Star Blazers - Wave Motion Gun

The Star Force test fires the wave motion gun on the floating continent
content is owned or licensed by Starz Media LLC.
I Own nothing. Video is for Review and discussion as in the comments.

[@Rob774]

I'm 45... and I STILL get the chills watching this thing go off.

[@ianbrown4242]

A masterclass in tension and release

[@AgeofMachines]

Same here...

[@stirgy4312]

52. Mee too. 😁

[@alsoulmusic]

52 yrs old and I got them too. Really loved this show when I was young. Still hold up!

[@xhavokxxreignx3471]

Same here man 👍😎

[@DEP717]

I remember watching this as a kid. (The American dubbed version.) It is a show with great characters, pathos, story arc and messages. Truly a masterpiece. It is also a show that does not "talk down" to an audience like some shows aimed at kids. Growing up I absolutely loved it and seeing it again, it is good to see it holds up very well.

[@patrickryan7255]

I agree. Im 49 and this show defined my childhood. Just finished Comet Empire with my son.

[@Saqua2289]

Me too! I'm fifty, and I still love Star Blazers. Space Battleship Yamato the Japanese version was just too different for me. I love most Japanese anime sub but Star Blazers was my favorite.

[@Saqua2289]

@@patrickryan7255 My mom loved this show too. We used to watch it together. We used to joke about changing our last name to Wildstar lol.

[@tracyupshaw7862]

spot on.. the first cartoon I had to take seriously. it also set the pace for Robotech both shows really blew the doors off anything the U.S.TV had to offer...

[@pace1719]

and a cool ass weapon. WFTX Boston UHF 7:00 am every morning before school

[@texan-american200]

So many detailed procedures to fire a cartoon space cannon. This is why I love this series.

[@Frankjc3rd]

All that wonderful technology and there's still a valve that needs to be cranked by hand in engineering!

[@finisher3x]

It's the build up for them to use the Wave Motion Gun, that makes this truly unique. And . . . the fact that they didn't overuse it. You basically had to watch every episode to see when they're going to use it next.

[@chadryan9900]

Always love the sound of the wave motion gun building up.

[@romannoellocsin9950]

That "KERRANG!", followed by that blood-curdling scream. Still gives me chills to this day. And of course, Col. Gantz' words: "WHERE COULD THEY GET SUCH POWER!?"

[@InDebt8]

The sound of it firing made me tear up....a little. My god it's been 30 years. I haven't been this excited to hear it fire in a LONG time

[@xtarheelinutah]

Absolutely!

[@antonioborriello5287]

It's now 42 yrs ago for me!

[@trevordonohoe3712]

your comment got my eyes glassy as well

[@pedrorosario4297]

I'm 49. This is still chilling. That sound effect is second to none!

[@leoray1234]

It's amazing how modern Star Blazers still feels. It has all the detail, and every episode was full of tension. Best cartoon ever!

[@kenneyk24]

I remember seeing this episode when I was about 10 yrs old. Funny how you can remember the dialogue from a cartoon from 35 yrs ago. But can't remember a conversation from last night. Lol

[@winternow2242]

Some things are just more memorable - I can still remember when everybody is saying their last goodbyes as Yamato leaves the solar system, and Kodai is staring at an empty screen because he doesn't have anyone.

[@Kevin-fj5oe]

The new remake is definitely something you can called a successor, literally they did it at making everything better without missing the nostalgia feeling

[@lostpony4885]

I might have been 8.

[@johnbockelie3899]

This show was on Mon thru Fri when I was in high school.i got out in 1979. I haven't seen this scene since 1978. KTNT , channel 11, Tacoma , WA. 7:30 A.M. Star Blazers.

[@plastiksurgeon9129]

@@johnbockelie3899 I graduated in ‘79 also. ☺️ I had a cousin that was CRAZY about this show. Where we lived (PA) it came on in the mornings, and he’d end up late for school at times trying to catch the very end I don’t remember seeing all the episodes until after I graduated……my cousin really got me in to watching it, and now I have it on DVD. 👌🏾

[@johnrappaport3105]

39 years later and I am still obsessed with Starblazers.

[@carlmilton]

The sound of the wave-motion gun initially powering up sent me back in time. Back then, I thought that was the coolest thing going. The show used to come on channel 46 out of Atlanta at around 4 O'clock in the afternoon on weekdays. I would get home from school, turn this show on, and I wouldn't move until the show was over.

[@ilttpvvm]

The Wave Motion Gun--when it absolutely, positively has to be destroyed with the first shot!

[@t.j.andrews4392]

Right! My friends call it "This is sooo going to ruin your day" weapon

[@Halpin2006]

At 3:55, Captain Avatar says "Such power is a great responsibility!" Now where have we heard that before?

[@jasonkidd1689]

@@Halpin2006 If memory serves me I don't think they held back on the power going forward. To me it seem liked the same result.

[@Halpin2006]

@@jasonkidd1689 No No! That's from Spider Man! With great power comes great responsibility! But try telling that to Vladimir Putin!

[@jasonkidd1689]

@@Halpin2006 sorry I didn't mean it that way. I was referring to what the captain said about not using full power of the weapon when it's not necessary. I was saying that every episode I seen it still destroyed any and everything. 😁

[@larryblack2981]

I can't tell you how many times I was late for school trying to catch the latest episodes of Star Blazers in the morning.

[@qdllc]

When morning TV was worth watching.

[@Da40kOrks]

same

[@smc1942]

My station showed it just after school. I would rush home to catch it, peddling my bike like crazy! I'd be mad if I missed the opening theme song! 😂

[@forceinfinity]

When I first watched this cartoon, and I saw the characters putting on safety goggles, I was like ‘what in the world are they firing?’ Then that happened and I was thinking ‘holy crap’. That was one thing I remembered from the series and the ending of each episode when they were counting down how many days humanity had left. Needless to say, it left an impression on me

[@philandeswilliams1975]

That countdown made the cartoon seem like a news report from space and felt so real I'm sure those who watched it learned to think about their mortality earlier. A very sobering and maturing effect!

[@alexanderpatrick4866]

Same here I will never forget it

[@DicipleForJesus]

I was in Jr high when i discovered this wonderful adventure story and the characters especially Captain Avatar and the insanity of Leader Deslock. The wave motion gun what a concept. I'm 57 yo and I still love this show. Some things you never grow out of like the love between Derek and Nova.

[@sjjones7497]

This was my daily show after school. Like everyday. Like everyday!

[@williambrown2830]

Yeah me too. I loved this show when I was around 10 or 11.

[@johnrappaport3105]

Same. Every day at 3pm and when my older sister beat me up to watch General Hospital out of spite I was WRECKED! She did it out of spite!

[@dr.davidwho4053]

Me too!😄👍

[@robertpersely1722]

Also, I looked forward to firing that wave motion gun. And that woman in the yellow jump suit!

[@Diabolik771]

I would RUN MY ASS OFF from school to get home in time.

[@RCAvhstape]

Three words why the 80s were awesome: Wave. Motion. Gun.

[@ernestwalker798]

you must have lived in N ew England in the 80s, we are a group of people who lives have changed because of this cartoon, and force five, we may not be rich but we are good

[@OldHawkEye]

1974, not the 80s...

[@RCAvhstape]

My memories are from the 80s. My two words why the 70s were awesome? Speed Racer.

[@stevencohen624]

***** And you couldn't beat the music in this show. 4:19 to the end is simply fantastic. I loved the Gamilon commander's reaction of total shock at the end. He realized that they had a major adversary on their hands.

[@LL-mm6od]

Helium Road ikr

[@romannoellocsin9950]

Rest in Peace, Leiji Matsumoto. You are now one with the Sea of Stars. You will be missed.

[@joemasserini]

every now and then I come back here to watch this scene. And every time, I'm in goosebumped awe. The pace of the build-up, the sound of the blast, the effects, the crew's reaction, and the realization of just what power magnitude is in their hands... The animators really let you know in the build-up that you're about to witness something incredible and then they actually pay it off (with the stones to show the crew reacting basically the same way as my 5-year-old self back then lol). Perfection in scene tone and tension. A lot of shows/movies swing and miss in similar situations. What an amazing kids' cartoon. It was definitely my first sci-fi obsession and will stay with me as long as I live.

[@jirimar]

Amen Joe. I'm surprised the yt police haven't taken the vid down yet. Shhhhhhh 🤫

[@RCAvhstape]

@@jirimar Bless you for posting it. This very scene left a huge impression on us as kids. I've always been a sci fi fan and this stands out.

[@archlich4489]

I seem to watch it about every 3 years. Still blows me away!

[@Clarence_Oddbody]

The sound design on the Yamato series is amazing, even by current standards.

[@SyoShinozaki]

The Wave Motion Gun (Hadou-hou) must be one of the most impressive weapon ever appeared in anime.

[@lostpony4885]

All sorts of series ending superguns in gundam serieses.

[@TARDISmanX]

Robotech's SDF-1 had a superweapon that could blow Zentradi (sp?) ships away with one shot...

[@heavymetallabrat]

Ill take the wave motion gun over the emperor's death star any day.

[@axoltheotl2198]

And yet, all of those super weapons came from the wave motion gun as Space Battleship Yamato was released in 1974, 3 years before Star Wars even existed, 5 before the first Gundam series and manga existed, and 11 years before Robotech

[@rolandosalvioli8888]

Americans cant speak about manga. Zero

[@Nsan]

I got up everyweekday at 6am to watch this show before jr. high. That was long ago. Probably my favorite show back then! Great first and second season!

[@zoso73]

I watched this on local TV in the late 70s as a 10-year-old while eating breakfast. This blew my face off. I would be thinking about the wave motion gun and the screeching sound the entire commute, looking out the window, while my mom drove me to school. And then I would think about the wave motion gun all day at school. Fucking etched in my brain to this day. There was no rewind, of course, in those days. You would watch it "live" that particular morning, one time only, but it was so powerful, so unique, the image and audio, how could one forget? Thank you for posting.

[@alexanderpatrick4866]

It is a trip how this is seared into your brain I saw it in 79 when it was on TV. This show and Battle of the planets were my favorite

[@RCAvhstape]

I remember me and my friends talking about it in the 5th grade, "They have this giant thing called the Wave Motion Gun. You have to watch this show when you get home today!"

[@finisher3x]

I used to draw this out on my notebook paper.

[@Talon805]

This cutting edge cartoon has always been one of my favs! My brother & I used to stop whatever we were doing and run home to watch this! I may be dating myself here but that's back in the day when TV actually went OFF at night!!!!

[@marioulloa2593]

For those who don't know, this is where the inspiration for Hadoken from Street fighter came from. since wave motion is what Hado means

[@williamcase426]

HADOKEN

[@deadlyraver4454]

"What are they gonna do, blow up the whole damn continent?" -The last words said by the guy on lookout duty that day.

[@williamhicks7736]

This is still great. That first season of Star Blazers is one of the most dramatic and serious shows I watched at 12-13 years old. I remember being moved to tears by several episodes. The pacing of the story and the journey of the ship allows for a lot of character development. I remember one episode particularly. The Argo is about to go beyond the solar system, outside of communication range with earth. Everyone on the ship is allotted a minute to say goodbye to their families. The one when the head engineer, who is older, is talking to his grown children and his little granddaughter, telling them not to lose hope while his voice is breaking down with emotion - had me openly weeping... This show wasn’t just a ‘cartoon’... If you watched from the beginning, you really cared about the characters by the time they got back home.

[@nynthworld4152]

Watched it every day after school also.👍

[@plastiksurgeon9129]

I remember that episode.....around 1979-1980. I was 19 years old and out of school and cried like a baby! Particularly when Nova was speaking to her Mom before comms went out and she started crying, I was crying too! What was best about this show is that while it was a “cartoon”, it didn’t have the silly music like American cartoons can have. Actually, the music is quite good which adds to the emotions. I have the second season on DVD....I think I’ll start watching that again. ☺️

[@Legend813a]

And Wildstar just sat in the comms room He had no one to call.

[@alienrefugee51]

@3:45 The militaries of this world should listen to what avatar has to say here So underrated in this show was the music and sound effects. Chilling, powerful and emotional. My first impactful and favorite cartoon as a kid. The sound of the Wavemotion gun here is just so insane.

[@dr.davidwho4053]

👍

[@jonanjello]

Hiroshima. Nagasaki

[@kirkstinson7316]

@@jonanjello No, we had tested the bomb before we used them. Thought it was just about the right amount of power

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

@@kirkstinson7316 rather, an accurate translation of what was said was this: We destroyed the floating continent, why do I feel so terrible? It was just an enemy base. Captain: the wave motion gun is a powerful weapon, we must remember this and not use it carelessly.

[@alexanderpatrick4866]

Absolutely perfectly put to say the least

[@the_wandering_viking9031]

The howl of the wave motion gun, it sends goosebumps down my body. I just love every time they use it. I have this on VHS and I watch it all the time. Hadohou HASHA!!!

[@ColdFusion365]

The Tabletop Nerd You still have a a VHS?! Lol! But seriously I remember this cartoon growing up and the wave motion gun was the best “kick ass” weapon! It actually destroyed a planet! Not just a floating continent.

[@larryblack2981]

That damn thing was so powerful it darn near wrecked the ship every time they used it....lol

[@PotholesInMyLawn]

Reminds me of the Airwolf Sound Effect. I loved this show as a kid

[@AviatorMike777]

This was one of my favorite cartoons growing up. Watching this particular scene was just jaw-dropping to a pre-teen such as myself. That whining & squealing sound of the Wave Motion Gun when it was fired, holy crap! It still gives me goosebumps even in my 50s. It also gave me tears of joy knowing that my childhood was awesome because of cartoons like this!

[@brodielarson9096]

I love the fact that they didn't even use it until halfway through the show.

[@williamtessier5449]

never get tired of watching this show

[@bigdnelyria]

I was 9 or 10 when I watched this show. Always looked forward to them using that gun!

[@marcvslicinivscrassvs7536]

Best part of the show, for sure!

[@jbower9312]

Heck yeah brother, same here.

[@finisher3x]

And the fact that they didn't rely on using it every episode, made it all the more cooler when they DID use it.

[@mangaentertainment]

Definitely deserves more attention from present day media. But for those of you interested, we uploaded the entire series onto our channel!

[@crippleh5902]

How do we watch it? I subscribed to your channel.

[@philandeswilliams1975]

Yeah, but they are all private and can't be watched. Lord Desslok would approve, though.

[@vwboy2012]

Thank god!!!!

[@marinhaalternativa3829]

channel migthy wings have it too

[@gregorypollard5908]

I hate Star Blazers but I love Space Battleship Yamato

[@ranmakun69]

“We’re could they get such powerrrrr!!” I remember hearing that when it was released in the 80’s. Still gives me chills.

[@blackwerk]

now let all of us who were fans of the show be honest, watching them fire the wave motion gun is why we watched in the first place..... preparing to fire took the last 1/3 of the show and it was AWESOME!!! thank for posting......

[@kingzilladonx]

Full credit to the sound design for this show AND this episode in particular. you can HEAR that they over charged the wave motion gun. The pitch is never this high or held this long ever again. THAT is attention to detail

[@johnnightshade5779]

I remember running home from the bus stop just to watch this cartoon. The 80s had the best shows and music.

[@MaskedSongbird]

This show was on TV when my dad was a kid. Sometime in my early childhood I remember he got the collection of the Quest for Iscandar on DVD when I was a little kid. Back then, we didn't have the greatest relationship--I don't think he knew how to relate to a young kid; he had temper issues and we just had different interests; I liked fantasy RPGs, anime, and superhero cartoons from an early age while dad liked cars and trucks and stereotypical 'guy' stuff. But after Dad got the DVD collection (I think I was like, 5 or 6 years old when he got it), I have fond memories of sitting with him and watching it together after school and on weekends when he wasn't at work (I think I was in Kindergarten or first grade when we started watching it together). It was the one shared thing that we both really bonded over long before I became a teenager and our general relationship improved. To this day, whenever I sort through any complicated negative feelings about my dad, I think about stuff like our shared love of Star Blazers, sci-fi anime, and action movies, and it gives me some comfort.

[@Ptmkn]

So, our anime club director brought this in for us to watch. We laughed at the first few episodes (come on, space bell-bottom pants?), but he told us we were going to keep watching, and we'd get super into it. And sure enough, we did. It's pretty good TV, subbed or dubbed. Those of you wondering: the 2014 remake (Space Battleship Yamato 2199) is pretty good, keeping the show's spirit with some small modern updates. Check it out if you're interested.

[@jerrycarlson8968]

I always loved it when they used the gun. Gives me goosebumps galore.

[@bigmeanie1891]

I loved the Argo when I was a kid. That ship was too cool. Star Blazers was my favorite space cartoon at that time. I watched the entire series. A lot of memories here.

[@tennoshenaniganizer9234]

Yamato. Not Argo

[@Nichodo]

@Tenno Shenaniganizer They named the Yamato the Argo for Star Blazers

[@npc6817]

@@Nichodo Yamato. there is a reason it looks the way it does, there is a reason its the Yamato but in space and not some made up sci-fi ship.

[@Mr_Meatbox]

@@npc6817 keep in mind this dub came less than 30 years after WW2. Making an enemy battleship be heroic wouldn't fly with veterans

[@npc6817]

@@Mr_Meatbox yes, also like every cartoon series they were hoping to make it into a toyline, and japanese names are harder to memorize for children so they made it simpler and ""cooler""(wildstar? Really?). So yeah I get why, but that's still the Yamato. And Space Battleship Yamato sounds way cooler than 420 starblaze it fite me

[@kingtiger836]

The most badass gun ever! This gun was so amazing back in the 1980's!

[@1300rm]

I remember watching this when I was a kid. Late 70s early 80s. I would run home from school to watch Battle of the Planets and then after that Star Blazers. Brings back memories.

[@andrewkaye2108]

I remember thinking, " with this countdown and goggles and stuff, this Wave Motion Gun better be awesome." As soon as it fired I sat there with my mouth hung open for about a full minute. The Wave Motion Gun was like Japan's equivalent to the Death Star's main weapon, only this time it was in the hands of the good guys. This show and Speed Racer were my gateway drugs to Anime.

[@rodneymathews6775]

Yes sir! Same with me! I would also add Battle of the Planets a.k.a. Gatchaman to that list!

[@henrykujawa4427]

Remember... the 1st series of SPACE CRUISER YAMATO was made in 1974. 3 years before STAR WARS. It just took until 1979 to get here.

[@occipitallobe]

I watched this as a kid years ago and I still get goosebumps that none of the crap on today even touches.

[@blueeyedcowboy8291]

2024 and the sound production of this cartoon still holds up. Just an amazing cartoon. Glad I got to witness this type of animation compared to what kids have today. Hits different knowing what they were talking about at the end.

[@GreenyX1]

Perfect clip, also kept the best part, the aliens in the end completely floored by the backwards humans displaying a power beyond their comprehension seemly coming out of nowhere, and also a bit of fear in that voice.

[@alexanderpatrick4866]

The sound is so phenomenal.... especially that slight buildup and that slight pause and then.... at 2:12... I don't need to say anything more..

[@zoso73]

I get teary-eyed watching this.

[@forceinfinity]

I take it at 2:12 ish you were referring to the animation error?

[@pacetti07]

This is a clip of a major piece of Science Fiction history! The very first firing of Space Battleship Yamato's incredible Wave Motion Gun. One of the most iconic weapons ever seen in any kind of Science Fiction universe.

[@TytonidaeIndustries]

agreed, while it doesn't look as epic as the one from the reboot, or the live action movie without this, we wouldn't have any of the other massive super weapons like it

[@npc6817]

beside the lightsaber...or the star trek phaser...the death star main cannon...

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

And that's why in Starcraft. Terran Battlecruiser gets this similar supergun. the weapon is named Yamato Cannon after the very ship itself. (Through Terrans used Collossus Reactor and never discoverd Wave Motion Engine).

[@RCAvhstape]

No other sci fi superweapon sounds as cool as the wave motion gun does in this scene. That guitar-sounding buzz followed by that whistling freight train of death sound, and the brilliant nuclear blast-like flash of light.

[@mrsavoy66]

@@npc6817 Yo Take a hit...............

[@matthewdaugherty5207]

The sound... I remember so little of this show from my teens, but I will always remember the sound

[@copperhamster]

Interesting little side point. In the Japanese version, the big charge up was not to fire the gun. They could fire the gun almost instantly. The big charge up was to store power to restart the engine. (Also the bass guitar strum and 'whinny' sound are not present in the original) In the 2199 version they have auto-flare shielding on the windows. But they STILL NEED THE GLASSES. Also the target is specifically identified as 'the size of Australia' and it looks blown to atoms with power to spare.

[@DaryckReese300]

What Captain Avatar Said Reminds Me Of That Old Saying from Spider-Man: With Great Powers Comes Great Responsibility.

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

That line is a More accurate translation than the dub.

[@michaelrobertson7512]

The best sci-fi series ever. What I remembered was that the narrator always had something to say but at the end of this episode he was silent that’s the power of the wave motion gun.

[@BaronAmerican]

The ultimate weapon of the Death Star. I mean the SDF-1. I mean the Argo. I mean the Yamato.

[@dr.davidwho4053]

😆

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

I'm still amazed that they decided to censor the name, I mean, I get the reason. But Japanese Battleships have a VERY distinctive profile, and anyone of thouse old vets who would have known about Yamato would be able to recognize her, or at least correctly identify her as a Japanese battleship.

[@lostpony4885]

Nahel Argama.

[@AngusArtEntertainment]

Forget "firin mah lazer," THIS is how it's done! Sweet nostalgia! Even though the 2199 and 2202 reboots bring so much more to the story, the original series will still have a place in my memories.

[@jirimar]

And in our hearts :)

[@standepain]

Always loved the sound of the electric guitar just as it fires. I don't think they ever used it again and I don't know why...its just sounded so freaking awesome.

[@motaz1975]

check episode 19 of the comet empire. same sounds.

[@RCAvhstape]

There was a similar sound used in Star Trek The Motion Picture whenever V'ger did one of its crazy powerful technology tricks. A lot of people dump on that movie but I saw it in theater as a kid and that sound scared the crap out of me.

[@standepain]

Helium Road They used this instrument called the Blaster Beam. It was this foot metal monstrosity stringed up like a guitar. Next to the waterphone it maybe the eeriest sounding instruments out there.

[@RCAvhstape]

Interesting, will have to look that up.

[@motaz1975]

io9.gizmodo.com/5815346/the-strange-instruments-that-created-your-favorite-movie-scores

[@nynthworld4152]

The power of the Wave Motion Weapon is a great responsibility...but if ya see a Gamalon base...just blast the dang thing. ( LOL)

[@Sobekain]

I feel like a kid again...or do I feel old. I was 6 when this came out...got the chills watching again...LOVE IT!

[@ATITKD]

This used to play after school then disappeared. One of the best cartoons ever!

[@mattpope1746]

Captain Avatar: “We blew up a whole continent, we used too much power!” Grand Moff Tarkin: “Hold my beer...”

[@killman369547]

well, i guess that would be where the utterly enormous proton missiles come in.

[@Cyberium]

Yamato is probably better defended against a torpedo than Death Star. :3

[@RCAvhstape]

@@Cyberium The Cosmo Tigers vs. Red Squadron. Interesting matchup.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

Helium Road They’d end up on the same side.m

[@zoso73]

If the Wave Motion gun was real, it would sound exactly like this.

[@lostpony4885]

Pew pew pew

[@Halpin2006]

The Argo has to concentrate ALL its power into the wave motion gun, carefully build up all the energy, get ready to fire, then blasts all the power it has until the energy strike is fully exhausted! After the firing, the Argo has to relax and regenerate it nominal power. Sounds exactly the same as a man building up all his sexual charge, orgasm, cumming all that he has, then having to rest afterward! Well, the comparison is indeed quite similar!

[@Macintoshiba]

I feel like the Reboot did this enough Justice. Same sound effects, same music, and a great visual overhaul!

[@bigsarge8795]

I agree. I like the reboot as well but ill always be partial to the original.

[@Jonbwriter]

When I first saw this, I was in grade school. It made quite an impression back then. Still does.

[@Mavis308]

I remember watching this show when I was a little kid, loved it.

[@tbd5041]

Every morning before school of my 4th. grade year. What fantastic memories.

[@scottsnyder7070]

52 Im reading the comments and laughing how we all drop our age. And its so perfect. Im smiling as im writing this. I would hurry home from the bus to catch it! The sound is amazing

[@clickfredrick]

Wave Motion Gun... When you need to take out the entire Enemy with ONE SHOT. The recoil literally pushed the entire ship back into Jupiter and its gravitational pull eventhough it was not in Jupiter's orbit. To put this weapon's power in a human being perspective ... Imagine shooting all 12 rounds from a sawed off 12 Gauge Shotgun at one time or unloading every one of the 30 rounds from a M1 Tank at one time

[@johnathonwright488]

The best weapon ever in cartoons and the sound is so incredible and I love this cartoon as a child young teenager 💯😎😎

[@free-birdrocker8809]

Argos wave motion gun, awesome. I always wondered about those sparks in the barrel floating round, right before she shot, I figured it the enenergy building up. This and G-force was the snitzle for us youngins before the nightmare known as school.

[@zaknalfein72]

Absolutely loved this show and still do. I always got a good chuckle at the first firing if you look at first it fires normal then next frame it turns sideways and fire right to left across the bow of the Argo.

[@camarrow67]

I never forgot how the wave motion gun sounds after all those years. Great post!

[@SyoShinozaki]

If you are interested, there's a technical explanation for the Wave Motion Gun (official explanation) Space battleship Yamato's main engine, wave motion engine, is an alien technology which can yield nearly infinite energy, and the ship uses the energy for warp drive and ship's weapon systems. Wave motion gun is the mechanism which connects to the wave motion engine and discharge all of the (nearly infinite) energy stored in the wave motion engine in one huge blast. However, it empties the wave motion engine and the engine must be restarted and begin storing the energy into the engine, which leaves the engine powerless for a short period after firing, which in turn lenders the ship powerless as well, incapable of using any weapon nor maneuvering. In short, Yamato becomes a shitting duck for a brief period after firing the Wave Motion Gun.

[@khenricx]

In the new version, yamato 2199, they say they use the warp engine to create mini black hole in the chamber, those black hole violently evaporate because of hawking radiations, creating the blast. This explaination is in fact quite realistic, as black holes are dense regions of warped space, and that hawking radiation is really something that scientists believe exist.

[@EdWoodJr1956]

Kind of like the Romulan cloaking device in Star Trek. It eats up all the ship's power. While the device is on, the ship is invisible, but they cannot run at warp speed, raise their shields, or fire their weapons. A sitting duck.

[@slickrcbd9543]

I always wondered if this was the inspiration for the main gun on the Excalibur and Victory in the B5 movie "Call to Arms", given that firing the main guns on that class of ship has the same weakness of rendering the ship powerless for 2 minutes after firing, unable to maneuver or fire weapons.

[@cardiv5zuikaku944]

The weapon that is so cool that you have to wear sunglasses to use it

[@rainrunner1]

I'm 38 now and this still by far the best cartoon ever

[@BigOldJimmy]

What a classic show, all about responsibility, teamwork, loyalty, great stuff.

[@allthingsnerd.4484]

One of my top ten all time greatest sci fi sound effects. along with lightsaber ignition, Millennium Falcon hyperdrive (working and failing), R2-D2, the Alien Queen hiss-scream, the Nostromo self destruct countdown, Star Trek transporters, the Buck Rogers/Battlestar Galactic fighter launch, a transformer transforming, and the lightcycles from Tron.

[@Rob774]

It took me 30 years that the Yamato was actually a real vessel. Now that I'm a WW2 buff I know all about it. That ship would have been a bigger problem if it were used more.

[@RCAvhstape]

When it was on in the US, they called the ship the Argo. It wasn't until later that US fans found out it was supposed to be the actual Yamato from WWII.

[@ziweiyuan]

This show improved my childhood a million times over.

[@Nexus974]

As a kid, I thought the wave motion gun was the coolest thing ever

[@thejimm2009]

Classic! This still sends chills down my spine. If you're a bad guy on the business end of the WMG...your day just turned to sh!t.

[@Zapp33311]

As a kid watching this I was in awe at the sound of the wave motion gun and how powerful it sounded. The sound effects plus many other things in American cartoons just couldn’t compare to Japanese.

[@95jersey]

greatest moment in cartoon history, never again to be topped

[@mg1342mg]

I can remember watching this show after racing home from school at 3:30. I was always on the "edge of my seat" waiting for them to use the Wave Motion gun.

[@baldguy42]

As an Audio/Video person, there are just some things that affect you. Watching the Enterprise go into warp in Star Trek:TMP for the first time was a powerful thing. Just as this was. I actually felt it. That screaming sound as the beam exploded from the bow of the Argo went right through me. As pacetti07 said, this is a piece of Sci-Fi history. It still sends chills down my spine.

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

It was, for anime the Yamato's Wave Motion Gun is the first protagonist operated Super Weapon, many a "final move" and "ultimate attack" can be traced back to this. (Note, it's the Yamato, Argo was a name given to censor the show because (in a probably accurate prediction) the importing company didn't want every republican and veteran sending them angry calls demanding to know why the Flagship of the Imperial Japanese navy is being portrayed heroicly.)

[@baldguy42]

@@themanformerlyknownascomme777 You are correct. However, as an American, that was the name I heard them use. It was not too many years later that I saw the original one and found out. One thing that I have to give the writers credit for was their making sure that the Wave Motion Gun was not something that could just start shooting whenever they wanted. It required a decision and there were risks to using it. Cautionary tales that some feel have been lost since this came out.

[@MalachiteDragon1]

The granddaddy of each and every 'Big Frickin' Gun' you see in anime today. This was the first one.

[@UnknowingMan1]

Man this show was the best! Really glad my dad showed me this!

[@RAJ07.1]

Mine to

[@jazzfan5000]

Yeah, I remember this! What a great cartoon! When I was 10-11, I made sure that I would see every episode when it aired. The Comet Empire episodes were the bomb... no pun intended!

[@DrkEnigma]

I'm 56 & remember this very well

[@mcj88]

_"Wish you had their amenities_ _To fend off your enemies_ _With one big blast from your Wave Motion Gun"_ -Marcy Playground

[@johnmccnj]

It would have to be nearly 30 years since I first saw this show, and the wave motion gun "whinny" still gives me goosebumps. :-)

[@matthewridgway8374]

SO LUCKY they used to run this on some far flung TV station we had an adjustable antennae and I'd dial it back and forth and get so much snow some days I could barely make out the image on the screen but this series was HUGE to my youth who doesn't remember the Yamato pulling free from that irradiated sea bed or the first time they used the Wave Motion Gun. The build up was just fantastic and I love that the whole massive weapon all culminated in a pistol grip and a trigger.

[@jasonlane1528]

Earth: "We need something to destroy an entire fleet in one shot." Engineers: "Well, how about this?" Earth: "We'll take it!"

[@troyjones2687]

As a kid watching this the epic sound effects when the gun fires is still very intense. From the sounds of it you would think the gun could wipe out a entire galaxy. 😂

[@neuvocastezero1838]

In many ways, the old series paid more attention to detail and was more visually dramatic than the revamped version, but I like both.

[@katadantesux]

This cartoon was so ahead of its time.. thanks for adding this.

[@RoninDave]

Gamilons - "We shall name our base on this floating continent - Floating Continent! Tremble in fear at our incredibly obvious naming ability!"

[@ravepuppie]

One does not simply "test fire" the Wave Motion Gun. :D

[@kwisatzhaderach1458]

Just saw the real life movie clip and was blown away. It's amazing.

[@fRo0tLo0p]

Still gives me goosebumps.