[originally posted on 9 November 2024]
Picking up where we left off in this magazine, up next is a section titled Fly! Gundam featuring an interview with Director Yoshiyuki Tomino. As usual, “Q:” denotes the interview questions and “T:” is Director Tomino’s response.
Q: First of all, I hear that you are going to use Gundam to depict what you couldn’t depict in Zambot [Invincible Super Man Zambot 3].
T: In the case of Zambot, it follows a single incident and was created in a setting that would be most easily understood by Japanese people. In that sense, I think it was created completely within the scope of conventional robot media. However, within that, it is the worldview that surrounds the so-called world of the story. As a creator, I found it rather uninteresting that I couldn’t depict that one thing.
What I mean by this is that it is a system of the larger world, and in order for a person to survive, he naturally needs people around him. It is a society in that sense. I wanted to depict the relationship between this and the individual.
And one more thing: these machines, which are called robots, have a lot of power, and if they can be used as weapons, I think they can be considered the ultimate in that regard. It may sound strange to say this, but I felt like it would be nice to be able to create something that felt abnormal once again.
Also, space colonies, or in other words, space immigration, are a plan by M.I.T. ‘s O’Neill, who through this plan would be able to deal with the eventual overpopulation. I think this is appealing to the need for innovation in the way people think, even in the near future. The final theme of Gundam is to talk about this revolution in consciousness within the story’s world.
In terms of the current general flow of Gundam, the first two seasons are the stage where we first explain that this is the reality of the world of Gundam. In other words, there were space immigrants, there were several space colonies, and humans began to migrate to space. And this is what the Earth is like, and this is what space is like. Then, over the course of the third season, along with the previous explanation, I would like you to see through Amuro the possibility of humans being able to change themselves. Also, especially from the middle of the 3rd season to the 4th season, I hope that the viewers will take what has happened up to that point as a hint and think about things from a different direction in the future. To put it bluntly, I would like to create something that raises issues.
Therefore, in the current reality of war, it is a painful story that involves the matter of life and death. However, looking at the Gundam series as a whole, I would like to create a series that is not gloomy at all, but one that feels as hopeful as possible.
Q: When I watch Gundam, I think it’s very characteristic that, for example, normally they often take off from the Earth into space, but in episode 5, they enter the atmosphere and come down from the sky…
T: So in the end, this is what you might call being realistic. That is to say, if we were just following the story and doing it in a cool way, I think the story would probably have started from Earth. However, I felt that such a depiction would not go beyond the conventional pseudo-science fiction aspects. As a methodology for depicting the world of the future, if I may put it simply, I wanted to trace everything backwards regardless, in order to give a sense of reality, even just a little.
Q: It is true that a while ago, the dangers of entering the atmosphere were not well known, but now everyone knows…
T: So, for example, while chasing the White Base, Char’s Musai ends up in satellite orbit, and Char himself has no choice but to use an atmospheric capsule. Ah, the Musai was a ship from a previous era, so it doesn’t have that much functionality. That’s why I feel like I’ve come to realize that White Base is amazing after all. I think a sense of reality can emerge just by following these things in detail.
Also, regarding the realism, I wanted to make it as human-like as possible, including the regulars and guests. Make it vivid. If we don’t do that, our perception of the reality of the Gundam world will be diminished, so I was very careful about that.
That’s why you might find anime so tiring, even though it should be easy to watch. However, in order to convey the message of Gundam, unless it is done in this way, it will be difficult to fly to the next part. Even if you draw the part where it will fly next, I feel like things wouldn’t turn out great there. So right now, you could say that I’m trying to do everything I can.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the end of Gundam. However, for now, I think doing it this way is fine as it is, and I think that the hardships, or rather the reality, of this part of the story are a foreshadowing of Gundam’s final outcome.
Q: This is something that both Zeon and the Federation have in common, but their militaries, including the uniforms, have a neo-classic feel to them, which I quite like. That too is a byproduct of pursuing realism…
T: Hmm, a byproduct, that’s really true. At the same time, it’s a way of expressing that people won’t change that much even in 50 or 100 years, but on the other hand, I did it this way because I wanted them to change. Also, regarding the uniforms, Yasuhiko-san was the first to design the clothes for the White Base crew, and I was really surprised. I thought it was going against the times to go so far with a military style, but when I realized that this was something humans would do after all, I decided to go ahead and go for it. I felt that, at the same time, I had to create a feeling or a way of depicting people that matched that uniform, and that is how Gundam came to be as it is today.
In any case, the obsession I had with the story behind that uniform was quite serious. At first, I had the idea of having everyone dress however they wanted, and the warships would be taken from the Federation forces, but then the outfits came up, and it ended up like this.
Q: I think the next special feature will focus a lot on the Principality of Zeon and Char, but in the end, when compared to the Federation, I found that Zeon was easier to understand…
T: There’s that. In short, their federal system is something that cannot be visualized at all, and the Earth Federation in particular is a federal government, but it is set up as a very dissolute government that has exposed its shortcomings… Speaking of Char, he is mentally on the same level as the crew members of White Base, but in the end he only works to take revenge on the Zabi family.
So, why did I want to include a character like Char? In the end, it wasn’t just for the sake of creating the story, but as a character entwined with fate in a world set in the near future, I set him up as a character who represents a human-like reality.
Also, the fact that Char and Sayla are siblings is not a secret or anything, it’s just that I didn’t have time to introduce that fact as the story progressed. In the end, Sayla just doesn’t approve of her older brother’s way of life, and they simply live apart.
So, as for Char’s father…what month will this be released?
Q: At the end of August.
T: End of August… Then it’s still okay. Anyway, this is a story about avenging his father. In order to get closer to the Zabi family, he tried his best to make a name for himself as a soldier, and then he killed Garma first. He’s the kind of person who would kill Gihren, the commander in chief, and Degwin, who was now being worshiped as king, just because he felt like it. A very unpleasant person, no more, no less. (laughs)
Therefore, the Char that appears in the story is a man who has made up everything on the surface, but he also has a strong will in the sense that he is carrying out his solemn purpose with one goal in mind. After all, I don’t think he’s a bad person at all.
Q: Will the revenge be successful in the end?
T: I can’t say that. However, he was successful in killing Garma, but if there was no war, he would not have had the chance to do so, so is it a blessing or a misfortune… I think it’s unfortunate for Char. In short, one of the purposes of his revenge story is to explain that he is also just a pawn in the war.
Q: Char is demoted now, however
T: He will be back at the end of September. On that note, he is a man who is skilled at exploiting the inner workings of the Zabi family. However, his mission is in a remote part of the world and is basically a leisurely job.
Q: Gihren gave a speech in episode 12, and he insisted on justice.
T: It’s a very simple thing, and simply saying that you are doing something bad will never appeal to the general public. That’s why, on the contrary, Bright said later, “What is he saying? This is a man who is plotting a dictatorship.” If you look at it from the outside, it probably seems that way.
However, even in our history, if Hitler won for example, he would decide whether he was good or bad, since history is written by the victor. If Hitler were in power, then maybe Allies would be at fault after all.
Q: It feels like a movie has finally come out that has a historical perspective that transcends the idea of what’s bad or what’s good, but the fact that it’s an anime instead…
T: No, it’s just because I can’t do any other kind of work. However, it’s a bit questionable whether or not the Japanese film industry would be able to film on such a scale right now… In short, I wanted to try it myself.
Q: On a different note, when we spoke recently, you said that you had Fellini’s film I Vitelloni in mind…
T: Of course, that is still the case. The story is not a bird’s-eye view of the war, but how a boy named Amuro changes through battle, and the war in which the people around him are giving up their youth in order to fight. It’s a story centered on Amuro and feelings about the war from those around him.
For example, Ryu Jose will be dead by the time this magazine comes out. After all, when you look at things from the perspective of war, it is possible that something like that could happen. This is a coming-of-age story that revolves around things like this.
If it was just a story depicting the horrors of war without that aspect, I don’t think there would be any need for me to create it now. In order to make something worthwhile, I think it is necessary to create works that have consideration for the next era.
I guess the conversation is getting stiff. I have a hard time talking about Gundam.
Q: Now, changing the topic a little, it would be strange if Gundam was directly referencing science fiction movies for example, but is there something? Or even your favorite science fiction movie…
T: Well, I don’t really like science fiction, and I don’t really have any intention of making Gundam science fiction.
Having said that, it is also true that, for example, the design of the mobile suits was basically a compromise between the concept of the powered suit in Starship Troopers and robot anime. Also, although the world was not the same as that of Gundam, in films such as War of the Worlds, there was an awareness of the need to depict not only space invaders, but also the social strata of American society in that era.
Although Forbidden Planet seems to depict only one small world, it contains a very mundane idea, like a grudge, or something like that, of a single person. Something like, “my daughter is too cute”. So, I guess that’s what the human form is all about. In other words, even though it’s science fiction, it’s not just about mechanics, after all. It’s a story about not just a single person, but a single society.
Good science fiction always has something like that in the background.
However, when it comes to Gundam up until now, I can’t help but feel that there is a certain amount of detail that has already appeared. Therefore, I think I don’t have to rely on other examples when creating my work.
Q: It seems that the Minovsky particle concept has become a hot topic…
T: Regarding Minovsky particles, to put it simply, under conditions where radar is available, there is no way the enemy can be seen with the naked eye. However, on TV, you still need to be able to see your enemies and allies on the same screen.
So what should I do? I decided to create a situation in which radar could not be used, so I set up something called the Minovsky particle.
I heard that there are people who have researched this because they thought it might actually exist, but I would like them to stop doing this. It’s completely fabricated. However, in Gundam, it seems sort of plausible, so I guess it could be possible in the future.
Also, in the original setting, the mobile suit was created because something called the Minovsky particle was developed. What that means is that since radar is no longer usable, there will be a lot of close combat, but in such cases, those with mobility will definitely be stronger.
Q: You could say it’s the irony of history…
T: Maybe… For example, there is absolutely no way that the mobile suit Zaku could infiltrate Side 7 without the Minovsky particle setting. Also, even when a war breaks out within a colony, there are narrow limitations, so neither enemy nor ally can use large-scale weapons. Therefore, an agreement was made between the Federation and Zeon sides that prohibited the use of nuclear weapons and chemical weapons, such as poison gas. This was true in World War I and it was also true in World War II.
So, you could say that aspect is truly tracing history. However, to be honest, if you don’t plan out that much, it will just end up seeming unconvincing.
Q: Also, to bring up something strange, the name is very interesting.
T: I do it all to suit my tastes. However, one thing that wasn’t just to my taste was that under the circumstances of the Earth Federation government, I thought that there would have been a lot of mixed race people. That’s how I came up with this name.
Q: Lastly, I don’t want to sound rude, but I’m interested in how it will feel when the series ends, for some reason.
T: Well, as you can see from the progress of Gundam up until now, things start as usual and end as expected.
For example, as I said earlier, are Char and Sayla siblings or are they not? This has become a mystery to fans, but I have no intention of trying to solve that mystery, as there is no such thing, and it will end as expected. However, I am confident that this will never lead to disappointment. Even if it’s obvious.