Newtype, August 2023

Ichiro Ohkouchi (Series Composition & Script)
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Seiichi Shirato (Setting Researcher)

CREATING NEW ELEMENTS AS A TEAM

―――You’ve both collaborated on a number of projects in the past, haven’t you?

Ohkouchi: There are all types of people involved in setting development, but Shirato has the rare ability to span genres like SF and military, incorporating comprehensive knowledge and structure from social structures to culture. Given that Gundam inevitably portrays social structures and their conflicts, I immediately reached out to Shirato first when assembling the staff.

Shirato: It wasn’t my first time working on a Gundam project, and I knew Ohkouchi well enough to think it wouldn’t be too much of a challenge… but…

Ohkouchi: We didn’t expect it to be such a heavy project, did we? (laughs) I can’t thank you enough for your help.

―――How much of the project’s direction was decided when you joined, Shirato?

Shirato: We had a female protagonist, and while the final content changed quite a bit, there was a proposal. But really, almost nothing was decided. It was a blank slate.

Ohkouchi: Actually, I had Shirato create the world twice. I had him build a world for the show before it became a school-based project. I felt terrible when we decided to reset.

Shirato: Oh, no need to apologize. This project changed to a school-based one along the way, didn’t it?

Ohkouchi: The director proposed the school-based idea in a meeting.

Shirato: I think you were the one who suggested it, Ohkouchi.

Ohkouchi: Eh? I thought it was the director… Well, it happens. During meetings, there’s a back-and-forth of opinions from which new ideas emerge. In that sense, it doesn’t really matter who brought up the idea; it’s everyone’s idea. We couldn’t have reached this point without the brainstorming of all the members.

―――In constructing the worldview, where did you start?

Ohkouchi: Our starting point was the concept of “duels” from the perspective of how we’d use mobile suits in a school setting.

Shirato: In this work, we didn’t think about the social structure first. That’s because unless we first determined “why there’s a need for battles using mobile suits in a school,” we couldn’t create a social structure.

Ohkouchi: Instead of creating a sprawling world and then narrowing down the focus, we first established the settings of the school and Gundam and then built a society where companies supply mobile suits, a world where such a society can exist. We expanded the setting in that way.

Shirato: Of course, we did initially create a rough framework for the world, but that was just a “proposal” (idea), and it’s okay to change it. I approached the worldview and setting with the stance that they can be changed according to the characters and the story.

Ohkouchi: While many science fiction works are created from the worldview, we built this story from the characters. A crucial point is that the protagonist, who comes from Mercury, an external world, doesn’t know about the discrimination and conflict between Earth and space. Suletta functions as a character who can ask from the viewer’s perspective, “Why has it come to this?”

―――Suletta does give a different impression from the traditional Gundam protagonist.

Ohkouchi: Well, considering that she’s a socially awkward individual who gets caught up in combat right off the bat in the first episode, I’d say she’s keeping the Gundam tradition alive and well. I think the fact she’s female plays a significant role. Plus, the overall fun-loving vibe. Having seen Director Kobayashi’s other works, I knew he was adept at comedy, which gave me the confidence to draw out the comical scenes for Suletta and her gang.

Shirato: From being usually nervous to thick-skinned when push comes to shove, Suletta was a bit of a time investment. But once we figured her out, she wasn’t too much trouble.

―――Season 1 was primarily set at the school, while Season 2 revealed more of the world outside of it.

Ohkouchi: It’s more accurate to say that it naturally evolved that way rather than being a predetermined plan.

Shirato: The school was an accessible entry point for the narrative, but it is ‘Gundam,’ after all. We realized it would eventually have to confront societal issues and armed conflict.

Ohkouchi: The moment the school—the setting—collapses, we’re forced to face the reality that mobile suits aren’t just a tool for duels; it’s a weapon.

Shirato: The linchpin of this world’s setup remains ‘Gundam’ through and through. This means any event that significantly shakes the narrative’s foundation must be triggered by a Gundam. The school being destroyed by a Gundam was inevitable, setting-wise.

Ohkouchi: Yet, if the strong selling point of this work—the school—vanishes the moment we enter Season 2, it loses its purpose. So, we consciously incorporated episodes where the school served as a stage.

―――Could you share your impressions on working on this project?

Shirato: We fine-tuned the settings through team discussions, striving to broaden Gundam’s reach and engage viewers unfamiliar with Gundam, keeping our initial goal in mind. I believe it functioned well in that regard, so I’m glad things worked out.

Ohkouchi: I may not have arrived at a definitive conclusion as a creator about the work yet, but as a professional, I’m proud that we fulfilled what was ordered. We achieved our goal of creating a new Gundam series half the length of the previous ones while attracting a new audience. Of course, it wasn’t just because of good work of my own. It was a collective effort – the animators, directors, publicity, marketing, and product development teams; everyone expanded the scope of the work. I have a strong feeling that we built ‘The Witch from Mercury’ as a team. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the chance to work with such professionals.