Mobile Suit Gundam is currently celebrating its 40th Anniversary, and one of the major efforts is a new compilation film re-imagining the events of the 35th Anniversary series, Reconguista in G. In preparation of the upcoming film’s release in Japan, franchise creator Yoshiyuki Tomino recently spoke with Weekly Playboy magazine in Japan about the kind of goals he has for the new film. But in the conversation, Tomino soon opened up about his thoughts on the works of Makoto Shinkai. Surprisingly lamenting about how the prominent director’s films lack physicality between the two romantic leads.
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According to a breakdown from Anime News Network, Tomino revealed that he wants Shinkai to make a film where his romantic leads “aren’t just satisfied with no physicality” and wants them to connect on a more physical level or more specifically, have sexual contact in some way.
When speaking about Shinkai’s films, Tomino described them his “rivals.” Explaining further, Tomino stated, “From my generation’s perspective, you don’t have to go out of your way to make an anime that feels like an introspective novel (‘I novel’).” Even describing Shinkai’s films as “stories about a boy and a girl who are always stretching out their hands towards each other,” and punctuated with, “And yet the boy’s hand never reaches the girl’s crotch.”
Elaborating further, Tomino lamented about how Shinkai’s films lack the sexual tension or content, “Why do they never go any further? I want him to make a story where they aren’t just satisfied with no physicality. Well, Shinkai is still a young director, so I suppose he can make films like that.”
This critique might seem out of left field, but it does kind of describe many of Shinkai’s works. The lack of sexual connotations certainly is a note that one can make, especially in the stories with older romantic leads, but these kinds of scenes would not really fit in many of his works. Shinkai’s stories are largely fantastical in nature, and while they are grounded in modern Japan in many ways, their fairy tale like narrative makes them as popular as they are. There is an argument to be made, but at the same time, it’s also why Shinkai’s films are some of the most popular anime releases around the world.
Gundam Reconguista in G was originally released as part of Mobile Suit Gundam‘s 35th Anniversary back in 2014, and even involved Yoshiyuki Tomino, creator of the entire franchise, returning to serve as chief director of the series. The film will serve as a recap of the original series, and 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.”
via ANN
