"Space Battleship Yamato" gears up for new mission

[ryuk007]

The classic anime "Space Battleship Yamato" (also known as "Star Blazers") is headed for a comeback, 25 years after the last movie was screened in theaters. 73-year-old producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki, who worked on that film and the original anime series, declared that he wants his last work to be a new "Yamato" film. He said he hopes to surpass Hayao Miyazaki's latest effort, "Gake no Ue no Ponyo."

To achieve that, Nishizaki has founded Yamato Studio, based in Nerima, Tokyo. Around 40 staff members have been assembled for the project, including general director Toshio Masuda and general animation director Tomonori Kogawa. Nishizaki had first declared his intent to make a "Yamato" film in 2004, but copyright disputes forced him to abandon the plan. This time, though, he says that he has been given the go-ahead.

The new movie is set in 2220, when the Earth is threatened by the expansion of a black hole. A plan is formed to transport 300 million people off the planet, but the fleet is attacked and the Yamato is forced to retaliate. Susumu Kodai (then 38) takes up the role of captain. In this story, he and his wife Yuki have their daughter Miyuki.

Nishizaki reportedly plans to release the movie next year.

-Sponichi Annex

[den4]

Thanks for the info, ryuk007!
Nishizaki is full of himself....when he first started Yamato, he was full of promise that his work would change Japan for the better, and the youth of Japan needed a role model to get it out of the slumps that the nation faced during the 1970's oil shock...and rather than sharing the honor of creating Yamato, he wanted the attention all to himself, rather than acknowledging the hard work of fellow creator, Leiji Matsumoto.
Nishizaki later got busted twice on drug-related charges in the late '90's, spent some time in prison, and is trying to get Yamato back into the spotlight, his main claim to fame...

In the meantime, Hayao Miyazaki is a workaholic, but he has steadily created works that both inspire and bring back memories of simpler times in Japan, sometimes good and sometimes sad...but at least he is not scandal-ridden like Nishizaki.

Both apparently are obsessed with perfection of their work, but from the interviews I've seen and read, I'd place my bet on Miyazaki's works being the better of the two styles, even if they are very different in type. This is not to say that Yamato is bad, but I would rather work for somebody that has the interest of others always in mind, rather than the self-absorbed narcisstic mindset that Nishizaki has for his own greatness...

I'm sure that any new Yamato movie will do good in the box office in Japan, with all the Yamato fans (otakus) there are, but I'm not sure if it will do more than keep the interest in those that already have the fanatical love for the Yamato franchise...
Nishizaki is stuck on Yamato...
Miyazaki keeps turning out new stories or adaptations.....in the end, the broader sweep of stories will probably win the day....


just my two yen's worth....

[Fergus]

den4, I think your analysis is pretty accurate. When I consider the legacies of the two men, it is clear to me who has contributed more and who I perceive to be the greater of the two.

And downplaying Matsumoto's contribution to Yamato? That's crazy.

Even so, I have a friend who proudly declares, "Starblazers made me who I am today." I am sure if a new film is released, he will be delighted... But then it could also be like so many other franchises. I really wish Lucas had left Star Wars where it was, for example. It's hard to live up to a phenomenon...

[Arcoustic]

That would be really awesome.

I didn't get to watch Yamato in real time,
but watched it after I got older.

This time, I'll be able to see it right when it comes out.
the graphics will have developed also, I hope...

just imagine a 3DCG Yamato...awesome...