SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER Update

YAMATO 2199 voice actors Kikuko Inoue and Takayuki Sugo with theme composer Nana Mizuki at the week 2 stage greeting for SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER. Photo courtesy of Shochiku. © 2014 Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Production Committee

Author: Tim Eldred, Cosmo DNA Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: yamato2199.net Following a round of stage greetings during the opening weekend of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER (???????2199 ?????, Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 Tsuioku no Kokai), members of the film`s cast and crew returned to Shochiku Multiplex Theaters’ Marunouchi Piccadilly 2 for a big hit gratitude stage greeting on Saturday, October 18th. Captain Okita`s voice actor Takayuki Sugo and Starsha Iscandar`s voice actor Kikuko Inoue were joined on stage by Nana Mizuki, who composed the end title song "Blue". The event was MC’d by animator Osamu Kobayashi (PARADISE KISS).

Taking the stage, Takayuki Sugo asked, "How was Yamato`s fight? There was a typhoon [last week] on Saturday and Sunday, but the weather was perfect today, so thank you for gathering early in the morning rather than looking at the autumn leaves." "During Yamato`s battles, Captain Okita had a scary face. When I watch the battle, it reminds me of the impressive scene with Eruk Domel. His voice actor Akio Otsuka and I both belonged to the Bungakuza theater company, and although we didn`t have the opportunity to perform together in those days, we recorded together for the communication scene with Domel and I feel that we played the game for real this time." Mr. Sugo joked about his position as captain to enforce a "forbidden love" policy on the ship. "Okita is a man with a big heart, and thinks that love is OK. There was even a surprise marriage between two of the characters. I thought the song Nana Mizuki created as the love theme was wonderful." "And finally, please let me close with a line I said to Kikuko the other day in a dressing room: `This is Captain Okita. Thank you. Much`."

Kikuko Inoue addressed the audience, saying, "Thank you for coming to visit the theater on this fine autumn day with really nice picnic weather. I`m really happy to accompany such a wonderful work with such a wonderful song. As Nana said, the love of Dessler surely means a lot, although it has gone down a bad road. Whenever I watch the scene where he says `I do it for you, Starsha,` I think there`s a very deep message of love, about how it may torment you to save someone. Nana`s song isn`t just about love, it reminds you of a warm feeling that fills your heart." The voice actor was impressed that director Takeo Kato was able to edit the 26 episode SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO series down to a single film. "Just imagine what it took to collect all this into two hours and eleven minutes. I think it was very hard work, and If you meet someone who hasn`t seen it, please tell them how good it is."

Composer Nana Mizuki explained that, "When I heard that I would be in charge of the song that concludes such a wonderful work, I trembled. The words in the script lead to great performances from everyone, and I thought that I might depict the love in them straight into my lyrics." Mizuki also discussed her efforts to create her previous theme song, "Star of Love", for the series: "I watched reruns of the original generation of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO, and when I was in charge of the ending song for Chapter 7, I read the scripts for the YAMATO 2199 series and watched everything up to Chapter 6 to make the music." "I feel that the theme of YAMATO is `love`, and "Star of Love" was born from my wish to put it into words without a straight expression. I wrote "Blue" at home after watching through the series again. In A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER, the situation is that the music that flows at the end is the same as Chapter 7, so it was very difficult to make the song nestle up to the image and inherit it without completely changing the impression. I write the lyrics as if speaking to someone close to you, and it feels like the touch of a younger sister of "Star of Love." Between the love of two people with Kodai and Yuki or Starsha and Mamoru, and with Dessler though it is a bit distorted, there are various forms of love..." Mizuki delighted Kikuko Inoue when she revealed her favorite YAMATO character. "Though I can`t decide just based on how attractive they are, I like Starsha. Her beauty takes on an aura, and she seems to be from another world! She`s like a goddess, and Ms. Inoue`s performance is wonderful!" "When I was on standby in the lobby, I was very glad to hear warm applause from all of you after the presentation. It was made with love, and I`ll be glad if YAMATO 2199 gathers up feelings of love for a long time to come."

For more information on SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: