Special Contribution: Thoughts on the Start of ZZ

“I believe it’s time for Sunrise to reclaim its true ‘spirit of service.‘”
Article by Noriaki Ikeda

As Z Gundam progresses towards its finale as the poignant tale it was initially expected to be, and for those of us who must continue living without giving in to the hardships and sorrows of reality (hoping that we can keep living), the series felt eerily like a reflection of life’s harshness through a mirror. It was a truly uncanny work where Kamille’s sorrow, Jerid’s impatience, Char’s frustration, and Four’s (being manipulated by others) destiny, along with the myriad dramas painted within. I understand the allure of the catharsis in sorrow and the dark side of drama, but it’s still agonizing to watch as the emotions the drama evokes cling to our hearts, making us yearn to cast them away again and again.

Though it may be a mere fabricated story when a scriptwriter crafts the narrative, animators bring it to life, actors bestow voices and physicality, and the director shapes it into film, the drama created therein inherently has the power to stir the viewers.

How much one strives to imbue the work with these elements reflects the creator’s spirit of service. However, it seems to me that recent Sunrise productions, particularly those under Director Tomino, have seen a dilution of this spirit.

ORIENTING TOWARD DANGEROUS THEMES

I’m penning this commentary due to a longstanding affection for the creators and staff of Sunrise, an attachment that traces back to the era of Brave Raideen. The appeal of their productions was in their ability to induce a spectrum of emotions – thrill, suspense, and excitement, steering us into the realm of the light, as it were. This was a testament to their passion and commitment.

Although Mazinger Z by Toei Animation is responsible for establishing the giant robot genre, Sunrise’s staff has incorporated various interesting possibilities, stories, and ideas into this genre since “Brave Raideen.”

Raideen depicted the apocalyptic struggle between gods and demons, intertwined with occultism, myths, and ancient civilizations, carrying a hint of heroic fantasy. It featured fossil beasts, the mystique of Raideen, a unique method of piloting that merged with the robot, and a wide array of fascinating weapons like the God Bird and God Voice. The drama also delved into the intertwined backgrounds of Hikaru and his parents and the emergence of the formidable rival, Prince Sharkin. Combattler V and Voltes V demonstrated the development of combining robots, the completion of electrifying techniques like the Super Electromagnetic Yo-yo and Tornado, and the charm of character drama, utilizing the five-member team to the fullest. Zambot 3, which was essentially Sunrise’s first original production (as previous works were subcontracted by Tohoku Shinsha and Toei), evoked an unconventional sensation with the idea of the Bandock inducing a feeling of the berserker (a self-automated space creature extermination machine) without exterminating the space creatures, a drama of the protagonist, a descendant of extraterrestrials, fighting his destined battle, and impressive action scenes that conveyed a sense of realism, leaving a tremendous impact on the fans. The excitement of the final three episodes remains unforgettable.

Daitarn 3, a work full of wit and sophistication, presented an unprecedented and refreshing protagonist—a fusion of a samurai retainer and James Bond. The show, featuring two beautiful partners on the sidelines, showcased the spirited and swashbuckling battles of the heroic Banjo Haran, presenting one of the best performances among robot anime. It’s rare to see such a work emerge these days ♡.

Then came Mobile Suit Gundam, which turned humanity’s first world war after entering the era of interstellar civilizations into an entertainment work on the brink of realism, with an unprecedented number of regular and semi-regular characters, diverse settings, and skillful incorporation of the allure of mechs and themes. The story-making amazed anime fans. On the other hand, Trider G7 and Daiouja, with their laid-back episodic format rather than an epic narrative, also had their charms.

In the second era of interstellar civilizations, Earth and another civilization clashed in war, and within that context, Space Runaway Ideon was born. The power and mystery of Ideon, a robot capable of slicing planets with its energy sword, the end-of-the-world feeling where both civilizations perish due to misunderstanding, fear, and malice, and the glimmer of hope as the possibility of life is entrusted to the next world—these aspects left fans stunned, making them wonder where Sunrise would go from here.

Tomino’s works began to delve into heavy themes related to Earth, humanity, and civilization and gradually evolved into storytelling, drama, character design, dialogue, and robot battles to explore these themes.

It goes without saying that while fictional worlds may not be identical to reality, they often possess striking similarities.

No one in this world is born carrying a theme on their back, and creating characters too closely tied to a theme can feel dishonest, forced, and artificial. At times, it can even prove fatal to the experience of enjoying the drama. Perhaps the recent weaknesses in Tomino’s works lie there. The themes to be digested within the story take the forefront, exerting pressure on both the story and the character drama. Characters appeared more as pawns, shackled to themes, their narratives and dialogues merely vehicles for theme exploration. Such characters are hard to empathize with, the stories lose momentum, and dialogues become empty proclamations of themes. Can such a narrative truly resonate with the human heart!?

THE ALLURE OF ROBOT BATTLES

In essence, what I wanted to convey is that the creators’ focus on thematic elements is not the only issue.

The charm of robot anime lies in several aspects! The sheer power of giant robots that cannot be witnessed in reality, the unique coolness of SF mechs soaring through the sky, diving underwater, firing laser beams and missiles, and the immersive feeling of being a pilot that tickles a child’s imagination evoking thoughts of how awesome it would be to ride such a mech. The desire for big and strong heroes and a yearning to witness unimaginable feats appeal to the imaginative power inherent in every boy.

Therefore, the greatest appeal and ingenuity of Sunrise works have been in how they make robot battles thrilling. Since ‘Raideen,’ the protagonist’s robot battles against enemy robots have been crafted in breathless sequences, culminating in a series of ultimate SF anime battle scenes.

Consider this scene: the protagonist’s robot squares off against an enemy robot in mid-air. The enemy unleashes a barrage of missiles from its chest, blasting the protagonist’s robot away, and slamming it to the ground.

When the protagonist comes to, he finds the enemy standing before him, missiles pouring from its hand, fiery flames spewing from its mouth, and a drill-like arm aiming to destroy the cockpit; the protagonist screams in the face of the onslaught.

The hero’s robot kicks the enemy robot with a knee-strike, and the protagonist gradually corners it with each weapon, eventually culminating in a finishing move, and the all-out battle of the robot, which has weapons all over its body, becomes the climax. The flow of the battle crescendoes flawlessly, making it a spectacular sight.

The finishing moves of Zambot 3, Daitarn 3, Trider G7, and Daiouja, the realistic weaponry in the Gundam world, such as the beam saber, hyper bazooka, mega particle cannon, heat rod, and weapons resembling hand grenades—all these shows had their own unique ways of presenting weaponry. However, at some point, Sunrise’s robots ended up having only beam sabers, laser swords, beam rifles, and missiles, essentially becoming a series of Gundam-like robots with limited capabilities. While fights with punches and kicks, reminiscent of Tetsujin 28, are great, can it truly be considered cool if that’s their only skill?! Have they forfeited the potential to make robot battles thrilling? This is something that needs serious consideration. After all, what is the purpose of robot anime?

ESCAPE FROM REALITY

Some argue that adhering to realism is essential to maintain the world-building of a story. However, I believe that the excitement of a work comes before adhering to realism. Robot anime with humans piloting and engaging in physical combat are inherently fantastical, and while a sense of realism is necessary, realistic portrayals that make the story dull have no merit and only lead to harm. Perhaps this is the fallout from anime magazines and fans continuously praising Gundam for its realism since its inception. There are those who brand Macross as realistic, but can a jet plane become structurally sound as a robot?! Can the Macross with two Enterprise-class aircraft carriers attached to its arms be considered realistic?? Skilled execution that evokes a sense of realism is one thing, but the appeal of a work is separate from that.

Armored Trooper VOTOMS and Blue Comet SPT Layzner are works that strived for a sense of realism, but isn’t it about time to create robot anime that features something other than Gundam-like weapons?

The beauty of a serialized narrative is the suspense of not knowing what will happen next. This charm should be the priority. I urge creators to reclaim this mentality.

Long ago, the TV magazine for elementary school children, TV Land, which was the predecessor of Animage, used to show the magazine to kids near school gates each time it was released and ask, “Is this month’s issue interesting?” If the reader doesn’t enjoy it, what’s the point? Isn’t TV the same?

If you were to bring 100 elementary school students now and show them a film, can the staff confidently say, “It’s exciting, right!”?

A mindset of “it’s okay if primary school kids don’t understand” harbors the danger of creating works that middle and high school students also can’t comprehend. Remember, a film exists because of its audience. Isn’t film-making without considering the viewer utterly heartless?

We want works that make our hearts race, that bring tears to our eyes, that make us burst into laughter, works that are full of joy and vibrancy, and most importantly, works that resonate with “human emotions.” You have the talent to create these! So, go for it!