Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, a part of the popular Gundam anime series, has been exclusively distributed worldwide on Netflix since October 17th. It is an original 3D anime focusing on the European front of the One Year War, the first in the series, Mobile Suit Gundam, and was produced as a "Gundam for the world." The director is Erasmus Brosdau from Germany, who has worked on anime such as Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. He is the first foreign director in the series. It was produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks and SAFEHOUSE, and was made using the 3D production tool Unreal Engine 5. We spoke to Director Brosdau, SAFEHOUSE animation producer/sound director Yura Hiroaki, and Bandai Namco Filmworks producer Yatomi Kenichi about the behind-the-scenes of the production.
◇A new Gundam that no one has done before
--Has Director Brosdau seen any of the Gundam series before?
Director Brosdau: When I was a child, not much anime was imported into Germany, but after I started watching anime online, I first saw Mobile Suit Gundam. My favorite is Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket. By coincidence, this work also has a similar theme.
--SAFEHOUSE participated, and it was an unprecedented attempt to produce it with Unreal Engine, which is mainly used for game production.
Mr. Yatomi: During a meeting with Netflix, we discussed whether we could make Gundam with Unreal Engine. I don't think anyone has made a full-length anime with Unreal Engine, and I thought that if we used it to make a work about the One Year War with a strong military theme, we could create a new "Gundam." From there, the plan was born, and I was introduced to Director Erasmus.
Mr. Yura: Actually, I've known Mr. Yatomi for over 10 years.
Yatomi: At the time, I was working on anime in the US, and Yura participated in the musical performances for "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya". It was just by chance that we ended up working together again this time.
--What did you pay attention to when making this work, which is intended for overseas release?
Director Brosdau: This is the first Gundam series to be written in English as the main language. We need to make sure that people who haven't seen Gundam before get to know about it. We tried to make it easy to understand for people overseas, including those who speak English, by including the way the characters speak, their gestures, and their way of thinking.
Yatomi: While keeping in mind the premise of preserving the "Gundam-ness," we aimed for two axes: to make this work enjoyable even when watched on its own, for people who have never seen Gundam before.
Yura: We tried to keep reality in mind. For example, Japan and other countries have different views on war. War is closer to Europe and the US than it is to Japan. We tried to express that reality.
◇Gundam is the Grim Reaper; Zaku is like a wolf
--What were you able to express because it was 3DCG?
Director Brosdau: First of all, the sense of scale, such as the size of the mobile suits (MS). We were able to express details that would be difficult to express in 2D.
Mr. Yatomi: We were able to show a good balance between the background, MS, and characters. We were able to create a new image in which the MS moves against a background that looks like real life, and the characters are also present.
Mr. Yura: Unreal Engine can render in real time, so you can see the final image immediately. It has its advantages, but it was the first time we used it for an anime of this scale, so we had a lot of difficulties.
--The unique MS design is also a hot topic.
Mr. Yatomi: The theme was "Scary Gundam." Since it's a work drawn from the perspective of Zeon, we tried to design the "white devil" Gundam to be frightening. Because it's animated by CG, we can show the details. We tried to express details that would be difficult to express by hand.
Director Brosdau: The Gundam is designed to look like a grim reaper or a skeleton, and by making its eyes red, it's clearly a villain. We also aimed for a unique design for the Zaku piloted by the main character, Solari. Solari is a member of the Red Wolf Corps. We aimed for a wolf-like design, so we added ear-like antennae.
--How did you try to express the appeal of the Gundam series?
Director Brosdau: The Gundam series has two major appeals: the action of the MS and the human drama. For the action of the MS, we aimed for realistic images that would give a sense of weight and scale. For the human drama, we tried to make it a work that makes the viewer feel like they're there and experience it together with the characters.
Director Yura: I tried to express the sense of despair that if you're stepped on by an MS, you could easily die... Humans caught up in war are powerless. That's what I'm trying to convey realistically.
Mr. Yatomi: The Gundam series isn't about rewarding good and punishing evil. It's a human drama. This time the spotlight is on Zeon, but it can also be seen from the Federation's perspective. I hope you enjoy that as well.
Requiem for Revenge takes on new visual expression while continuing the traditions of the Gundam series that have spanned 45 years. It should be a Gundam like no other before.
