Interest
Toshio Okada Rips Apart Gundam Reconguista
posted on by Eric Stimson
Toshio Okada, a former Studio Gainax president involved in Gunbuster and Otaku no Video, is now a noteworthy anime scholar. On his video channel, he recently gave quite a tongue-lashing to the latest installment in the long-running Mobile Suit Gundam series, Gundam: Reconguista in G, and its creator, Yoshiyuki Tomino. Here's the video (the relevant portion lasts until 1:05):
This is the translation:
How is Gundam Reconguista? Gundam Reconguista is really bad! I was thinking, "What are they doing?" (laughs) Compared to this Parasyte, which was fairly interesting... Tomino... How should I put this? He doesn't engage with anime fans. It's fine to make it for today's kids, but who does he think kids today are? Who does he think the kids that watch Yo-kai Watch are? (laughs) I don't know what's what. I watch a fair amount of anime, and I can't figure out what's going on. Ordinary people watch this and don't know what's happening, but Tomino thinks it has to be like this. Tomino hasn't changed at all. (groans) Tomino... Ugh! Dialogue won't work, lecturing won't work... [...] Nope, I'm not watching Gundam Reconguista.
Okada earned the nickname "Otaking" for his deep roots in the Japanese science-fiction and anime fan circles and for even lecturing on "otaku culture" at the University of Tokyo. Vertical published his book Sayonara, Mr. Fatty: A Geek's Diet Memoir in North America. He has made a reputation for his outspoken opinions on anime topics such as digital piracy.
