Hello, instead of dooing a poor explanation, I will give you a link for a very good website that will explain all that is Star Blazers.
http://www.desslok.com/yamato.htm
You have to see the TV show series. It was not a little kids show, great story, it was released 3 years before Star Wars. You can order them from various sites, you can even rent them at Blockbuster (online).