Mobile Suit Gundam Creator Calls Disney “Boring”

The world of Japanese animation, a.k.a. “Anime,” has been becoming more and more popular over time. Ever since shows like Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, and the original Pokémon made shockwaves in the U.S. in the 1990s, its appeal has spread across the globe. As time has gone on, some audiences seem to prefer this imported media over Western-grown content, with Japanese manga outselling American comics by a large margin. 



One of the most well-known multimedia franchises from Japan is Mobile Suit Gundam, a series about warring factions using robotic armor suits to fight battles. The franchise has seen multiple sequel series, spin-offs, movies, video games, and tons of merchandise ever since its creation in 1979. 

Recently, the series’ creator, Yoshiyuki Tomino, did an interview with the Japanese publication “Toyo Keizai” commenting on his career in the industry and on the recent “Japanese Anime Boom” and how he believes that this boom period may only last another five to six years.



However, during the interview, he had a few surprising comments about the Walt Disney Company. He began expressing his worry about Bandai Namco Filmworks’ push for “digitalization” and is worried that they may repeat the same mistakes as Disney when they switch to an all-digital system. (Some words may not translate well.)

“This magnificent building (The new Bandai Namco offices in Ogikubo) has been completely digitalized and over air conditioned. It’s the same thing as the boring works produced by Disney’s digital production system today. A creative person must have a crazy side. Spiritual, earthy, and indie-like. If you can create an indigenous piece of art in a space with fully controlled air conditioning, I think you should do it.“

Disney is currently having a rather underwhelming streak in terms of their animated films not doing very well at the box office. Films like Strange World, Wish, and Lightyear were outright bombs, while other films like Encanto and Elemental brought in less than expected. If Japan wishes to stay on top then they should try not to emulate Disney’s current output.



The Japanese animation boom is still very strong, with animation companies like Studio Ghibli (a former Disney partner) putting out films like The Boy and the Heron, which are very well received both critically and financially. Hopefully, they will try to avoid the mistakes made by their Western counterparts who continue to try and play it safe. 

Source: Dexerto, Toyo Keizai, Bounding Into Comics