What are the challenges of making a mecha anime like GQuuuuuuX in the present condition of the anime industry? How do you think the challenges could be overcome, especially in the context of GQuuuuuuX‘s production?
As someone involved in the production of Gundam I feel like I shouldn’t say anything pessimistic about this, but to be honest mecha anime is in a declining period. With mecha anime, you have to depict the characters as well as the robots, which means the cost will be double. When you try to depict or express something through robot animation, probably the same thing can instead be done through depicting “superpowers” like in Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen. So, from that perspective, we are in a quite trying time for mecha anime.
However, there are things that can’t be depicted with simple “superpower” expressions, and that kind of “entertainment” will probably be needed in the future. That’s why I believe robot animation will once again come back to the forefront of anime in the future.
There are things that can’t be depicted with simple “superpower” expressions, and that kind of “entertainment” will probably be needed in the future. That’s why I believe robot animation will once again come back to the forefront of anime in the future.
Kazuya Tsurumaki
GQuuuuuuX uses both 2D and 3D animation to depict its robots, and you have animator Kim Sejoon, who is well known for his work in 2D hand-drawn robot anime such as the Gundam Build Series, as the supervising mechanical animation director for GQuuuuuuX. Could you talk about the challenges the two of you faced, working with these two styles of animation?
For the mecha such as the Gundam GQuuuuuuX and other robots such as the Red Gundam or the Zaku, we actually didn’t intend to depict it using 2D. The intention was always to use 3D animation in the first place, which is why the mechanical designs are so intricate and detailed. Doing otherwise would have burdened the 2D side of the production, so we thought that it would be great if everything (related to the robots) can be done in 3D.
However, there were certain things that couldn’t be done in 3D alone, and putting into account the cost and other issues, that’s why some of the mecha scenes, with designs that were made for 3D, had to be done in 2D. Because of that, I’m sure I caused a lot of trouble for Mr. Kim, and I feel somewhat terrible about it. That was more or less how things panned out.
It’s interesting that you mention that there are things that can’t be done for mecha animation using 3D. Could you please elaborate more on that?
Have you watched episode 2?
Yes. The scene where the White Gundam did a full body rotation was particularly impressive.
So for example in episode 2, there’s the scene where the White Gundam attacks the Guncannon using a beam saber. For that shot where the White Gundam strikes a pose, or when the battle continues in outer space and you have the White Gundam kicking the 01 Gundam- you can’t depict these kinds of poses and compositions all that well using 3D.
3D animation isn’t particularly good at depicting exaggerated forms where the shape changes, so that’s why for certain scenes we had to use 2D.
KAORI Nusantara would like to thank Prime Video for making this interview possible
Overview
| Title | Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX |
| Global Premiere | April 8, 2025 (Tuesday) |
| Launch Time | 9AM PT/ 12PM ET/ 5PM BST * April 9 (Wednesday) 1AM JST New episodes weekly/Exclusive worldwide streaming * excluding Vietnam * Note: Streaming schedule may be adjusted to align with Japanese terrestrial broadcast times |
| Language Options | Dubbed in 10 languages, Subtitled in 29 languages |
| Copyright | ©SOTSU・SUNRISE |
Creative Staff
| Original Story | Hajime Yatate / Yoshiyuki Tomino |
| Director | Kazuya Tsurumaki |
| Series Composition | Yoji Enokido |
| Script | Yoji Enokido / Hideaki Anno |
| Character Design | Take |
| Mechanical Design | Ikuto Yamashita |
| Production | Studio khara / SUNRISE |
| Main Theme Song “Plazma” | Kenshi Yonezu |
| Japanese Original Voice Cast | Tomoyo Kurosawa as Amate Yuzuriha (Machu) Yui Ishikawa as Nyaan Shimba Tsuchiya as Shuji Itō |
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is currently streaming worldwide on Prime Video
The Indonesian Anime Times
