I am Japanese.
Here, I describe a background of an anime film which is not known in a foreign country.
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Ⅰ-Until Char's Counterattack is made
Tomino Yoshiyuki creates a social phenomenon by Gundam and Ideon through
Mushi Productions era, Triton and Zanbot3.
Gundam is the anime which followed the Science fiction.
...
We should watch the fact that the televising day of Gundam[4/7/1979] is after half a year since Japanese release of Star Wars[7/1/1978].
Star Wars is the masterpiece with which the imagination of Hard SF and the dramaturgy of entertainment were united.
The Eastern anime director absorbed the latest movie technique in the world
by George Lucas. And, he added Robot design, War movie, Violence and a social satire to his work.
By chance, This situation resembles the relation between Tezuka Osamu and Disney.
The 80s were the Tomino Yoshiyuki era.
By his strong influence, A lot of SF-anime and new drawing technique and various
dramaturgy was made. moreover, the market of new media such as Original Video Animation and new plastic model culture was established.
He made economy of rising generation anime. Tomino Yoshiyuki announced one work after another. Xabungle, L-Gaim,Dunbine, Z Gundam, ZZ Gundam...
But, he was solitude.
because, The makers of First Gundam were independent each and have left from him, and people did not evaluate him.
He was going to overcome himself further. Nevertheless, he was angry to the fact that he can't get excellent creator.
Ⅱ-A revolution called "Char's Counterattack"
Char's Counterattack is the best masterpiece in Tomino Yoshiyuki's work and Japanese movie history.
This anime is like documentary. Two Characters which exist inside him fight. and, his very destructive political awareness is reflected in this anime.
In this story, a hero is Char Aznable. He is a military man of the enemy who was a rival of Amuro in the first series. He mustered the remnants of Zeon army and commands the Neo-Zeon army. He does declaration of war to the Federal Government. For reasons of political corruption, he decrees human race purge and global cooling. then, he dropped the asteroid in Tibet. The independent unit "Rond Bell" in which Amuro belongs battles them. but, a little before, Neo Zeon captures meteorite city "Axis" by political negotiation.
Char challenges the last battle with the government and Amuro now.
Apparently, The composition of this movie is justice vs. evil. Neo Zeon of the evil which ruins the earth vs. Rond Bell of the justice which stops a meteorite. but, the actual story is very complicated.
This movie is explanation insufficiency and unkind. Especially, I can't value the hint of "Phycho frame" of second half.
You couldn't understand this movie if you saw for the first time. because, even the Gundam fan can't understand.
I watched to this movie 50 times. Still, can't understand completely.
but, I can make you understand at once. why is this movie unclear? I found that reason.
The character of this movie was telling the lie, it's Char !!
Usually, an anime character does not tell a lie. An anime character speaks about having thought honestly. it is such staging method. but, All the anime changed staging method by this movie.
Char despises the subordinate of one's own army and never real intention. He agonized. His true character is not known by himself. He cries for real intention in front of Amuro which killed own sweetheart. We recognize him to be a realistic human being.
He was in despair, though he finished the revenge to Zabi family. He has a complicated thought to the dead sweetheart, Amuro, and human being. He is a hero and is a lonely man. it's two silhouettes overlapping.
He is a life-size character which tells a lie, has a sexual desire and cannot arrange own idea.
A supporting role and minor characters are also the same. In a battlefield, a superman does not exist. Everyone is moving about desperately.
The special feature of the Tomino work always has important point in a civilian's existence. Tomino designs a complicated battlefield. For example, the problem which arises between the Federal Government and Neo-Zeon is whether Neo-Zeon possesses weapons of mass destruction. Neo-Zeon gets "Axis" from the Federal Government on condition that surrender. And, by surprise attack, Neo-Zeon is gaining total control in the military base of the Federal Government.
By comparison, watch also at the scene of Rond Bell. The scene of the strategy meeting in "Ra-Cailum", all the member's age and a race and cloths are different.
This situation shows what kind of unit the Rond Bell is.
A superman does not exist there. Even Amuro is a simple soldier.
The last scene is symbolic.
"ν-Gundam" which pushes a meteorite "Axis" is nothing but a ordinary human and one machine. However, when a lot of ordinary human beings collect, "Axis" which is a symbol of the Char's idea is pushed back.
I said first that this movie was Tomino's documentary.
Tomino repeats the same theme with the past work. In this movie, two silhouette with idea of despair and ordinary human does fight. Tomino continues shooting one's own conflict dispassionately.
Tomino showed the realism of anime and meta-fiction of self-expression. The movie challenged about the ability of the animation to show a serious theme.
Figuratively speaking, it is "Apocalypse Now" of future war.
Ⅲ-What inherits Tomino's will. -Char's counterattack and the 90s.-
But! this movie was not evaluated!
The misfortunes of this movie are that it is anime and a sequel to the Gundam series. Anime is strong in the optimistic impression. So, it has evolved as a children-oriented advertisement. Moreover, Gundam tends to be regarded as the genre for a robot fan. Nobody thought this anime to be a war movie.
Although Tomino releases a masterpiece also after this, he is treated coldly.
At last, Tomino's health broke down from mental damage.
However, in fact, only one person had the man who understood "Char's counterattack".
The name is "Anno Hideaki".
He made one fanzine in the previous year when "Evangelion" is made.
The name is "Char's counterattack Users Group".
In this fanzine, he encourages anime directors.
Much original anime of the 90s started from "Char's counterattack".
Life-size character which tells a lie, has a sexual desire and cannot arrange own idea, and meta-fiction gave influence strong for the important anime of much 90s.
For example, "Evangelion", "Revolutionary Girl Utena", "Escaflowne", "Clamp's work", "Oshii Mamoru's work", These are the representatives.
I can see those animes like the reply to Tomino's anime.
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My anime comment blog; http://animemagi02.blogspot.com/
Continues to Evangelion link "Now, I am writing".
Continues to Utena link "Now, I am writing".
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Nov 10, 2011
I am Japanese.
Here, I describe a background of an anime film which is not known in a foreign country. -------------------- Ⅰ-Until Char's Counterattack is made Tomino Yoshiyuki creates a social phenomenon by Gundam and Ideon through Mushi Productions era, Triton and Zanbot3. Gundam is the anime which followed the Science fiction. ... |
