Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Blu-ray

[Kinsella5]

Funimation is releasing (finally) here in the USA the complete Space Battleship Yamato 2199 animated series at the end of July. Unlike the previous Blu-ray USA release which was never released in it's complete state, this upcoming release will be two volumes, with each volume comprising of 13 episodes, so the entire 26 episode series will be presented. This release will be first time it will feature an English dub audio track but also will present the original Japanese audio with English subtitles too. Pre-orders are up now (link below) and it comes in a collector's case which has room for volume #2 when it's released later on. A digital copy is included too.

https://www.funimation.com/shop/home...-le-bld-00735/

Yamato 2199 is a re-telling of Star Blazers: The Quest for Iscandar from the early 80's. All-new animation, new characters, expanded storyline, I picked up a bootleg Blu-ray set a few years ago and it only had English subtitles with Japanese audio but it was a blast to watch. In Japan they released the second series Space Battleship Yamato 2202 which is a retelling of Star Blazers: The Comet Empire also from the early 80's.

[Theindiansun]

Thanks for telling us. I would love to watch it.

[Dragon Ranger]

I'm interested in this but often find modern remakes of classic anime to be a little soulless with their overly slick production values. They can sometimes lose the character which came through more traditional animation techniques.

I'm interested to know what peoples thoughts are on this; is this remake worth my time?

[Indiana Jones]

Fantastic news will definitely be picking this up.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by Dragon Ranger

Is this remake worth my time?

Yes. Not only is it a remake of Season 1 of Yamato, but it also added in the best elements of the later seasons to fully flesh out the story. Yamato 2199 is incredible, as it took the original series and added on more while improving the pacing and character development.

The character designs are not of Matsumoto Leiji, so if you’re attached to them, you might be turned off, but I say to give this a shot. It’s really good.

[Dragon Ranger]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Yes. Not only is it a remake of Season 1 of Yamato, but it also added in the best elements of the later seasons to fully flesh out the story. Yamato 2199 is incredible, as it took the original series and added on more while improving the pacing and character development.

The character designs are not of Matsumoto Leiji, so if you’re attached to them, you might be turned off, but I say to give this a shot. It’s really good.

Thanks; I'll give it a shot

[Shatterer]

I pre-ordered this a few days ago on RS in its limited edition version. I remember watching the original back in the very early 1980s under its Star Blazers name and I remember it being my favorite animation series at the time.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the remake which until now I haven't seen.

[Lionel Horsepackage]

Fantastic news. Figured an announcement would be coming fairly soon on this one.

[Zen_Amako]

This is terrific news. 2199 is already available on Blu-ray in Japan with English subtitles, but the import is a lot more expensive (and doesn't include an English dub).

The character designs are by Nobuteru Yuuki (Record of Lodoss War), which is even better in my book.

What I'm looking forward to the most is a release of the second series, 2202, as the Japanese BDs do not include subtitles. But for anyone who hasn't already seen 2199, it is highly recommended. I wish they weren't calling it "Star Blazers," but I understand why they are doing that.

I'm assuming the English subs will be "locked" since the FUNi release is so much cheaper than the Japanese BDs.

[Bobo1313]

I've seen the old school yamato and loved it, so I'm really looking forward to this. Oh and Yuki Mori is a total babe.

[Kinsella5]

Some more info for those who aren't overly aware of the 2199/2202 series. The Yamato 2199 series actually had a theatrical run in Japan, but only the first half a dozen episodes or so. The Japanese Blu-ray releases would generally be 3-4 episodes but to get them imported over would cost a person $80+ per disc. I opted out of that because it just would be too expensive to get the entire series so I figured eventually a USA release would be released.

The initial USA release was basically the Japanese import version with the "Star Blazers" title added since those of here in the USA knew it as Star Blazers. The Blu-ray release was more affordable around $40 each but also only contained about 4 episodes per release which would mean a hefty price to get the entire series, but the first USA release never was released in full so a completed series one didn't look until now. With this new Funimation release, fans can get the entire 26-episode series over two volumes (I think volume #2 will be released in late 2018) and for the first time an English dub audio track.

For the record here is what came out in Japan, in order of release:

-Yamato 2199 (26 episodes/retelling of Quest for Iscandar)

-Yamato 2199: A Voyage to Remember (This was a movie that basically was a recap of the 26-episode series)

-Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark (This was a film containing a new story that took place towards the end of the first series)

-Yamato 2202: (This is a retelling of the Comet Empire series, I believe it is expected to be 26 episodes, it is still in production in Japan, I believe only the first 17 or so episodes have been released)

Unsure what will be released after the 2202 series ends. In the early 1980's we did get a third series called Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars which had a television run but only in select markets and it featured different voice actors than the first two series. I am not sure if there are plans on a retelling of this series yet, but I do hope they continue to make more Star Blazers/Yamato material.

[Kinsella5]

Also for those who have not seen any of the new Yamato series, there are clips up on YouTube as well so people can check it out first before deciding to purchase the upcoming Blu-ray release. Here are a few of the trailers for series one and series two.

Yamato 2199 Series Trailer:

Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - Trailer - YouTube

Yamato 2202 Series Trailer:

Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2202: Ai no Senshi tachi; Trailer (ANIME) - YouTube

[Gouki]

I'm all about Kaoru Niimi.

[pikagreg]

Is Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark needed before 2202? Hopefully Funi licenses the movies too.

[Kinsella5]

Originally Posted by pikagreg

Is Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark needed before 2202? Hopefully Funi licenses the movies too.

I really would not say so. It seemed to me to be a standalone story from an event towards the end of series one. The film was ok, nothing spectacular. If you watch the 2199 series, and then jump to the 2202 series when it is released you should be fine.

[kevers7290]

Before we all get too excited here, has it been officially confirmed that 2202 has been licensed?

[Kinsella5]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

Before we all get too excited here, has it been officially confirmed that 2202 has been licensed?

No 2202 has not yet, it hasn't finished airing in Japan yet, but with 2199 licensed by Funimation I would say its a safe bet 2202 will be eventually.

[kevers7290]

Originally Posted by Kinsella5

No 2202 has not yet, it hasn't finished airing in Japan yet, but with 2199 licensed by Funimation I would say its a safe bet 2202 will be eventually.

OK excellent. Some chance is better than none. I have the Japanese releases of 2199 but I'll definitely be double-dipping for the LE with a new dub.

[Joshitaka]

I got really excited for a minute, and then I realized that this is just another one of those CGI-laden sorry excuses for animation.

[Nostalgic Twilight]

What do you mean? Yes, if my memory serves me correctly, the ships are rendered in CGI, but all the character animation is hand drawn and then scanned and painted in the usual fashion. Unless you are referring to the Harlock movie instead of Yamato?