I find it interesting that nobody here is figured out the secret to Yamato 2199 yet, the reason why it feels so different from a lot of other works is because this is a remake of one of the greatest space operas of all time. It has been kind of cheating in that regard, but it is also good to see this updated for the modern era while retaining those throwback sensibilities that make it feel so different then anything else on the market. Though this is also the reason why I think Gundam Build Fighters and Gatchaman Crowds are the better titles because they can stand alone and they use the old icons to build something for the modern era. I would not call Yamato a pointless remake, but I would not call it a needed one either.
Your line of argument would only make sense if
Yamato 2199 was some kind of shot for shot remake ala
Psycho but that's not the case here at all. While they obviously take the overall story conceit, characters and some plots from the original show, at least for a handful of episodes,
2199 brings a huge amount of new material to the table in terms of characterisation, setting, world building and actual story development. It's a superior show all round compared to the original and a far richer one too.
