is a Japanese
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series produced and written by
Yoshinobu Nishizaki
was a Japanese film producer best known as one of the two co-creators of the anime series ''Space Battleship Yamato''. He was sometimes credited as ''Yoshinori Nishizaki''. He was born in 1934 and graduated from the Nihon University Art Departme ...
, directed by
manga artist
A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan.
Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...
Leiji Matsumoto
is a Japanese mangaka, creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist.
Early life
Matsumoto was the middle child of a family of seven brothers, and, in his early childhood, Matsumoto was given a 35m ...
, and produced by Academy Productions. The series aired in
Yomiuri TV
JOIX-DTV (channel 10), branded as , is the Kansai region flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned by the subsidiary of the eponymous Yomiuri Shimbun#Yomiuri Group, Yomi ...
from October 6, 1974 to March 30, 1975, totaling up to 26 episodes. It revolves around the character
Susumu Kodai
is a fictional character appearing in ''Space Battleship Yamato''. In the ''Star Blazers'' localization, he is known as Derek Wildstar, also known as Jason Kodai in the English dub of the first ''Yamato'' movie.
Character commentary
In the se ...
(Derek Wildstar in the English version) and an international crew from Earth, tasked during an interstellar war to go into space aboard the space warship ''
Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan.
Japanese his ...
,''
derived from the World War II battleship of the same name, in response to a message of aid from the planet Iscandar in order to retrieve a device which is able to reverse the radiation infecting Earth after being bombed by the Gamilas (Gamilons).
''Space Battleship Yamato'' is one of the most influential anime series in Japan. Its turn toward serious themes and complex storylines influenced future works in the medium, including ''
Gundam
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile ...
'', ''
Evangelion'', and ''
Macross
is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and the ...
,'' in addition to video games such as ''
Space Invaders
is a 1978 shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Tomohiro Nishikado. It was manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and licensed to the Midway division of Bally for overseas distribution. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed shooter and set ...
''.
Development
The first ideas for what would eventually be ''Space Battleship Yamato'' began in 1973 by producer
Yoshinobu Nishizaki
was a Japanese film producer best known as one of the two co-creators of the anime series ''Space Battleship Yamato''. He was sometimes credited as ''Yoshinori Nishizaki''. He was born in 1934 and graduated from the Nihon University Art Departme ...
, but the project underwent a number of revisions and overhauls before settling on the final design. The team responsible for the creation of ''Space Battleship Yamato'' consisted of
Yoshinobu Nishizaki
was a Japanese film producer best known as one of the two co-creators of the anime series ''Space Battleship Yamato''. He was sometimes credited as ''Yoshinori Nishizaki''. He was born in 1934 and graduated from the Nihon University Art Departme ...
, Keisuke Fujikawa,
Eiichi Yamamoto
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter of anime. He is known for directing the Animerama film series conceived by Osamu Tezuka. Yamamoto directed ten films between 1962 and 1986. His 1973 film ''Kanashimi no Belladonna'' was entered into ...
and Aritsune Toyota. It was initially planned to be a
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...
, and Nishizaki was inspired to create something set in space after reading ''
Methuselah's Children
''Methuselah's Children'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. Originally serialized in ''Astounding Science Fiction'' in the July, August, and September 1941 issues, it was expanded into a full-length novel in 1958. ...
''. Aritsune Toyota offered his 1970 novel as a further source of inspiration for Nishizaki.
In 1973, works such as ''
The Poseidon Adventure'' and ''
Japan Sinks
is a disaster novel by Japanese writer Sakyo Komatsu, published in 1973. Komatsu took nine years to complete the work. It was published in two volumes, both released at the same time. The novel received the 27th Mystery Writers of Japan Award ...
'' were enjoying considerable success.
Eiichi Yamamoto
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter of anime. He is known for directing the Animerama film series conceived by Osamu Tezuka. Yamamoto directed ten films between 1962 and 1986. His 1973 film ''Kanashimi no Belladonna'' was entered into ...
believed this was because of the way in which they depicted people being able to survive in extreme circumstances, and this influenced the creation of ''Yamato''. Additionally, he believed that, overall,
industrialisation
Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
caused people to become more miserable, and ''Yamato'' was designed to show a triumph of humanity and love.
Originally intended to be an outer-space variation on ''
Lord of the Flies
''Lord of the Flies'' is a 1954 novel by the Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves. Themes i ...
'', the project at first was titled "Asteroid Ship
Icarus
In Greek mythology, Icarus (; grc, Ἴκαρος, Íkaros, ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos suspe ...
" and had a crew from all over the world journeying through space in a hollowed-out asteroid in search of the planet Iscandar. There was to be much discord among the crew with many of them acting purely out of self-interest and for personal gain. The enemy aliens were originally called Rajendora. The Rajendorians were
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
s whose exact form was unknown, and it was to be revealed towards the end of the story that the Rajendorians, along with the rest of the life on their home planet, had died over a hundred years ago.
The first rough draft of ''Yamato'' came towards the end of summer 1973, where the Yamato (named as such by Nishizaki) was a regular spaceship, that used a large rock as a shell, and the story was notably darker. Heavier emphasis was placed on the character's flaws, who were overall more misanthropic, and only one of them would survive until the end of the series.
The production of ''Yamato'' in its conceptual stage was overseen by
Eiichi Yamamoto
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter of anime. He is known for directing the Animerama film series conceived by Osamu Tezuka. Yamamoto directed ten films between 1962 and 1986. His 1973 film ''Kanashimi no Belladonna'' was entered into ...
, until 1974, when he had to leave to work on a documentary film. As a replacement,
Toshio Masuda, who had worked on ''
Tora! Tora! Tora!
''Tora! Tora! Tora!'' ( ja, トラ・トラ・トラ!) is a 1970 epic film, epic war film that dramatizes the Empire of Japan, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The film was produced by Elmo Williams and directed by Richard Fleischer, T ...
'', was considered, but had to decline as he had other projects of his own to focus own, though he would become involved in the production of
the 1977 film. The role was given to
Leiji Matsumoto
is a Japanese mangaka, creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist.
Early life
Matsumoto was the middle child of a family of seven brothers, and, in his early childhood, Matsumoto was given a 35m ...
, who had at an earlier stage declined an offer, due to his desire to have complete creative control. Matsumoto overhauled the story, designing the titular ship after the
IJN ''Yamato'', its crew, and the Wave Motion Gun, which came from ''Sexaroid'', an erotic comedy manga written by Matsumoto in 1968.
In the earliest stages of production, ''Space Battleship Yamato'' was planned to be 52 episodes in length, before reducing this to 39, and ultimately, 26. The bulk of the cut content centered around Gamilas, who had more characters, and more complex motivations and goals. Additionally, in this earlier stage, the Yamato's battles were more closely tied to events in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
– for example, the battle near
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...
in the first episode represented
Germany circumventing the
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line (french: Ligne Maginot, ), named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany and force the ...
.
The first draft for ''Space Battleship Yamato'' was completed on May 21, 1974. In August, a ten minute
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
was created, with at least nine copies being sent to the relevant organisations, and, after the pilot's success, pre-production of
the anime began, with the first episode airing in October that year. The original series contained 26 episodes, following the ''Yamato''s voyage out of the Milky Way and back again. A continuing story, it featured the declining health of ''Yamato''s Captain Okita (Avatar in the ''Star Blazers'' dub), and the transformation of the brash young orphan Susumu Kodai (Derek Wildstar) into a mature officer, as well as his budding romance with female crewmember Yuki Mori (Nova Forrester). The foreign edits tend to play up the individual characters, while the Japanese original is often more focused on the ship itself.
In a speech at the 1995 Anime Expo, series episode director
Noboru Ishiguro
was a Japanese animator best known for directing the anime series ''Space Battleship Yamato II'', '' Super Dimension Fortress Macross'', '' Super Dimension Century Orguss'', ''Humanoid Monster Bem
is a 26-episode Japanese anime tel ...
said low ratings and high production expenses forced producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki to trim down the episode count from the original 39 episodes to only 26. The cut episodes would have introduced
Captain Harlock
is a fictional character and protagonist of the '' Space Pirate Captain Harlock'' manga series created by Leiji Matsumoto.
Harlock is the archetypical Romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as ...
as a new series character.
Plot
In the year 2199, an alien race known as Gamilas (Gamilons in the English ''
Star Blazers
''Star Blazers'' is an American animated television series adaptation of the Japanese anime series . ''Star Blazers'' was first broadcast in the United States in 1979. It was the first popular English-translated anime that had an overarching plo ...
'' dub) unleash radioactive
meteorite
A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the ...
bombs on Earth, rendering the planet's surface uninhabitable. Humanity has retreated into deep underground cities, but the radioactivity is slowly affecting them as well, with humanity's extinction estimated in one year. Earth has a space fleet, but they do not yet have interstellar capability, and they are hopelessly outclassed by Gamilas. All seems lost until a message capsule from a mysterious crashed spaceship is retrieved on Mars. The capsule yields blueprints for a
faster-than-light
Faster-than-light (also FTL, superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...
engine and an offering of help from Queen Starsha of the planet Iscandar in the
Large Magellanic Cloud
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), or Nubecula Major, is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. At a distance of around 50 kiloparsecs (≈160,000 light-years), the LMC is the second- or third-closest galaxy to the Milky Way, after the ...
. She says that her planet has a device, the Cosmo-Cleaner D (Cosmo DNA), which can cleanse Earth of its radiation damage.
The inhabitants of Earth secretly build a massive spaceship inside the ruins of the gigantic which lies exposed at the former bottom of the ocean location where she was
sunk in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. This becomes the "Space Battleship Yamato" for which the story is titled. In the English ''Star Blazers'' dub, the ship is noted as being the historical ''Yamato'', but is then renamed the ''
Argo
In Greek mythology the ''Argo'' (; in Greek: ) was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of sour ...
'' (after the ship of
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
and the
Argonauts
The Argonauts (; Ancient Greek: ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, '' Argo'', ...
).
Using Starsha's blueprints, they equip the new ship with a space warp drive, called the "wave motion engine", and in an apparently unexpected move, weaponize the technology to create a new, incredibly powerful weapon at the bow called the "Wave Motion Gun". The is capable of converting
tachyon
A tachyon () or tachyonic particle is a hypothetical particle that always travels faster than light. Physicists believe that faster-than-light particles cannot exist because they are not consistent with the known laws of physics. If such partic ...
particles which travel faster than light and enables the ''Yamato'' to "ride" the wave of tachyons and travel faster than light. The , also called the Dimensional Wave Motion Explosive Compression Emitter, is the "trump card" of the ''Yamato'' that functions by connecting the Wave Motion Engine to the enormous firing gate at the ship's bow, enabling the tachyon energy power of the engine to be fired in a stream directly forwards. Enormously powerful, it can vaporize a fleet of enemy ships—or a small continent (as seen in the
first season, fifth episode)—with one shot; however, it takes a brief but critical period to charge before firing.
A crew of 114 departs for Iscandar in the ''Yamato'' to retrieve the radiation-removing device and return to Earth within the one-year deadline. Along the way, they discover the motives of their blue-skinned adversaries: the planet Gamilas, sister planet to Iscandar, is dying; and its leader, Lord Dessler (Desslok in the ''Star Blazers'' dub), is trying to irradiate Earth enough for his people to move there, at the expense of the "barbarians" he considers humanity to be.
Film edition
The series was condensed into a 130-minute-long movie by combining elements from a few key episodes of the first season. Additional animation was created for the movie (such as the scenes on Iscandar) or recycled from the series' test footage (such as the opening sequence). The movie, which was released in Japan on August 6, 1977, was edited down further and dubbed into English in 1978; entitled ''Space Cruiser Yamato'' or simply ''Space Cruiser'', it was only given a limited theatrical release in Europe and Latin America, where it was called ' (''Star Patrol'', in Brazilian Portuguese) or ' (''Starship Intrepid'', in Spanish), though it was later released on video in most countries.
Sequels
''Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato'' (1978)
The success of the ''Yamato'' movie in Japan eclipsed that of the local release of ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', leading to the production of a second movie that would end the story. Also going by the name '' Yamato'', ''Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato'', set in the year 2201, shows the ''Yamato'' crew going up against the White Comet Empire, a mobile city fortress called Gatlantis, from the
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy (IPA: ), also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224 and originally the Andromeda Nebula, is a barred spiral galaxy with the diameter of about approximately from Earth and the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way. The gala ...
. A titanic space battle results in the crew going out on a suicide mission to save humanity. The film has been considered as a non-canonical, alternate timeline.
''Space Battleship Yamato II'' (1978)
Viewer dissatisfaction with the ending of ''Arrivederci Yamato'' prompted the production of a second ''Yamato'' television season which
retcon
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
ned the film and presented a slightly different plot against Zōdah (Prince Zordar in the ''Star Blazers'' dub) and his Comet Empire, and ended without killing off the ''Yamato'' or its primary characters. Like ''Arrivederci'', the story is set in the year 2201, and expands the film story to 26 episodes. This second season featured additional plots such as a love story between Teresa (Trelaina) and ''Yamato'' crew member Daisuke Shima (Mark Venture), and an onboard antagonism between Kodai and Saito (Knox), leader of a group of
space marine
The space marine, an archetype of military science fiction, is a kind of soldier who operates in outer space or on alien worlds. Historical marines fulfill multiple roles: ship defence, boarding actions, landing parties, and general-purpose hi ...
s.
Footage from ''Arrivederci Yamato'' was reused in the second season, particularly in the opening titles. The sequence of the ''Yamato'' launching from water was also reused in two of the subsequent movies.
''Yamato: The New Voyage'' (1979)
The television movie ''Yamato: The New Voyage'' (aka ''Bon Voyage Yamato''), came next, featuring a new enemy, the Black Nebula Empire. The story opens in late 2201. In the film, later modified into a theatrical movie, Dessler sees his homeworld, Gamilas, destroyed by the grey-skinned aliens, and its twin planet Iscandar next in line for invasion. He finds an eventual ally in the ''Yamato'', then on a training mission under deputy captain Kodai.
''Be Forever Yamato'' (1980)
The theatrical movie ''Be Forever Yamato'', set in the year 2202, sees the Black Nebula Empire launch a powerful weapon at Earth, a hyperon bomb which will annihilate humanity if they resist a full-scale invasion. The ''Yamato'', under new captain, Yamanami, travels to the aliens' home galaxy only to discover what appears to be a future Earth—defeated and ruled by the enemy. Appearing in this film is Sasha, the daughter of Queen Starsha of Iscandar and Mamoru Kodai (Susumu's older brother).
''Space Battleship Yamato III'' (1980)
Following these movies, a third season of the television series was produced, broadcast on Japanese television in 1980. Its date was not mentioned in the broadcast, but design documents, as well as
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
industry publications, cited the year 2205 as the time it takes place. In the story, the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
is hit by a stray proton missile from a nearby battle between forces of the Galman Empire and Bolar Federation. This missile greatly accelerates
nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles ( neutrons or protons). The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifest ...
in the Sun, and humanity must either evacuate to a new home or find a means of preventing a
supernova
A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. It has the plural form supernovae or supernovas, and is abbreviated SN or SNe. This transient astronomical event occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or when ...
. During the course of the story, it is learned that the people of the Galman Empire are actually the forebears of Dessler and the Gamilas race. Dessler and the remnants of his space fleet have found and liberated Galman from the Bolar Federation. Originally conceived as a 52-episode story, funding cuts meant the season had to be truncated to 25 episodes, with a corresponding loss of overall story development. This third season was adapted into English several years after the original ''Star Blazers'' run and, to the dissatisfaction of fans, used different voice actors than the earlier seasons.
''Final Yamato'' (1983)
Premiering in Japanese theaters on March 19, 1983, ''Final Yamato'' reunites the crew one more time to combat the threat of the Denguilu, a militaristic alien civilization that intends to use the water planet, Aquarius, to flood Earth and resettle there, having lost their home planet to a galactic collision. Captain Okita, who was found to be in cryogenic sleep since the first season, returns to command the ''Yamato'' and sacrifices himself to stop the Denguili's plan. Kodai and Yuki also get married.
The story is set in the year 2203, contradicting earlier assumptions that its predecessor, ''Yamato III'', took place in 2205.
''Yamato: Resurrection'' (2009)
Although
''New Space Battleship Yamato'' was abandoned, Nishizaki promptly began work on a new movie titled , set after the original series, while Matsumoto planned a new ''Yamato series''. However, additional legal conflicts stalled both projects until August 2008, when Nishizaki announced plans for the release of his film on December 12, 2009.
Set 17 years after the events of ''Final Yamato'', ''Resurrection'' brings together some members of the ''Yamato'' crew, who lead Earth's inhabitants to resettle in a far-flung star system after a black hole which will destroy the solar system in three months is discovered.
Spin-offs
''Yamato 2520'' (1995)
In the mid-1990s, Nishizaki attempted to create a sequel to ''Yamato'', set hundreds of years after the original. ''Yamato 2520'' was to chronicle the adventures of the eighteenth starship to bear the name, and its battle against the Seiren Federation. Much of the continuity established in the original series (including the destruction of Earth's moon) is ignored in this sequel.
In place of Leiji Matsumoto, American artist
Syd Mead, known for works such as ''
∀ Gundam
, also stylized as ''∀ Gundam'', is a 1999 Japanese mecha anime series produced by Sunrise, and aired between 1999 and 2000 on Japan's FNN networks. It was created for the ''Gundam Big Bang'' 20th Anniversary celebration, and is the eig ...
'', and ''
Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
'', provided the conceptual art.
Due to the bankruptcy of Nishizaki's company West Cape Corp (former Academy Productions), and legal disputes with Matsumoto over the ownership of the ''Yamato'' copyrights, the series was never finished and only three episodes (out of ten) were produced and released on
home video
Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming me ...
.
''Great Yamato No. Zero'' (2004)
is the second
original animated video
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
based on ''Space Battleship Yamato''. It was released in five episodes from 2004 to 2007. Its first episode was temporarily available for streaming online in 2007. Unable to continue his plans for the ''
Great Yamato
is a Japanese science fiction anime series produced and written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, directed by Mangaka, manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, and produced by Academy Productions. The series aired in Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, Yomiuri T ...
'' project after a copyright shift in March 2002, Leiji Matsumoto radically redesigned the ship and staffed it with a completely new crew starting with modified versions of his ''Great Yamato'' characters.
The story begins in 3199, when a mighty enemy attacks the
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye ...
from a neighbouring galaxy, and defeats the Milky Way Alliance, reducing them to just six fleets. After the Alliance headquarters is destroyed, and when the collapse of the central Milky Way Alliance is imminent, the ''Great Yamato "Zero"'' embarks on a mission to assist the Milky Way Alliance in one last great battle.
''New Space Battleship Yamato'' (2004, cancelled)
In March 2002, a Tokyo court ruled that Yoshinobu Nishizaki legally owned the ''Yamato'' copyrights. Nishizaki and Matsumoto eventually settled,
and Nishizaki pushed ahead with developing a new Yamato television series. Project proposals for a 26-episode television series were drawn up in early 2004, but no further work was done with Tohoku Shinsha not backing the project. American series expert Tim Eldred was able to secure a complete package of art, mecha designs, and story outline at an auction over Japanese store Mandarake in April 2014.
Set 20 years after ''Final Yamato'', the series would have shown Susumu Kodai leading a salvage operation for the remains of the ''Yamato''. The ship is rebuilt as the Earth Defense Force builds a second Space Battleship Yamato to combat the Balbard Empire, an alien race that has erected a massive honeycombed cage called Ru Sak Gar over Earth, in a bid to stop the human race's spacefaring efforts. A feature film to be released after the series ended would have featured the original space battleship fighting the Balbards' attempt to launch a black hole at Earth. Kodai, Yuki, and Sanada are the only original series characters who would have returned in the series.
Remakes
Live-action film (2010)
Released on December 1, 2010, ''Space Battleship Yamato'' is the franchise's first live-action film. Directed by
Takashi Yamazaki
is a Japanese visual effects artist, television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. He won the Director of the Year and Screenplay of the Year awards at the Japan Academy Film Prize in 2006 for '' Always: Sunset on Third Street''. He ...
, the movie stars
Takuya Kimura
is a Japanese actor, singer, and radio personality. He is regarded as a Japanese icon after achieving success as an actor. He was also a popular member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy bands in Asia.
A 1996 television drama series, ''Long ...
as Susumu Kodai and
Meisa Kuroki
Satsuki Shimabukuro (Japanese: 島袋 さつき, ''Shimabukuro Satsuki'', b. 28 May 1988 in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan), better known by her stage name Meisa Kuroki (Japanese: 黒木 メイサ, ''Kuroki Meisa''), is a Japanese actress, model an ...
as Yuki. It was revealed originally that the plot would be based on that of the 1974 series.
However, an official trailer released during June 2010 on Japanese television has also shown elements from the series'
second season (1978). The film had a budget of over ¥2 billion,
and was the fourth highest grossing Japanese live-action film of the year,
and the 31st highest grossing Japanese film
of all time at the time of release.
''Yamato 2199'' (2012)
Debuting in Japanese cinemas on April 7, 2012, ''2199'' is a remake of the 1974 series.
Yutaka Izubuchi
is a Japanese anime designer, screenwriter and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical (both robots and other vehicles). He created and directed the ''RahXephon'' se ...
serves as supervising director, with character designs by
Nobuteru Yuki
Nobuteru (written: 伸晃, 信輝 or 亘輝) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
* (born 1957), Japanese politician
* (born 1965), Japanese singer-songwriter
*Nobuteru Mori
Nobuteru Mori was a Japanese busin ...
, and Junichiro Tamamori and Makoto Kobayashi in charge of mecha and conceptual designs. The series is a joint project of
Xebec
A xebec ( or ), also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. Xebecs had a long overhanging bowsprit and aft-set mizzen mast. The term can also refer to a small, fast vessel of the sixteenth to nineteenth ...
and
AIC AIC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Alice in Chains, American rock band
* Alice in Chains: AIC 23, a 2013 mockumentary
* Anime International Company, a Japanese animation studio
* Art Institute of Chicago, an art museum in Chicago
Busin ...
.
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animator, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for creating the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (1995)''.'' His style is defined by his postmodernist approach and the extensive portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotio ...
designed the new series' opening sequence.
''Yamato 2202'' (2017)
The sequel to the first remake
heptalogy
A heptalogy (; from Greek ἑπτα- '' hepta-'', "seven" and -λογία ''-logia'', "discourse"), also known as a septology, is a compound literary or narrative work that is made up of seven distinct works. While not in wide usage, it has been ...
, and debuting in Japanese cinemas on February 25, 2017, ''2202'' is a remake of the second series, with Nobuyoshi Habara as director and Harutoshi Fukui as writer. Most of the staff and original cast from the first remake were brought back to the project. It is animated by
Xebec
A xebec ( or ), also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. Xebecs had a long overhanging bowsprit and aft-set mizzen mast. The term can also refer to a small, fast vessel of the sixteenth to nineteenth ...
.
''Yamato 2205'' (2021)
The sequel to the second remake heptalogy, it debuted in Japanese cinemas on October 8, 2021. ''2205'' is a remake of the film ''
Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage''. Kenji Yasuda directed the film while Harutoshi Fukui returned as writer. It is the first ''Yamato'' work animated by
Satelight
is a Japanese animation studio. Aside from several stand-alone projects, the studio is well known for producing the '' Aquarion'' and '' Symphogear'' franchises, as well as later installments of the ''Macross'' franchise. The company's Represen ...
.
''Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199''
An upcoming sequel in the remake series, ''3199'' is presumably a remake of ''
Be Forever Yamato
is a 1980 Japanese science fiction anime film and the fourth film (third theatrical) based on the classic anime series ''Space Battleship Yamato'' (known as '' Star Blazers'' in the United States). The film is unique for switching from monaural ...
'' with which it shares a subtitle. Staff is currently unannounced.
Timeline(s)
With the retelling of ''Arrivederci Yamato'' as the open-ended ''Yamato II'' television series (ending in late 2201), ''Arrivederci'' was redesignated as a discardable, alternate timeline. The follow-on film, ''Yamato: The New Voyage'', took place in late 2201; and its successor, ''Be Forever Yamato'', in early 2202. ''Yamato III'' was commonly believed to be set in 2205 (several printed publications used this date, although it was never stated in the show's broadcast). But the following film, ''Final Yamato'', was set in 2203. The opening narration of ''Final'' mentioned the Bolar/Galman conflict, implying that the date for ''Yamato III'' was to be regarded as some time between 2202 and 2203 (making for an unrealistic and compressed timeline).
It is not known if this change was due to the lackluster response to ''Yamato III'', the production staff's dissatisfaction with the truncated series (additionally, Nishizaki and Matsumoto had limited involvement with it), or a mere oversight.
In 2220, the ship is rebuilt following the events of ''Final Yamato''. The new captain of the ship is Susumu Kodai, who was the main character in the previous movies. It is stated in ''Space Battleship Yamato: Resurrection'' that it is set 17 years after ''Final Yamato''.
Original continiuty
* 2199–2200: ''Space Battleship Yamato'' (1974–1975) / ''
Yamato the Movie'' (1977)
* 2201: ''
Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato
, also called ''Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato'' or ''Arrivederci Yamato'', is the second film based on the classic manga and anime series ''Space Battleship Yamato'' (known as ''Star Blazers'' in the United States) and the sequel to ''Space ...
'' (1978) / ''
Space Battleship Yamato II
, also known as ''Star Blazers: The Comet Empire'' or ''Star Blazers II'', is a Japanese military science fiction anime series produced by Academy Productions. It is the sequel to ''Space Battleship Yamato'' and an adaptation of the movie '' Ar ...
'' (1978–1979), ''
Yamato: The New Voyage'' (1979)
* 2202: ''
Be Forever Yamato
is a 1980 Japanese science fiction anime film and the fourth film (third theatrical) based on the classic anime series ''Space Battleship Yamato'' (known as '' Star Blazers'' in the United States). The film is unique for switching from monaural ...
'' (1980) (present)
* 2203: ''
Space Battleship Yamato III
, also known as ''Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars'', is a Japanese military science fiction anime series produced by Academy Productions. It is the sequel to ''Space Battleship Yamato II'' created by Yoshinobu Nishizaki and Leiji Matsumoto. It a ...
'' (1980–1981), ''
Final Yamato
is a 1983 Japanese anime epic science fiction film and the fifth film (fourth theatrical) of the ''Space Battleship Yamato'' saga (known as '' Star Blazers'' in the United States). Its extended 70mm cut was the longest animated film in the wor ...
'' (1983)
* 2220: ''
Space Battleship Yamato: Resurrection'' (2009)
* 2402: ''Be Forever Yamato'' (future)
* 2520: ''
Yamato 2520
was Yoshinobu Nishizaki's attempt at a sequel to ''Space Battleship Yamato'', set several hundred years after the original series. However, Nishizaki was sued by Leiji Matsumoto for breach of copyright. Ultimately, ''Yamato 2520'' was left un ...
'' (1995–1996)
* 3199: ''
Great Yamato No. 0'' (2004–2007)
Remakes
* 2199–2200:
''Space Battleship Yamato'' (2010, live action) / ''
Yamato 2199'' (2012–2013), ''
Odyssey of the Celestial Ark'' (2014)
* 2202: ''
Space Battleship Yamato 2202'' (2017–2019)
* 2205: ''
Space Battleship Yamato 2205'' (2021–2022)
* 2207: ''Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199'' (present)
* 3199: ''Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199'' (future)
Staff
Manga
''Space Battleship Yamato'' (1974)
Leiji Matsumoto
is a Japanese mangaka, creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist.
Early life
Matsumoto was the middle child of a family of seven brothers, and, in his early childhood, Matsumoto was given a 35m ...
had written adaptations of ''Space Battleship Yamato'', published in
Akita Shoten
is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Teio Akita on 10 August 1948. As of 2020, the company's president is Shigeru Higuchi.
Magazines Male-oriented manga magazines ''Shōnen'' magazines
* – Bimo ...
's
''
Bōken Ō
''Bōken Ō'' (冒険王, "Adventure King") was a monthly magazine for youth published by Akita Shoten between 1949 and 1983. It was among the first generation of children's comic magazines after World War II and was initially focused on publis ...
'' magazine from November 1974 issue (released on October 1) to May 1975 issue (published on April 1) and collected into one volume,
and ''Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato'', published from July 1978 issue (released on June 1) to December 1979 issue (published on November 1) and collected into two volumes.
Also included in the third volume is the gaiden manga ''Eternal Story of Jura'', originally published in 1976 in Akita Shoten's ''Playcomic'' periodical.
Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment is an American publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original English-language manga, but now publishes licensed manga and light novels from Japan, as we ...
licensed the manga in 2017 and released it in English as hardcover omnibus ''Space Battleship Yamato: The Classic Collection'' on April 9, 2019.
''Great Yamato'' (2000)
is a manga created by Leiji Matsumoto during his tenure as a copyright holder for ''Space Battleship Yamato'' (1998-2002). It was published in
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.
Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hit ...
's monthly magazine ''Gotta Comics'' from February 2000 to October 2001 and partially collected into two volumes. It was set in the year 3199 and brought together the distant descendants of the Yamato crew to lift off in a much bigger version of the original ship. In 2001 Matsumoto,
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
, and composer Hiroshi Miyagawa released a music album ''Symphonic Suite Great Yamato''. In early 2002 Matsumoto announced his intentions to create an anime titled ''The Great Galaxy Series: The Tale of Great Yamato 7vs7''. But ''Great Yamato'' was cut short when a court order in Japan blocked Matsumoto's further use of the copyright in March 2002.
Video games
Arcade game
''Space Battleship Yamato'' was a 1985 Japanese exclusive Laserdisc video game designed by
Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
which was based on the television series of the same name.
''Game Machine'' listed ''Space Battleship Yamato'' on their August 1, 1985 issue as being the second most-successful upright/cockpit arcade unit of the month.
Game Boy game
Released in 1992 for the
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...
, ''Space Battleship Yamato'' is a
turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy (TBS) game is a Strategy video game, strategy game (usually some type of wargaming, wargame, especially a wargaming#Unit or map scale, strategic-level wargame) where players take Time-keeping systems in games, turns when pla ...
game, with the player fighting against Dessler. The player can move a few places on the battlefield at a time, and, if they encounter an enemy, it will start a
shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of chara ...
section that they must complete without losing all their ''Cosmo Tigers'' in order to advance.
''The Distant Planet Iscandar''
Released in 1999 for the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
, the game's story is based on original ''Yamato'' series, but incorporates events from
Leiji Matsumoto
is a Japanese mangaka, creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist.
Early life
Matsumoto was the middle child of a family of seven brothers, and, in his early childhood, Matsumoto was given a 35m ...
's manga.
The game requires the player to manage the Yamato, and its crew, flying the ship, attacking enemies, and using individual crewmen to invade enemy territory.
''Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, Soldiers of Love''
Released in May 2000 for the PlayStation, this game is based on the events of ''
Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato
, also called ''Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato'' or ''Arrivederci Yamato'', is the second film based on the classic manga and anime series ''Space Battleship Yamato'' (known as ''Star Blazers'' in the United States) and the sequel to ''Space ...
'' and ''
Space Battleship Yamato II
, also known as ''Star Blazers: The Comet Empire'' or ''Star Blazers II'', is a Japanese military science fiction anime series produced by Academy Productions. It is the sequel to ''Space Battleship Yamato'' and an adaptation of the movie '' Ar ...
''. It features the same basic gameplay as ''The Faraway Planet Iscandar'', but allows for a branching story, with events coming from either ''Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato'' or ''Space Battleship Yamato II''.
''The Tracks of Heroes''
Released in September 2000 for the PlayStation, this game is an original series fan disc based on the Leiji Matsumoto's 1976 manga ''Eternal Story of Jura''.
''Reminiscences of Iscandar''
The first
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
''Yamato'' game, released in 2004, ''Reminiscences of Iscandar'' is more action-oriented than previous titles, focusing more on combat between the Yamato and Gamilas, rather than micromanaging the crew, though it is heavy on dialogue and
cutscene
A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
s, which make up the majority of the content of the game.
''Counterattack of the Dark Nebula''
A March 2005 game, and the first ''Yamato'' game to be a
third-person shooter
Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'em ...
, but still offers a branching story like the other games.
It is the second in the PS2 trilogy of ''Yamato'' games.
''Collapse of the Double Galaxy''
An April 2005 game, and the third in the PS2 trilogy of ''Yamato'' games.
Pachinko games
Three
pachinko
is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the West as a form of low-stakes, low-st ...
games for ''Space Battleship Yamato'' have been created, released in 2007, 2009, and 2013.
Typing games
Three separate ''Yamato''
typing games have been released – ''Typing Wave-Motion Gun'' (2000), ''Typing Warp (2001)'', and ''Typing Dispersion Wave-Motion Gun (2001)''.
Merchandise
Due to its extensive financial success, ''Space Battleship Yamato'' has since its release seen a long line of merchandise.
Starting in 1974, many Yamato-themed products have been sold, including clothing, tableware, stationery, and models of the characters, with the ''Cosmo Tigers'' and ''Yamato'' itself receiving particular attention. Additionally, models of Dessler's fleet were available, and at the time it was uncommon for the villain's ships or
mecha
In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
to be sold.
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
was responsible for most of the merchandising, and their choice to sponsor ''Space Battleship Yamato'' at such an early stage of its production is considered influential in the company's financial success.
Bandai produced an extensive number of models of the ''Yamato'', in a variety of sizes, the largest, and most elaborate one being a 70 cm (27.5 inch) model released in 2007. The ship comes with a
remote control
In electronics, a remote control (also known as a remote or clicker) is an electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operate devices such as ...
, designed to look like the Wave-Motion Gun's
pistol grip
On a firearm or other tools, a pistol grip is a distinctly protruded handle underneath the main mechanism, to be held by the user's hand at a more vertical (and thus more ergonomic) angle, similar to the how one would hold a conventional pist ...
, with which the ''Yamato's'' shutters, main and auxiliary guns, pulse lasers, and Wave-Motion Gun can all be interacted with. The ship was sold for ¥47,250 ($450).
Legacy and impact
Initially, ''Space Battleship Yamato'' was ignored – the original 1974 anime was forced to halve its episode count due to low ratings and viewership. However, with the release of the 1977 film, it had a surge in popularity, and ultimately achieved a
cult status
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. During the original broadcast, despite the general lack of interest,
Leiji Matsumoto
is a Japanese mangaka, creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist.
Early life
Matsumoto was the middle child of a family of seven brothers, and, in his early childhood, Matsumoto was given a 35m ...
received a "very surprising" amount of
fan mail
Fan mail is mail sent to a public figure, especially a celebrity, by their admirers or "fans". In return for a fan's support and admiration, public figures may send an autographed poster, photo, reply letter or note thanking their fans for the ...
from women who had watched the show, which came as a surprise due to the fact he had intended for it to be watched mostly by a male audience.
Prior to the release of ''Yamato'' in 1974,
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
was called ''terebi
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
'' (TV manga). The success of ''Yamato'', both because of its tone and themes that were ambitious for an anime at that time, and the fact it was an original work, made it influential in the move towards the term anime.
Cultural impact
''Space Battleship Yamato'' is one of the most influential anime series in Japan. Its turn toward serious themes and complex storylines influenced future works in the genre, including ''
Gundam
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile ...
'', ''
Evangelion'', and ''
Macross
is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and the ...
''.
''Yamato'' would go on to influence many later anime, including ''
Mobile Suit Gundam
, also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting ...
'' and ''
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion' ...
''. Its popularity subsequently lead to various parodies and references, such as in
Sgt. Frog
''Sgt. Frog'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mine Yoshizaki. It was launched in ''Monthly Shōnen Ace'' in April 1999. The story follows the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders to c ...
,
Haruhi Suzumiya
is a Japanese light novel series written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito. It was first published in 2003 by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan with the novel ''The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'', and has since been followed ...
and
Space Battleship Tiramisu.
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animator, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for creating the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (1995)''.'' His style is defined by his postmodernist approach and the extensive portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotio ...
has ranked ''Yamato'' as his favorite anime and credited it with sparking his interest in anime. ''Yamato'' was also the first anime series or movie to win the
Seiun Award
The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Nihon SF Taikai, Japan Science Fict ...
, a feat not repeated until the film ''
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind may refer to
* Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (manga), ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'' (manga), a manga series by Hayao Miyazaki
* Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film), ''Nausicaä of the Valle ...
'' (1984).
The original 1974 ''Yamato'' series has a number of striking similarities to the later 1977 film ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
''. For example, both are
space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...
works with militant empires, star ships and space battles; the robot Analyzer in ''Yamato'' bears a strong resemblance to
R2-D2
R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date. At various points throughout the course of the films, R2, ...
, in terms of both design and narrative function; and both works involve ship design blue-prints which are delivered by the female leads. Several critics have suggested that ''Yamato'' may have influenced ''Star Wars'', though
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
did not mention it among his Japanese influences (such as
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...
's
samurai films
, also commonly spelled "''chambara''", meaning "sword fighting" films,Hill (2002). denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. ''Chanbara'' is a sub-category of '' ...
).
''Yamato'' also had an impact on
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
. It was cited as an inspiration behind the influential
shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of chara ...
game ''
Space Invaders
is a 1978 shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Tomohiro Nishikado. It was manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and licensed to the Midway division of Bally for overseas distribution. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed shooter and set ...
''. Game designer
Takashi Nishiyama
is a masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
The name Takashi can have multiple different meanings depending on which kanji is used to write it. Some possible writings of the name include:
*江詩 - "estuary , inlet, poem"
*隆 - "prospe ...
also credits the Wave Motion Gun as the origin of the
Hadouken
The is a special attack from Capcom's ''Street Fighter'' series of fighting games. Game designer Takashi Nishiyama credits an energy attack called Hadouho (lit. the "Wave Motion Gun"), from the 1970s anime ''Space Battleship Yamato'', as the o ...
move in the ''
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as ''SF'' or スト (''Suto''), is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six ...
'' series.
Characters and themes
The ''Space Battleship Yamato'' series generally involves themes of brave sacrifice, noble enemies, and respect for heroes lost in the line of duty. This can be seen as early as the second episode of the first season, which recounts the defeat of the original battleship ''
Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan.
Japanese his ...
'' while sailors and pilots from both sides salute her as she sinks (this scene was cut from the English dub, but later included on the ''
Star Blazers
''Star Blazers'' is an American animated television series adaptation of the Japanese anime series . ''Star Blazers'' was first broadcast in the United States in 1979. It was the first popular English-translated anime that had an overarching plo ...
'' DVD release). The movies spend much time showing the crew visiting monuments to previous missions and recalling the bravery of their fallen comrades. Dessler, the enemy defeated in the first season and left without a home or a people, recognizes that his foes are fighting for the same things he fought for and, eventually, becomes an important and loyal ally to Earth.
English-language title
For many years, English-language releases of the anime bore the title ''Space Cruiser Yamato''. This
romanization
Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...
has appeared in Japanese publications because Nishizaki, a
sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...
enthusiast who owned a cruiser
yacht
A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
, ordered that this translation be used out of love for his boat. However, in reference to naval nomenclature, it is technically inaccurate, as means "
battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
" and not "
cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
" (which in Japanese would be ). Leiji Matsumoto's manga adaptation was usually referred to as ''Cosmoship Yamato''.
Contemporary ''Yamato'' releases, including the Voyager Entertainment DVD and
Seven Seas Entertainment release of the manga, are marketed either as ''Star Blazers'' or ''Space Battleship Yamato''.
''
Star Blazers
''Star Blazers'' is an American animated television series adaptation of the Japanese anime series . ''Star Blazers'' was first broadcast in the United States in 1979. It was the first popular English-translated anime that had an overarching plo ...
'' (1979) is a heavily edited dubbed version for the United States market produced by Westchester Film Corporation. Voyager Entertainment released DVD volumes and comic adaptations of the anime years later.
Notes
References
Further reading
* Mizuno, Hiromi (2007)
"When Pacifist Japan Fights: Historicizing Desires in Anime" ''
Mechademia
''Mechademia: Second Arc'' is a biannual (formerly annual) peer-reviewed academic journal in English about Japanese popular culture products and fan practices. It is published by the University of Minnesota Press and the editor-in-chief is French ...
'' 2.
External links
*
*
"Uchū Senkan Yamato" ''
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and f ...
''
{{Portal bar, Japan, Anime and manga, Science Fiction, War, , 1980s, 1990s
1974 anime television series debuts
1974 manga
Akita Shoten manga
Animated space adventure television series
Anime with original screenplays
Comics based on television series
Comics set in the 22nd century
Large Magellanic Cloud in fiction
Military science fiction television series
Seven Seas Entertainment titles
Space opera anime and manga
Television series set in the 22nd century
Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation original programming