THE PROCESS BEHIND THE PROJECT, STARTING WITH THE LIFE-SIZED STATUE

First, please tell us about the background of the development of the film “Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative.”

Fukui: The project started in 2015. In conjunction with the erection of the life-size Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba in 2017, a proposal was made to create a video work to tie into “Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.”

The format of the announcement was undecided, but initially, the project was being developed as a mini-series consisting of four episodes, with the aim of an OVA or streaming release. Although unintentional, this TV edition is closer to the original format. During the planning stages, it was common knowledge in the industry that streaming would become the primary market versus packaged goods like Blu-ray or DVD. But, it was still unclear whether Netflix would launch in Japan or what the specific revenue recoup methods would be. Plus, since other works had followed the style of our continuous event screening for “Unicorn,” we ultimately opted for a straight theatrical release.

The story behind Narrative is based on your short novel “Phoenix Hunt” from Unicorn, isn’t it?

Fukui: Since it was originally a “Unicorn” related project, there was a proposal to adapt “Phoenix Hunt” directly in the early stages. However, that is just an extra chapter of “Unicorn.” Now that it’s finished, it’s just a tale from the past. The audience wants to see what happens next. So, we decided to move the clock forward, even if it’s a lie and created a new story by drawing on elements from that novel.

There was also a time constraint. As part of the project’s intent, it wouldn’t make sense to complete it if too much time passed once the statue was erected, so I didn’t have ample time to develop the script. It was an extreme situation where I had to finish the script for the film in about three months, and it was virtually impossible to do that from scratch, so there were some aspects that drew from the foundation of my own work.

HESITATING THE MOST ON REVEALING THE NEWTYPE THEORY

Were there any particular points you struggled with during the writing process?

Fukui: It wasn’t so much that I struggled, but what I thought about the most was how far I should go in expressing my thoughts on Newtype theory in the film.

My own opinion on Newtypes is presented in “Newtype Consideration and My Thoughts: An Essay,” which was included in the “Gundam UC Testimonials” (also published by Kadokawa). In it, I posited that it’s one of the hypotheses that could be considered at the moment, even if it’s not the only correct answer. “Unicorn” was also produced based on these considerations, though not explicitly expressed in the work. I considered whether to reveal this in “Narrative.”

While the promotional tagline for “Narrative” when it was released was “The Destination of the Newtype Myth,” the same can be said of the motif “What is a Newtype,” can’t it?

Fukui: While Newtypes were only briefly touched upon in the first Mobile Suit Gundam, it was shelved as unknown territory since humanity was unable to reach that realm, so it hadn’t been studied in depth in the previous Universal Century series. I had my hesitations about shedding light on something that had remained hidden for so long, but since it was a movie that was looking ahead to the future of “Unicorn,” I figured it was necessary to give the audience something like that as a souvenir.

So, I decided to depict the image of those who try to approach such an elevated existence in a vein similar to the myth of Icarus, who fell to Earth after aiming for the sun with wings made from beeswax. I incorporated that into the story, which turned out to be the biggest decision I made writing the script for “Narrative.”

THE STRUCTURE AND ESSENCE BEHIND UNIVERSAL CENTURY GUNDAM

Were the elements changed and added from Phoenix Hunt to Narrative done so to depict the image of Newtypes?

Fukui: At the same time, I had the desire to convey the feeling of the world of the Universal Century, of Gundam, to the audience. By following the paths of Rita, Jona, and Michele since their childhood, I wanted to convey the premise that humanity was expanding into space during these times and that society was hopelessly stagnating and corrupt. This was to get people to realize that the world of the Universal Century is contiguous with the modern world we live in, and the problems depicted here echo those faced by society in the real world. The world of Gundam, like the real world, is stagnating and has become a mess too. Despite that, some people are thinking about how to get out of it. If people can understand that, even first-time viewers can touch the core of what Gundam is and leave with that feeling.

The core of Gundam?

Fukui: Yes, war dramas, particularly in anime, tend to paint battles and soldiers heroically.

Gundam was created as an antithesis to that trend. It doesn’t depict war as a spectacle, and when soldiers die, they die cruelly and horribly. That’s what sets it apart from ordinary fiction, and it’s also an element that strongly resonates with certain segments of the population.

“Narrative” is extremely faithful to this aspect. The worst possible things happen around the main characters, and people continue to move in a direction where they can’t turn back. Moreover, it’s not because the characters are merely stupid but because they act on principles or karma that cannot be compromised or twisted, so they have no choice but to press forward. People may be such helpless creatures, but that’s why they want to change. Newtypes offer the possibility of that change.

There are so many different Gundam works now, so despite labeling it with the term “Universal Century,” I intended to condense the structure and essence of Gundam into 90 minutes. It’s been a while since I last watched it, so some parts have become vague.

LOOKING BACK ON REACTIONS TO “NARRATIVE” AT THE TIME OF ITS RELEASE

Can you tell us about the time when “Narrative” was released?

Fukui: Schedule-wise, we were really working up to the last minute. On the day of the preview screening, we were still dubbing the film and had to make the staff of the next production wait outside the studio while we worked.

Given the circumstances, when I watched the film on the big screen at the preview screening, I couldn’t help but notice the parts where we rushed too much or where it seemed like “torture.” I felt like I didn’t measure up in those areas. I remember my legs trembling during the stage greeting, which was the first time that happened to me during a preview screening.

On the other hand, I got the feeling that we were reaching more of the audience than expected.

The first preview was for general office workers who won a magazine lottery, like your typical office lady. I was so afraid that only people familiar with Gundam would understand it, but the girls who didn’t know much watched it and cried normally. Maybe not having prior knowledge allows it to be enjoyed more straightforwardly. I felt that it might have turned out to be an unexpectedly beginner-friendly Gundam.

This is true. “Narrative” and “Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway” that followed seem to have cultivated new fans who haven’t watched previous series, not to mention core fans. 

Fukui: That trend has been there since “Unicorn.” Oddly enough, “Unicorn” was a work for the core fans of the existing series, and the goal was to direct their attention to a time period other than the One Year War.

So, we went about “Unicorn” with Char’s Counterattack as a starting point, and from that, it wasn’t just the core fans but also potential fans who had drifted away from Gundam, and new fans who had never known Gundam for some reason, came in. I don’t know how that happened, but it increased with each episode.

Symbolic of that was a girl who had been brought by her boyfriend for episodes 1 and 2 but had come alone to watch episode 7 after breaking up with him.

It seems that Gundam, which she had been watching out of obligation, became the kind of film that she wanted to watch?

Fukui: Yes, but she probably won’t watch any other Gundam outside of “Unicorn” and might not even know that “Narrative” had been released.

Today there’s an abundance of content and information, so I don’t think your average joe will try to watch each series in the franchise in order to master it. Rather, they can just enjoy the individual works with different tastes.

In fact, at the time of the film’s release, many fans didn’t know that it was a sequel to “UC,” and all the staff members were surprised.

Really?

Fukui: I even heard afterward that many fans said, “I would have watched it if I knew it was a sequel to ‘UC.'” We had intended to call it a sequel, but it hadn’t reached the so-called casual fans. Unless there is a large-scale promotion like that for “Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash,” it is really difficult to reach customers other than the core ones. The number of customers who, hungry for information and will definitely come to see Gundam has decreased over the years, just like it did in the past.

It is good that each work is evaluated on its own merits, but it is also important to appeal to the previous audience as a franchise series. I realized that if it’s a sequel, it’s crucial to clearly advertise it as “UC2” or something.

WHAT DRIVES NT, MOON GUNDAM, AND UC

What is your involvement in “Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative” by Kouzou Ohmori?

Fukui: If there are any questions or doubts regarding the detailed settings, I try to provide answers, but as for the manga version, it’s entirely Ohmori’s original work, so I leave everything up to him. I have no intention of interfering with the original elements of the settings or developments, as long as they don’t deviate too far from the world of Gundam and “NT,” and I know that Ohmori wouldn’t do that either. So, I’m enjoying it with the same stance as the readers have.

Previously, I heard from Ohmori that you were the type of person who would receive proposals from manga artists and judge their validity rather than proposing ideas yourself.

Fukui: That was during the serialization of “Mobile Suit Gundam UC Bande Dessinée.” We discussed in great detail the direction and preferences at that time, so I could trust him and leave it to him.

As for myself, when creating primary works, I have detailed discussions and checks with co-authors, but for secondary works such as manga adaptations, I want to respect the author’s creativity, so once the staffing is done, I want them to be free to do as they please. In that sense, since “Mobile Suit Moon Gundam” is a primary work being serialized as a manga, I check the final drafts on a case-by-case basis.

Although “NT” characters appear in “Moon Gundam,” do the two works have a connection?

Fukui: Of course, both works are set in the Universal Century and exist in the same world. The depiction of Newtypes in both “NT” and “Moon Gundam” is based on my own hypothesis in “Newtype Consideration and My Thoughts: An Essay.” Even in the era of “Moon Gundam,” for those who have some knowledge of Newtypes like Char and Nanai, the same theory is treated as a known theory, though it is still a hypothesis.

“Char’s Counterattack” is the centerpiece, and “Moon Gundam” and “NT” can be considered a pair of works (counterparts).

Fukui: That’s right, chronologically speaking. In the case of “NT,” after the Axis Shock in “Char’s Counterattack,” there’s the even more troublesome Unicorn Shock, so handling Newtypes becomes even more careful.

Finally, can you give a message to everyone who will be watching “Mobile Suit Gundam NT TV Edition”?

Fukui: I think “Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury,” “Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway’s Flash,” and “Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt” are all works aimed at different fan bases, but one of the benefits of the TV broadcasts is that it might catch the attention of those unintended. So, I’m looking forward to “NT” meeting a new fan base.

Also, “Moon Gundam” will finally resolve its seven-year-long foreshadowing in the next issue. If you are an older reader, you may already have some predictions about the secret of Moon Moon, but I promise that there will be more surprises–of course, not the kind we want in Gundam. We have many plans for future developments, so please stay tuned.

Thank you very much.