What is the reason why Mikazuki no longer uses a long sword in “Interlude”…!?
──Please let me ask you about the “wedge between interludes” as well. The story takes place after the first season, and there are some interesting details that Iron-Blooded fans will probably be happy about. Where did that idea come from?
Nagai:Mari Okada, who is in charge of series composition (for the TV series), started by saying that she wanted to talk about Olga's suit and the reason why Mikazuki stopped using her long sword. I wanted to say something when I was working on the main story of Iron-Blooded, but I couldn't say it, or I forgot to say it… It's like we both dealt with things we forgot from 10 years ago.
As for the long sword, if you try to use it properly, it will break if you don't sharpen it, and Mikazuki hated it so much that he stopped using it (lol).
Tekkadan's battles are basically melee, so I wanted to talk about how the long sword is a rather difficult weapon to use in the main story. However, the story progressed rapidly, so I thought it would be a good opportunity for the 10th anniversary, so I decided to do it.
In addition to the story of the “interlude wedge” this time, by the time it becomes Barbatos Lupus, it will become a blunt weapon like a sword called a sword mace. After that, he didn't make an appearance, or rather, since he turned into Barbatos Lupus Rex, he doesn't have a long sword anymore, and it would be faster to just hit him. That's how the story unfolds, but the concept is actually the same.
──In addition to talking about such a concept, please also tell us about the concept behind the new form of Barbatos, “Gundam Barbatos Adapt,” which is noticeably damaged.
Nagai:We started by saying that after the end of the first season, the form up to Barbatos Lupus had not yet been released, and we asked Mr. Washio to come up with a new design based on the concept of mainly using the long sword, and we ended up with a pretty cool design.
You could call it a sword scabbard, and it has a cool shape, including the parts to hold the sword. In the main story, he has one sword unsheathed, but I'd like you to see him with both long swords in their sheaths.
──And from the new Barbatos battle scenes, I got the impression that the battle scenes in Iron-Blooded are unique.
Nagai:If you say so, I think the hard work of our staff will be rewarded. It turned out to be a Mikazuki-like fight with lots of punching and kicking, but even when I tried it again, it still took a lot of calories to draw.
We created a constraint from the main story that the Iron Blood would not explode even if it was defeated, and we all worked through trial and error to figure out how to present it. I think the fact that it's something people remember even now means that the challenges we took at the time were successful.
──What did you think about the recording scene for “Makuma Kusabi”? It must have been a long time since the Tekkadan cast had a chance to gather together.
Nagai:Since the effects of the new coronavirus had already ended, we were able to record with a large number of people. The cast members have been good friends since then, so it really felt like a reunion, and at the recording site, we were playing around with each other and saying things like, “I can't hear the voices from back then!'' and I was watching it feeling nostalgic. Although there were some detailed instructions, everyone seemed to be having fun and the atmosphere was really good.
──By the way, did you talk to the voice actors during the recording?
Nagai:Everyone was really busy, and I didn't feel like it had been that long, but we talked about a lot of things. I felt like everyone kept the atmosphere of that time.
──The ending was also very memorable. Can I ask you about this as well?
Nagai:That ending was drawn by Yu Ito, the original character designer. That's why that video is a collection of illustrations in which Mr. Ito expresses his feelings for “Iron-Blooded''.
I was also very happy that Mr. Ito was thinking about “Iron-Blooded'' in this way. I think this is a wonderful ending video that will really please everyone who has followed Iron-Blooded up to this point.
Ito-san's drawings have never been seen in the original “Iron-Blooded'' video, so in that sense, I think it was a great idea to end the movie with Ito-san's taste.
──Thank you very much. I also believe that some people will take this 10th anniversary project as an opportunity to take a new look at Iron-Blooded. Please let us know what points you would like people to pay attention to.
Nagai:It's a story about how children become successful, so I think people who like it will have a lot of fun. I think this is a story where we get to see the lives of the main characters, so I hope people will enjoy that aspect.
──Also, please tell us about the highlights and the famous scenes that left an impression on Director Nagai.
Nagai:The group photo depicted in the 2nd ending “Freesia” of the 2nd season is quite memorable. I feel that I was able to capture Tekkadan's heyday in a single painting.
I imagine it was a scene from the launch after the battle with Mobile Armor's Hashmal, but I was also happy to be able to capture the most enjoyable moment before we get into the difficult story.
──If you were to focus on Mikazuki and Olga, the two main characters, where would you go?
Nagai:Episode 22: “I can’t go back yet.” After Biscuit dies, Mikazuki grabs Olga's broken heart and blasts her…this scene is truly memorable. From then on, Olga started talking about showing them the scenery that lay ahead of them. When I saw Olga deciding to push forward and not being able to back down, I felt like I couldn't back down as a creator. In that sense, it's a memorable scene.
──Thank you very much. Lastly, could you please give a message to the fans of “Iron-Blooded”?
Nagai:As part of our 10th anniversary festival, I'm really happy to have had the opportunity to once again enjoy a movie from 10 years ago with everyone at the movie theater. Whether you've always loved Iron-Blooded or those who are learning about Iron-Blooded for the first time, we hope you'll enjoy it with us!
Work information
Synopsis
Gjallarhorn's political interference in Arbrau's Central Council escalates into the use of force using mobile suits.
The ones who brought the incident to a close were boys from Mars called Tekkadan.
Wistario Afam, who was born and raised in the Radonitsa Colony on Venus, heard of Tekkadan's activities.
Venus, which lost the competition with Mars, is a remote planet where even the four major economic regions show no interest.
The residents don't even have IDs, and now it's just being used as a penal colony for criminals.
Wistario, who wishes to change the current situation in his birthplace, appears in front of a girl who claims to be a pilot for the “Uru's Hunt''.
“Congratulations. You have qualified to participate in the 'Uru's Hunt'.”
Invited to meet a girl, Wistario is forced to stand at the entrance to “Uru's Hunt,” a race for a huge prize that can easily buy a colony.
cast
Demner Kitako Jr.: Keno Horiuchi
Cornal Cosa: Rena Ueda
Renji Dubrisco: Taro Kiuchi
Kathua Innosee: Mimi Tanaka
598: Yuko Sanpei
Tamami Rakou: Shizuka Ito
Rome Zan: Toru Inada
Aiko Zan: Masashi Yamane
Cyclase Meyer: Kenji Nojima
[Simultaneous screening “Interlude”]
Mikazuki Augus: Kengo Kasai
Olga Itsuka: Yoshimasa Hosoya
Eugene Seven Stark: Yuichiro Umehara
Akihiro Altland: Yasuaki Takumi (Yasuaki Takumi)
Norba Shino: Futoshi Murata
Ride Mass: Mutsuko Tamura
Nadi Yukinosuke Kassapa: Ax Atsushi
Kudelia Aina Bernstein: Yuka Terasaki
Atlas Mixta: Hisako Kanemoto
(C) Sotsu/Sunrise
