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The creator of theGundamfranchise isn’t afraid to speak openly about the industry, his rivalries, and his feelings about his own work. Yoshiyuki Tomino is considered the father of the “Real Robot” mecha anime genre and theMobile Suit Gundamseries is his legacy in the anime industry.
Despite his accolades and influence, the director is convinced he lacks what it takes to be a true auteur in the anime industry. Tomino has stayed with Sunrise since the 1970s and since he specializes in the mecha genre, he has only stuck with them.
He consistently compares himself to Hayao Miyazaki and talks about how he would never be able to surpass him. However, he says that no director would be able to do so. Even so, sticking with Sunrise has limited Tomino’s options of which genre he can direct. Beyond theGundamfranchise, he’s directedSpace Runaway Ideonand was the writer for theAstro Boyanime.
Yoshiyuki Tomino speaks about his career with Sunrise and the “Real Robot” mecha genre
The legacyYoshiyuki Tominohas built is niche and very focused on the mecha genre. He doesn’t believe his skills that would be appreciated in the mecha genre could be applied to any other genre of anime, despite having years of experience. Adding to his limitations of the genre, he also laments how he doesn’t have a lot of competitors.
The Creator of Mobile Suit Gundam, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Created Isekai With 1 Anime That Started it All
In an interview atthe Niigata International Animation Film Festival 2024, when asked why he stuck to the “Real Robot” mecha genre, Yoshiyuki Tomino simply said:
That’s because I never got any other job.
He then goes on to explain this in detail:
Yes. Also, I’ve always been aware that I basically don’t have what it takes to be an auteur. There’s this thing called the giant robot genre, and I thought it might serve as a good platform to create stories – and so I ended up joining a place that specializes in that kind of works. It’s not really what I aspired to initially, but considering my own abilities, there was no other way to go. That’s why the director Hayao Miyazaki has always been my enemy: being in the same era as someone I’d never been able to surpass has become my incentive.
When a director limits themselves to one genre, they are generally expected to keep producing more of it and never stop. Tomino seems to have fallen into that net,stayed with Sunrise, and thus, never had the chance to properly explore other genres of anime.
The artistic integrity of Yoshiyuki Tomino
Tomino might consistently underestimate his own skills as a director but he’s even more harsh on other directors, specificallyHayao Miyazaki. He claims to dislike his films, other thanThe Boy and The Heron,and yet he believes he’s the greatest director in the anime industry anddefends him.
“I didn’t want to do it like Pixar”: Yoshiyuki Tomino Took a Massive Challenge for Ring of Gundam That Rivaled Nicholas Cage’s Astro Boy
He further encourages and challenges the new generation of anime directors to try and surpass Miyazaki. The Studio Ghibli director has a decades-long legacy to look up to. Anyone who dares to try will need the time and effort to do so. Only Yoshiyuki Tomino, who also shares his decades-long legacy, has come close to surpassing him.
Mobile Suit Gundamis available on Crunchyroll.
Bidisha Mitra
Articles Published :802
Bidisha is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with over 700 published articles. With over 7 years of writing experience, she’s versatile and adept. When she’s not writing, she’s also a voice actor on the side.Bidisha is currently continuing to learn Japanese and gets more fluent everyday. Her expertise is One Piece, Bungo Stray Dogs, and Haikyuu, but has been watching anime for over a decade. She was previously a Content Writer reviewing the latest Kpop music.
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GundamHayao MiyazakiMobile Suit GundamYoshiyuki Tomino
