave general audiences their first look at the Queen of Aquarius. The text in this one laid it on thick:<\/p>\n

Final Yamato, feeling passionate emotions to be shared with you<\/span><\/h3>\n

“Farewell Earth, my love.” In the year 2203, leaving Earth in the face of a double crisis, Yamato sets sail for the far reaches of space – this will be Yamato’s final voyage…<\/span><\/p>\n

The battle is not just with the enemy…it is also for the sake of bringing happiness to the one you love.<\/span><\/p>\n

The emergence of a grand space myth and a huge, astonishing enemy nation. The story of Space Battleship Yamato and the famous captain Juzo Okita, which loved humanity and continued to protect the Earth, and Kodai and Yuki, who are united in body and soul. <\/span><\/p>\n

The most exciting and eternally romantic space fantasy in anime history!<\/span><\/h3>\n

It’s notable that in spite of having major theaters booked for the film, the release date was still only indicated as March ’83. The actual day was not yet stated.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

Stars on Anime single<\/em><\/p>\n

You could always rely on Nippon Columbia to find new ways to sell you music you already had in one form or another. This single, performed by the “Magical Dream Orchestra,” broke new ground by creating highly-compressed medleys of anime theme songs. Side A was the “SF Edition” with samples from 13 themes, starting with Yamato<\/em>. Side B was the “Shojo Manga Edition” with samples from 14 songs derived from girls’ anime starting with Candy Candy.<\/em><\/p>\n

Listen to both sides on Youtube here<\/a><\/p>\n

This may have been the first example of a musical form that would pick up steam in the 2000s when entire albums would take the same approach.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Columbia brochure<\/em><\/p>\n

But it went without saying that the Yamato<\/em> music catalog was now far larger than any other anime franchise in Japan. This end-of-year brochure from Columbia, which nodded toward the forthcoming 10th anniversary, removed all doubt by showing everything in a single glance.<\/p>\n

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

Anime magazines published in December<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
Fanroad<\/em>, Jan<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Animage<\/em> Vol. 55<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The Anime<\/em> Vol. 38<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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

<\/p>\n

\n
My Anime<\/em>, Jan 83<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Animedia<\/em>, Jan 83<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
OUT<\/em>, Feb 83<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

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

\n
\n

Also spotted in 1982<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Final Yamato<\/em> TV proposal<\/h3>\n

Did you ever wonder why, unlike Farewell to Yamato<\/em>, we didn’t get a TV version of Final Yamato<\/em>? It wasn’t for lack of imagination. This plan book, proposing to develop the film as a series, was written sometime after the writer\u2019s summit in January 1982, and probably not very long after, based on the roughness of the artwork that was included.<\/p>\n

It is unknown how far this material traveled or who it was intended for, but clearly it did not achieve its goal. Nevertheless, the idea itself is still part of Yamato<\/em> history.<\/p>\n

See the whole package here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Animation Theme Song Best Collection<\/em> album<\/h3>\n

It was no secret that Nippon Columbia pretty much had a lock on all the most popular anime music, and they paraded their catalog in front of everyone with this LP of 14 songs from all your favorite movies and shows.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Side A included Yamato<\/em> (3 songs), Galaxy Express, Lupin III, Tomorrow’s Joe, Toward the Terra<\/em>, and Cyborg 009<\/em>. Side B contained Tomorrow’s Joe 2, Mobile Suit Gundam<\/em> (2 songs), Adieu Galaxy Express, Queen Millennia<\/em>, and Arcadia of My Youth<\/em>. If you needed an instant anime song collection, this one couldn’t be beat.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Earth Defense Command fan club founded<\/h3>\n

Once upon a time, one of the major anime fandom groups in the United States was based in Dallas, named after the military organization in Star Blazers<\/em>, and made up of space battleships devoted to defending the Earth in the late 20th Century. <\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to read their story<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What’s next<\/h3>\n

1983 dawns anew with Final Yamato<\/em> inching ever closer to its March premiere. The month of January is thick with new media as everyone grabs their seat on the last train out while fans in America take another step toward organizing themselves. Click here<\/a> to relive this exhilarating month in Vintage Report 42!<\/p>\n

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