The creator of Gundam, Yoshiyuki Tomino is famous for his eccentric personality. His straightforwardness and peculiar opinions raise eyebrows, but fans are fascinated with the way his brain works. After all, it’s the same brain that created one of the most influential anime of all time. Beyond the cool robots, Gundam takes a nuanced take on war, intergenerational differences, and human nature.
While some scenes in Gundam might not make a viewer react, Tomino’s explanation is sure to do so. Tomino doesn’t shy away from voicing his controversial takes in interviews, which makes them intriguing and insightful. But sometimes, he says things that could land him in trouble.
Tomino’s Controversial Explanation of One Scene in Mobile Suit Gundam
The relationship between Amuro and Bright in Gundam develops as the story progresses. Although initially, they were off to a rough start. Amuro often defied Bright and the latter would find Amuro’s attitude disrespectful. In Episode 9 of the original series, after Amuro refuses to get ready for battle, Bright rushes to him. Upon seeing him, he punches the boy. Amuro questions how he could do that when even his father has never hit him.
This scene is widely popular and is often referenced in memes. Tomino was asked about his thoughts on the scene and he somewhat defended what was being shown. Tomino shared (via alltheanime) his thoughts behind that scene.
I am conscious of the scene’s importance, because children need certain discipline,
Clarifying that he didn’t support the old-school extreme violence, he went on to say that in the absence of physical violence, there might be other possibilities. Cultures that label the ways of the older generation as wrong might have other ways to inflict trauma on others. While not using physical violence may seem kind, it’s not always the case.
At some point in life, human beings have to overcome pains; at least in drama and fiction, surely they are okay [to be represented]
He said that at least in the fictional media, it’s okay to represent violence that helps someone overcome bigger challenges in life later on. These statements give us a gist of what he had intended to do through that scene, as he himself shared how it was a conscious choice to put it there.
Yoshiyuki Tomino, the Biggest Enemy of Cancel Culture
Throughout Gundam, discipline plays a huge role as the setting involves the military and war. Essentially, Tomino might have been trying to express the importance of discipline and how it was considered normal to discipline people through violence. He probably wanted to express the reality of the older generation through fiction, while juxtaposing it with the defiance of the newer generation through Amuro.
His words hold a lot of weight. One could argue that his explanation needs careful attention from the reader or listener, to infer what he truly meant. While Tomino boldly states his views, his fans only pray that the enthusiasts of cancel culture never comes across his interviews.
The Gundam series is available to stream on Netflix.
