On February 22nd, a stage greeting to commemorate the screening of the fifth chapter, "The Incandescent Galactic War," of "Yamato Forever REBEL3199," the latest installment in the remake series of the popular anime "Space Battleship Yamato," was held at Shinjuku Piccadilly (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo), with Daisuke Ono, who plays Susumu Kodai, appearing. Ono expressed his enthusiasm for the fifth chapter, saying, "An incredibly exciting development awaits. It's packed with Yamato entertainment, and it's going to be exciting."
Kodai faced a series of hardships in Yamato 3199. Ono said, "The first and second chapters were particularly difficult for me as Kodai Susumu. Fukui (Harutoshi) told me, 'I want you to sink to the very bottom,' so I wondered if I could even play the role. But a reward was waiting for me. A bond with Sasha was formed, and in Chapter 5, that bond deepened. Various companions helped me. It really hit home, and I felt glad that I had done it. It's truly a reward for me to be Kodai Susumu."
Also appearing on stage to greet the audience were Megumi Han, who plays Sasha, Yu Hatanaka, who plays Ryusuke Domon, Eriko Nakamura, who plays Mikage Kiryu, and general director Harutoshi Fukui.
One of the highlights of the fifth chapter is the all-out battle between the Yamato and Garmillan combined fleets as they confront the intermediate supply base, Digabras. The main visual also includes the catchphrase "The last minute, everything turns upside down." This has also been met with buzz.
Hatanaka was concerned about spoilers, saying, "Chapter 5 is also great... I wonder what will happen?", but he spoke passionately, saying, "The development of the all-out war was so exciting, it was exciting. It was amazing. I was thrilled by the performance of the air force. I like the combination of Sakamoto and Raiden. I hope you will watch it, including Raiden's lines."
Pan said, "When I'm acting, I tend to see the person through the character, and I think Yu is a lot like Domon. It's like watching the old Kodai, and there's a scene where you can see that he's not just copying him, but making his own choice. I really like that choice. As someone who plays Sasha, Kodai and Domon are like family, like brothers, like boss and junior, and I envy their relationship, which is impossible for Sasha." Ono nodded and said, "When I look at Yu, I think of Domon. He's straightforward and passionate."
Finally, Ono said, "In Chapter 5, if you're a fan of Yamato, you'll empathize with each character and feel warm and fuzzy inside, knowing that this person will lend you a hand. I'm glad I've been on this journey so far. There will be difficulties ahead, but I will never give up. I hope you will continue to support Yamato!"
"Yamato 3199" is a re-imagining of the original works "Yamato Forever" and "Space Battleship Yamato III," with a new interpretation added. There are seven chapters in total, with the sixth chapter, "Blue Labyrinth," set to premiere on June 26th.
