Space Battleship Yamato 2199

[Parallax]

Eh. I was taking some liberties to keep it light hearted.

Episode 18 highlighted how inept certain Gammelon commanders happen to be. Admiral MuttonChops, for instance, didn't order his fleet to move so they'd stop blowing each other up if they missed the Yamato - his orders did exactly the opposite, resulting in more of his ships going ka-blooey.

On the other hand, in episode 15 the Gammelon Commander involved (hence forth known as Admiral DramaHands) showed that he had at least half a brain.
He does his homework and works out that the Yamato will appear in one of five places from it's latest warp., due to a nearby Pulsar. So he has forces stationed at each point. He doesn't take chances or follow his instincts, he makes sure all the bases are covered. Sure enough, the Yamato is met by a large hostile force and an intense battle starts.
The Yamato is surrounded before the crew realises what's going on and there's also a force right in front. Being Yamato, small but kickass ship, they charge forth (watch how manoeuvrable the Yamato is at times. Holy shit!) blowing up enemies and taking damage before they collide with DramaHand's flagship and slip past the enemy force.
But here's the competent bit, what you don't often see from sci fi bad guys: DramaHands had a backup force that warps in and blockades the Yamato and kicks the shit out of it. A sci fi Commander who had redundancies in place! Amazing! And it is a major plot point that the Yamato would have been blown the fuck up if his fleet hadn't been urgently recalled back to Gammelon.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Having not watched the whole Anime I have to ask...

Are the Gammelon ships just, like, made out of tissue paper or something?
Is it just a huge version of the "Inverse Ninja" law that we are seeing?

One Ship taking a pummeling from Hundreds, perhaps thousands of enemy warships?
And said One ship destroying ship after ship with single shots, often destroying several in a single blast?

I mean I am all for plucky ships vs big odds... It works with Hero's, Pirates, Barbarians, Ninjas, etc... But a Starship?
One spaceship against thousands?

Did they just get really really good upgrades or something?

[Parallax]

From what I can gather, the Yamato clearly didn't face all 10,000 at once, if you're referring to ep 18. Ep 18 also gave the Gamellons the problem of there being too many of them packed too tightly together to be really effective - Admiral MuttonChops had them there to listen to his ranting, not to expect enemy action. They were blowing each other up and even crashing into allied ships.

The Yamato is often protected by the Wave Motion Shield and seems to be built like a brick shit house. It takes a lot of hits but keeps on truckin'. The ship takes a direct hit to the lower bridge tower and, aside from some rocking to the crew, it doesn't actually seem to do anything. On the other hand, direct hits to some of the main guns took them out of action so ... eh.
The main guns usually fire energy straight from the Wave Motion Engine, which is pretty damn powerful it would seem. Against unshielded ships, it seems to (as you said) tear through like they're made of paper. However, when they scored a direct hit on Admiral DramaHands' shielded flagship, the shot just bounced off (then they fired inside his shield and that caused a shit ton of damage).

It also doesn't help the Gammelon cause, however, they their cannon fodder ships seem to have really poor weapon accuracy. In both battles given, the Yamato is practically surrounded and relatively few shots actually hit of the Yamato or it's shield. Even Admiral DramaHands' flagship hits with only one shot out of three (though that shot does seem to be notable damage).

[Lord Revan]

the Gamemelon ships seem to be glass cannons sure they pack quite a punch (all Earth apart from the Yamato seems to be no real threat) but can't really take much of a beating in turn, also correct me if I'm wrong my doesn't Yamato have the capability to switch to physical projectiles that seem to bypass shields totally, but have shorter range or something like that.

[Imperial Overlord]

Most of the ships in the setting are pretty glassy. The Yamato and a few other ships are tough enough that they can take hits, but most of the weapons are so destructive that if they penetrate they totally wreck shit. Gamelon firepower totally wrecks Earth and Galantean ships and their own friendly fire hits are pretty damn destructive to them.

[Scottish Ninja]

Plus it's mostly destroyers and some cruisers we see Yamato shooting up, which makes sense to me. When they run into battleships they definitely have more trouble.

I'm still loving everything that's going on wrt internal tensions in the Gamilon Empire, and how Yamato's journey continues to apply pressure to various parts of the structure. Domel is great.

[lord Martiya]

I've started watching the series too. I'm still behind, just at episode 5, but I've already started adoring 2199... And got rather scared: I still remember the original series, where Shultz (the Gamilas commander on Pluto) was mostly a joke... And episode 5 of this remakes has him overwhelming the Yamato with a device that wasn't supposed to be used as an actual weapon (same tactic of the original series, but there the Reflection Satellite Cannon was actually supposed to be used as an anti-ship weapon).
I'll try and see Domel in action soon (happy to know he's still the great general of the original series).

[Elfdart]

A buddy of mine showed me the first dozen or so episodes (16 I think) the other night and my inner 9-year-old was thankful. I remember running home from the bus stop every afternoon to make sure I didn't miss an episode. What amazed me was how much I remembered from a show I haven't watched in over 30 years. After the first few minutes of deciphering who was whom (e.g. Wildstar is Kodai) and even though I still remember the characters by their Americanized names) I was reeled right in.

Everything is much improved in the new version. In the old series, the characters and their trials more than made up for the shitty animation, which made Rocky & Bullwinkle look like a Disney movie. But in the new one the characters are improved even more than the newer animation, which is beautiful.

For example, Conroy (the lead fighter pilot) is much more of a character than he was in Star Blazers. The others are also more fleshed out. On top of that, they've added new characters who are interesting in their own right: the Martian fighter pilot with red eyes, the asshole head of security and the intelligence officer.
Spoiler

Who leads a mutiny attempt to take over the Yamato

The villains are also made into fully formed characters. As with the heroes, this is gilding gold and painting lilies since they were more interesting by far than any other cartoon characters I ever saw.

A few changes did catch my attention:

• *The chief gunner no longer resembles early 70s John Lennon.
  
  *They explain why the Gamelons on Pluto look like Earthlings but the others are blue.
  
  *The big gun on Pluto is taken out by fighters -in the old series it was a strike team than sneaked into the compound and blew it up Navarone-style (since the presence of blob-creatures caused the captain not to use the Wave Motion Gun on Pluto).
  
  *The Yamato can roll and dive between obstacles like the Millennium Falcon in TESB. And it has deflector shields, too!
  
  *The Bee People are gone.
  
  *The crew is much less of a sausagefest in the new series. In the old series there was Nova and uh...
  
  Now there are several female characters who are actually characters. Of course, being a Japanese cartoon, they wear uniforms that look like they were spray-painted on. Yes, I realize these were made for (pre-)adolescent boys and I'm getting old and who gave you permission to take my favorite chair?
  
  *Homer doesn't act like a fucktard and try to float back to Earth.
  
  *Wildstar isn't the only male character with Jennifer Aniston's 1994 hairdo.
  
  *The Gamilons are already fighting a war with the Comet Empire, so we get to hear that organ/moog Comet Empire theme music that's so wonderfully bad you expect Rick Wakeman to jump out of the speakers at any moment, cape and all!

Prince Zordar Forever, Bitches!

This is one of only two remakes I've ever enjoyed watching. Great show!

[lord Martiya]

Loving the remake too... And, as the maniac I am, I have a couple answers for you.

*They explain why the Gamelons on Pluto look like Earthlings but the others are blue.

Actually, that was an animation error that was not corrected until the Pluto survivors had been killed: even Desslock (I remember the Starblazers names first too) looked like an Earthling until episode 11, and we saw him change skintone on screen. I wonder if it's true he had the initial animation team shot...

*The crew is much less of a sausagefest in the new series. In the old series there was Nova and uh...

Now there are several female characters who are actually characters. Of course, being a Japanese cartoon, they wear uniforms that look like they were spray-painted on. Yes, I realize these were made for (pre-)adolescent boys and I'm getting old and who gave you permission to take my favorite chair?

In the old series it was producer Nishizaki's fault: until episode 10 there were other female crewmembers, but then Nishizaki decided that Yuki was the only woman on the ship, and by episode 11 the other women disappeared.

*The Gamilons are already fighting a war with the Comet Empire, so we get to hear that organ/moog Comet Empire theme music that's so wonderfully bad you expect Rick Wakeman to jump out of the speakers at any moment, cape and all!

I'm more on Domel's side, for they took away his crazyness (still remember what he tried with Balan's sun in the old series) and replaced it with pure awesomeness, but I'm happy they showed up too. And the Comet Empire had been implied in the old series too: Domel first appeared returning from the frontlines in the Lesser Magellanic Cloud even in the old series, and the only available enemy was the White Comet (Bolar being in the Milky Way).

[lord Martiya]

Just seen episode 16.
Spoiler

Itou and Niimi led the security in a mutiny to scrap the Yamato plan and return to Earth to grab colonists for the habitable planet they were supposed to use to resupply, but Hoshino of the security (planted there specifically to thwart Itou) and Shima managed to thwart them. They, Niimi's conscience and Okita recovering from a collapse just in time to browbeat Itou's supporters (and the doctor beating up the guards that should have kept Okita confined in his room). But Itou is convinced that Yuki is actually Yurisha.
In the meantime, Kodai, Yuria and Analyzer explored the planet, and found a derelict starship from Iskandar and a warp core with data that will shorten the travel, and the sentient race that once inhabitated the planet: the Insect Men. All dead, apparently. And Yuria knows an awful lot about Iskandar.
And now I wonder: how did Itou and Niimi delude themselves in thinking that Earth had the hability to evacuate a sufficient number of colonists?

[Parallax]

Or the main objection I had: what made them think that whatever planet they moved to wouldn't just be instantly bombed to crap by the Gammelons? And the new colony would have no infrastructure or defences in place, like Earth had to begin with.
And it would happen, especially when you consider that the planet they were looking at was much closer to Gammelon space and wasn't on the fringes like Earth was.

It really was a dumbass idea from desperate people.

[Tandrax218]

Hey guys

this thread is getting me interested in this show...
one question: this is the japanese show, it is still not dubed in english right ??

When you watch it (from torrents i presume ) does it come with a eng dub or do you have to find the .srt yourself...

tnx

[lord Martiya]

I know where to download it with subtitles included. But I get them in Italian...

[Nephtys]

I just started watching after reading this thread, and finished with 18.

A few questions.

I never got the explanation why the ship just happens to be Yamato. I mean, literally the Yamato. Not an homage to the original ship, but literally the original ship with fancy insides. Was that really the ONLY camoflage they had for constructing a warship, despite Earth's docks being all underground?

While I really do like the 'Earth puts up a valiant but utterly shafted fight' angle, it's rather silly that the only visible kill in the first episode was from the two torpedoes Elder Kodai put into that other destroyer. How did Earth not already get steamrolled if their battle line can't harm the Gamillan one?

Not sure why the Yamato was significant enough to hunt, prior to the Balun transit. It's a single ship, that was first selected by Dessler to play with, then suddenly he sends massive military assets after it? I don't think that was properly explained. I don't quite get the 'It stirs up a lot of turmoil in the empire', when it's only real effect was to be a guest star at Dessler's birthday party, and for Domel to fight it once.

The Izumo Plan to recolonize elsewhere is of course, completely stupid.

The Space Submarine is rather awesome.

[Erik von Nein]

It's Yamato because it's Yamato. It's the series' namesake, they're just reworking it to be more relevant.

The battle at Pluto was with Earth's barely functioning ragged fleet. It was the leftovers of their battle at Mars, where basically all but Japan's contribution gets annihilated.

Dessler's pretty aware of Iscander's involvement in the Yamato.

[Ford Prefect]

I mean, literally the Yamato.

It is not, and never has been, literally the original Yamato.

[Havok]

I mean, literally the Yamato.

It is not, and never has been, literally the original Yamato.

Pffft. Well now I'm not going to watch it.

[Parallax]

As Erik said, Earth's combined fleet managed to actually hold off the Gammilons at the battle of Mars, getting largely wiped out in the process. What was at the battle of Pluto were the survivors of that earlier campaign, which was pretty meagre. It was only after the battle of Mars that Earth started to get really hammered by the meteor attack.

They want to destroy the Yamato not because it poses an actual military threat (see how Admiral DramaHands almost destroyed it) but how it acts as a symbol that Desslock's rule can be opposed, that he is not omnipotent or all powerful. A crappy little ship from a crappy little planet defies Desslock's will, defies the might of his vast forces ... and is getting away with it. That's the sort of example that resistance back home would be eating up like godly level candy, and all those even inside Desslock's inner circle could use to justify attempted mutinies and assassination attempts.

[Parallax]

Installment six (4 new eps) is now out.
I've just finished episode 20, with both 19&20 being all about the Yamato's battle against Admiral DramaHands (sorry, I do suck with names).

If you like space battle porn, this will appeal to you no end. Lots of firepower on display, tactics from both sides, lots of ships blowing up and generally certain characters being all manner of awesome (even if some of them do end up dying). Because it's just barely out, I'm trying my best to avoid spoilers - but we do see the wave motion cannon blocking missile, though it's used in an innovative way.
I'm truly amazed at how much damage the Yamato can take, salvos of half a dozen torpedoes with all seemingly scoring direct hits and it just keeps on and on and on.

They went really heavy handed with the naval combat similarities, even for Yamato. Ripples in nebula clouds, defeated ships sinking into it, etc.

The music is majestic and beautiful, I need to get my hands on the OST.

Now onto episodes 21 and 22!

[Simon_Jester]

One thought, from a guy who hasn't actually seen the series:

If Dessler is aware of Yamato's ability to do strange things, evade fleets, destroy bases and so on... perhaps part of the reason he sends fleets after it is because it is an unknown. He doesn't understand exactly what makes that ship what it is- does it contain previously unknown technology? Is there something unusual about the people aboard the ship? Might some faction within his own empire be secretly aiding them?

No matter which (if any) of those apply, he might view Yamato as an anomaly and want it tracked down. Perhaps, if he can stop the ship, he can capture it and gather information- examine the wreckage for clues to new technology, or interrogate prisoners for clues about who's helping these Earthlings achieve such feats.

That is true even if he's totally unaware of how Iscandar might be helping them.

[Parallax]

Technology wise, the Yamato is nothing special, apart from the Wave Motion Cannon. Even that gets copied reasonably quickly.

Dessler knows that Iscandar is helping the Yamato/Earth out and, in the new episodes, that comes into play in a strong way (both during Domel's attack and the aftermath of it). Episodes 21 and 22 really did a lot in laying out what Dessler's ambitions actually are, and had the big reveal about the nature of Gammelon and Iscandar (which every existing fan knew was coming).

I got my hands on the Yamato 2199 OST (thankyou, internet shopping!) and it reminded me of an interesting part from episode 19 - Domel is inspecting his fleet and part of the crew are some off worlders who are really looked down on. To prove their loyalty and will, they start singing the Gammelon anthem. That scene (and song, obviously) sounded powerful and awesome.

19 & 20 are pretty much non-stop action. Episode 20, especially, centres on the Yamato and Domel going head to head in some pretty great space warfare sequences. 21 & 22 are more focused on the aftermath of that battle and Dessler's overall plan, so more low key but still very interesting to the overall plot.
There are some interesting snippets of dialogue, such as one ranking officer saying that Gammelon couldn't even hold it's existing territory without the use of robot soldiers.

[Nephtys]

Damn you, Internet. Only 19 is subbed yet in English as far as I can see, and leaves you teased for what's going to happen next episode.

[Simon_Jester]

Technology wise, the Yamato is nothing special, apart from the Wave Motion Cannon. Even that gets copied reasonably quickly.

Yes, but from the (abstract) point of view of an aspiring galactic dictator who sees this lone ship evading and blasting through entire fleets of the enemy, he may not know this, or may not be so confident that he knows.

In general, it is to a dictator's advantage to destroy or subdue any mysterious X-factors he finds kicking around, especially ones with the potential to harm him or his assets. And you never know, he might somehow profit from doing so.

As noted, maybe someone in his own empire is feeding the Yamato information, and is secretly in league with either them or Iscandar or both, trying to use Yamato to destroy specific threats to their own powerbase in the overall internal political conflict.

And in any case, if he has powerful armed forces at his command, and no immediate enemies to turn them against, or at least has all other threats contained, it still makes sense to send (disproportionate) forces to deal with the random pack of heavily armed marauders zipping around in his rear areas.

[Parallax]

Found a clip from episode 20, for those who wish to whet their proverbial whistle.

Domel teleports in bombers and does notable damage to the Yamato. This scene, in particular, really has strong WWII imagery in it.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/5MMu6xK-ado[/youtube]

[Elfdart]

I like how the bad guy fighters attacking the Yamato look like a cross between Corsairs and Phantom IIs.