Ahead of the December 6th, 2014 release of the Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Star-Voyaging Ark film, distributor Shochiku has posted the first nine minutes of the film to their YouTube channel to get fans in the mood for it and hopefully draw in a few other people as well. The film is directed by Yutaka Izubuchi and Makoto Bessho with Izubuchi handling the screenplay as well while Nobuteru Yuki did the character designs. Animation is being handled by Xebec for the feature.
The film stars Daisuke Ono as Susumu Kodai, Houko Kuwashima as Yuki Mori, Kenichi Suzumura as Daisuke Shima, Akio Ohtsuka as General Elk Domel, Eriko Nakamura as Mikage Kiryū and Takayuki Sugo as Captain Jūzō Okita.
Plot concept: 2199 AD. Yamato tried to leave behind the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, after receiving a “Cosmo Reverse System” at its destination, Iscandar. However, suddenly, it encounters a mysterious group at the edge of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The crew finds out that the group is called the “Gatlantis,” and that its leader is the Gutaba expeditionary force commander who calls himself “Goran Dagaamu of Thunder.” The commander demands that Yamato be handed over to him. Yamato, wanting to hurry to Earth, escapes the fray. However, Yamato is attacked by a devastating beam weapon called the “Flame Direct Attack Cannon” that can transcend space.
Yamato was able to retreat, but ends up getting lost, and finds itself in a strangely colored irregular dimension. The crew decides to turn off the engine on the ship, and explore a mysterious planet. In order to collect information, Kodai, Kiryū, Sawamura, Niimi, and Aihara land on the planet. What they saw when they arrived was a ship that was not supposed to be there.
Dagaamu chases after the traces of Yamato’s warp, and also reaches the strangely colored space. The planet on which Yamato landed was in fact what Dagaamu had been looking for all along.
Saw the movie on opening day in Tokyo and again a couple of days later. Shinjuku Piccadily theatre was insanely crowded with Yamato fans lining up to get the limited edition merchandise and catch the first morning screening, which included a stage greeting by cast members.
Ark of the Stars is a thoroughly enjoyable, well-scripted film which fits seamlessly into the TV series where it is supposed to go (between Episodes 24 and 25), introduces new characters and the 2199 versions of two classic characters, pays tribute to a lot of classic Yamato properties, and without a doubt leaves the door open for further production (such as a remake of Yamato 2).
Looking forward to the Blu-Ray release (I’m guessing first half of next year) which, going by all Yamato 2199 releases to date, should have English subtitles.