Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator of the Gundam franchise, has suggested that Vladimir Putin’s decision to go to war might have been averted had he watched Sunrise’s 1993 anime series, Mobile Suit V Gundam.
This was revealed by Tomino during an interview with the Summer 2023 edition of Great Mechanic G, where he talked about the relevance of V Gundam in the context of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. He highlighted the uncanny parallels between the events depicted in the anime and the geopolitical realities of today.
“…It’s been a year since the war between Ukraine and Russia started. To me, V Gundam feels so on the nose it’s like it’s entirely about Putin’s war. If Putin had watched V Gundam, I think he definitely wouldn’t have gone to war.“
The interview delved deeper into Tomino’s analysis of modern warfare, drawing comparisons between Putin’s military actions and historical paradigms. He echoed a sociologist’s characterization of the conflict as a “war of the medieval royalty and titled nobility,” emphasizing its distinction from modern total warfare driven by economic and geopolitical factors.
“Previously, a sociologist said, ‘Putin’s war is a war of the medieval royalty and titled nobility, not a modern war,’ and that’s exactly it. A ‘war of the royalty and titled nobility’ is a war where the king’s direct forces arrive at his call and retreat once he is satisfied, not a total war involving the economy and everything else between nations.“
Beyond the geopolitical commentary, Tomino expressed optimism for the future, particularly in the younger generation. He envisioned a society where philosophical ideals are integrated with practical wisdom, contrasting it with the experiences of older generations scarred by conflicts like the Cold War and Vietnam War.
Yoshiyuki Tomino is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the Gundam anime franchise.
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam is a 1993 Japanese science fiction anime television series. It consists of 51 episodes, and was directed by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. The series was first broadcast on TV Asahi. It is the fourth TV anime installment in the Gundam franchise,
Source: CBR