MECHA DESIGN: EXPLORING ITS TRUE NATURE Are Mecha Designers Artists? The profession of mecha designer, which became indispensable in the anime industry following Gundam’s massive success – is the job of creating these iconic mechanical designs really what we imagine it to be? Let’s delve into the unexplored reality of mecha designers. Composition/Text by Hiroyuki […]

Vol.1 Aircraft-Inspired MS Design: RGM-79N GM Custom This new series, “In Universal Century,” visually expresses the potential “feel” of mobile suits and other weapons that would exist in the Universal Century based on their inherent world-building details. For our inaugural feature, we’ve envisioned an “aircraft-inspired mobile suit design.” In the “Gundam” universe, it’s often said […]

  Vree vree vree vree vree I was on standby. In front of me, the time stamp at the bottom of the monitor turned red and an alarm began to sound. Finally, Operation Javelin had begun! I had been sitting in the cockpit of my Zaku J-type, absentmindedly gazing at the sea and the sand […]

Congratulations on the launch of B-CLUB! I heard that my crude illustration was released in the first issue, so thank you so much for that. The design I sent in for the talent project has changed so much in the past few months, so I very much want a place to show it off. I […]

Universal Century 0083.12 Assignment “There’s no way…” murmured the recently promoted lieutenant JG, Eliard Hunter, after receiving his orders. He was in the middle of mobile suit training on a Salamis-class that was orbiting the Earth when the order came down. He would be joining the services of the Titans. At the time when Jamitov […]

INSTALLMENT.02 Elec-Car: An Overview Six years have passed since ZZ… This April marks the premiere of the new TV series Mobile Suit V Gundam (VG for short). The studio is bustling with activity. Even as I type this manuscript, beside me, Kawaguchi, VG’s setting designer, is building a fortress of reference materials from past Gundam […]

INSTALLMENT.01 The Officially Sanctioned Zeon Principality Chronograph Prelude: The Beginning of the Battle It was in early February, as winter’s chill pressed in. My brain was approaching saturation point, buried in work for a new show, when I received a phone call through my hazy consciousness. “Remember that B-Club column page we discussed? Well, it’s […]

Universal Century Mini-Monograph This section compiles Koichi Inoue’s Universal Century Mini-Monograph series, which ran from B-CLUB issues 87-127, with illustrations by Youichi Fukano. For this compilation, Haro was added as the final installment. Installment.01: The Officially Sanctioned Zeon Principality Chronograph Installment.02: Elec-Car: An Overview Installment.03: V-MEMO Installment.04: Tool Knife Installment.05: Zanscare Empire Issued Handgun Installment.06: […]

GUNDAM 45th ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGES: New Visual Expression in Requiem for Vengeance and Silver Phantom Interview with Producer Naohiro Ogata The latest entry in the popular Gundam anime series, Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, launched worldwide exclusively on Netflix on October 17th. This 3D original animation focuses on the European front of the One Year […]

WITNESS THE “WHITE DEVIL” ON THE BATTLEFIELD, AS ENVISIONED BY A GERMAN DIRECTOR RAISED ON GUNPLA The latest entry in the Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, is now streaming exclusively worldwide on Netflix. Set against the backdrop of the European theater during the One Year War, this militaristic work is portrayed through […]

GUNDAM AIMS FOR MAJOR WORKS EVERY YEAR LEADING UP TO 50th ANNIVERSARY Interview with Naohiro Ogata, General Manager of Gundam Business Division The Mobile Suit Gundam series, which began broadcasting its first series in 1979, marks its 45th anniversary this year. The franchise continues to generate buzz with upcoming releases like Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem […]

G-SAVIOUR DISPATCH VOL.01 Text by Kouichi Inoue UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF HOLLYWOOD’S LIVE-ACTION G-SAVIOUR! As promised in last month’s issue, here’s G-Saviour Dispatch. The Hollywood-produced live-action “G-Saviour” has already been screened at charity events during the official Okinawa American Short Short Film Festival last June, and on JAL’s Hawaii and domestic routes in August. However, not […]

G-SAVIOUR ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION Participants: Koichi Inoue (Sunrise) Takanori Tsukada (Sunrise Interactive) Yoshikazu Maeda (Sunrise Interactive/Atelier Sai) Katsumi Kawaguchi (Bandai Hobby Division) Tadahiro Sato (Dengeki Hobby Magazine) Hironori Shibahara (Dengeki Hobby Magazine) ■ G-SAVIOUR ≠ GUNDAM? Satou: From our readers’ perspective, the first question that comes to mind is, “Isn’t G-Saviour just another Gundam?” We’ve written […]

An Idyllic Worldview Concealing an Extinct Civilization Turn A Gundam, while bearing the Gundam name, painted a world unlike any seen before in the franchise. Initially bewildering to fans, this unique vision ultimately became the series’ defining charm. We spoke with Shigeru Morita of Studio Nue, the mastermind behind this distinctive world-building, to understand the […]

SPECIAL FEATURE: 40 YEARS OF MOBILE SUITS The Environment Surrounding Gunpla and Changing Times A Conversation with BANDAI SPIRITS Interviewees: Hirofumi Kishiyama and Yoshihiro Kano from BANDAI SPIRITS Hobby Division It’s been 39 years since Gunpla first hit the shelves. From the explosive “Gunpla Boom” of the early 1980s to now, we’ve seen various approaches […]

INTERVIEW WITH CHIEF DIRECTOR YOSHIYUKI TOMINO 25 years on, Turn A Gundam’s reputation continues to grow. This work undoubtedly showcases Tomino’s unique directorial approach. We spoke with Yoshiyuki Tomino about the foundations of Turn A Gundam, its lasting impact, and his current reflections. Text and Composition by Hiroyuki Kawai REASONS AND PROCESS BEHIND THE OUTBREAK […]

FIVE GUNDAMS FOR FIVE PILOT: THIS IS HOW THEY WERE BORN Interview with Mechanical Designer Hajime Katoki The five new Gundams that appeared in the OAV took on forms that were more befitting of Wing. They were reborn to more deeply reflect the nature of the five pilots who operate them. What was needed was […]

A Merciless Roundtable Discussion Ambushes the Relieved Creators Upon Completion of All 3 OAV Volumes! “THERE’S MORE THAN ONE ANSWER TO GUNDAM WING!” Producer: Hideyuki Tomioka Scriptwriter: Katsuyuki Sumizawa Director: Yasunao Aoki It was the night of the final screening for the third OAV volume. The tension had visibly melted from the shoulders of Sunrise […]

CREATOR INTERVIEW Yasunao Aoki (Director) x Katsuyuki Sumizawa (Script) x Hikaru Midorikawa (Heero Yuy) “WINGS” ARE THE ESSENCE OF ENDLESS WALTZ ――When was the OVA project decided? Sumizawa: The OVA project landed on my desk around April ’96, right after the TV series wrapped. I remember Tomioka, our producer at the time, telling me, “Try […]