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Tomino Yoshiyuki

The creator of Gundam.
Jenxi Seow Published 7 Feb 2025 Updated 7 Feb 2025
Tomino Yoshiyuki

Tomino Yoshiyuki (富野 由悠季, born 5 November 1941) is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the Gundam franchise. He revolutionised the mecha anime genre by transforming “super robot” series into the more realistic “real robot” genre with 1979’s Mobile Suit Gundam.

Biography

Early Life

Born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Tomino came from a prominent family of regional landowners in Ōjima (present-day Kōtō, Tokyo). His grandfather Kiheiji Tomino served as mayor of Ōjima and statutory auditor of Ōtsuka Rubber Works. His father Kihei worked as a chemical engineer at the Odawara Arsenal developing pressurised suits for Zero fighter planes during the Pacific War, while his mother Sachiko was the daughter of town councillor and celluloid toy manufacturer Sakichi Tanaka.

As a child, Tomino was physically frail and showed nervous sensitivity, being particularly fearful of snow and waves on beaches. He was often isolated from his classmates during elementary school. After failing the entrance exam to a technical high school, he switched from his dream of aerospace engineering to humanities studies at Sōyō High School.

Early Career

Fascinated by American science fiction films, Tomino enrolled in Nihon University’s College of Art film department. In 1964, he joined Osamu Tezuka’s Mushi Productions as a production assistant. Under the guidance of senior staff member Hiroshi Wakao, he learned fundamental animation production skills before advancing to storyboarding and scriptwriting for Astro Boy.

At Mushi Productions, Tomino developed his rapid storyboarding skills to compensate for his perceived lack of artistic talent compared to younger staff. However, tensions arose within the studio during the production of Jungle Emperor, leading Tomino to leave as the studio became increasingly focused on limited animation techniques.

Rise at Sunrise

After leaving Mushi Productions, Tomino worked briefly in commercial animation and as an art lecturer before joining the newly-formed studio Sunrise. There he directed several influential series including Brave Raideen (1975), Zambot 3 (1977), and Daitarn 3 (1978), developing his distinctive style of combining robot action with serious dramatic themes.

Directorial Style

Narrative Themes

Tomino’s works frequently explore:

  • The impact of war on young people
  • Parent-child relationships and generational conflict
  • Human evolution and advancement (particularly through his “Newtype” concept)
  • Space colonisation and humanity’s future
  • The price of technological progress
  • Complex political and social themes

Production Approach

Known for his meticulous attention to detail, Tomino typically:

  • Writes detailed storyboards at exceptional speed
  • Provides extensive production notes and documentation
  • Personally directs voice acting sessions, often demanding multiple retakes
  • Writes lyrics for his series’ theme songs under the pen name Rin Iogi
  • Maintains involvement in mechanical design approval

Voice Direction

Tomino is known for his strict voice acting direction, often pushing actors to emotional extremes. He has helped launch several voice acting careers, including those of Tōru Furuya and Shuichi Ikeda. However, his demanding style has occasionally led to tensions, with some actors reportedly being reduced to tears during recording sessions.

Creation of Gundam

Development

In 1979, Tomino created Mobile Suit Gundam at Sunrise, aiming to present a more realistic take on robot anime. He wanted to move away from the super robot genre’s fantastical elements and create a serious military science fiction story. The series introduced several revolutionary concepts:

  • Realistic military organisation and tactics
  • Scientific explanations for technology
  • Complex political situations
  • Morally ambiguous characters
  • War shown from multiple perspectives

Initial Struggle and Success

Though the original series was cancelled after 43 episodes due to poor ratings, compilation movies released in 1981-1982 proved hugely successful. The release of Gundam model kits by Bandai helped establish the franchise as a cultural phenomenon.

Notable Works

Pre-Gundam

  • Triton of the Sea (1972) - Directorial debut
  • Brave Raideen (1975) - First mecha series
  • Zambot 3 (1977) - Established darker storytelling style
  • Daitarn 3 (1978) - Combined serious themes with comedy

Gundam Series

  • Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) - Created the real robot genre
  • Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) - Darker political sequel
  • Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986) - Lighter tone following Zeta
  • Char’s Counterattack (1988) - Conclusion to original saga
  • Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991) - New era story
  • Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (1993) - Last “dark” Gundam series
  • Turn A Gundam (1999) - Unified timeline concept
  • Gundam Reconguista in G (2014) - Return to the franchise

Other Significant Works

  • Space Runaway Ideon (1980)
  • Aura Battler Dunbine (1983)
  • Heavy Metal L-Gaim (1984)
  • Brain Powerd (1998)
  • Overman King Gainer (2002)

Literary Works

Novels

Tomino has written numerous novels, including:

  • Mobile Suit Gundam trilogy (1979-1981)
  • Gaia Gear (1987-1991)
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash (1989-1990)
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack - Beltorchika’s Children (1988)
  • Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (1993-1994)
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: High-Streamer
  • The Wings of Rean (1983-1986)

Essays and Technical Works

  • Because I Am… The Path to Gundam (1981)
  • Principles of Animation: The Storyboard-Focused Approach for Beginners to Professionals (2002)
  • Ask Tomino! series (2005-2017)
  • Creating Anime Should Not Be Taken Lightly - What I Thought About During G-Reco (2021)

Complete Works

Anime Television Series

  • Astro Boy (1963-1966) - Scriptwriter, Storyboard artist
  • Wandering Sun (1971) - Storyboard artist
  • Triton of the Sea (1972) - Director, Writer
  • Neo-Human Casshern (1973-1974) - Episode Director (9 episodes), Storyboard artist
  • Brave Raideen (1975) - Director (episodes 1-25)
  • La Seine no Hoshi (1975) - Director (episodes 27-39)
  • Invincible Super Man Zambot 3 (1977-1978) - Creator, Director, Writer
  • Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 (1978-1979) - Creator, Director
  • Mobile Suit Gundam (1979-1980) - Creator, Director, Writer
  • Space Runaway Ideon (1980-1981) - Creator, Director
  • Combat Mecha Xabungle (1982-1983) - Creator, Director
  • Aura Battler Dunbine (1983-1984) - Creator, Director
  • Heavy Metal L-Gaim (1984-1985) - Creator, Director
  • Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985-1986) - Creator, Director, Writer
  • Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986-1987) - Creator, Director, Writer
  • Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (1993-1994) - Creator, Director
  • Brain Powerd (1998) - Creator, Director, Writer
  • Turn A Gundam (1999-2000) - Creator, Director
  • Overman King Gainer (2002-2003) - Creator, Director
  • Gundam Reconguista in G (2014-2015) - Creator, Director, Writer

Films

  • Mobile Suit Gundam I (1981) - Director, Writer
  • Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow (1982) - Director, Writer
  • Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space (1982) - Director, Writer
  • The Ideon: A Contact (1982) - Director
  • The Ideon: Be Invoked (1982) - Director
  • Xabungle Graffiti (1983) - Director
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack (1988) - Director, Writer
  • Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991) - Director, Writer
  • Turn A Gundam I: Earth Light (2002) - Director, Writer
  • Turn A Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly (2002) - Director, Writer
  • Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation trilogy (2005-2006) - Director, Writer
  • Ring of Gundam (2009) - Director, Writer
  • Gundam Reconguista in G theatrical versions (2019-2022) - Director, Writer

OVAs

  • Heavy Metal L-Gaim (1986-1987) - Director
  • Garzey’s Wing (1996-1997) - Director, Writer
  • The Wings of Rean (2005-2006) - Director, Writer

Discography (as Rin Iogi)

Mobile Suit Gundam

  • “Tobe! Gandamu (Fly! Gundam)” by Koh Ikeda (Series Opening Theme)
  • “Eien ni Amuro (Forever Amuro)” by Koh Ikeda (Series Ending Theme)
  • “Char ga Kuru (Char is Coming)” by Koichiro Hori
  • “Kirameki no Lalah (Shining Lalah)” by Keiko Toda
  • “Ima wa O-Yasumi” by Keiko Toda
  • “Kaze ni Hitori de (Alone in the Wind)” by Inoue Daisuke (Movie 2 Insert Song)
  • “Ai Senshi (Soldiers of Sorrow)” by Inoue Daisuke (Movie 2 Ending Theme)
  • “Beginning” by Inoue Daisuke (Movie 3 Insert Song)
  • “Meguriai (Encounters)” by Inoue Daisuke (Movie 3 Ending Theme)

Other Series

  • “Dunbine Tobu (Flying Dunbine)” by MIO (Aura Battler Dunbine Opening Theme)
  • “Time for L-Gaim” by MIO (Heavy Metal L-Gaim Opening Theme)
  • “Zeta - Toki wo Koete (Zeta - Transcending Times)” by Maya Arukawa (Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam First Opening Theme)
  • “Issenman-Nen Ginga (The 10-million-year-old Galaxy)” by Jun Hiroe (Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Second Ending Theme)
  • “Eternal Wind” by Hiroko Moriguchi (Mobile Suit Gundam F91 Ending Theme)
  • “Stand up to the Victory” (Mobile Suit Victory Gundam First Opening Theme)
  • “Ai no Field” by Kokia (Brain Powerd First Ending Theme)
  • “Turn A Turn” by Hideki Saijou (Turn A Gundam First Opening Theme)
  • “King Gainer Over!” by Yoshiki Fukuyama (Overman King Gainer Opening Theme)
  • “G no Senkō” by Daisuke Hasegawa (Gundam Reconguista in G Ending Theme)

Honours and Recognition

  • Tokyo International Anime Fair Best Director Award for Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation - Heirs to the Stars (2006)
  • Locarno International Film Festival Leopard of Honor (2009)
  • Japan Media Arts Festival Award for Excellence (2014)
  • Person of Cultural Merit (2021)
  • Animage Anime Grand Prix - Best Director (1979-1980)
  • AMD Award - Special Achievement Award (2006)
  • Chicago International Film Festival - Special Achievement Award in Animation (2006)
  • Cultural Affairs Agency Commissioner’s Award (2019)

Legacy and Influence

Tomino’s work has profoundly influenced Japanese popular culture and animation:

  • Established realistic military science fiction in anime
  • Created one of Japan’s most successful media franchises
  • Influenced generations of creators including Hideaki Anno
  • Pioneered complex narrative approaches in anime
  • Developed new approaches to mecha design and animation
  • Helped establish the modern anime industry’s production methods

His innovations in storytelling and production continue to influence contemporary anime creators, while the Gundam franchise he created remains one of Japan’s most significant cultural exports.