The Gundam
GQuuuuuuX anime not only surprised fans with its alternate universe
twist from the classic 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam, but also with the way it was
created. Its director, Kazuya Tsurumaki, confessed in a recent
interview that much of the story and several of the most remembered scenes were
done "on the fly", following what he calls a
"go-with-the-flow" approach. Yes, basically the guy started
improvising as if it were karaoke.
The
director's confession
In
conversation with Zero NiGo, Tsurumaki explained that he did not follow a rigid
plan for the 12 episodes of the series. Although he had a general structure in
mind, he ended up working episode by episode, leaving gaps to put twists and
new scenes in the middle of the production process.
"When
I was creating the anime, I just flowed with the ideas. It had a clear
structure, but I ended up doing each episode independently. Many of the most
important scenes I thought about at the time and were not in the original
plot," revealed the director.
In other
words, the narrative of Gundam GQuuuuuuX came out like a
craving pizza: the idea was different, but the final result ended up being
liked more than expected.
From
plan to chaos
The funny
thing is that at first Tsurumaki did want to follow a detailed plan. However,
with each production session he realized that he could do something more
interesting if he threw the plan in the trash and changed the plot.
"At
first I thought the anime would turn out well if we stuck to a plan, but then I
thought it would be better to make it more entertaining. So if something seemed
boring, I would change it for something else on the spot," he said.
This
approach may have been a disaster, but it ended up being a commercial success
that refreshed the franchise.
Hideaki
Anno was also emotional
To
Tsurumaki's surprise, his way of directing was not criticized by everyone. In
fact, Hideaki Anno, creator of Evangelion and writer of Gundam
GQuuuuuuX, was delighted with the proposal when it was presented to him.
According to the director, Anno was even more motivated when he heard that the
project would be a mixture of nostalgia with creative improvisation.
A
production as chaotic as it is entertaining
In
hindsight, Tsurumaki's mayhem gave Gundam GQuuuuuuX a unique
feel: impromptu scenes, unplanned climaxes, and twists that came from
spontaneous ideas. And although it sounds risky, it seems that the audience was
satisfied. After all, in the Gundam universe there's always room for
explosions, giant robots, and directors eager to break their own schemes.
