Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars (1980)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Originally created by Leiji Matsumoto
Directed by Noburo Ishiguro and Leiji Matsumoto

Features:

• Fly-through feature
  
• Hidden Easter egg features
  
• Database of show information
  
• Voice actor interview
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• This is WAR, Peacock--violence and death
• Blue man group
• Cheesy music you'll have to admit to liking

Released by: Voyager Entertainment
Region: 1
Rating: NR
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: At least rent it once

Many a Yamato-fan otaku will refuse to watch this set, much less admit to liking it, because of a couple of quibbles: the voices are different than in previous segments of the Yamato saga, and during the show's original run on TV, they used the theme from the "Comet" story arc to open the show. But these are just quibbles, and overall the show is quite enjoyable, especially if you've already been following the Yamato saga.

The year is 2205, and a new danger has appeared for the venerable warship Yamato. It seems that during the war between the Bolar Commonwealth and the Galman Gamilas, a stray missile flew into Sol and rendered it unstable; the crew of the Yamato is therefore pressed into service to find a new Earth--and they only have a year to do it before Sol explodes.

It seems that science fiction is rife with plots where Earthlings have only a year to accomplish some impossible task before all human life is somehow destroyed. The differences come in with the actual heroes. The characterization of this series is a bit on the weak side, but that's probably because the directors expect the characters to be familiar to audiences by now. The villains are just as flat as the heroes for the most part; good multi-dimensional villains are hard to find in any genre. The story has been a bit compressed, due to the fact that the original Japanese production was rushed; Voyager Entertainment, however, cannot release a fuller story if one was never made. The result is that the plot is a bit disjointed and somewhat confusing in places.

The visuals are nice enough, especially if you don't dislike older styles of animation; the ship designs are particularly nicely done here. If you liked the look of earlier Yamato discs, then this one should please you as well. The original stock has been remastered, which results in a beautifully clean digital copy with no problems in both audio or video apart from some places in which the sound seems oddly muted, so you may find yourself increasing the volume here and there. I still have to carp, however, that we didn't get the choice of audio tracks. While I don't automatically dislike English casts merely because they're English, choice is still nice. Luckily, this cast is competent, if not spectacular.

The features list is nice, however. On discs one through five, there is an interactive simulation of the Argo's bridge that you can "fly" through the episodes, as well as a database of character and spaceship information from the series--very handy and a great feature for any anime title to have. On disc six, we get an interview with voice actors Peter Fernandez and Corrine Orr that's interesting and fun, along with special inside information on how to find some additional hidden Easter egg bonuses on the other discs in this series.

Basically, if you love older anime, then pick this one up. If you're new to anime, then there are many worse places to start than with something as perennial, if old-fashioned, as anything Yamato. These "lost episodes" are bound to cheer many any anime old-guard fanboy or -girl; if you're after some action, a touch of romance and humor, and good science fiction, then give this one a try.