Yoshiyuki Tomino makes few convention trips to the U.S. It's been the
better part of a decade since the creator of the Gundam animated world
appeared at an Anime Expo event. For Anime Expo New York, Tomino officially
was a guest of the Big Apple Anime Fest. When Tomino appeared before New
York fans, he had some pointed comments about the fictional world that
he has helmed for 20 years. For example: it's no secret that Gundam has
existed as much as a Bandai toy advertisement as a space drama with giant
robots. But listen to Tomino in New York, and you'd get the feeling he's
upset with the balance. "Bandai has gotten worse over the years," declared
Tomino. "They're starting to interfere more with the stories and it bothers
me...I spoke directly with the Bandai CEO three weeks ago, so this is no
secret." Tomino disowned any control over what have been called the "alternate
time line" Gundam series, and said he had nothing to do with the live-action
G-Saviour film that was released in 1999.
Gundam was a revelation in its era, which had lots of giant robot shows
but nothing with the social and political scope of Gundam's planetary war.
Tomino chose not to condescend to a young audience. "I felt that kids,
even though they're kids, will not be satisfied with the same level of
series all the time," said Tomino. "I felt there might be somethimg more
aimed at teenagers and that people would be ready for that kind of work."
Of course, Tomino could never be satisfied with his efforts. "As an official
response, I like all of it. However, there are some characters and mecha
I feel that were very well created. In a way, I sort of like the characters
and mecha that didn't work out right - because I thought they could have
been improved. That sticks out in my mind better."
Will there ever be more Gundam series from Tomino? Maybe, he said.
"I am not thinking currently about a story that's a continuation of Gundam.
That is because the series that has continued for 20 years would require
help from other people. I am thinking about creating stories that are somewhat
close to the world of Gundam. As a preraption for this, I tried making
Turn A Gundam, and the next story I'm thinking about could be called "Turn
A Space." In that story, I imagine there would be something like mobile
suits appearing in the story. To make such a work, I would also require
help from Sunrise Productions and sponsors, so currently I think I could
not make such a work right now."
