Space Battleship Yamato: The Classic Anime Saga
Author's Note: In past years I've been at theOtaku.com, it seemed as if no one other than myself at the website virtually knew anything about the classic Anime multiseries "Space Battleship Yamato" (a.k.a. Star Blazers), which probably explains why I'm the only one not only submitting "Yamato" content to the site, but also admitting considering the multiseries itself as an Anime favorite. Anyhow, if you have never seen or heard of "Space Battleship Yamato" before (but wish to get to know about it), you're in luck as I present to you here, a guide detailing everything you need to know about one of the greatest Sci-Fi multiseries in the history of Anime (and it took me a few months to get this work all together). But because I was only able to find dubs and subs (including fansubs) for "Yamato" Anime from the 1970s-1980s (which make up the entire Classic "Yamato" saga) as well as English-translated sources with info on them, I decided to only talk about those stories. So sit back, relax, and read along!
Overview: What is Space Battleship Yamato?
Established in 1974, "Space Battleship Yamato" (also known as "Space Cruiser Yamato" and "Star Blazers") is a popular and legendary science-fiction anime multiseries (consisting of several series and films) created by producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki with conceptual art and character/mecha designs by legendary manga/anime artist Leiji Matsumoto (creator of "Captain Harlock", "Galaxy Express 999", "Queen Millenia", "Interstellar 5555", and "The Galaxy Railways"), and production by Office Academy (also known as "Westcape Corporation"). It is credited for starting the anime sub-genre known as "Space Adventure Roman", which describes dramatic anime about epic adventures and/or battles in outer space. Plus, because it opened with a T.V. series that is neither a kiddie show nor based on any stories/characters that originated outside the anime medium, many historians credit this multiseries as what started the Golden Age of Anime (mid-1970s to late 1980s), a time period when anime would finally become accepted as a medium of its own right by the Japanese mainstream, and is still is today. In general, this multiseries tells the adventures of the crew of a Space battleship converted from the WWII Battleship Yamato voyaging through space in battles and wars against alien empires who threaten life on Earth and several other innocent parts of the universe. Throughout the adventures, the anime Multiseries itself features themes of bravery, patriotism, danger, terror, action, self-sacrifice, fear, friendship, love/romance, tragedy, noble enemies, and respect for comrades who die in the line of duty.
