Anime Comics

Shortly before Yamato III concluded its first run on Japanese TV in April 1981, it received special treatment from an energetic new monthly magazine published by Akita Shoten called My Anime. In a field that was already becoming crowded with magazines practically climbing over each other to bring you all the hot anime news, My Anime was a true standout. Loaded from front to back with imaginative and wide-ranging stories, it didn't stop with just the news of the day. Older films and shows were examined, creators and actors gave in-depth access to their daily lives, pros wrote monthly columns, and fans were given numerous opportunities to participate. If the word "Otaku" had been in common parlance in the early 80s, My Anime would have been THE Otaku magazine.

Akita Shoten had already published many Yamato books and magazines, and had become well-known for their inventive approach. They were the first to bring Anime Comics to a hungry audience, filling the desire to relive a good story over and over before the days of affordable home video. They did it so well that even when said video finally arrived, Anime Comics kept on being published. (After all, they were still cheaper and much more portable.)

Akita turned the first three Yamato feature films into Anime Comics in late 1980 and early '81, and when Yamato III arrived hot on the heels of Be Forever, they decided to keep a good thing going. Beginning with the inaugural issue of My Anime (which was dated for April but actually appeared on newsstands in March), the entire TV series was transformed, episode by episode, into an anime comic serial that lasted until June 1982. It was the only Yamato TV series to receive such treatment until series 1 became a set of five Star Blazers Animation Comics for American readers in late '83.

Here, for the first time, we present every page of Akita Shoten's Yamato III anime comics in English. Character names have been changed to match Star Blazers continuity, but the story itself is unaltered, and even contains scenes and dialogue you won't find on the Bolar Wars videos. In case you're still wondering why we're featuring these comics when anyone can purchase and watch an episode any time they choose, read this article to find out about a very special tie-in project coming soon to this website.

Meanwhile, click on one of the magazine covers below and settle in for The Bolar Wars as you've never seen them before! (And remember that all pages read "manga style," from right to left.)

Episode 1 from My Anime April, 1981	Episode 2 from My Anime May, 1981	Episodes 3 & 4 from My Anime June, 1981	Episodes 5 & 6 from My Anime July, 1981
Episodes 7 & 8 from My Anime August, 1981	Episodes 9 & 10 from My Anime September, 1981	Episodes 11 & 12 from My Anime October, 1981	Episodes 12 & 13 from My Anime Nov, 1981
Episodes 14 & 15 from My Anime December, 1981	Episodes 16 & 17 from My Anime January, 1982	Webcomics Start Here Click on the image to begin reading	Episodes 18-20 from My Anime February, 1982
Episodes 21 & 22 from My Anime March, 1982	Episodes 23 & 24 from My Anime April, 1982	Episodes 24 & 25 from My Anime May, 1982	Episode 25 conclusion from My Anime June, 1982