Overall this show was an enjoyable watch, and one can sense that a lot of love and care was put into it. For those reasons, this is a very painful and disappointing review to write, but I feel it might be necessary to "warn" potential viewers about some elements of this series that are problematic. Specifically, the plot.
I understand that this is an extremely popular and influential franchise, especially in Japan, and I also do agree that this is a very well-done remake.
However - there are SEVERE issues with the plot of this series, issues that I feel are glossed over because of its "sacred cow" status in anime circles.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE - do not continue reading unless you're fine with that.
- We are expected to believe, and major elements of the plot revolve around, the fact that Yuki, a human born on earth, looks virtually identical to the royal princesses of Iscandar, a planet more than 100,000 light years away, to the point of being mistaken IN PERSON by those familiar with the princesses, to be one of them; that she coincidentally was involved in an accident one year ago that wiped her memory, and coincidentally makes it appear that she may be an alien that appeared one year ago on Earth; and that there is no proof that she is an Earthling because both her parents are dead and there are apparently no individuals who knew her on Earth well enough, except her parents, to confirm that she was in fact living on Earth for more than a year. This entire subplot, which groan-inducingly becomes a MAJOR plot device later in the show, is one of the most suspension of disbelief shattering things I've ever seen. I am at a complete loss as to how anybody can swallow this and call this particular subplot anything more than contrived.
- At one point, certain crew members stage a coup/mutiny in order to enact a plan to move humanity to a habitable planet that the Yamato finds. Not only is this illogical in the long-term - what prevents the Garmillans from simply subjugating that planet as well? - but they stage this insurrection before the planet is even scouted. Perhaps these crew members, one of whom is considered one of the more intelligent individuals on the ship, should've waited for more detailed reports on the feasibility of human habitation before initiating a violent mutiny. Bonus points: this plot point could've been interesting if the planet was indeed fit for habitation. It is not - it is apparently currently home to massive killer insects.
- Once the Yamato reaches Garmillas, the main antagonist, Desler, executes his secret plan: he flees the capital of Garmilas and then drops part of a colony on it. The problem with this plan is that there is no conceivable reason to do this. What POSSIBLE benefit does he gain from performing a colony drop and destroying the Garmillas capital? One could say "to destroy the Yamato" - is his plan then predicated on the Yamato deciding to dock at the Garmillas capital? In fact - *why* did the Yamato ram into the capital palace in the first place? Why not use the Wave Motion Gun to destroy Desler's Wave Motion Gun instead? Is Okita's plan to storm the center of a galactic empire with a strike team of, at most, a few dozen men led by Kodai, and somehow emerge victorious?
- Desler is killed when the Wave Motion Gun backfires and his space fortress is destroyed. However, he later turns up to ambush the Yamato in his flagship that is powered by another Wave Motion Gun. How did he survive the WMG's explosion? Where did his new flagship come from? Why did nobody notice it? How did it reach the Gate before the Yamato? None of this is ever explained. Bonus Points: Yuki, who was ejected from an airlock and is mere METERS away from the exploding fortress, survives - though the blast not only clearly destroys the fortress, but completely incinerates a nearby battleship that is presumably more than a few meters away. Never explained. Forget about these little details when Kodai and Yuki get a great, emotional, romantic reunion scene in space.
- The Yamato reaches Iscandar and discovers Mamoru had made it there after a ship carrying him back to Garmillas crash landed there instead. Again, there are too many plot contrivances to even discuss them all. Why Mamoru specifically? Why not a human presumably captured in the MANY skirmishes the Garmillans have already had with humans? In a journey of more than 150,000 light years, the ship happens to crash literally one planet over from Garmillas? Why did the Garmillans need human samples? Having transported those samples over such a vast distance, only to have them crash land one planet away, did they then respond by saying "Well, that's a bummer. No need to investigate and see if there were any survivors."
- The timeline for Mamoru, the core of the Cosmo Reverser, arriving at Iscandar is at most later than the Yamato setting sail. Meaning that Starsha was challenging the Yamato to make an unprecedented journey across galaxies for something that doesn't actually exist yet.
- Iscandar apparently has a population of three (one after the other two sisters leave for Earth). Why this advanced civilization of superior beings would expend 66% of their population on the off-chance that the planet Earth, which at that point was no different from the countless other planets subjugated by the Garmillans, could potentially reach them, is never explained. Having invested 66% of their population (No, I'm not going to get over that), Starsha is then unsure if she wants to give them the Cosmo Reverser. She then gives it to them though, despite the fact that those in power back on Earth are shown to be corrupt politicians who initiated conflict with the Garmillans, and will presumably abuse the godlike power they now possess because humanity as a whole has not improved in any significant way to warrant giving them this power. Oops.
- The infighting between the Garmillans is drummed up to eventually become a major plot element. Too bad we never hear anything about it again or get any kind of meaningful resolution.
There are more (unfortunately, *many* more) plot points/devices that could be discussed, but I think the overarching point is clear: this may be a remake of an anime legend, great animation, great soundtrack, but there are major issues with the plot that simply cannot be ignored or dismissed.
Is it a fun watch, and an interesting talking point for discussing the history of anime? Yes. But the illogical, contrived, and occasionally frustrating plot prevents it from being a great watching experience in its own right. Viewer beware.
