February 22nd, 2011 
AstroNerdBoy Skydance Productions (and others) Apparently Want “Star Blazers”, Not “Space Battleship Yamato”
Promotional poster for the Japanese live-action “Space Battleship Yamato” movie.
I was reading what AICN reported about the attempts by Skydance Productions and possibly even Lucasfilm going after the rights to do a Star Blazers live-action film rather than a Hollywood treatment of Space Battleship Yamato. Well, you guys know my negative feelings about Hollywood adaptations of anything anime. For those who don’t know, I’m generally opposed because Hollywood has proven themselves rather unreliable in the adaptation department (at least of stuff that might interest me), especially in the anime adaptation department.
Now, IF all the licensing stuff concludes and a Star Blazers movie is the result, I’m out. I’ve zero interest in seeing an adaptation of an American rewrite of a Japanese classic anime series. I say this as one who was a kid when Star Blazers was on TV. Once I saw the original anime series, unedited, there’s no way I can watch the sanitized American rewrite much the same as I can’t with Robotech (the rewrite of SDF Macross and other titles).
People will argue that if a proper adaptation of Space Battleship Yamato is done, it won’t be accessible to the general population. This is the same argument used for why subtitles shouldn’t be faithful translations to Japanese audio, why Japanese honorifics can’t be used in subtitles, why Japanese manga should be flipped and printed American style, etc. As such, I reject the argument because if you have a good script, good acting, and a good director, the people will come.
Were I to be the one who scored the magic license, I would have a 3-movie deal created. The first movie cover not only the initial attacks on Earth, but also delve into Kodai’s shift from anti-military to fighting for what’s left of his home planet. The movie would end with the destruction of the Gamilus base on Pluto with Yamato escaping the solar system. Movie two would have the Yamato crew dealing with the stress of their mission as well as well as giving the audience more of a perspective of the Gamilus side and would end with the climactic battle over Domel’s forces. Movie three would obviously have Yamato‘s fight on Gamilus, the arrival at Iscandar, and the return home.
I’d also have more women in the crew. I’m not sure I’d make Sado a woman like they did in the Japanese live-action version, but Yuki wouldn’t be the lone babe of the ship doing every stinking job under the sun. Maybe I’d have Yuki have a twin sister name Yuri (or something) so that you could keep the blonde babe in sickbay and the blonde babe on the bridge at the same time and have it make sense. ^_~
Well, talk is talk and there has been talk of a Space Battleship Yamato live-action adaptation before, only it was to feature the U.S.S. Arizona rather than Yamato. I was opposed to that and I’m opposed to a Star Blazers adaptation. However, if Hollywood builds it correctly, I and others will come and spend our money. ^_^
In the meantime, how about some company licensing the Japanese Space Battleship Yamato live-action movie and give it some accurate subtitles? Sounds like a good title for FUNimation to try to snag. ^_~
The Japanese live-action movie “Space Battleship Yamato”
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Whenever I see a Japanese live action I always remember and go oh Power Rangers (the series went downhill after the first season.) man I hope they do the Skip Beat series but production companies really try to F@#$ things up and most projects get put in production hell and then canceled for some reason or other.
Geez, ANB… why do you have to be so negative? Star Blazers will be the best, believe it! (^_~)
Hollywood reminds me of a toddler with muddy hands, gleefully running around trying to grab everything and play with it. No harm if it’s cheap plastic toys, but you don’t want to set them loose in an art museum.
As much potential there is for many adaptations out there, they are nearly always rather poorly done even with the CG effects and such we have now its sad not to mention they westernize most of it Hollywood is simply running out of ideas for good films so they do the next best thing they can think of, take something already done and just redo it. Chances are like many ill go see the film and be like meh.
Whenever I see a Japanese live action I always remember and go oh Power Rangers…
*lol* A lot of Japanese TV dorama’s are terrible. That said, I did like the live-action adaptation of Honey and Clover (movie and TV series).
Geez, ANB… why do you have to be so negative? Star Blazers will be the best, believe it! (^_~)
*lol* And I was purposefully less negative than I could have been. ^_^;;;
…Hollywood is simply running out of ideas for good films so they do the next best thing they can think of, take something already done and just redo it.
Well, I don’t think it is so much a case of running out of good ideas, but rather anything new is a much greater financial risk. So you go with less risky stuff — sequels and adaptations. I don’t mind either to be honest, but only if done right.
*lol* A lot of Japanese TV dorama’s are terrible. That said, I did like the live-action adaptation of Honey and Clover (movie and TV series).
My experience with live-action is pretty limited… PGSM (meh), Negima!! (horrible), Hana Kimi (great). I’d guess live-action works well for personal comedies and dramas, but kinda stinks for anything involving action.
Even expensive CG special effects are only just reaching believability… the inexpensive CG special effects that TV shows can afford rarely look anything but sad and/or silly. It can still be done if they emphasize drama over action, but usually they try (and fail) so hard to make the action believable that they lose focus on the drama.
ps: Just for the record, I didn’t genuinely think you were being too negative, at all… the comment was tinged with dark sarcasm. Hoping that Hollywood won’t eff up a favorite story when they “adapt” it is getting to be reminiscent of Charlie Brown and Lucy with the football.
Just for the record, I didn’t genuinely think you were being too negative, at all…
Understood. ^_^