Why The Children In Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island Are More Important Than You Think
The "Mobile Suit Gundam" series is nothing if not adaptable. Beginning all the way back in 1979, the anime franchise is still alive and well over 40 years later, a fact that few franchises can boast (via Den of Geek). While there have been many different manga, TV series, and films set in the fictional universe of the show, the latest film is taking things back to the beginning.
"Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island" is a retelling of an episode from the first season of the original series that was cut from subsequent releases based on the poor quality of its animation (via Anime News Network). The episode was animated while art director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko was in the hospital, and it's clear he didn't find it up to snuff as he asked Bandai to cut the episode from DVD and Blu-ray releases of the series.
Now, with a modern retelling of the infamous "Mobile Suit Gundam" episode emerging as a feature film, there are a lot of important elements for fans to focus on in this story. According to Yasuhiko, who directed the film version of the episode as well, the kids on the titular island are an integral part of the story.
Yasuhiko says the kids are the protagonists in a sense
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko sat down with QooApp to talk about "Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island," and he was quick to point out that the children in the story are not a side story but part of the reason for the story itself. "In a sense, the children on the island are the protagonists," Yasuhiko said. "The cast for the kids all were shot individually just like any of the adult characters. When we have them all chat and make a lot of noise, it was important that we could isolate each voice channel from the other," the director went on. "At first, I was worried about how the process would go, but all of them were great to work with.
It's easy to see where Yasuhiko is coming from here. Though the children in "Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island" aren't involved in the central conflict very much, they are the reason why Doan is fighting in the first place. They also help to explore the complex morality of the Gundam universe and how war can blur the lines between right and wrong. While the movie has already received a limited theatrical release from Crunchyroll, it's not currently known when fans will be able to stream the movie on the service.