Space Battleship Yamato｜Anime

2022.08.07

“Space Battleship Yamato” became a milestone in science fiction animation when it was broadcast on TV in 1974 with a total of 26 episodes.
After the original proposal was completed as “Space Battleship Yamato”, Leiji Matsumoto, the manga artist who created “Galaxy Express 999”, joined the project as a designer. He not only designed the series, but also worked on the character drafts, various settings and the story structure, and later also directed the series.
In 1977, a film version of the TV series was re-edited and released, which, together with Star Wars (1978), triggered a science fiction boom that could be described as a social phenomenon throughout Japan.

Synopsis

The year is 2199. With only one year remaining until the end of humanity’s existence due to radioactive contamination following the invasion of the Gamilas Empire, the human race decides to use the wave engine technology provided by the Queen of the planet Iscandar, Stasha, and use the wreck of the former Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Yamato, which sank in the East China Sea after an attack by the US Navy at the end of the Pacific War, as cover to advance their plan to save the species. The escape plan to save the species was abruptly changed and the Space Battleship Yamato was built to go to Iskandar to receive the Cosmocleaner D, a radioactivity removal device.

The story is about eliminating the interference of the Gamilas Empire to the Great Magellanic Cloud Iscandar, 148,000 light years away from Earth, and overcoming the natural phenomena of space to make a round trip within a year.

Space Battleship Yamato | Recommendations

“Space Battleship Yamato” is directed and designed by the manga artist Leiji Matsumoto. The manga drawn by Leiji Matsumoto has the best mecha design, and the women in it are mysterious and beautiful. And there is always a word on the last page of the manga, which is indescribably moving.

The same goes for “Space Battleship Yamato”, which is a work of such depth that it leaves you thinking at the end of every episode after you have finished watching it.
The music also faithfully illustrates the originality of the animation’s world.
The music has a beautiful, mysterious and sad tone, like a funeral in space. The music of the departure feels energetic and courageous at the height of the excitement, and immediately afterwards turns into a melody that feels melancholy in the momentary silence. The development of the song touches the heart and leads to emotion.
I have never seen such a combination of music and emotion in Japanese animation.
This musical fusion has made “Space Battleship Yamato” one of the best animated films of all time.