MANGA ARTIST
KAZUHISA KONDO INTERVIEW

Interviewer: Sergeant Yamazaki | Special Guest: Kimitoshi Yamane

Born April 2, 1959, Kondo is a manga artist residing in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. He made his debut in 1984 and has since become a cornerstone in the Gundam universe. His notable works include Mobile Suit Gundam MS Senki, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam 0079, among others.

As we wrap up our MSV special, we’re thrilled to bring you an interview with manga artist Kazuhisa Kondo. Kondo is a pivotal figure in Gundam history, relentlessly pursuing the militaristic aspects of the franchise through various works, including MS Senki. His contributions have left an indelible mark on the Gundam world. His creations, steeped in military realism and meticulous research, embody the spirit of MSV, with many MSV units featured prominently in his works. Today, our very own Sergeant Yamazaki will uncover the secrets behind his craft. We’re also joined by an unexpected guest, mecha designer Kimitoshi Yamane, a close friend of Kondo’s. Buckle up for this star-studded conversation!

THIS GUY CAN DRAW GUNDAM!

SERGEANT: The first thing that comes to mind is Comic BomBom. You won an award there, didn’t you?

KONDO: Yes, a newcomer’s award. Interestingly, that award-winning piece was sci-fi manga, but it was never published. My actual debut was with a supernatural story in BomBom (laughs). But Takashi Yasui, who was producing MSV and also the founding editor that magazine, saw potential in me. He thought, “This guy can draw Gundam!” and guided me behind the scenes. My first publication in BomBom was MS Senki. After about six months of that, I moved on to the manga adaptation of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, which was in development at the time. I think Yasui had this whole progression planned out in his head. He had the platform ready but needed someone who could deliver. I just happened to be the one who took the bait.

SERGEANT: But MS Senki had a young Zeon soldier as the protagonist, right? For us fans, that’s fantastic, but wasn’t it quite unconventional for a kids’ magazine? I mean, Gundam was on the enemy side.

KONDO: True, but remember how high-quality the Gunpla examples in BomBom were back then? Despite being a children’s magazine, it had this air of a hobby magazine for adults. So, having a Zeon soldier as the protagonist wasn’t really an issue.

SERGEANT: Come to think of it, I was in high school then, and to be honest, I felt a bit embarrassed buying the magazine. But I bought it anyway, mainly for your manga and the model kit examples.

KONDO: That’s wonderful to hear. It’s heartwarming to know that after more than 20 years, you can say that (laughs).

I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CUT INTO MY SLEEP!

SERGEANT: So, MSV was first introduced through model kits, and then came MS Senki. You were clearly influenced by MSV, weren’t you?

KONDO: Oh, absolutely. I was drowning in it. I loved anime and was a military buff, so I had all this knowledge just… fermenting inside me (laughs).

SERGEANT: But MSV often radically altered the original TV designs, right? In contrast, I felt you expressed individuality through panel lines and verniers – the details.

YAMANE: Yes, you really emphasized the functional aspects, didn’t you?

KONDO: Whether it’s MSV or the original mobile suits, they’re all based on that anime feel. But I’d think, “If these were real and zipping around in space, those verniers would be pathetically inadequate. They’d need communication antennas, and any unnecessary armor should be stripped away…” The designs you see are the result of my own thoughts on how they should realistically be.

YAMANE: Back then, did you ever struggle with whether mobile suits should be more aircraft-like or more like AFVs¹?

KONDO: Initially, I was conscious of both aspects. They fly in space, but they also need thick armor. However, when I introduced ground combat mobile suits in the Revival of Zeon, I was definitely leaning toward the AFV concept.

SERGEANT: And that’s why you gave them camouflage paint jobs, right?

KONDO: As a model maker myself, I was itching to do camouflage. I mean, these are weapons – why paint them in such flashy, conspicuous colors? Sure, you could say, “because it’s anime,” and that’d be a valid answer, but still.

SERGEANT: You’re a troublemaker for modelers, sir. They have to do the camouflage, add all those molded details… it’s a lot of work!

KONDO: Hey now, it was hell for me drawing it too! I had to pump out 40 pages a month, four times to make a volume. That was the editor’s calculation for a full book. And nobody asked me to add all those details (laughs). I had some experience as an assistant, but I was still a rookie who’d just debuted. I had no clue how to draw manga efficiently. I’d set myself up with this incredibly time-consuming style, so I had to take responsibility for it. There was nothing for it but to sacrifice sleep.

I COULDN’T DRAW WITHOUT THE SETTING MATERIALS!

SERGEANT: I’ve got a fundamental question. Didn’t you catch flak from the copyright holders for altering the mobile suit designs so drastically?

KONDO: For MS Senki, it was fine. With Zeta, I did get some pushback, but we were working simultaneously with the TV broadcast, so thorough checks were impossible. The script would mention new mobile suits, but I wouldn’t have the design sheets. I’d have to leave those panels blank and draw what I could.

SERGEANT: Wait, but there weren’t any blank panels in the published manga, right?

KONDO: That’s because the production coordinators from Sunrise would frantically deliver freshly completed design sheets at all hours. Sometimes, they’d describe color schemes over the phone: “It’s a two-tone green…” Remember, this was before fax machines were commonplace.

SERGEANT: I recall the Messala looking quite different in your manga.

KONDO: That’s because I only knew its pre-transformation design. When I found out it turned into a mobile suit, I thought, “Well, I’ve already drawn it like an aircraft, so let’s just roll with it.”

SERGEANT: (laughs) The Full Armor Gundam Mk-II was great too. It felt like a true successor to MSV.

KONDO: Seeing that made Yasui want to do MSV for Zeta as well.

SERGEANT: I was also blown away by the Chaika².

KONDO: Funny story – it originally came to me as the Dijeh design. I thought, “This looks decidedly Zeon,” so I made it a Zeon mobile suit. Surprisingly, no one complained. After the show ended, I met the designer, Kazumi Fujita, who was thrilled, saying, “The Dijeh really does have that Zeon vibe, doesn’t it?”

SERGEANT: Another favorite Kondo-style MSV of mine was the Griffin.

KONDO: For that one, I first reimagined the Barzam³ as a mass-production version of the Gundam Mk-II. Then, I wanted to create a mobile suit that was like a hybrid of the Barzam and the Marasai. You know, it’s funny – the idea of Barzam being a mass-produced Mk-II seems to have become semi-official now. Hajime Katoki’s design in Gundam Fix Figuration really leans into that concept.

NO ONE ELSE UNDERSTOOD WHAT I WAS DOING

SERGEANT: For those of us who experienced MSV before encountering MS Senki, we could fully appreciate your version of Zeta, no matter how much it differed from the anime.

KONDO: Well, towards the end, even the story was different. For BomBom readers, it’s all about mecha battles and epic showdowns, right? (laughs)

SERGEANT: You have this knack for respecting the original designs while subtly tweaking their balance. That’s why you’re so popular among real-world military enthusiasts. It’s different from the MSV that became model kits, but to me, it feels like another branch of MSV altogether.

KONDO: It’s a relief to hear you say that. Back then, I was just a rookie. In the editorial department, only my editor and Yasui were Gundam fans. No one else really understood what I was drawing or the revolutionary changes I was bringing about.

YAMANE: You undoubtedly pioneered the “military arrangement” genre in Gundam. I believe that lineage is still deeply rooted in many creators’ work today.

KONDO: Yeah, you can definitely sense kindred spirits out there (laughs).

SERGEANT: The way people built models changed dramatically from that time, too.

KONDO: Everyone was freely making all sorts of arrangements. It seems that’s become more challenging these days.

SERGEANT: True, it feels like the creative freedom has been significantly constrained.

KONDO: Well, Gundam has become such a massive market. I understand entirely why Sunrise can’t leave things unchecked anymore.

SERGEANT: Gundam has become as iconic in Japan as Mickey Mouse is in America.

KONDO: Indeed. Maybe we should give it ears. As a new MSV, you know (laughs).

I WAS THE ONE WHO SCATTERED REAL BULLETS

SERGEANT: We touched on this earlier, but let’s talk about Revival of Zeon. Even for die-hard fans of yours like me, that was shocking.

KONDO: Really? That came about when Shinichiro Inoue from Kadokawa wanted to publish something to coincide with Char’s Counterattack. But I dragged my feet, and by the time I finished, the film had already left theaters (laughs). It was hardcore military stuff, and I thought it would never sell. Turns out it was a massive hit. Inoue joked that it “saved his neck.”

SERGEANT: Revival of Zeon was in a league of its own. The camouflage was intense, and don’t get me started on the Zimmerit coating⁴. We model builders had heated debates about how to recreate that. People who only watched the anime wouldn’t even know what Zimmerit coating is.

YAMANE: Even today, many don’t get it. Some think those striped patterns are for deflecting bullets (laughs).

SERGEANT: (laughs) But you see, those of us who knew you were an AFV expert started digging into tank literature. We figured if we went to the source, we’d understand what Zimmerit coating really was. It got us studying real tanks.

KONDO: That’s fantastic! Good on you.

SERGEANT: That’s how many modelers transitioned from Gundam to tanks. We were reading a Gundam manga but learning about things beyond Gundam.

KONDO: I mean, I was questioning why mobile suits would even have Panzerfausts⁵ (laughs). But later, Panzerfausts became a staple in Gundam for a while, didn’t they? Also, I was the one who introduced kinetic weapons when everyone thought beam weapons were supreme. The muzzle flash⁶ looks cool, doesn’t it?

SERGEANT: That impact resonates even with high school students today.

KONDO: That’s heartening to hear. You know, people these days build such pristine models, but isn’t it okay to have the opposite too? There are no hard and fast rules in model making. I think there should be more room for diversity.

MY MANGA HAS THAT SPECIAL “SALTY” FLAVOR

KONDO: As we mentioned earlier, it’d make me happy if young readers question why my manga is the way it is and sniff out the spices I’ve sprinkled at the foundation – the real weapons and war history.

SERGEANT: Today’s kids seem to light up when they see realistic details like rivets or weld lines in MSV designs. It’s fresh to them.

KONDO: Remember those garage kits of mobile suits I designed? They’re extinct now, but a 30-something bought a G-Commander⁸ kit at triple the price in an online auction. He even brought a master of the Goblin⁴ he made himself. I got a bit choked up. For kids who were in elementary school back then, something like the Goblin might be quite shocking now.

SERGEANT: We went through the stages: anime, MSV, then your manga. But for young folks who might be tired of recent Gundam trends, your mecha must be mind-blowing. Especially without that build-up.

KONDO: You know, I feel like I’m having fun playing because others laid the MSV foundation. As an artist, it’s interesting to arrange and draw those obscure mobile suits and armors that almost everyone’s forgotten.

YAMANE: What’s great about your mecha is how you faithfully depict the delicate parts as delicate. Like manipulators with weak-looking armor. It conveys that raw, mechanical feel. It’s spot-on for manga expression.

KONDO: Until about 25 years ago, before the Gunpla boom, it felt like military fans were using Gundam as their playground, right? My manga had that vibe, too.

YAMANE: But recently, they’re selling snack toys with Kondo-esque arranged mobile suits. And with series like The 08th MS Team and MS IGLOO, isn’t Gundam’s military line making a comeback?

SERGEANT: In hobby magazines, whether it’s Gundam or Votoms, you’re starting to see weathering in the contest entries. Both in weathering and details, the military style is blowing through the model world again. By the way, hasn’t the detail increased in your current Gundam Ace series?

KONDO: Ah… maybe because there are fewer pages (laughs). And my editor keeps encouraging me, saying “This is great!” But if you read it, you’ll notice it has that “salty” flavor, right?

SERGEANT: Yeah, those who get it, get that “salty” flavor (laughs). The pay might be low, but please draw some manga for Great Mechanics, too… Oh, maybe I shouldn’t mention the low pay (laughs)!

1. AFV: Stands for Armored Fighting Vehicle, referring to tanks and similar armored combat vehicles.
2. Chaika
3. Barzam
4. Zimmerit Coating: A protective coating used on German tanks in World War II to prevent magnetic mines from sticking to the armor. It has a distinctive ridged surface that’s popular among modelers. In reality, though, the enemy never used magnetic mines, so it ended up being useless.
5. Panzerfaust: An anti-tank weapon developed by the German military during World War II. Essentially, it’s the same kind of weapon as the American bazooka, but the German version has the warhead at the end of a thin tube, making it look quite different. Since its adoption as a mobile suit weapon in 0080, it’s become a standard Zeon MS weapon.
6. Muzzle Flash: The flash of flame from a gun’s muzzle when firing. By the way, the visible trail of light you see from machine guns after firing and before impact is from tracer rounds, which is different from this.
7. G-Commander: A mobile suit (model number RX-92LAS or MF-92S) that appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam: New MS War Chronicle.
8. Goblin: A mobile suit (model number MS-109A) from Revival of Zeon. Also called Stuka, it was designed for local combat and could be manufactured at 2/3 the cost of a standard unit.