At the 2nd Niigata International Animation Film Festival held in Niigata City, Mobile Suit Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino issued a playful challenge to the new generation animators, urging them to surpass Hayao Miyazaki.

Following a screening of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack at the festival on March 16, 2024, Tomino took the stage to discuss the changing landscape of anime, and impact of Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed film How Do You Live? which recently clinched the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

In his speech, Tomino highlighted the growing maturity of manga and anime. He stressed the need for aspiring creators to look beyond simple entertainment and develop a wider perspective. He praised Miyazaki’s work for breaking conventional storytelling tropes, setting a new bar for aspiring animators.

“There are works in manga that are surpassing literary works. These are the times we live in. Fans can enjoy manga and anime on one level, but for those who aspire to become professionals, it’s essential to have a very broad perspective. In that sense, a new benchmark has been set. Director Miyazaki has created an incredible work and won an Academy Award.“

Hilighting the complexity of Miyazaki’s work, particularly its lack of a traditional happy ending, Tomino lauded the film’s ability to resonate with audiences worldwide.

“This kind of complex animation was made and won an award in America,” he said. “Young creators shouldn’t be taken lightly. You can’t surpass Miyazaki or ‘ONE PIECE’ without truly dedicating yourselves.“

However, amidst all the praises, Tomino issued a playful challenge to the next generation of animators, urging them to surpass the standards set by Miyazaki.

“Everyone, please work hard to crush Miyazaki! I can’t do it anymore. Thanks to Miyazaki’s animation, anime and movies themselves are changing.“

Tomino was born on November 5, 1941 in Odawara in Kanagawa prefecture. He is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the Gundam anime franchise.

He created Gundam in 1979 and has since directed multiple anime including Zeta Gundam, Gundam ZZ, Char’s Counterattack, Gundam F91, Victory Gundam, Turn A Gundam, Muteki Kojin Daitarn 3, Space Runaway Ideon, Aura Battler Dunbine, and Gundam: Reconguista in G.

Source: Mantan Web