Staff Highlight: Yoko Kanno, the Composer

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This is the fourth in my series of staff highlight posts. My sources include various written and video interviews, audio commentaries, and individual research.

Yoko Kanno is a music composer and instrumentalist known for her work in anime, live-action films, video games, and commercial advertisements. She’s an accomplished keyboardist and conductor and fronts her own band, who perform many of her compositions. Kanno has worked with several legendary directors, including Yoshiyuki Tomino, Shinichirou Watanabe, and Shoji Kawamori. She composed the music for Turn A Gundam.

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Turn A Gundam’s music is composed by Yoko Kanno.

Below is a highlight of info pertaining to her time on Turn A Gundam.

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Staff Highlight: Syd Mead, the Mecha Designer

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This is the third in my series of staff highlight posts. My sources include various written and video interviews, audio commentaries, and individual research.

Syd Mead is an industrial designer and visual futurist famous for his designs for science-fiction films such as Blade Runner, Aliens, and Tron. He’s an internationally-recognized talent who has won many awards. Mead provided Turn A Gundam‘s mechanical designs.

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Syd Mead provided several mobile suit concepts and designs as a guest staffer for Turn A Gundam.

Below is a highlight of info pertaining to his time on Turn A Gundam.

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Staff Highlight: Akira Yasuda (“akiman”), the Character Designer

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This is the second in my series of staff highlight posts. My sources include various written and video interviews, audio commentaries, and individual research.

Akira Yasuda (pen name “akiman”) is a game designer, character designer, and mecha designer who currently works as a freelancer but was formerly employed by Capcom in the 1980s and 1990s. He gained international fame as the character designer for the transformative fighting game series, Street Fighter II. He provided character designs for Turn A Gundam.

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Yasuda Akira (“akiman”), Turn A Gundam‘s character designer, along with promotional artwork he drew for the Japanese DVD boxes.

Below is a highlight of info and fun facts pertaining to his time on Turn A Gundam.

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Staff Highlight: Yoshiyuki Tomino, Chief Director

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This is the first in a series of blog posts focusing on key staff members of Turn A Gundam. My sources include various written and video interviews, audio commentaries, and individual research.

Yoshiyuki Tomino needs no introduction. A legendary figure in Japanese animation, he’s the creator of Mobile Suit Gundam and has been involved in many anime throughout his career. Between 1979 and 1994, Tomino directed six Gundam entries and then proceeded to distance himself from the franchise. Turn A Gundam marks his glorious return.

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Turn A Gundam‘s executive director.

Below is a highlight of info and fun facts pertaining to his time on Turn A Gundam.

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Storyboard to Turn A Gundam EP#43

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This post highlights the storyboard of Turn A Gundam episode 43 – “The Shocking Dark History”, with storyboard by Kazuki Akane. This is a major pivotal episode in the plot, so expect spoilers! Akane is an industry veteran who’s no stranger to Gundam in particular, providing storyboards for 0083 and being involved in Zeta Gundam, ZZ Gundam, Char’s Counterattack, F91, and later on Iron-Blooded Orphans. He also provided storyboards for Brain Powerd, so, needless to say, Tomino was quite familiar with his work! His major directorial work is perhaps the 2008 Birdy the Mighty Decode TV anime and OVA.

Note that this storyboard is listed as #42 because the recap episode (#16) is omitted from the broadcast count number.

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What do we know about Turn A Space?

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I was asked recently about Turn A Space, so I figured I’d use the opportunity to write up a little post summarizing what’s out there. So, what is Turn A Space? It is, of course, related to Turn A Gundam, and a concept or idea Yoshiyuki Tomino once had that never came to fruition. There are many rumors surrounding what it would have entailed, and as such, much of this post is dictated by rumor.

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A screenshot from Turn A Gundam ep #35
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