Presenting a checkee! Interview with Toru Furuya (Amuro Ray) and Shunsuke Takeuchi (Cruz Doan) [Mobile Suit Gundam: The Island of Cruz Doan].

The movie "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Island of Cruculus Doan" will be on road show nationwide on June 3, 2022 (Friday).

The 15th episode "The Island of Cruz Doan" of the TV animation "Mobile Suit Gundam," the milestone of Japanese robot animation and the origin of Gundam, was broadcast in 1979. Known as a masterpiece among fans, this episode depicts the sorrows of war through the interaction between the main character Amuro Ray and Doan, a deserter from the rival Zeon army, and is still talked about to this day.

On the other hand, it was omitted from the later film trilogy, so in a sense, it is an episode "known only to those in the know.

This time, "The Island of Cruz Doan" is being made into a movie, which has been attracting a great deal of attention even before its release.

The film will be directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, character designer and animation director of the TV animation "Mobile Suit Gundam" and creator of the manga "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin" ("THE ORIGIN"), which has sold over 10 million copies of its comics.

To commemorate the release of this remarkable movie, we asked Toru Furuya, who plays Amuro Ray, and Shunsuke Takeuchi, who plays Cruz Doan, about the highlights of the movie and how they acted in it. We also asked them about the highlights of the film, how they played the role, episodes with Director Yasuhiko, and more.

There is a giveaway at the end of the article. Click here for details!

If you put aside your position and pride, you can understand even enemy soldiers

--Furuya: This will be the first theater version of "Mobile Suit Gundam" in a long time, right?

Furuya The voice of Amuro himself has been re-recorded every year for various media, including video games, but this is the first time in about 40 years that we've done a feature film version, so I'm extremely happy. I myself was very much looking forward to playing Amuro on the big screen, with Yasuhiko's artwork.

--I was very much looking forward to playing the role on the big screen, as well as in Yasuhiko's artwork.

Takeuchi: My parents influenced me to watch anime from the 70s and 80s, and I admired the voice actors of that era and wanted to become a voice actor. One of the works that inspired me was "Mobile Suit Gundam," so I was happy and honored to be able to participate in the world of the first "Gundam," which I admired at the time, rather than the latest series. There was a lot of pressure to play along with Mr. Furuya and everyone else, but there was also a sense of excitement.

--How did you feel when you actually played the role?

Takeuchi: Doan has to be the one to guide Mr. Furuya (Amuro), who is his senior. I have the feeling that this is exactly what a voice actor would do ....... However, I tried not to lie to my own sensibilities and think that I was doing a good job. I valued my own life-size sensibilities, and in addition to that, I thought it would be good if I carefully created a sense of age for the role, and then gave it my best shot. I felt I was able to do that quite well on the set.

--What did you think when you heard that "The Island of Cruz Doan" would be made into a movie?

Furuya To be honest, there was a flow of "THE ORIGIN," so the movie will be a continuation of that, "Gundam Daichi ni Tate! (the first episode of the TV anime). But I was surprised to hear that it was actually "The Island of Cruz Doan," and I wondered how they were going to make a movie out of less than 20 minutes of the 15th episode. It was a mystery to me. However, it was an independent episode in the flow of the One Year War, so I thought it would be easy to make it into a single film.

--Please tell us about your impression of the content of the film.

Furuya It depicts a heart-to-heart with a deserter from Zeon, a soldier who is an enemy to Amuro, and I think the main theme is that "if you put aside your position and pride, you can overcome barriers and understand each other (even enemy soldiers). It is a very beautiful story.

However, for various reasons, I think there were a number of areas in the TV anime where the visuals and expressions were a waste of time. It became a hot topic among fans. I am very happy that Director Yasuhiko was able to visualize them with great passion, precision, and care.

--What do you feel is the appeal of "Mobile Suit Gundam," including the episode "The Island of Cruz Doan"?

Takeuchi: It was a rare work that didn't show only one side's point of view on why people were fighting, but also showed both sides' opinions, which at the time made people wonder "Which side is the enemy? I think it was a rarity at the time to see a work that made you wonder, "Which side is the enemy? I myself wasn't born when the series went on the air, so I'm speaking only from my knowledge (laughs). (laughs) I feel that this is what makes the Gundam series so great, and what makes it so appealing.

Because "Gundam" is a long-running series, there was a time when I thought I would need to have a lot of knowledge to enjoy it. But when I actually got to know the series, I found it to be a completely enjoyable work. I think this movie will be a good opportunity for those who have no prior knowledge of "Gundam" to learn what it is all about.

--What was your impression of the story and characters?

Takeuchi: I think the story is very easy to follow because the parts that were not clearly depicted in the past are well drawn this time around. For example, the number of children that Doan is protecting has increased, and each child now has a detailed personality and name.

What impressed me the most was the boy of the same age who was always coming at Amuro. But Amuro is a young man of the same age who is emotionally attached to his mother and father. However, there are not many characters of the same age who fight emotionally or clash with each other. I got the impression that the addition of these characters made it easier to see the struggles of the life-size Amuro.

Furuya As Amuro spends time with children his own age, he comes to be in touch with them, and his eyes toward Doan, who is taking care of them, change. He sees that although he is an enemy soldier, he is such a good person. In the end, it is always the children who are sacrificed in battle, and it is the adults who must protect them.

The fighting style of Doan Zaku is also reflected in the design.

--The design of the Zaku for Doan has also become a topic of conversation.

Takeuchi: With Zaku (MS-06F Doan-dedicated Zaku), we have made good use of the atmosphere that was unintentionally created at the time. By adding the setting that it was undergoing its own renovation work, I think we were able to create a very stylish and original Zaku.

--You yourself used to watch "Mobile Suit Gundam," so you must have been happy to be able to ride a Zaku?

Takeuchi: It's always been that way for me, but I tend to like the enemy side, or the side that is not the main character, and even in special effects, I tend to like the monsters and monstrous creatures. So I was very happy (to ride Zaku). Moreover, I could fight with Amuro. I was very excited.

--Did you always like Zaku?

Takeuchi: Yes, I do. I like rounded mobile suits like Zgok and Aggai. I also think mono-eyes are cute. I like mono-eyes because they have a cool-headedness, but they also have a human-like face that shows at a moment's notice.

--What do you think of the Gundam and Zaku in this project?

Furuya The mobile suits that Director Yasuhiko draws are very powerful and have a strong presence. Moreover, they are also very flexible. I was very impressed when I saw the images of the Gundam drawn with the latest technology.

Takeuchi: I think there is also a universal appeal that does not change over time. I think it is truly amazing that they were able to create a silhouette that is clearly recognizable as "Gundam" or "Zaku," even though they changed the design in various ways to suit the modern age. In addition to these two mobile suits, there are other mobile suits that appear in this movie, so I hope you will pay attention to them.

--Speaking of Doan's Zaku, its fighting style, such as the "Shokken-tsuki" and stone-throwing, has also become a topic of conversation. Can we expect to see those elements in this movie as well?

Takeuchi: Those elements are reflected in the design. If you saw the 15th episode back then, you may have been surprised! I hope you can look forward to that as well.

--I hope you enjoy that part of the story as well.

Furuya At first, Doan's Zaku and the Gundam fight, but the Gundam is overwhelmingly defeated. Amuro is desperate, but at this point he still can't control the Gundam perfectly, and the scene depicts Amuro's desperation and inexperience as he fights without caring about what he has to do. But in the end, he does show a cool figure, so please look forward to it.

Takeuchi: The backgrounds that enhance the battles are also very well done. In episode 15, there was a blue sky for a long time, but this time the sky was cloudy with lightning bolts, giving it more of a duel feel. I think the excitement of fighting for one's life is heightened by the writing in the background.

What did Director Yasuhiko say to you?

--I interviewed Director Yasuhiko about his decision to cast Takeuchi as Doan, and he said, "When I heard her voice, I jumped at the idea of having someone like her in the film. How did you feel when you heard that?

Takeuchi This is the first time I heard that. I had never worked on a film by Director Yasuhiko before, so I am very grateful for the opportunity. Right before the recording, I was asked to be a part of it, and it made the recording process very easy. I had worked with sound director Sadayoshi Fujino on several regular productions, and I played Cao Cao Wing Gundam in "SD Gundam World: Sanguozoku Soukketsu Den," so I think that was part of the reason I was chosen for the role.

--What did you and the director discuss when you were approached?

Takeuchi: I asked him about the overall flow of the story, Doan's character, and his age. After the recording, he kindly told me, "Whenever you are active in various places in the future, I will brag to you that I was the one who did Doan's voice. Director Yasuhiko made me nervous just by meeting him, but he relieved my nerves in a good way.

--Did you have any discussions with Director Yasuhiko?

Furuya: It was about the setting. I had the image of "Cruz Doan's Island" from Episode 15 in the context of the One Year War. This movie takes place after the Battle of Jaburo and is an episode on the way to Belfast and Odessa. I asked the director about the basic setting of the film.

--I was wondering if you could tell us about the basic setting of the film, since you have been playing Amuro for a long time.

Furuya That's right. I had no problems with the character (acting), and I was able to do it quickly and easily (laughs). (Laughs.) The recording took place on the same day as Toshio Furukawa's performance as Kai Siden, so he recorded first, and then I took my time. The other actors' voices had not been recorded at all, so I played Amuro freely in my own way, imagining what it would be like to play Amuro.

--Furuya How did you feel when you heard Mr. Takeuchi's voice for Doan?

Furuya: It was exactly the kind of voice I imagined Doan would have from her looks, so I was really happy that it was Takeuchi's. She has a very nice voice that resonates with the heart. It is a very nice voice that resonates with the heart.

Takeuchi Thank you very much. It's not often that I get a chance to receive a compliment from Furuya-san, even a compliment, so I think I will think back on these words for the rest of my life. Whenever I feel down in the dumps, I just say, "I got one compliment from Furuya-san! (laughs).

Furuya You are exaggerating (laughs).

-I look forward to seeing Amuro and Doan in the play. Thank you very much!

(Reporting, writing, and photography by Kenichi Chiba)

Present Campaign Outline

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One lucky winner will receive a checkerboard autographed by Toru Furuya and Shunsuke Takeuchi to commemorate the release of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Cruz Doan's Island"!

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