To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the anime adaptation of "Wings of Rean," directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, a screening with a talk show was held at Shinjuku Piccadilly (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) on December 14th. A$AP Suzuki voice actor Jun Fukuyama, Director Tomino, character designer Masashi Kudo, and producer Yoshitaka Kawaguchi appeared on stage, with setting production director Hirojiro Taniguchi serving as MC. Director Tomino, who has been a part of his life's work, "Vistone Well," which includes "Wings of Rean" and "Aura: Aura Battler Dunbine," commented, "The challenge is whether we can present a concept that can compete with overseas fantasy works, but I would like to continue to take on this challenge," and spoke emphatically about his ongoing desire as a creator to create blockbuster hits.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary, Fukuyama said, "When I first heard about it, I said, 'It hasn't been that long!' (laughs). That's how vivid my memories of that time are," while Kudo added with a wry smile, "I think of today as a meeting to hear Tomino-san's story, and while I'm looking forward to it, at the same time, I'm feeling sick at the thought of him criticizing me after 20 years." Director General Tomino greeted the audience with humor, saying, "I'm Tomino, and I'm always at the mercy of the producer," and added, "I really wanted to see everyone's faces. I'm happy to be able to meet you all in this way today."
This will be the first time the film has been released on Blu-ray Disc (BD), and for the BD release, a new opening video has been produced to announce the beginning of the story, directed by Director General Tomino.
Director Tomino said that when he checked the footage, he felt that "something was missing," and commented with satisfaction, "The main story begins with a shot of a US aircraft carrier suddenly appearing, so it lacked impact. But by hearing Anna Tsuchiya's music, the main title appearing, and then the screen going quiet for a moment before the aircraft carrier appears, it created a sense of surprise. When it was screened today, I realized that I hadn't made a mistake after all." Producer Kawaguchi explained, "It was a work that was to be distributed, and Director Tomino's notes are always huge, so I thought it would be better to include at least a little bit of the main story. But 20 years later, I got that negative feedback (laughs)."
When the topic turned to "20-year reflections," Fukuyama reflected, "At the time, Shimamura (Yu), who played Lux, was a newcomer, so as her senior, I thought I was leading her. But now, 20 years later, when I look back, I think, 'It was she who was doing the right thing.' It's hard to explain in words, and it's not about technique or anything like that. I've come to feel that way over the past 20 years, but it's a shame that I wasn't able to feel it and record it back then."
Regarding his choice of Fukuyama, Director General Tomino explained, "I wanted a young person's voice. But being young alone isn't enough; the time period is important. The era in which the person lives will definitely come into play, so I chose someone who is not a complete amateur, but who is "not yet fully developed."
Regarding Shinjiro Sakomizu, who could be considered the other main character, Producer Kawaguchi shared the following anecdote: "As the episodes progressed, Director Tomino gradually made Sakomizu seem like the main character. After it was finished, the director asked me, 'Why didn't you stop him?!' But I did stop him and he didn't listen (laughs)." Kudo also commented, "As the episodes progressed, Sakomizu came to the forefront, so the animation also put more effort into (Sakomizu)." Taniguchi reflected that because he was still in his 20s at the time, close in age to A$AP, he didn't have enough knowledge of war to understand the kamikaze pilot Sakomizu.
On the other hand, Fukuyama said, "A$AP comes from a generation that has no experience of war, so there's no way he could have anything convincing or realistic to say to Sakomizu, who was in the midst of the war. But that's exactly why A$AP seems to be a protagonist that young people today can relate to."
As the recording of the game "Another Century's Episode 2" took place before the main story, Fukuyama and Koyama Rikiya, who plays Shinjiro Sakomizu, had to do their voice recordings before the main story began, with little information about the characters. They also discussed Taniguchi's idea to make Nanajin red to represent A$AP's growing emotions, but how viewers didn't really notice because he appeared in the evening.
Producer Kawaguchi said, "Even back then, Wings of Rean was made with image quality in mind, with Blu-ray discs in mind, including distribution in HD, so I'm sorry that it's being released 20 years later. But considering that it now has an opening theme, I'm not so sure it's a good thing that it's been released 20 years later (laughs)." Kudo smiled and said, "I'm really glad I got to see it on the big screen today. I was able to participate on the same level as everyone else."
Fukuyama said, "Five years have passed since 'Turn A Gundam' and I'm once again working with Tomino. I enjoyed recording while thinking about how I should not be defeated by the lines written in the script and how I should not be forced to say them. Looking at it now, it seems really bad, but 20 years later, there are times when I find it quite endearing. I think my feelings will change as I grow, so I hope that you will be able to immerse yourself in their world once again with the BD box set."
Finally, Director Tomino expressed his gratitude, saying, "We once made a declaration of a new century of anime in front of Shinjuku Station, and it's really encouraging to be able to meet our fans in this way again 45 years later. Thank you for coming today."
"Wings of Rean" is a novel based on the "Vistone Well Series," which could be considered Director Tomino's life work, and was published in 1983. It was adapted into a web anime in 2005. Set in the alternate world of Vistone Well, created by Director Tomino, it is a fantasy robot action series, the first since "Mobile Suit Gundam: Aura Battler Dunbine," and tells the story of love and adventure between A$AP Suzuki, a young boy who is summoned by the "Wings of Rean," a power that connects worlds, and Lux Sakomizu, the princess of the country of Houjou.
