THE FLOW OF MECHA, HUMANITY, AND THE WORLD IN THE REGUILD CENTURY

As Gundam Reconguista in G enters its final act, multiple factions and individual motivations intertwine. What conclusion awaits? We sat down with the show’s producer, Naohiro Ogata, to unpack the narrative, production process, and the overarching worldview.

SEEING INDIVIDUAL WILL, NOT JUST FACTION GOALS

――As we approach the endgame, it feels like all the characters and factions are in play. Let’s take stock of the situation and revisit the objectives of each group and individual, starting with Earth.

Ogata: Absolutely. Ameria’s venture into space was driven by a desire to monopolize Photon Batteries and their technology. The President and Gusion are essentially aligned, with only slight differences in their thinking. Gusion showed a bit of resistance around episode 11, but he’s got that salaryman mentality – follow orders, no matter what. Klim, on the other hand, is operating on pure self-interest, leveraging the situation to fulfill his ambition of becoming President.

――It seems like individual will is really shaping events.

Ogata: You know, I often hear people say they don’t understand the factions’ goals. But in this show, it’s not just about factions – it’s the character motivations that really bring the situation into focus. It’s not about Ameria, it’s about Klim. It’s not about the Capital Army, it’s about Mask’s driving forces. Mask is using his position to act on his own complexes and motivations – mainly that this prodigy, Bellri, is in his way. He thinks, “With a genius like that around, we ordinary folk will be even more oppressed.” Bellri, for his part, simply followed Aida and ended up stumbling into the secret of his own birth. He probably didn’t even realize he was engaged in a war; he was just reacting to being caught up in events. But after reaching Venus on the Megafauna and seeing everything firsthand, his perspective must have shifted dramatically.

――There’s a strong sense of individuals influencing the world.

Ogata: The real mastermind here is Cumpa. There’s mention of the “Piani Kaluta Incident” in the show – Cumpa lost all hope on Venus. We see La Gu, the head of the Hermes Foundation, who can barely maintain human form due to the harsh Venusian environment. Cumpa questioned whether there was any point in humans surviving under such conditions. He concluded that war might actually revitalize humanity, which led him to leak the “Hermes’ Rose blueprints.” He even helped the Rayhunton children escape to Earth, though I doubt he anticipated things unfolding quite like this. It’s tempting to see Cumpa as the root of all problems, but this series defies such simplistic interpretations. People don’t always get what they want, and sometimes their actions have unintended, terrifying consequences.

――How would you describe the power balance between the various factions?

Ogata: The G-IT Corps has the latest mobile suits, but they lack actual combat experience. Towasanga, conversely, is still using repurposed mobile suits from the Universal Century era. Earth’s forces have the most battle experience, but they’re not used to space combat. These various shortcomings from each side are what’s fueling the chaotic nature of the conflict.

THE HERMES FOUNDATION: TOWASANGA’S CREATION

――What’s Towasanga’s place in this world?

Ogata: At its core, Towasanga was populated by criminals and outcasts from the Universal Century era. Earth was in dire straits, so there was a push to reduce the population and regenerate the planet. They realized the old energy systems wouldn’t cut it, so they developed the Photon Battery supply system. The masterminds behind this became the Hermes Foundation. They eventually moved to Venus, closer to the sun, sacrificing themselves to perfect the Photon Battery supply chain. Socially, they established a religion akin to the Capital Guard, using the space elevator to create an inviolable entity separate from political power. This all happened in the early Regild Century.

――And now that structure is starting to crumble?

Ogata: The key point is that over 1000 years have passed. The original purpose has been forgotten. It’s like how we take electricity for granted – before the nuclear accident, who ever thought about where their power came from? What started as a project to save Earth has reduced Towasanga to a mere waypoint.

――It’s like the difference between early and late Edo period, isn’t it? The original purpose becomes just a custom.

Ogata: Exactly. They’ve lost sight of their goal. Now there’s infighting in Towasanga, with some people wanting to return to Earth, thinking it might be okay now. This is happening on the moon and Venus too.

――Towasanga’s aim is the Reconguista, right?

Ogata: The Rayhunton family, connected to the Hermes Foundation, was wiped out by the military rebellion led by the Dorette family, destabilizing the system. Director Tomino described Lorucca and his associates, former aides to Bellri’s father, as incredibly shrewd. The Dorette family now holds real power in Towasanga, with a puppet prime minister. But Reconguista remains Towasanga’s collective aspiration.

――Is there a hierarchy between Towasanga and Venus?

Ogata: Venus is superior. The people of Towasanga have forgotten the Hermes Foundation’s original purpose. Now they just view the Foundation as celestial beings. It’s probably easier to avoid conflict that way. The taboos of SU-Cordism were likely established for the same reason. Taboos tend to stabilize a world. Ultimately, you need to reach Venus before the full picture of this world comes into focus. This broad framework exists, and individual characters act within their limited spheres of influence.

PROJECTING LIVE FEELINGS ONTO THE CHARACTERS

――The characters give off a rather realistic impression.

Ogata: While the overall flow hasn’t changed much from the scenario stage, the characters’ dialogue and actions have undergone significant changes during storyboarding. Their actions always reflect what they’re feeling or thinking in the moment. This spontaneity is part of why the story doesn’t feel formulaic. We’re expanding the plot based on character designs and their positions within the story.

――So you’re developing the story based on the designs?

Ogata: Exactly. This naturally leads to changes in the scenario and storyboards. The same goes for the mecha. Both design and function are reflected in the work, and we’ve used almost every weapon we’ve designed. Director Tomino often says he doesn’t know how a character will move until he’s drawn the storyboards. It’s an incredibly demanding creative process. He was in a foul mood throughout the storyboarding phase (laughs). I can imagine how grueling it must have been. Now that he’s finished with the storyboards, he’s back to being a cheerful old man (laughs).

――So that’s why it feels more real than purely entertainment.

Ogata: It’s more like a play than a documentary. Almost like improvisational theater. That’s why conversations sometimes end abruptly, or why there might not be a clear goal.

――Being in charge of both the screenplay and storyboards allows for these changes, right?

Ogata: Absolutely. If someone else were doing it, they’d be at a loss. That confusion is actually the correct response – it’s the same feeling our viewers have. When storyboard artists tell Tomino they can’t draw something, he’s delighted (laughs). It’s as if he’s telling the creators and viewers alike to think and act for themselves, just like the characters. And he’s doing this at 73 years old.

――It’s impressive that he’s still incorporating new methodologies.

Ogata: Even so, this work is a culmination of everything he’s done before – like the “human bombs” or the location of the final battle. Take Newtypes, for instance. He’s not fixating on such concepts this time. If you look at the Gundam Reconguista in G logo, you’ll see “Gundam” written inside the letter G. This represents the intention to incorporate even Gundam itself. Gundam is part of the work, but not its entirety. That’s how expansive the scope of G-Reco is.

THE EXISTENCE OF THE G-SELF WITH ITS IMMEASURABLE SPECS

――In the latter half, we’ve seen a variety of G-type mobile suits appear.

Ogata: The G-types were inspired by the idea of 100 Gundams on Venus, but we ultimately settled on increasing the number of G-types that appear. Gastima, G-Lucifer, and Gaeon are G-types. Grod wasn’t originally intended to be one, but Tomino incorporated it into the G-type category. The nuance is that anything listed under the G section in the “Hermes’ Rose Blueprint” is considered a G-type. Venus possesses all this technology and is actively researching it. However, while Venus has advanced tech, the people who’ve acquired it aren’t necessarily utilizing it to its full potential.

――The G-Self seems to embody that image.

Ogata: The G-Self stands out as unique among them. Its mysterious nature makes it coveted by everyone. Each faction believes possessing the G-Self would give them an advantage, albeit for different reasons. Klim wants to use it to become Ameria’s president, Mask sees it as a bargaining chip with the Dorette forces – these conflicting agendas centered on the G-Self have led to the current chaos. Even the G-IT Corps is puzzled by its capabilities, wondering how it can perform so well despite not being Venus-made. While blueprints might be the same, performance can vary based on where it’s built, so they’re perplexed about why it’s Towasanga-made rather than Venusian.

――It seems even its creators can’t fully gauge its capabilities.

Ogata: The G-Self symbolizes the terrifying aspect of scientific advancement where even its creators don’t fully understand what they’ve made. It’s just like the nuclear power issue. We’re using something without fully grasping its dangers, and even experts don’t know how to completely control it. This work is a warning that it’s dangerous not to question our reliance on such poorly understood technologies in our current civilization.

――On the other hand, the G-Self also represents the wishes of Bellri’s parents, right?

Ogata: Absolutely. The Core Block reveals the G-Self’s true purpose. It’s the result of parents wanting their children to survive. Bellri has finally come to understand this. Ironically, even the Core Block was a late addition to the design (laughs). Tomino initially exploded in anger when Akira Yasuda suggested adding a Core Fighter, yelling, “How can we add something like this now?” It wasn’t about weaponry or toys, but because he couldn’t justify it narratively. But then we found a reason – it’s an escape pod prepared by parents for their child. It symbolizes parental love.

――The latter half has seen a whirlwind of new mobile suits that seem to break all the previous mobile suit conventions (laughs).

Ogata: That’s because Ippei Gyoubu’s designs, which were originally structured with factions in mind, have been shuffled to fit the story. We do try to adjust things like cockpit block structures to maintain some consistency within factions.

――While we tend to view things in terms of factions, you’re placing them based on scenes and characteristics, just like with characters.

Ogata: Exactly. We’re constantly thinking about how to use each design effectively in different parts of the story. It’s an approach that only Director Tomino could pull off. He’s always considering the mecha, ensuring they’re deployed for maximum impact.

EMBRACING ALL WEAPONS AND GIMMICKS

――In terms of mechanical gimmicks, are you incorporating the designers’ intentions?

Ogata: Absolutely. We’re including nearly all the gimmicks conceived by the designers. This extends to weapons, attacks, and even how cloaks unfold. The beam saber on the Elf Bullock’s foot was Gyoubu’s idea. We’ve even used most of the super weapons like the Perfect Pack’s Photon Torpedo, though I thought it might be too much. It’s made the G-Self incredibly powerful (laughs). For the climax, Tomino was actually focused on “How do we take down the G-Self?” when storyboarding.

――How did you commission designs from the designers?

Ogata: We discuss general direction, but we don’t give specific instructions. The designers first draw based on the existing scenario. Then Tomino gives further instructions to refine the designs. For instance, Gaeon’s face underwent several revisions before reaching its current form. After approving a design, Tomino considers how to utilize it in his storyboards.
One striking instruction was, “Imagine yourself sitting there. Is this wall thickness really okay?” He emphasized starting with that imagination. Gyoubu’s design lines became increasingly refined. On the other hand, Yasuda’s designs were complete from the start, so it was more about judging them as “good” or “bad.”

――There are some nostalgic design elements, aren’t there?

Ogata: Yes, I think that’s Gyoubu’s image of Gundam in his own mind. But we did give some directions, like asking for Zacks to have a Zaku-like feel.

――It’s surprising to hear requests for Mobile Suit Gundam style designs.

Ogata: That’s probably because Towasanga uses older generation mobile suits. The Z’Gocky was originally planned for Towasanga but got shuffled to the G-IT Corps.

――I’m drawn to the detailed mechanical scenes, like Gaeon not being able to withstand water pressure.

Ogata: Space-use mobile suits aren’t very water-resistant. They’re designed for near-vacuum environments, so while they’re airtight for space, they’re not built to withstand water pressure. They’re fine in space but have issues underwater. The demands on mobile suits are much more intense than you might think.

――In terms of worldbuilding, are you conscious of connections to Turn A Gundam?

Ogata: People often ask about connections to Turn A, but Tomino’s creative process starts by forgetting what he’s done before. Of course, since it’s the same creator, there will be similarities. That’s natural – a person’s work is part of who they are. While there might seem to be connections, the real answer is simply “because the same person made it” (laughs). It’s fine for fans to connect the worlds of different works. We don’t mind at all if they do.

――The mecha battles in the latter half had particularly stunning animation.

Ogata: With so many different mobile suits, we can’t use stock footage, which makes it challenging but also more impressive. This series is testing our animators too. I don’t think anyone’s been able to draw exactly as they wanted. They can’t just draw in the style they think looks cool. It’s a rare experience, even veteran animators are calling it strange. When their usual methods get rejected, they have no choice but to adapt desperately. This is Tomino’s method. To continue creating until 70, you can’t keep repeating the same things. He must be constantly thinking about how to avoid that.

――The amount of information in each episode is almost too much to grasp in one viewing.

Ogata: It’s an incredibly concentrated solution, but I think it can be diluted and applied in many areas. We’re lucky. This will provide mecha ideas for the next decade. Not to use directly, but in terms of presentation and conceptualization. This series is packed with that much content. We’re using all our existing techniques while trying to develop new ones.

――It makes me want to go back and rewatch from the first episode.

Ogata: When we say it’s not aimed at our generation, we mean our fixed ways of thinking can’t fully grasp it. When Tomino talks about it being for children, he doesn’t mean it’s simplistic. He wants to plant hooks that make kids think, “Why is it like this?” He hopes they’ll grow into adults who question things. It’s a grandfather’s wish for his grandchildren. In the end, it’s different from what we typically think of as “for children.” If we equate “for children” with “easy-to-understand anime,” we’ve already become the kind of adults Tomino isn’t expecting much from.

Source: Great Mechanics G, Spring 2015 (pages 014-019)