The 1970s smash hit TV anime series “Space Battleship Yamato” is back.
“Space Battleship Yamato 2199” is a remake created by artists and directors who were fans of the original series. The first two episodes of the new series opened at theaters in 10 cities nationwide on April 7 for a two-week engagement. The remaining 22 episodes of “Space Battleship Yamato 2199” will follow early next year.
Director Yutaka Izubuchi, 53, said his life changed after he saw the original installments when he was a high school student.
“I began to visit anime studios and entered the anime industry to become a professional creator,” Izubuchi said. “There are many people in their 40s and 50s who joined the industry after they were stunned by "Space Battleship Yamato.”
The new version’s plot is the same as the original. Set in the year 2199, after attacks by alien invaders from the planet Gamiras, the human race is on the brink of extinction and the survivors attempt to leave Earth for the planet Iscandar on the Yamato.
Izubuchi said the remake is a more polished version with more detailed drawings of battleships, aircraft and other equipment.
But the remake, he said, largely sticks with the original concept that made the 1970s show such a hit.
“It would be meaningless to turn the remake into a completely different work,” he said. “We have kept the strength and appeal of the original work.”
Akira Miyagawa, son of the late composer Hiroshi Miyagawa, who wrote music for the original version, rescored his father’s work and wrote new music for the remake.
The new series will be also available on DVD in the future.
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