Mobile Suit Gundam was made by hand-drawn animation and became one of the greatest anime in the mecha genre. Yoshiyuki Tomino dedicated his time to creating the perfect drafts that were later animated. Previously, there was no concept of digitalization or computer-based drawings. Everything was done manually, and if there was a mistake, it had to be redone.

Even though it was ardous to work without digitalization, Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino prefers to work manually. During an interview, he even cautioned the studios and fans about digitalizing their works. He took up the example of Disney and mentioned how their animation had drastically degraded.

Yoshiyuki Tomino Prefers The Old Way For Animation

Yoshiyuki Tomino (Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

Yoshiyuki Tomino is 82 years old and spends most of their time doing things manually. The concept of digitalization is still like rocket science to him. He believes that the manual representation of the manga leaves a better impression than digitalization. Tomino even took Disney’s example and said, “After switching from hand-drawn animation to digital, Disney’s works became disappointing and made me think “Huh?”, but it will be a reproduction of that kind of thing.”

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One Piece getting a live adaptation has also had him worried. According to him, the animation industry might be experiencing a boom, but it won’t last forever. The bubble is sure to bust sometime in the future. During an interview with Toyo Keizai, he said,

“This is true for novels and movies alike, but there is always a rise and fall that comes with the waves of the times. Works are enjoyed by people with feelings, so when the world’s environment changes, the state of culture changes, and people’s mentalities change, too. So if now is the peak, from now on, it will be a dead end.”

One Piece Live Action (Credits: Netflix)

Tomino even feels the working environment is not suitable for creating something new. Previously, the working place used to be smaller and drafty. After digitalization, large rooms with centralized air-conditioning have become the benchmark. These conditions are not suitable to have a spiritual connection with their works. Nowadays, craftsmanship can be bought with money.

Anime And Manga Industry Going Mainstream Has Its Perks

Mobile Suit Gundam (Credits: Sunrise)

Yoshiyuki Tomino had been a fanatic of the old ways, but there is one aspect of modernization and digitalization that he loved. When Mobile Suit Gundam was released, he had to explain his profession at the tax office. It was because the industry was not mainstream. But in the last few years, the anime and manga industry has gone through a massive boom.

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The industry went mainstream, and more people came to know about its existence. So, the mangaka does not have to explain his profession to others. After spending almost 45 years in the industry, he can enjoy his life as a manga creator. Yoshiyuki Tomino is yet to be accustomed to the new ways, but he is enjoying the fame that came along with it.

Mobile Suit Gundam can be streamed on Crunchyroll as of August 18, 2024.
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