Recap: On its return to Earth, the Yamato is ambushed by a desperate, but still alive Desler. In the end, lives are lost, bonds are formed, and even miracles happen.

Gee’s Thoughts: This is it folks, the finale of this grand adventure we’ve witnessed. It’s been two months since the Yamato departed from Iscandar back to the war torn Earth. The good men and women who have lost their lives have been mourned, the ship has been brought back to full capacity, and overall, spirits are high as humanity has succeeded in saving Earth. By coincidence, they also pick up an unrelated SOS from Miezella, the space elf last survivor of Jirel who pledged her entire life to Desler. Without Desler in her life, she’s lost her reason to live. However, things are not as calm as they should be. Upon the return of the Gamilan fleet that was cut off thanks to the Yamato’s cunning, it is revealed that a number of Desler-loyalist forces have splintered off in pursuit of the Yamato. Planning to use the warp gate they found earlier, it’s also revealed that Desler has somehow survived the giant explosion from the prior episode and has set up an ambush to get his revenge upon the ship that denied him his complete domination of the universe.

Luckily, the Yamato manages to narrowly escape the ambush thanks to the sudden and very awesome arrival of Wolf Frakken, tasked with hunting down the loyalist Gamilans, finally shoving a missile into Goer’s smug ugly face, after 26 episodes. This wasn’t really super relevant, but it was an awesome moment. Just saying.

Unfortunately, things go badly for the Yamato crew, as they’re boarded and quickly overrun by Desler’s droid army. Desler intends to personally assassinate the infirm Okita, before destroying the Yamato with his own two hands. Causalities are taken, including Yuki Mori herself after her attempt to save Miezella from being shot by a Desler who’s a little too quick on the draw. This was actually a rather surprising moment for everyone involved, and we can even see Desler himself is shocked and horrified by his actions. It’s these little moments that give you sympathy for even a monster like Desler. Here’s a man who had good intentions and a devotion to the Iscandarians to bring peace and stability to the universe, only for the very same power he was granted to eventually corrupt him into the tyrant he is today. In the end, Yuki’s sacrifice prompts Desler to halt his attempt on Okita’s life, and return to his ship, content with destroying the Yamato from afar.

Thanks to the Gamilan droid they captured all the way back in episode 9 along with the solid shell ammunition the Yamato carries, our intrepid crew manages to fend off both the boarding droids as well as damage Desler’s ship enough that firing the Wave Motion Gun causes it to self destruct. The Yamato barely survives the encounter, but the toll is heavy.

In episode 26, we are treated to a deescalation of action as the Yamato makes its way back to Earth. Casualties are reported, including the greatest one, Yuki Mori. In a coma, the crew places her in Yurisha’s stasis chamber, hoping to preserve her until they can get her to better facilities back on Earth. Elsewhere, Kato and Makoto announce their engagement, and Kodai, in an attempt to put up a happy face, encourages them to celebrate with a party. Yamato 2199 decides to use its final episode to show three different but connected thematic elements. Kato and Makoto’s future child is of course the hope for the future. Okita, who is slowly succumbing to his sickness, represents the end. And Yuki and Kodai’s relationship is caught in a limbo, unable to go back, nor able to move forward.

As if to make everything weirder, Starsha’s foreshadowing of the Cosmo Reverser utilizing the memories of its users comes to a head, as the ghost/memory of Mamoru Kodai shows up. He activates the Cosmo Reverser and uses its powers to bring Yuki back to life. While normally I’d call this kind of an asspull, Sanada dropping the Arthur C. Clarke quote of sufficiently advanced technology sorta works. The Iscandarians operate at such a different level of technology that for all intents and purposes, the Cosmo Reverser and its capabilities is magic.

Elsewhere, Captain Okita reminisces about the past, thinking back to the struggles he’s faced and his hopes for the future. The man has seen and accomplished a lot, and as he looks upon the Earth one last time, he finally passes on. Manly tears were shed for the man who gave so much for the Yamato and its crew, and never stopped until the very end. Captain Okita, you are truly a legend among men. Additionally, the memories of his life give the Cosmo Reverser power again, allowing it to be activated one more time. Miracles do happen!

In the end, it’s a mostly happy ending. Earth is saved, Yuki and Kodai can be together, and the crew has finally return. Sure, you could argue it’s almost a little too convenient, but considering how much the Yamato crew has had to endure, I think it’s fitting that they get the reward they’ve fought so hard for. This is not a story where the good guys had an easy time. Sacrifices were made, and a lot was done to accomplish their goals. These are men and women who never stopped fighting to save their planet, and they earned their happy ending. Overall, I am satisfied with Yamato 2199’s conclusion, and I can see why its story is considered a timeless one.

Final Impressions

Watching Yamato 2199 has been a special experience for me. Without a doubt it’s the closest I’ve seen an anime get to truly being perfect. Everything is flawlessly executed, from the production values to the soundtrack to the character interaction. There is nothing that was ignored or given less attention to, and as a result, Yamato 2199 feels wholly conclusive and satisfying. While the tale of the Yamato is overall a simple one, and with its space opera antics, a sometime silly one to, Yamato 2199 never strayed from its somber and determined tone, and that consistency helped it in the long run. It’s a show with an unbelievable amount of heart and soul to it, and for that, it earns my utmost respect.

In addition, Yamato 2199 has some of the best pacing I’ve seen in a long time. Characters are give their proper dues, but they don’t overstay their welcomes. Subplots and weekly conflicts are cleanly resolved, rather than dragging them out for filler. The filler itself is sprinkled in effectively, popping up when it’s needed the most, but otherwise letting the main narrative drive the show. It’s not just the technical aspects of Yamato 2199 that are so well done, it’s also the internal things that make the show click so well.

I will gladly call Yamato 2199 my anime of the year. Never did I feel bored nor did I ever feel like the plot was rushing too quickly. Barring a couple of episodes, the technical merits were also top notch, the space battles and the characters involved being every bit as exciting as I hoped they would be. The soundtrack was also excellent, serving as a perfect accompaniment to every scene and moment. Watching it over the course of these past months has been a truly special experience.  Yamato 2199 is a perfect example of how to create a remake for a modern audience. Over 30 years old, the Yamato’s tale is still a timeless one, and while some of its quirks and twists are standard tropes in modern science fiction now, the solidity of its narrative and characters shows that a good story will always be a good story, no matter how much changes.