1980s Space Opera Anime Still Going Strong Today
If you’re a fan of mecha anime like Gundam, Evangelion, and Macross, then you owe it to yourself to check out the anime that helped inspire them all – Space Battleship Yamato. Now, the original anime of this franchise came out in the 1970s, so the animation might be a little dated, but fortunately, Crunchyroll now has the 2012 remake Star Blazers 2199, aka Space Battleship Yamato 2199. This is by far the easiest way to watch this classic series, and you can stream the entire anime now.
Space Battleship Yamato 2199
Space Battleship Yamato 2199 takes place in a world where an alien race known as the Gamilas have taken over Earth, and a distant planet is humanity’s last chance for survival.
Humanity’s hopes hinge on the high-powered titular ship and its crew, who must traverse the galaxy and battle alien forces to save their home. 2199 is a remake of the original series, so this is one of the best ways to experience the story in modern day.
The Animation Style
For purists, it’s worth noting that Space Battleship Yamato 2199 isn’t a beat-by-beat remake, with some major changes to the story and new characters, though many feel it’s just as good as the original, so there’s no need to feel bad about skipping the original version if you don’t want to watch.
The animation style is also inspired by the original series while making things smoother and more updated for modern audiences. Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion will also appreciate that Hideaki Anno designed the new opening sequence for the series as an homage to the original.
Fans Of The Original Should Love The Remake
Space Battleship Yamato 2199 got great reviews from fans of the original, with Kotaku’s Richard Eisenbeis saying, “as a series, it succeeded on nearly every level,” adding, “It took one of the classic 70s anime, Space Battleship Yamato (called Starblazers in the West), and brought it to a new generation by adding new characters, a deeper story, and stunning visuals.”
So, if you’re someone who loved the original, then you’ll find plenty to love about the remake. If you’re new to the series, it’s a great entry point, and you can decide if you want to do a deeper dive into the franchise if you end up loving it.
The Inspiration
The original Space Battleship Yamato anime was written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, directed by Leiji Matsumoto, and produced by Academy Productions. The titular ship gets its name from the real-life Japanese World War II battleship Yamato. The original series ran for 26 episodes in the mid-1970’s and went on to become one of the most influential anime series of all time.
Stream It Now
As mentioned, the original Space Battleship Yamato had serious and deep storylines, which gave it the incredible legacy of influencing Gundam, Macross, and Evangelion, which are some of the biggest and most revered franchises in all of anime.
It’s hard to imagine anime without these shows, and it’s possible they wouldn’t have happened without the sometimes overlooked Space Battleship Yamato franchise.
If you’ve never seen the series before, make sure to check it out on Crunchyroll. The good news is if you end up loving Space Battleship Yamato, there’s plenty more to watch after you finish the initial remake series.
The series is still going strong today, with the most recent entry being Be Forever Yamato: REBEL 3199, a series of seven films that remakes both Be Forever Yamato and Space Battleship Yamato III.
