FROM PROMO VIDEO TO ANIME ADAPTATION: BEHIND GUNDAM UC

――I understand this is the first time you’re working on a Gundam project as a director.

Furuhashi: Yes. It’s actually my first time working on a Sunrise title at all, and I’ve barely touched any series with heavy mechanical elements before this.

――When you found out you’d be handling a Gundam set in the Universal Century timeline, how did you feel?

Furuhashi: If it had been an entirely original Gundam from scratch, I probably would have turned it down. But in this case, we already had a novel to work from, so it wasn’t all that different from other adaptations I’ve done.

――So it didn’t feel like added pressure?

Furuhashi: Making an anime is always tough, but with a novel adaptation, the main responsibility lies in how we arrange the material, rather than having to generate the story from the ground up.

――When did plans for the Gundam UC anime first get underway?

Ogata: We’d pretty much decided to move forward with an anime adaptation when we created the promotional video (PV) for the novel.

――So that must have been about three years ago?

Ogata: Right. We decided Gundam UC would be animated, and I was put in charge. At the same time, Volumes 1 and 2 of the novel were going to be released simultaneously. That was when Kadokawa Shoten approached us about making a PV. Back then, we hadn’t yet reached out to Director Furuhashi, but we had already contacted Kumiko Takahashi for character design and Norihiko Genma for mechanical design. But, the idea for the PV was to focus on the mobile suits and use illustrations from the novel with no actual character animation. So Genma did the storyboards. We treated it as a preliminary step, experimenting with cockpit monitors, Unicorn’s special effects, and how it would move. In previous Gundam series, those monitors weren’t always fully defined, so we took this as our chance to work it all out. That research naturally carried over into the OVA. The PV we produced back then ultimately led us to the final version of Episode 1.

――Compressing the story from the first two volumes of the novel into just one episode must have been challenging. What was the hardest part?

Furuhashi: There’s an enormous amount of material. The novel devotes pages and pages to detailed settings and descriptions. Reproducing all that in anime form would require a lot of time, so we had to figure out how to convey it visually in a clear, concise way. Our goal was to keep the essence of the story intact while making it easy for viewers to digest. Basically, how to condense without losing the important beats.

――Did you settle on a 60-minute format for Episode 1 from the start?

Ogata: Initially, we were thinking 40 to 45 minutes. But we realized we really needed to show the Unicorn in action; otherwise, it just wouldn’t feel like a real first episode. Once we put all that in, it ballooned to 60 minutes. (laughs)

――About how long do you expect each subsequent episode to run?

Ogata: They’ll generally be in the same 60-minute range as Episode 1.

Furuhashi: Even then, each episode feels extremely tight. We’re already working on Episode 4, and even after cutting everything down to the bone, we’re still pressed for time.

――In Episode 1, you significantly reduced the screen time for the Nahel Argama crew, Londo Bell, and Riddhe’s perspective. Interestingly, it might help first-time viewers ease into Gundam UC without confusion.

Furuhashi: In fact, Riddhe doesn’t even have a speaking line in Episode 1. Same goes for Alberto, both characters lost out this time around. We plan to give them a bigger presence starting in Episode 2.

Ogata: Exactly. You’ll feel Riddhe and Alberto’s impact more strongly there.

――So Episode 1 mostly focuses on Banagher, Audrey, and Cardeas.

Furuhashi: Yes. By zeroing in on those three, we were able to keep it cohesive for the first installment.

Ogata: Honestly, we packed enough material in Episode 1 that we could have stretched it to 90 minutes if we wanted to.

――So was 45 minutes per novel volume your initial guiding principle?

Ogata: The thing is, as you move through the volumes, the novels get thicker. Even with 45 minutes, time might be tight. (laughs)

――So the deeper you go into the story, the harder it is to fit it all in.

Furuhashi: Up through Episode 4, we think we can manage. But Episodes 5 and 6, which will cover around Volumes 8 through 10 of the novels, are going to be tricky. We’ll have to fine-tune the approach with Fukui (the author) and the rest of the staff.

Ogata: As things stand, Episode 3 will depict the transition from space down to Earth, which corresponds to Volumes 5 and 6 of the novel.

A MORE METICULOUS DEPICTION THAN EVER BEFORE

――This production goes to incredible lengths with the cockpit monitor displays, more than any previous Gundam series.

Ogata: I’d say it’s not just “meticulous” but that we’ve crammed in a huge amount of information.

――For example, there’s a scene in which the cockpit monitor shows funnels stored within the Kshatriya’s binders, something never really depicted in past Gundam works.

Furuhashi: One of the cinematographers who’s also a Gundam fan watched the preview screening and said that was one of their favorite bits. It was actually in the script, just something we added to show Marida’s face as she retrieves the funnels. We didn’t see it as anything particularly symbolic. But once we realized we had to display the pilot’s own mobile suit in an all-range monitor, we had to figure out the in-universe rationale. Our mechanical animation director, Genma, came up with the idea that multiple camera feeds would be composited digitally. We’d then switch between them onscreen.

Ogata: In Episode 1, we basically took Director Furuhashi’s storyboards and added various mobile suit gimmicks Genma devised.

――The novel by Fukui meticulously covers details and concepts that earlier Gundam entries never did. It seems like you’ve gone even further for the anime, with visual flourishes unique to animation.

Ogata: Genma really wanted to highlight some of the technology we’ve never explicitly shown before. Earlier Gundam series might have done so in a single shot, but seldom as a cohesive approach throughout the whole show. We worked to keep it consistent here. We also wanted to focus on the tech evolving from Char’s Counterattack to F91 and beyond.

――The vernier exhaust effects look different from what we’ve seen in earlier installments.

Ogata: We do all our “filming” digitally now, but we wanted to recreate that sense of old-school optical effects. So we put extra care into how we did the vernier effects. We’ve been experimenting since the PV days; simply layering the light in different ways yields dramatically different results. Genma’s attention to detail really paid off.

――Despite that old-school vibe, you’re mixing both hand-drawn animation and CG in Gundam Unicorn.

Ogata: Yes, we use CG for the Unicorn’s transformation. This should be the first time a main Gundam unit itself has been rendered in CG (excluding full-CG titles like IGLOO).

Furuhashi: We also applied CG for the warships and for the cockpit seat’s transformation.

Ogata: Essentially, we stick to CG for large objects, while mobile suits, being almost “characters,” are hand-drawn.

Furuhashi: Other Gundam entries have used CG for battleships as well. So for us, the only real novelty was using CG for the Unicorn’s external transformation and the cockpit seat. In Episode 1, we only have three CG shots of the Unicorn changing form. When the camera zooms in and the face starts to shift, we switch to traditional animation.

――Why switch to traditional animation for the Unicorn’s face transformation?

Furuhashi: The Unicorn’s face is unbelievably complex. Once we tried modeling it in 3D, we found that matching the exact timing and subtle movements worked better in hand-drawn form. If we just traced the 3D model, the final result would lose its flair. We also want to save our animation resources for other high-impact scenes. Plus, CG quality will naturally improve with each episode.

Ogata: We’ve been testing this approach since the initial PV, so expect every new installment to evolve even more!

――Counting from when you made that PV, it took about three years to finish Episode 1?

Ogata: We were juggling other projects in between, so we only really started in earnest around spring 2008.

Furuhashi: That’s when I first got the offer, but I was already committed to two other series, so they waited for me until autumn.

Ogata: Meanwhile, we had screenwriter Yasuyuki Muto begin writing. Then at the end of 2008, Director Furuhashi started storyboarding. It took nearly a year from there to completion.

――The Unicorn’s design has a huge number of lines, yet it moves so smoothly on-screen. I was honestly amazed.

Ogata: According to its designer, Hajime Katoki, he was able to be especially daring because he was designing for the novel initially, not an anime. So he took advantage of that freedom.

Furuhashi: And since the existing Unicorn design was already made into model kits, we couldn’t just simplify the linework for animation to an extreme degree.

Ogata: We did reduce the lines somewhat for the anime, but it was still a huge task.

――The Kshatriya and ReZEL are also packed with detail, there’s a distinctly higher level of quality here compared to TV anime.

Furuhashi: These mobile suits have a lot of layered parts, so they look more three-dimensional. We don’t add the kind of highlights you see in something like Gundam 00, so our style might come across as simpler.

Ogata: Gundam 00 was already extremely high-quality for TV, but it’s a different universe, so direct comparisons aren’t straightforward.

Furuhashi: We’re also reflecting each suit’s unique mechanical features in the animation, like showing the sub-arms on Kshatriya retrieving the funnels.

――You can really feel the Kshatriya’s presence not just in how it moves, but also through all the little details in its binders.

Ogata: Exactly. The four binders are its hallmark, and Kshatriya is effectively the star of Episode 1. Mobile suits in Gundam often act like distinct characters, so we wanted to give it that sense of individuality.

――The funnel scenes are also extremely detailed. I was surprised by how large the funnels appeared when they flew past those people in the spaceport.

Ogata: That’s in Fukui’s novel as well. Each funnel is about four meters long. We’ve rarely shown them side-by-side with humans in past series, so it’s a fresh angle here.

――The beam weapons have a new feel, too.

Ogata: We’re not just firing a beam and cutting to the next shot. There are moments where a continuous beam slices right through a mobile suit. Genma also insisted on not having an explosion occur the second a beam hits. There’s a bit of a delay, and sometimes the suit keeps moving even after losing a limb. It’s more time-consuming to animate, but it creates a different kind of impact.

Furuhashi: You see things like the fingers getting sliced off, or a head dangling from a nearly snapped neck.

――The novel shows plenty of character deaths, but it feels like Episode 1 didn’t dwell on that too much. Was that intentional?

Furuhashi: Partly it’s a matter of running time. Also, animating human deaths without losing realism can be tricky. We don’t want to make it too gory for no reason. It’s more effective to let the audience infer the violence by what we show before and after. We’re holding back so that when we do tackle a death scene, it means something. Meanwhile, we show the mobile suits being damaged in a very physical, painful-looking way.

――In many Universal Century Gundam titles, people’s perspectives on life and death during war are front and center, often catching you by surprise.

Ogata: We’re not going to kill characters randomly. When someone does die, we want it to serve a narrative purpose. Gundam fundamentally deals with war, so if a death is necessary, we’ll make sure to depict it properly.

A MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM MADE FOR EXISTING FANS

――Writer Harutoshi Fukui is credited with “story” on this project. In practical terms, how is he involved in producing the anime?

Ogata: He’s basically working side by side with us. Since Fukui knows Gundam UC better than anyone, he joins our script meetings to clear up any questions we have. We also consult him about what elements need trimming to fit our runtime.

――You’ve mentioned that the anime strives to recreate the novel wherever possible, yet there are also little bonus touches just for the fans, aren’t there?

Ogata: Director Furuhashi wanted to slip in something reminiscent of the very first Mobile Suit Gundam. So, yes, there’s a scene where a Zaku and a Musai make an appearance.

Furuhashi: The novel originally called for a Geara Doga, but for someone who grew up watching the original Mobile Suit Gundam in real time, like me, Zaku just feels right. I suspect a lot of fans would agree.

――So we can expect more nods like that for longtime viewers?

Ogata: I think fans will really appreciate how we depict the mobile suits and their gimmicks, like the funnels.

Furuhashi: There’s so much history behind the Universal Century saga. We want to include plenty of details that’ll delight fans who’ve been following the story all along.

――Recent Gundam series set outside the Universal Century, like 00 or SEED, tend to have entirely new lore to absorb, but in Gundam UC, everything flows from past continuity. That made Episode 1 feel comfortable and easy to slip into.

Ogata: Indeed, Gundam 00, SEED, and others are geared toward newer audiences, but Gundam UC is partially aimed at people who watched Mobile Suit Gundam or Zeta Gundam back in the day, an invitation for them to rediscover Gundam. Hearing you say it felt welcoming is great news.

――Character designer Kumiko Takahashi’s style also feels nostalgic in a way, familiar and inviting.

Ogata: The original aesthetic stems from Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s designs. Takahashi took those lines and adapted them for a more modern style. I think it balances nostalgia with current tastes quite elegantly.

――Banagher feels a bit younger in the anime adaptation than he does in the novel.

Ogata: The novel’s portrayal is actually pretty youthful. In auditions, Koki Uchiyama’s voice initially sounded more mature, but during the recording sessions, we asked him to match the animation’s tone, and it fit perfectly. Banagher’s a character who matures over time, so being on the younger side in Episode 1 works just fine.

――Speaking of which, what made you choose Uchiyama for Banagher?

Furuhashi: In the first round of auditions, we just couldn’t find the right fit. We ended up asking four extra voice actors to try out. Uchiyama was the last of them, and everyone was unanimous that he was our guy.

Ogata: He’d been recording another show that day and rushed over at the last minute.

――So he wasn’t in the original audition lineup?

Ogata: Right. He came in completely cold, which gave him a slight offbeat quality that actually suited a Gundam protagonist pretty well. (laughs)

――So it was a combination of factors that led you to cast Uchiyama.

Furuhashi: Exactly. He did come across as a little older in the audition, but otherwise he matched our vision perfectly.

――What about Ayumi Fujimura as Audrey?

Furuhashi: She didn’t have a lot of leading roles under her belt, so we were surprised she hadn’t received more attention. Over the past six months, she’s suddenly skyrocketed in popularity, so it turns out we were right about her. (laughs)

Ogata: Audrey will eventually have some very demanding scenes, so we needed a voice that truly resonates.

――Did you have her record any of those big moments during auditions?

Ogata: We just gave everyone lines from Episodes 1 and 2. The crucial scene for Episode 1 shows up near the end of the story.

――And of course, Shuichi Ikeda voices Full Frontal.

Furuhashi: Considering the script literally calls him “Char’s voice,” there was really no other option. (laughs)

Ogata: He’s pegged as “the second coming of Char,” so who better than Ikeda?

――I never imagined I’d get to see Ikeda perform in this capacity again.

Ogata: Gundam UC as a whole is meant to feel like a celebration. Including that callback is part of how we’re trying to please longtime fans.

――Having Ichirō Nagai, who narrated the original Mobile Suit Gundam, play Syam is also a delightful treat for fans, right?

Furuhashi: We always knew we wanted Nagai to perform some character, and then we realized Syam, who sort of frames the beginning and end of the story, would be a perfect fit.

Ogata: Takuyuki Sugō’s portrayal of Cardeas was also stellar in Episode 1.

――He does anchor the entire narrative kickoff.

Furuhashi: We ended up cutting a lot of the scenes he originally had in the novel, so we relied heavily on his vocal performance to communicate everything. He really carried Episode 1 in many ways.

Ogata: While our lead roles are younger voices, we filled many supporting parts with seasoned actors who often do foreign-film dubbing. That gave us a powerful, veteran cast, though since we have so many older male characters, we practically ran out of distinct “uncle” voices by the end of Episodes 1 and 2. (laughs)

――Finally, how did you decide on Hiroyuki Sawano as the composer?

Furuhashi: I stumbled upon his work on the live-action TV drama Team Medical Dragon (Iryu) and was intrigued. When I checked out his other scores, some rock-style TV pieces and even a mecha-anime or two, it reassured me he’d be a good match.

Ogata: We wanted to both satisfy longtime fans and also inject a fresh quality into the music. Sawano is quite young, yet he already has a distinctive style. I think you can really hear his signature sound in the track that plays at the end of Episode 1, it’s like his ultimate finishing move.

――Actress Chiaki Kuriyama, best known for her film roles, is singing the theme song.

Ogata: We were collaborating with Sony Music, and at the time, Chiaki Kuriyama was just about to debut as a singer. It echoed our rationale for choosing Sawano: we wanted music that could reach newer audiences. So we decided to ask Kuriyama.

Furuhashi: Initially I thought her music might be a bit too gentle, but when we laid it into the final dub, it fit seamlessly, definitely the best choice.

――It’s quite a different image from Chiaki Kuriyama, the actress.

Ogata: It’s a gentle, warm-sounding piece that shows a new side to her. The story itself gets pretty tense, so we wanted something that shifts the mood at the end. (laughs)

AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO DISTRO

――I’d like to hear more about the Gundam UC release strategy. Not only is it coming out as an OVA, but you’re also hosting Premiere Review event screenings and distributing via the PlayStation Store. What led you to adopt this multifaceted approach?

Ogata: Purely OVA-only releases have become exceedingly rare, so we wanted to experiment with a new kind of packaging. Of course, we’d still like everyone to purchase the Blu-ray or DVD, but the theatrical showings let large groups of people watch on the big screen at the same time, bringing that festive, communal atmosphere to the experience. As for the PlayStation Store, we feel that gamers and anime fans naturally overlap, and we also know that the PlayStation 3 functions as a popular Blu-ray player. We figure if that synergy develops in the right way, it could lead to something really interesting.

――Will you keep using this same release model for Episode 2 and onward?

Ogata: That’s the plan, to continue both the theatrical premieres and the PlayStation Store distribution. We’re also open to trying new ideas depending on the audience’s reaction to Episode 1. One possibility is more simultaneous overseas releases. It’s not just because this is Gundam, anime in general is now produced with global audiences in mind. I think simultaneous international rollouts are only going to become more common going forward.

――How is Gundam UC being received overseas? Is there a high level of anticipation?

Ogata: Hard to say. (laughs) Strictly speaking, Gundam UC is a sequel in a long-running series, so it’s easier to appreciate if you already know something about Gundam. I’m not sure how familiar overseas viewers are with a concept like “Newtypes,” for instance. At the same time, if people around the world see something in the footage that catches their interest, I’d love it if Gundam UC could serve as a doorway into the broader Gundam universe.

――The Blu-ray version includes not only Japanese audio but also an English dub and subtitles in six languages, correct?

Ogata: Right. Rather than localizing for each country separately as we used to, this time we have one Blu-ray produced by Bandai Visual that’s sold worldwide. So overseas fans can watch Gundam UC with English audio if they want.

――Has the push for simultaneous worldwide distribution affected production itself in any way?

Ogata: It doesn’t really affect the production schedule. Our number-one goal is to make something that will satisfy the core Gundam fans here at home. Of course, the people localizing for other regions are working extremely hard, which inspires us to give it everything we’ve got on our end, too.

Furuhashi: One question I have is whether someone who’s never even heard of Mobile Suit Gundam could still enjoy this. For longtime fans, funnels are just common knowledge, but while we’re definitely making this to please old-school Gundam devotees, we also want Gundam UC to carry the torch into the future. Right now, though, with a simultaneous overseas release on the table, we can’t say we’ve been able to fully reintroduce the entire Gundam world from square one.

Ogata: That’s partly why we’d love for people to watch the Mobile Suit Gundam movie trilogy, Zeta Gundam, and Char’s Counterattack. We also pull a lot of concepts from Gundam ZZ, so that’s another series we recommend checking out beforehand. In some ways, the bar to fully appreciate Gundam UC might be a little high compared to other works.

――Finally, do you have a message for readers who are excited to see Gundam UC?

Furuhashi: I hope everyone cheers us on with plenty of enthusiasm.

Ogata: I think of Gundam UC as a big celebration. It’s the latest chapter in the Universal Century universe that so many fans love. You can dive into the theatrical screenings and have a blast, or check out the slew of new Gunpla releases. We’re even offering a limited run of 10,000 Blu-ray & DVD copies ahead of time at theaters, so if you watch it on the big screen and want to see it again right away, you can pick up your own copy. I really hope people enjoy it in every possible way!

Source: Dengeki Games Vol.6 (April 2010 Issue)