THIS IS HOW Z GUNDAM WAS BORN
FIRST PUBLICATION OF THE MYSTERIOUS TOMINO MEMO

Behind the birth of the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam television series lay more than a year-long struggle by General Director Yoshiyuki Tomino over its storyline. Buried in the pages of the forgotten laserdisc release of the series is the entirety of the Tomino Memo, which is now available to the fandom for the first time. 

Translator’s Note: Presented here are the private notes made by Director Tomino when constructing the story and were not penned for official release. As such, not all notations, stories, and proper nouns in the notes may be identical to those in the broadcast. Since this posting is designed to reproduce the process of the director’s ideas as they took shape, the notations are reproduced as faithfully as possible to the original text, except for obvious typographical errors and omissions. Some portions use temporary characters (%, $, etc.), which makes it difficult to read, so I apologize in advance. A “trimmed version” of this memo was reproduced in Mobile Suit Z Gundam Complete Record Edition, published by Animedia in March 1986 (and translated by me here). The full version started here appeared in the laserdisc MOBILE SUIT Z GUNDAM Memorial Box released in 1994.

MEMO BLOCK 1
1984.02.20→03.12

What is lacking?
What do we really want to make?
The White Base, Amuro, Char, space, rockets, how do we balance all that with entropy theory?
◆ The existence of an individual to break through a closed system; the liberated field formed by that individual
The more realistic things you do in Live Gundam, the more you should foster a sense of science fiction, but how do you go to Gundam II?
An experiment in realism with “Char’s Counterattack.”
Or a Star Wars-esque plot with Zeta Gundam?

A staff discovery after five years.

Note (LD): Live Gundam refers to the live-action SFX film version that was temporarily slated for production in the United States, but it was terminated in just the planning stages. 

CHAR’S COUNTERATTACK ◎ PLAN
■ U.C.0095

Members of Char’s party race to a base on the far side of the Moon.
An impoverished Earth Federation government.
The despair of Amuro and the others. Parting of ways. In some instances, they join forces with Char’s side.

■ U.C.0099

A war for independence is waged by severe crackdowns on the Earth’s side (too similar to the German example?)

■ WHERE TO PUT THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN THE SETTING?

It would be easy to assume that Mineva Zabi is a potential setting, but that may be flipped depending on how we set up Amuro and the others course of action.

■ WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE KIND OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND WORLD WARS, DON’T WE HAVE TO ILLUSTRATE CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS? AND WHAT ABOUT THE KNOW-HOW TO BREAK THROUGH IT?

ZETA GUNDAM
■ INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF GATHER STIME

Still, how should we respond to the objection that assimilating with another person doesn’t appear to be an enhancement of one’s abilities?

How can we technologically solve the problem of absorbing another individual?

What happens to the autonomy of the person who has been absorbed?

Speaking of autonomy, someone can possess a certain consciousness only insofar as one is a person with a physical body. In that case, won’t we be unable to respond to the worry that saying someone who doesn’t have a physical body can exist in a partial sense is too anti-materialistic?

If it turns out that Gather Stime isn’t completed until a person dies, this will give rise to a process where people intentionally commit murder.

It’s nice and dramatic, but it can’t be the sole focus.

In fact, we can even conclude that the concept of Gather Stime ultimately leads us to the theme of love, but that would merely be a rehashing of “Yamato.”

If we can’t think of a plot device to avoid this premise, then Zeta Gundam will become pointless.

Note (LD): Gather Stime is a step forward in the concept of a Newtype, and it seems to have been intended to express not only a resonance with others, but also seeing a complete mental unity with them. This concept was ultimately not adopted in Zeta, though only scant remnants remain in the biosensor of the Zeta Gundam.

■ THE STORY BEGINS IN U.C0111

It is a story of a time when two or three generations have gone by for everyone. There is an individual named Char. There is also an individual named Amuro Ray…

Wouldn’t the Zeta Gundam be the functional medium for Gathers Time?

1984.03.12

MOBILE SUIT ALPHA GUNDAM
(Only the fundamentals need to be shown)

■ U.C.0045
■ L-4 (construction has been underway for three years)

Two colossal colonies, each one about halfway complete, are in the process of being built. A majority of their skeletal framework has been complete. Emigration has begun, and close to 500,000 people are living in the colonies. Considerable time has passed since the factory block was completed and its foundation started. In the current dock, two Gundam mobile suits were being loaded on the Luna module “Fujin.” Three young people, A, B, and C, were doing the work. They were to be exhibited at the tech expo of @@ colony in South America. But there was XX in the module’s pilot. They’re ordered to steal the Gundam under secret orders from their South American @@.

■ L-5 (two colonies had already been completed and were operating independently as a society of one million people)

It is the L-5 ＊＊ which claims autonomy over the Earth. One of these parties, the 〒〒, had launched the military module “Super.” The 〒〒 was a group of military personnel who, now that there was currently autonomy in outer space yearned to be free of the Earth’s restraints and sought the establishment of a collective government of their own.

The Gundam, developed at L-4, was to be recaptured as a space weapon, one that would firmly cement a powerful presence over terrestrial weaponry.

〒〒 “It’s strange to have an exhibition in @@ with such intense infighting in the first place. While it’s true that there was some kind of conspiracy, at the same time, perhaps it may be beneficial to signal the presence of anti-Earth forces in the colonies.“

■ L-4

An emergent colony. Aware of the rise in some military personnel in L-5 and sought to stop them, however, at a time when colony construction was at its peak, they had no choice but to remain on the sidelines against the movements of these forces. The mission of A, B, and C was for $$ of the country @@ in order to advise them on putting an end to the infighting and persuade them to participate in the colony project to avert a crisis on Earth.

Informing $$ of the colonies as a utopia and getting them to cooperate would serve as a containment policy against L-5. This was the objective of the L-4 commanders as well as the plan for the International Satellite Energy Commission.

■ SATELLITE ORBIT

They were about to switch to HLV when interference from 〒〒 began.

This must be portrayed as a stage drama and as an action test of a mobile suit.

(It is a thrilling spy drama)

■ HLV

To escape from the satellite, A, B, and C learn of XX’s collaborator. After outwitting 〒〒, their HLV arrives safely at @@ in South America.

■ @@

Due to the high altitude of @@, they failed to understand the reality of rising sea levels due to greenhouse effects. The head of state, $$, is a former soldier, still under the assumption they could govern the nation with the mentality of the mid-20th century.

 ■ $$

“I am not ashamed we are a backward country. It is possible to build a decent nation without making the mistakes of developed countries. I will not commit the same folly as developed nations did to raise sea levels.”

■ A, B, C’s SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

Should the Gundam be recaptured, A, B, and C would become the bad actors/scapegoats for Earth, counterpropaganda for L-5, if you would. The Gundam would defile the Earth. Bring the nation itself to the colony.

Eliminate the head of state who doesn’t acknowledge it.

This insane maneuvering was undertaken by 〒〒. $$ places the blame on A, B, and C, but they’re being played and targeted by L-5 at the same time.

A, B, and C had difficulty even escaping from @@. The three individuals fight while fleeing to an area under state governance.

Relentless attacks by 〒〒.

■ L5

The %% implemented a communications blockade as well as a blockade of the was.

The %% states the strike was to invoke and recognize the colony sovereignty over Earth.

■ CONVENING THE UNITED NATIONS ENERGY & COLONY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION

There is a counterargument that the colonies could not do things on their own. However, what they say is that they cannot tolerate the existence of a nation that continues to pollute the planet. L-5 has been demanding to invoke the coercive power of the state to emigrate all of those in charge of the nation responsible for the continued civil strife on Earth to the colonies.

It was nonsense.

If the frontier nations and under-developed countries lacked sufficient financial ability and were unable to reach a consensus on a colony, they would not have acknowledged the colony project yet.

For nations such as these, talk of a global sense of crisis yielded nothing.

$$ “Lands are withering away, and the ocean is swallowing up those lands, or so the propaganda of developed nations tells us.”

Just because the Earth’s greenhouse effect crisis became more evident, it had nothing to do with them.   

“It is sacrilege for man to take the place of God, Allah.”

Man does not yet have the technology to counter such religious discourse.

■ XX CHANGED THEIR MIND

There is a possibility in people.

The three wonder what they are entrusting the Gundam with.

They plan to abduct 〒〒 and flee to L-4.

■ TRANSITION FROM GROUND COMBAT TO SATELLITE ORBIT COMBAT

There should be a dramatic escape to satellite orbit or a mobile suit battle with 〒〒’s fleet in space.

With 〒〒 used as a hostage, it evolves into a plan to defeat the stubborn L-5 fleet. (〒〒 should make it simple for L-5’s %% and hostages to be established).

(It would also require XX’s change of heart or release of hypnotic control. If not XX, would it be A, B, or C?)

■ L-5

As A, B, and C infiltrate L-5 with the Gundam, %% puts up a hard and fast final resistance.

A mobile suit battle.

A, B, and C confront %%, release the sas and at the same time observe, “When people become accustomed to their environment one day, will it manifest into greed?

■ THE TRUE ENEMY THIS TIME IS

%% will say something like, “So long as the people of Earth think of the colonies as a utopia or use the Earth in their own self-righteous ways, my successor will appear, forevermore.”

This time, the enemy $$ before them sees the Earth floating in space and has a change of heart, or A, B, or C each end up convinced that they’re on their way.

No, it’s better if one of the three were to die. It would be best to structure it in such a way that it creates a greater bond among those who survived.

Regardless of what period and where from, Naniwa Bushi is a state of mind.

◇ CONSIDERATIONS ◇

☆ The model for the colony is NASA’s O’Neill Island Type 3, but should there be a design that is considered to be more efficient, it can be adopted.

☆ I’d like to add a radiation shielding or avoidance system similar to an Island 1

☆ Two colonies should be given proper names

1984.04.18

ZETA GUNDAM ◎ PERSONAL PLAN
1984.05.21

Char Aznable had a brother and sister.

They’ll be identical twins, frozen in vitro fertilized eggs.

Inherited the blood of Deikun.

Sayla Mass is on Earth.

Is there any way to overcome these conditions?

We have to change the voice actors while bringing out Char and Sayla.

Do we accept the fact that Amuro is also dead?

Instead, the mental structure of being compliant with White Base’s popularity should matter.

You have to confirm the general appeal drama of the TV version as an important factor. Certainly, I set the conditions so that self-confidence would be blocked in all directions, but the main idea would be TV and movies.

In order to receive it, the Sonorama version should be discarded, but it’s not certain whether or not it can be done conscientiously. After all, it may sound like a writer’s self-righteous position, but when considering the revenue earned from the Sonorama version, you will lie to the investors for that amount.

This would be a sin. But is it permissible if it’s supposed to be the basis for making good products?

Char claims he fought as a reformer and died. He would have believed in the possibility of Newtype when he inherited Deikun’s legacy and, above all else, when he saw the drama of human life and death. Yet, he would have died in the embrace of a new love in the fear that people were fragile and that he may indeed be a coldhearted individual. Around that time, there will be an individual to whom he entrusts his affairs, and this person will be a second Char, who will likely be succeeded by the Zeta of Gundam II. Perhaps a Beta Gundam is needed to clean up the mess.

Translator’s Note: The reading above Beta Gundam says ママ or ‘mama’ but your guess is as good as mine as to its meaning. 

■ ZETA GUNDAM = CHAR’S COUNTERATTACK =

If we assume this, what happens to Zeta Gundam?

This leads us to a discussion of the second Newtype theory. Presumably, this will be Gather Stime, but I think we need a little more time to develop this.

After all, this is about empathy between people working hand-in-hand.

Where is its serious appeal when comparing it to real-life events?

Which parts can people empathize with if we were to make this into a drama?

We need to be careful in exploring the main themes and what will be appealing to a mass audience.

However, having spilled out all the above, I  am feeling anxious about where I am headed. After all, the sense of security that one is going in the right direction is mere navel-gazing…

■ FORMER WHITE BASE CREW

They’re individuals who are unable to do anything until Char makes his move. The military affords them a bountiful life, yet doesn’t allow them to escape from it.

The military brands Newtype as dangerous elements. Only one of them, Bright Noa, is serving in the military, but he too is in a do nothing, leisurely posting. The TV series includes episodes of these suppressed individuals, adding to its richness.

ZETA GUNDAM ◎ CHAR’S COUNTERATTACK PERSONAL PLAN
■ SWEETWATER (a space colony at L-2, however, it’s an Island 1 type)

Char Aznable departs.

He is now a soldier in the Earth Federation Forces. He is aware that those from the White Base are living on Earth in a manner similar to imprisonment, and he wants to rescue them.

They will, however, never be able to go out into space ever again. This is because there is presumed to be a conspiracy in the works among some senior government officials and military personnel of the Earth Federation.

The enemy is due to the organization of the Earth Federation itself tired of fighting.

Nonetheless, Char–determined to one day follow in his father’s footsteps–is unable to use his real name right now.

At the same time, people left behind in space had a feeling of isolation from the Earth, and anti-Earth elements were being bred to take over Zeon. The Earth Federation secretly carried out the development of the Zeta Gundam in an L-5 space colony. This is to intimidate the insurrectionaries.

Char crafted a family register and was mixed up in the Federation Forces. Even if he had made contact with the anti-Earth Federation forces, he didn’t want to make a move unless he had a chance of winning.

The possibility of Newtype had been expunged as a religion, and the Earth grew cold.

“True allies on merely former enemies, and they too are in a predicament/dire straits…“

■ THERE WERE RUMORS THAT FORCES BELONGING TO FORMER ZEON THAT HAD SET UP MINEVA FLED TO THE ASTEROID BELT

Char would come into contact with this Mineva faction in the latter half of the story, cooperating with them in the fight.

There is a new Newtype female in this group, and Char himself will be unable to avoid this problem.

There are those in the Earth Federation Government who will come to the table to talk under the condition that Char be willing to cooperate, though a necessary condition is also dragging the enemy out into space.

Then, it’s a story of defeating an immediate enemy.

1984.06.06

■ ABOUT THE ZETA GUNDAM

The success of the Gundam lies with it being the first mobile suit put into practical use, owing its success to the magnetic metal alloy Gundarium developed for the hyper fusion reactor and radiation shielding.

The Zeta Gundam took that Gundarium and made it lighter, harder, and more flexible against instantaneous external forces.

This transformed it into a more robust mobile suit than the previous Gundam.

Its height was just under 15 meters, its cockpit core located in the center of its torso. This core had a built-in emergency escape pod, and a made to “float” by a linear drive, acting as a shock absorber against the 360-degree load of the “humanoid” body’s movement.

Furthermore, the Gundam’s beam rifle was directly connected to the main power reactor, affording it a more powerful range. Moreover, the Gundam is even able to engage in close-quarters combat in space by sharing Minovsky particles, which can temporarily disrupt radio wave weaponry in outer space.

Plus, the Gundam could transform in a manner that wasn’t possible with the previous Gundam. The Gundam’s frame itself transformed in order to afford its flight characteristics in airspace with high aerodynamic drag, facilitating long-distance flight.

As they say, it was impossible to keep the machine at an efficient mass to incorporate a mechanism to transform a suit with numerous operating joints further.

This was also made possible by the improved abilities of Gundarium. Furthermore, it was possible to overcome the conflicting characteristics of hardening and flexibility of the metal used for the operating joints.

Without this innovation in materials, the Zeta would have been plagued by the constant failure of its operating parts.

Note (LD): The planning for Zeta came together at this stage in June. The three-way relationship between Char, the Earth Federation, and the forces that foreshadow Neo Zeon, were already in place. The idea for the main mecha, the Zeta Gundam as a transformable mobile suit, can also be seen here for the first time. What is surprising, though, is the fact that the setting for the miniaturization of mobile suits (from 18 meters to 15 meters), later proposed in Gundam F91, was already in the Director’s mind at this point. In reality, though, the mobile suits in the main story of Zeta actually went the opposite direction: larger sizes. 

Note: After a single storyline was completed with the June 6 version, Director Tomino went through a total of five drafts before arriving at this draft, “Situation ◎ Seven Years Since Then.” The production of this draft took one month, from July 17 to August 20, and could be considered a complete model of the Zeta production. The final version of the presentation presented here (these liner notes) resulted from considerable trial and error in the notes. Due to space constraints, it wasn’t possible to include all of the planning notes in the liner notes booklet. As such, only the most interesting descriptions were picked out for notation.

THE SITUATION ◎ SEVEN YEARS SINCE THEN

Translators Note: As indicated earlier, this section was previously translated. However, there are further fleshed out areas (namely a TV Series/Fundamental Story among other sections) that will be posted here in the future.