In 1974, Leiji Matsumoto and Yoshinobu Nisihizaki released the space-faring epic, Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato. The series began as an anime and a manga that was also written by Matsumoto.
In the series, Earth only has one year to live before deadly radiation kills it and the underground inhabitants. With the blueprints for a warp drive and the WWII battleship, the Yamato, the humans build a space-worthy vessel that will travel the traverse to find a way to save Earth and confront the adversaries behind everything.
The franchise has always had a place in the world of OVA and animation, even releasing a seven movie series. The story has also been adapted as a film and, most recently, as an anime remake of the original series titled, Yamato 2199 and its sequel, Yamato 2202.
The franchise has not spent a lot of time in the world of manga; however, writer Ryuku Azuma has decided to change that with the new series, Uchu Senkan Yamato Next/Star Blazers Λ. The anime is being published in the pages of Kadokawa's Comic Newtype website.
The new series has already released its first two chapters, as a 100-page premiere special, and looks to breathe new life into the long-running franchise. Hopefully, this is the start of an exciting new chapter in the series; we would love to hear your thoughts on the new series down below!
It revolves around the character Susumu Kodai (Derek Wildstar in the English version) and an international crew from Earth, tasked during an interstellar war to go into space aboard the space warship Yamato in response to a message of aid from the planet Iscandar in order to retrieve a device which is able to reverse the radiation infecting Earth after being bombed by the Gamilons.
Uchu Senkan Yamato Next/Star Blazers Λ is out now!