Space Battleship Yamato is back with a bang in this latest continuation of the remake series that began in 2012 with Yamato 2199, and continued with Yamato 2202 and Yamato 2205 over the subsequent decade. While 2199 was top-tier space opera, 2202 wasn't as universally loved, with a muddled plot and confused message. Movie duology 2205 was a mixed bag, with a meandering first half and a potent, event-packed second half. I'm happy to report that Star Blazers: REBEL 3199 blasts out of spacedock, immediately firing on all cylinders. This is easily the best Yamato since 2199's heady days, and the wait for new installments will be excruciating.

Like every other modern Yamato series, 3199 follows an odd distribution pattern - the full 26-episode series is arranged into seven theatrical movies, to be released over the course of two years. The first movie comprises the opening two episodes, while every other comprises four. As of this writing, Crunchyroll streams episodic versions around a week or so following the Japanese theatrical release. For the moment, only six episodes of Star Blazers: REBEL 3199, covering movies one and two, are streaming on Crunchyroll, with the third movie due on April 11th 2025.

Similar to its remake series forebears, 3199 models at least part of its story after the original Yamato TV and film series, with main inspirations 1980 movie Be Forever Yamato (which 3199 uses as its sub-title) and subsequent sequel TV show Yamato III. There are enough changes and misdirections that not even fans of the original will be able to predict its plot, and that's been one of the Yamato remake series' major strengths : respectful homage to the original, while blazing new narrative trails. Although many remake characters share names, or at least roles, with their original equivalents, 3199 and its predecessors remix and reinterpret them in creative and often surprising ways. In that way, 3199 isn't a replacement for its progenitors, and so far it's been so good that I'm extremely glad it exists.

3199 isn't at all newbie-friendly, however, and it beggars belief that Crunchyroll began streaming it before securing the rights to immediate predecessor 2205, which is absolutely critical to 3199's plot. By this point, Yamato's cast is so enormous, its interplanetary politics so complicated, that I ended up watching newly streamed (along with the delayed 2205, now also on Crunchyroll) recap movie Star Blazers Chronicle 2022 for a brief refresher. I wouldn't recommend it to newcomers, but its in-world documentary style is worth experiencing for lapsed fans who need reminders of the preceding 52 episodes worth of plot.

As now seems standard for the structure of a modern Yamato story arc, 3199's first few episodes bring us up to speed on Earth's current situation. The formation of the new Galman-Gamilas empire and their enmity towards the powerful Bolar Federation threatens to drag a weakened Earth into a new interstellar war, for which it's poorly prepared, following the destruction of the planet's subterranean time-accelerated battleship production facility, the Time Fault. A massive Dezarium ship tears through an enormous Bolar Federation fleet en-route to Earth before making a mockery of Earth's pitiful defenses. After a brief, one-sided battle where the Dezarium convincingly overpowers the best Earth has to offer, at huge cost to life, they suddenly offer peace, and access to advanced technology in exchange for land and infrastructure. It seems there's been a conspiracy, with multiple prominent businessmen and politicians already in contact with the Dezarium, anticipating their arrival.

The Dezarium are an existentially terrifying opponent - they claim to come from a future where Earth has been totally ruined, and in order for humanity to survive, they digitized their minds and left their biological forms behind, switching between artificial bodies as necessary. Their thoughts are modified by a central intelligence that checks for aberrations in motivation or belief, forcing them to comply to a gestalt will. That's some potent dystopian transhumanist horror right there, the kind of existential sci-fi dread that my obviously troubled mind can't seem to get enough of. Of course, we know from so many previous entries in the genre that aliens/future people bearing gifts absolutely cannot be trusted. That's Susumu Kodai's, Yuki Mori's, and the rest of the Yamato's crew's conclusion too. They soon find themselves as rebels hiding not only from their own government, but from the Dezarium and their ultra-powerful future tech.

3199 plays around with Yamato fans' expectations here - Mori and Kodai are separated by events, as in the original story, but the identity of their enemies may be substantially different. In Be Forever Yamato, enemies "the Black Nebulans" turned out to be from planet Dezarium, and were exposed to be lying about their identity as future humans. There's convincing evidence in the remake series that this version of the Dezarium really are time travelers, so who knows what their secrets will be? Yamato III's primary antagonists The Bolar Federation have so far been kept in the background as lesser antagonists in 3199's story, though with the Yamato heading towards their territory, their prominence is likely to change. All bets are off as to how 3199 will remix and adapt its varying inspirations.

Susumu Kodai remains a frustrating protagonist, as he spends most of episodes 3–4 moping. It's understandable, because he thinks he has lost Mori forever, but his ongoing indecision and lack of convincing leadership ability, as in 2205, winds up getting him demoted (again). Characters keep talking about how Kodai belongs on the Yamato as its captain, but it's clear others with their head in the game are better. Kodai doesn't even properly care for the child he acquired at the end of 2205 - the offspring of his deceased brother and Iscandar's Stasha. I thought he and Mori were supposed to co-parent her, but she's been dumped with supporting characters to bring her up. When faced with her, he can't even bring himself to speak or even smile. So frustrating.

Apart from that particular grumble, 3199 is about as perfect a space opera as anime gets. The plot is complex yet fast-paced, with some fascinating ideas and world-building, plus multifaceted heroes and villains. There's barely a wasted moment, with incredibly taut pacing that ratchets the tension almost to breaking point. Stunningly psychedelic space battles set to the usual high quality orchestral soundtrack get the blood pumping, while the overall production and character designs are so beautifully glossy. The Yamato remake series continues to ooze class, it's such a shame that its bizarre release strategy has scuppered its chances of building up steam here in the West.