{"id":42626,"date":"2024-12-18T12:45:44","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T20:45:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=42626"},"modified":"2026-01-14T22:26:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T06:26:10","slug":"094b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/094b\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 Studio Khara activity (part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Studio Khara opened up the 50th anniversary celebration with a series of three “Selection Screenings” that began on December 27, 2024. Each screening featured three TV episodes that had been upscaled for big-screen showings. The year ticked over as the first of these three programs was underway.<\/p>\n

(Read much more about this program here<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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January 1: Studio Khara on Twitter<\/h3>\n

To start the year properly, resourceful elves at Studio Khara found a celebratory image in Series 1 and posted it with their own countdown number. The caption read:<\/p>\n

Happy new year! We look forward to your continued support in 2025 as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>. The “Selection Screening” is currently showing in theaters nationwide. The Yamato Complete Records<\/em> Exhibition, which will bring together previously unseen materials, will be held in Shibuya, Tokyo from Saturday March 15. (73 days left until the event.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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January 3: 50th Anniversary Selection Screening, Program 2<\/h3>\n

One week after the premiere of Program 1, the next round took over with three more original TV episodes projected on a big screen in 46 theaters across Japan. This time, the selections were Episode 16 (Beemela), 18 (Magnetron satellite), and 22 (Rainbow Cluster Battle). Ticket holders were given a 2-sided mini-poster featuring the images shown above. <\/p>\n

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January 4: Program 2 talkshow<\/h3>\n

The day after the premiere, Studio Khara President Hideaki Anno returned to the stage with his cohosts Yutaka Izubuchi (2199<\/em> director) and Ryusuke Hikawa (researcher), and this time they brought a very special guest along: veteran animator Kazuhide Tomonaga. Their conversation didn’t get any media coverage, but fans were there to fill the void.<\/p>\n


\nBackstage photo posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The following account was posted on Twitter by M.T<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Yesterday at Shinjuku Piccadilly, we had the talk show for the 50th anniversary of the broadcast of Yamato<\/em> (program 2), and in addition to the previous guests Hideaki Anno, Yutaka Izubuchi, and Ryusuke Hikawa, we also had special guest Kazuhide Tomonaga, and we enjoyed listening to his valuable talk.<\/span><\/p>\n

After Anno finished introducing the speakers, he loudly proclaimed that Tomonaga was “really an amazing person!” It was impressive. In the talk that followed, it was clear how much respect Anno, Izubuchi, and Hikawa have for Tomonaga.<\/span><\/p>\n

I couldn’t help but laugh when Anno described Tomonaga as “a quietly amazing person,” but as I listened to him talk and saw his original drawings, I realized how spot on this description was. Anno also said that he was “detailed,” and I really think that’s true.<\/span><\/p>\n

I knew Tomonaga was great at drawing mecha, but he also drew many characters in the original animation for Yamato<\/em>, and it was revealed that he was very conscious of Leiji Matsumoto’s drawing style, such as the lines of Yuki Mori’s body and the strength of the lines in the Kodai drawings.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The father and son who see off the battleship Yamato<\/em> in Episode 2 look like they were drawn by Shigeru Mizuki, but I was surprised that in the rejected original drawings drawn by Tomonaga, they looked very Matsumoto-like. Apparently there were original character designs and it seems they were added later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anno also mentioned the depiction of Yamato<\/em>‘s main gun barrels moving separately to aim, which he said was “the root cause that dragged him into the industry.” This depiction conveys that Yamato<\/em> is a ship with human life running through it, and I felt that this kind of detail is one of the factors that makes it Yamato<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tomonaga is still active, and took part in the currently-showing Lord of the Rings: The Battle of Rohan<\/em>. He was apparently in charge of the horse-riding scenes. When Izubuchi said at the end, “I’d like to see you involved in Yamato<\/em> again,” the audience erupted in applause. Perhaps he’ll take part in the new Studio Khara production of Yamato<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

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January 10: 50th Anniversary Selection Screening, Program 3<\/h3>\n

The final week of this remarkable series commenced with three climactic episodes: 23 and 24 (Battle of Gamilas) and 26 (finale). For the third and last time, ticket holders got a 2-sided mini poster with the images shown above. The image at right was originally created for the October 6, 2024 screening of Episode 1.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto posted on Twitter by S. Meijin<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The final week kicked off with one more talk show in which Hideaki Anno appeared with two new guests: manga artist Michio Murakawa and Yuki Mori’s original voice actor, Yoko Asagami. When two of Japan’s biggest Yamato<\/em> fans got to sit down with the most beloved actor in the cast, some serious geeking-out went on display.<\/p>\n

The entertainment website Encount<\/em><\/a> offered this highlight:<\/p>\n

Looking back on the first episode, Asagami said, \u201cI thought that the image of Yuki and my voice made her into a singular actress. I think that the way Yuki looked, moved and felt at that time happened to fit with my voice, and that’s why people accepted her.\u201d Director Anno said, \u201cI can’t imagine her with any other voice. (Asagami and Yuki) are a set.\u201d Asagami, who was delighted, responded in Yuki’s voice, \u201cAnno-kun!\u201d Anno was excited, saying, \u201cThank you. I should have recorded it on my iPhone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Many other sites reported on the talk show as well. Click here<\/a> to read three articles that all communicated different talking points.<\/p>\n

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January 13: Program 3 reaction blog<\/h3>\n

The real value in revisiting a classic story from another generation is to discover things you missed the first time and examine what it still has to communicate to us today. Blogger “CoupeCamper” did just that in a thoughtful essay written after a screening of the final 50th anniversary program.<\/p>\n

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

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January 15: Hideaki Anno on Twitter<\/h3>\n

One day before the conclusion of the 50th anniversary screenings, Hideaki Anno of Studio Khara posted some closing thoughts. <\/p>\n

Comments by Hideaki Anno<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

(See the original posts here<\/a>)<\/p>\n

At the commemorative screenings, I talked about the overall fun of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>. In Program 1, I mainly talked about the technical appeal. In Program 2, I talked about the directing. And in Program 3, I talked about the character drama. I’d like to add a few more things to what I said about the appeal of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>. I hope you’ll get a sense of the further appeal of the series at the Yamato Complete Records<\/em> Exhibition.<\/p>\n

Addendum 1<\/span><\/p>\n

Key animators who are particularly noteworthy for their depictions of the mecha include Kazuhide Tomonaga, who appeared on stage in Program 2, Kaoru Izumiguchi, who drew Yamato<\/em>‘s OP and stock flyby scene, Toyoo Ashida, who drew Yamato<\/em>‘s takeoff, and Noboru Ishiguro, who also directed and created various effects. Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> was created by not only animators, but also all the staff and cast members, who came together like a miracle.<\/p>\n

I hope that on this occasion, as well as the forthcoming exhibition, you can learn a little about the fun and amazing work of animators, and by extension, animation production and each department.<\/p>\n

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Addendum 2<\/span><\/p>\n

In Program 3, I said that my favorite scene of Susumu Kodai was where he was protecting Yuki Mori’s body when the Dessler Cannon hit (probably thinking of committing suicide together), but my second favorite scene was in Episode 13, when Kodai’s painful flashbacks came to an end and he was crying and slapping the Gamilas prisoner. The prisoner was crying after that. I remember when I saw Kodai in that scene as a 2nd-year junior high student, I cried as I sympathized with a fictional character for the first time. I also shed tears at the end of Episode 6 and at Tokugawa in Episode 10, but I didn’t fully cry until Episode 13.<\/p>\n

Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> is full of various dramas.<\/p>\n

Incidentally, in the script of Episode 26, Kodai was the one who deflected the Dessler cannon. I think it was a wise decision to change that to Sanada’s calm and collected toggle switch operation, and have Kodai just protect Yuki Mori.<\/p>\n

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Addendum 3<\/span><\/p>\n

Incidentally, my favorite character in Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> is Captain Okita. My favorite Okita lines are:<\/p>\n

“Don’t panic!”
\n“Shut up!”
\n“I don’t want the Earth to end up like Yukikaze<\/em>.”
\n“What about the repetition?”
\n“Overcome your fears and believe in tomorrow.”
\n“Is this Gamilas’ tactic? Impressive.”
\nAnd, “Thank you, that is all.”<\/p>\n

The “paternalism” of the 1970s is depicted in this drama.<\/p>\n

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January 23: ATAC on Twitter<\/h3>\n

The Anime Tokusatsu Archive Centre (ATAC) is strongly associated with Yamato<\/em> fandom, being run by Hideaki Anno, Ryusuke Hikawa, and others. It is a nonprofit organization that preserves production artifacts, and is also the repository of their personal collections. On this day, ATAC posted the following message on Twitter:<\/p>\n

Thank you for attending the Yamato<\/em> 50th Anniversary Selection Screenings and talk shows. Some of the attendees made donations to ATAC and applied to become supporting members. Thanks to everyone’s support, the organization of Yamato<\/em> materials is now 120% recharged!<\/span><\/p>\n

The Space Battleship Yamato Complete Records<\/em> Exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the broadcast will be held in Shibuya, Tokyo from March 15th, planned and produced by Hideaki Anno. Many of the materials stored at ATAC will be on display. Please take a look!<\/span><\/p>\n

Incidentally, the original TV broadcast ended on March 30 1975, so the exhibition will serve as a “bookend” for the 50th anniversary observance.<\/p>\n

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February 11: Studio Khara on Twitter<\/h3>\n

This photo captured a moment in the planning for the Complete Records Exhibition with the caption, “We are currently working hard to select and create exhibits.”<\/p>\n

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February 27: Exhibition news<\/h3>\n

The most anticipated news of the month finally happened on this day, describing what everyone had to look forward to when the Complete Records Exhibition would open two weeks later, including some of the custom products to be sold on site.<\/p>\n

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

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February 28: Magmix<\/em> article<\/h3>\n

Magmix<\/em> published a followup the next day, based on a very unexpected product tie-in. On reflection, it sounds like a joke that someone decided to make real. See what you think…<\/p>\n

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A wonderful collaboration that will make you laugh has been realized<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> Complete Records Exhibition will be held at Seibu Shibuya from March 15, 2025. This exhibition is planned and produced by director Hideaki Anno, and is scheduled to exhibit valuable materials such as the original proposal documents and character\/mechanic design drawings, as well as sell original goods for the exhibition.<\/span><\/p>\n

In conjunction with this, the project’s official Twitter account has been giving a sneak peek at the exhibit contents and goods that will be sold. Fans are very excited about the “W Yamato<\/em>” collaboration goods that were announced on February 27th.<\/span><\/p>\n

One such prouct is “Liquid Glue Arabic Yamato<\/em>.” A visual of the product has been released, and the part of the packaging that originally said “Liquid Glue Arabic Yamato<\/em>” has been changed to “Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The shape is almost the same as “Liquid Glue Arabic Yamato<\/em>,” so some fans did not notice the collaboration at first glance. This caused some surprised reactions, such as “Oh, it’s not April Fool’s yet… right?”, “I thought it was a Photoshopped image, but it’s official?”, and “Oh, I’m surprised.” Some fans also made jokes, saying, “It seems Dessler also likes a joke,” “It looks like the glue is filled to about 120%,” and “I wonder if it will come out like a Wave-Motion Gun.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Other limited goods in the “W Yamato<\/em>” collaboration include acrylic stands, badges, T-shirts, shoppers, and snow globes. Tickets to the exhibition can be purchased at Lawson. Why not take this opportunity to enjoy the 50-year history of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

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You might well wonder what makes this collaboration so meaningful to people in Japan. The answer is simple: Arabic Yamato glue is ubiquitous in Japanese homes and schools, commonly used by children in craft projects. Basically, it’s the Japanese equivalent to Elmer’s Glue in America. So imagine if we had a cartoon featuring a space battleship named Elmer<\/em> and someone finally decided after decades to do a product tie-in. Now you’ve got it.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto posted on Twitter by tori_san_2013<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

March 3: Outdoor promo<\/h3>\n

The lights went on today at the Seibu department store in Shibuya, where the 50th Anniversary Complete Records Exhibition would open in just under two weeks. At street level, these LED kiosks began cycling animated scenes culled from Series 1. <\/p>\n

See a video clip here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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March 8: 50th Anniversary Exhibition flyer<\/h3>\n

A new flyer started popping up all over Tokyo on this day to promote the exhibition one week before it opened. Pretty soon, it would be hard to miss it.<\/p>\n

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March 13: Products announced<\/h3>\n

Two days before the Anniversary Exhibition opened, a mountain of products was announced for on-site sale. They came from three different sources: the exhibition itself, the Tristar company, and Bandai Namco.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to see the complete rundown of what fans would have to choose from.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto posted on Twitter by aoi2199<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On the same day, advertising began to appear in subway stations all over Tokyo. Fans zipped around as if it was a scavenger hunt, determined to find all 15 and post them on Twitter.<\/p>\n

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Continue to next page: Studio Khara, part 2<\/a><\/p>\n

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