Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
"Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket" was produced by animation studio Sunrise in association with toy company Bandai. Kenji Uchida was the former representative and Minoru Takanashi was the latter's producer. The series was created to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the "Gundam" franchise, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino in 1979. "War in the Pocket" was directed by Fumihiko Takayama, known for his work on "Orguss 02" and "", marking the first time anyone other than Tomino directed a "Gundam" show. The screenplay was written by Hiroyuki Yamaga, with scenario by , while the character designer for this series was Haruhiko Mikimoto.
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Like other early mecha anime, the "Mobile Suit Gundam" franchise was backed by sponsors whose main interest was having television programs advertise plastic models and toys. "Gundam" fiction set itself apart from others in the same genre with its dramatic plot devices, morally complex characters, and depictions of the horrors of war. These aspects, combined with its "Real Robot" mecha approach, made "Gundam" immensely popular for several years. After the broadcast of "Victory Gundam" beginning in 1993, Imagawa, a young protégé of Tomino, was selected as the director of the next installment in the franchise, titled "Polcarino Gundam". However, as "Gundam" popularity dwindled and sales began to drop by this time, the sponsors forced the creators to reboot the brand with the newly titled "Mobile Fighter G Gundam". Conceived as a less realistic "Super Robot" series, "G Gundam" abandoned its military roots and was aimed at younger viewers to increase toy sales. Alterations including a lack of a warfare-centered plot, Gundams stereotypically based on nationality, and Earth as a ring were originally seen as blasphemous to Imagawa and much of Sunrise's staff. Notwithstanding, Imagawa became more supportive of the changes after seeing some impressive, complex designs in "G Gundam"s sponsor-created toys. He eventually settled into his position, taking advice from his mentor. "If you continue to make a copy of a copy of a copy," he stated, "eventually the image degrades to nothing." Imagawa thought it was important for creators and sponsors to buy into each others ideas for the benefit of a product's success. The director also commented that in order to sell a product like "G Gundam" to an audience resistant of such ambitious changes, creators must instill their own personalities to overcome hardships and make the work unique. By the end of production, Imagawa considered it meaningless to compare "G Gundam" to other parts of the franchise and disregarded the concept of a "conventional" "Gundam" series. "This is MY "Gundam"," he proclaimed, "And I've made a "Gundam" that I can be proud of."