Continuing on with my quest to bring accurate information regarding all things Gundam, here is the second of a two-part interview summary/translation regarding the Cucuruz Doan’s Island movie from the latest issue of Great Mechanics G!

It can be said that Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan’s Island suddenly appeared in the flow of new Gundam series set in the Universal Century, starting from Mobile Suit Gundam UC and continuing to Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway’s Flash. Cucuruz Doan’s Island is a remake of episode fifteen of the Mobile Suit Gundam television series, which is a legendary work in many ways. So, why “Doan” now? The film’s director, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, was asked.

Interviewer: Hiroyuki Kawai

INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR 
YOSHIKAZU YASUHIKO

Gundam was produced when the Vietnam War had just ended, so topics such as deserters were something realistic. Episodes like “Time, Be Still” and “The Battlefield is a Wasteland” (aka Winds of War) depicted ordinary people during the war, one of Gundam’s war story elements. Yas has often said that the story of Doan wasn’t necessarily a bad one. It’s a story that makes you think a lot. He says that Sunrise didn’t tell him to make the film. Instead, he’s the one that told them he wanted to make it. He says he also came across Junju Ohno’s version, but since the story was entirely different, he wanted to do a remake of the original (TV series) story. He talked to both the former and current president of Sunrise, and they both gave him their blessings. Yas goes on to discuss some of the sticking points of the movie.

You have a deserter who is getting out of combat and protecting the weak, but he doesn’t give up his weapon because he’s protecting those that are weak. This is where the situation ultimately goes awry. They think that because they have weapons, they’ll be pursued. On the one hand, this is true, but on the other, it’s not quite that simple. A thesis that cannot be answered, if you would.

Yas goes on to say that he proposed making an animated film mainly because the manga had already wrapped up. He says that he often says that THE ORIGIN isn’t a remake, yet Doan clearly is. He says that if people find it strange that it’s a remake, they can do nothing about that. He’s hoping that people who don’t know anything about it will be interested in it. The teaser image emphasizes the Gundam over Doan and the Zaku, making it easy for those who don’t know much about it to understand what it’s about.

Once again, the mecha design is being handled by Katoki, and it has been the case since the OVA version, CG is being used. The interviewer says that he feels older fans might have expected to see a hand-drawn Doan Zaku by Yas. Yas says that the first thing the production director told him at the start of the Origin is that they’d be using CG, the main reason that hand-drawing was more expensive. Laughing, Yas says that when you’re his age, you have this impression that CG is more expensive, but times and environments have changed, so the reverse is now true.

While he’s confident that he can check the hand-drawn work, give feedback, make redraws and whatnot when it comes to CG, he has no clue how to tackle it, so he hasn’t done much with that aspect. He just asks that you see the finished product and hope it turns out for the better. Yas also says that a lot of the staff was very particular about the look of the Zaku, emphasizing how there are fans that are quite fond of the old depiction of it. Chief Animation Director Atsushi Tamura even went so far to say that it HAS to throw rocks.

At the time of the TV broadcast, Doan’s Island was probably in the Goto Islands, but the setting was changed in the movie version. Yas says that, “Since it’s not labeled THE ORIGIN, there is no need to associate it with it, but as the setting was diverted/re-used/recycled, I thought about where to include it in THE ORIGIN. In THE ORIGIN, the decisive battle is at Jaburo, and the final retreat is at Odessa after losing the battle and losing power there, which is reversed from the TV series. So, Doan’s island is located between Jaburo and Odessa, so if you look at a map, you can already narrow down where it is.” He then jokes that if there are people who want to go to the island after seeing the film, then it’s a success!

He’s asked that in terms of location of the island, is there any connection to the ORIGIN in terms of a worldview that is neither too close to nor too distant, he says that you “try to” connect it to the ORIGIN, you “could” but he doesn’t dare say that as he wants people to enjoy the film (those who like Gundam but are unfamiliar with the Origin).

There are various groups of children living on Doan’s Island, something like 20 of them, with the oldest being 15 and the rest being between kindergarten and elementary school age. Yas says that Japanese films don’t portray child actors all that well, so that was something he paid a lot of attention to. He wanted to depict their life on the island in a way that was as realistic as possible. He believes the scriptwriters were careful in their portrayal as well.

グレートメカニックＧムック

GREAT MECHANICS G

PUBLICATION INFORMATION

Publisher: Futabasha
Released: 2022.03.17
Price: 1650 yen
Size: —

Contained in the first issue of 2022 is an interview with Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Naohiro Ogata regarding the Cucuruz Doan’s Island movie, an interview about the monitor graphics used in Hathaway’s Flash, and a special feature on the RX-93 Nu Gundam.

Continuing on with my quest to bring accurate information regarding all things Gundam, here is the first of a two-part interview summary/translation regarding the Cucuruz Doan’s Island movie from the latest issue of Great Mechanics G! Up next will be the interview with Yas, so stay tuned!

An adaptation of Cucuruz Doan’s Island surprised everyone. A project that normally would’ve seemed impossible to realize, but when the thematic elements from the original episode along with Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s characteristics as a writer were combined, a new One Year War film was born. What were the thoughts behind this project?

Interviewer: Hiroyuki Kawai

INTERVIEW WITH SUNRISE PRODUCER 
NAOHIRO OGATA

For starters, I was quite surprised by the making of an independent film with Cucuruz Doan’s Island. How did you react to this?

Ogata says that if he’s being honest, he was “taken aback.” “Are we really going to do Doan?” he asked. There are varying reasons for how it all came about, but basically, Yasuhiko has been working on Gundam the Origin for quite a long time and had a strong desire to finally make a movie with the Gundam. But, he was also quite surprised by his proposal to turn Cucuruz Doan’s Island into a film. Laughing, he says that five years ago, he didn’t think anyone would have believed that Hathaway’s Flash and Cucuruz Doan’s Island would become movies.

I suppose you’re right (laughs). I was wondering whether it was intended to bolster the series based on the so-called One Year War.

Ogata says that for the overall strategy of the Gundam series, this year, they have Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury as the title to expand the base to the younger generation. Plus, there are titles for those who have supported the Gundam series, whose goals are to broaden the base of the series, such as Iron-Blooded Orphans and the Gundam SEED movie that’s currently in production. The same can be said for Hathaway’s Flash and Gundam UC. Both are closely connected with each other in supporting the series, but this time Cucuruz Doan’s Island is a work that is positioned to delve deeper into the latter (he’s referring to the theme of the movie).

For fans, I think that part of them is honestly wondering, “That Cucuruz Doan?”

Ogata says that’s because there are many meanings to Cucuruz Doan, after all. He doesn’t think that those who made the original episode, along with the staff, including Director Tomino, were satisfied with it. We only know what went on during production at the time through hearsay, so we don’t know exactly what happened. Even as a filmmaker, there is this sense that it’s not something that can proudly be shown off to the world. Even for Director Tomino, that episode was locked away for a time, or so he says. He could sense that he wanted to keep it tucked away from people. But, recently, he had the nuance that maybe it was possible to preserve it in the world in terms of its historical (documentary-like) value and the fact that it was created.

Maybe that’s because Yasuhiko looked at it up close and felt deeply embarrassed by it?

Ogata says that is due to him being part of the main staff. He feels it means a lot for him to have said that he wanted to make Cucuruz Doan. If you think about it, the themes of Cucuruz Doan’s Island are certainly very suited to Yasuhiko: the underlying elements that he focused on, like “anti-war” and “smaller battles,” are crucial.

THE NUANCE OF THE ONE YEAR WAR IN YASUHIKO’S WORLD

What also surprised me was that “THE ORIGIN” wasn’t attached to the title.

Ogata: I know, right? That was my initial thought as well. My understanding was that the project’s direction was to do what we couldn’t accomplish with “THE ORIGIN.” However, when deciding on the title (at that stage), Yasuhiko says, “This time, it will not be ‘THE ORIGIN’.”

In terms of story development, it’s along the axis of THE ORIGIN, right?

Ogata: Yasuhiko’s sense of the timeline (lit. time basis, time axis) and location of Gundam differ from the setting of Gundam as depicted in THE ORIGIN. The timeframe of Jaburo and the location of the island of Cucuruz Doan in this work are based on the axis of THE ORIGIN, but Yasuhiko has emphasized that this work is a film adaptation based on episode fifteen of Mobile Suit Gundam.

Oh, I see. So rather than THE ORIGIN, this is a remake of episode fifteen of the series?

Ogata: That would be correct. Yasuhiko insists to the end that it is still “Mobile Suit Gundam.” The film is being finished now, and I think it will change the perception. You might feel betrayed but in a good sense. “What would happen if we made a 100-minute film of a single episode from the TV series?” Gundam series up to now have been targeted towards middle and high schoolers and youth in their formative (sensitive) years. But, Cucuruz Doan’s Island is very much from a child’s perspective. If we look back on past Gundam series films, I don’t think there has been a single film that you could say from the getgo “it’s recommended to watch as a family.” It has a sort of anti-war movie touch to it, like the ones we used to watch at school during summer break when we were little. There are also elements of juvenile elements for kids, so I think it can be enjoyed by families and even enjoyed as a film that brings back times of being a boy. I’m sure this is a movie that dads can use as an excuse for spending time with family and taking everyone to see it.

That certainly changes the impression to an extent, then, doesn’t it?

Ogata: It results in a “what have you done?” but I think that maybe that’s the potential the episode had from the very beginning, something I feel the work may not have satisfied at the time. I think Gundam was revolutionary in robot animation at the time, in so much that it was possible to include an episode like Cucuruz Doan’s Island. I felt that breadth again with this film adaptation. I had first wondered if we could really expand on that story, but my worries turned out to be unfounded. Plus, what I personally feel is significant about this was that there hasn’t been a work that properly depicts the RX-78-2 Gundam since the original work.

That makes sense. Sure, there have been games and special footage, but nothing in the main series.

Ogata: I think we depicted the RX-78 standing up in the special video for THE ORIGIN, but I don’t think there was any other footage of the RX-78 in action. This is the first time Sunrise has done this since the film trilogy, isn’t it? I’m from the Gunpla generation, so the impact of the RX-78 in action in 2022 is quite significant.

I’m aware that you explored various other media for expressing this, but what made you choose a film?

Ogata: We wanted to make a film from the very beginning, and we couldn’t imagine an OVA-like series, so we had no other alternative than to make it a single movie.

IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT VARIOUS EPISODES COULD BE MADE INTO A MOVIE?

You have continued using CG since THE ORIGIN in terms of the mecha. I know there’s been requests for hand-drawn mecha using Yasuhiko’s drawings, but…

Ogata says that they asked Yamato Works to handle the CG this time, and Shuhei Morita (of the same company) considered utilizing 2D-like rendering in 3D and believes they have achieved a new expression of Gundam mobile suits through Cucuruz Doan’s Island. He goes on to say that he too enjoys hand-drawn mecha, but the aging of mecha animators has become a huge issue. He believes that Sunrise is one of the only companies that have some resources left, but 3D rendering will become a critical element in supporting hand-drawn animation in the future. Mobile suit battle is a hybrid of primarily 3D with the addition of hand-drawn mobile suits. Even in a trial sense, the movie will expand the possibilities of mobile suit battles.

The interviewer says they’re surprised that they dared to incorporate elements from the original episode designs, designing the Zaku as something exclusive to Doan. Laughing, Ogata says that Katoki also had strong sentiments towards this. He agreed with him on it, though. When asked about what sort of discussions they had, Ogata mentions that they talked about which aspects of the old episode they’d bring back when re-imagining it. Each one of the staff had their own style, and they all clashed with one another, yet managed to balance out to create the film. He says that Yas was rather unenthusiastic about that aspect of the film and seemed that it was unnecessary to go to those lengths for the film.

In the future, I’d like to see the possibility of adapting an episode into a film like Cucuruz Doan.

Ogata: The third Gunpla I bought was an Adzam, so I’d love to do the The Red-Hot Adzam Leader (The English title was Zeon’s Secret Mine).

I wouldn’t mind seeing that either (laughs).

Ogata: By turning an episode into a movie like this, it’s my hope that in the future, various other directors will say, “I want to do that episode!” That could be better than simply remaking Mobile Suit Gundam, not just with Cucuruz Doan’s Island, but also episodes that didn’t make the cut in the movie trilogy, such as “Time, Be Still,” or even the main story would be just fine. What I’ve learned with this movie is that it has an intensity that is completely applicable today, one where you can once again feel the marvel of those who created the original and rediscover the splendor of the original series.

I feel that many fans are disappointed that the OVA series of THE ORIGIN is over and expanding on the One Year War, or First Gundam, won’t be happening. I only hope that the One Year War will be fully recreated through film adaptations much like this.

Ogata: I think you’re right. As I had mentioned earlier, I myself have a special place in my heart for the RX-78, and “I want to watch this all the time.” I feel that the success of this movie is the first step in realizing an adaptation of each episode. I hope everyone will go see it in theaters and say, “I want to see this episode next!” No one believes me when I say that this is a family movie like none other in the history of the Gundam series. Please, bring your entire family to see it! I think I’ll probably be chanting that until summer (laughs).

グレートメカニックＧムック

GREAT MECHANICS G

PUBLICATION INFORMATION

Publisher: Futabasha
Released: 2022.03.17
Price: 1650 yen
Size: —

Contained in the first issue of 2022 is an interview with Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Naohiro Ogata regarding the Cucuruz Doan’s Island movie, an interview about the monitor graphics used in Hathaway’s Flash, and a special feature on the RX-93 Nu Gundam.

MOBILE SUIT MOON GUNDAM: FIRST ANIMATED ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

In this month’s Gundam Ace (April 2022 issue), Harutoshi Fukui (author), Takayuki Kosai (manga artist), and Ippei Gyobu (mecha design) all sat down to discuss the anime portions of Moon Gundam that appear in the smartphone game U.C. Engage, where the story is going, and a little behind the scenes discussion.

Opening up the commentary about the animated version, Fukui comments on how Gundam works today utilize various visual mediums. As Hathaway was tackled using the methodology and pacing of a live-action film, Moon Gundam needed to strike a balance and pacing, something akin to a 5:30 Saturday timeslot. The goal was to give the impression that Gundam, which looks like a Gundam (show), has finally come along after so long. Tomoyasu Kudo did the design and main animation.

Kosai admits that it’s bewildering to see his artwork in motion, amazed that what he created could be elevated to the stage of being animated. It’s beyond his wildest imagination. However, since they received compliments from the character design stage, Fukui says that he felt that it could be handled. Gyobu interjects that he feels nervous whenever he’s working on animation (something unique to him), but he was actually worried since the story was set in the Universal Century. He says that his unique drawing style and lines lend themself well to animation when he designs mobile suits, so there was a sense of familiarity this time around. He says that as Moon Gundam is a story that bridges other existing works, he feels it is difficult to fit the characterization into the story at the right times. Still, the work created by Studio 1 works perfectly, even giving unique characteristics to the behavior of the psycho plates.

When asked about the intention of the psycho-plates, Fukui talks about the primitive feeling that they envoke. When they launch into the colony, they don’t come in an orderly fashion but rather in a flurry of movement. He says that each psycho plate moves as though it’s a living thing, like a spirit protecting the Moon Gundam’s body. He says that the plates are fundamentally different from fin funnels and are technically at a technological stage before they can be cast into a frame. The fact that they can move independently is a matter of chance, sort of like an ooparts (out-of-place artifact). As we see it now, Moon Gundam showcases how later tech would go on to succeed, only in a much primitive fashion.

Kosai says that while he never mentioned it before, that’s how he was drawing the psycho-plates in the manga and is glad to see they were on the same page in that regard.

When asked about other memorable scenes, Fukui laments that introducing Amuro allowed him to join the ranks of other Universal Century works. However, he felt that he was witnessing something valuable as Amuro was being recorded for the first time prior to Char’s Counterattack. Gyobu comments that he paid attention to the Rick Dijeh and Jeddah in action (for Amuro). He said that they’re not 100% his design since they’re modified versions of existing models, so he wondered what would happen when he first drew them.

Fukui comments on how the GM III doesn’t change in any way, but when he went on to create a new model, it then became a new world. He was surprised to see how well everything blended once it was in motion. Gyobu again laughs about how he’s always nervous but says that it’s difficult to say this now, but he was taking it easy and just designing for fun at the beginning of Moon Gundam. He was okay with handling U.C. mobile suits, but then the project gradually became bigger and bigger, and he started to think, “Oh, crap…”

Fukui laughs at this before Gyobu says that he’s glad that they didn’t make it too small at the time, to which Fukui says that if they’d worked hard from the beginning, that line might not have come out. When Kosai is asked, they say that they’ll have to discuss characters if everyone else is talking about mecha. Kosai didn’t draw the characters in the way that Yasuhiko and Kitazume did for their past works, but when it came time to adapt them to film, they were “Gundam-like.” Kosai says that from the planning stages, they didn’t have to imitate Yasuhiko, though they were surprised to see how well they fit in, even though they did whatever they wanted.

Kosai and Gyobu are working together on the mecha designs for the series, so that lends itself to a bit more “purity” with things (whereas most have 5-6 designers involved). They’re flattered that others have started to pick up on their suits, using them in games and whatnot. Kosai was utterly floored and couldn’t stop grinning when they saw their work adapted to film.

When talking about the characters’ “voices,” Fukui says that he didn’t have a clear idea of who’d voice them when he started writing, but for Safira and others, he’d done so as if guessing. Jutta’s voice actor in the game is apparently a newcomer. When asked about Amuro, they mention the power of Furuya, being able to channel that 29-year old version of Amuro (as opposed to the boy from First Gundam and his appearance in Zeta).

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS OF MOON GUNDAM

Fukui mentions that part one is the Moon Moon arc, part two is the VS Amuro arc, and part three is the descent to Earth arc, which is currently being serialized as “who is the insider?” Next up will be the fourth arc, or “VS Char.” Argos will take Mineva down to a predetermined point where Char waits for her. Jutta and the others have a lot going on, but they head to confront Char. Jutta is compared to being the child who says “the Emperor has no clothes” to Char. Char indicates that he will take his father’s name, lead Zeon, and crush the Earth, but is he really ready for all of that? Is his heart in the right place? Fukui honestly doesn’t think he’s prepared as an individual, and Jutta sees right through him and calls him out on being motivated by the escape to “settle the score with Amuro.” Fukui says that when a child does something like that, an adult of Char’s type thinks about how to bring them over to their side.

Fukui says that Char isn’t angry at Jutta about that, that it’s actually uncool to get angry (before laughing). So, that’s why he poses the question of how to bring a kid who is confronting you over to your side. By doing so, he believes he can make up for parts of himself that he’s not prepared for or lacks. So far, as we’ve seen, there are only imitations like Argos and Gyunei (Note: he means Cyber-Newtype), so natural ones (true Newtype) are around. So, we’ll now have to see how Jutta reacts to this.

The complicated portion of part four is that the situation back on Moon Moon is evolving simultaneously. What was hinted at by Raymel and others is that something is going on, so that will finally be revealed, and the situation will turn upside down. There will be a significant incident in which Luce and the underground resistance will swap positions, so yesterday’s enemy will become today’s ally. Jutta will learn of this right from Char’s mouth, which will allow him to pose the question of “do you want to come?”

When talking about Jutta and Mineva, Jutta sensed that Mineva had no idea what Zeon was up to, which made him angry that she’d try taking responsibility for something she was entirely unaware of. He’s angry that she’s accepting responsibility because of her title of Princess. So, Mineva closed herself off from Jutta, though their paths crossed again, and they more or less made up as they entered the atmosphere.

Since this will be somewhat unknown territory to most readers, the trie goes on to talk about the appearance of the Aggjin, a suit that was shown in the old M.S. Encyclopedia but took forever to appear in the manga. It’s a suit that Argos wields with deadly precision. It’s sort of cute but ugly at the same time. Kosai laughs that the suit is easy to draw, which baffles Fukui. He says that’s why the battle depictions and whatnot are getting flashier and flashier. He says that it’s been fun depicting an underwater suit in outer space!

The cover of volume 9 (which you can see here) reminds Fukui of a stuffed bear covered in blood, basically what’s inside Argos. Of course, you don’t expect someone pure and innocent like him to have such darkness within him. All the pieces fit together horribly to create this suit, mainly because it’s something that’s so far removed from being humanoid. Gyobu comments that even in horror films, all the characters that become famous have comical appearances (like Freddy and Chucky). He says their outspoken characterization and egregious portrayal go hand in hand, making them stand out.

When asked if any other mobile suits should be noted, Fukui mentions the Sazabi, which appeared in volume seven. He says that some readers may have noticed, but the cockpit is in the stomach. Chronologically, it follows “Hi-Streamer,” but since they’re aware of the depiction, what’ll happen when the Sazabi comes out? He says that when it appeared, it was when all the armor was removed but feels that everyone can look forward to how much impressions will change once it’s all attached. Gyobu states that there is a reason for shifting this. If I’m parsing this portion correctly, he says that he had to be conscious of the time (as in point in the timeline), so when it appears you ask “what’s going on with the head, then?”

Wrapping up the interview, Fukui says that Moon Gundam is like an experiment to see what would happen if Studio Ghibli created a Gundam, an attempt to look at Gundam from an idyllic/arcadian narrative. If you don’t consciously keep this perspective, you can quickly be swept away. In that sense, Gundam is a world of impermanence. A story about people who have briefly exchanged “emotions” with that world. It is the same every time. Looking at it from a macroscopic point of view, the fact that individuals have exchanged sentiments has no impact on the world; a world with a view of life as something transient and empty (impermanence) has been going on forever. Gundam U.C. depicts the moment when the power of “emotion” gradually changed the world, but in the end, it was swallowed up and vanished, and the uncertainty of the world didn’t change. But, the heat and warmth of that moment, of that brilliance, is definitely there.

Fukui feels that the original Gundam series was a world where a burgeoning population was sent out into space when it was thought that peace and prosperity would continue in the 80s and that the same day would repeat itself tomorrow and the day after, and so on and so forth. In reality, though, the world has become a place where the population is decreasing and may even be on a path towards extinction. In that sense, some may consider Gundam “outdated” in terms of content as a series, but unlike the first series, sharing emotions in a world of uncertainty is undoubtedly universal.

Gyobu says that he believes Moon Gundam is a good starting point for new fans to begin Gundam as a way to step away from the “must-know” Gundam of the past. Readers can enjoy Jutta’s adventures and the drama without thinking much about it. Kosai concurs that the Gundam is outside of the normal manga market, which is why they’re always considering how to make it readable as a normal manga, hoping that more and more will choose to do so.

Fukui ends the interview by saying that it doesn’t fit into the so-called “genre manga” framework and that there’s a lot of effort put into it, all things considered. He hopes that the animated bits will open the door to a broader audience.

ガンダムエース 2022年4月号 No.236雑誌

GUNDAM ACE APRIL 2022 No.236

PUBLICATION INFORMATION

Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten
Released: 2022.02.26
Price: 750 yen
Size: —

A Gundam magazine with comics, novels, Gunpla, interviews, and series information (and more!) published monthly from Kadokawa. Current manga include Gundam SEED ECLIPSE, Moon Gundam, Gundam NT, War in the Pocket, Battle Operation Code Fairy, Gundam N-EXTREME, F90 Fastest Formula, F91 Prequel, etc.

Yazuhiko Yoshikazu Interview
Summarized from March 2022 issue of Gundam Ace

As many people know, Yaz drew the covers for Gundam Ace during the serialization of the Origin. There were more than 100 issues with his artwork. He drew then in a single day. He says he can’t do that anymore because he doesn’t have the strength and needs two days to finish it. Laughing, he says it’s more like a week now.

He says that any more time than a day on the artwork would’ve been disastrous since there were other commissioned works to do (posters, etc.). When asked if there were any particularly difficult pieces, he said that naturally there were, but the Black Tri-Stars kinda pissed him off a bit. Plus, having the colors vary to avoid similar shapes was an issue.

Given the fact that his artwork isn’t digital, he says he envies those artists since they can start over. He draws once, and he’s done. He says he didn’t have to redraw anything for the Origin, but there were some other things where he couldn’t cover up some errors.

He gives an example that if the base coat is uneven, the drawing won’t look good, but sometimes he’d get interrupted so the paint would dry in the middle of his work, so it’d be uneven. He said he’d even try to cheat sometimes but wasn’t satisfied when it came out different than what he anticipated. He cites the April 2006 issue of Ace as being a particularly troublesome one (Note: Gihren on the cover giving his speech).

The cover of the Origin’s mechanical works book took him three days to draw. He wasn’t happy with it. The Gundam Ace editorial department wanted Char’s Zaku on either side and the Black Tri-Stars.

Yaz doesn’t use black when it comes to his works. It’s his unique way of coloring backgrounds, so no two blacks are ever the same. The interviewer says Yaz doesn’t own any black paint. Because he doesn’t use it, it takes a while to create a single background. He remembers back to his childhood days watercolor when he was told to get rid of black and white.

While black is convenient, Yaz says that it doesn’t give you that sort of “mysterious black” or the ability to blur things (he cites the August 2011 issue of Ace with Amuro on the cover in space). He took a lot to heart from the principal of his school (plus, he apparently grew up in a poor village).

CHAR & SAYLA’S PAST

Yaz notes that it wasn’t in his original plan for the series, and he felt like he couldn’t move on with things until he depicted their background. So he approached Sunrise, and they gave him some ideas, and he also asked them for feedback. He goes on to point out that he wants people to know that Origin wasn’t a work that he started because he wanted to draw it. Sunrise asked him to, so it started as their project. He did a lot of “prescreening” and never made decisions on his own.

CUCURUZ DOAN’S ISLAND

Yaz wasn’t involved in the episode that aired at the time. He says that some of the episodes were outsourced, including animation direction, but the only one he really remembers is episode fifteen. It seems the entire episode (scenario included) was outsourced.

It wasn’t included in the Origin manga because the goal was to make the story as slim as possible, so everything that was extraneous was removed. Still, Yaz didn’t think it was a lousy story and felt the setting was quite fascinating. He says it reminds him of Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. While the scale of the story is different, they’re structurally similar.

FIRST GUNDAM’S EPISODES ARE 22 MINUTES. TO MAKE A MOVIE, A LOT WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE?

Joking aside, Yaz says there is so much information in the episode itself that it could easily surpass a two-hour movie. After seeing the first draft of the scenario, he says that he wondered how he’d compress it all together.

MECHANICAL DESIGNS

Katoki proposed a variation of the Zaku that Doan uses, and Yaz says it’s very good. He says he can’t go into details just yet, but it’s quite unique. He says that he hears there are a lot of fans of Doan’s Zaku. Laughing, he says that the animation director told him that he has to have it throw rocks. He says that there is such an abundance of love from the fans they had to get creative with the action.

CASTING

“It will also be interesting to see how the cast fills out for Doan, as this information has yet to be announced.”

That announcement is probably still a little ways off. In terms of the cast, while the White Base crew will be featured, everyone was revamped for The Origin except for Amuro and Kai. This was done in anticipation of the main story of the One Year War arc, but that adaptation is no longer happening. For this reason, there were hardly any lines, despite this bold decision that was made. I always regretted this, but I’m glad that Doan came about, so it didn’t end up going to waste. I think there is a refreshing mix of the new and the old, with Furuya playing the leading role.

EARLY SUMMER RELEASE

Yaz is hoping to have it out before summer vacations start.

There have been many wild claims about Gundam Sentinel and rights issues and whatever else over the years, but a majority of it is, quite frankly, fabricated bullshit. Wikipedia (and then the Gundam Wiki) have parroted misinformation for decades about the project. Plus, there was that lovely Reddit thread that was translated from a Chinese blog that made matters worse since the entire thing was fabricated. So, I broke down the creation process and what was going on behind-the-scenes and also translated an article ironing out the rights issue that everyone seems to be an armchair expert on.

http://www.zeonic-republic.net/?page_id=9089

Enjoy!