{"id":44177,"date":"2026-06-01T12:36:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=44177"},"modified":"2026-06-16T16:38:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T23:38:38","slug":"131b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/131b\/","title":{"rendered":"Vintage Report backlog, 1977-1980"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-880 alt=\"2606icon\" src=\"http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-content\/uploads\/2606icon.JPG\" width=\"216\" height=\"90\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"cosmo-teaser\">Presenting historical research in timeline form is always a tricky undertaking, because history seldom reveals itself in chronological order. Thus, here&#8217;s collection of recently-discovered publications from the early years of <em>Yamato<\/em> history that emerged after the conclusion of the Vintage Report series.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><!--noteaser--><\/p>\n<p>Presenting historical research in timeline form is always a tricky undertaking, because history seldom reveals itself in chronological order. New stuff always pops up after you thought a subject was closed, and your original mission statement demands that it be accommodated. In the Vintage Report series, this was handled with occasional roundups of accumulated backlog. The series has run its course, but the backlog still rolls in.<\/p>\n<p>If your preference is to see it in historical context, no worries; all of this has been threaded into the Vintage Reports. But if you just want to browse what&#8217;s been found since your last check-in, this page is here to serve.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class='clear'>\n<h1 style=\"color: red;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">1977<\/p>\n<\/h1>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b35.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>November 20: Isao Sasaki on TV<\/h3>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a rare instance of Isao Sasaki singing the <em>Yamato<\/em> theme on a TV show (titled <em>Let&#8217;s Go Young)<\/em> with a specific airdate attached. Special thanks to &#8220;on hobby&#8221; for posting this gem on Twitter! <\/p>\n<p><a href='https:\/\/x.com\/onhobbyy\/status\/2058024527959879818'>First verse<\/a> | <a href='https:\/\/x.com\/onhobbyy\/status\/2058025122255012213'>Second verse<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class='clear'>\n<h1 style=\"color: red;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">1978<\/p>\n<\/h1>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b01.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>January 12: <em>Zero<\/em> No. 1 doujinshi<\/h3>\n<p>The &#8220;Hamidashi&#8221; (split off) <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> Fan Club was loosely organized, but unknowingly performed some absolutely heroic acts for the sake future historians. This included a limited-edition reprint of Yuki Hijiri&#8217;s <em>Yamato<\/em> manga in January 1978, the same month they published issue 1 of their doujinshi, titled <em>Zero.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It contained a personal account of Tokon 6 in 1976 (read it <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/tokon6'>here<\/a>), and a once-in-a-lifetime accidental interview with Yoshinobu Nishizaki on the day the first <em>Yamato<\/em> movie premiered in theaters (read it <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/zeronishizaki78'>here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>See <em>Zero<\/em> No. 1 from cover to cover <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/zero1'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b02.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>July 20: <em>SF Movies and Tokusatsu, Grand Feature<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Small-format paperbacks with big page counts were popularized by Kodansha with the &#8220;Keibunsha&#8221; series, and another publisher named Jitsugyo Japan Co. had their own version called the &#8220;Children&#8217;s Pocket Encyclopedia.&#8221; This particular volume brought everyone up to date on SF works (while <em>Star Wars<\/em> was conveniently playing in Japanese theaters), including entries on home-grown favorites.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b03.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>August 13: <em>Moreover, Space Battleship Yamato, Warriors of Laughter<\/em> doujinshi<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;<em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> Fan Club F4 Phantom II&#8221; published this 28-page collection of cartoons based on the first <em>Yamato<\/em> series. A copy was provided to Cosmo DNA by friend-of-the-website <a href='https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/retroanimechris.bsky.social'>Chris de la Bigne<\/a> (Retroanimechris).<\/p>\n<p>See <em>Moreover<\/em> from cover to cover <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/moreover78'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p>See more of Chris&#8217; finds <a href='https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/@madanglerpress\/lists\/11\/space-battleship-yamato-library'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b04.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>September 1: <em>Japan Movies 1978<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Haga Shoten [Publishing] catered to cineastes with a 244-page digest rounding up info on all the films made in Japan the previous year, which happened to include the first <em>Yamato<\/em> movie. There was no description beyond the image shown above, but the rest of the book was an absolute feast of essays, pictorials, and data on 1977 cinema.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b05.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>September 15: <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> Vol. 2 doujinshi<\/h3>\n<p>Except for the name, everything about this doujinshi from a fan club named &#8220;Office <em>Yamato<\/em>&#8221; was humble. It consisted of animation layouts from <em>Farewell to Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>See it from cover to cover <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/sby2\/'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b06.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>October 31: <em>Mother Town<\/em> Vol. 4 doujinshi <\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;<em>Yamato<\/em> Fan Club Mother Town&#8221; made entertainment their mission, filling up a very impressive 84 pages with fanfic, parody manga, commentary, and more.<\/p>\n<p>See it from cover to cover <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/mothertown4\/'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b07.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>November 11: <em>TV Guide<\/em> Vol. 840<\/h3>\n<p>Over and above the standard weekly broadcast listings, this issue featured a multi-page &#8220;Popular Anime Encyclopedia&#8221; that gave a rundown of all the current shows, including <em>Yamato 2<\/em>. The intro read:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Popular manga and anime will likely dominate the market this holiday season again. Here is a massive special feature on everything from original stories to secret weapons. Save this book for winter break and become an &#8220;anime expert&#8221;!<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/amypyramid.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>December 14: Future star sighting<\/h3>\n<p>This one will seem way off the radar, but stick with it. In the late 70s, ABC aired a game show called <em>$20,000 Pyramid<\/em> hosted by Dick Clark. Two teams of two players (consisting of one celebrity and one contestant) competed against each other in a contest of word clues. On this date, actor Anita Gillette was paired with a contestant from New York, an acting student by the name Amy Howard.<\/p>\n<p>Less than a year later, we would all hear the voice of Amy Howard in the role of <em>Star Blazers&#8217;<\/em> most beloved character &#8212; Nova!<\/p>\n<p>Want to see Amy in action shortly before she landed the role? Watch a clip on Daily Motion <a href='https:\/\/www.dailymotion.com\/video\/x25kj9o'>here<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b08.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>December 15: <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> Vol. 3 doujinshi<\/h3>\n<p>This volume from the unofficial (but official sounding) &#8220;Office <em>Yamato<\/em>&#8221; delivered something much rarer than it should be: animation layouts from <em>Yamato 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>See it from cover to cover <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/sby3\/'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b09.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>December 15: <em>Solar Bird<\/em> No. 4 doujinshi<\/h3>\n<p>Its cover makes it look like a <em>Yamato<\/em> fanzine, but this issue of <em>Solar Bird<\/em> was more a vehicle for essays on anime characters. The writers (named &#8220;Zero&#8221;, &#8220;Ota Emikata&#8221;, and &#8220;0002&#8221;) had a lot to say in these 48 pages. Among its entries were a piece on Dessler&#8217;s authoritarianism and another on the &#8220;universal love&#8221; concept at the core of <em>Farewell to Yamato<\/em>. A copy was provided to Cosmo DNA by friend-of-the-website <a href='https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/retroanimechris.bsky.social'>Chris de la Bigne<\/a> (Retroanimechris), who has this to add:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">The artwork is particularly good even though the production is very cheap. This particular issue celebrated, as per the byline, &#8220;Adult Heroes and Anti-Villains.&#8221; It is a journal full of criticism on specific characters from the early to late 1970s and is quite mature in its dissections of characters who would have otherwise been deemed villains. Several passages seek to humanize Dessler, for instance, and sympathize with him as a character overall. There is a BL (Boy&#8217;s Love) slant here and there as well as perspectives on female characters. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>See <em>Solar Bird<\/em> from cover to cover <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/solarbird4'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p>See more of Chris&#8217; finds <a href='https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/@madanglerpress\/lists\/11\/space-battleship-yamato-library'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b10.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Also spotted in 1978:<br \/>\nMicrocomputer kit promotion<\/h3>\n<p>Shown here is an ad from &#8220;New Japan Planning Co.&#8221; that deployed <em>Yamato<\/em> images to attract a very specific kind of hobbyist. The text reads:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"textBlue\">Enjoy the thrill of entering the block twice<\/span><\/h3>\n<h2><span class=\"textBlue\">Space Age New Type<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">It&#8217;s full of new and exciting features!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">This has a two-part blocking method. <em>Yamato<\/em> teleports by using space warp, doubling the fun of the game.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">The game becomes more difficult with 3 patterns. By swapping turns, the difference between players (beginner and experienced) is reduced, and the game time is shortened.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Bottom half:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Tabletop Micon Kit Part III<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"textBlue\">Space Micon<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>(three game patterns show <em>Yamato<\/em> facing off against what looks like the Comet Empire)<\/p>\n<p><\/br><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class='clear'>\n<h1 style=\"color: red;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">1979<\/p>\n<\/h1>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b11.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>March 14: <em>Popular Anime Graffiti<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><em>High 1st Course<\/em>, Gakken&#8217;s student digest for 10th graders, grabbed the attention of anime fans with this supplement attached to the April 1979 issue. It was a 48-page extra, packed full of information on favorite anime programs, historical retrospectives, voice actor profiles, fan club info, and more.<\/p>\n<p><em>Yamato<\/em> figured prominently with a 4-page spotlight, an overview of how anime is made, and a profile on Leiji Matsumoto.<\/p>\n<p>Read these articles <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/graffiti79'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b12.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>March 15: <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> doujinshi Vol. 4<\/h3>\n<p>Unless more of these emerge from the mists, this appears to be the last issue of a nice mini-series from &#8220;Office <em>Yamato<\/em>&#8221; featuring animation layout art. This one delivered more from early episodes of <em>Yamato 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>See it from cover to cover <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/sby4\/'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b13.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>April 5: <em>The World of Locke the Superman<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>What&#8217;s a book like this doing here? Well, if you like <em>Locke<\/em>, it&#8217;s a very nice 96-page compendium of Yuki Hijiri&#8217;s manga and illustration work for his most famous character. Hopefully, though, the name Yuki Hijiri rings a different bell for you by now.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b14.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>He was one of three artists who produced a <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> manga for the first series in 1974, in six consecutive issues of <em>Terebiland<\/em>. In a time when <em>Yamato<\/em> was riding high, two pages of this book reminded everyone of Hijiri&#8217;s nearly forgotten contribution.<\/p>\n<p>Right side:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Beyond the boundless universe&#8230;a journey of 148,000 light years&#8230;to Iscandar<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">The Space Battleship <em>Yamato<\/em> heads toward its goal. Despite the relentless attack attacks of the alien invaders, the Gamilas, <em>Yamato<\/em>\u2019s valiant figure shows no sign of fading. Advance, <em>Yamato<\/em>! Now, Earth is on the brink of death due to overwhelming radiation. Susumu Kodai, Daisuke Shima, Juuzo Okita, Sanada, Yuki Mori&#8230;<br \/>\nTo save Earth, the passionate blood of young people burns fiercely in outer space.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">The passionate feelings of that journey through the vast universe!<br \/>\nNow, enjoy the resurrected Hijiri edition of <em>Yamato<\/em>!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Left side:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Amid the excitement and passion of anime fans all over Japan, <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> is caught in a melting pot of madness. This <em>Yamato<\/em> was drawn by Yuki Hijiri. He created a unique world with <em>Locke the Superman<\/em>. Now <em>Yamato<\/em> is here again, resurrected. Enjoy this sci-fi adventure romance with the Hijiri touch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read Yuki Hijiri&#8217;s <em>Yamato<\/em> manga <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/522'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b15.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>May 9: <em>Middle 1st Age<\/em>, June issue<\/h3>\n<p>Two points of interest earned an entry for this issue of Obunsha&#8217;s student digest for 7th graders. First, right there on page 1, was an article announcing Leiji Matsumoto as the &#8220;King of Anime,&#8221; citing his authorship of <em>Yamato<\/em> and <em>Galaxy Express 999.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>His comment reads: &#8220;The world I depict is based on my everyday life. In one scene, the sky is clear and blue. Each insect seems to be telling me something. I want to continue creating works while cherishing this feeling that still lives on within me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b16.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Deeper in the issue was some promo for upcoming anime, including this passage:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"textBlue\">You can see it!! <em>Yamato<\/em>&#8216;s new story<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Yamato 2<\/em> ended in April, but a new film will be broadcast as a 90-minute program on July 11th. This one-time broadcast is said to determine the future storyline of <em>Yamato<\/em>, so it&#8217;s something fans absolutely cannot miss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">The details are unclear, but a powerful new enemy has appeared, and Susumu Kodai has to face it. The story involves Dessler and the others working together to take on the enemy. New mecha will also be introduced.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/Cannes1979x.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>May 10-24: 32nd Cannes Film Festival<\/h3>\n<p>It had been two years since <em>Yamato<\/em>&#8216;s debut at Cannes. Back then, Yoshinobu Nishizaki offered his &#8220;first draft&#8221; of his first movie, a severely edited and jankily dubbed version of the first TV series titled <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/236'><em>Space Cruiser Yamato<\/em><\/a> for distribution to English-speaking countries. Deals were made, but then things took a very unexpected term when the &#8220;second draft&#8221; became the first anime blockbuster in Japan.<\/p>\n<p>In 1979, <em>Yamato<\/em> returned to Cannes with two blockbusters under its belt, and the purpose of <em>Farewell to Yamato<\/em>&#8216;s original English title became clear. There is as yet no evidence of the movie being screened at Cannes, but there is also no evidence of a subtitled or dubbed version existing in 1979. Either way, this ad from <em>Variety<\/em> represented the first international outreach for the biggest anime movie of all time.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/M2YC879.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>July 9: <em>Middle 2nd Year Course<\/em>, August issue (supplement)<\/h3>\n<p>Gakken&#8217;s student digest for 8th graders came with an extra booklet titled <em>Summer Taste Pack<\/em> that gave kids all sorts of suggestions for how to spend summer vacation, including watching anime. <em>The New Voyage<\/em> was coming up at the end of the month, and the provocative tagline for it read &#8220;Days of Love and Suffering for Men.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b17.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>July 16: <em>Japan Movies 1979<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Following their digest from the previous year, Haga Shoten collected essays, critiques, and general data on all the films made in Japan in the year 1978. Anime barely made a blip the year before, but was now gaining steam with the undeniable impact of <em>Farewell to Yamato<\/em>. It only got the pictures shown above, but it was one more step into the mainstream.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/TVGNV.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>July 27: <em>Weekly TV Guide<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>In case news of <em>The New Voyage<\/em> had somehow gotten past you, <em>TV Guide<\/em> came to the rescue with a 2-page promo article in the issue that came out just four days before the premiere. <\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"textBlue\">Relaunch! Save Iscandar!!<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Yamato is revived! Damaged in battle with the White Comet Empire, Yamato has returned to Earth. However, with the emergence of the Dark Nebula Empire, which plots to conquer the universe, the ship must once again journey into space. Launch, Yamato! To save Iscandar and the the entire universe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/elementary1979.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>October 25: Kids in concert<\/h3>\n<p>On this date, the Watari District Elementary School (in Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan) held a concert. How do we know? Because they recorded it and released it on vinyl, presumably in very limited numbers. This represents a little-known subset of <em>Yamato<\/em> music, students performing the <em>Yamato<\/em> theme and schools preserving it for posterity.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b18x.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>December 15: <em>1979 Yamato<\/em> doujinshi No. 10 &#038; 11<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;<em>Yamato<\/em> Studio&#8221; was the source for this 20-pager that apparently counted as a double issue at the close of the year. Their publishing continuity showed in their content, most of which took the form of peer-to-peer comments (the paper version of a message forum), a handful of fan art, and recent <em>Yamato<\/em> news.<\/p>\n<p>See it from cover to cover <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/yamato1011'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b19.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>December 23: <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> parody doujinshis<\/h3>\n<p>Clocking in at 60 and 68 pages respectively, this 2-volume parody of the first series was single-handedly written and drawn over two years by an artist named Keiko Sasaki.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b20.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Self-described as &#8220;outrageous&#8221; and &#8220;terrifying,&#8221; it&#8217;s an accomplishment that speaks for itself without need of adjectives. The condition of the binding prevents them from being scanned safely for posting here, but let&#8217;s still salute a worthy effort.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class='clear'>\n<h1 style=\"color: red;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">1980<\/p>\n<\/h1>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b21.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>February 1: <em>Terebi Kun<\/em>, March issue<\/h3>\n<p>The ad shown above right promoted the &#8220;Terebi Kun Deluxe&#8221; <em>Yamato Complete Collection<\/em>, but there was more to catch the interest of fans in this issue: 4 pages of <em>Blue Noah<\/em> coverage and the 5th installment of the <em>New Voyage<\/em> anime comics.<\/p>\n<p>See the pages <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/terebikun380'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b22.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>February 1: <em>Middle 1st Age<\/em> special<\/h3>\n<p>Obunsha&#8217;s student digest for 7th graders rolled out an extra in the month of February that served as a deluxe version of the monthly magazine. It opened with color anime coverage and even included an original manga by Monkey Punch, creator of <em>Lupin III.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>There were no <em>Yamato<\/em> articles, but there was a full page of <em>Yamato<\/em> products available from Office Academy. This was part of a 4-page section on anime merch that was tailor-made for this age group.<\/p>\n<p>See all 4 pages <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/m1age1980special'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b23.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>February 9: <em>Middle 1st Age<\/em>, March issue<\/h3>\n<p>Obunsha&#8217;s student digest for 7th graders published its first announcement of a new, as-yet-untitled <em>Yamato<\/em> movie coming in the summer. Based on early rumors, a &#8220;new generation&#8221; was going to step into the shoes of the crew to face off against a whole new enemy.<\/p>\n<p>Read this interesting but misguided speculation <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/m1a380'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b24.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>May 9: <em>Middle 1st Age<\/em>, June issue<\/h3>\n<p>Obunsha&#8217;s student digest for 7th graders joined the parade with more news about &#8220;<em>Yamato<\/em> Part 3,&#8221; revealing the new key character:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> Part 3 breaking news!!<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">The release date for Part 3 of the immensely popular <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> has been set. The momentous day is August 2! The title is <em>Be Forever Yamato<\/em>. The main topic of Part 3 is undoubtedly Sasha, a beautiful 17 year-old girl. She is the child of Starsha and Mamoru Kodai, the older brother of Susumu Kodai.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">You may remember that after Part 2 was released in theaters, a TV special called <em>The New Voyage<\/em> was aired, and Sasha was the baby born in that special. Apparently, she\u2019ll be playing a major role in this part! Susumu Kodai, Yuki Mori, Daisuke Shima, and Shiro Sanada are all still there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">The content of the story, however, is something that Chief Producer Nishizaki has to keep secret from everyone. In any case, the central theme is \u201cLove is about trusting each other,\u201d and he says that he made this film hoping that viewers would understand this. The film depicts how to create a society where parents and children, men and women, and friends can all love each other. It is said to be told in a moving way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b25.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Promotional pages in this issue pointed readers toward more <em>Yamato<\/em> content in a summer special (above left) and the next issue (above right). Both would be published in early June.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b26.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>July 1: <em>Terebi Kun<\/em>, August issue<\/h3>\n<p>Tucked in between manga chapters, <em>Terebi Kun<\/em> offered a &#8220;Summer Vacation Movie Guide&#8221; to rivet readers&#8217; attention on <em>Be Forever Yamato, The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek<\/em>, and other films coming to theaters.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b27.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Yamato<\/em> launch!! A journey of 40,000 light years&#8230;<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Be Forever<\/em> got two pages featuring the latest story synopsis and a handful of images to chew on.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b28.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>July 1: <em>4th Grader<\/em>, August issue<\/h3>\n<p><em>Be Forever Yamato<\/em> coverage graced the pages of Shogakukan&#8217;s student digest for 4th graders. In addition to the story synopsis, the main text read as follows:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> is coming back!<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Do you remember <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> in 1977 and <em>Farewell to Yamato<\/em> in 1978? <em>Yamato<\/em> vanished amidst a flurry of excitement. But <em>Yamato<\/em> is back this summer. Let\u2019s get a sneak peek at the new anime <em>Be Forever Yamato<\/em>, full of mysteries and suspense, before its theatrical release.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b29.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>July 1: <em>6th Grader<\/em>, August issue<\/h3>\n<p>Shogakukan&#8217;s student digest for 6th graders didn&#8217;t carry a standalone <em>Be Forever<\/em> article, but did devote some space to it with this info:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"textBlue\">Be Forever Yamato<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Toei distribution, opening August 2<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Yamato<\/em> has returned after all. But the heroic figure of <em>Yamato<\/em> is once again in danger. A breathtaking masterpiece anime with twist after twist!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">We\u2019re giving away 30 tickets to a special roadshow theater, and poster vouchers. If you\u2019d like one, please write \u201c<em>Yamato<\/em> invitation, ticket request\u201d on a postcard and send it to us.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"textBlue\">Ah, <em>Yamato<\/em>!?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">From July 20 to August 2, there will be a trip on a luxury cruise ship that has been remodeled to resemble <em>Yamato<\/em>, traveling from Kawasaki city to Miyazaki city in Kanagawa prefecture. Apparently, there will be movie screenings and various events with voice actors on board. We are so jealous!<\/span><\/p>\n<div style='width:420px; margin-right: 0px; float: right'>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b30.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Just below that was a cartoon with a curious pedigree. Here&#8217;s what it said:<\/p>\n<p>Panel 1<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Woman: I&#8217;m so happy I get to see <em>Yamato<\/em> this year, too!!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Man: <em>Yamato<\/em>, Wave-Motion Gun, fire!!!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Panel 2<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Man: Underneath the onion, there&#8217;s another onion!! Wow, that gave me a start!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re thinking these must be very specific references, you are correct. Here&#8217;s an explanation from friend-of-the-website Minoru Itgaki:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">She is Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, and he is Hiroshi Kume. The two of them were the hosts of the TBS music show <em>The Best Ten<\/em>. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi has been a television personality since the early days of TV. Her show <em>Tetsuko\u2019s Room<\/em>, which airs weekday afternoons on TV Asahi, has been running for over 50 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b34x.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">She has maintained her signature \u201conion-head\u201d hairstyle. That\u2019s why Kume used to say there was an onion under the onion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b31.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>July 29: <em>Be Forever Yamato<\/em> &#8220;Mystery Tour&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>In May 2026, an anonymous poster on Twitter shared a memory from the spectacular summer of 1980, when another <em>Be Forever<\/em> event was just ten minutes away&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">The \u201cMystery Train\u201d tour departing from Ueno was actually more famous for <em>Galaxy Express 999<\/em>, but there was one for <em>Yamato<\/em>, too. I actually took part in this one. It was organized by Nippon Travel Agency. The timing was right before the release of <em>Be Forever<\/em>. Leiji Matsumoto appeared at the early morning send-off ceremony. I was hoping he\u2019d come along with us&#8230;but he didn\u2019t. (sob)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">It was called a \u201ctrain with an unknown destination,\u201d and it was named <em>Icarus-go<\/em>. It ran on the Shin-Etsu Main Line. Even though it was for <em>Be Forever<\/em>, we had a traditional bento for lunch. It was kind of weird. The final stop was Iiyama Station, where we were welcomed by local junior high students, but we were treated like a sideshow. We couldn\u2019t watch <em>Be Forever<\/em> at the community center, just the trailer. After that, <em>Farewell<\/em> was screened. \u201cDon\u2019t die!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">My lodging was at Madarao Plateau. After two nights, on the way back, I took a transformed sightseeing boat on Lake Nojiri. It was a ridiculous <em>Yamato<\/em> with a Wave Gun on the front and giant cardboard cutouts of Hijikata and Doctor Sado.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>According to a news report from Mainichi Shimbun at the time, the passengers were asked to guess where the train was going while it was en route. This was part of an ongoing summer vacation program with over 25 &#8220;mystery trains&#8221; in circulation. The <em>Icarus-go<\/em> was essentially a pre-existing &#8220;mystery train&#8221; with a <em>Yamato<\/em> tie-in.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b32.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>July 30: <em>Mother Town<\/em> Vol. 6 doujinshi<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;<em>Yamato<\/em> Fan Club Mother Town&#8221; struck again with their next issue just before the premiere of <em>Be Forever<\/em>. A copy was provided to Cosmo DNA by friend-of-the-website <a href='https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/retroanimechris.bsky.social'>Chris de la Bigne<\/a> (Retroanimechris), who has this to add:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Mother Town refers to the port city in Iscandar&#8217;s ocean, though is a somewhat ambiguous reference to the group itself. The artists and organizers, while mysterious, appear to have been college age <em>Yamato<\/em> fans. This issue features tons of adult-themed works. While not hentai or yaoi in a conventional sense, all of the stories and art relate to pairings\/shipping and sex in general, with erotic stories and adult works that are very challenging in nature, especially when they were published.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Alternating themes of BL and more are prevalent, and based on the bylines, this particular group seems to have gotten coverage in <em>Animage<\/em> from time to time in their &#8216;Best fan club&#8217; lists and reviews. Vol. 6 was done at the height of the Aniparody movement and shows the work of some very dedicated Otaku. The art at times has some very direct influence from <em>Gundam<\/em>, primarily Yasuhiko&#8217;s style.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>See <em>Mother Town<\/em> Vol. 6 from cover to cover <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/mothertown6'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p>See more of Chris&#8217; finds <a href='https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/@madanglerpress\/lists\/11\/space-battleship-yamato-library'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b33.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>August 1: <em>Terebi Kun<\/em>, September issue<\/h3>\n<p>Published just one day before the <em>Be Forever<\/em> premiere (and probably carried into theaters by fans who gazed at it in the overnight line), this issue contained a splashy 5-page article on the movie.<\/p>\n<p>See the pages <a href='http:\/\/ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/terebikun980'>here<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/M1A1080.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>September 9: <em>Middle 1st Age<\/em>, August issue<\/h3>\n<p>With <em>Be Forever<\/em> coverage now largely over, there was no new article for it in this issue. However, we do find another announcement for the big, shiny <em>Be Forever<\/em> &#8220;Finale Deluxe&#8221; hardcover book.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/M1A1180poster.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>September 16: <em>Middle 1st Age<\/em>, November special issue<\/h3>\n<p>Obunsha&#8217;s student digest for 7th graders issued a large-format test-prep volume that was essentially a big book of homework. To take some of the sting off of it, the first thing kids saw when they opened it was a foldout poster with another reminder for <em>Yamato 3<\/em>. Like most other magazines, it wasn&#8217;t using the roman numerals yet. In fact, there was no explanation in this magazine for what <em>&#8220;Yamato 3&#8221;<\/em> even was, so readers already had a puzzle to solve.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun26\/131b36.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>What&#8217;s Next<\/h3>\n<p>The drive continues as more discoveries are unearthed! Set course for the next Cosmo DNA update (July 15) and dig into another backlog collection that takes us through 1983.<\/p>\n<p><\/br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[155],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vintage-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44177"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44434,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44177\/revisions\/44434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}