Yamato, released in the US as Star Blazers, is the ultimate space opera. It has everything, Space Battleships, combat, romance, spurned affections, life, death, love and loss. The series taught lessons that helped me to get through some difficult times in my life.
While I would love for Star Blazers to return to the TV screen in the US, even more I would love to obtain some unedited episodes, either in raw japanese or subtitled.
The best rumors say that there will be a new Yamato movie in 2002 or 2003. However I am slightly worried that with Leiji Matsumoto working on it without Mr Nishizaki's more military influence that it may not come across as exactly the same series as it started out as.
In the mean time, Leiji Matsumoto is ccertainly keeping busy with new Galaxy Express 999, Harlock Saga, Great Harlock manga, and other projects as well. So far Yamato has appeared in most of these, at least in the background. It can be seen in Queen Emeraldas OAV, in Fire Force DNA Sights 999.9, Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantacy, the GE:999 manga, and the Great Harlock manga.