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ARTICLE BY MITSURU YOSHIDA
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Mitsuru Yoshida 1923 ~ 1979 ・Graduated from Tokyo University, where he majored in law. At the time of this article, he was an auditor of The Bank of Japan. Author of Chinkon senkan Yamato (Appeasing the spirit of the Battleship Yamato) and other books.
© 1979 Japan Echo ・© 1978 Bunjei Shunju
Translated from "Uchu senkan Yamato' no sedai" in Bungei Shunju, November 1978
© 2000 SPACECRUISERYAMATO.COM
When the first of the two Space Cruiser Yamato science fiction animation films made a sensation in 1977, I very much wanted to see it, but something within me held me back and I stayed away from the theater for many months.
As the story begins with the salvaging of the battleship Yamato some 200 years in the future to remodel it into a modern space cruiser, my interest in the film was quite natural, for I am one of the survivors of this ill-fated ship that was attacked and sunk during the Japanese suicide attack operations off Okinawa in April 1945.
When I skimmed through the Asahi Sono-rama edition of the scenario, I was surprised to learn that it was modeled faithfully on the actual appearance and war record of the battleship Yamato. For instance, in one scene the Captain of the 'Space Cruiser' gives a detailed account of the Okinawa operations to his officers. He says that the tragedy of the sunken Yamato is the inevitable fate of anyone who participates in the inhuman act of war, and proclaims his determination that the reborn Yamato will never again suffer such a tragedy. The scenario describes in detail how the crew's and officers' quarters are remodeled into missile hangars. Depiction of suicide attack unit formations and the damage caused by enemy raids is as graphic as the war record of the real ship.
The 'Space Cruiser Yamato's' amusingly fat bottom, instead of a smart streamlined body, is a precise rendition of the battleship, with its swollen bow for improved wave resistance. Prior to the showdown, the captain's order sounds over the loudspeaker: "The fate of humanity depends on this battle. Each of you is solemnly requested to renew your efforts to win." The announcement has a familiar-sounding literary ring to it.
My strong reluctance to seeing this movie came from my premature conclusion that it would be a story for children and bear no resemblance to that of the huge battleship that met its tragic end in the closing days of the Pacific War, even if the setting was similar. Both summaries of the movie that I had heard and the way children were reacting to it seemed to endorse my conclusion. However, I soon threw off my prejudice and developed an urge to see the movie because daily reports of the young
audiences' enthusiasm were so extraordinary.
With the release of the sequel "Arrivederci, Space Cruiser Yamato" in the summer of 1978, enthusiasm escalated to such a peak that nearly two million people saw the movie in three weeks. Even the adults who accompanied their children to the theater were highly impressed. News reports told how some people waited in line all night to buy advance tickets when they went on sale a week before opening day and how some youngsters shed tears for the hero and girls threw bouquets at the screen during the final scene.
THE YAMATO FAD
What was it that moved the youngsters so much? Like the scores of science fiction movies made in the United States, the Yamato movies are filled with such futuristic weapons as wave guns, reflective satellite guns, cosmo cleaners that remove radioactivity, the spaceship bomber Black Tiger, and dimensional compasses, as well as such technical jargon as four-dimensional cavity, interdimensional dislocation, hydrogen current, gaseous nebula, double planet, and white comet.
What attracts the youngsters, however, is not merely curiosity about new things. There must be something that moves them, arouses their sympathy and hope, and evokes their tears. Otherwise the Space Cruiser Yamato fad that has swept Japan for two consecutive years cannot be explained.
The first film, in which the Yamato fights a good fight, opens with a crisis sweeping over the Earth. The year is 2199, when the Earth, long contaminated by radioactivity, will soon perish unless something is done. Humanity's only hope of survival is to send an expedition to Iskandall, a planet at the far end of the universe, to fetch a device that removes radioactive contamination. However, the solar-system-conquering forces of the planet Gamilus that try to obstruct this mission boast a satanic power. It is obvious whose side the odds are weighted on.
J・Okita
Space cruiser Yamato's illustrious Captain, J・Okita, encourages his officers, saying, "There is nothing certain in life, for all that lies ahead is unseen. So let us overcome our uncertainties and have faith in tomorrow. This is an important struggle that we must wage within ourselves." To the young people of today a forlorn, aimless sense of crisis may seem more realistic than the optimism based on trust in human intelligence that at one time spread throughout the world after World War II.
Space cruiser Yamato fights alone as best it can against the swarms of enemy forces, its unassisted fight reminiscent of how the battleship Yamato, accompanied by only 10 ships and with no air protection, fought a fatal battle and sank off Okinawa before the onslaught of 300 American warships and 1,200 American planes. But unlike the tragic demise of its prototype, the space cruiser Yamato successfully obtains the radioactivity-removing device with the help of Stashia, a mysterious beauty who lives on the planet Iskandall, destroys the Gamilus forces, and returns safely to Earth.
In postwar Japan, open fighting and the display of power through confrontation are admired and valued only in such harmless settings as sports. This may explain why the biannual high school baseball tournaments are so popular with Japanese, young and old alike. And the relentless fights depicted on the screen and in novels probably serve to satisfy people's latent fighting instinct.
The film Yamato affirmatively depicts the stern attitude of people engaged in battle. To his crew, who have risked their lives in perilous battle, Captain Okita expresses a curt "Well done." His belief is: 'In battle all that counts is a fighting spirit and a level head. This alone can bring victory. The importance of a battle lies not in its outcome but in the maintenance of discipline during the fighting. The captain's commands must be strictly obeyed. No personal feelings can be allowed on the battlefield.'
Susumu Kodai
However, the people who made the film knew that mere intoxication with the rhythm of discipline and order is not enough to satisfy today's youngsters, and therefore inserted sentimental scenes here and there. For instance, Mamoru Kodai, elder brother of the hero, Susumu Kodai, and captain of the Yamato's sister ship Yukikaze, plunges into enemy territory and is never heard from again. Susumu's voice is choked with emotion when he reports to the captain upon his return to the Yamato that there are no survivors on the Yukikaze, and tears stream down his cheeks as the Captain comforts him, saying, "The Earth shall not suffer the fate of the Yukikaze."
Susumu's sweetheart, Yuki Mori, a perfect double of Stashia, performs an important duty as the Yamato's medical officer. She keeps Susumu under her constant protection, following him like a shadow, and acts with dauntless courage. Even amid the gunsmoke and bullets, the two are often shown in smile provoking scenes of affection whispering words of love to each other.
To say that tears, love, and feminine tenderness have nothing to do with the stark reality of the front, that the harshness of military discipline is inconsistent with sentimentality, would be senseless. The film makers were aiming at such an inconsistency, for the secret of the film's great popularity with youngsters lies in the fact that its young hero, Susumu, is unusually maudlin and emotional and even exposes these weaknesses in battle.
UNCERTAINTY IN THE MIDST OF PROSPERITY
In the prologue of the scenario, the producer states the following as his purpose in making the movie:
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In today's industrial society, individuals have become no more than little cogs on a big wheel, and there is no way to relieve the sense of loneliness that comes from this. How can this stalemate be broken? We have planned this film for people of all ages, especially boys and girls, in order to imbue them with the understanding and dreams that we feel are most important today. We want to convey the message "People are love" by showing how some people held fast to their hope io the very end and achieved their goal of saving the Earth by taking all the possibilities into consideration before acting.
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We must have understanding and dreams, as well as love. But this is easier to say than to include in a story full of ups and downs. The author gives his characters some sensible lines from time to time:
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We have remodeled the Yamato into a space cruiser not to win the fight but to evacuate the Earth, loading it with the young people and animals selected to go out and build a new world somewhere in the vast universe. We endorse mutual love because we have a sincere wish for peace in the entire universe to which the Earth belongs. The Yamato is the messenger of peace, entrusted with the future of humanity. Any battle that it happens to engage in can be regarded as a courageous effort to dissuade those bent on destroying peace. The members of the Yarnato crew share the same hopes and wishes as all the people on Earth waiting for their return. Through battle, they have learned how to love people more.
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This movie was conceived and produced with 12 year old boys in mind as the average audience. Those born in 1965 or later have only experienced living in an "age of uncertainty." Though young, they must sense with their keen instincts the latent uncertainties in our seeming prosperity, the egregious egoism hidden in the world of politics, and the immeasurable cruelty of actual war. Even if they do not sense them yet, they will have to face the realities of society sooner or later. Neither peace nor love among people is easy to attain. Adults should thus have the thoughtfulness to assure them some moments of certainty during the brief period in which they are captivated by the screen.
The plot of the second film, Arrivederci, Space Cruiser Yamato, is more elaborate. Two years after the first movie takes place, the new and powerful Andromeda has become the main warship of the Earth's forces, while the Yamato, which has become obsolete and is ready for scrapping, embarks on a suicide attack on the huge white comet Gatlantis. What develops is a breathtaking battle for time between the Yamato and its enemy, which is attempting to make a direct attack on the Earth. The Yamato is making a heroic effort to destroy the Gatlantis empire when a huge battleship emerges from within the comet to make the final assault on the space cruiser. The exhausted Yamato has almost run out of propulsive power and its wave guns no longer have enough power to destroy. To save the Earth, there is no alternative but to make a suicide drive into the huge enemy battleship and perish with it. Susumu, who has been promoted to captain of the Yamato, solemnly orders his crew to evacuate the cruiser, saying that sometimes it is easier to die than to survive.
His sweetheart, Yuki, after fighting gallantly and overcoming crisis upon crisis, is finally killed in action. With a gentle smile on his face, Susumu speaks to the silent Yuki: "Yuki. we are alone at last. I'm sorry I've caused you so much trouble. The most important thing that we human beings have is love, and for me the most important thing is you, my love for you. Yuki, I love you, I love you. Let's become stars in this timeless universe and get married. This will be our wedding ceremony."
The people on Earth now realize that the Yamato has decided to perish with the enemy and sends the ship a message of gratitude and farewell. But Susumu assures them that he is not going to die but is going on to a new life. In his parting words to the crew as they evacuate the ship, he says, "Our lives are not so trifling as to end after only a few decades. They diffuse throughout the universe and go on forever. I want all of you to go back to Earth and continue to survive through whatever difficulties you may encounter. Tell your descendants how the Yamato fought, and strive to create warm hearted happiness and to build a wonderful world for tomorrow."
The insights and dreams that people have are more idealized in the second movie:
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Earthlings have too much confidence in the development of material civilization. Who can guarantee that this attitude will not lead to the invasion of other planets? All things must be equal, must live and prosper together. This is the law of the universe that comes from the love of the universe. Conquering the universe does not mean destroying it. Anyone who destroys the subtle bal-ance of the universe must in turn be destroyed.
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By this time, the real estate speculators who bought up land before the Earth was devastated have become influential politicians. They have decided that if attacked by a planet from outer space, they will surrender to the invaders and become their agents in order to suppress the citizens. The military personnel who agree to this plan are given preferential treatment, while those who side with the people Out of a sense of justice are sent out to fight a hopeless battle against the invaders.
Today's youngsters must be aware that such a political climate, in which wicked upstarts prosper, is not mere fiction.
THE BATTLESHIP AND THE SPACE CRUISER
Last autumn, in the women's column of a certain newspaper, a 39-year-old housewife wrote in a letter about Arrivederci, Space Cruiser Yamato. She had seen the movie with her son during summer vacation, and while she thought it was an enjoyable animated cartoon full of dreams, adventures, righteousness, romance, and love between a handsome man and a beautiful woman, it reminded her of the kamikaze units of 33 years ago.
She added that she was moved by the last scene, where the young captain and hero attacks the enemy camp with his slain sweetheart to gain eternal life and attain the love that is most important to human beings; however, she did have some doubts about such an act. While she considered it a beautiful act not to think of oneself, to be willing to sacrifice oneself for the sake of justice, she questioned whether this was not the same spirit as that of the kamikaze fighters. What were the true feelings of those young men who so courageously sacrificed themselves "For the sake of the country and the Tenn・/I>"? Were they the same as those of the space cruiser Yamato's crew? While admitting that the situations in the movie and during the war were different and could not really be equated, she nevertheless pleaded, as a woman and a mother, that; " ... There should never be a war in which people kill each other."
As one who belonged to a kamikaze unit during the war, I cannot pass over her plea in silence. Absolute opposition to war is a natural feeling, and I understand her apprehension that the thrill and excitement of the movie Yamato might remind us of the kamikaze spirit. However, my conclusion is that there is no need to worry. What is presented in this movie is not an ugly, gruesome war like those that have been repeated time and again through out history but an imaginary, absurd science fiction thriller. There is no sign of helpless people suffering because they are forced to fight or of their burn-ing with such indignation that they are ready to sacrifice themselves. The occasional love scenes in the movie present a world quite different from the real intensity of love and the heartbreak of parting with loved ones that those sent off to war must experience. Fortunately, the space cruiser Yamato is decisively different from the battleship Yamato. and the young audiences' excited heartbeats and tear stained cheeks indicate pure, innocent sentiments that have no relation to the futile deaths of the kamikaze units.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
One reason the movie was such a big hit is that plastic models of the battleship Yamato have been more popular than those of any other warship. Furthermore, this phenomenon is not limited to Japan; the interesting shape of this mysterious warship is also popular with Ameri-can boys. This puzzles us of the "war generation." We are no match for these youngsters in enthusiasm for model warships or in knowledge of their details. I, for one, have very little interest in the shape or performance of the Yamato as a battleship. Frankly, as one who spent some years on the ship, engaged in action and prepared to die there, having witnessed the deaths of many colleagues and the actual sinking of the ship, I am not inclined to take any interest in the characteristics of its design and the beauty of its silhouette. The Yamato is not a ship I would feel nostalgia for or would like to have a model of to admire.
The producer had the inspired idea of depicting the soldiers of Gamilus and Gatlantis, who are enemies of the people on Earth, not as ordinary beings from outer space but as grotesque creatures who resemble humans except that they have sickly blue or green skins. Dictators, commanders, and generals, with names like Deslar, Hiss, Shultz, Domel, Zuoder, Balzei, and Geinitz, bring to mind the Nazi, British, and American generals of World War II. Soldiers, however, are depicted as nameless quasi-humans with no specific nationality.
It is indeed an ingenious idea to add a blue race to the preexisting races of white, black, yellow, and brown people. This causes some of the earthlings to be quite surprised when they discover that their adversaries resemble them in all ways except skin color, exclaiming, "They're just like us." But this subtlety is quickly passed over with the rejoinder, "Forget it! A human being could not possibly be that cruel."
If the enemies of the Earth are creatures other than human beings, the war is not one between "people". If military action by the Earth in its own defense is supported as a war for the cause of justice, then the enemy must be unearthly creatures inferior to human beings. Susumu Kodai's rival, Generalissimo Deslar, apologizes when he'learns of Yuki's death, saying, "Was she your sweetheart? Please forgive me." Where upon Susumu exposes his earthling's sense of superiority, whispering, "I never expected to hear such human words from him."
Some movie critics attribute the film's success to the producer's bold display of nationalism by depicting all the earthlings as Japanese. But is it possible to portray successfully such an irrational and highly political act as a nationalistic war in a romantic fashion? Why do earthlings have a prior right to existence among all the beings in the universe? Why can other planets only be inhabited by blue, inferior races? If such serious questions can be passed over without any clarification, then the movie never reaches deep enough to arouse the difficult problems touching the core of nationalism. Even if the youngsters are elated by the proud heroism of the earthlings (i.e., the Japanese), no danger is presented. Youngsters need only be aware that someday they, too, will have to experience the relentless struggle of nationalism.
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