Tomino x Fukui interview Zeta ANT Gundam Ace

Tomino x Fukui interview
The current issue of Gundam Ace contained a 9-page long interview with Yoshiyuki Tomino by writer Harutoshi Fukui as part of the Zeta Gundam Movie announcement. However, only 2 pages involved Gundam directly. The rest was centered around current world politics (Iraq War, nationalism, and 9/11). Below is the portion of the interview which did relate to Gundam. Some spoilers for the Zeta TV series are present.

The link between the Zeta Gundam movie version and the current world.

Fukui: Changing our topic to the movie version of Zeta. Did any of these (current world) issues we touched on serve as a hint for this Zeta?

Tomino: Yes. It relates to what I was thinking after they offered for me to do a movie version of Zeta.

During the TV version, I was reluctant since I felt like "I have to do another Gundam." I wanted to make 2-3 more hits after Mobile Suit Gundam, but wasn't able to because of a lack of strength. I was disappointed to feel "Is this all I have?" and also because of problems within the production environment, a relationship difficulty with Nippon Sunrise (now Sunrise). TV anime business people can only think about making shows that make money. It's not a bad thing, but I was shameful about settling into that. In that shamefulness, I decided to do what I wanted to do with Zeta by using the "Gundam" name. In other words, implementing a message, "You become dumber by watching anime all the time", into your series. It's dangerous to apply things from anime into the real world. So to slip that message in, you have to do it through the main character and maybe people will understand. The end result was that Kamille goes crazy.

Encouraging the TV anime generation to part with TV anime, in other words creating an antithesis against TV anime within a TV anime, that's what I did. The memory of just creating Zeta one way or another left a bad impression on me. However, 20 years later, I now like TV anime because of Zeta. To me, that's my stupid side coming out.

Kamille became crazy because I wanted to leave a message, but some people thought "TV anime is a medium in which you can do these kind of things." They're right about it, too. There are lots of works of art where the main character goes crazy in the story.

F: I agree.

T: Nothing you can do about it when they say that. I understand that's how a work (series) is seen. 6-7 years ago, I had an offer to do a Zeta movie. Of course, it disappeared while I was reluctant to reply. This time, I decided to accept the offer because 9/11 happened. The other reason was personally myself. After doing Turn A and Overman King Gainer, I thought now is a good time to do Zeta.

The movie version will be compiled into 3 parts. Once I started on it, I worked on the content of the first movie then edited it together with the DVD footage. I said, "Wow, this is great!" I have not decided how it will end ultimately yet.

F: It won't follow the TV version?

T: I decided this much after the first one: The ending is going to be (Note: a bit of a spoiler for the end of the movies here) the reverse of the TV version. Kamille's ending will be happy. If I decide to release something that's a counter against society, there will be some who misunderstand it. If I said this anime is just entertainment, I feel a lot better.

If I do it this way, TV anime or even robot anime won't create any misunderstandings. This is why the movie version of Zeta will have a 'vigorous' Kamille. I have no doubt about this. I came to this conclusion while working on the first part. In fact, I completed the first part with Kamille becoming envigored. This is Kamille's story. I used that as the foundation for the movie. This resulted with it being enjoyable and great. I was surprised. As I let go of my stress, I became relieved. What a rush. This is how entertainment should be. It gives hope. I don't want to see a story where there's no tomorrow.

Which finally brings us to the connection with Iraq. Muhammad started Islam and rejected worshiping idols. I was able to understand why he did this. He's saying to end dangerous lifestyles where you can't tell the difference between living in reality or playing around. This is why Muhammad outlawed this. By creating an idol, each tribe makes their own god, which leads to killing each other.

How does this story tie in with Zeta? You have idols like Kamille, Char, and Amuro. Now those idols are joined together. In terms of film theory, this would be a grand format. It looks like I can make a story where a group exists in which everyone in this world gets together doing something.

F: That part deals with the nationalism we discussed.

T: Yes, exactly. The most important point when I made Zeta was that the characters who appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam had aged. Who in this anime business world would do such a bothersome thing? I did that in Zeta. People such as "10 years ago, I was fighting as Char. Now I have become older." appeared and you had young people saying, "Amuro-san was a hero." (Note: Tomino's describing characters who grew up in-between the two series by using general dialogue they spouted in the show rather than simply stating their names. In this case, Char and Katz.)

F: Everyone believes this is what makes Zeta enjoyable.

T: Wonderful. Lots of characters appeared in the TV version, which was tiresome back then. Now it becomes a weapon. No one was more surprised than myself. Initially, I had planned to eliminate some semi-regulars to summarize it, but no one got left out. Having everyone there results with good organization.

F: Like there are many countries and ethnics, accepting each as individuals.

T: It's useless for me to be saying selfish things in order to reconcile it. It's ok for everyone to be there and it looks like it'll be that way.

F: This is similar to seeing things from another point of view.

T: I'm planning to slowly unfold the story. Perhaps one or two might go away. For that I hope they forgive me, but fundamentally I can't leave anyone out.

F: The last part of the TV series, characters died left and right...

T: They are going to die. I didn't leave out any important episodes. People are going to die because they were there. If they weren't there, they can't die.

F: Better that they're there than not.

T: They have to be there. If they were left out originally, they can't even die. But everyone is there. Even though I hold the authority as the original author, I can't leave them out. In those terms, this is a superb story.

Source: http://aeug.blogspot.com/2004/06/#108722823665640655