The Men Who Created Gundam

「ガンダム」を創った男たち。 [Gundam Sousei] #1-2

by Hideki Ohwada

In 1978 animation director Yoshiyuki Tomino set forth to change the Japanese animation industry. For decades prior, Japanese science fiction had churned out numerous tales of semi-autonomous robots that would often come to the aide of humanity, but as someone who worked on a number of those works, Tomino came to the realization that he wanted to see a more realistic robot narrative. His vision was one where the robot while just slightly more human in appearance, was utilized more as a tool manipulated by man. With renowned artist Yoshikazu Yasuhiko by his side, and occasionally as his artistic rival, Tomino would change the way the whole world came to see Japanese animation and the broader toy and comics industries built around it. This evolution would be a war in its own right! Battles were fought in the offices of the animation studio! Conflicts were equally as heated in the recording booth!

Genres: Manga, Comics, Comedy, Graphic Novels

564 pages, Paperback

Published July 6, 2021

About the author

Hideki Ōwada or Hideki Ohwada
Japanese: 大和田秀樹

Reviews

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Men Who Created Gundam is fictionalized retelling of the story behind the seminal anime series that birthed a franchise and toy empire.

It is a work of fiction, which the work reminds the reader every chance it got, especially in its serialized form. However, there is enough truth in the story to appreciate how these men, mostly Tomino and Yasuhiko, turned a niche anime counterculture into mainstream entertainment that continues to this day. It can only be fiction, after all, fictional Tomino is channeling serious Hunter S Thompson vibes and a serial sexual harasser, even if it is in the service of comedy. I wonder how the author managed to get the Tomino's permission given the man is still alive. Perhaps he appreciated the comedic take of this part of his life.

This is a fun read and worth looking for, given this is published in English by a small publisher.

[Anton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Geschichte von Mobile Suit Gundam und seinen Schöpfern ist schon beeindruckend. Man hat auch nicht verpasst Tominos creepiness rauszuarbeiten. Trotzdem Schade, dass die einzige Frau in der Geschichte deswegen ständig begrapscht wird. Hat mir aber auch wieder gezeigt warum ich aktuell lieber Shojo Manga lese.

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny manga adapted from real life events of the people who brought the first Gundam anime to life, and the credit goes to them for struggling to keep making Gundam, despite the low ratings and the fact that it was the first of its kind in sci-fi and mecha anime. It also touches on the introduction on Gunpla, which has become a core part of the Gundam world.

I didn't watch that first Gundam anime, but the names are familiar and itwas nice to know about the journey they went on to bring their vision to life.

[Alex Richey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A melodramatic retelling of the making of the Gundam franchise, featuring it's original creator and director, several animators, designers, business people, and die-hard fans. While this is a highly exaggerated version of the truth of events, it is still based in real history and absolutely fascinating.

My biggest complaint is that sexual assault and harassment against women is used for comedy. I'm sure this was probably pretty normal for the late 70's and early 80's, but it wasn't funny then and it isn't funny now.

[Bear Mcbearington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serving as a retelling of historical events using fictional versions of the people involved, this is an absolute must read for any Gundam or anime fan in general. As engaging, thrilling and at times tense as the legendary anime series itself.

[Erica Victoria Espejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one Gundam manga that I would love to see turned into an anime!

They say the truth is stranger than fiction. In the case of the making of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, there was a lot of behind the scenes shenanigans under the direction of the legendary Yoshiyuki Tomino. We see a re-imagining version of how things have unfolded. We see idealized versions of real life people who worked on the series that only can be told in manga form. If you know the larger than life story, this covers it with what actually happened in real life. The artwork is pretty neat and I love how real like people like Tohru Furuya are depicted looking like their anime counterparts.

This is a huge manga - 500+ pages of story and also behind the scenes of what actually happened. This is a must read for all fans of Gundam and animation enthusiasts who love a good behind the scenes story.

[Anilea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dramatic retelling of the Gundam origin and the messiness that lead to it cancellations, revival and legacy status.

Much respect for the original team and the lead animators and Mr Kill ‘em all Tomino for crafting a masterpiece for the ages to come.

I’ve picked this weighty book post watching Gundam 79, and I got to say, my finger hurt from holding it for too long. * been a while since I held a physical book, let alone a time as big as this*, and it only made me appreciate the experience that much more.

A quintessential piece of history that needs to be on everyone’s shelf.

[Maximilian Nightingale]

If you are a fan of Gundam and want to know more about the story behind it's creation, this is a fun and easy way to read about it. It really only depicts the time period around the original Mobile Suit Gundam series and the release of the film adaptation, so there is almost nothing about Zeta and the other sequels. It depicts the key junctures at which Gundam was either going to join the fate of many other canceled and forgotten series or (as it did) become a catalyst for the popularity of anime for decades to come.

[Gabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun mishmash of actual recollections and tall tales. Though I do wish a more personal recollection from the fans at the time was written throughout instead of mainly near the end. Fandom pre internet in general is a fascinating topic, so it did feel like a missed opportunity to only focus on that in a short write-up after the manga itself.

[Jeik Dion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's as entertaining as it is informative.
You kind of have to know about Gundam before you read this, though.
Tomino seems like such a character.
If you're interested in Gundam, I would highly recommend.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would’ve liked it better without the constant sexual harassment jokes.

[Raye Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gundam Wing will forever be my favourite anime so it was really interesting to see where the OG series came from. Really must watch it

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what a gundam is but it was cool to see behind the scenes of the production

[Ravi]

100% real and accurate depiction of the creation of beloved classic anime mobile suit gundam. don't let anyone tell you otherwise

[Richard Joya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone who thinks 48 laws of power is clever. This is the better book.

[Magnanimous Kingdom]

This is someone’s The Social Network

[Alex Corcoran · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a funny and wonderfully told story about the troubles of making the original Gundam series, this is a must read for any Gundam fan.

[Straw Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a funny and wonderfully told story about the troubles of making the original Gundam series, this is a must read for any Gundam fan.