Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin and Brushstrokes
I grew up watching tons of anime with robot-themes.
Even back in those days, we knew what we were watching were largely inspired by the previous generation, a.k.a. the "golden-generation” of robotic stories, such as Gundam, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, and Space Battleship Yamato.
I’ll be honest: as I became a teenager, I slowly grew out of liking robot stories. I was never as into them as some of my other friends, who could recite in details which robot models had so-and-so engine for some special powers.
With that said, there are a few robot-themed comics I enjoy tremendously. Today, let’s talk a bit about a military space opera masterpiece: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko 安彦良和.
Much like Star Trek, if you are new to the franchise, you won’t know where to begin. There are so many spin-offs and story timelines, it is confusing and overwhelming.
The only comic series I’ve ever finished is The Origin, which is the retelling of the original 1979 anime TV series Mobile Suit Gundam (which, admittedly, I’ve never watched.) (But it’s the original, so… It must be good, right?)
The Origin follows 15-year-old Amuro Ray as he pilots the powerful mobile suit Gundam aboard the battleship White Base. He is drawn into a fateful clash with the brilliant and vengeful Char Aznable. Between them lies Sayla Mass, torn by family and loyalty, and the mysterious Lalah Sune, a girl with Newtype powers. As these young pilots are repeatedly brought into countless bloody battles, they could not help but question the meaning of war and of life.
When I first read The Origin, I thought it was so interesting that the world of Gundam under Yasuhiko looked so “soft”. Was it the color palette (there were ocassional colored spreads)? Was it the way he drew characters?
They felt… gentle.
I was young. I might look at something and get a feeling, but I lack visual comprehension and communication skills to describe the reason behind why I felt those things.
Nowadays, I can go back to tell my younger-self what I was looking at.
It felt soft mostly because Yasuhiko used a different art tool.
You see, most mangaka (manga artists) use the G-nib. It’s preferred due to its excellent line variation. It’s a good nib for control.
But Yasuhiko didn’t use a G-nib. He used a brush.
That’s why I thought there was a softness to his work. It’s his linework.
As an artist, I want to say that’s insane. At this volume of work, if I were to use a brush, my wrist might fall off after 200 pages.
But the result is stunning. Yasuhiko had these beautiful thin lines that enhance the story and push his work to the next poetic level. He (very wisely) opted to use a lot less motion lines than most action-oriented manga; instead, his fine lines convey more emotions and depths.
If you want to read a gripping story of political conflicts, of betrayals, and of the cost of human warfares, give Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin a read.
There is a reason why this IP is a classic.
Do you like Gundam? What is your favorite series? Any favorite (or least favorite) characters? Share in the comments below. 🙂
I like that description: gentle. I could see/feel that in the examples. Thanks for sharing, Maple!
I love inking with a brush, which is the most versatile of all inking tools. It was, of course, used by sumi-e artists for centuries, before manga even existed. However, for very precise drawing I still tend to use pens. Maybe someday I'll have enough confidence to work solely with the brush!