We report from the "Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin: Blue-Eyed Casval" premiere screening!

A special preview screening was held at Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo on February 15th for Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin I: Blue-Eyed Casval, slated to premiere in 13 theaters across Japan as well as on advance Blu-ray and streaming rental on February 28th.

At the event, footage from Mobile Suit Gundam through Char's Counterattack, and from The Origin, played backed by The Origin's score as guests Shuichi Ikeda (voice of Char Aznable,) Mayumi Tanaka (voice of Casval Rem Deikun,) and Megumi Han (voice of Artesia Som Deikun) took the stage.
Mr. Ikeda spoke first: "Returning to Char Aznable, and to all of you, has me so excited I can't hold still." After greetings from the other guests, the packed house turned their eyes to the screen, as the long-awaited film began.

The audience, breathless throughout the film's dramatic twists and turns, erupted in applause as it drew to a close. See it for yourself in theaters and online February 28th!


As the post-screening panel began, the cast took the stage. Mr. Ikeda joked, "And there, my part was over three times faster," drawing laughs from the crowd.
Chief Director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, also present, took the stage, saying: "I've finally made it. It took so long." Recounting past products, he mentioned "I'm extremely satisfied with how this turned out. I took a break from anime after 20 years without real satisfaction in a project, but this time, the hard work of everyone else involved really made me feel 'Yeah, this is it."

About Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin, his first anime project in 25 years, he mentioned "I never expected The Origin to be animated, or to be involved in the project myself. At first, I thought I'd bit off more than I could chew."
Veteran actress Ms. Tanaka noted "Not much makes me nervous at my age, but being involved with something special like Gundam gave me the jitters," commenting on the breadth and impact of the series.


As discussion turned to the animation production itself, footage of Director Yasuhiko working from home was shown; as he was seen checking animation, he explained "The workflow of checking and then having to trust is rather different." Footage of him exchanging gestures with a production manager prompted the explanation "I was worried that I really had to go to the studio and explain it to the artist directly, but seeing the footage blew that away."
Watching the video, Ms. Han noted "Watching the credits, it strikes me just how many people were involved. I'm deeply impressed by just how much time they poured into production."

Prerecorded messages from director Takashi Imanishi, mechanical animation director Takuya Suzuki, and animation director Hiroyuki Nishimura played, with Mr. Suzuki commenting "I think we may have managed to show the Guntank's mass and weight." Mr. Nishimura said "Watch the characters' expressions. We worked hard to draw out the appear of Mr. Yasuhiko's characters." Director Imanishi, following up each comment, noted "Through trial and error, we've found our way to a fresh new method of production. We're currently polishing the second film, so look forward to it.


Next, Chief Director Yasuhiko returned to speak of the production process. Speaking of CG technology, using the Guntank's treads as an example, he pointed out "[It] requires careful design, even of the parts that are never seen. But using CG lets us express things we never could before." About characters, he noted "Casval has fewer lines than I thought. I never noticed he was such a quiet boy until recording." Meanwhile, he described Artesia as "uniquely honest, giving voice to what the audience must be thinking."

Finally, after nearly an hour of lively conversation, each guest made a final comment, and the curtain dropped.



Shuichi Ikeda
"I want us to experience Blue-Eyed Casval's growth into the Red Comet Char Aznable together. I'll do my best. It's an unparalleled honor to spend a bit more time with you all."

Mayumi Tanaka
"As someone new to Gundam, I want to learn all about it alongside the people who will be starting from The Origin. I'll be with you through the series."

Megumi Han
"The world of Gundam may differ from ours, but what happens there feels as real now as it did 36 years ago. I'd like to experience it alongside you all."

Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
"What makes me happiest will be seeing people who don't know Gundam, didn't know Gundam, still haven't heard of Gundam, pick it up through The Origin. In part 2, Mr. Ikeda will be taking on the challenge of voicing Casval after he voice changes. Look forward to it!"



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Rare materials including art boards of the characters and mecha, the original cover art for the disc release, and comic manuscripts were on exhibit at the theater, alongside products like the "HG 1/144 Char's Zaku II" and "Gundam Fix Figuration Metal Composite RX78-02 Gundam The Origin [Re:Package]" slated for an April release and even a display for Gundam TryAge, which has added The Origin to its roster.

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin I: Blue-Eyed Casval opens at 13 theaters nationwide this February 28th, with theater-exclusive Blu-ray sales and paid streaming also beginning the same day. Early attendees will receive Chief Director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko mini-shikishi.
Orders for the Blu-ray Collector's Edition are open on Bandai Visual's "Bandai Visual Club" e-commerce site.

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin begins. Don't miss it as it unfolds!