May 12, 2011
'Everything SD Gundam!! in LOFT/PLUS ONE' Report Part One
Details from the event held May 8th in Shinjuku's LOFT/PLUS ONE! We begin with part one, 'SD Gundam Sangokuden Special Report: Sono Toki, Sangokuden ga Ugoita!'
On May 8th, the last day of Golden Week, the 'Everything SD Gundam!! in LOFT/PLUS ONE' event was held as Shinjuku's LOFT/PLUS ONE to promote the June 24th release of the
SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors Collection Box Blu-ray set (available for order until May 19th) and the July 22nd release of
B-SELECTION Mobile Suit SD Gundam DVD box (available for order until June 14th.)
The event was split into three segments. First, the
SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors staff talked about behind-the-scenes production info. Second, we looked back at the 1990
SD Gundam boom with a special guest. And finally, along with a poll of attendees, we look at the future of
SD Gundam while handing out a wide variety of gifts. Join us for a report on an event packed full of excited Sangokuden and SD Gundam fans!
■ Part 1: SD Gundam Sangokuden Special Report: Sono Toki, Sangokuden ga Ugoita!
Appearing from left to right are Miyuki Kishimoto, Ayumi Tsunematsu, director Kenichi Suzuki, director Kunihiro Mori, and producer Sato.
Welcoming the SD Gundam Sangokuden staff plus their special guest Ayumi Tsunematsu (voice of Diao Chan Qubeley), we ask each one about their memories of the production process, from planning to TV. First to reply is Director Mori, with an added comment by director Suzuki:
'I had been on the project since the first model ads ( BB Senshi Sangokuden series,) but I'm impressed by how gripping the TV series turned out. With its broadcast and streaming releases overseas, I think it still has life left in it, perhaps even enough to support something new.' (Director Mori)
' SD Gundam Force was produced entirely in 3DCG as well, but I'm proud of how advances in technique allowed us to more closely match traditional cel animation this time.' (Director Suzuki)
When asked what he was most proud of during production:
'I put my best effort into using these lovable robots as human characters in a human drama, building something like a Taiga drama *1 of the
Romance of the Three Kingdoms on the stage of
SD Gundam. (Director Mori)
Ms. Miyuki Kishimoto (scriptwriter) points out episode 20's ('Xuzhou Kanraki') scene where Cao Cao asks Liu Bei 'Who among your people smiles!?' while we see a dejected villager GM. as the best example of '
SD Gundam as human drama'. Also noted are episode 34's ('Tasogare, Yijing-ro') scene where Gongsun Zan Ez8's sobbing soldier GMs mourn his loss, the opening scene of episode 1 ('Eiyu Tojo') which depicts a mother and child GM, and the sudden appearance of a pigtailed GM in the final episode. This unexpected display of 'GM love' from both the directors excites the crowd.
Also mentioned is a particular uncompromising effort in visuals which nearly brought the producers to tears but which has been widely praised by fan for its quality. The awakening scene of Shoretsutei Liu Bei in episode 50 ('Ryu no Kagayaki') was composed of over 4,500 frames of animation.
[ *1: Taiga drama: A series of popular serious historical dramas produced by public broadcaster NHK. ]
The following examples were noted:
Also mentioned is a particular uncompromising effort in visuals which nearly brought the producers to tears but which has been widely praised by fan for its quality. The awakening scene of Shoretsutei Liu Bei in episode 50 ('Ryu no Kagayaki') was composed of over 4,500 frames of animation.
To use this many frames in under ten minutes is not only unusual, but 'probably more than Gundam UC's peak', a comparison which produced shocked laughs from the audience.
The stories of production brought forth even more mirth than expected by the panelists.
Next, the results of the episode popularity poll conducted on this site were announced, with each panelist recounting highlights and commentary on the top 10. A new episode is available streaming each day, so check it out!
⇒ SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors #6: 'Episode 45: Gekishin! Changban-bashi' streaming now for free!
| #10: Episode 1 'Eiyu Tojo'
Mori: The first line is 'Mommy!'
Kishimoto: Coming from a GM. (laughs)
Mori: Seeing its mother attacked by a Yellow Turban, the child leaps up; when I saw this, I thought 'Ah, this is human drama.' |
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| #9: Episode 2 'Deai'
Kishimoto: One of the comments is 'because I like the armor', but in episode 14 it was replaced with dragon armor.
Mori: It had nothing to do with the main plot, but we added the line 'And I had just gotten new armor!' to make it seem more natural.
Kishimoto: It could only hold 12 minutes... |
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| #8: Episode 10 'Sun Jian Shisu'
Kishimoto: This is the episode with the famous opening and those clattering hooves. Wasn't it tough to make?
Suzuki: We hoped and hoped that Red Hare wouldn't appear, or maybe as a motorcycle, but our animators gave it their best and pulled it off.
Kishimoto: Now that you mention it, when Dong Zhuo escapes by chariot, Sun Jian pursues on horseback , and even Huang Gai ends up mounted... |
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| #7: Episode 48 'Chibi Daikessen'
Kishimoto: Huang Gai dies in fire!
Mori: With how famous this scene was in the comics, we were under a lot of pressure to outdo it.
Kishimoro: I'm surprised so few people realize that Cai Mao Acguy and Sun Ce share a voice. |
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| #6 Episode 45 'Gekishin! Changban-bashi'
Kishimoto: This episode stars Zhang Fei. No more needs to be said about the atmosphere.
Suzuki: I wanted to storyboard this ep, but production desk said 'there's no way you'll have enough time' and stopped me.
Kishimoto: Yeah! |
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| #5: Episode 38 'Ama ni Erabareshi Hasha'
Kishimoto: This episode took a lot of energy too.
Suzuki: It was a turning point in the narrative, so I figured we could push a few envelopes.
Sato: As a turning point, this was OK. But I also thought we needed to save up. |
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| #4: Episode 25 'Saraba! Sen Ce'
Kishimoto: I wrote the scripts for this episode and the one before it. The part that gave me the most trouble was the 'Rat!' line in 24. At first, I had 'Die, rat!', but I was talked out of it. After all, it is a Saturday morning show. I tried changing it to 'Fall to Hades, traitor!', but...
Mori: And then I brought up your old idea.
Kishimoto: Yeah, 'Rat!' works best. |
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| #3: Episode 51 'Sangoku no Shi'
Kishimoto: The final ep! Mori, you storyboarded and directed it, right?
Mori: Final eps are a lot of work. So this time, we ended the fighting early, and focused on the growth into stable kingdoms afterward.
Kishimoto: Liu Bei is the protagonist, so we tried to have him on screen until the very end. Not like Da* no Daibouken. (laughs) |
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| #2: Episode 39 'Ten ni Idonda Shura'
Tsunematsu: The last shot of Lu Bu and Diao Chan was beautiful.
Mori: The bodies were done in 3D, but the faces and hair were hand-drawn.
Tsunematsu: It was so beautiful I teared up in the recording booth. |
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| #1: Episode 50 'Ryu no Kagayaki'
Kishimoto: The winner of the poll! Suzuki, you storyboarded and directed, what do you think?
Suzuki: We were really pressed for time, but this was Liu Bei's moment to shine, so we buckled down.
Kishimoto: Realizing that Liu Bei's long, long journey to this point had taken 49 episodes had a lot of impact. |
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After this, the Diao Chan Qubeley kit exclusively available with the
SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors Collection Box Blu-ray set arrived from the Shuizuoka Hobby Center and transfixed the audience.
A representative from Bandai's hobby division noted that it was 'the last Sangokuden product, so we tried our hardest to give it the utmost quality'; Tsunematsu, visibly impressed, replied that she was 'overjoyed that the character she played could take such a form.
The long-awaited first kit of the Diao Chan Qubeley.
Finally, we introduced the
SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors Collection Box limited-edition Blu-ray set, but most of the crowd had already ordered! Some enthusiastic fans were even getting two copies!
Originally the show was targeted to children, but as the staff carefully constructed episode after episode, it grew into a narrative which adults could appreciate too. With 'damn the budget' high-quality scenes like the Shoretsutei Liu Bei awakening, only the pristine visual quality of Blu-ray does it justice!
Pre-orders at Premium Bandai and .Anime will be accepted until May 19 (Thu) so don't miss out!
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■ Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors Collection Box
Price: 36,750 yen
Date: June 24, 2011
Deadline: May 19th, 2011
Available at
Premium Bandai and
.Anime!
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Our coverage continues with a focus on Mobile Suit SD Gundam in parts 2 and 3! Keep your eyes peeled over the next few days!
(portions edited)
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