Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2 Episode 21
宇宙戦艦ヤマト2 Ep. 21 (TV, Anime)
Space Battleship Yamato 2 21

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Hijikata dispatches the Hyperion Fleet to meet Balsey’s fleet of battleships. However, as they exchange fire, it is clear that Balsey’s impulse weapons are superior to the Earth forces big guns and the Hyperion Fleet is quickly destroyed. Hijikata takes his other ships and moves out to meet Balsey’s fleet and waits with Wave Motion Guns charged and ready. Balsey has another trick up his sleeve though — the Energy Transport Weapon, which allows him to fire a massive energy bolt, which is then teleported to a specific location where it then emerges at point-blank range. Hijikata sees his fleet being decimated as Balsey stays outside of the Wave Motion Gun range.

Hijikata orders a retreat to Saturn and Balsey’s fleet follows, determined to destroy all Earth ships. Hijikata orders Susumu to launch his fighters, which he does as his fleet attempts to catch Balsey from behind while taking note that the White Comet has disappeared. Hijikata takes his fleet into the rings of Saturn and Balsey begins to follow as fighter from Susumu’s fleet arrive and cause some damage and even destroy a few ships, though at the cost of a great many planes. Once in the rings, Balsey orders the Energy Transport Weapon fired again. However, this causes such a massive turbulence and wake in the rings that his weapon is damaged and his fleet are sent out of position in the violent currents.

Hijikata takes advantage of the situation and turns his fleet around out of the rings. There, they are able to pick off the hapless White Comet fleet, with only Balsey’s ship surviving, though heavily damaged. Balsey turns his ship to attack the Earth forces one last time before they destroy him. With his ship gone, the Earth forces have won and as Susumu’s fleet rushes to rejoin Hijikata’s fleet, the White Comet suddenly appears, the gravity well severely damaging or destroying the ships in Susumu’s fleet, including Yamato. Susumu is forced to abandon ship while Sanada and

Seeing this, Hijikata has his ships turn and fire their Wave Motion Cannons on the White Comet. The result causes the core of the comet to be revealed but nothing else. The fleet shifts to firing with their main guns, targeting the city but to no effect while at the equator of the comet’s core, a ring of missile launchers takes out Hijikata’s fleet. The Andromeda heavily damaged, Hijikata sends a final message to Yamato telling him to target the base of the comet core and not the city before ramming his ship into the White Comet.

Thoughts/Review:

It seems to me that the Hyperion Fleet would have used their Wave Motion Cannons (Guns) and just blasted the area in front of them, thereby forcing the enemy to reveal their energy transport weapon earlier. That weapon was no different that the Gamilus transport weapon, only instead of transporting planes, it transported the energy. I don’t know why the Earth force shouldn’t have expected something like that since Desler is known to be working with the White Comet people.

Hijikata’s attack on the White Comet started out smart with the use of the Wave Motion Cannons, but then got stupid. Why not try to have a 2nd barrage from the Wave Motion Cannons (at least some of the ships could have done this). Regardless, it should have been clear right away that they weren’t going to hit the city. I would have been targeting the missile ring at the equator but that’s just me. Instead, the fleet is wiped out with one ram attack hitting that missile ring and Hijikata is now dead. No tears here I’m afraid. Then again, this franchise is notorious for giving the impression that a character is dead and his ship destroyed, but, “SURPRISE!” He’s alive again (Desler). That could happen with Hijikata.

While I’m thinking about it, it is annoying that the episode’s title pretty much spoiled the entire episode. Seriously, the titles of the episode (in English) is, “Heroic Captain Hijikata’s Death!” Wow! I wonder what’s going to happen in THIS episode ’cause I certainly have no clue.

I was surprised at the abandon ship order but it soon became clear that Yamato would not be destroyed. Instead, as I saw in the previews, it will be magically repaired somehow. *_* Well, I should be used to that by now. And at least Saito was useful this episode in fighting fires.

Not many more episodes left. Just the confrontation with the White Comet, then Desler.