Gundam’s Days May Be Numbered, Says Director of GQuuuuuuX
Jonathan Dubinski 
Key Takeaways
Created with AI - we're still experimenting, so apologies if it misses the mark
- The director of Gundam, Kazuya Tsurumaki, has expressed concern about the series ability to maintain its popularity in modern youth culture.
- Tsurumaki believes that Gundams focus on pilotable robots may not be as appealing to todays youth, who tend to prefer series with natural superpowers like magic or psychic abilities.
- He suggests that the meaning of robots needs to be updated in order for Gundam to remain relevant, an insight he gained while creating Evangelion.
- The video game sector poses a challenge for Gundams popularity, with other franchises achieving higher sales and garnering more attention in this area.
Gundam’s Future Uncertain as Director Kazuya Tsurumaki Contemplates Evolution for Modern Youth
Kazuya Tsurumaki has expressed concern that Gundam must evolve to maintain its popularity in the future of Japanese animation. In an interview with Yahoo Japan, Tsurumaki stated that in the past, pilotable robots empowered children to mature and surpass adults. However, he believes this is no longer a necessity for today’s youth. He observed that contemporary heroes in manga and anime more often utilize natural superpowers, such as magic or psychic abilities, rather than operating machines. Tsurumaki noted that Gundam’s original appeal was significant for children of its time, but with current advancements in technology and entertainment, simply repeating the established formula will not achieve the same cultural impact among younger viewers. Tsurumaki contends that giant robots hold less allure for today’s youth, who tend to prefer other series like Jujutsu Kaisen. “There’s still a generation out there dreaming about motorbikes and cars,” he remarked, “but I wonder if Gundam can last another decade.” He further mentioned feeling the need to update the meaning of robots—an insight he gained while creating Evangelion. Tsurumaki also highlighted that Gundam’s popularity faces challenges in the video game sector, where other franchises achieve higher sales and garner more attention.
About the Author
Sophie Laurent 
Bruno Pferd 
Marcus Thompson 
Ahmed Hassan 
