INTERVIEW WITH MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM SEED SERIES DIRECTOR
MITSUO FUKUDA

The teaser visual and the first and second PV have been released, but the story of SEED FREEDOM is still unknown. What kind of story lies in store in this completely new installment? We asked Director Fukuda.

A WORK THAT EVOKES WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED THUS FAR

―――The word “FREEDOM” is prominently used both in the title and as the tagline, “A decided destiny or freedom to resist?” It’s a term familiar to those familiar with the Gundam SEED series. Why incorporate it into this film’s title and theme?

Fukuda: Well, there are several reasons, but I personally dislike subtitles. I wanted a title that directly conveyed the essence of the work. Considering our main character is Kira and the recurring theme throughout, “FREEDOM” seemed the most fitting.

―――Was the title decided from the early stages of the project?

Fukuda: No, it took shape over the last year or so. While some might see the theme as simply “Freedom?”, I felt it meshed well with the content. “DESTINY” doesn’t strictly refer to the Gundam of that name. It hints at the “Destiny Plan” (Durandal’s genetic-based human governance policy), conjuring up images of a preordained fate. Just like with SEED, if we are looking at it from the same standpoint, then “FREEDOM” felt right.

―――At the 2021 Life-Size Freedom Gundam Statue Opening Ceremony, you mentioned revisiting the origins of Gundam SEED for this movie.

Fukuda: It’s challenging to pinpoint what exactly those origins are, but over the course of a year, I’ve been mulling over how to create a piece that resonates with what we achieved with SEED and DESTINY. In that sense, it’s a return to the roots in terms of evoking those elements.

WE MUSTN’T UNDERESTIMATE THE MAKING OF GUNDAM SEED

―――This film involves both the original staff from the TV series like Kunio Okawara, Satoshi Shigeta, and Hisashi Hirai, and staff members who grew up watching Gundam SEED. How is the dynamic with this mix of old and new talent?

Fukuda: There’s no doubt that the original staff members play a crucial role. Whether it’s Hirai, Shigeta, or Okawara, they have been struggling right along with us on this project for nearly two decades. They share a common understanding of the work’s historical context and nuances. It’s quite beneficial to have team members who grasp the essence without needing everything spelled out. Yet, from the new staff joining this film, I often hear phrases like, “SEED was like this, wasn’t it?”

―――Because of preconceptions born from love for the series?

Fukuda: Exactly. It’s that slight disconnect. I don’t want to stick to a fixed mold. We’ve always been about trying new challenges. I want to breathe the atmosphere of now into it, not simply recreate the past. There might be instances where we unintentionally mirror the old, but I don’t want to settle for that. I don’t want to see something like that. The moment someone says, “SEED was like this,” everyone tends to gravitate toward that idea because the line gets drawn. But we can’t surpass the past by merely emulating it. I don’t want to go there. I aim to innovate, to do something different from our past achievements. Pardon my bluntness, but if we start underestimating Gundam SEED, we’re done for. That’s the challenge. The veteran staff members don’t trivialize the SEED series, and they aren’t overwhelmed by it either. They’re cleverly exploring ways to create, and I hope they can effectively relay that to our newer staff members.

THE INTRICACIES OF REPRODUCING HAND-DRAWN ANIMATION WITH CG

―――The mecha battle scenes are a mix of hand-drawn and CG animation. In the September 2021 issue, you mentioned how vital Satoshi Shigeta was to achieving an authentic visual representation. What role did Shigeta play in this film?

Fukuda: Shigeta is always introspective about his role. While we’ve asked much of him beyond just animation this time, at his core, he’s an artist driven by the unique signature of his drawings. Naturally, he despises when given past SEED illustrations and asked to replicate “something like this.” Ideally, I’d love for him to diversify his roles within the animation sector. However, if recreating the worlds Shigeta has crafted through CG were easy, everyone would be doing it. It’s challenging, which is why Shigeta oversees it all. He’s currently swamped with work.

―――Specifically, what aspects is he checking over?

Fukuda: He’s overseeing all the modeling.

―――And the brief glimpses of CG GINN’s combat in the PV?

Fukuda: He’s been reviewing that. The question “What should we do?” often comes up. The CG team is striving to emulate Shigeta’s artwork, but the process is undeniably complex. Shigeta’s style is distinct, as is the nature of CG. While we aim for certain outcomes, each medium has its strengths. CG can represent 2D drawings, but it’s closer to capturing a real object on camera. Naturally, various adjustments are made there, but I think the desire is to replicate what the human eye sees, which is similar in animation. Our vision is somewhat imperfect. It has lenses, but the brain interprets it however it wants. Animation is more adaptable to human sensibilities, while CG, on the other hand, offers a perspective closer to live-action. Both have their advantages and pitfalls. Hopefully, our use of CG in this project provides a harmonious blend of the two. Given the dwindling number of mecha animators, a full shift to CG seems inevitable.

EXPLORING EVERY POSSIBILITY IMMERSED IN THE STORY

―――Can you tell us about the characters unveiled in this month’s issue? In the 2021 interview, you mentioned Shinn had a gripping drama. Who captures your attention now?

Fukuda: That statement was during Shin’s storyboard phase. When sketching Athrun, he becomes my focal point. It’s just how it goes. Rather than evenly distributing affection, as you immerse yourself in the story, you naturally develop affection for each character and consider various possibilities for them. You think about their background and how they’ve lived up until today. It’s quite labor-intensive. It’s not about the work involved but about taking time to reconcile within yourself. Even if storyboards and scripts are ready, as we move to the next step, we think about everything, and there’s quite a bit of refining and rebuilding based on the previous work. Whether it’s done well or not, you can really only tell from the final outcome. And yes, Shinn does look impressive. Given the tweaks I made to his scenario for this film, I believe audiences will resonate with him.

THE PLUS FACTOR OF TALENT FOR CREATING ENGAGING WORKS

―――You mentioned confronting your past techniques and sensibilities. What challenges do you face, and what new endeavors are you undertaking?

Fukuda: Reflecting on completed storyboards, I see shades of the edginess from my 30s. If I operated at that pace now, I’d undoubtedly burn out (laughs). While I’ve encountered diverse works, I sometimes wonder if I took the easy route – aligning too comfortably with industry norms. Recalling those challenging times, I marvel at our resilience. Yet, we were all in the same boat, pushing our limits until exhaustion (laughs).

―――Was it the tight schedules that made it tough?

Fukuda: I’ve always believed that the way of handling work like that isn’t good, but I realized that I was doing it myself. If I didn’t do it that way, I’d feel disrespectful to the people who watched it, so there was no choice. It’s not a good way to work, but it’s a kind of intensity. Everyone didn’t just create interesting works based solely on talent; the plus factor of talent played a huge role. Many sacrificed their health for their passion. It’s not necessarily a commendable approach, but it’s hard to wholly dismiss it, either. Achieving the same quality with more resources and time? That’s a different ballgame. So, that’s the challenging part. I don’t think we can do something like that now. Even if you have money and talent, I think there are things you still can’t do, like Future GPX Cyber Formula. How was it even possible? Even now, it’s so sharp. Looking at it, I feel like I’m seeing those storyboards from that era again in this film. But that doesn’t necessarily translate directly to the film. However, we’re definitely creating it with a sense of determination. Of course, it’s a job, but it’s not something you can do solely by treating it like one.

ART AND SOUND RACE AWAY AT AN INCREDIBLE SPEED

―――So, is the dubbing process underway?

Fukuda: We haven’t finished it all yet. The dubbing script, you see, it’s very thick. Just yesterday, I placed it next to a script for another film of the same length. It was twice as thick. It’s like a phone book, really (laughs). It’s just so packed with content. If you only look at the script, it seems to have twice the usual content. It could get exhausting (laughs). After one watch, you might not want to revisit it for a while. So, of course, you can’t grasp everything in just one go. I do think there’s an impactful essence to it in that regard. But I won’t know until it’s complete. The script I saw yesterday was quite a shock (laughs). Wait, I think there was a script like this in the past, which was in the OVA Cyber Formula. It, too, had about double the usual content. The sound team even told me, “It’s not just about the number of lines. There’s so much sound.” There’s an incredible amount of information packed in there. So, it demands quite a lot of stamina from the viewer. It’s not that every line is delivered carefully. Sometimes, two people speak at once, or there’s intense information compression. There are dramas where if you only listen to the actors’ voices, you’ll understand everything. But this film isn’t like that. It’s about what lies beneath the voice and what’s taken from the visuals. It’s not just the character’s expression in the art, but what did the composition intend to convey? The meticulously crafted visuals and sound race by at a tremendous speed. Watching it, I felt like it would be quite the chase for the audience (laughs). This style was something I used to do. That kind of energy was abundant in my 30s, right after I became the director of Cyber Formula. It feels like a return to an older sensibility, even older than SEED, which was from my 40s. The number of cuts in Cyber Formula is likely unmatched. A single OVA had nearly 600 cuts. Normally, that would be enough for two episodes. Naturally, both checking and drawing were pure torture (laughs). But I think the energy to challenge and break through such unreasonable things will come through on the screen. Even if the visuals aren’t perfect, the energy remains and can be felt today. Not just in visuals but in music, too. The audience can keenly sense what’s behind a work. We have to enjoy it, not cut corners. Otherwise, they won’t be moved, nor will they want to watch it repeatedly. The world isn’t so generous as to spend money on half-baked productions. That’s what I believe. We’re doing our utmost, pushing our limits. Well, that’s the intention, at least. But I think imposing that on others is rather demanding.

―――How do you feel seeing the cast perform?

Fukuda: I approach it as if I’m listening to my younger self from 20 years ago. It’s not just a simple matter of voice quality when I say the characters feel different. That’s true for Kira as well, and I’ve always said Athrun felt too mature, but now he seems age-appropriate (laughs). Everyone, they’re consistent. I feel like Suzumura has expanded his range now, and both Ishida and Kuwashima were as impressive as ever.

THE PROTAGONIST OF THE STORY IS THE ONE WHO MAKES CHOICES

―――Before SEED FREEDOM, the Special Edition HD Remasters will be continuously screened. Can you highlight the differences between the TV series and the Special Edition, and perhaps the merits of the HD Remaster?

Fukuda: When asked why the SEED Special Edition was made into a trilogy, it’s because the Mobile Suit Gundam movies were a three-part compilation of the TV series. Admittedly, the editing feels a bit forced, but I believe we captured its essence. However, squeezing 50 TV episodes into three 90-minute parts does have its downsides. The DESTINY Special Edition, though, is top-notch. It’s properly organized by cour, ensuring all the essential elements are present. The previous Special Editions didn’t incorporate the remastered visual corrections. This time, that’s been rectified, making the remastered version a major selling point. Plus, watching it on a theater screen in crisp quality is a treat, though it might be a bit exhausting! (laughs).

―――Indeed, revisiting the DESTINY Special Edition…

Fukuda: It’s quite the experience, right? I always think that we need to have mechanisms to immerse the viewers in the universe of the show. The characters feel relatable, which makes it easier to get into. I personally dislike cool, unnatural dialogues. I’m not a fan of characters who utter lines they wouldn’t say in real life. I strive to avoid that. Speaking of which, there’s something interesting about Athrun in the film version. I won’t spoil what, though. (laughs)

―――That piques my curiosity! (laughs) By the way, the DESTINY Special Edition had Athrun (voiced by Akira Ishida) as the narrator.

Fukuda: Yes. DESTINY often sparked discussions about its main character. We decided on Athrun because of that, but upon reflection, it doesn’t matter who the lead is. If you push me for an answer, it’s undoubtedly the Gundam. It’s a tough call. In DESTINY, Cagalli felt most like the protagonist. The true lead character is the one who makes choices. A character who doesn’t decide, no matter how much screen time they get, isn’t the lead. In SEED, Kira made choices, so he’s undeniably the protagonist. Athrun made decisions, too, so I see him as a lead. In DESTINY, Kira lacked that decision-making, so I don’t view him as the protagonist. Athrun often felt like he was drifting, easily deceived by the Chairman, wandering from place to place. Shinn didn’t make choices, either. I think it’s interesting to view the story from this perspective. If you ask me which I prefer between SEED and DESTINY, without a doubt, it’s DESTINY. SEED is well-rounded but almost feels too neatly tied up.

LOOKING FORWARD TO A REUNION AFTER 20 YEARS

―――Lastly, any message for the fans eagerly awaiting the release?

Fukuda: Well, all I can really say is, please watch it in the theater. I don’t think prior knowledge is necessary. A reunion after 20 years should definitely be experienced in a theater. Watch the movie first, then have a good discussion about it with everyone afterwards. I do think that you might not fully grasp everything after just one viewing. Even as I was making it, I felt like it was becoming quite convoluted. So all I can say is, delve into more information about it after you’ve seen it.