Space Battleship Yamato 2: Reassessing Leiji Matsumoto's Masterpiece

Space Battleship Yamato 2: A galactic journey and the battle to protect peace on Earth

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

October 14, 1978 - April 7, 1979

■Broadcasting station

Nippon Television

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 26

■Original Story

Yoshinobu Nishizaki, Leiji Matsumoto, Toshio Masuda

■ Director

Reiji Matsumoto

■ Production

Produced by Yomiuri TV and Academy

■Works

©Tohokushinsha

■ Story

Peace has returned to Earth, but now the evil hand of the White Comet Empire, an alien invader, is about to reach out to Earth. The Space Battleship Yamato, which was assigned to the Solar System Outer Fleet, once again embarks on a galactic journey to protect the peace of Earth. It will engage in a rematch with its old enemy and a fierce battle against the powerful White Comet Empire.

■Explanation

This is the second TV anime in the "Space Battleship Yamato" series. It is a remake of the previously released animated film "Space Battleship Yamato: Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, Warriors of Love" for the TV series. Some of the settings and the ending of the story have been significantly changed from the film, and the characters' lives and deaths are also different. It rode the wave of the "Yamato boom" at the time, with high viewership ratings and related toy products also recording good sales.

■Cast

・Susumu Kodai/Kei Toyama/Yuki Mori/Yoko Asagami/Daisuke Shima/Hideo Nakamura/Shiro Sanada/Takeshi Aono/Sado Shuzo/Ichiro Nagai/Analyzer/Kenichi Ogata/Teresa/Mari Okamoto/Deslar/Masato Ibu

■ Main staff

・Planning & Production: Yoshinobu Nishizaki・Original Story: Yoshinobu Nishizaki, Leiji Matsumoto, Toshio Masuda・Director: Leiji Matsumoto・Animation Director: Noboru Ishiguro・Chief Animation Director: Kenzo Koizumi・Art Director: Geki Katsumata・Setting Cooperation: Katsumi Itabashi・Co-Design: Studio Nue・Director of Photography: Tadashi Hosono・Sound Director: Toshio Sato・Music: Yasushi Miyagawa・Assistant Director: Kazuyuki Hirokawa・Production: Yomiuri TV, Academy Production・Theme song
OP
"Space Battleship Yamato"
Lyrics by Yu Aku, Music by Tai Miyagawa, Sung by Isao Sasaki, Musical Academy

ED
"Teresa Forever"
Lyrics by Yu Aku, Music by Tai Miyagawa, Sung by Isao Sasaki, Feeling Free

■ Main Characters

A young man who was assigned to escort the resource transport fleet on a reconstructed Earth. Learning of the Earth's crisis, he takes on the White Comet Empire as acting captain of the Space Battleship Yamato.

Daisuke Shima: A crew member of the Yamato in charge of piloting the ship. A cautious and conservative character, he opposes Kodai, who tries to force the Yamato to set sail, but eventually gives in and boards the ship.

Shiro Sanada: Chief of the Earth Defense Force Science Bureau. He develops new weapons and tunes up the Yamato, and supports the battles. He also sometimes guides the immature Kodai as an elder.

Yuki Mori is a crew member of the Yamato and Kodai's lover. She has a strong-willed and tomboyish personality, but she is also beautiful. She sometimes goes overboard when it comes to Kodai.

・Sado Brewery Yamato's military doctor. He loves alcohol and can be seen drinking even during battle. He is also responsible for stopping quarrels between the young crew members.

Teresa: A woman with psychic powers who told her about the Earth's crisis. After repeatedly communicating with Yamato, she falls in love with Shima, but in the end she unleashes all of her powers and saves Yamato from the crisis with her death.

Desra: The leader of the Garmillan Empire, who once fought a fierce battle with Yamato. Now he faces Yamato once again as an ally of the White Comet Empire.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Return of Yamato in 2201!
Episode 2: The Comet Appears - Remodel Yamato!
Episode 3: Yamato Arise in the Face of Earth's Crisis!
・Episode 4: Departure into the unknown!
Episode 5: Full power! Target: Yamato!!
・Episode 6 / Fierce Battle! Space Cavalry ・Episode 7 / Counterattack! Invisible Space Submarine
Episode 8: Space currents! Escape impossible Episode 9: Charge! Blow up the Yamato!
Episode 10: Crisis Breakthrough! Roar the Wave Motion Gun Episode 11: Demon of Revenge - President Desler Episode 12: Death on Yamato's Hollow Planet!?
Episode 13: Fierce Attack! The Teresart Landing Operation Episode 14: Counterattack! Find Teresa Episode 15: Teresa: The Beginning of Love Episode 16: Teresa: Farewell to Love Episode 17: Teresart: Scattered in Space!
Episode 18: The Final Battle - All Ships Battle Begins!
Episode 19: Yamato: Warp Clash!!
Episode 20: Yamato: Betting on a Surprise Attack!
Episode 21: The heroic death of Captain Hijikata!
Episode 22: Yamato: Fight to the End!
Episode 23: A Fated Showdown!
Episode 24: Deadly Battle Between Two Brave Warriors!
・Episode 25: Yamato: The City Empire Conquest Strategy ・Episode 26: Yamato Forever

■ Related works

Space Battleship Yamato
"Space Battleship Yamato: A New Voyage"
"Space Battleship Yamato III"
Space Battleship Yamato 2199
Space Battleship Yamato the Movie
"Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: Warriors of Love"
"Yamato Forever"
"Space Battleship Yamato: Final Chapter"
"Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection"
"YAMATO2520"
"The Great Yamato Zero"

■ Review

Space Battleship Yamato 2 is a TV anime series that aired from 1978 to 1979 and was produced under the direction of Reiji Matsumoto. As the second film in the series, this work was remade based on the film Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, and provided viewers with new excitement and thrills. Below, we will take a detailed look at the story, characters, production background, viewer ratings, related products, and more, and further explore its appeal and evaluation.

Story and Themes

The story of Space Battleship Yamato 2 begins with the invasion of the White Comet Empire, a new threat after Earth has regained peace. Yamato and its crew once again embark on a galactic journey to protect Earth. During this journey, they will fight a rematch with their old nemesis Desler and other powerful enemies. The story is based on themes of courage, friendship, and love, and will deeply touch the viewers.

Particularly impressive is the presence of a woman with psychic powers named Teresa. She conveys the Earth's crisis and connects with the crew of the Yamato. Teresa's sacrifice and love create a moving scene at the climax of the story, deeply moving the viewer's heart. The rematch with Desler also draws viewers in by showing new developments while continuing the past feud.

character

The characters in Space Battleship Yamato 2 are unique and charming. The protagonist, Susumu Kodai, is a brave young man who, upon learning of the Earth's crisis, fights once again as acting captain of the Yamato. His growth and determination resonate with viewers. Yuki Mori is Kodai's lover, and although she has a headstrong and tomboyish personality, she also possesses beauty and kindness. Her actions add depth to the story through her relationship with Kodai.

Daisuke Shima is a careful crew member in charge of piloting Yamato, and grows through conflict and reconciliation with Kodai. Shiro Sanada is the head of the Science Bureau and is in charge of developing new weapons and tuning up Yamato, supporting the battle. Sado Shuzo is an avid drinker and is often seen drinking during battle, but he also plays a role in stopping quarrels among the young crew members. Teresa, a woman with psychic powers, tells the Earth of its danger and falls in love with Shima, but in the end she unleashes all of her powers and saves Yamato from peril. Desler, as the leader of the Garmillan Empire, faces off against his old enemy Yamato once again.

Background

"Space Battleship Yamato 2" is a remake of the movie "Space Battleship Yamato: Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato" for the TV series. During production, some settings and the ending of the story were significantly changed, and the life or death of the characters was also changed. This was an effort to provide viewers with fresh surprises and excitement, and it can be said to have been a success.

Director Reiji Matsumoto also participated as the original creator, and completed the work by making full use of his unique worldview and storytelling. The excellent staff, including animation director Noboru Ishiguro, chief animation director Kenzo Koizumi, and art director Geki Katsumata, brought together to improve the quality of the work. In addition, the soundtrack by Tai Miyagawa, who was in charge of the music, captured the hearts of viewers and further enhanced the moving story.

Viewer ratings and related products

"Space Battleship Yamato 2" rode the wave of the "Yamato boom" at the time and achieved high ratings. In particular, the story development and the appeal of the characters were well received by viewers, and the series gained many fans. Related toy products also recorded good sales, sparking a boom that could be called a social phenomenon.

Toys such as Yamato models, character figures, and even records of the theme songs were released, and the series was popular with a wide range of people, from children to adults. These products served as a way for viewers to experience the world of the series more deeply, and also contributed to the formation of a fan community.

Evaluation and impact

Space Battleship Yamato 2 was highly praised by viewers. Many elements of the story, including the development of the characters and the moving music, captured the hearts of viewers. It was also a successful remake, encouraging further development of the series.

This work had a major influence on subsequent anime works. In particular, its approach to pursuing depth of story and the appeal of characters influenced many creators in the science fiction anime genre. In addition, its emphasis on communication with viewers and its method of forming a fan community through related products can also be said to have influenced the marketing of subsequent anime works.

■Recommendation

"Space Battleship Yamato 2" is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of science fiction anime, but to all viewers who are looking for a moving story and attractive characters. In particular, fans of the series will be able to enjoy the story from a new perspective as a remake of the theatrical version. Also, for viewers who are experiencing the series for the first time, the moving story depicting themes of courage, friendship, and love will surely resonate deeply in their hearts.

Furthermore, this work also offers the fun of forming a fan community through related merchandise. By collecting Yamato models, character figures, theme song records, and other items, viewers can experience the world of the work more deeply. Space Battleship Yamato 2 is a work that not only provides viewers with excitement and emotion, but also gives them the joy of being a part of a fan community.