Story 6:
The story starts strong. The first 8-10 episodes were 10 story-wise, the next maybe an 8 , and around episode 18 and after 4-5 .
I've included a spoiler section at the bottom of the post. There I will tell you why such a low score but I advise you not to read it unless your 4-5 episodes deep into the anime.
Art 10:
It's beautiful. The backgrounds are great and vivid, the visual effects and animations are awesome and some can even make you re-watch the scene. I think this is this series strongest point.
Sound 9:
A great soundtrack, is one you don't notice. An epic soundtrack is one you notice in a memorable way. Yamato has just a great soundtrack. Nothing really memorable, but it fits great.
I can't tell you about voice acting and stuff, because I don't know Japanese, the characters sounded convincing.
Character 9:
I really liked them. It's great the major characters have a backstory, a different motivation and inner conflicts. Also what I liked is that most of them stayed true to their character traits. They didn't over romanced it and that's good, because I hate that trend in animes.
What I didn't liked though was some of the villains and that security leader officer, which felt a little too bleak and just put there so the story can have traction
Enjoyment 8:
Since the story is getting annoying towards the end, it drags down the enjoyment. At first I was: I need to watch the next episode! but slowly it faded into: Just 6 episode left, I should watch them to finish the series already
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Overall 8:
It's an enjoyable anime. It has a great premise and stunning visuals, and I really hope in the future they would take the main ideas and make a new one with a greater story and more compelling villains. If you liked Battlestar Galactica,Star Wars or any other space opera then watch this anime.
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!! SPOILER SECTION !!
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Story:
The good:
The story telling is interesting. I loved the fact they didn't started with Yamato, and they built up the tension and hardship earthlings face.
I liked the idea of a superior technology embedded into a lower technology ship and how it takes everybody by surprise.
Also the story shines when it doesn't take the obvious twists: like the fact Mori is not an alien or when they built up to an unnecessary and predictable XO selfsacrifice, then we realise it was just a bluff
Another thing I liked it in the first part of the anime, is that there are shades of grey: the alien leader on Pluto doesn't really like war and all he wants is a better life for his family, humans actually started the war, Susumu is sometimes a dick etc
The bad:
The fact all aliens are too much alike humans even if they come from another galaxy. And even if we overlook this, because there really are some plausible explanations, there is 0 biodiversity even if the empire spans across 2 galaxies full of unique alien worlds
Yamato is taking so many hits in battle, just to be as fresh as ever in the next battle which is then even more destructible, and still packs a heavy punch. It's stupid how in impossible situations there is always a lucky deus ex machina part...
The last part of the anime is going full retard. Iscandar is so lame and barren and the princess living there is dumb like a brick. The fact humans reach there do nothing there, just get some boxes and then come back is dumb, because all they wanted was an 1 shot device that restores the earth, and there was no need for them there.
Also is stupid to request for a ship to go the twin planet of the net superior enemy and on top of that then complain why you used a powerful weapon. The only way even the writers saw this plausible was from a plot device where they force the main fleet to be 2 month away. I mean what where the odds of that happen when that princess made her genius plan?
The fact they reach there and on top of that solve the whole galactic problem with the dictator, destroyed a quarter of its fleet and war and so on . Why on earth they have to save everyone ? Couldn't they just leave this be without turning Yamato in Goku 2.0 ?
Dumb plot devices and motivations towards the end: the terraforming devices is wait for it ... the main characters long dead brother. Yep. The prince of Gamillans after his presumed death, tries to take over Yamato, fails and then said: "Lets suicide and stuff just because", or lets kill Mori just to revive hear 1 episode away because were out of ideas and we need some dramatic shit
The list can go on.
