“Death is within my reach”: Yoshiyuki Tomino Opens Up About the Legacy of Gundam and Its Impact on Future Generations

SUMMARY

• The Gundam franchise is one of the most legendary anime franchises in the world.
• Recently, Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator of Gundam shared his views on death.
• He also pointed out the message that he has left for the future generations in one of his works.

Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most significant pillars that has helped in the overall growth of the anime industry. The series is considered a legend and has inspired many prominent anime creators to follow its legacy and perfectly adapt the science fiction and mecha genres into a story that not only resonates with fans but also keeps them attached.

Mobile Suit Gundam | Credit: Studio Sunrise

Tomino’s Gundam was one of the very first anime series that developed a cult fan following, making its way to the global stage, and that too in the early 80s. It became so popular that many spin-offs and sequels of the series were developed, and they are still going on. Thus, it is safe to say that Gundam has had an impact on future generations and will continue to do so for a long time.

Recently, Tomino was asked about his views on life and death, and the Japanese anime director pointed out that he wanted to leave something behind for the future generation. Also, he thinks that he might have just done that with Gundam Reconguista in G.

Yoshiyuki Tomino’s views on death

A few days ago, Tomino was asked to speak at Seien Girls’ High School about Gundam and the other aspects of his life. Tomino gave a 90-minute speech called “To Live on a Finite Earth -Thinking about the Future-“. During the speech, Tomino was asked about his views on life and death and the anime director had some very intriguing opinions.

Tomino stated:

Death is within my reach. I think it’s a good thing to be able to face death peacefully. I want to face death head-on. Rather than leaving something tangible behind, I’ve come to think that I want to create something that can be passed on to the next generation.

It may not be something that connects with people now, but the next generation should understand it. I believe that the message of ‘Reconguista in G’ will have been conveyed 30 years from now. I hope that the future will be different from the Earth today.

According to Tomino, he believes in facing death head-on as he has created something that will be passed on to the next generation. It is a message that has been embedded within his Gundam franchise which is specially denoted to the future world.

Gundam Reconguista in G | Credit: Studio Sunrise

He even stated that there is a chance that the current generation might not understand it but the upcoming age will learn its importance and will shape the future for the better.

Yoshiyuki Tomino’s hidden message in Gundam Reconguista in G

According to Yoshiyuki Tomino, the message within Gundam Reconguista in G is the essence of what he wants to leave behind for the future, and it will be conveyed 30 years from now. Reconguista in G was a special series created for the Gundam 35th Anniversary celebration, and it brought back Tomino, who stopped working on Gundam stories in 1999.

Gundam Reconguista in G | Credit: Studio Sunrise

Reconguista in G was extremely crucial since it revived the core of the original series, which aided in the growth of Gundam’s fan base. It explored the themes of war and how advanced technology can be used to create violence and conflict among different factions. The message hidden within the story was to make sure that humanity’s tendency of war doesn’t take over the world.

Considering the rapid advancements in technology, it is safe to say that sooner or later it will ignite the flame of war, and hopefully at the same time, the message from Reconguista in G will help deal with the situation in a much more peaceful way. This is the only concern of Tomino, who believes in the Gundam franchise and the impact it has had on the world.

Mobile Suit Gundam is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Written by Tarun Kohli

Articles Published: 2093

Konichiwa! With a Master's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a 2-year experience in Digital media writing, I am on my way to becoming one of the biggest anime content writers in my country. My passion for writing and Anime has helped me connect with Fandomwire, and share my love and experience with the world.