My copy arrived today.
That was rather interesting. Understanding more or less what they are saying helps a lot. Especially with little things you wouldn't get from just the images alone.
Also the preview shown at the end of Episode 14 was different (slightly) than the preview shown at the end of Chapter 4 (theatical). The episode preview shows a few less people scenes and more scenes of Gamilas ships opening fire in massive numbers.
It is extremely rare for a remake of anything to be better than the original (unless the original was done poorly to start with that is). This is starting to look like one of those rare instances were the remake may be superior to the original. But that depends a great deal on how this all turns own. Especially on the Gamilas side of things. That is drifting into almost unknown territory. Almost, meaning it was in at least one version of the manga in some form.
Also it will depend on how they end it. And what loose threats they might leave for the future.
Spoiler for Ponderings based on Chapter 4:
With Melda recovered, but not yet reported in on her events, that thread is still open. Frakken is still out there and can hunt down Yamato again if needed. However it seems that with so much of Dessler's finest away from the planet, there may be trouble afoot from members of the cabinet. Though I am not certain who would be considered a loyalist to Dessler at this point. I can see the ones that may eventually see Yamato as favorable, and those that might have designs on the Throne, but I can't quite see how this will go down (aside from the manga version of things, but there are more characters now). Dessler seems like he's got something of his own planned in relation to Iscandar (he seems to know where Yamato is going even if his Generals do not).
On the Yamato side of things, Niimi seems to be gathering people, however I cannot exactly place her aim in this. One would assume it would be an effort to colonies a world for Humanity to escape. However from episode 13 and 14 I'm getting the impression there is something else going on as well with her. Specifically her comments on Kodai and her talk with Sanada in 13 (and the one line of her delusion in 14). I get the feeling both she and Sanada knew Kodai's brother. As that seems to way the conversation went aside from thought about what the captain would do (though I might have mistaken who they were referring). The tactics used in 13 point to Niimi being very smart and generally logical, but not tactical minded (that's why they have a Tactical officer in the first place). The one thing that doesn't seem to come across visually is the difficulty of flying the Seagull in the region they were in. it looked no more difficult than Yamamoto's flight in an area of heavy rocky debris.
Shiima seems to not have come to terms with the events surrounding his father yet. It is odd having him be the angry one for a change. Kodai seems to side with Deitz based on her code of honor, and her helping them (twice). And while we don't see Shiima's father's ship fire the first shot, it is implied that he did, because he followed orders (orders he didn't agree with). Perhaps they will show us that things happened differently sometime later on. Mainly because they did not show the first shot, and by the time the ship was under fire from the Gamilas, the crew was in space suits rather than their uniforms like they were when they got the orders to fire. Why the Un wanted to fire the first shot is unknown and that the same person is involved with whatever Niimi is doing is a bit disturbing.
And then there is Yurisha (and maybe Sasha). "Goddess of the ship" as Alter called her. It seems she does look like Yuki, or we are given a projection of such. Yuria being Yurisha is also possible at this point as well, but the questions are mounting faster than we can get answers. What I wonder is if Sasha's spirit is also in the ship, specifically in the Wave Motion Core. Yurisha's line could be taken that way, though we have little evidence of a second Iscandarian spirit at this point.
On a techical level, it seems the Wave Motion Engine can be shielded.
Also I wonder why the ship has basically sonar bouys at all. Yes they are "new", but what reason do they have them at all? The Active Sonar as well, but they seemed to be fitting that out while waiting. It is still a wonder they have such a system, but given where it is, the system probably has another function normally, rather than trying to detect submarines in a dimentional rift. Best guess is they tuned something or other with the waveform Sanada detected to act like a sonar (and sound like one too).
Also Frakken is still as cool as he was before.