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Howdy!
Jan 3, 2011 17:22:30 GMT -6
Post by YamatoGuru on Jan 3, 2011 17:22:30 GMT -6
Hey guys, I'm YamatoGuru, administrator of the forum and major Yamato fan.
I wasn't around when Star Blazers was running on TV, but my dad was and he loved the show so much that a few year ago he tracked it down on DVD and introduced me to it. Since then we've both learned just how huge "Space Battleship Yamato" really was and have become die hard fans of the series at large.
Besides Yamato, I'm into Godzilla flicks, TMNT, Freakazoid, and the hilarious work of independent film maker Larry Blamire. If you haven't seen "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" you're really missing out. ;D
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Howdy!
Jan 4, 2011 4:50:50 GMT -6
Post by shantastic on Jan 4, 2011 4:50:50 GMT -6
That's such a great story that you weren't around during Yamato's heyday, but got into it because of your dad. My name is Shan. I'm from Northern California, and I was a huge fan of Star Blazers in the early 80's when it aired on KTVU Channel 2's Captain Cosmic program. Captain Cosmic starred legendary horror movie host, the late Bob Wilkins dressed in a cheesy space helmet & cape, and he would show all the best sci-fi coming out of Japan such as Ultraman, Johnny Sokko, Space Giants, Godzilla, and of course, Star Blazers! As I got older, I was still a fan, but fell under the influence of Robotech, and for many years, Star Blazers/Yamato played second fiddle on my list of favorite classic animes. Then when the dvd box sets came out, I purchased them (minus the Bolar Wars,) as soon as I could, and enjoyed the series even more than I did as a kid (and I LOVED this series as a kid!) Then about 5 yrs. ago I watched Tim Eldred's documentary, "Space Battleship Yamato: The Making of an Anime Legend," and after seeing the blood, sweat, and tears of the creators behind the scenes, as well as all the other great info & inside stories Tim put in the film, I was a goner. Since then Star Blazers has reclaimed its rightful spot as my all-time favorite anime series, and Yamato along with Leiji Matsumoto are two of my absolute favorite things.
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Howdy!
Jan 4, 2011 10:55:56 GMT -6
Post by YamatoGuru on Jan 4, 2011 10:55:56 GMT -6
I feel ashamed, I still haven't seen Tim's documentary but I really want to. I just keep forgetting to order it when I've got the money to do so.
If you still haven't seen "Bolar Wars," please allow me to give you my personal recommendation. It does start off a little slow and when you're used to the voice cast from the first two Star Blazers series it can be a bit jarring to hear different voices for the characters, but once the Argo gets into space and the story picks up you get sucked into it, I've found that's just the way Yamato works.
Captain Cosmic sounds fun, and "Space Giants," I bet that's the name of the show my dad has been trying to track down all this time. He's been telling me for years about another Japanese show he used to watch featuring a robot besides Ultraman, that may be it. Thanks for the unintentional tip! ;D
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Howdy!
Jan 4, 2011 16:19:58 GMT -6
Post by shantastic on Jan 4, 2011 16:19:58 GMT -6
Your dad also might be thinking of Johnny Sokko & His Flying Robot. That one, Space Giants, and Ultra7 are usually the 3 shows people tend to remember after Ultraman.
I've really been on the fence about Bolar Wars, and I really want to see it. The main reason I haven't is because of the voice actors. I'm sure you're right, and I guess I could get used to it after a couple of episodes, but I do feel like I'd be cheating on the original voice cast. Hahaha.
Oh man, you gotta get on Tim's documentary. That is ESSENTIAL viewing for any Yamato fan. I kid you not, whatever your expectations, it is BETTER. The amount of info & detail he put into it is amazing. You'll want to watch it over & over, and you still get something new out of it each time.
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Howdy!
Jan 4, 2011 21:38:58 GMT -6
Post by davemerrill on Jan 4, 2011 21:38:58 GMT -6
Hey guys, I'm Dave, I've been a Yamato fan since I first saw Starblazers on TV when I was 9. I've done a bunch of anime-fandom type stuff and write the occasional thing for Starblazers.com. I also have a classic anime blog at letsanime.blogspot.com/YamatoGuru, the show your dad's looking for, it might be "Spectreman" - a early 70s Japanese live-action giant hero vs monster TV show that was broadcast on UHF in the States in the late 1970s, around the same time as "Space Giants". I preferred "Space Giants" myself. Turns out they were produced by the same outfit. Small world. Bolar Wars stands on its own, the voice work takes getting used to but has its own charm. I love the Peter Fernandez cast, Corinne Orr, Earl Hamilton, Jack Grimes, etc. The Voyager DVDs are actually better looking than the TV broadcasts. It definitely gives us a larger canvas and a more coherent, or at least more straightforward, 'universe' of the various space empires carving the Milky Way up into spheres of influence. A more political series than the others, you might say. Oh yeah, I grew up in Atlanta GA and now I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. My wife and I run the website www.misterkitty.org/ where we post our own original comics and make fun of things, usually other comics.
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Howdy!
Jan 7, 2011 0:48:04 GMT -6
Post by kevincallahan on Jan 7, 2011 0:48:04 GMT -6
My name is Kevin Callahan. I remember catching various random episodes of Star Blazers in the late eighties and possibly the early nineties. I'm not old enough to have really understood what I saw, but old enough that what I did see made an impression. I've continued to be a fan, although I tend to be about ten years younger on average than most other Star Blazers fans. I've spent the past three years in Japan (recently moved back to Texas for Grad School), and was a part of the Yamatours with Tim Eldred.
My favorite series is Kimagure Orange Road. I maintain the world's largest collection of KOR related merchandise, and am generally considered the biggest KOR fan in or out of Japan.
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Howdy!
Jan 7, 2011 13:58:17 GMT -6
Post by YamatoGuru on Jan 7, 2011 13:58:17 GMT -6
Welcome dave, I'll have to clue him in to Spectreman and see if it jogs his memory. Look forward to chatting with you. Very good to see you Kevin, so we're not the only Yamato fans in Texas after all, lol. Sounds like you've had some fun experiences, namely the Yamatours. I'd love to join in on one of those sometime in the future, but I'm usually broke. Hadn't heard of Kimagure Orange Road before, but a quick Google search shows me something that could be quite interesting. May have to check it out. Great to see so many new members, now don't be shy about posting anywhere else, guys! This is a big forum after all. ;D
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Howdy!
Feb 2, 2011 19:12:18 GMT -6
Post by darkyamato on Feb 2, 2011 19:12:18 GMT -6
Sorry for not introducing myself before posting in the threads. I'm darkyamato. What got me into wanting to watch "Space Battleship Yamto" was that after watching the 1979 film "Galaxy Express 999" on SPACE: The Imagination Station, I had wanted to see more of GE999 creator Leiji Matsumoto's work, and so a couple of years later, I started started watching "Star Blazers" at Cartoon Network's website during the time its Toonami reactor core was active. SBY is one the best anime franchises I've ever seen so far, and I'm glad to have found this forum website.
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Howdy!
Feb 2, 2011 19:24:21 GMT -6
Post by YamatoGuru on Feb 2, 2011 19:24:21 GMT -6
Welcome, darkyamato! It's totally cool that you're already posting, in fact I highly encourage starting new discussions. Enjoy your time with us, I look forward to chatting!
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Howdy!
Feb 4, 2011 3:28:34 GMT -6
Post by freddok on Feb 4, 2011 3:28:34 GMT -6
Hi....I'm Freddo, aka Fred Kopetz. I'm just this moldy fan who has like, loved the series since 1980 when it was first on TV. Since then, I created one of the first Star Blazers fanzines in the US (Space Cruiser Log, waaay back in 1982/83), wrote some fanfic and drew some fan art, built a fanfic website, came up with a ship names for a project related to the Argo Press comics, wrote an article or two for Tim Eldred for the official SB website, and played Prince Zordar in voice work for the forwardmomentum Sea of Stars:Invasion! and Sea of Stars:Series 2 projects. Yeah, I've been busy. In addition to my relationship with my spouse, Gail (also a Y/SB fan) and other real-world stuff. Pleased to be here! Found this site by accident.
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Howdy!
Feb 4, 2011 10:49:03 GMT -6
Post by YamatoGuru on Feb 4, 2011 10:49:03 GMT -6
It's fantastic to have so many folks who are so deeply involved with Star Blazers projects here. I'm anxious to find what else you have to share with us. Thanks for joining, Fred!
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Howdy!
Jul 7, 2012 22:07:28 GMT -6
Post by empressasteria on Jul 7, 2012 22:07:28 GMT -6
And howdy right back at y'all!
I was around to catch Star Blazers in its first US run, but I really had no idea of the whole Yamato-verse until the 1990's. Since I was little I've been perhaps the world's biggest Derek Wildstar fan. That I am a professional writer today I credit the storytelling marvel of Star Blazers. So it stands to reason that I adore all the great fan fiction--and the knowledge that I'm not alone in my devotion!
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