Gundam Creator Reveals Why Reconguista in G is Being Remade

Sunrise is currently in the midst of celebrating the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise's monumental 40th Anniversary, and one of the major efforts is reviving the 35th Anniversary series, Reconguista in G. This seemed to be an odd choice to bring back with a compilation film to many fans as it's not as old or as beloved as some of the other entries in the massive franchise, but apparently this is one of the reasons why it's being brought back with a new series of films. But it's also an extension of franchise creator Yoshiyuki Tomino's noted eccentricities.

During a panel at Anime NYC, Tomino revealed why he Reconguista in G was chosen for a revival for the 40th Anniversary, and his comments carry that same amount of bite that fans have come to know from the prominent creator. As noted by @jonjonaug on Twitter, Tomino had the following to say, "G Reco wasn't very successful and I'm still depressed about that, so I'm remaking it and you better all watch it."

Gundam Reconguista in G was originally released as part of Mobile Suit Gundam's 35th Anniversary back in 2014, and involved Yoshiyuki Tomino, returning to serve as chief director of the series. Considering its not one of the most fondly looked upon entries in the franchise, it seems that this still stings a bit for the creator.

Whether or not this comment was glib, Tomino does have a past of his comments getting away from him. The creator recently got a lot of attention from fans of Makoto Shinkai's works as he called them out for the lack of sex. So his tone can be hard to discern from point to point. So while this comment can read like a joke, it can also be read as completely serious. Either way, it seems Tomino wants a complete do-over.

The Reconguista in G films will begin opening in Japan later this month and will serve as a recap of the original series. The original anime is described as such, "The new era begins! The turbulent era known as the Universal Century has ended. Now, mankind looks towards prosperity and peace in the new era known as the Regild Century (R.C.). One of the most important resources in this era is the Capital Tower - a space elevator which towers over the land connecting Earth to space.

Its purpose, to transport the Photon Batteries the Earth relies on for power. It is worshiped as a holy place. Tasked with protecting the tower, one day on a practice mission, young Capital Guard cadet, Bellri Zenam is attacked by a high-performance G-Self Mobile Suit. Despite having never before encountered the G-Self, he feels a strange connection to it and its pilot, a space pirate called Aida Surugan. Little does Bellri know that he is about to uncover truths which will shake the entire Regild Century."