Recap: The Yamato takes the fight to Dessler and the Gamilan Empire.

Gee’s Thoughts: Greetings everyone, it’s been a couple of months since our prior Yamato 2199 coverage. Blame that on a combination of the last 4 episodes not being translated until recently and my own packed schedule. Let’s get back on track shall we? Last time we left off, Dessler revealed the existence of his own Wave Motion Gun, which easily obliterates a planet along with almost the Yamato as well. In the end, Okita goes with the classic, “Charge the enemy head on” tactic that’s worked out so well for him. However, after pulling off some frankly awe-inspiring acts of ballsiness in the face of the enemy, ending with ramming the Yamato into the imperial palace, Dessler shows off his old-school anime villain colors, when he escapes in his own spaceship built into the palace, with Yuki in tow. Hey man, if nothing else, this guy is prepared.

To make matter worse, Dessler starts descending into ridiculous levels of villainy, deciding to pull a good ol’ colony drop on his own planet, hoping to take out the Yamato with it. Obviously Captain Okita isn’t going to take any of that shit, so while Kodai is sent on a mission to save Yuki, the rest of the Yamato crew scramble to blast the giant debris with the Wave Motion Gun. It’s a ridiculous scene, with the Yamato shooting through the palace into the debris. It’s also amazing. It’s parts like these, where as Kodai ascends to space, he gets assisted by each of his allies one by one, where you can really tell this is an anime from a bygone era. Still, it works and I couldn’t help but shout and cheer as Kodai got closer and closer Dessler’s ship.

In the end however, it’s not the Yamato that manages to defeat Dessler once and for all, but Norran, the Gamilan task force operative. Seeing Yuki’s resolve in the face of impending doom, the man pulls the ultimate sacrifice, giving up on his hopes of ever become a first-class citizen of the empire, overloading Dessler’s Wave Motion Gun, and causing a chain reaction that destroys his entire flagship.

I suppose it’s almost fitting, that in the end, it wasn’t humanity that truly defeated the Gamilans, but one of their own, or more accurately, one of the races they had subjugated in their years of imperial conquest. Meanwhile, it was humanity that saved the Gamilans from their impending doom at the hands of their own maniacal dictator. Will this usher in a new age of Human-Gamilan cooperation? It’s hard to undo years of propaganda, and I wonder if things will go as smoothly as everyone is hoping. Personally I find it interesting that the main Gamilan conflict was ended with three episodes to spare. In an era where rushed endings are the norm for anime, I appreciate that Yamato 2199 is taking its time to finish things off.

Once our crew lands on Iscandar, we’re treated to another breather now that the Yamato crew has overcome the odds. However, as hinted before, Starsha, the sole Iscandarian left on the planet, is less than pleased with humanity’s usage of Wave Motion energy as a weapon. Intended as a technological innovation meant to bring peace to the world, humanity turned it into a weapon of destruction. And yet, just like nuclear energy, the clear parallel of Wave Motion energy, it has been utilized for both good and ill in the world. Without the Wave Motion Gun, the Yamato would not have survived their journey and they wouldn’t have been able to save Gamilas itself without using it to stop Dessler’s colony drop. Still, to use their gift as a weapon speaks volumes of the nature of humanity, and as a result, Starsha is conflicted over whether to give the Yamato crew the Cosmo Reverser, the one thing capable of bringing life back to the war torn Earth.

Meanwhile, the Yamato crew enjoy some well deserved rest and relaxation in the form of, wait for it: A beach episode! Yes, even Yamato 2199 is not without its anime tropes, though in the context, it really fits. It doesn’t overstay its welcome and these are men and women who have been skirting the edge of death and destruction for months, they’ve earned the right to hang out in skimpy bathing suits. I certainly don’t mind seeing my two favorite girls swimming together and having a good time.

Finally, Starsha agrees to give the Yamato crew the Cosmo Reverser, on the condition that it is built directly into the Yamato itself, the construction overseen by Starsha herself. Okita, the level headed cool old guy he is, agrees and pledges to prevent such powerful technology from ever being used to harm others. Later, Starsha’s reluctance is revealed in the form of the Iscandarian graveyard, a tribute to Iscandar’s own bloody history. Turns out they were the first to invent the Motion Wave Gun and utilized its horrifying power to destroy countless civilizations. The reveal certainly makes Starsha’s reluctance much more understandable. Violence isn’t a human thing, it is a universal principle. As long as their is sentient life in the galaxy, it will find out how to hurt others. It’s only through the efforts of farsighted individuals with strong wills that we can ensure the more peaceful path is taken.

The episode concludes with the greatest reveal of all: A video message from Mamoru Kodai, the older brother who we previously thought had been killed on the Yukikaze at the beginning of the series. Captured with the intention of experimentation, the elder Kodai crash landed on Iscandar where he was rescued by Starsha, but eventually succumbed to his wounds. His final message to the Yamato crew about the importance of working together with the aliens is a good summation of everything Yamato 2199 was leading toward. With the assistance of Melda and the other Gamilans along with the Yamato’s own efforts to save the Gamilans from destruction, Yamato 2199 is inherently a show about coming to an understanding across boundaries and differences. In addition, the younger Kodai finally earns some closure on the story of his older brother. It is something of a comfort, to know he had died on a beautiful planet in the care of a protector, rather than alone in the cold depths of space.

Overall, the past two episodes have been an emotional roller coaster for me. From the elated cheers of the Yamato’s dogged defiance against the Gamilans to the bittersweet tears of Norran’s sacrifice and Mamoru Kodai’s final message, Yamato 2199 continues to show it’s one of the best written shows of the year. Sure, it’s a straightforward story with a straightforward theme and lesson, but it’s executed to such a high degree of excellence that it puts far newer premises and stories to shame. That said, with the next episode preview revealing Dessler’s survival, it looks like our favorite space crew’s return journey may not be a peaceful one. I look forward to seeing what aces Dessler has left up his sleeve.