The sixth chapter, "The Blue Labyrinth," of " Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199, " the latest installment in the remake series of the popular anime " Space Battleship Yamato ," will be released on June 26th. The fifth chapter, "The Heated Galactic War," which premiered on February 20th, garnered attention for its shocking ending in which the Space Battleship Yamato crosses a spacetime nodal point and arrives not in the future, but in Tokyo in 2026. The trailer for the sixth chapter, "The Blue Labyrinth," shows that something is amiss with the Yamato crew. Ryusuke Domon seems to be tempted by the same "historical alteration" that Desarium is trying to achieve, believing that "if the Yamato heads to Planet Gamilas in this era, the future can be changed." We asked Tasuku Hatanaka, who plays Domon, and Tomo Muranaka, who plays Miyako Kyozuka, a fellow 38th-generation graduate of the Space Defense Academy, to reflect on the fifth chapter and discuss the sixth chapter.
◇The shocking ending of Chapter Five! What?!
--The seven-chapter "Yamato 3199" is approaching its climax.
Mr. Hatanaka, considering how Chapter Five ended, you might be wondering how they're going to wrap up this crazy plot. All I can say is that it's really interesting, and I can't predict what will happen next. I was constantly surprised while reading the script.
Muranaka-san: In "Yamato 3199," we fought together not only in space and on board the Yamato, but also on Earth, and sailed for a long time, so I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved. Miyako's role is to rescue the injured, so she doesn't fight.
In Hatanaka's sixth chapter, Miyako plays a major role, doesn't she?
Even when it's not depicted in the main story , I imagine everyone is working hard in their own way, and I eagerly await the conclusion.
--What were your thoughts after seeing the shocking ending of Chapter Five?
I thought, "What is Hatanaka going to do!?" (laughs). The visuals are incredible. It's Tokyo, where we live in modern times. If the Yamato appears there, a lot of problems are bound to arise. What about Japan's defense!? How will it interact with people in modern times? It's truly an encounter with the unknown. You can predict all sorts of developments. Some of those aspects are depicted realistically, so I hope you'll look forward to it.
Muranaka-san: I had a strong impression that "Space Battleship Yamato" was a story set in space, but when Yamato appeared in modern-day Shinjuku, I was excited and surprised to realize that it was connected to reality!
Mr. Hatanaka, you're absolutely right. It really makes you think, doesn't it?
--Did you two find out about the shocking ending of Chapter Five from the script?
That's right , Hatanaka-san and Muranaka-san .
Mr. Hatanaka hadn't explained anything up until then. We didn't have any lines, so we read the stage directions and were like, "Huh?! What's going on?!"
Regarding Chapter Six, Mr. Muranaka had said, "Something terrible is going to happen to Miyako." It was really vague (laughs). I didn't understand what he meant.
Regarding Hatanaka-san's portrayal of Domon, it was something like, "What happened in front of me was all that mattered" (laughs). I think Sasha (Megumi Han) received a proper explanation. Toriumi-san (Kousuke Toriumi, who played Seiya Kitano) was also summoned.
I think Mr. Muranaka and Mr. Toriumi must have known something.
Chapter six of Hatanaka's story left me wondering, "What's going to happen next?" I can't wait to read the next script.
I had heard that Muranaka's situation was "very difficult," so I had an idea of what it would be like, but it was a different kind of difficulty. Miyako doesn't usually express her thoughts and feelings to others, and she doesn't participate much in battle meetings, but I felt that she observes those around her carefully and thinks about many things.
◇The back that Daisuke Ono, from the "ancient" era, shows us
--How do you view Domon's growth?
Hatanaka-san, it's amazing how Domon has come to open up to you this much (laughs). He and Ageha were always at odds, but the 38th class has really come together. You have reliable classmates, but that closeness can also be a disadvantage at times... In Chapter Five, there were lots of fight scenes with Sakamoto and Raiden, and they were always leading the charge, which was really reassuring. Who am I to say that? (laughs)
Muranaka-san's perspective as a colleague (lol).
Hatanaka-san , that's right. My classmates are incredibly strong; I think they're a strong team.
--The relationship between Kodai and Domon is also a highlight.
In Chapter Six, Mr. Hatanaka made me feel like our ancient captain had returned! Even during the voice recording, I was deeply moved as Hatanaka. It felt like he was embracing everything with his whole being, and I almost cried. He's so cool. It gives me chills; there were scenes that made me think I want to be an adult like him.
In the first chapter, Muranaka-san was practicing his marriage proposal, and he's kind of oblivious when it comes to women, which is kind of cute (laughs). I think Kodai-san is someone who has grown through repeated failures, but I also felt that he has a way of passing things on.
--What are your impressions of working with Daisuke Ono, who plays Kodai?
Hatanaka-san , since "Yamato 3199" started, we've had more opportunities to record together, and he's taught me things like how to fire the Wave Motion Gun, showing me by example. I feel like there's something to be passed down, and for Chapter Six, we wanted to cherish the sense of immediacy in our dialogue, so instead of recording separately, we recorded together. We were mostly facing sideways (towards Ono-san) while we were talking, and it felt very live and fun.
Muranaka-san , I held my breath because I didn't want to ruin the atmosphere between the two of them (laughs). Then, Miyako had her lines, so I tried to watch carefully as the two of them clashed.
◇ Tasuku Hatanaka, who is as straightforward as Domon
--It seems that recording has been completed up to Chapter 7. What are your thoughts now that you've finished this long voyage?
Hatanaka-san still seems to want to travel. The story is unfolding in an amazing way. It makes you want to see what happens next, and personally, I think there must be more recordings for "Yamato" to come. With "Yamato 3199," I had a lot of interaction with my seniors, and they took good care of me and taught me a lot of things.
Actually, I don't know the ending, Mr. Muranaka . I haven't heard it from the director either, so I'll find out together with everyone else. I'm looking forward to it.
--What did you feel while working together?
I didn't have many opportunities to talk with Muranaka-san and Hatanaka-san, but they had this air of being clumsy, yet not clumsy at all... I wonder how that is!? They had a lot in common with Domon, they were down-to-earth, and I felt they had a passionate heart for acting and were completely absorbed in their performances. So maybe that's different from being clumsy. I respect them.
Hatanaka-san, that's...
Muranaka-san is very straightforward, isn't he? I was also impressed when Ono-san was talking about acting with Hatanaka-san and said, "So that's one way of thinking about it. That's certainly an important point." Watching them, I realized that acting has really resonated with the senior actors as well.
Thank you , Hatanaka-san . Is Muranaka-san shy?
Is Muranaka-san shy?
In the scene where Hatanaka-san and Miyako shed tears, you get the feeling that they're thinking, "I'm not going to cry in front of people!" and that there's love behind their anger.
That scene, Muranaka -san (laughs). Domon has a certain charm in that he's not neatly wrapped up in a good way.
To Hatanaka-san !?
Why are you so shaken up , Muranaka-san ? (laughs) Domon is a wild horse, but he also has the ability to take action, and I think that's what Miyako is drawn to.
Hatanaka-san, Domon tends to do things in extremes, doesn't he? I think Miyako being there helps to balance things out.
It seems that even in Chapter Six, more challenges await. Expectations are high for the exploits of Domon and his classmates. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
