Kunio Okawara is a pretty cool guy. Here's his thoughts on working on 0079. (Source: his autobiography).
>At this time, Sunrise was still a small company. I would come and go for work, and then be called in for the next one. And so on. There was no end to the work for Sunrise. I got a call from Yoshiyuki Tomino for me and Yasuhiko-san to do Gundam. Originally Studio Nue was supposed to do the mecha design, but they were very well versed in sci-fi and were very strict on the smallest of details. The animation direction Yasuhiko-san wanted to "have it more open-minded this time", and decided on me. Tomino-san had done Zambot 3 and Daitarn 3 at Sunrise, and said "I've contributed plenty to Sunrise's toy sales, so this time I want to make it my own way."
>Gundam with a Mouth
>Studio Nue and Yasuhiko-san personally handed me a powered suit that they had designed for Starship Troopers. Yasuhiko-san's own artistic interpretation of it was the rough draft of the Guncannon. However, I felt that there was something off when looking at that drawing. It was cool for an adult-oriented sci-fi series, but our job was not simply to create anime, but it was also important that we made toys that met the expectations and desires of children. Put simply, it wasn't flashy enough for a main mecha.
At the start we considered making the Guncannon the main mecha, but we needed a main mecha quickly, and so I drew the design that would become the basis of Gundam. What I drew had a mouth like Daitarn 3, but then Yasuhiko-san said "Why does it have a mouth? The mecha don't talk in this story." Inputting Yasuhiko-san's idea, I covered the mouth with a mask. At first, it was designed so the core fighter in the Gundam's body would be visible, but we switched to a design that Yasuhiko-san had put away.
>Up till then, the basics of robot design were to combine cylinders and polygons. But wanting to change that idea, he added in silhouettes that would be more reminiscent of (leg) calves. Ever since Yasuhiko-san had made the character sheets for the anime, the Gundam began looking more and more human.
>Choosing the Mecha's Colors
>My work is simply to create the shape -- someone else decides on the colors. For example, I wasn't involved at all with the red for Char's custom Zaku. It's not part of my job description. The professional color pickers, mostly women, decide on that. It's done with digital painting nowadays, so you can use any colors, but we used to use cell paints. Cell paints are expensive, so we were limited to only so many colors in order to save on costs. So the color pickers decide what places are the same color. Of course, I put a rough idea of the colors on the original concept work, but the final version is up to the pros.
Colors that Sell
>When it comes to toys, there are specific colors that sell. The "three basic toy colors" of yellow, red, and blue were chosen for Gundam. If these three colors are combined well, kids will be very interested when it's put in a showcase. Tomino-san had the idea of it being entirely white, but that wouldn't sell toys. Chogokin at the time would always incorporate those colors. When in the toy store showcase, they had to fight and win against robots from other companies. The fighting isn't just in the anime.
The Secret of Guntank's Birth
>Once the Guncannon and Gundam were created, we needed one more. We needed three. Why? Zambot 3 was a 3-part combination, and Daitarn 3 was a 3-form transformation. Sunrise really likes threes. Since there would be three main mecha in Gundam, we decided to add in a tank.
At that point neither Tomino-san nor Yasuhiko-san were very interested in the third one, so I just about had free rein of the Guntank, Since I was able to freely draw what I wanted, I got it done very quickly.
The Secret of Haro's Birth
>Haro was already complete by the time of Daitarn 3. Tomino-san had said "This is a good design and it'd be a waste to use it now, so let's save it," so it was used as a pet robo in Gundam. The staff brought it up, so we used the extras.
Art and Mecha Design
>Actually, the White Base was also designed around Daitarn 3 and was used as-is. However, while the inside of the White Base is the inside of a mecha, it falls under the art category. It's complicated, but I'm the one in charge of the Gundam hangar and catapult. Yasuhiko-san designed the core fighter, but Nakamura-san from Art drew the cockpit. As you can tell, there isn't specific territory for who draws what for everything that you see in the final anime. Everyone works together to create a series.
The Zeon Army's Mecha
>Next up was the enemy mecha. Common sense at the time said that enemy mecha would never get merchandise, so just Tomino-san and I worked on them. Tomino-san's instructions were simply: "Keep the monoeye."
>The main mecha were going to the sponsors where they would make a lot of modifications, so my frustration was rising. At that point, enemy mecha would never get merchandise. They would get beaten so quickly that nobody would care. But I wanted desperately to make something cooler than the main three mecha.
>The Zaku was modeled off a gas mask I had seen as a child. The Zaku's head and legs had power pipes around them. Theoretically, a weapon showing those on the outside is practically screaming "please cut here", so it wouldn't be good. There is actually a scene where it's pulled on and it explodes.
>But when watching the anime, it would feel much less impressive if the pipes weren't there. Even in an anime world, humans believe what they see. Even if it is an illogical design, it gives a sense of reality.
>When I showed my Zaku sketch to Tomino-san, I got a ready OK on the second try. I was initially under the impression that the enemy mecha would be destroyed in a single episode, but when I looked at the later storyboards, I saw that Tomino-san was using the enemy mobile suits as "weapons for warfare" rather than "MOTW". The Zaku is a "weapon", so it showed up until the very last episode.
>I believe that mecha should have strong personality and aesthetic appeal, and I think the Zaku exhibits that the best. The Zaku is one of my favorite designs. Once I had made the Zaku, I felt like I had gotten the Zeon Army design concept down. I based the Federation mecha off the English army in WWII, while the Zeon Army enemy mecha were based on the German army.
The Zeon Army's Mecha (cont)
>I designed the Zaku II, Gouf, Zaku I, and Dom enemy mobile suits, but after that I kept receiving sketches from Tomino-san that I would finalize. Tomino-san also felt that the Zeon Army mecha should feel like this. This was convenient, since I was doing Zenderman, TheUltraman, and Gatchaman II at the same time. But while I was getting instructions from Tomino-san to "do this one next", there were some things that didn't fit the design concept, and the worldview got thrown into disarray as a result. But I figured that the director would be the one taking responsibility in the end, so I just kept finishing the designs. In the end, that might have been for the best. If it were just my originals, I don't think it would have nearly as much variety.
>The mobile suits in Gundam are mecha, so they're solid, but there are some parts that seem more humanoid and less industrial. I think that's because the straight lines and curved lines blend together well. This is a hint I got from my years of working in apparel tailoring suits before working at Tatsunoko. Back then, I didn't think Gundam would sell this much, so I just figured "change the color and add a horn on the head and it'll be fine."
The Impact of Episode 1
>Before it aired on TV, I, Tomino-san, Yasuhiko-san, and several others watched episode 1 in the Sunrise viewing room. We were surprised to see an anime the likes of which had not been seen before. It was impactful. The ratings were bad, but even if it wasn't a hit, I was glad to be a part of Gundam. Because Gundam made it big, I was able to explore more freely as a mechanic desginer.
>After it aired, Gundam plastic models were flying off the shelves, and the idea that "anime is for kids" changed drastically. Japan's economy was moving from a period of rapid growth into a bubble economy. The toy market was also expanding, and new techniques kept being introduced. Thus, what was once impossible became possible, and there were fewer restrictions on mecha design. I was very lucky as a mechanic designer to have more degrees of freedom in design. However, I did not stop at Gundam. I had to move on to the next work so I could make a living.
TL note: Okawara uses the term "worldview" a lot, which is less of "how someone sees the world" and more "how the world works".
>>14468543
Wait, if I'm reading this correctly the Zaku family of MS, Gouf and Dom were designed but several other designs were sketched out by Tomino and Okawara finalized them.
Does that mean Tomino came up with the Gelgoog?
>>14468598
I believe that to be the case. That would mean the Acguy is Tomino's idea too. Weird, huh.
There are other interesting parts too but I don't feel like TL'ing 'em all word for word. Pick a section and I'll summarize:
Foreword/Afterword
Chapter 1: The Accidental Start to my Mechanic Designer Career
Naturally Drifting to Work / Encountering My Debut Work / Tasked With a Title Logo / Days of Gatchaman / “Mecha Composition” Work / Birth of a Mechanic Designer
Chapter 5: On My Work
1- What is a Mechanic Designer?: Creating Animation / Areas of Work for a Mechanic Designer / From "Mecha Composition" to "Mecha Designer"
2- On Design: You Can't Just Draw Well / Transforming Mecha Designs are Like Solving a Puzzle / There's a Procedure for Creating Things / Design Hints are Found Everywhere / Ideas Can Come From New Things / Synergy From Extensive Design / "Faking" is Needed for a Main Mecha / The Pain of Creating a Main Mecha / Designing Transforming Mecha / Checking Transformations and Combinations with Self-Made Mockups / Looking for Transforming Mecha / All You Need is a Pen
3- On Crafting: Not an Artist, but a Craftsman / The Importance of a Single Line / Know it All from Episode 1 / Get Perspective on the Work, and Do it Before the Deadline / A Day's Work
4- On Sales: The Relationship Between Toy Makers and Mechanic Designers / Story and Worldview Alone Won't Persuade Sponsors / The Trap Mechanic Designers Fall Into
5- Some Advice to Anyone Wanting to be a Mechanic Designer: What Should Youths Reference / Nakamura's Designs / 3 Pieces of Basic Advice / Fans Abroad
Chapter 7: Human Encounters
My One Boss, Mitsuki Nakamura / The Genius, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko / Yoshiyuki Tomino / Osamu Tezuka / There's Nothing Better Than Meeting People
And his thoughts on any series listed on his wiki page.
>>14468906
Would the autobiography in question delve into Okawara's later works in Dougram, VOTOMS, Vifam, Galient, Layzner, and Dragonar?
>>14468906
>2- On Design: You Can't Just Draw Well / Transforming Mecha Designs are Like Solving a Puzzle / There's a Procedure for Creating Things / Design Hints are Found Everywhere / Ideas Can Come From New Things / Synergy From Extensive Design / "Faking" is Needed for a Main Mecha / The Pain of Creating a Main Mecha / Designing Transforming Mecha / Checking Transformations and Combinations with Self-Made Mockups / Looking for Transforming Mecha / All You Need is a Pen
Meanwhile in burgerland and Feng Zhu/Massive Black...
>scribble a silhouette and pick an interesting shape, sculpt the 3d form for something interesting, add greeble, BAM! DONE!
Much keks, damn burgers.
But dude, I seriously want chapter 2 translated. I want to understand how to think like a proper mechanical designer and not what Aaron Beck or his ilk thinks.
>>14469623
Yes, yes it does. Just ask for all the major 80s robos all at once, why don't you.
Dougram's head is modeled off the canopy of attack helicopters used in the Vietnam War. He prioritized it looking 3D but regrets it a little now since apparently it was tough on the animators.
For Votoms, the producer wanted a robot with a Jeep feel, and Okawara just happened to have made a model of something like that for fun (he hates drawing, but likes working with his hands). The sponsors thought the Scopedog's head looked lame and wouldn't sell, but they were persuaded. The sensors were put in to placate them and also make it more human-like.
Okawara's work on Vifam was pretty quick. "Space-only robot? Space means verniers. Let's put on verniers." He admits that it's impractical to have them so big, but it looks cool. He also remarks that the acting was good and the characters' personalities really came through.
His wife was hospitalized when he started work on Galient, so he had to drop it pretty quickly. But the other mechanic designers they brought on for it weren't making anything that looked like a title mech, so he had to do Galient himself.
Layzner was created because Bandai had a new material for pla that they thought would change color when put under UV light, but it didn't really work so the kits didn't sell. Also, the animators thought having the cockpit in the head was lame so they shrunk the head, making Layzner a lot bigger than intended. On the other hand, Okawara wanted to have the pilot more visible, but it never really worked out that way.
Dragonar was just done to show off Bandai's new technique of putting multiple colors on a single mold. And that's why there are those red and blue stripes on the legs.
>>14468906
Can you please translate number 5? I'm interested in his advice.
>>14469981
But did he have comments on how he design for Kuktonian (Vifam), anything in VOTOMS that isn't a Scopedog, and the Giganos (Dragonar) equipment came about?
>>14469981
Was this autobiography before or after he was roped in to contribute mecha design for Valvrave?
>>14469971
Doing the entire section would be a real pain, so just a few parts. If there's one or two specific parts you're interested in, *then* I'll do more detail.
-First part, Okawara says that he figures out how the robot works in his head before drawing anything. He has to have an idea of how the robot looks from all angles and how it functions (pilot entering, escape, firing weapons, etc). "It's like having 3DCG software, but in my head."
-"Transforming Mecha Designs are Like Solving a Puzzle" is self-explanatory. He mentions there's a very satisfactory moment when it just clicks for him after a lot of thinking. Also, he says mechanic designers are split into those who like drawing and those who like mecha (he's the latter).
-The third part, he gives a metaphor of taking apart an analog watch and putting it back together. You've gotta know how things fit together.
-For hints, just keep your eyes out for inspiration in daily life. Okawara's examples of inspiration include clothes, newspaper articles, and of course Star Wars.
-Okawara buys the new tech like 3D printers, mini-projectors, and Apple products all the time and tries thinking of other uses for them.
-Synergy: When working on comical and serious series at the same time, he actually finds it easier to do work. By imagining a real robot in a super robo atmosphere or the other way around, he can imagine them better. He says that having a wide scope is the best thing you can do as a designer.
-Even in old samurai armor, there are parts that do absolutely nothing but look cool. The same idea applies for robots (he mentions Gundam specifically).
-Title robot isn't cool -> kids don't watch -> ratings fall, toys don't sell -> designer can't find work. Sponsors don't like it, producers are let down. It's stressful.
>>14470059
On it.
>>14470060
Nope. His comments tend to be limited to the main mecha, with few exceptions.
>>14470093
After. Copyright 2015. But he doesn't even mention Valvrave.
>>14468906
>5- Some Advice to Anyone Wanting to be a Mechanic Designer: What Should Youths Reference
>3 Pieces of Basic Advice
I'd like to learn more on these.
>>14470211
"Faking" is Needed for a Main Mecha / The Pain of Creating a Main Mecha /
Is this too much to cover, translator-kun?
>>14468906
Anything on Galient?
>>14470349
See >>14469981.
>>14470211
>>Nope. His comments tend to be limited to the main mecha, with few exceptions.
Thanks.
New question, does he mention designing for SEED and SEED Destiny?
>>14470349
You should ask Izubuchi.
>>14470059 >>14470263
Sometimes Okawara really feels the pressure when looking at the works of other people, like Kawamori, Nagano, and Yamashita. He also says he doesn't really work with others, and when he does (ie G Gundam), it's very hard to get a consensus. Build Fighters was apparently a good opportunity for young mechanic designers to experiment with already existing mecha.
He suggests that the inexperienced study from Mitsuki Nakamura's designs. Okawara speaks very highly of Nakamura, saying his designs are the foundations of Japanese mecha design. They also have the necessary style and showcase the right parts of the mecha.
Advice 1: Capture objects properly. Hone your sketching skills.
Advice 2: Draw 3D objects inside your head. You need to imagine how things work. It's a skill all humans have, you just need to practice it.
Advice 3: Be interested in everything. Be curious. Take anything you're interested in -- cars, bikes, appliances -- and figure out how to make it more futuristic. Consider how it might look and who will use it in 30 years.
"But the job of a mechanic designed is not to design actual products. I believe the most important thing to make kids want to watch shows and let them dream."
Okawara was initially amused by being able to go overseas, turn on the television, and see Japanese anime, but he's used to it now. When he goes to cons, he feels like he's not even away from Japan.
Sometimes he gets offers to exhibit his work, but insurance, laws, and possible wear make it less feasible and also very costly (he would like to make the fans happy, though).
>>14470278
Kind of summed it up already (see "samurai armor", "stressful"), but I'll see if there's any more detail I can squeeze out.
>>14470349
see >>14469981 , he really didn't do too much on it.
>>14470416
>Mitsuki Nakamura
Which stuff was designed by him explicitly? All I keep seeing are general art direction credits.
>>14470365
For SEED, he was originally only supposed to do the enemy suits, but they couldn't perfect the main mecha. They were gonna be late for the merchandise development, so Okawara was handed a considerably developed design and redrafted it. For Destiny, he mentions the director absolutely loved wings and wanted them on /everything/. He showed it to his kid in elementary school and he said it looked cool, so it got the OK.
>>14470438
Gatchaman, Hurricane Polymar, Speed Racer, Time Bokan series, couple other less known ones.
More in ~12 hours, it's a bad idea to TL when half-asleep.
>>14470391
I thought he only worked on the OVA
>>14470416
>His designs are the foundations of Japanese mecha design. They also have the necessary style and showcase the right parts of the mecha.
I wonder what I am supposed to be looking for in particular for each design, to "get it".
He ever talked about the design process went into Gundam F91 "F91"?
>>14468521
>>Choosing the Mecha's Colors
>>My work is simply to create the shape -- someone else decides on the colors. For example, I wasn't involved at all with the red for Char's custom Zaku. It's not part of my job description. The professional color pickers, mostly women, decide on that. It's done with digital painting nowadays, so you can use any colors, but we used to use cell paints. Cell paints are expensive, so we were limited to only so many colors in order to save on costs. So the color pickers decide what places are the same color. Of course, I put a rough idea of the colors on the original concept work, but the final version is up to the pros.
>a woman decided that strange pink-red for Char's Zaku
>the guys just call it red
Makes sense
>>14469981
>For Votoms, the producer wanted a robot with a Jeep feel, and Okawara just happened to have made a model of something like that for fun (he hates drawing, but likes working with his hands).
I wonder how many were like this. Kawamori's the same. Likewise for the author of Knights of Sidonia.
>>14470460
It's really interesting how he mostly just cleans up the somewhat cluttered Junichi Akutsu design for animation purposes. No surprise why he's in charge of final TV designs like this and Wing.
>>14470644
That blitz actually looks really cool like something out of Tekkaman Blade
>>14470547
I'm guessing actual red paint was quite heavy on the cost. Where as pinkish-red was cheap.
Or maybe there's just a large abundance of pink paints that never got to use. So they just use that.
Whatever it is, it was certainly cheaper on the production for Char's Zaku to have pinkish-red instead of "actual" blood-red.
>>14470734
It's also the reason why the explosions are pink
Does he say anything about Build Fighters or how the working process changed in almost 40 years?
I read on one of his old interviews that in the 70s he used to give prototypes to the sponsors? Does he still do this? If so, did he switch working process or is he still doing it the old way?
This is exactly why I keep coming back to /m. Thanks OP!
>>14470416
Thank you.
>>14470460
>He showed it to his kid in elementary school and he said it looked cool, so it got the OK
I wonder which suit would that be?
>>14468521
So has the beard been a chin strap this entire time?
>>14470460
> Fukuda loves wings
And how.
>>14472253
>chin strap
I guess it's more blatant with other chin designs like on Barbatos.
>>14470460
>>14472266
Was is it ever explained why he loves them so much? Is it just because it looks cool?
>>14472291
That or Wing Zero, any of those where the red goes all the way across. The traditional red thing just kind of juts out with little explanation.
>>14470460
Are there any specific Mitsuki Nakamura designs I should review closely?
>>14472322
I mean there's just not much strap at all, just the knot.
>>14472322
>>14472332
On actual Samurai headwear, the chin plate or whatever really sticks out from the rest.
>>14472342
I guess I can kind of see it, still seems odd though.
OK, that was closer to 16 hours, but better late than never.
>>14470467
>>14472329
He praises the streamlined look of Speed Racer, and also mentions how Dotabattan in Time Bokan is very comical, yet is still futuristic. I believe what he's saying is that the mecha should capture the essence of the show.
Ah, and Okawara says Nakamura did mecha design for the original Tekkaman too. Though he says about nothing on his own work on it.
>>14470537
He mentions that since the setting is Cosmo Babylonia, he looked at carvings and art from the Tigris/Euprates area to find inspiration. He also noticed that the recent suits were getting slimmer/had smaller heads, so he gave the populace what they wanted.
He tried to minimize the lines as usual to make it easier on animators, but since it's a movie the makers told him to keep in more lines instead.
>>14470782
As mentioned before, Build Fighters was a chance for the newbies to get some experience with vintage robots. He's rather impressed with how the animators make SD robots look so natural despite exaggeration. Okawara only got to do three suits himself.
He still builds things, if only for his own sake. He tries out new things a lot, including milling machines, plasma cutters, laser processors, 3D printers, and argon welders.
>>14472204
I'd assume one of Shinn's suits. Also, a correction: it was someone else's kid he showed it to. Okawara's own kid is much older (he's actually a pro animator now).
>>14472916
>He tries out new things a lot, including milling machines, plasma cutters, laser processors, 3D printers, and argon welders.
He is really cool.
>he's actually a pro animator now
Is he good? Does he work for Sunrise?
>>14472916
>>14468906
Could you please share some more about these points, they sound so interesting, please?
>The Genius, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko / Yoshiyuki Tomino / Osamu Tezuka
>There's Nothing Better Than Meeting People
>On Sales: The Relationship Between Toy Makers and Mechanic Designers
>The Trap Mechanic Designers Fall Into
>>14472916
Any chances of putting this stuff on a pastebin for posterity? This is invaluable info.
>>14468906
>On Design: You Can't Just Draw Well
Kek. He could barely draw when he started, and his art is still bad sometimes.
>>14472916
> Also, a correction: it was someone else's kid he showed it to
To be fair, that's a really good idea, since it's vetting a product with it's core demographic to make sure they find it appealing.
>>14468543
>"Back then, I didn't think Gundam would sell this much, so I just figured "change the color and add a horn on the head and it'll be fine."
Lmao
>>14468906
>2- On Design: You Can't Just Draw Well / Transforming Mecha Designs are Like Solving a Puzzle / There's a Procedure for Creating Things / Design Hints are Found Everywhere / Ideas Can Come From New Things / Synergy From Extensive Design / "Faking" is Needed for a Main Mecha / The Pain of Creating a Main Mecha / Designing Transforming Mecha / Checking Transformations and Combinations with Self-Made Mockups / Looking for Transforming Mecha / All You Need is a Pen
More on these?
Especially
>There's a Procedure for Creating Things / Design Hints are Found Everywhere
>"Faking" is Needed for a Main Mecha / The Pain of Creating a Main Mecha / Designing Transforming Mecha
>>14468598
Tomino's mecha in MSG are:
*All aquatic designs, including the Zogok, Agg, and Juaggu. IIRC they were meant to look like aquatic monsters (that's why the Zock looks like a kappa).
*Gyan
*Gelgoog
*Ball
*Zeong
*Elmeth
*Big Zam
*Bigro
*Adzam
Okawara refined the designs a little bit, but the core of them comes from Tomino.
I've also heard that the GM and the Zaku II (back when it was an overgrown Stormtrooper) come from Tomino.
>>14473532
>>14473541
>>14472916
>the mecha should capture the essence of the show.
None of which I see in Titanfall 2.
Speaking of Speed Racer, that also reminds me of some of the bad concept art for re-imagining the car design.
>>14472932
You can check out his ANN (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=66540) and also his twitter (https://twitter.com/omametti).
>>14472969
Sure, once I remember my credentials.
>>14473323
See >>14470211
>>14473532
The Big Zam rough is... absolutely beautiful...
>>14472940
Yasuhiko-san is the top of the top when it comes to animators. He can draw well, quickly, and also design. Even Tomino admits he's a genius. Okawara and Yasuhiko don't really hang out, since designers report to the animation office rather than each other. Apparently Yasuhiko-san wasn't in good condition for the last 10 episodes of 0079, so he couldn't check off on the animation. All in all, Okawara is very impressed by his work.
There are rumors that Tomino and Okawara don't get along. Okawara admits that they aren't particularly friends, but if they really didn't get along, they wouldn't have worked for 40 years together. He likes Tomino's 3D, curved designs, but says they aren't easy on the animators. Also, when the ratings start to fall, he says "Let's kill this person off" with no hesitation whatsoever (see: Zambot). He really just makes what he wants to.
A lot of people Okawara works with also worked with Osamu Tezuka/Mushi Pro. Without his influence on the industry, Okawara would be out of a job. Apparently Tezuka stayed with Okawara's brother-in-law in Spain and actually asked after him. But the two never did actually meet.
Okawara feels like a lot of turning points in his life were because he met people. If Nakamura-san hadn't gotten him to work on Gatchaman, he'd never have become a mecha designer. If he weren't at Tatsu Pro, he might not have gotten the proper inspiration. So he's pretty thankful for his encounters.
(Cont: The Relationship Between Toy Makers and Mechanic Designers, The Trap Mechanic Designers Fall Into)
As a mecha designer he has to fulfill the sponsors' orders, even if it's something like "make ALL of them transform/combine". Mecha designers have to take the orders of both the anime companies and the sponsors, but the two sides work together so they all succeed.
Okawara is highly focused on designing in order to sell toys, rather than for his ego. When given the task of doing the title robo, some people forget what's riding on it (lots of money, the show's success) and overthink their designs. They might be tempted to do something that's never been done before, which is of course dangerous territory. Sponsors can do the same thing when asking to put in a ton of gimmicks. Okawara has gotten a lot of requests to redo someone else's designs. While one might have regrets about designs, the toy sales are the most important thing of all.
>all hail the almighty sponsor gods
>>14473667
Was that some jabbing at Valvrave?
>>14473657
>Apparently Tezuka stayed with Okawara's brother-in-law in Spain and actually asked after him
Tezuka visited Spain?
>>14473147
He's his own harshest critic.
>>14473698
I don't see how you could possibly read into it like that.
>>14473657
Is there anything on Okawara's relationship with both Ryosuke Takahashi and Takeyuki Kanda when he worked with them?
>>14473532
Looks like he took a lot of care with the Elmeth, but hot damn did ge spend a lot of time on it's rear. That is a hell of a lot of detail on the thruster array! Shame they didn't show it off more in the show, because that is one beautiful aft.
>>14474267
Okawara talks about both of them throughout, so here's just what I found while scanning through.
-He mentions that both Takahashi and himself both grew up in post-war Tokyo, so their ideals were pretty similar when it came to Votoms.
-He often mentions when Takahashi is the producer and tends to talk a bit more about story when it comes to those ones. Okawara doesn't tend to watch anime for fun, so I think that's a definite sign of respect for his skill.
-His opinion on Kanda: he liked military stuff and was well versed in mecha and weapons. His style of directing was more "manly".
I could've sworn there was slightly more on Kanda. What I found sounds a bit impersonal, honestly. Then again, Okawara very much sees his work as a living rather than a form of paid enjoyment.
>>14473657
>Also, when the ratings start to fall, he says "Let's kill this person off" with no hesitation whatsoever
Tomino the killer.
Now I'm know what was Tomino thinking during Victory..
>>14473698
He probably did one design for Valvrave and sure as hell Bandai wasn't thinking about selling toys of that.
>>14473532
any idea who did the Zakrello?(personally I wouldn't be surprised if it and the Braw Bro were thought up by Yas considering how they're a lot more important in The Origin than in the original anime)
>>14469981
This is really cool, thanks so much for the TL!
>>14473532
Tomino really does not get enough credit for how much soul he pours into his work. I'm serious, we saw some of it with the storyboarding for G-Reco but this is just exceptional. I know they aren't as popular as the Zaku but he literally came up with the Gelgoog and the Gyan which are still fairly popular these days.
>>14473147
Honestly it sounds like he's more interested in sculpting, if you can call it that. All of these are physical 3D mediums, though I guess you need to 3D model something before 3D printing or milling. My point stands.
>>14472916
>He still builds things, if only for his own sake. He tries out new things a lot, including milling machines, plasma cutters, laser processors, 3D printers, and argon welders.
>>14473598
They should be forced to sculpt or at least Lego the stuff they want to design before they start putting pen to paper, so to speak. Western design has degenerated into random junk filling out a silhouette that could really be anything. I think if they were forced to use that same sort of thinking with physical sculpting or scratchbuilding with plastic sheets they would rethink their design strategies.
ガンダムに送るならモビルスーツが4機積める大型ミデア改だろ、支援火器も付いてるとよけい良い、1小隊を一度の運べるし小型ホワイトベースの代わりにもなる
The interesting parts of the book have been just about exhausted. Thanks for all your interest, I've been wanting to share this for a while!
Pastebin per request: http://pastebin.com/zU7NjGPe
I was holding onto this pic for whenever someone asked about GGG, but he said approximately jack about his work on it anyway ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Pic's cool though.
>>14476970
That looks like the robot went on a diet.
>>14470211
>Okawara's examples of inspiration include clothes, newspaper articles, and of course Star Wars.
I always found the connection between Star Wars and Gundam fascinating.
While Lucas lifted/was inspired by the plot of "the hidden fortress", a Kurosawa film and Darth Vaders mask being samurai inspired, the japanese was in turn inspired by it, and not just the beam/light sabre.
>>14476970
Always wondered why GGG didn't really look like an Okawara design all that much. I guess it was finalized by other people.
>>14476970
The Okawara exhibition had a couple of the steps in Geogaigar's design, but each step was basically 'no, I said MORE HUEG'
Has Okawara given his opinion on how mecha anime are nowadays made, and not just on designs, but in terms of marketing and writing?
>>14475128
This. I hate it so much. There's no thought involved in it until they have the design then they retroactively apply shit. Loathe it.
>>14477035
>Darth Vaders mask being samurai inspired
Vader may have been inspired, but the stock Zeon helmet is what you get when you wear a Vader mask without the face thing.
Yo
>>14475128
>They should be forced to sculpt or at least Lego the stuff they want to design before they start putting pen to paper, so to speak.
I got mocked face to face by a artist from Ubisoft the other year when I talked about using this process before putting pen to paper. In a, "that's cute but the whole thing is just retarded and pointless" kind of tone.
>>14479986
You should see that one livestream of the mech designing process for the mechs in Hawken. "creatively bankrupt" is putting it kindly.
>>14482598
Considering not every design exists to sell toys or similar physical space merchandise, yes it is in fact kinda retarded and pointless. Also artfags gonna artfag, to them mechanical design is just an extension of art direction.
One could argue that the decline in physical model effects work may have had an impact on the Western mecha style scene, since at least by its nature model effects required acknowledging physical space considerations. One could also argue that this is the fundamental divide between an artist (a creator) and an engineer (an implementer). But whatever the case is, we're here where we are today because back in the day the approach to mechanical design inevitably culminated in:
>ok here's the design, now we need to make models
>alright let's use this junk from the warehouse, also I picked up some old models from the hobby store
>y'know what, fuck artists, we're changing up the design so that this shit doesn't implode on itself
>ok it needs more detail, give me the gunmetal spraypaint, some model kits, and plastiweld
Except the only detail that really persisted was the "add greebles" part. And not even in the logical sense of "it makes the object look worn in" so much as it's a masturbation marathon over how much detail you can pack into an object without melting the render farm, so you can brag about it at the press release.
Vanity over function. Artists, not engineers.
So really when you complain to an artist that they're not thinking like an engineer, then I think they have a reason to be dismissive. You're barking up the wrong tree.
>>14482846
Are you going to tell me that function isn't a core aspect of art? You'd make the old masters cry considering how much they studied anatomy, math, and engineering to create their masterpieces. Even the most vain masters were at least masters of function. I'm pretty sure none of these guys today would measure up to someone like Caravaggio whose arrogance was so great it was self-destructive.
A lot of western mech design doesn't even have direction. It's really just scraps in a shape that is vaguely human.
>>14470416
>Sometimes Okawara really feels the pressure when looking at the works of other people, like Kawamori, Nagano, and Yamashita.
What is Okawara's opinion on other mecha designers as individuals?
>>14476970
My captcha was, "Select all images with salad."
Which is what this GGG must have eaten a lot of.
