Latest news with #KazuyaTsurumaki
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘FLCL' Season 1 Blu-Ray Review: Surrealism With A Banging Soundtrack
Back in the early 2000s, something weird and wonderful happened. Gainax and Production I.G made FLCL. A genuinely mad anime that is still as fresh over two decades later. The story itself is almost irrelevant relative to how it is delivered. However, the broad strokes are that Naota lives in the supposedly boring city of Mabase. Until the day he is run over by Haruko Haruhara on a Vespa, and a robot emerges from a lump on his forehead. Haruko is an alien and is chasing something enormously powerful and equally mysterious, and Naota and the robot Canti clearly have something to do with it. I remember watching FLCL when it was first released over twenty years ago. I was still at university and was amazed at how strange and funny this anime was. It was also intended as the 'second wave' of Gainax, with it being created and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki. Working his way up the ranks, Tsurumaki definitely made his mark with the original FLCL. This is because, in the many years since, we've had various follow-ons to the story, which are interesting, but I still feel the 'first season' is the best by far and really meant as something standalone. 'FLCL' is still as vibrant and fun as it was over two decades ago. What makes FLCL special is that it breaks up how anime is parsed. You have sections drawn as manga, or done in different styles, with some just genuinely surreal humor thrown in just for fun. To be honest, much of the 'zany' anime we have these days owes much of its structure and delivery to the original FLCL, and going back and watching this again only helped to remind me how far ahead of its time FLCL really was. As for this release, it's pretty barebones. The transfer is good, but not super pristine. I think this is because of the original masters being done digitally at a lower resolution, and the upscale is a bit off as a result. Don't get me wrong, this is way better than the DVD versions, and it's also handily all on one disc. The audio is great, though, and my lifelong love of The Pillows is still very much in effect after all these years. Even having seen them live in Nagoya decades ago, hearing their songs again in the anime that introduced the band to me in the first place is rather lovely. Overall, FLCL is a seminal anime that showed the shift that Gainax was taking, and in turn, where the follow-on studios, such as Khara and Trigger, would end up. It's hard to believe that this anime is over twenty years old, because it still seems so fresh and funny, FLCL Season 1 is available on Blu-ray from the Crunchyroll online store for $31.98. Disclosure: Crunchyroll sent me this Blu-ray for the purposes of this review. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Japan Today
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
New 'Mobile Suit Gundam' film exhibition
Anime Tokyo Station is holding a special exhibition, "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-," until August 11. This latest installment in the Gundam series is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki and has generated significant buzz as the first-ever collaboration between Studio Khara (known for the "Evangelion" series) and Sunrise (the creators of "Gundam"). The exhibition features a wide range of content, including scene stills revisiting memorable moments from the film, life-size standees of characters and mobile suits, photo spots recreating key scenes from the movie, rare production materials such as scripts and an AR photo corner where visitors can take photos with motifs from the characters. © Japan Today
Metropolis Japan
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
Anime Exhibition: Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- Metropolis Japan
From May 24 to August 11, Anime Tokyo Station hosts Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- , a special exhibition celebrating the buzzed-about new film directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki. As the first-ever collaboration between Studio Khara (Evangelion) and Sunrise (Gundam), the exhibit offers an inside look at this landmark project. Explore scene stills, life-size character standees, recreated film sets, rare production materials, and an AR photo corner for fans to snap pics with characters. Dates May 24 (Sat) – August 11 (Monday/ Holiday), 2025Closed Dates:May: 26June: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30July: 7, 14, 22, 28 August: 4
Kyodo News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
"Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX" Confirmed to Participate in Anime Expo 2025 and Japan Expo 2025!
By Koji Uchida, Animate Times - 18 minutes ago - 18:39 | All We are excited to announce that "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX" will be featured at two major international anime events: Anime Expo 2025 in Los Angeles, USA, and Japan Expo 2025 in Paris, France. Director Tsurumaki, along with voice actors Tomoyo Kurosawa and Masahiro Maeda, will be attending these events in person to showcase the appeal of the series to a global audience. "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX" is the latest installment in the Gundam series, which marks the first collaboration between Studio Khara and Sunrise, directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki. Participating in "Anime Expo 2025" - North America's Largest Anime Event! 【Event Details】 Dates: Thursday, July 3 - Sunday, July 6, 2025 Location: Los Angeles, United States Venue: Los Angeles Convention Center Official Website Panel Overview Gundam Rising in Los Angeles – Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Special Event The first-ever "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX" event in Los Angeles! We're bringing you a packed program featuring a talk show with director Kazuya Tsurumaki, voice actress Tomoyo Kurosawa (voice of Amate Yuzuriha (MACHU)), and other special guests, as well as live musical performances. What's more, the event will be livestreamed on the official Gundam YouTube channel "Gundam Channel" and other platforms! Gundam Channel *Please note that the theatrical preview version of "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-" will not be livestreamed. ●Date and Time Thursday, July 3 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Movie Screening Segment 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Talk & Performance Segment ●Venue Peacock Theater ●Featured Guests Kazuya Tsurumaki (Director), Yoji Enokido (Series Supervision and Screenplay), Tomoyo Kurosawa (voice of Amate Yuzuriha (MACHU)), Naohiro Ogata (Gundam Executive Producer) and more... Participating in "Japan Expo 2025" - France's Largest Japanese Culture Event! 【Event Details】 Dates: Thursday, July 3 to Sunday, July 6, 2025 Location: Paris, France Venue: Parc des Expositions de Paris-Nord-Villepinte Official Website Panel Overview "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX" Panel in Paris Join director Kazuya Tsurumaki, series composition and scriptwriter Yoji Enokido, and design works and storyboard artist Masahiro Maeda as they discuss the production process of "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX" and delve into the world of "Gundam"! ●Date and Time Sunday, July 6th Local time: 10:00 AM - 12:15 PM 10:00 AM - 11:25 AM: Theatrical preview screening of "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-" 11:25 AM - 12:15 PM: Talk show ●Venue Yuzu Stage ●Guests Kazuya Tsurumaki (Director) Yoji Enokido (Series Composition and Scriptwriter) Masahiro Maeda (Design Works and Storyboard Artist)
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Director Kazuya Tsurumaki talks cold war influence in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Director Kazuya Tsurumaki talks cold war influence in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (credit- IMDb) Kazuya Tsurumaki , the director of the upcoming anime Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX , has shared insights into his vision for the latest installment of the iconic mecha franchise. While GQuuuuuuX features a collaboration with Hideaki Anno , the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion, it is Tsurumaki's direction that is drawing significant attention. In a recent interview, Tsurumaki explained his approach to the series, focusing on themes of a "Cold War" alternate-history story, which he believes will give fans a fresh perspective on the Gundam universe. A cold war story for Gundam fans Unlike many other Gundam stories, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is not a typical "parallel universe" tale. Instead, Tsurumaki describes it as an "alternate-history war chronicle," blending the well-established Universal Century timeline with a new, unique narrative. Tsurumaki's approach focuses on characters navigating a secret war between the Zeon forces and Earth Federation resistance, set against the backdrop of the Cold War era. This historical context adds layers of tension, as characters face the fear of war breaking out at any moment, but without direct conflict in their immediate surroundings. 'I wanted to create a Gundam series that deals with the concept of Newtypes, but with a more mature approach," said Tsurumaki. "I wanted to explore Newtypes in a way that hasn't been done before, portraying them as more experienced, adult characters rather than the more youthful and unstable ones we've seen in previous Gundam shows." Influence of FLCL and Evangelion Tsurumaki, known for his work on the legendary FLCL and Diebuster, brings his unique storytelling style to GQuuuuuuX. He emphasized that his previous experience working with Hideaki Anno on Evangelion didn't directly influence the Clan Battles seen in Gundam GQuuuuuuX. However, Tsurumaki does draw from his experience creating synchronized combat scenes, much like the famous battle sequences in Evangelion where two characters must cooperate to fight. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo He also reflected on his long career, noting that while he doesn't feel much personal growth in terms of creative style since FLCL, his physical ability to handle long hours of work has diminished. "I may be older, but my mentality remains the same," Tsurumaki explained. Challenges in reimagining Gundam Taking on Gundam was a significant challenge for Tsurumaki, who, despite being a fan, had reservations about directing such a beloved series. Unlike Evangelion and Gunbuster, Tsurumaki admitted he didn't feel the same confidence about Gundam initially. However, he was drawn to the idea of presenting Gundam through a Cold War lens, a period of tension and uncertainty that he personally experienced during his childhood. Tsurumaki also spoke about the lasting impact of FLCL and the surprising fanbase it has garnered over the years. He mentioned that Kenshi Yonezu, the composer for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, was inspired by FLCL, further cementing the legacy of his earlier work. When asked about his favorite Mobile Suit, Tsurumaki revealed that the Gelgoog is his top choice, further emphasizing his personal connection to the Gundam universe. What's next for Gundam fans? With the debut of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX set for later in 2025, Tsurumaki's Cold War-inspired storyline promises to bring a fresh and exciting perspective to the Gundam franchise . Fans of mecha anime can expect a unique blend of political tension, mature characters, and thrilling battles, all set against the backdrop of a carefully constructed alternate history. Tsurumaki's work on Gundam GQuuuuuuX is one to watch, especially for those interested in the evolving nature of this legendary anime series. As the anime industry continues to push boundaries, GQuuuuuuX stands as a testament to Tsurumaki's ability to balance legacy with innovation.
