here<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nBe Forever Yamato, REBEL 3199<\/em> is the latest entry in the Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> remake series. It is a reconstruction of Be Forever Yamato<\/em> and Yamato III<\/em>, incorporating new interpretations. Mika Akitaka served as one of the mechanical designers, focusing primarily on the mecha for Dezarium and the Bolar Federation. <\/p>\nAkitaka is a popular designer known for his work on titles such as Martian Successor Nadesico, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ<\/em>, and Galaxy Princess Legend Yun<\/em>. He has said that seeing Yamato<\/em> in real-time as a child left a profound impact on him, an experience that ultimately inspired him to pursue a career in mechanical design. We spoke with Akitaka about his work for REBEL 3199<\/em> and his personal connection to Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/nov26\/Akitaka1026F.JPG\")
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Dezarium: A Fusion of Inorganic and Insect-like Elements<\/h3>\n
Akitaka joined the remake series starting with Yamato 2205<\/em>. While he is primarily responsible for the mecha of Dezarium and the Bolar Federation, his contributions actually extend beyond that. <\/p>\n“The projects for 2205<\/em> and 3199<\/em> began simultaneously, so during the initial meetings, we presented rough concepts for the overall vision and started by working on elements that would appear in 2205<\/em>. For the Dezarium forces, we adapted the Pleiades-class ships and their carrier-based craft, while creating entirely new designs for the Grand Reverse, the battleship Grodez<\/em><\/em>, the fighter craft Alctea, and the intermediate supply base Digablas<\/em>.”<\/p>\n“On the Bolar Federation side, we handled the design of La-Jendora<\/em> and the light attack craft Revut, as well as smaller details like Bemlarze\u2019s office and the ‘blue bird’, a symbol of the revolution. We also produced rough sketches for the ‘Com-Medals.’ The process for these involved taking the initial concepts by character designer Nobuteru Yuuki, refining them based on instructions from Harutoshi Fukui, and then having another team member finalize the technical specifications.”<\/p>\n“On a smaller scale, we also designed items such as the detonation switch for the Grand Reverse and the memory storage media used by Dezarium.”<\/p>\n
The Dezarians claim to be humans from Earth, roughly 1,000 years in the future. Their mechanical designs evoke an unsettling, inscrutable quality.<\/p>\n
“The core concept was to lean into and further emphasize the cold, inorganic aesthetic found in The New Voyage<\/em>, the original work upon which 2205<\/em> is based. Harutoshi Fukui and screenwriter Hideki Oka envisioned Dezarium as having an insect-like society. We blended this inorganic, mechanical feel with insectoid characteristics, incorporating a worldview that includes a figure akin to a queen bee.”<\/p>\nThe appearance of the intermediate supply base Digablas<\/em>, lurking in the dark reaches of space, also generated significant buzz. As a colossal fortress spanning approximately 70 kilometers in width, it left a powerful, lasting impression. <\/p>\n“Ever since we began production on 2205<\/em>, I had been considering what the energy source for the intermediate supply base might be. At the time, the concept of ‘phase energy’ hadn’t yet been fully solidified, so I envisioned a setup where the base was accompanied by two stars, each roughly the size of our own Sun, from which it would draw its energy. I shared this idea with Yuka Minagawa (who handled script and concept management), and she understood the concept.”<\/p>\n“We then incorporated the imagery of energy being focused and absorbed into the intermediate supply base as it appears in the original work. We preserved the fundamental structure and design of the original, keeping them intact. I knew from the start that it would end up being quite large, but considering that its presence causes the cooling of that entire region of space, it\u2019s arguably not even big enough. That said, making it any larger would have led to an inflation of scale, so I had to strike a balance.”<\/p>\n
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The Grodez<\/em> also appears as a state-of-the-art vessel of the Dezarium forces. It was developed by “Mother Dezarium,” based on data gathered during the 2205<\/em> engagement with the Earth-Gamilas Allied Fleet, a conflict that took place during the Iscandar relocation project. Unlike typical Dezarium ships, Grodez<\/em> features a hull design reminiscent of vessels from Earth or Gamilas.<\/p>\n“Grodez<\/em> serves as a rival ship to Yamato<\/em>. Mr. Fukui requested that it possess a ‘cool, heroic quality’, the look of a vessel that keeps fighting until the very end. While the original design concept came from Leiji Matsumoto, we have refined it for a modern audience. Our primary goal was to ensure it would be perceived as undeniably cool. Unlike the disc-shaped Pleiades<\/em>, Grodez<\/em> has an insect-like, chrysalis-inspired silhouette. it carries an air of mystery while still embodying the form of a ‘hero ship.'”<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/nov26\/Akitaka1026B.JPG\")
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Why are the turrets on Bolar Federation ships retractable?<\/h3>\n
Another piece of Bolar Federation hardware that drew attention is La-Jendora<\/em>, commanded by Ram. La-Jendora<\/em> is a test ship built as a next-generation battleship. <\/p>\n“It was decided that La-Jendora<\/em> would appear as early as the pre-production phase of 3199<\/em>, and I was given free rein regarding its arrangement. In the original Yamato III<\/em>, many of the Bolar Federation\u2019s vessels, such as Golsakov\u2019s ship, were referred to by their captain\u2019s name. La-Jendora<\/em> was a rare exception, being a ‘name ship’ with its own distinct designation.”<\/p>\n“Consequently, I approached the design to make it appear as a state-of-the-art vessel. Although it wasn’t part of the original brief, I added a ‘Bolar cannon.’ I proposed the concept that it was the first Bolar ship to be equipped with a Wave-Motion weapon, and this was accepted. In Yamato III<\/em>, the ship meets a poignant end. it\u2019s a ship I\u2019ve loved since back then, so I have a deep personal attachment to it.”<\/p>\nIn the original series, the mechanical designs of the Bolar Federation were modeled after the military hardware of the former Soviet Union. What kind of approach was taken for the designs in this remake series? <\/p>\n
“In the original Yamato III<\/em>, the first half of the designs was handled by [Studio] Submarine, while the second half was the work of Katsumi Itabashi and Yutaka Izubuchi. I wanted to capture the best of both approaches: the unique, alien atmosphere created by Submarine in the first half, and the solid, grounded designs produced by Itabashi and his team in the second half.”<\/p>\n“Due to production schedule constraints, it wasn’t possible to create CG models for every single ship, so I initially submitted three types of rough concepts, what are now the Ganonda, Amanga, and Kurotoga classes. I carefully examined the many Bolar ship designs from the original series and distilled their various elements into these three distinct silhouettes.”<\/p>\n
“The common design concepts are that the bridge is located toward the rear of the hull, and the gun turrets are retractable. As for why the turrets would be retractable, I reasoned that since Bolar ships operate in regions of space dense with interstellar matter, asteroids, and meteoroids, making frequent collisions likely, the turrets were designed to retract to prevent damage. I shared this idea with Mr. Minagawa, who incorporated it into the official setting. The missile launchers on the Kurotoga-class ships, which fire vertically, were inspired by the launch mechanisms found on actual Russian naval vessels.”<\/p>\n
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Admiration for Studio Nue<\/h3>\n
The first Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> television anime series aired in 1974. Akitaka, who was just a boy at the time, was deeply impacted by it. <\/p>\n“I started watching it partway through. My younger sister used to watch Heidi, Girl of the Alps<\/em>, which aired at the same time, so I rarely had a chance to catch it. Then, by chance, I managed to see the episode featuring the planet Beemera from the very beginning. Beyond the brilliance of the opening sequence, I was struck by the design of the ‘Type 100 Scout Craft.’ It was clearly a cut above the mecha seen in other anime at the time. it possessed a realistic texture and atmosphere, much like a prop from a live-action special-effects production from abroad, and it left a deep impression on my young mind: ‘This is something completely different from any anime I\u2019ve seen before.'”<\/p>\nEven as a child, he was captivated by mecha.<\/p>\n
“I was almost exclusively focused on the mecha. (Laughs) I had no interest in anything else, just robots and machinery, so my knowledge of the characters is perhaps a bit thin compared to other fans. With Yamato<\/em>, too, I spent all my time observing the mecha. I used to draw copies of them back then, and the distinctive components of Yamato<\/em> are so ingrained in me that I could still draw them today. I was also strongly drawn to the mecha designs of Gamilas. I was fascinated by the beauty of their unified, purpose-driven design, and in the process of researching them, I discovered the existence of Studio Nue.”<\/p>\nStudio Nue became an object of admiration for Mr. Akitaka. <\/p>\n
“I devoured everything I could find about the works created by Studio Nue. for me, they became the ultimate object of admiration. Although I never had the chance to meet Kazutaka Miyatake in person for many years, I finally had the opportunity at an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of Yamato<\/em>. Later, I was even invited to his home, where I was able to ask a question I\u2019d held for years, finally solving a mystery that had persisted for decades.”<\/p>\n“Legends like Kunio Okawara and Kazutaka Miyatake are the very people who established the foundations of mecha design in Japanese animation, dating back to my own childhood. I was deeply moved to have the chance to speak with them. If I trace the origins of my own mecha design work, for robots, it would be Combattler V<\/em> or Voltes V<\/em>, but at the very root of my approach to mecha in general, there is, without a doubt, Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>.”<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/nov26\/Akitaka1026D.JPG\")
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A constant source of surprise upon viewing the finished footage<\/h3>\n
The final chapter of REBEL 3199<\/em> is set to premiere on October 30. As a long-time Yamato<\/em> fan who also serves as a staff member on this remake series, how does Akitaka perceive the appeal of 3199<\/em>? <\/p>\n“The appeal of Yamato<\/em> has always been its sense of momentum, the way each installment introduces a succession of new mecha and gimmicks, presented through breathtaking visuals. In this current remake series, the creative team, including Harutoshi Fukui, Hideki Oka, Yuka Minagawa, and Shinya Ogura, has taken all those original elements and gimmicks, crafted a compelling and coherent framework for them, and woven them into a tightly knit, unified narrative. Their structural mastery is truly remarkable.”<\/p>\n“Even though I\u2019ve participated in pre-production meetings and reviewed the storyboards, every time I see the finished footage, I\u2019m struck with the same surprise as any other fan: ‘So this is how it turned out!’ The scene at the end of Chapter 5, where Yamato<\/em> surfaces in modern-day Shinjuku, was an absolutely staggering visual experience, even though I already knew what was going to happen.”<\/p>\nSpace Battleship Yamato<\/em> celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. While the 3199<\/em> series is set to conclude with its seventh chapter, there is much to look forward to in terms of future developments.<\/p>\n“As we mark this 50th anniversary, I\u2019m excited, just as any fan would be, to see what new Yamato<\/em> projects might emerge, including the one being helmed by Hideaki Anno. The remake series, which began with 2199<\/em>, has consistently respected the original work, a beloved classic, and the sentiments of its fans, while updating the material for the present day. I hope to see the franchise continue to expand well beyond just these remakes, and if the opportunity arises, I would love to remain involved in the world of Yamato<\/em>.”<\/p>\nEven when 3199<\/em> reaches its conclusion, the voyage is far from over. The future of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> holds endless possibilities.<\/p>\n<\/br><\/p>\n
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