popularity subsequently lead to various parodies and references, such as in Sgt. Frog, Haruhi Suzumiya and Space Battleship Tiramisu. Hideaki Anno has ranked Yamato as his favorite anime and credited it with sparking his interest in anime. Yamato was also the first anime series or movie to win the Seiun Award, a feat not repeated until the film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984). The original 1974 Yamato series has a number of striking similarities to the later 1977 film Star Wars. For example, both are space opera works with militant empires, star ships and space battles; the robot Analyzer in Yamato bears a strong resemblance to R2-D2, in terms of both design and narrative function; and both works involve ship design blue-prints which are delivered by the female leads. Several critics have suggested that Yamato may have influenced Star Wars, though George Lucas did not mention it among his Japanese influences (such as Akira Kurosawa's samurai films). Yamato also had an impact on video games. It was cited as an inspiration behind the influential shoot 'em up game Space Invaders. Game designer Takashi Nishiyama also credits the Wave Motion Gun as the origin of the Hadouken move in the Street Fighter series. Characters and themes The Space Battleship Yamato series generally involves themes of brave sacrifice, noble enemies, and respect for heroes lost in the line of duty. This can be seen as early as the second episode of the first season, which recounts the defeat of the original battleship Yamato while sailors and pilots from both sides salute her as she sinks (this scene was cut from the English dub, but later included on the Star Blazers DVD release). The movies spend much time showing the crew visiting monuments to previous missions and recalling the bravery of their fallen comrades. Dessler, the enemy defeated in the first season and left without a home or a people, recognizes that his foes are fighting for the same things he fought for and, eventually, becomes an important and loyal ally to Earth. English-language title For many years, English-language releases of the anime bore the title Space Cruiser Yamato. This romanization has appeared in Japanese publications because Nishizaki, a sailing enthusiast who owned a cruiser yacht, ordered that this translation be used out of love for his boat. However, in reference to naval nomenclature, it is technically inaccurate, as means