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Space Battleship Yamato Movie Collection
Anime DVD Review
The internet is buzzing over the clips and reports of a new Yamato animated movie in the works (and a live-action film!). With legal sparring between Nishizaki and Matsumoto finally resolved (!), anime old-timers are frothing at the mouth regarding this prospect, as there has not been a Yamato movie since 1983 — probably before most of the people reading this were even BORN!
Here's your chance to understand what all the excitement is about. The Yamato Movie Collection.
Okay, skip the first film unless you have no idea who the characters are, as the film is basically a re-hash, and composed of clips from the TV series. But savor the next film (Farewell), for it is the yardstick by which we measure all other anime. To this day, no movie has even come close to topping this achievement, and yes, you'll be weeping by the end.
And then enjoy the next two (New Voyage, Be Forever) because they are just a great load of fun. And then we come to "Final" Yamato, which still looks great even though it was produced while you were in diapers. And let's not forget the music. The soundtracks are half the film! You've probably never seen anime that uses a real orchestra!
There's not a manga or anime artist that *isn't* a fan of Yamato. To understand them you need to understand *it*. You need to know WHY we're so passionate about a series that's older than you are. And this is the best starting point for a crash course in Yamato.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, November 2009
Space Battle Ship Yamato
CD Box
Anime Soundtrack Review
Dear Santa. If I had to pick one item I really want for Xmas, this would be it. This is a 10-CD set of every Yamato soundtrack. All CDs are 24-bit digitally remastered LP-STYLE slipcase versions, and sound about as good as can be (as opposed to my old recordings, so worn out, you can hear the other side of the record).
The Limited Edition 30th Anniversary Yamato BGM Box Set Release, featuring 10 instrumental recordings originally recorded between 1977 and 1983. These are REAL orchestras producing this music, not some wimpy electronic keyboard with a MIDI sequencer. And you can feel the difference in every single note. It's a big sound from the days when only John Williams could make a swashbuckling space-opera sound any more compelling.
The CD set is literally the history of the Yamato series as music. Everything from the opening orgasmic cosmo-chick of the first episode of the TV series to the full orchestral overload that is Final Yamato is in here, ready to blast through your speakers loud enough to wake the dead (or get Nishizaki and Matsumoto to team up again, or Hell to freeze over, whichever comes first!).
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, November 2006
Star Blazers:
Quest for Iscandar
Anime DVD Review
We're off to outer space, we're leaving mother Earth, so save the human race…. It's a blast from the past! So classic that it must be seen to be appreciated. Okay, the animation is a little crude looking compared to the ultra-slick anime of today, but don't be put off by it – this series has the greatest plot ever put to the screen. It was in many ways the blueprint for so many films that followed, both in Japan and in the U.S. (Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, etc., all owe their lineage to a sunken WWII battleship).
 Created by anime legend Leiji Matsumoto (Harlock, Galaxy Express), Star Blazers (Uchu Senkan Yamato in Japan) spawned 3 TV series, 5 movies, a zillion copycats and next to Mobile Suit Gundam was one of the longest running anime franchises in Japan. And it all started here with these simple words: In the year 2199 Earth is under attack from the mysterious planet Gamilon. Gamilon planet bombs cover the Earth with radioactivity and as a result, Earth has one year to live. But, on the planet Iscandar, there is a machine which can remove the radioactivity. Queen Starsha offers it to the people of Earth. A team of star blazers undertake the perilous journey, but, can they travel 148,000 light years and back in just one Earth year?
When the show hit the airwaves in America (1979), it created the first legions of anime fans who continue to hail it to this day. Make no mistake – the storyline and characters are classic and memorable. The music and art direction are top notch and (for the time) above reproach. It was, and remains the most original and revered anime series of all time. The DVD also has special features like a complete interactive map of the Star Force's journey which make this a "must have" for an old time fan.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, May 2002
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Yamato/Star Blazers Website Links:
Voyager Entertainment's Official Yamato Website for Star Blazers
Bandai's Official Website of Yamato games for Playstation2 (Japanese)
Leiji Matsumoto Official Website
Ed Hawkins' "Space Cruiser Yamato" fan website
"The Wave Motion Web Page" fan website
Yamato Mechanics (Japanese)
Star Blazers (TV) entry at Anime News Network
Star Blazers (season 2 TV) entry at Anime News Network
Star Blazers (season 3 TV) entry at Anime News Network
Yamato (movie) entry at Anime News Network
Be Forever Yamato (movie) entry at Anime News Network
Final Yamato (movie) entry at Anime News Network
Space Battleship Yamato entry in Wikipedia
Star Blazers:
Space Battleship Yamato - Original Soundtrack, Part 1 (1979) [IMPORT]
Anime Soundtrack Review
There has never been, nor will there ever be a better score written than the music for Uchu Senkan Yamato (Star Blazers in the U.S.). It's romantic, heroic, tragic, and kick-ass all at the same time, and it never fails to please the ears. If you grew up watching Starblazers you know what we're talking about - the music was half the show!
 With a sly combination of electric guitar and brassy orchestral compositions, heart-tugging violins and everything else under the sun, Hiroshi Miyagawa created an eclectic blend of music that went on to become the most well-known since the theme to Tetsuwan Atomu. His orchestrations legitimized anime music, and created a slew of followers that copied but never equaled his brilliance.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, March 2003
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