MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 WEAVES A NEW HOPE

On April 14th (Saturday), the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 10th-anniversary event, Gundam 00 Festival 10 “Re:vision,” was held at Makuhari Event Hall. In the reading live (stage reading) conducted at this event, the post-story world of the movie “-A wakening of the Trailblazer-” was depicted. And after the event, there was a message that hinted at a new story developments… So, I asked Director Seiji Mizushima about the true meaning behind it.

Text and Composition by H2R

THE WORLD AFTER THE MOVIE AND THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE MEISTERS

―――I never imagined that a continuation of the film’s story would be depicted in a staged reading event.

Mizushima: For some years now, I’ve been in the mood to do “something new.” Of course, there has been talk of creating a new project for the 10th anniversary, but various circumstances have made it challenging to realize this time. So when it came to “what should we do?”, a proposal was made by Sunrise for an event combining visuals, actor performances, and songs – something we had actively pursued in the past. We’ve experienced this combination many times, so it’s the result of everyone brainstorming the most effective plan under the current conditions.

―――I felt like it delved deeply into the main story.

Mizushima: The fact is, at 00 events, it’s customary for us to always present “the next development at the end.” So, naturally, this event was intended to be a place for announcing a new development. Ideally, it would have been lovely to flat-out declare, “New production confirmed!” (laughs). But, we were able to deliver the message that hints at future developments, “continued to next 00 story*,” so I believe our goals were communicated effectively.

―――So, does this imply a new production is indeed underway?

Mizushima: Essentially, we’re operating under the assumption that it will be made. I’m not prematurely rushing anything; even the higher-ups at Sunrise are asking, “When will you do it?” – they’re practically lighting a fire under us. However, necessary internal adjustments need to be made before creating a work, and without a concrete plan, Sunrise can’t officially announce anything. Moreover, both Yousuke Kuroda and I are involved with our current projects, and Sunrise’s production line is already full. To force something into that would be futile, so we are consciously allowing for a thorough preparation period.

―――Does that mean the content is still undecided?

Mizushima: Since we’re just getting started, we haven’t decided whether we will inherit what we depicted in “Re:vision” or present something entirely different. The story has already concluded once, so finding the gaps to fill or creating an entirely new direction – that’s a significant choice we face. But what we mustn’t forget is that our long-awaiting 00 fans want something enjoyable. Of course, it’s not about mere fan service; we want to retain the soul that 00 has depicted and consider new developments.

―――Indeed, from watching the stage reading, it appears that the world is still embroiled in conflict.

Mizushima: From a world-building perspective, yes. Even after the battle with the ELS, the seed of internal friction called the Humarest still exists. Given these circumstances, it’s inevitable that Celestial Being and the Gundam Meisters will take some kind of action. We had anticipated this since the inception of the Gundam 00 project. If we wanted, we could keep creating in this world indefinitely.

―――As long as there’s conflict, the activities continue, right?

Mizushima: In the story of 00, Celestial Being was gradually depicted as a declining organization. They lost their backing in the 2nd season, and in the movie, it seemed as though the remaining members were barely keeping the organization alive. But as long as the Humarest exists, there’s a need to act toward eradicating conflict. Also, from a narrative perspective, new dramas can be created by replacing the Meisters. Although that’s the reality of the situation, whether a story without Setsuna, our protagonist and Tieria would be interesting is another matter.

00: A STYLE THAT DOESN’T FADE EVEN AFTER A DECADE

―――Even if it’s a fact, it’s not an easy problem to tackle.

Mizushima: Given that Setsuna and Tieria aren’t on Earth, it’s not so easy to involve them. Even the Meisters that are left can handle conflict realistically. However, when it comes to the cheat-like abilities of Setsuna and the 00 Qan[T], it can even swallow elaborate lies because Quantum Burst is capable of quantum jumping. It’s all a matter of balance, a degree of adjusting. In the final act of the dramatic reading, they’re even meeting dead people.

―――I wouldn’t dare comment on the content, but I felt it was quite a deep depiction.

Mizushima: “How do we wrap things up?” I think that’s what everyone is curious about. We’ve actually received letters saying, “Please don’t touch it,” but once we touch it, it means we’ve made up our minds to some extent. Of course, there will be pros and cons, but if there is potential ahead, we want to draw it properly. I’ve been creating works for 10 years and had thoughts like, “I could have done this with 00.” Especially since 00 is a work that ended nearly once already, so there’s also the fun of how to move it again. Of course, it has to be a work that makes fans think, “The new work was interesting.”

――― I mentioned this in a previous interview with you, but even after 10 years, the world of 00 still exudes a distinct style that is not outdated. This is especially true as the world depicted has become a reality in various ways over the past decade.

Mizushima: Before 00 started, we really worked on world-building. In the end, it overlapped with reality, but rather than feeling like our predictions came true, it’s more about the feeling that my past impressions took this form. As for how the world is in 2018, it would be natural to incorporate it as a foundation, as the stage of 00 is AD. However, the initial setting we thought about in 00 was based on a plan to draw characters from the world and social conditions over four cours. I don’t know what kind of visual form the new work will take, but it will likely be more condensed. If so, there is a high possibility that it will become a style that focuses more on characters. In any case, I want to work on it without losing the glamorous essence that is 00, no matter what form it takes.

―――In terms of the appeal of the mecha aspect of 00, there is always a risk associated with power-ups.　This contributes to the mechanical nature while adding to the excitement of the storytelling.

Mizushima: I always keep that in mind. Being mechanical, you can’t exert your power without appropriate risks and conditions. Even for Trans　Am, if you continue to power up, you become invincible, and there is no excitement or tension. So, there must always be a risk. That said, I wasn’t able to control it well initially, and I found myself quipping, ‘Wouldn’t it be fine if we just had one Virtue?’ (laughs).

TOWARDS AN UNSEEN FUTURE

―――There were new characters and mecha settings in the reading drama, which led me to believe a new project would kick off immediately.

Mizushima: Everything was written down in the scenario, but the orders were made in a place I knew nothing about (laughs). On the one hand, I thought, “Give me a report!” However, I appreciated that there was an awareness to decide and create on their own, even without my saying so. The Sunrise representative has been working with me for a while, so they moved quickly when they thought it was necessary. And there was no problem with the order since the designers were well-acquainted. Although I did feel a bit left out (laughs).

―――The characters Laetitia Erde and ELS-assimilated Graham Aker appeared.

Mizushima: Laetitia is basically the same as Tieria, which seems to have given the original character designer, Yun Kouga, quite a bit of trouble (laughs). The actual released design drafts were cleaned up by (Michinori) Chiba, so his interpretation influenced it, giving Laetitia a slightly different impression from Tieria, don’t you think? As for Graham, I imagined him to be “half-transformed into ELS,” reminiscent of the red and blue of Android Kikaider from my generation (laughs). Since he became Mr. Bushido, I thought that a face half-metal would be just about right.

―――(Laughs).

Mizushima: For Graham, choosing the color of the pilot suit was a struggle. Blue is Setsuna, and white would make him Saji. In the movie, when Tieria reappeared, he was wearing a suit close to Setsuna’s light blue, and there were surprisingly many shades of blue suits. So, since Saji will definitely not participate in combat anymore, I thought about giving him a white base. As for Saji, his story has come to a clear conclusion in the reading drama. Even if he appears in a new work, he would be a storyteller from a different perspective, like a representative of the citizens.

―――Next year, there are plans for a stage adaptation of Gundam 00. Could you tell us a little about this?

Mizushima: This project was kicked off by Sunrise, not by me. They wanted to do a 2.5-dimensional stage adaptation, and 00 is probably easier to adapt. If it were a Universal Century work, it would be too mainstream and attract a lot more attention, but with 00, anything can happen. Currently, I have contacts with Sunrise, so the consensus is easy to obtain, and there’s also the practical ease of making it happen. Neither Kuroda nor I will be directly involved in creating it, but we are talking under the premise that it will not destroy the worldview of 00. I will be involved as a supervisor. I have seen some of the stages and reading dramas and have been involved as a member of the directing team in the Kiramune Reading Live every year, so I intend to help with anything using that experience. If 00 continues to expand, I want to take on these challenges.

―――Regardless of the form it takes, as a fan, it’s delightful to see 00 continuing to have exposure.

Mizushima: From the beginning, we were told to create something that can fight for 10 years, so it’s still being sought after, and that makes me happy. Recently, more people have said, “The first Gundam I saw was 00,” and when I listen to their stories, I realize that many of them really understand the story. This is just my subjective opinion, but they understand what we wanted to convey through the characters and the worldview. That makes me very happy.

―――It feels like we’re in a period of renewed popularity for 00.

Mizushima: Currently, in “Gundam Build Divers,” the 00 Gundam is the protagonist, and in the previous series, I felt that Exia was popular. Judging from that, it seems to fit the generation enjoying Gundam among the series. I also hope those who watched Build Divers will become interested and start watching 00. We’re truly lucky that we’re in the era of streaming, where even older works can be watched to a certain extent.

―――We look forward to future developments.

Mizushima: At the very least, I want it to take shape by the 15th anniversary. After all, with so many “Gundam” titles out there, it’s not like we can immediately do 00 as well. Even in the mainstream Universal Century, there are new developments, so I want 00 to be sent out into the world as one of the Gundam series, balancing it.

* TL Note: I’ve left the literal English as listed in the interview so as to not be accused of “twisting the narrative.”