In the industry of manga and anime, only a few names hold the weight of Yoshiyuki Tomino, the visionary behind the iconic Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. For many years, Gundam has not only been a cornerstone of mecha anime but also a powerful anti-war narrative, exploring the psychological and political costs of conflict through its complex characters and giant robots. But as the series goes on, Tomino realised that the franchise may be drifting too far from its roots.
To the creator, Yoshiyuki Tomino, feeling that Gundam was never just about cool robots. The series served as a mirror to human violence, our relationship with war, and the moral ambiguity of survival in the face of conflict.
A message diluted by flash and fame
It was during a recent interview for NHK’s June 17 edition of News Watch 9, where the creator of Gundam expressed what it is that has displeased the creator about the series. Tomino admitted that he does not like the current approach being taken by the Gundam series in its recent chapters. He said,
When you say ‘I like Gundam,’ the words that come up are, of course, ‘Mobile Suit Battles are cool.’ That is not the point. At all. My younger colleagues are making Gundam series today, and I don’t feel a sense of experience with war.
Related: “I kept looking at the mountains”: Yoshiyuki Tomino Revealed the Heartbreaking Influence Behind ‘Gundam’
Apart from this the Tomino also spoke about how he came up with the idea of Gundam. He explained that it was his experience during World War II, the blood, the war, and the aftermath that got him to make this series
Gundam story thus far
Yoshiyuki Tomino from Gundam | Image credit: Bandai Namco Filmworks
Gundam is set during the timeline Universal Century 0079, where humanity has expanded into space colonies. The Principality of Zeon, which is one such colony, declares independence from the Earth Federation and launches a brutal war for control. With both sides facing massive casualties, Zeon deploys advanced mobile suits, or the titular Gundam, that shift the tide of battle.
Related: “I might be done with anime”: Hideaki Anno’s ‘Gquuuuuux’ Deserves a Chance When You Know How Gundam Changed His Life
When a secret Earth Federation prototype mobile suit, the RX-78-2 Gundam, is controlled by a common man named Amuro Ray, everything changes. Thrust into the cockpit during a Zeon attack, Amuro becomes the reluctant pilot of the Gundam and joins the crew of the spaceship named White Base.
As the war drags on, Mobile Suit Gundam dives deep into the contexts of the psychological toll of conflict, the blurred line between hero and villain, and the moral ambiguity of war itself. It’s not just about personal wars and revenges, it is to end the cycle of violence.
Gundam anime is currentlly streaming on platfroms like Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video
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