Legendary Japanese Anime Franchise Returns, & More Anime Fans Should Be Paying Attention

With Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199 anime premiering later this summer, the venerable Space Battleship Yamato series looks ready to win new fans over, and reignite the original fandom. This sequel series will follow up on the Space Battleship Yamato 2199 retelling, providing new rebooted material that fans can see without trawling follow-ups of the 1974 anime. This makes it the best time for the fans to check out this underrated sci-fi classic.

While the titular ship's profile is unmistakable, its presence internationally has faded since its hayday in the 70s. The new 3199 series, however, shows that it has not been forgotten.

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With the franchise getting a new lease on life in this unexpected reboot, fans new and old shouldn't be afraid to check out Yamato for the first time, as the new continuity makes the setting more approachable than ever.

Related 10 Best Science Fiction Anime Every Star Wars Fan Needs to Watch Star Wars is easily one of the biggest sci-fi media franchises in the world, and there are plenty of anime series for fans of the legendary film saga.

Rebel 3199 Brings Sequels Out From The 1980s

Studio Mother's movies bring back the obscure Garman Garmillas enemies

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According to a recently released teaser trailer, Rebel 3199's first movie, "Dark Invasion", is set for a July 19 premiere. While the series will come out as a series of seven films, Harutoshi Fukui, who is now supervising director, as well as head writer and scriptwriter, confirmed that it will also be broadcast as a 26-episode anime. Fukui also was quoted as saying, "Of course, Garman Garmillas will appear," referencing the antagonists of the 1980s Space Battleship Yamato III and Final Yamato. With 2199 covering the original anime's storyline, viewers will have the complete timeline updated for modern sensibilities and tastes in art style.

The original Space Battleship Yamato is highly celebrated in Japan. Its sweeping space epic was considered a major maturing point in the anime's reception, and even became the first to win the prestigious Seiun Award. While its English localization, Star Blazers, is considered a gateway anime of the 1970s, its presence in the 2020s is barely felt. This is tragic, considering the effort that went into the 2199 reboot. Despite updating the story and closing up plot holes while providing sumptuous modern art, its 2012 broadcast came and went with little fanfare, while its following movies received even less notice.

There Is No Better Time To Return To Yamato Than Now

The classic sci-fi franchise is more accesible than ever before thanks to the upcoming films

Nonetheless, 2024 seems to be headed for another Yamato renaissance. It is the perfect time for anime fans to check out 2199, with its beautiful machinery, artwork that updates and retains the nostalgic designs, and, of course, resurrects the famous Wave Motion Gun that introduced screen-filling blasts to Japanese media.

It's sci-fi excellence that can be viewed without knowledge of its predecessor. With its sequel soon to premiere, it cannot be considered an isolated experiment to be brushed off, either. This should be an exciting time for sci-fi fans, as there will be plenty of Space Battleship Yamato arriving soon.