Space Battleship Yamato (2010)

by Lyn Montague, Bob Fort and Linda Kay

Directed by: Takashi Yamazaki

Cat out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Based on the popular anime series by Yoshinobu Nishizaki and Leiji Matsumoto, this live-action film, a grandiose and spirited space opera in the vein of various traditional samurai epics, follows a crew which must cross the vastness of space to obtain a device which will rid the Earth of high levels of radiation caused by a five-year bombardment by an alien force.

Kitty Cameo: The ship’s doctor, Dr. Sado (Reiko Takashima), is intaking volunteers for a dangerous 148,000-light-year mission while her ginger and white tabby cat sits beside her cleaning his/her face.

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima sitting at table with ginger and white tabby cat

As the doctor interacts with Susumu Kodai (Takuya Kimura), who is signing on to the crew for the impending journey, the cat is still sitting upon the table, mewing softly. As Kodai takes his gear and walks away, he pauses to address the cat by saying, “Good kitty.”

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima looking up at Kodai Takuya Kimura with ginger and white tabby cat on table

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima with ginger and white tabby cat on table

While preparing for the ship’s first space warp, the doctor appears in a hallway, holding her cat and looking confused. She asks a crew member what is happening and is told they are going to travel faster than anyone ever has before. Dr. Sado seems shocked at this.

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima holding ginger and white tabby cat while talking to female crew member

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima holding ginger and white tabby cat

While evading a large squadron of enemy vessels, the Battleship Yamato maneuvers using a lateral roll which tosses the crew members wildly about. Just prior to this action, the doctor is in another corridor clinging to her kitty, still completely clueless about what is happening around her.

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima clinging to ginger and white tabby cat

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima clinging to ginger and white tabby cat as crew runs around her animated gif

The ship’s engineer, Tokugawa (Toshiyuki Nishida), appears at the brig of the ship and speaks to Kodai, who has been incarcerated for placing the craft in jeopardy by rescuing an unconscious pilot, delaying a crucial space warp. Dr. Sado shows up with the cat and a bottle of sake.

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima holding ginger and white tabby cat with Kodai Takuya Kimura and Tokugawa Toshiyuki Nishida

The cat is curled up sleeping in Dr. Sado’s lap as she, Kodai and Tokugawa drink together to commiserate over this turn of events.

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima with ginger and white tabby cat on lap pouring sake for Tokugawa Toshiyuki Nishida

Near the end of the film, Kodai, as acting captain of the Yamato, takes control of the battleship to destroy a formidable Gamilas weapon threatening Earth. He orders the remaining crew (twelve people, out of the initial hundreds) to abandon ship. The cat is once more in the doctor’s arms, aboard the escape craft.

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima holding ginger and white tabby cat with surviving crew members on escape craft

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima holding ginger and white tabby cat on escape craft in front of Yuki Meisa Kuroki

The doctor gently places the cat down on the floor whilst she comforts Yuki Mori (Meisa Kuroki), the female protagonist of the film.

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima holding ginger and white tabby cat while turning to Yuki Meisa Kuroki

There is a different shot of Dr. Sado with the cat in her arms during the end credit sequence.

Space Battleship Yamato - Dr. Sado Reiko Takashima hugging ginger and white tabby cat

The name of the cat character and its gender is not specified in this live-action film adaptation, although in the original anime series and its spin-offs (known as Starblazers in the U.S.) the kitty is referred to as Mi (translated as Mew for the English dubs), or affectionately as Mi-kun, and was based upon the real-life cat of co-creator Leiji Matsumoto, who was an avid cat lover himself. Mi-kun also appeared in other anime series by Matsumoto.