TOWARD THE PLANNING OF “RING OF GUNDAM”
Original Creator & Chief Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino

FIRSTLY, ON “REAL G”

Times change, and with them, the temperaments of people do too. Even if one believes they haven’t changed since birth, everyone carries distinct qualities shaped by their own era.

Three decades equate to two generations. Titles that continue to exist and evolve with the waves of their time aren’t uncommon, but neither are they guaranteed.

In 2009, marking the 30th anniversary of Gundam, I truly felt the cyclical nature of time when the younger generation proposed a fresh narrative for the series.

But, before arriving at “Ring of Gundam,” the desire to produce a live-action version of Gundam, codenamed “Real G,” stemmed purely from my own ambition.

LIVE-ACTION GUNDAM FILM

Once children of the past become parents, it’s for the next generation of children to dream and find romance in these tales. Given that digital technology is now accessible even at the studio work level, my generation believes a live-action film is the way forward. That’s why I decided to bring Director Motohiro on board for collaborative planning. Essentially, we intended to craft a cinema production, focusing on testing its studio aspects. I knew that I lacked the knack for simply aligning visuals just for short narratives; they’d end up inferior to even commercials.

ADOPTING FIRST GUNDAM

Should we craft something anew, it requires thinking of a fresh Gundam design and a story beyond “00” and “Unicorn” – that’s where I stand. Thus, I began conceptualizing a plot for a film. However, during that month, I felt the difficulty in framing a story without a finalized Gundam design. Amidst this, Director Motohiro asserted that if a live-action Gundam were to be animated, it must be the First Gundam. As its design needs refining for CGI, that task should be undertaken now. Concurrently, projections clarified that finalizing a new Gundam design post-Unicorn by mid-2008 would be challenging. Witnessing the CGI work in gaming and other projects for Gundam, or similar mobile suits and characters, solidified my belief in refining designs for CGI. Thus, I embraced Director Motohiro’s proposal.

The story concept at that time was as follows…

LIVE ACTION VERSION
“REAL G　GUNDAM” PROPOSAL
2008.04

BASIC STORY

In the year 333 of the Gaia Century, a time beyond the Universal Century of old, those deemed war criminals were sentenced to exile. Their fate was to be cast away to the last remaining space colony, known as “Expatriate Land” – or simply “EX.” These exiles harbored a dream to return to Earth.

Sensing the signs of their impending attempt, the United Nations War Museum Anhaum staff anticipated EX’s use of force. They unearthed nuclear weapons and mobile suits, relics buried since the age of the Universal Century, and resolved to halt this desperate move. Caught in the crossfire was a young girl named Nastassja. Even as her romance with a young Anhaum employee unraveled, she found herself committed to stopping EX’s invasion. The echoes of a once legendary figure, Lalah, seemed to resurface in her.

Nastassja matured into a warrior, determined to demolish the base of the EX, a space colony that once served as a penal island for war criminals. Yet, in this struggle, she met her end, paying the inevitable price of utilizing such devastating weaponry.

But in witnessing Nastassja’s sacrificial end, humanity also watched the fall of its last space colony, EX. With this spectacle, a gentler chapter in human history began to unfold.

WHAT IS THE ERA NAMED GAIA CENTURY

The era marked as G.C., or Gaia Century, is neither the Anno Domini known to history nor the Universal Century of the recent past. It represents humanity’s resolve, having come perilously close to the brink of its own extinction, to forge a new path on Earth, marking this intent by adopting the name ‘Gaia’.

As a solution, space elevators were utilized, and the small asteroid Luna II was towed into the Earth Sphere, thus heralding the dawn of the Universal Century.

Yet, the vastness of space falsely promised an endless frontier for mankind, fed into humanity’s darker instincts. Once more, humans fell into the role of warring creatures, marred by yet another chapter of conflict. The Universal Century became an age of cosmic wars. Continuous conflict neglected the maintenance of the very space colonies that were the new frontiers, leading them toward self-destruction. Meanwhile, on Earth, unbridled consumption of solar energy catalyzed global warming and pollution, leaving mankind utterly exhausted.

Once this realization dawned, humanity vowed to put a firm end to its war-tainted history. The instant any intent to wage war—or even preparations for such an act—was detected, those responsible were condemned as “war criminals.” This led to the enforcement of weapon disarmament or “Armless” initiatives. This belief transcended mere laws, becoming a universal understanding ingrained in the collective consciousness of a species on the brink of annihilation, solidifying the Newtype Consciousness. This proactive disarmament became the zeitgeist, leading humanity to adopt the Gaia Century, a calendar that honors the age of the Earth itself.

WHY THE GAIA CENTURY?

From my perspective, I had already utilized this temporal concept in ∀ Gundam, so I had hoped to avoid proposing it once again. However, faced with the stark contrast between global nuclear disarmament movements and the nuclear aspirations of emerging nations, coupled with the relentless persistence of terrorism, I felt an increasing need to highlight these pressing issues, especially through the medium of live-action. By merging an animated mindset with the rawness of reality, I believed we could create a work with widespread and lasting appeal.

Drawing from these inspirations, I set the story in a Siberian village where young Nastassja resides—a typical village in the Gaia Century’s Earth. It’s a place where ancient relics lay buried in “burial mounds,” with mobile suits arriving from EX and featuring the private defense force Chigup from Anhaum (the UN History War Museum). The narrative traces a journey from Siberia through Japan and finally to Tokyo.

Upon submitting this draft, however, Director Motohiro felt that setting up for a sequel wasn’t optimal. The story had to present a fresh worldview since it was to be a successor to the First Gundam concept. A narrative built solely around Gundam designs from the First series wouldn’t suffice; it had to encapsulate iconic elements, such as the “legacy of Amuro.”

“Fans resonate with stories that encapsulate elements they can emotionally connect with.”

As I reconsidered, aiming to capture the interest of the current younger generation, the premise of Real G, which seemed to emerge purely from my own interests, demanded course correction. Based on the world I set up in “Real G,” I combined it with elements that Motohiro brought in. This process became a circular and serendipitous endeavor, evolving into the concept of “Ring G.”

AMURO’S LEGACY AND THE BEAUTY MEMORY

Narratively, by using Amuro’s legacy in the form of the Gundam, I hinted at the protagonist’s potential awakening as a Newtype. The very group that resurrected and reconstructed this suit, I imagined, would be the people of EX, war criminals of the Space War. As this setting evolved, I conceived the character of “Beauty Memory” as a metaphor for the certainty and uncertainty of modern computer data. Although she serves as a data interface, I didn’t want her to come across as too sci-fi; it seemed more fitting for her to simply appear as a singular character, especially considering my anticipation that sci-fi elements might not be marketable in the next decade or so.

THE BEARER OF PAST MEMORIES

The urge to have a character narrate the past—even if it meant turning data into a character—was sparked by my discovery of Hannah Arendt’s “The Origins of Totalitarianism” around December 2007. The mere proliferation of mankind leading to Earth’s destruction seemed too simplistic. Likewise, the coercive power of dictatorial regimes, epitomized by Gihren Zabi, couldn’t alone doom our planet—a notion I had harbored for over two decades. Arendt’s elucidation on totalitarianism felt eerily akin to humanity’s self-destructive tendencies. This compelled me to envision a character capable of explaining this in the narrative, culminating in the creation of Beauty, a character birthed from memory storage itself. Through her, I believe, the backdrop for First Gundam’s introduction and the story’s historical context can be narrated seamlessly.

RING OF GUNDAM’S STORY

This tale unfolds adjacent to the Universal Century.

The Earth Federation Forces, reborn from the eradicated past century, revitalized from development to construction, reinstating primary industries. Fueled by Earth’s environment and solar energy, they finally cultivated their military forces with mobile suits at their core.

Yet, even as they exiled war criminals to the last space colony, “EX,” the reconstruction of their army stemmed from a foreseen invasion from this very EX. Another undercurrent to this reconstruction was the looming battle for the Ring Colony.

Crafted foundationally by nanorobots, the Ring Colony had grown over several centuries into a massive ring-shaped structure spanning more than five hundred kilometers in diameter. A relic from the Universal Century, its scale dwarfed that of past space colonies.

During these times, the symbol of humanity’s past, the “Beauty Memory,” was discovered atop one of Earth’s lofty mountains. Immured within solid rock, it was impervious to Earth’s attempts at unveiling its secrets.

Captain Glenn, AG, and his Skull Squad ascended via the space elevator to the geostationary orbit. Their mission aboard the battleship Sea Horse (Tatsunootoshigo): set course for the Ring Colony, spurred by the whispered phrase “Amuro’s Legacy” extracted from the Memory.

Already, EX’s stationed forces were at the Ring Colony, seeking to restore Amuro’s Legacy. When Captain Glenn and his Skull Squad infiltrated, what met their gaze was a vision straight out of First Gundam. As AG attempted to commandeer it, Yuria, one of EX’s sentinels, sought to thwart him. But once activated by the duo, the Gundam decimated the Skull Squad, returning to the Sea Horse. AG’s true colors unveiled – he was a spy dispatched by EX, infiltrating the Earth Federation Forces to find the Beauty Memory.

Housed within the ship, the Memory resonated with the Gundam. The excavated rock chunk was data resonating memory that could self-search. Observing the interplay between the rock and the Gundam, the mobile suits of the Skull Squad could only stand and watch.

Upon the Gundam’s touch, the rock crumbled, revealing a Memory Capsule, and within, the dormant Beauty Memory spoke, “Someday, mankind will link with Amuro’s Legacy and send all memories of Earth to the new world.” Yet, she further revealed that the Ring Colony was a “ship” designed for journeys to younger solar systems.

“Mankind can survive even if the sun perishes, for the vastness of space is infinite… to strive towards the infinite… not to become gods but to embrace the cycle of life that coexists with an endless universe. Such challenges are the tasks set upon life. Choose wisely or face annihilation.”

However, Captain Glenn and the Skull Squad feared that the Ring Colony would become a strategic vantage point for EX to establish dominion over Earth and sought its destruction. Against overwhelming odds, with limited forces, AG and Yuria tried to deter them. With the astonishing capabilities of the Gundam, Amuro’s Legacy, they obliterated their adversaries and even besieged the Earth base of the Skull Squad.

Throughout this, the Ring Colony inched closer to the space elevator’s orbit, prepping for its departure from the solar system. Within the Federation Forces base, now a stronghold for the Skull Squad, there were those who believed in the Ring Colony’s mission to broadcast humanity’s legacy to a new Earth.

AG and Yuria, upon interacting with these believers, were understood and were enlightened about the tragic tales of humanity narrated by the Beauty Memory. Thus, with the Skull Squad neutralized, AG and Yuria could use the space elevator to return to the Ring Colony.

ISSUES OF CHARACTERS

In the initial planning phase, we considered inserting the actual actors’ faces and directly compositing their performances. However, a problem arose: which ethnicity should the actors be? Eventually, we concluded that the versatility and symbolic nature of hand-drawn characters might allow the work to endure for a longer time.

With this in mind, we considered the 3D characters proposed by the digital studio. Yet, whether we aimed for realistic characters through current digital processing or endeavored to create hand-drawn characters, we arrived at the conclusion that it would merely reflect the current era. Thus, time running out, we had no choice but to proceed with the production in its current form.

In essence, we could not provide an answer to what a non-cartoonish character, compatible with digital operations, should be.

In light of these results, the search for new staff has now commenced.

The concept of “Avatar” offers one solution that aligns with digital capabilities. However, there’s concern this approach might confine the characters within the work itself, preventing the story from reaching out beyond its own confines?

ISSUES OF ACTING AND NAMES

Regarding acting, it has been confirmed that we can capture the actors’ expressions in a form closely resembling their actual acting. However, issues of production cost and scheduling have also emerged. Yet adopting this technology does imbue the film with a richer cinematic expression.

Should the character creation succeed and that performance be incorporated into the imagery, the film could fully embrace animated functionality, thereby erasing the distinction between live-action and animation.

In other words, the biased statement that “Avatar” is not a live-action movie but an animation is already becoming a relic of the past.

With this perspective in mind, there are opinions that the name “Beauty Memory” must be changed. That name may sound too reminiscent of a comic book to foreign ears. If the full name were “Beautiful,” it might be understood when shortened to “Beauty.” This, therefore, leads to the formal explanation:

“The capsule in which ‘Beautiful Memory’ appears contains data that is the very memory of the Earth. The characters that emerge are summoned in an instant, interpreting the circumstances of that moment, and thus remain unspecified.”

FLAWS THAT BECAME APPARENT IN MOTION

The refined design of the Gundam was thoroughly checked in 3D imagery multiple times before proceeding to the animation phase, and initially, there seemed to be no issues. However, as the images neared completion, a sense of discomfort emerged. In other words, while the design appeared fine in still images, it started to create an odd sense of incongruity in the context of backgrounds and other subjects within the frame. An exemplary design, or character, resolves this issue—it remains compelling, whether static or in motion.

The cause of this issue wasn’t immediately apparent upon completion. However, by 2010, the cause started to become clearer. Although it’s too complex to detail here due to its sensory nature, it can be said that this is something characterized by the fact that you can’t notice it immediately after seeing a still image. It’s the kind of thing that once you’ve become attached to the still image, you can’t distinguish it.

This issue extends to character design, and with the insight gained here, I yearn for a solution—though none is clearly in sight.

REVERTING TO ANIME CHARACTERISTICS

Through the process up to this point, we’ve confirmed that anime possesses the capacity to convey the narrative (message) in a cool manner. With this realization, we wish to communicate to children who are now somewhat detached from mecha anime that anime and movies aren’t just things older siblings like. Originally, anime was intended for children, and movies weren’t considered top-tier entertainment either, so we want to recapture that feeling. This approach could lead to sustained success as well.

With “Ring of Gundam,” even while tackling challenging themes, we aim to create something where people can think, “It would be amazing and cool to pilot a robot!” Beam rifle battles are great, but sword duels (chanbara) are great, too (after all, it’s a movie!). We want to make a work that conveys this sentiment.

Considering that sci-fi is currently largely overlooked, even utilizing Gundam, we believe it’s not a bad idea to put forth a message like, “Even using Gundam, we are looking beyond the solar system and heading towards a new Earth.” This could paradoxically serve as an appeal for the value of Earth, as we don’t believe people are so foolish.

For the next generation—those with the talent and sensibility to consider Earth’s future more seriously—we wish to offer a beacon of hope. Spinning a convincing doomsday tale for Earth, plunging everyone into despair—that, I cannot condone.

Truth be told, in the initial concept, we hadn’t considered the space elevator. However, we realized that introducing it into the story required not only an engineering perspective but also an understanding of harnessing the power of nature. Thus, by incorporating the space elevator, the inertial forces of the space elevator could also come into play when the Ring Colony departs from Earth.

The implication here is profound: while not all are solvable by human ingenuity alone, by studying the environment that sustains us, might we not achieve feats beyond human intellect? It is with this faith that we hope to send this message to the next generation.

DESIGN WORKS
CHARACTERS & MECHANICS

This section has not yet been translated.