Uchuu Senkan Yamato Episode 12
宇宙戦艦ヤマト Ep. 12 (TV, Anime)
Space Battleship Yamato 12

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:  

Yamato is approaching the trinary Orion star system as Yuki stands and watches on the observation deck. She’s joined by Susumu, who asks her what she is doing. She says she is praying, since the closest of the three Orion stars (Alpha) is also called the Prayer Star of Orion. He wonders why she’d pray to a star and then wonders what she is praying about. Naturally, she won’t say. Their conversation is interrupted by a massive shaking of a ship, so they return to the bridge. There, Daisuke discovers the ship is slowing down and Yuki discovers that they’ve entered into a barrier.

The captain is delayed in coming down from his ready room, causing Susumu much angst. When he finally arrives, a swarm of objects appear on radar and are determined to be missiles. The energy barrier has Yamato slowed down greatly and hard to maneuver. Daisuke gets irritated with Chief Engineer Totugawa (who’s in the engine room) and calls him “bakayarou” (a harsher form for “idiot”). In the end, Daisuke is able to move the ship just enough so that the missiles all miss. However, a second wave is inbound, so Susumu orders Yamato‘s anti-missile missiles be fired, which take out the 2nd wave.

The captain summons Daisuke, Susumu, and Totugawa to his ready room. He forces Daisuke to apologize to Totugawa for using the term “bakayarou” to insult the Chief. Totugawa accepts the apology. With that resolved, he orders the two men out of his room and then addresses Susumu. Despite the fact that Susumu’s order to fire the anti-missile missiles happened to be the right course of action, Captain Okita is upset that Susumu took the initiative and did not wait for Okita to give the order. In fact, Okita slaps Susumu over this but then Okita collapses.

On Gamilus, Desler’s toadies have gathers and they applaud him for snaring Yamato. However, he has more in store for them. He’s releasing a special gas that will feed off of energy and will destroy physical objects. So with the missile attacks coming from one place, the cloud from behind, and the energy barrier all around them, Desler’s leaving them one avenue and that’s directly into Alpha of Orion, where Yamato will not survive.

Back on Yamato, Sado-sensei treats Okita’s wounds. He tells the captain that he needs to be in the hospital since his radiation sickness has gotten worse. Okita isn’t listening, so Sado decides to press the point home by reminding Okita that had Susumu not taking matters into his own hands, Okita would have caused the Yamato to be heavily damaged or destroyed. It is Sado’s opinion that Okita is slowing down due to his illness. It is then that the cloud Desler sent arrives. Okita returns to the bridge where they discover the nature of the cloud which forces Yamato to attempt to make an escape.

Yuki finds a path out of the barrier, but it leads directly to Alpha of Orion. Okita orders they ship be flown there despite Sanada’s protests about heat from the star melting Yamato. On Gamilus, Desler sees that Okita is taking Yamato into the star and decides he’s seen enough and is going to bed, not interested in witnessing the battleship’s end. In fact, he doesn’t even want a report on the Yamato‘s destruction. Back on the Yamato, Okita orders the various shutters closed to help protect the ship and the crew begin to don space suits. Okita has a relapse on the bridge but considering the dire situation, Sado covers up the true nature of Okita’s problem.

Daisuke maneuvers Yamato through the corona of the star. However, a massive, unpredicted prominence emerges in their path. Because it is so large, Yamato cannot maneuver around it and to go through it would be suicide. So, Captain Okita orders the Wave Motion Gun be fired at the prominence. Susumu does this, which causes the prominence to break and a path to be cleared through the star’s corona, which allows Yamato to escape. This is witnessed by General Hiss and company. Hiss goes to Desler’s quarters and makes his report on Yamato‘s escape. Hiss asks if Desler wants to send Okita another letter of congratulation, which Desler finds to be an idiotic suggestion. Hiss leaves and Desler is left to ponder the current situation.

Back on Yamato, Yuki is again back on the observation deck and is again joined by Susumu. Considering she’s now witnessed the true terror of a star, he wonders how she feels about the Prayer Star. Her feelings have not changed on the matter. When Susumu asks what she prayed for, she won’t tell him much, other than she prayed for a certain guy to fall in love with her. With that and a giggle, she leaves the room. Susumu follows her, asking her who this guy is.

Thoughts/Review:

Ha!ha! I just knew that Yuki would be a nurse again at some point. I just didn’t expect it to be quite so soon. When she went for those bandages to work on the captain, I went, “YES!” Too bad there’s only one of her though. I get the feeling that Susumu will be the one to hook up with her. That leaves a ship full of men with very little options. *_*

I’d forgotten that Okita wasn’t 100% when the journey started. However, it looks like this could become a plot point for the series. Who knows if the writers will kill him or not though.

The writers get negative points for making Desler so ultra clichéd in this episode.

Desler: “Let’s have a party to watch Yamato get trapped and destroyed.”
Gamilons: “Banzai!”
Desler: “Ha! Ha! My plan is working. Yamato is trapped and now heading for the sun where they will be destroyed. I’m going to bed. Don’t bother telling me how the destruction went.”
Gamilons: “Banzai!”
Desler: “Yamato survived? How could this happen when my plan was so perfect and I’m the Supreme Leader?”
Gamilons: “Banzai!”

Even though it is not being shown thus far, I guess Yamato is warping. Alpha of Orion is around 980 to 1500 light years from Earth.