Director Yoshiyuki Tomino, known as the creator of the popular anime series "Gundam," will appear on Nippon Broadcasting System's radio program "Suggestions for the NEXT STAGE II" (every Thursday at 8 p.m.) on December 19th.
A radio program in which famous people representing Japan in various fields, such as entertainment, culture, music, sports, economics, and politics, appear each week to deliver passionate messages to young people who will lead the next generation.
Director Tomino revealed the story behind the creation of Amuro Ray, the main character of "Mobile Suit Gundam," saying, "I was well aware of the existence of boy soldiers at the end of the Pacific War. I knew that when they turned 16, they could go to training school to become tank crew members, and that in the case of the Navy, the battleship Yamato had boy soldiers on board towards the end of the war. People ask why I let children take part in the war, but I wanted people to be aware of these facts, so I made a very conscious effort to put a boy named Amuro on board Gundam."
He talks about fashion, something he was careful about even before he started Gundam, and his thoughts on Osamu Tezuka. When asked about his suggestions for the NEXT STAGE, which is the theme of the show, he gives a message in one word: "Separate with a single grab," and passionately explains why.
