On the Work of a Mechanic Designer

See http://imgur.com/a/lba3K for the images.
TL note: Okawara uses the term "worldview" a lot, which is less of "how someone sees the world" and more "how the world works".

[Thoughts on 0079]
	At this time, Sunrise was still a small company. I would come and go for work, and then be called in for the next one. And so on. There was no end to the work for Sunrise. I got a call from Yoshiyuki Tomino for me and Yasuhiko-san to do Gundam. Originally Studio Nue was supposed to do the mecha design, but they were very well versed in sci-fi and were very strict on the smallest of details. The animation direction Yasuhiko-san wanted to "have it more open-minded this time", and decided on me. Tomino-san had done Zambot 3 and Daitarn 3 at Sunrise, and said "I've contributed plenty to Sunrise's toy sales, so this time I want to make it my own way."
[Gundam with a Mouth]
	Studio Nue and Yasuhiko-san personally handed me a powered suit that they had designed for Starship Troopers. Yasuhiko-san's own artistic interpretation of it was the rough draft of the Guncannon. However, I felt that there was something off when looking at that drawing. It was cool for an adult-oriented sci-fi series, but our job was not simply to create anime, but it was also important that we made toys that met the expectations and desires of children. Put simply, it wasn't flashy enough for a main mecha.
    At the start we considered making the Guncannon the main mecha, but we needed a main mecha quickly, and so I drew the design that would become the basis of Gundam. What I drew had a mouth like Daitarn 3, but then Yasuhiko-san said "Why does it have a mouth? The mecha don't talk in this story." Inputting Yasuhiko-san's idea, I covered the mouth with a mask. At first, it was designed so the core fighter in the Gundam's body would be visible, but we switched to a design that Yasuhiko-san had put away.
    Up till then, the basics of robot design were to combine cylinders and polygons. But wanting to change that idea, he added in silhouettes that would be more reminiscent of (leg) calves. Ever since Yasuhiko-san had made the character sheets for the anime, the Gundam began looking more and more human.
[Choosing the Mecha's Colors]
    My work is simply to create the shape -- someone else decides on the colors. For example, I wasn't involved at all with the red for Char's custom Zaku. It's not part of my job description. The professional color pickers, mostly women, decide on that. It's done with digital painting nowadays, so you can use any colors, but we used to use cell paints. Cell paints are expensive, so we were limited to only so many colors in order to save on costs. So the color pickers decide what places are the same color. Of course, I put a rough idea of the colors on the original concept work, but the final version is up to the pros.
[Colors that Sell]
    When it comes to toys, there are specific colors that sell. The "three basic toy colors" of yellow, red, and blue were chosen for Gundam. If these three colors are combined well, kids will be very interested when it's put in a showcase. Tomino-san had the idea of it being entirely white, but that wouldn't sell toys. Chogokin at the time would always incorporate those colors. When in the toy store showcase, they had to fight and win against robots from other companies. The fighting isn't just in the anime.
[The Secret of Guntank's Birth]
    Once the Guncannon and Gundam were created, we needed one more. We needed three. Why? Zambot 3 was a 3-part combination, and Daitarn 3 was a 3-form transformation. Sunrise really likes threes. Since there would be three main mecha in Gundam, we decided to add in a tank.
    At that point neither Tomino-san nor Yasuhiko-san were very interested in the third one, so I just about had free rein of the Guntank, Since I was able to freely draw what I wanted, I got it done very quickly.
[The Secret of Haro's Birth]
    Haro was already complete by the time of Daitarn 3. Tomino-san had said "This is a good design and it'd be a waste to use it now, so let's save it," so it was used as a pet robo in Gundam. The staff brought it up, so we used the extras.
[Art and Mecha Design]
    Actually, the White Base was also designed around Daitarn 3 and was used as-is. However, while the inside of the White Base is the inside of a mecha, it falls under the art category. It's complicated, but I'm the one in charge of the Gundam hangar and catapult. Yasuhiko-san designed the core fighter, but Nakamura-san from Art drew the cockpit. As you can tell, there isn't specific territory for who draws what for everything that you see in the final anime. Everyone works together to create a series.
[The Zeon Army's Mecha]
    Next up was the enemy mecha. Common sense at the time said that enemy mecha would never get merchandise, so just Tomino-san and I worked on them. Tomino-san's instructions were simply: "Keep the monoeye."
    The main mecha were going to the sponsors where they would make a lot of modifications, so my frustration was rising. At that point, enemy mecha would never get merchandise. They would get beaten so quickly that nobody would care. But I wanted desperately to make something cooler than the main three mecha.
    The Zaku was modeled off a gas mask I had seen as a child. The Zaku's head and legs had power pipes around them. Theoretically, a weapon showing those on the outside is practically screaming "please cut here", so it wouldn't be good. There is actually a scene where it's pulled on and it explodes.
    But when watching the anime, it would feel much less impressive if the pipes weren't there. Even in an anime world, humans believe what they see. Even if it is an illogical design, it gives a sense of reality.
    When I showed my Zaku sketch to Tomino-san, I got a ready OK on the second try. I was initially under the impression that the enemy mecha would be destroyed in a single episode, but when I looked at the later storyboards, I saw that Tomino-san was using the enemy mobile suits as "weapons for warfare" rather than "MOTW". The Zaku is a "weapon", so it showed up until the very last episode.
    I believe that mecha should have strong personality and aesthetic appeal, and I think the Zaku exhibits that the best. The Zaku is one of my favorite designs. Once I had made the Zaku, I felt like I had gotten the Zeon Army design concept down. I based the Federation mecha off the English army in WWII, while the Zeon Army enemy mecha were based on the German army.
	I designed the Zaku II, Gouf, Zaku I, and Dom enemy mobile suits, but after that I kept receiving sketches from Tomino-san that I would finalize. Tomino-san also felt that the Zeon Army mecha should feel like this. This was convenient, since I was doing Zenderman, The☆Ultraman, and Gatchaman II at the same time. But while I was getting instructions from Tomino-san to "do this one next", there were some things that didn't fit the design concept, and the worldview got thrown into disarray as a result. But I figured that the director would be the one taking responsibility in the end, so I just kept finishing the designs. In the end, that might have been for the best. If it were just my originals, I don't think it would have nearly as much variety.
    The mobile suits in Gundam are mecha, so they're solid, but there are some parts that seem more humanoid and less industrial. I think that's because the straight lines and curved lines blend together well. This is a hint I got from my years of working in apparel tailoring suits before working at Tatsunoko. Back then, I didn't think Gundam would sell this much, so I just figured "change the color and add a horn on the head and it'll be fine."
[The Impact of Episode 1]
    Before it aired on TV, I, Tomino-san, Yasuhiko-san, and several others watched episode 1 in the Sunrise viewing room. We were surprised to see an anime the likes of which had not been seen before. It was impactful. The ratings were bad, but even if it wasn't a hit, I was glad to be a part of Gundam. Because Gundam made it big, I was able to explore more freely as a mechanic desginer.
    After it aired, Gundam plastic models were flying off the shelves, and the idea that "anime is for kids" changed drastically. Japan's economy was moving from a period of rapid growth into a bubble economy. The toy market was also expanding, and new techniques kept being introduced. Thus, what was once impossible became possible, and there were fewer restrictions on mecha design. I was very lucky as a mechanic designer to have more degrees of freedom in design. However, I did not stop at Gundam. I had to move on to the next work so I could make a living.


Chapter 5: On My Work

	2- On Design
[You Can't Just Draw Well]
	Okawara says that he figures out how the robot works in his head before drawing anything. He has to have an idea of how the robot looks from all angles and how it functions (pilot entering, escape, firing weapons, etc). "It's like having 3DCG software, but in my head."
[Transforming Mecha Designs are Like Solving a Puzzle]
	Self-explanatory. He mentions there's a very satisfactory moment when it just clicks for him after a lot of thinking. Also, he says mechanic designers are split into those who like drawing and those who like mecha (he's the latter).
[There's a Procedure for Creating Things]
    The third part, he gives a metaphor of taking apart an analog watch and putting it back together. You've gotta know how things fit together.
[Design Hints are Found Everywhere]
    For hints, just keep your eyes out for inspiration in daily life. Okawara's examples of inspiration include clothes, newspaper articles, and of course Star Wars.
[Ideas Can Come From New Things]
	Okawara buys the new tech like 3D printers, mini-projectors, and Apple products all the time and tries thinking of other uses for them.
[Synergy From Extensive Design]
	When working on comical and serious series at the same time, he actually finds it easier to do work. By imagining a real robot in a super robo atmosphere or the other way around, he can imagine them better. He says that having a wide scope is the best thing you can do as a designer.
["Faking" is Needed for a Main Mecha]
    Even in old samurai armor, there are parts that do absolutely nothing but look cool. The same idea applies for robots (he mentions Gundam specifically).
[The Pain of Creating a Main Mecha]
    Title robot isn't cool -> kids don't watch -> ratings fall, toys don't sell -> designer can't find work. Sponsors don't like it, producers are let down. It's stressful.

    4- On Sales
[The Relationship Between Toy Makers and Mechanic Designers]
    As a mecha designer he has to fulfill the sponsors' orders, even if it's something like "make ALL of them transform/combine". Mecha designers have to take the orders of both the anime companies and the sponsors, but the two sides work together so they all succeed.
[The Trap Mechanic Designers Fall Into]
    Okawara is highly focused on designing in order to sell toys, rather than for his ego. When given the task of doing the title robo, some people forget what's riding on it (lots of money, the show's success) and overthink their designs. They might be tempted to do something that's never been done before, which is of course dangerous territory. Sponsors can do the same thing when asking to put in a ton of gimmicks. Okawara has gotten a lot of requests to redo someone else's designs. While one might have regrets about designs, the toy sales are the most important thing of all.

    5- Some Advice to Anyone Wanting to be a Mechanic Designer
[What Should Youths Reference]
    Sometimes Okawara really feels the pressure when looking at the works of other people, like Kawamori, Nagano, and Yamashita. He also says he doesn't really work with others, and when he does (ie G Gundam), it's very hard to get a consensus. Build Fighters was apparently a good opportunity for young mechanic designers to experiment with already existing mecha.
[Nakamura's Designs]
    He suggests that the inexperienced study from Mitsuki Nakamura's designs. Okawara speaks very highly of Nakamura, saying his designs are the foundations of Japanese mecha design. Okawara praises the streamlined look of Speed Racer, and also mentions how Dotabattan in Time Bokan is very comical, yet is still futuristic. They also have the necessary style and showcase the right parts of the mecha. (For more on Nakamura, see: Gatchaman, Hurricane Polymar, Speed Racer, Time Bokan series, Tekkaman. I believe what he's saying is that the mecha should capture the essence of the show.)
[3 Pieces of Basic Advice]
    Advice 1: Capture objects properly. Hone your sketching skills.
    Advice 2: Draw 3D objects inside your head. You need to imagine how things work. It's a skill all humans have, you just need to practice it.
    Advice 3: Be interested in everything. Be curious. Take anything you're interested in -- cars, bikes, appliances -- and figure out how to make it more futuristic. Consider how it might look and who will use it in 30 years.
    "But the job of a mechanic designed is not to design actual products. I believe the most important thing to make kids want to watch shows and let them dream."
[Fans Abroad]
    Okawara was initially amused by being able to go overseas, turn on the television, and see Japanese anime, but he's used to it now. When he goes to cons, he feels like he's not even away from Japan.
    Sometimes he gets offers to exhibit his work, but insurance, laws, and possible wear make it less feasible and also very costly (he would like to make the fans happy, though).

    Chapter 7: Human Encounters
[The Genius, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko]
    Yasuhiko-san is the top of the top when it comes to animators. He can draw well, quickly, and also design. Even Tomino admits he's a genius. Okawara and Yasuhiko don't really hang out, since designers report to the animation office rather than each other. Apparently Yasuhiko-san wasn't in good condition for the last 10 episodes of 0079, so he couldn't check off on the animation. All in all, Okawara is very impressed by his work.
[Yoshiyuki Tomino]
    There are rumors that Tomino and Okawara don't get along. Okawara admits that they aren't particularly friends, but if they really didn't get along, they wouldn't have worked for 40 years together. He likes Tomino's 3D, curved designs, but says they aren't easy on the animators. Also, when the ratings start to fall, he says "Let's kill this person off" with no hesitation whatsoever (see: Zambot). He really just makes what he wants to.
[Osamu Tezuka]
    A lot of people Okawara works with also worked with Osamu Tezuka/Mushi Pro. Without his influence on the industry, Okawara would be out of a job. Apparently Tezuka stayed with Okawara's brother-in-law in Spain and actually asked after him. But the two never did actually meet.
[There's Nothing Better Than Meeting People]
    Okawara feels like a lot of turning points in his life were because he met people. If Nakamura-san hadn't gotten him to work on Gatchaman, he'd never have become a mecha designer. If he weren't at Tatsu Pro, he might not have gotten the proper inspiration. So he's pretty thankful for his encounters.


    Dougram's head is modeled off the canopy of attack helicopters used in the Vietnam War. He prioritized it looking 3D but regrets it a little now since apparently it was tough on the animators.
    For Votoms, the producer wanted a robot with a Jeep feel, and Okawara just happened to have made a model of something like that for fun (he hates drawing, but likes working with his hands). The sponsors thought the Scopedog's head looked lame and wouldn't sell, but they were persuaded. The sensors were put in to placate them and also make it more human-like.
    Okawara's work on Vifam was pretty quick. "Space-only robot? Space means verniers. Let's put on verniers." He admits that it's impractical to have them so big, but it looks cool. He also remarks that the acting was good and the characters' personalities really came through.
    His wife was hospitalized when he started work on Galient, so he had to drop it pretty quickly. But the other mechanic designers they brought on for it weren't making anything that looked like a title mech, so he had to do Galient himself.
    Layzner was created because Bandai had a new material for pla that they thought would change color when put under UV light, but it didn't really work so the kits didn't sell. Also, the animators thought having the cockpit in the head was lame so they shrunk the head, making Layzner a lot bigger than intended. On the other hand, Okawara wanted to have the pilot more visible, but it never really worked out that way.
    Dragonar was just done to show off Bandai's new technique of putting multiple colors on a single mold. And that's why there are those red and blue stripes on the legs.
    Okawara mentions that since the setting of F91 is Cosmo Babylonia, he looked at carvings and art from the Tigris/Euprates area to find inspiration. He also noticed that the recent suits were getting slimmer/had smaller heads, so he gave the populace what they wanted. He tried to minimize the lines as usual to make it easier on animators, but since it's a movie the makers told him to keep in more lines instead.
    For SEED, he was originally only supposed to do the enemy suits, but they couldn't perfect the main mecha. They were gonna be late for the merchandise development, so Okawara was handed a considerably developed design and redrafted it. For Destiny, he mentions the director absolutely loved wings and wanted them on /everything/. He showed it to someone else's kid in elementary school and they said it looked cool, so it got the OK.
    As mentioned before, Build Fighters was a chance for the newbies to get some experience with vintage robots. He's rather impressed with how the animators make SD robots look so natural despite exaggeration. Okawara only got to do three suits himself.

-He still builds things, if only for his own sake. He tries out new things a lot, including milling machines, plasma cutters, laser processors, 3D printers, and argon welders.
-He mentions that both Takahashi and himself both grew up in post-war Tokyo, so their ideals were pretty similar when it came to Votoms.
-He often mentions when Takahashi is the producer and tends to talk a bit more about story when it comes to those ones. Okawara doesn't tend to watch anime for fun, so I think that's a definite sign of respect for his skill.
-His opinion on Kanda: he liked military stuff and was well versed in mecha and weapons. His style of directing was more "manly".
-Okawara very much sees his work as a living rather than a form of paid enjoyment. His attitude toward anime is usually "if you've seen one, you've seen them all", which can probably be attributed to the form not existing during his youth.