A TALE OF LOVE, TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING

Fans of the SEED series will find themselves spontaneously cheering at the plethora of delightful scenes packed into the film! To understand the passion and thought poured into crafting this masterpiece, we sought insights from Director Fukuda, the man also behind SEED and DESTINY!

ON ADDING “LOVE” TO ORIGINAL PLOT

―― With just a few weeks until the long-awaited theatrical release (at the time of this interview), could you share how you’re feeling right now?

FUKUDA: It’s a feeling of “Is this really happening?” (laughs). It’s been about 18 years since the TV anime aired, but it only feels like 10 years to me. I’ve always had the plot or materials by my side, but after Morosawa passed away, it felt like time had stopped for a while.

―― This work is based on a plot that you and Morosawa created together, right?

FUKUDA: Yes. We chose “love” as a theme, which is something quite elusive. While Morosawa was still alive, we had decided on the themes of “qualification and value,” but then we added the element of “love” to it. This “love” isn’t just about love for humanity…

―― Are you referring to romantic love?

FUKUDA: Exactly. The love between Kira and Lacus, Shinn and Lunamaria, Ingrid’s feelings for Orpheee, and then there’s Agnes (laughs).

―― Agnes has been a topic of discussion among the cast and has garnered attention even before the release.

FUKUDA: Morosawa defined her character quite well during the plot stage. We had her play out almost exactly as outlined in the plot.

―― Besides Agnes and other new characters, familiar characters played significant roles in this work.

FUKUDA: The SEED series has a considerable number of characters and mecha, but deciding to center the story around Kira was the challenging part. There’s only so much you can do within a two-hour timeframe. Despite that, I didn’t want to leave anything out, so we tried to include as many characters as possible.

ON PORTRAYING AGE-APPROPRIATE GROWTH

―― As you depict Kira and the main characters, what aspects did you focus on?

FUKUDA: Considering it’s been two years since DESTINY, everyone has matured a bit, so I wanted to show that age-appropriate growth. Both Hisashi Hirai, the character designer, and the actors did a fantastic job portraying their ages. It’s been nearly 20 years since the TV series, but they make it feel like only 2 years have passed – I was very grateful for that.

―― Kira, who had a mature and composed impression during DESTINY, showed more vulnerability in the film. What was the intention behind this?

FUKUDA: Back then, Kira wasn’t so much composed as he was incredibly mentally exhausted. So, there was a desire to bring him back to his original self. After all, he was just a normal student who had nothing to do with fighting.

―― I see. Regarding Athrun, I heard you told Ishida beforehand that “this time, he will not hesitate.”

FUKUDA: Athrun has always been the character who, whenever he appears, gets told by the audience, “You were wrong before, and you’re wrong now!” So, I thought it would be nice for once to have people say, “You’re right for once!” Athrun is suave, but he’s kinda clueless sometimes. That’s part of his charm, but this time, we decided to focus more on his cool aspect (laughs).

―― He was both strong and reliable this time. His battle with Shura was very powerful.

FUKUDA: I’m kind of expecting the fans’ cheers for cool Athrun, but I wondered if the scene where Shura shows Kira’s illusion to Cagalli would be okay…

―― Such a unique way of fighting only added to Athrun’s charm. Similarly, Shinn showed a more lovable side.

FUKUDA: I’m glad we were able to bring out his cute side. Shinn is the type who shines when he’s angry, but that’s because he has an inherent cuteness.

―― So, the film depicts Shinn’s true nature?

FUKUDA: Exactly. It’s a common misconception that Shinn lives for revenge, but he’s actually frustrated by his own lack of power. At the root of his anger is always the thought, “If I had been stronger, I could have protected them.” In the film, I think we managed to portray him as the affectionate younger brother and cute character he truly is, and it was great working on this with Kenichi Suzumura.

―― The drama CD OMAKE quarters included in DESTINY’s HD remaster Blu-ray BOX also hinted a bit at how much Shinn looks up to Kira.

FUKUDA: Kira is someone who acknowledged him. Of course, he admires Athrun, too, right? However, the way he admires Kira… it’s like the vector is pointing in the opposite direction. Originally, in the script, when Kira and Athrun were fighting, Shinn’s line was, “Please stop, Kira, and you too, Athrun!” But as I was drawing the storyboard, I thought Shinn would act under the premise that Kira could do no wrong, so I changed it to “Stop it, Athrun!” This relationship between the two is also something I find quite appealing.

―― It seems like Shinn and Athrun don’t really hate each other.

FUKUDA: Exactly (laughs).

―― Regarding Orphee, a key person in this work, what aspects did you emphasize in his portrayal?

FUKUDA: At a pre-release event, I referred to him as a “bright Kira,” which meant that he shares similar genes with Kira. Apart from that, Orphee is different in that he hasn’t experienced failure or known the pain of loss. Especially with Lacus, I was careful not to make him creepy, not like Yuna from DESTINY. The scene where he offers Lacus a rose, saying, “It bloomed for you,” was particularly important.

―― Ah, yes, that’s the night garden scene.

FUKUDA: That scene could easily become incredibly cheesy if done wrong. It was crucial that Orphee’s words didn’t imply anything suggestive and that his character showed pure affection for Lacus. This part was ultimately left in the capable hands of Hiro Shimono, who plays Orphee.

―― Aside from Agnes and Orphee, the new characters were all quite distinctive.

FUKUDA: I think each has a quirk you can sum up in a line, like “the lady of the shadows,” “kyahahaha,” “I will kill you.”

―― You’re referring to Ingrid, Redelard, and Shura?

FUKUDA: Right. And there’s also “sensitive to smells.”

―― Judging by looks, that’d be Daniel in the mask?

FUKUDA: Correct. I’m not sure whether Hirai added the mask as part of the character’s traits or had another intention (laughs). I first thought it might be pollen allergies, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. So, it’s about being sensitive to smells.

―― He’s always wearing a mask, so maybe he is quite sensitive (laughs).

FUKUDA: It must be tough for him. He probably keeps air fresheners and stuff in the cockpit (laughs).

OBSESSED WITH BATTLESHIP DEPICTIONS!

―― You previously mentioned wanting to create a “SEED Series” that you yourself wanted to watch. Where did you place your particular focus in this respect?

FUKUDA: My focus was decidedly on making the battleships look cool. Mobile suit battles have their traditions, with certain established forms already in place. Plus, in any series, battleships aren’t typically portrayed as strong. So I figured this time, let’s make the battleships more powerful. I love battleships after all.

―― The burning and decaying Archangel was shocking, and the Millennium cutting through beam cannons was truly bad ass. The power unique to the hybrid of CG and hand-drawn animation was also evident.

FUKUDA: Using CG allowed us to convey a sense of speed, like moving beams at high velocity. Interestingly, we had many new staff members this time around, and everyone had thoroughly researched the SEED series. However, each person had their own idea of what “feels like SEED,” which sometimes diverged from our original vision. Their perception of “SEED-like” elements tended to focus on the latter part of the series. In contrast, the early stages were more about portraying realistic movements of mobile suits, gradually increasing the speed over the two-year broadcast period to depict power-ups through direction. So, while appreciating the techniques they brought to the table, we had to say “save that for the climax.” For the movie I asked that we eliminate tricky shots and aim for a realistic vibe.

NUMEROUS EASTER EGGS ADDED ALONG THE WAY

―― In the process of expanding the characters from the initial plot, were there any particularly challenging parts?

FUKUDA: The challenging part was with Lacus. There were parts where I thought Morisawa might have done things differently, so this version of Lacus leans more toward my take. Lacus from the SEED era was the kind of girl who would smile and enter a room even if Fllay was hitting on Kira. This time around, there’s less of that. I thought bringing her back to being more of an ordinary girl would be good, but I just couldn’t come up with those moments. The sense needed to depict Lacus is incomparable between Morosawa and me. Back then, everyone relied on Morosawa for Lacus. However, Rie Tanaka, who voices Lacus and knows her so well, reassured me. In the end, thanks to her, I think we managed to portray a more resilient Lacus that reflects the two years that have passed.

―― Familiar characters, like Yzak and Dearka, also made their presence felt.

FUKUDA: They were piloting the new models, right? That was partly at the staff’s request. They had lines, but there were several familiar characters without lines appearing, too. I wonder if everyone will notice Kuzzey… I hope his hairstyle at least makes him recognizable. No lines, but I forced Sai in there, too. Did you notice Waltfeld?

―― Waltfeld really stood out, picked up on him immediately.

FUKUDA: Good, good (laughs). And I also tried to incorporate lines that would remind you of past characters.

―― Hearing familiar names like “Badgiruel tactics” and “Nicol’s tactics” was a pleasant surprise.

FUKUDA: Nicol also shows up in a flashback. I’ve inserted a lot of these little details, so it might be hard to catch them all in one viewing. I’d be happy if people went looking for them.

―― Many directorial nods brought to mind past Gundam series.

FUKUDA: Did you notice anything reminiscent of Metal Armor Dragonar? Like when the Cavalier appeared. Masami Obari helped with the production this time, and I included it as one of the essences.

―― It’s packed with fan service.

FUKUDA: I didn’t intend it as service, per se. It just increased as I went along, drawing what I wanted to.

―― Any hint about the nods for fans seeing this for the first time?

FUKUDA: Let’s see… pay attention to the music. The piece playing when Athrun appears in the Z’Gok should feel familiar. I did order it with a specific image in mind, but even I thought, “This is that, isn’t it?” (laughs).

―― I’ll be sure to pay close attention to the music in mind! Finally, do you have a message for the readers who have been waiting for this film?

FUKUDA: I think of movies as a type of experiential entertainment, so I’d be happy if people talked about this and that after watching it. And I really want them to see it in theaters. We had a private screening at a theater recently, and the spatial sound was on a totally different level. The only thing that worried me was how quiet the staff were during the screening.

―― Maybe they thought they shouldn’t make noise because it was work-related?

FUKUDA: I wonder. But suddenly I’m feeling anxious about it… So, I plan to go to the theater once it’s released. I’d like to gauge everyone’s reactions there. Of course, it’s not good to be loud, but there are times when you can’t help but laugh, right? Seeing that involuntary reaction would be the greatest joy as a creator.