games Three separate Yamato typing games have been released – Typing Wave-Motion Gun (2000), Typing Warp (2001), and Typing Dispersion Wave-Motion Gun (2001). Merchandise Due to its extensive financial success, Space Battleship Yamato has since its release seen a long line of merchandise. Starting in 1974, many Yamato-themed products have been sold, including clothing, tableware, stationery, and models of the characters, with the Cosmo Tigers and Yamato itself receiving particular attention. Additionally, models of Dessler's fleet were available, and at the time it was uncommon for the villain's ships or mecha to be sold. Bandai was responsible for most of the merchandising, and their choice to sponsor Space Battleship Yamato at such an early stage of its production is considered influential in the company's financial success. Bandai produced an extensive number of models of the Yamato, in a variety of sizes, the largest, and most elaborate one being a 70 cm (27.5 inch) model released in 2007. The ship comes with a remote control, designed to look like the Wave-Motion Gun's pistol grip, with which the Yamato's shutters, main and auxiliary guns, pulse lasers, and Wave-Motion Gun can all be interacted with. The ship was sold for ¥47,250 ($450). Legacy and impact Initially, Space Battleship Yamato was ignored – the original 1974 anime was forced to halve its episode count due to low ratings and viewership. However, with the release of the 1977 film, it had a surge in popularity, and ultimately achieved a cult status. During the original broadcast, despite the general lack of interest, Leiji Matsumoto received a "very surprising" amount of fan mail from women who had watched the show, which came as a surprise due to the fact he had intended for it to be watched mostly by a male audience. Prior to the release of Yamato in 1974, anime was called terebi manga (TV manga). The success of Yamato, both because of its tone and themes that were ambitious for an anime at that time, and the fact it was an original work, made it influential in the move towards the term anime. Cultural impact Space Battleship Yamato is one of the most influential anime series in Japan. Its turn toward serious themes and complex storylines influenced future works in the genre, including Gundam, Evangelion, and Macross. Yamato would go on to influence many later anime, including Mobile Suit Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Its