Tomino Yoshiyuki says "visual-oriented war is not war but fashion"

Director Tomino Yoshiyuki says "visual-oriented war is not war but fashion"

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the animation series "Mobile Suit Gundam," which premiered in 1979. Based on the cold war structure, "Mobile Suit Gundam" is a story about a war between the native people of earth and outer space immigrants in the outer-space century. Thirty years after its birth, "Mobile Suit Gundam" has remained a classic of animations and still keeps birthing new series. The historical significance of "Mobile Suit Gundam" may be that, more than anything, it transformed adult-targeted real-robot animation as the mainstream of animation rather than children-targeted giant-robot animation that had previously dominated the market. Japanese director Tomino Yoshiyuki, the father of "Gundam," revealed various thoughts about the "Gundam" series as well as the Japanese animation industry during the press conference and fan meeting held at the 14th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival.

Q: Japan is a powerhouse when it comes to animations. As someone who has been at the forefront of the animation industry since the beginning, what do you think is the reason that the Japanese animation industry was able to wield such a huge influence?
Tomino Yoshiyuki: Well, I think it is hard to regard Japan as an animation powerhouse. You cannot say that by just looking at "Gundam" fans in Europe or the U.S., unless the contents or concepts of Japanese animations have changed the way people in the world think. More than anything, it is difficult to say that it has succeeded as a form of media. I don't know if the otakus and fans in the U.S. or Europe can serve as a guide to the next market. I would actually like to hear your thoughts on this matter. It is not just limited to Japan. I think it is important to create a message that would influence products, living items, fashion and et cetera that would appeal to fans in U.S., Europe or Southeast Asia. In that sense, I don't think the animation industry has been fully developed.

Q: In Japan, the animation industry is supported by the government. You being here could also be looked at as a part of that government support, and what do you think about that?
Tomino Yoshiyuki: It is true that the Japanese government has given various support to the animation industry for the past several years. But it is also true that they have not been as helpful as we expected. I'm actually starting to think that such governmental support came about because they were trying to imitate the Korean government. (laugh) From what I know, the Korean government provides help in building studios and makes quite a detailed support in film and television. But I dont' think the government support is producing much satisfactory results in Japan because it is tied up in various regulations. To be honest, when bureaucracy intervenes with a creative industry like animations, it would be difficult to work out well. It is probably the same with Korea. Once the industry is set up on the right track, bureaucracy has to back out but that doesn't happen in many cases. For example, didn't Miyazaki Hayao succeed by focusing on his works at Studio Ghibli without the government support? But if I say something like this here, I don't think I will be able to go abroad on government funds. (laugh)

Q: What do you think is needed to improve the animation industry?
Tomino Yoshiyuki: Animation is a field that needs a lot of investment capital, so commercial success is essential. I can say that for sure. The reason I made "Mobile Suit Gundam" was because the production company requested it. It would be really great if you could make something you want to without investment capital, but that is not the case in most cases. I think it would be a tricky situation if people who entered this industry said they did not want to make commercial animations. I also came into this industry through a studio and later created my works independently. I wanted to strengthen this kind of system on a conscious level. But now thirty years have passed and I don't think such business model has been established. Like I said before, I am particularly disappointed that animation is unable to influence culture as a form of media.

Q: With a concept called 'new type,' "Mobile Suit Gundam" was an animation which contained hopes for the young generation. Do you still have the same thoughts [for the young generation]?
Tomino Yoshiyuki: I think one's expectation for young people gets bigger as one gets older. When I was making "Mobile Suit Gundam," I wanted to create an animation series that would appeal to the grown-ups as well. But as I became an adult and a parent, I realized that it was important to create something that would inspire children. That is how the parents get inspired as well. I still have expectations for the young generation, particularly the females. (laugh)

Q: You said that you have high expectations for women but in "Mobile Suit Gundam" or "Zeta Gundam," many female characters get sacrificed during the process that an immature boy grows into an adult. In some respect, one could regard "Gundam" as a story where women take care of an immature boy even after they die in order to make him into a human being. What do you think about such perspective?
Tomino Yoshiyuki: You could look at it that way but the female characters who appear in "Mobile Suit Gundam" are much more aggressive than other women. This also has a lot to do with my view of women and I think they are far more aggressive. And I believe that is why they can play a more important role on the battlefield and can be cold at critical moments. The reason I said that I have high expectations for women is that I believe they are more capable than men to handle important roles. (laugh)

Q: What do you think about the criticism that recent robot animations deal with wars too lightly?
Tomino Yoshiyuki: Seventy years have passed since Japan lost the war. There is no official military organization in Japan, so the only way to experience war is through films or animations. It is true that a generation that doesn't know of wars is depicting wars. I feel more strongly about this because it is the animation industry which deals with images. I think the reason they only draw wars in a beautiful way is because of their attitude in trying to approach wars with just the visuals. I think that is why it looks light. For example, when you look at an explosion scene, the flash of light or the actions surrounding the explosion are drawn too beautifully. But that moment is a moment where somebody is committing a murder. It is the same with animations that draw faces wrapped up in bandages and say that wars are painful. That is not war, that is fashion.

Q: The endings in the 1985 TV version of "Zeta Gundam" and in the 2005 film are different. Why did it change from a tragic ending to a happy one?
Tomino Yoshiyuki: First of all, the reason that endings can change is because the "Gundam" series are fiction. We believe that after some twenty years, animation has now changed into a form of entertainment. With that in mind, we decided to get rid of the beliefs and opinions that we had put into the TV series. I want the viewers to focus on the integration of each series and on the message that these endings are delivering. Recreating the story is actually more difficult than creating an original one. I think we felt strongly about making it into a sample of sorts.

Q: It was reported that the new series would be called "Ring of Gundam." How is that progressing?
Tomino Yoshiyuki: It would be hard to say that it is in the works or that it isn't. We did make some short stories but I don't think the investors are showing a huge interest. But the project is still being developed at the studio so I think it will see the light of day someday. That is how important investors are in the animation industry. (laugh)

Reporter : Cha Woo-jin
Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@
Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@ , Lee Ji-Hye seven@