Star Blazers: The Quest for Iscandar

About Star Blazers: The Quest for Iscandar

Meet Star Blazers: The Quest for Iscandar (宇宙戦艦ヤマト), an action, adventure and drama anime (1974). Here is the premise in a nutshell. In short: In the distant future, the war between the human race and the Gamilon has taken its toll on the planet Earth. Constant bombardment of radioactive asteroids has rendered the planet's atmosphere uninhabitable.

Soon after, as a means of relief aid, Queen Starsha of the planet Iscandar offers the Earth Forces a device that can completely neutalize the radiation off the planet. For this task, the space battleship Yamato is launched from the remains of its World War II ancestor on a 148,000 light-year journey. However, the crew of the Yamato has only one Earth year to travel to Iscandar and back, or the human race will come to an end.

In an action series like this, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Voice work is led by Kei Tomiyama as Susumu Kodai and Gorou Naya as Juzo Okita. It will appeal most to viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. At 26 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

The action focus matters here: fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. A 7.2/10 score points to a dependable, well-liked series. Voice casting, including Kei Tomiyama as Susumu Kodai, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. It aired in 1974, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.