The entire Mobile Suit Gundam series has gone through 35 years of history, and Yuki Tomino, the father of Gundam, has not released a new TV anime for 15 years. Therefore, "Gundam G: Restoration Movement", which was broadcast in October, has attracted countless viewers due to Director Tomino's reappearance, and it is also a new challenge for Director Tomino himself. He was not only responsible for the script of all the episodes, but also wrote the lyrics for the ending song, which was active in every sense. Recently, some Japanese media invited Ryusuke Hikawa, an animation tokusatsu researcher who is very familiar with the "Mobile Suit Gundam" series and Tomino's works, and animation critic Ryota Fujitsu, to have a special conversation about the charm of Gundam Tomino.

■ Ryusuke Hikawa

Born in 1958. His hometown is in Hyogo Prefecture.,It's an animation and tokusatsu researcher.。 Adjunct professor at Meiji University Graduate School. His main works include "Gundam from the Film".

■Ryota Fujitsu

Born in 1968. The hometown is in Shizuoka. Animation critic. His main works include "Animation Critics' Manifesto", "There is always an Animation 00s Animation Review in the Channel", etc.

■Mr. Tomino's heart is filled with too much to express

Q: "Gundam G: Restoration of Japan" has been airing since October. I would like to take this opportunity to ask two experts on director Tomino's work to talk about the charm of these works.

Glacier: Actually, I have a strong sense of what is happening in the present and in the past. In the second half of the 90s, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" set off an EVA craze, and at the same time, director Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement after "Princess Mononoke". Just when we sighed, "Is there anyone else who can give power?" At that time, the news that "director Tomino is going to produce a new TV anime ("Soul Power") again" has attracted the attention of the industry. I also took advantage of this opportunity to meet Mr. Tomino again after more than 10 years.

In retrospect, I guess Mr. Fujitsu and I met around that time. I remember that he was still in the editorial department of the magazine at the time, and he called me because of "Soul Power......

Fujizu: That's right, that's when we first met. "Princess Mononoke" is a work in '97, and "Soul Power" started broadcasting in the spring of '98.

Glacier: This time, the two of us also went to the premiere with great interest, but we always felt that some things were different from what we expected, and we were stunned. This happened before on the set of the preview screening of "Soul Power" (laughs).

Fujizu: But compared to "Soul Power", this time "G Restoration Movement" is much easier to understand.

Glacier: Basically, the setting is very relatable. However, there is still a different feeling, as if Mr. Tomino is emphasizing, "I made something different from you!" "Like. Anyway, there is a sense of immediacy in every sense.

Q: You two just looked back a little bit on the past, so could you please tell us about your first impression after watching "G Restoration Movement"?

Glacier: This time, I was in charge of writing the playbook for the theatrical screening, so I saw the storyboard and finished the previous video in advance. However, when I saw the finished version, I felt a sense of openness, and it seemed very lively. On the other hand, in which direction will the story go? I was also uneasy about that. When I briefly reviewed "Soul Power", I think it was different from the impression I had at the time.

Fujizu: After all, that work already has everything you need in the first episode.

Glacier: Yes. When I look back on "Soul Power", I think it's surprising that the work stuffed everything you needed in the first episode. And the first and second weeks also have completely different feelings. As for works such as "Inverted A Gundam" and "Homecoming Warrior", watching the first episode gives people the feeling that "the plot will develop at this pace in the future". There are no surprises. This time, the work feels very similar to "Soul Power", and it makes me feel that Mr. Tomino's heart is filled with too much that he wants to express.

Fujizu: Like Mr. Hikawa, I had to be interviewed in the brochure, so I watched the storyboard and talked to Director Tomino about something. However, when I saw the finished product later, I felt that it was completely different from what I had when I first saw the storyboard, "It's easy to understand." ”

But I remember that many people were stunned after watching the first episode of "Wings of Light". However, I still felt that it was easy to understand, so I probably didn't have to take my words too seriously (laughs).

Glacier: Ahahaha (laughs).

Fujitsu: As for Mr. Hikawa's "easy to understand", I think it is clear to the audience that "this place is meant to express this." Of course, we don't know if Director Tomino really thinks that, it's just our one-sided brain supplement. It's just that I don't think the storyboard and plot are very difficult to understand, so the audience won't feel pressured to watch it. Just review some details later. I think that's what "Wings of Light" and "G Restoration" have in common.

When I interviewed the director, I also had this thought: "Berulli is a very gentle person, and he does things a little bit unconventionally. That's why he became the main character. "Of course, maybe there are some entanglements hidden in him......

Glacier: This kind of protagonist is relatively rare in Tomino's works, or it is clearly different from a protagonist like Jiedu Asita. It belongs to the type of "the beginning of the world".

■If you want to get to know Mr. Tomino, let's go to a silent movie

Q: Is there anything worth paying attention to in this work?

Fujizu: After watching episodes 2 and 3, I think it's very similar to the style of the anime in the past. In the '70s and early '80s, we would sit in front of the picture tube on the TV and watch the work, and we wouldn't find the animation boring. This "G Restoration Movement" has such a feeling.

Glaciers: Probably earlier than the 70s. Mr. Tomino once quoted stories from the past in terms of 100 years, such as "Inverted A Gundam", and he incorporated the colors of "Gone with the Wind". As for the "Soul Power" period, "the plot that seems to fall from the bell tower" such as "The Last Safety" by Harold Lloyd was adopted. In the era of silent films, people could only attract guests through guò images, and many elements of fear of heights were used. And in this work, we also see those conventional bridges. When the viewer sees the difference between height and elevation, "I don't know what will happen if I fall", my eyes are stimulated by a prescient danger, and I am attracted to it.

Fujizu: That's right. There are a lot of "gaps" in "G Restoration Movement", and in order to avoid making the picture static when explaining, the producer also uses those 100-year-old action effects. In the ever-changing environment, the audience can become familiar with the plot little by little.

Glacier: Hmm. If you want to know more about Mr. Tomino, it would be more effective to study silent films that express information only in pictures.

■Toward a sustainable society

Q: This time, the story was full of energy from the beginning.

Fujizu: I often use "Mobile Suit Gundam Char's Counterattack" as a material for some lectures, and I explain it about 10 minutes after the lecture starts. The story begins in the midst of a strife, and there is a sense of discontinuity in the development process.

Mr. Tomino is the type who thinks that "nothing will go very smoothly from the beginning and everyone will understand it at a glance". It's better to say that he thinks that not being able to see through things is normal. So he chose to let the story start in the middle of the events. This time is the same.

Glacier: And at the front of the story, there will be the so-called big boss. The cosmic elevator falls and the steel cable is cut. People subconsciously think that this is a disaster, but the tragic impact of the event itself is beyond everyone's imagination. But at the same time, no matter how harsh the situation is, we wonder if the characters in the story will be able to survive with vitality......

Fujizu: That's right. I feel the same way. For example, director Tomino once said in an interview, "If there is a space elevator in a story, it will be very interesting." I was deeply impressed by this statement. In other words, with the earth in the background, an elevator "cage" called the "crown" moves towards this side of the picture...... There was no depiction like this in the previous "Gundam". This is also known as longitudinal movement. If it is on the ground, things tend to move horizontally in the middle of the picture, but the Space Elevator and Crown move in a vertical track. After seeing this scene, I thought it was really interesting. And this setting can also mention a good sense of rhythm in the performance effect, so it is often used in the first episode.

Hikawa: In other words, the space elevator gives the impression that it is moving towards the universe in a three-dimensional orbit. Above the view, we see that the rope of the cosmic elevator extends to a length that is indiscernible to the naked eye. To be able to achieve this effect, it is true that only Mr. Tomino, a cosmic fanatic. In fact, once you enter the vacuum universe, you will have a strong sense of distance, but most of the animation works do not portray it in this way, and it makes people feel that the sense of distance is not particularly obvious.

Q: Speaking of technology, in the world of the G-Restoration Movement, there is an energy source called "photonic cells" that provides all the power. This becomes a key point in the story. So what do you two think about this?

Glacier: Actually, in "Soul Power", there was a setting of "Fotonmat".

Fujitsu: Although it is also touched upon in "Soul Power," Mr. Tomino's vision for the future is that "in the future, people will form a sustainable society." Therefore, I am afraid that in the world of Gundam, the dangerous "nuclear fusion" technology should be abandoned. However, in fact, the mobile suits in the "Cosmic Century" are basically powered by nuclear fusion. However, "G Restoration" does not do this, and uses a green and sustainable energy source in the work. And this energy is controlled by the Squad Cult, which has mastered technology.

Why is this setting necessary? Two possibilities came to mind. The first is to create a "stable but stagnant society." Another is what Mr. Tomino calls "understanding", and he thinks that in the future, there will be a society in which rational things control technology. So which one is it? I consulted with him himself, and the answer was probably the latter. In other words, although this society has technology, it has chosen to "do nothing". Although this setting is not the theme of the work, children who watch the anime may think about the realization and possibility of such a society.