This is an extremely good movie about the supership Yamato. It is, of course, from the Japanese viewpoint, but that's really noticeable only in a couple of places, and then not blatantly so. There is a strong story-within-a-story in the movie, and a lot of emphasis on friendship.
There is also some very realistic portrayal of just how brutal some of the soldiers/sailors could be treated, which is something often not shown in movies.
The photography is gorgeous, and the special effects are pretty good, although some specific combat shots seem to be used several times.
The extras are informational and are all in Japanese.
Some present-day characters are seen.
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Inside the harbor master's office.
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He's talking to the owner of the boat that the kid was cleaning.
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The woman wants to rent a boat to take her to the site of Yamato's sinking. She asks several people, but no one is willing to take her.
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Later, we see him cleaning a gravestone.
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He has asked her why she wants to go there. Her father had been on the Yamato but was one of the few to survive.
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He agrees to take her. Her father had died the previous year. The gravestone he had been cleaning was of someone who had died on the Yamato.
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She says her father knew Kamio, the old man. He looks at a photograph and then we go to the past.
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This is the old man at the age of 15. His brother is already in the military.
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The title finally is shown.
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The Japanese side of why there was a war. The December 8th date is correct from Japan's viewpoint; the two areas were in different time zones.
A brief history of what happened just after that.
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Then the video talks about the death of Yamamoto.
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In the past, but two years beyond the last time.
Boys as young as sixteen were entering the military.
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The young men are in awe of the size of the ship.
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The new cadets are assigned their duties.
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The cadets are taken to their various stations.
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They are running through a drill.
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They then show just how harsh the discipline was on board.
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Uchida is one of the men that the women had a picture of. He ends up fighting an officer who has been beating up on Kamio because he confessed to leaving a port hole open.
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Kamio and the others get instructions on how to handle their weapon.
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Then it's back to the present with the woman getting seasick. She explains she was actually adopted.
The Yamato comes under attack in the battle of Leyte Gulf.
Uchida is hit. He lives and is sent to Kure to recover.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Kure is attacked along with Okinawa.
An officer discusses bushido.
The men go for their final shore leave. One by one they say their final farewells.
The girlfriend says she'll be working in Hiroshima soon, so we can guess what happens to her.
Uchida sneaks out of the hospital in order to get aboard the Yamato.
The Yamato receives its final orders which are for a kamikaze mission.
The ship was being sent without any air cover at all. Also, there was only enough fuel to get the ship to Okinawa; there was no plan for return at all.
The ship sails on its final mission.
April 7th. The ship is spotted by American planes.
The final battle for the ship begins.
The ship never stood a chance of surviving the attack.
Back in the present day, Kamio has a heart attack.
They arrive at the site. She spreads Uchida's ashes at the site.
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