Turn A Gundam Audio Commentary Highlights

Turn A Gundam audio commentary highlights

This is simply a compilation of highlights learned from the Turn A Gundam audio commentaries bundled with the blu-ray releases.

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VOICE ACTING & seiyuu tidbits

- Romi Park owns a Loran figure - this one: http://myfigurecollection.net/item/707
- Romi Park thought of Tomino as a parent figure and often referred to him as "Dad". She also had a habit of sitting in his lap; Tomino would pet her head in response.

- Many VAs did not get the role they auditioned for. Examples: Romi Park actually auditioned for Kihel & Dianna, Takahashi Rieko auditioned for Fran, Fukuyama Jun auditioned for Loran, and Tetsu Inada auditioned for Phil.
- Murata Akino auditioned for Sochie and got the role, Takehito Koyasu was approached to voice Gym Ghingham.
- Kihel/Dianna was Takahashi Rieko's first voice role in an anime.
- Keith was Fukuyama Jun's first time voicing a human character
- Noriko Kitou's first voice role in anime was Miashei Kune
- Tomino's daughter was a director in Setsuji Satou's (Joseph) theater company and Tomino scouted various VAs from there - Romi Park, Takahashi Rieko
- Tomino often told his VAs to voice "normally", as in, with their normal voices. For example, he once told Romi Park: "Since you're the voice of Loran, whatever you say is Loran's voice, so don't think about it too hard."

- Romi Park (Loran) and Takehito Koyasu (Gym) had a bit of a rivalry and had what are described as "shouting matches" in the studio. Romi Park was annoyed by his "aura" of looking down at her and took it personally. One time she even lost her voice and went to the hospital first thing in the morning to have a throat specialist examine her.
- After the final episode's recording session, Koyasu told Romi he'd likely never cross paths with her again -- how very wrong he was!

- Koyasu was often called "Number One" in the recording studio because he was the "number one" or most-special voice actor. Since he was particularly scouted to fill an important role. Also he didn't care about scripts and used his innate talent to dictate the flow of a scene.

- The "Kono Turn X sugoi yo... sasuga Turn A no onii-san" line was fit in because it was "cool" and had to be forced in.

- Takahashi Rieko's favorite scene in the show is the famous washing machine scene from ep 21. It captured her heart, especially the bit where Dianna's face is reflected on the floating bubbles.

- Houchu Ootsuka (Gavane) has a long history working with Tomino. He was in L-Gaim and Zeta Gundam (as Yazan). He's really old and doesn't remember anything.


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CHARACTERS

Many character details were changed over the course of the show's production:
- Harry Ord was initially planned to be a villainous character who manipulates women, but instead ended up as a gentleman
- Kihel was supposed to only be around for a single episode. Hence being named "Kieru"
- Joseph was originally a villain or rival character to Loran
- Fran's original story was that of a war photographer who loses her fiance
- Gavane was not planned to die but did in the final script
- Keith and his role were largely kept unchanged

- Harry Ord's attire is intended to be a reference to the Hanshin Tigers, a Japanese baseball team


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PRODUCTION

- Much of Turn A Gundam's planning: plot, drafting, designing, writing, etc. was done while the second half of Brain Powerd aired.

- Apparently Tomino was slightly ill during Turn A Gundam's production, which is why he reportedly didn't get as angry as usual or yell a lot to individuals. According to Akiman, Tomino's returned to form with G-Reco.

- At the time, since Akiman was still with Capcom, he was contracted to work for Sunrise for half a year. Tomino was determined to work with Akiman because of his connection to the gaming industry.
- Originally, Turn A character designs were to be dressed like modern day people. Later on it was changed to the 100 yr-old Victorian era style of clothing. Akiman used Takarazuka Elisabeth videos as a reference. This change can actually be observed in the Turn A Gundam character design book.

- Tomino would hand out "Tomino Memos", which included broad storylines and notes for a few episodes. Script writers and production staff would use these to come up with scenarios and plots, which would then be given to Tomino for the storyboard.
- Hideyuki Tomioka (a Sunrise producer) estimates Tomino rewrote 70% of the scripts handed to him.

- There was one episode where the project had setbacks and illustrations and cuts weren't finished. Tomino took over and completed everything himself. He didn't sleep for two nights in a row. All anyone else could do was apologize.

- The Gym and Loran swordfight in the final episode is intended to be an homage to the Amuro and Char duel from the original MSG.

- Supposedly there was potential for a sequel story with the Gallia continent, so the ending was purposefully left open-ended.


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MISC.

- Tomino once made a comment to Romi Park saying he'd like to remake Turn A Gundam 20 years later.
- In a post-production party, Tomino told Takahashi Rieko (Kihel/Dianna) that Turn A Gundam would be a hit in 50 years.
- Tomino on fighting games: “Fighting games are not good! You keep attacking opponents that have already fallen to the ground!”