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This is becoming my speciality, so how about a sakuga analysis thread ?
Today, I'll cover Saraba Uchû Senkan Yamato: Ai no Senchi Tachi, a forgotten but essential masterpiece of 70's animation !
Today, I'll cover Saraba Uchû Senkan Yamato: Ai no Senchi Tachi, a forgotten but essential masterpiece of 70's animation !
Let's start w/ some facts: this 1978 lasts 2h35, and it was the longest animated movie ever made when it came out. I don't think it's ever been topped (yet)
In other words, this is an incredibly ambitious production, meant to conclude the Yamato franchise (it didn't)
In other words, this is an incredibly ambitious production, meant to conclude the Yamato franchise (it didn't)
In many ways, Farewell Yamato can be considered a test run, or an anticipation for Ideon: Be Invoked, from 1980, one of the greatest masterpieces of animation in terms of character and fx animation
This is mostly due to Tomonori Kogawa, chief animation director on both movies
This is mostly due to Tomonori Kogawa, chief animation director on both movies
Just like Be Invoked, Farewell Yamato is just a long series of space battles, and at the end everyone dies...
The character animation is often very detailed, w/ a lot of care put into the sense of volume
The character animation is often very detailed, w/ a lot of care put into the sense of volume
Same for mechanical animation: the movie isn't afraid of camera mvt at all, and that means a *lot* of this kind of very detailed motion of the different spaceships, the Yamato obviously being in the spotlight
As for the fx, it's probably one of the best instances of pre-Kanada fx (they'd conquer the industry after GE999, the next year)
The shapes are fairly simple, but the colors are always original and unexpected, which makes it a lot of fun to watch
The shapes are fairly simple, but the colors are always original and unexpected, which makes it a lot of fun to watch
Besides its star animation director, the movie had in its staff 3 very big names: Kazuhide Tomonaga, Yoshinori Kanada, and Yoshikazu Yasuhiko - the first two had already done notable contributions to the original TV series and all were rising stars of the industry
Tomonaga's influence is all over the movie, especially in the complex mvt and the prominent use of bg animation, as in this cut
The mech designs are also important: they were partly handled by Noboru Ishiguro and studio Nue, who would notably work on Macross
The mech designs are also important: they were partly handled by Noboru Ishiguro and studio Nue, who would notably work on Macross
The Tomonaga/Nue/Macross line is also very visible in the approach to debris. Tomonaga was an expert in destruction scenes, and this cut, although not by him, betrays the influence - while already being very close to Ichirô Itano's even more detailed debris animation on Macross
The Tomonaga/Kanada relationship is also very interesting on the movie. They had become friends on the original Yamato TV show, and collaborated a lot, most famously on GE999. But there, Tomonaga felt that he was overshadowed by Kanada
This isn't the case here, as the 2 men
This isn't the case here, as the 2 men
Seem to have done smthg very original: each one animated in the other's style!
For example, this cut by Kanada barely feels like him: the rounder explosions, bg animation and complex mvt of the planes looks more like Tomonaga
For example, this cut by Kanada barely feels like him: the rounder explosions, bg animation and complex mvt of the planes looks more like Tomonaga
Kogawa's animation direction must've played a part too - but that doesn't mean Kanada is invisible. In this short cut, the shapes and motion of the explosions is unmistakeable
As for Tomonaga, the shape of the beams here is very Kanadaesque, as are the liquid-like mvt of the flames and the small bit of character animation at the end, w/ extended limbs, rougher lines and strong poses
What this cut shows as well is that Tomonaga was the first master of bg animation, before Kanada - and he probably influenced him on that !
If you look at this Kanada cut from Terra E (1980), the bg animation work is very similar - except that Kanada's genius introduces lighting
If you look at this Kanada cut from Terra E (1980), the bg animation work is very similar - except that Kanada's genius introduces lighting
Finally, there's Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. His work on the movie is just impressive: he storyboarded it, but also almost solo key animated the last 80 cuts of the movie - that is something like 10 minutes of very emotional and fluid animation
Indeed, here, Yas revealed all of his talent as a character animator - Kodai's frustrated and angry acting here in incredibly powerful as well as fluid
But his best work (ever, maybe ?) is without a doubt this long cut, full of emotion and so soft and sad it makes you want to cry
It's also one hell of a technical achievement - the layouts are so complex but it's all so fluid and natural https://twitter.com/MatteoWatz/status/1338961788570923013?s=20
It's also one hell of a technical achievement - the layouts are so complex but it's all so fluid and natural https://twitter.com/MatteoWatz/status/1338961788570923013?s=20
