Interview: What We Know About Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO with Director Kenji Kamiyama
The man tackled Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, The Lord of the Rings, and now Gundam. Director Kenji Kamiyama has built an impressive career—and now he's taking on one of anime's most iconic franchises with Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO. We sat down with Kamiyama to explore his creative vision for this new Gundam project, how the Gundam franchise has affected him as a person and creator, and how his work across Ghost in the Shell, Ultraman, and Star Wars: Visions has shaped his directorial style.
Jacki Jing (ANN): What can you tell us about this new project? What does a larger transmedia project mean?
Kenji Kamiyama: It's a 50th anniversary project, obviously. The goal was to launch the anime and video game together, so it's a large media project that can cross over within the same universe. So this was named RG Project, and it's an effort to really cross over and also present the wider world of Gundam to the Western market. And what we did was the anime part of it.
Do you know why they decided to connect the game and anime? Did you find this challenging?
Kamiyama: The approach to making two different media is quite different, because with anime, when you try to come up with an original story, you have to build a background—why things are the way they are. Basically, you need to create the universe first: Lots of rules of the universe, how it should be working, why it's working that way. That's building from the ground up. Games are a little different, because you have to have the gameplay first. That's the focus, and then everything afterward. In a way, it's approaching things from two different directions. But the universe's setting had to be shared between both media. We needed to do that, and it was a bit of a challenge, but we think we pulled it off pretty well.
You said at one point you had to take a step back—but then recalibrated and thought, “I had been given the chance to create my own Gundam from the ground up for a series I've loved for years. What could be more exciting than that?”
Kamiyama: Obviously, Gundam is what inspired me to become an anime director. I was really happy to receive the offer to do a new Gundam, but at the same time, there's enormous pressure about, okay, what do I do? And how do I take this on? Obviously, there are certain Gundam tropes—it's about war; the war has to be there, it's an essential theme, and the message is anti-war, and also it's about humans using technology to get out there in space, and how that helps people to grow mentally. So those are the common themes and tropes of Gundam. But, okay, then if I'm trying to make something new, what do I do here? And typically, when you're trying to work on an established franchise and trying to do something new with it, what it takes is that you need to break it all apart, and it's a process of breaking it apart, analyzing what made it that franchise, and putting it back together in your own way.
It's a little different in this case, because yes, you got to work with Gundam tropes, and you got to have Gundam in it, but now you're making a brand new universe, so what do I add to this? It's quite a different process than just doing that. A lot of thought went into it: how do I make sure this is Gundam? But at the same time, how could this be new? What new ideas or themes can I contribute to this? It feels a bit like a crossover when working on this title. It was a new experience, very tough, and it took a long time, but it's something you have to tackle.
What parts of past Gundam do you want to keep intact and what would you like to see evolve?
Kamiyama: The most obvious thing about Gundam is the mobile suits. You saw it at the panel, where they were wearing this headpiece, and at the same time, when you look at the 50th Anniversary logo, you get that! That V sign, you've got to have. And it has to be that mobile suit, in a way. Okay, so that mobile suit has to have a pilot, and they're going out there and fighting. It's an absolute requirement that you can't deviate from. You've got to have it. So we're going to have to put that in there. But we're trying to create a brand new universe, and especially, say, approaching the North American audience, what's the reason behind something like this existing? Why do people have to get in there to fight? It needs a persuasive reason and setting behind it, because you need some kind of reality, whether it's fantasy or not. It has to be something that's explained and that people can buy into, especially in North America; people look at things quite differently than, say, in Asia. We had to think all of that up from the ground up. That was the hardest part of putting this title together.
What is the synopsis? How are you selling this to Gundam fans?
Kamiyama: The theme of the anime is, obviously, that the Earth has a visitor from space; basically, it's a silicon alien life form that can travel faster than light. But when they arrive, humans discover that they brought some gifts with them. They've learned three new things, called the Three Revelations in the title. One is faster-than-light travel. Two: materializing things just by thinking. And the very last one is gravity control. Using these three technologies they've garnered from these life forms, humans achieve a breakthrough and newfound prosperity. The problem is, these life forms end up invading the Earth, taking over, and driving people out. So humans have been kicked out. When the series starts, they're about to wage a war against these life forms to try to take back Earth. The story also revolves around how the new technologies they've gained could be used to fight back, how they integrate into human society, and how they interact with these life forms. So there's quite a complex theme, but that's at the core of this new Gundam story.
What are the crucial characteristics that a Gundam protagonist needs to have?
Kamiyama: Gundam main characters tend to be seemingly ordinary characters who somehow get pulled into this global conflict, and somehow, the talents this person has—they're not necessarily a genius or anything, but somehow, by putting it together, some seemingly normal skills, they become someone important and get on the path of growth by interacting with people. That's the thing about Gundam: it's not necessarily about the character's growth, but about how that character interacts with others, and how people change because of it. That's something you've got to have in a Gundam story. It's subtle and hard to explain, but most Gundam series share that with the main character.
Is there a competition to come up with the coolest name?
Kamiyama: It's not necessarily a competition, but we did feel the pressure. We needed to throw an interesting curveball. Obviously, zero means starting over. But at the same time, RX is the code, and there's a bit of wordplay. But if you notice, there's a half-transparent X up front that I really can't explain because it's a spoiler. When you watch the series, you can probably try and put it together.
What was your reaction when you were assigned this project?
Kamiyama: Obviously, that little boy did scream. Also, I felt like, “Okay, I guess I've come this far, and now I'm getting to direct Gundam.” That was a very happy moment, but soon after, what hit me was the pressure, and “Oh, wow, okay, I actually took this on. What do I do?” That was a really scary part.
Which Gundam characters had the biggest impact on you?
Kamiyama: From Gundam 0079, Ray Amuro. He was a huge shock for me because, until then, anime heroes tended to be heroic figures; they're not afraid of things, and they're strong, but Amuro was just an ordinary boy who gets pulled into war. He's not really heroic, and he tells people, “I don't want to fight in a war!” It was something new, but at the same time, something you can empathize with. So, in a way, watching him, you could put yourself in his shoes. It felt like you were in it together. And how this boy struggles through trying to navigate this world of adults and conflicts was new to me. That was very influential for me.
Favorite Gundam mobile suit?
Kamiyama: The simple answer would be Gundam from Gundam 0079, but looking back, what hit me the most are the Zaku and Guncannon. In robot anime in Japan back then, robots had eyes and a face. But when you look at the Zaku, it doesn't really have a face, and it has a mono-eye. And not only that, it's a mass-produced weapon of war, which is a concept that didn't exist before. It basically revolutionized how robot anime was being handled in Japan.
Give me three words to describe what every mobile suit needs to have.
Kamiyama: The antenna. Next, the production model Zaku was interesting, but tricolored–the hero's colored mobile suits. Finally, the stylish designs. Gundam's legs are defined around the calf, but before that [robot] legs used to be heavy and sturdy, so I think the Mobile Suits embody the beauty of human proportions.
Which Gundam scenes had the biggest impact on you?
Kamiyama: It's hard to pick a favorite! Obviously, it'll go back to Gundam 0079 again. There are too many to mention, but the biggest one was at the end: the head gets taken off. I've never seen something like that! A hero's head just gets blown off!
You've worked on legendary projects in the past; how do you think your experience will impact this new project?
Kamiyama: Taking on an established franchise is work unto itself. Typically, what happens is, a franchise is a franchise because there's an existing fan base. They've talked it over to death; they already have conclusions; they've decided what this franchise is. So, when trying to do something in that franchise, you have to deliver to that fan base. But at the same time, you need to provide something new to them as well. Trying to marry that together is usually the biggest challenge.
What is the main message you want people to take away from your work?
Kamiyama: A common theme across all my works that I always try to infuse in those titles is noblesse oblige, meaning obligation of nobles. Meaning if you have something special, if you are something special, if you're in a privileged position, what can you do? Whoever you are, whatever position you're in, you must have something that you do better than others. Not using that to contribute is, to me, a sin. So what can each one of us do to improve the situation we're in, and solve the problems we're in together? That's a theme I'm always thinking about: You have to have something special to you, and would you utilize it to improve the situation you're in, or let it sit there? That's a theme I always want to tackle in all my works.
Is there anything you want to say to the fans?
Kamiyama: There are all kinds of Gundam fans all over the world, so it's very hard to have a message for such a fan base! They're so different, it borders on being rude if you try to have just one message for the entire Gundam fan base. But the takeaway is that what I tried to do the most was, one, coming up with the coolest Gundam possible, when it comes to story or design. I want to see this Gundam kick ass just to have that reaction. In my own way, I tried my best to deliver the coolest Gundam possible. Hopefully that's what they take away from this. I hope it scratches that itch.
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