{"id":45437,"date":"2025-10-10T12:07:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T19:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=45437"},"modified":"2026-10-10T12:27:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T19:27:06","slug":"newtype1026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/newtype1026\/","title":{"rendered":"NewType<\/em> magazine, November 2026 issue"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Hideaki Anno X Yutaka Izubuchi<\/h3>\n

NEW ROUTE<\/h1>\n

The origins of anime magazines can be traced back to Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>. As NewType<\/em> reaches its 500th issue, the latest information on Space Battleship Yamato \u221a2199<\/em> has coincidentally just been released. Is this also some kind of guidance? Hideaki Anno, who is in charge of directing and executive producing, Yutaka Izubuchi, who is co-directing the film, and NewType<\/em> issue number 500; when we asked them for a conversation that connects with Space Battleship Yamato \u221a2199<\/em>, they kindly agreed. Here we deliver a must-read interview in full.<\/p>\n

Interview by Hisashi Maeda
\nCooperation: Shin Office Academy<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The fun part is just the tip of the iceberg<\/h3>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Our magazine has been indebted to you both since shortly after its founding. Comparing the environment surrounding anime from back then to now, in the Reiwa era, what aspects do you feel have changed?<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> Number 500, huh? That means it\u2019s gone through the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras. I guess the question is, what were those changes? Change is always happening. Sometimes you don\u2019t notice it because you\u2019re always riding the wave of change, but if you look at it objectively, you\u2019ll definitely notice that things have changed.<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right. Things are different inside and outside the industry. From the outside, it probably looks like the economy is doing well right now.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> Yeah. But even when we have a booming economy like the bubble, it doesn\u2019t really affect us that much. We’re always like, “bubble? What\u2019s that? Does it taste good?” (Laughs) For example, in the 80s, the world was excited, but it didn\u2019t particularly benefit those of us working in the anime industry. It was the era of OVAa instead of TV, so there might\u2019ve been a sense of excitement. But even so, there\u2019s still that strange sense of excitement now.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> We’ve reached a time when it\u2019s not uncommon for business magazines and fashion magazines to feature anime.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> that\u2019s right. In the past, newspapers tended to feature articles that viewed things with a skeptical eye, but now they treat them differently.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The anime industry appears to be thriving, which seems to be contributing to this expansion into casual audiences. Given this situation, do you have any thoughts on working on a project like Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>, which is not aimed at casual audiences?<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> the animation industry is still facing various problems. These include the fact that production days are getting longer and longer, and production costs are soaring. While rising labor costs are good for the production side, there is also the reality that disparities in production cost and rising recoup lines are making it difficult to recover investments. <\/p>\n

Setting a recoup line is really difficult. We\u2019re stuck in a situation where we can\u2019t move forward with a work that only appeals to anime fans. The title Yamato<\/em> has now become something only fans possess, but originally it was a work that reached a general audience and was the first to be called anime.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> Yeah.<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> Back then it was even called a social phenomenon, so that was a pivotal moment. Middle school students, high school students, university students, and even older adults could talk about Yamato<\/em> and it was acceptable. The 1980s were a time when reading Shonen Jump<\/em> on the train wouldn\u2019t draw strange looks from those around you. Before that, it was a long-standing era where people would say things like, “Why would a grown-up read manga?” Or “why would someone of that age watch TV manga?” Yamato<\/em> was the first work to break through that barrier. We are planning this project with the desire to somehow preserve a title with that kind of power.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> sorry, I did Yamato 2199<\/em> first. (Laughs)<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> that was really great. If it wasn\u2019t for 2199<\/em>, this project would have been quite difficult. After all, you’re someone who is always at the forefront of the anime industry.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> It’s scary to hear that from you, who created an era with Evangelion<\/em>. (Laugh)<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> you were instrumental in establishing the anime industry’s recognition of your position as a mecha designer. To put it simply, you were one of the very first people, or perhaps even the very first, to enter the industry as a fan, get a proper job, and make a living from it.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> There were people similar to me among my generation, but I guess that might be true.<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> It was you and your team who first created a Gundam<\/em> series directed by someone other than Yoshiyuki Tomino, in the form of Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket<\/em>. And you also directed Yamato<\/em>. If you hadn\u2019t done it, I think the content would\u2019ve been a failure. I don\u2019t think I would\u2019ve been in a position to be involved, either.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> Actually, when we were going to do 2199<\/em>, we had an agreement that I would work with Anno. When the offer came to me, I thought, “this must be my last chance,” so I persevered through various obstacles. But at the time, Anno was in the final stages of working on his Evangelion<\/em> movie, so it was simply too hard for him.<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> I could help out, but it was difficult to contribute to the main story.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> You helped out a little with the opening, title sequence, didn\u2019t you?<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> That was about the extent of what I could do.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> before I started working on 2199<\/em>, I thought, “to work together properly, I\u2019ll save it for my retirement years.\u201d We often talked about that, and this is how I was able to fulfill my promise. That\u2019s about it, I guess.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> As you take on Yamato<\/em>, after much preparation, what are some of the things you’re particularly focused on?<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> Bringing it to life as a movie isn\u2019t just about fulfilling the dream I had for Yamato<\/em> when I was a 14-year-old boy. I also feel that it\u2019s a project to leave Yamato<\/em> for the next generation, and that we need to create a new direction for it. What sets me apart from Izubuchi is that I\u2019m also involved from a business perspective. I\u2019m directing, but I\u2019m also executive producer, so I\u2019m using company money to make it, and I feel the weight of that responsibility as well.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> If you were just working on Yamato<\/em>, you\u2019d probably enjoy it.<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s fun. But the fun part is just the tip of the iceberg. Creating a work of art, not just Yamato<\/em>, is always accompanied by difficulties. Moreover, the project to carry on Yamato<\/em> involves not only creating a new work, but also improving the surrounding circumstances as much as possible, and building an environment where the next generation can easily get involved with Yamato<\/em>. So it\u2019s quite a challenge.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I imagine you\u2019re working toward making \u221a2199<\/em> a great work, but you\u2019re also looking beyond that, aren\u2019t you?<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> Basically, it\u2019s also a way of giving back. Regarding the work itself, neither Izubuchi nor I would be working in anime if it weren\u2019t for Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s true. We have to make sure to leave a record for future generations.<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> Yes. Gundam<\/em> is doing fine. It has become an industry now. But Yamato<\/em> hasn\u2019t reached that point yet. We have to do a lot of things so that it will endure into the future. So it\u2019s not simply a matter of “Yamato<\/em> is finished” and that\u2019s the end of it. There are a lot of challenges, including the methodology for continuing the work, but we will do our best for Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> I think Anno felt that he had to do \u221a2199<\/em> at least once. He had to face the original work and then figure out how to connect it to the next one.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> It seems this has the element of a purification ritual.<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> The reason we put “\u221a<\/em>” [Root] in the title is also a sign of respect for 2199<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> The term root was coined by Anno. It\u2019s good, isn\u2019t it? It can also mean various paths.<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> “\u221a” is a symbol I came up with when I was working on Evangelion<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> Oh, really? (Laughs)<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> I think adding it to 2199<\/em> is fitting for this film’s title in many ways.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Indeed, Yamato<\/em> is imbued with a variety of contexts and emotions. And in doing so, the work will reach a wider audience.<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> As we consider how to deliver it, we’re concerned about the conduct of the media. What should we do? That\u2019s a question that\u2019s been raised recently.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s the problem.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> Basically, about 20 years ago, paper media like NewType<\/em> was still a critical point of activity for how to present a work to readers and viewers. The media used to have a role in providing stimulation. But now, with everyone anonymously posting their opinions, it\u2019s becoming increasingly difficult to create articles that resonate with people. I think it\u2019s tough. But even if that kind of culture changes form, it will still leave things to posterity. In short, I think it takes perseverance to leave behind a work that isn\u2019t just, “I finished eating this, now give me the next one!”<\/p>\n

Anno:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right. I\u2019ve been indebted to NewType<\/em> for a long time, so I offered a never-before-seen illustration here. I think that kind of thing is necessary for those being interviewed as well.<\/p>\n

Izubuchi:<\/em><\/span> These are difficult times, aren\u2019t they?<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I know it must be tough, but I hope you\u2019ll do your best!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Revealed for the first time in NewType<\/em>!<\/h3>\n

Bonbori illustration special alternate cut<\/h2>\n

This illustration is a special alternate version (nother angle of Yamato<\/em>) of the artwork created for the Bonbori Festival held at Asaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, from August 6-9, 2026.<\/p>\n

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

Return to previous article<\/a><\/p>\n

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

Also found in this issue: full-page ad for the third Dawn Chapter novel, “Zarathustra Zone.”<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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