Director Kenji Kamiyama is at the helm of the upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam RG: XARX-ZERO, a new entry in the long-running franchise set outside the Universal Century timeline. The series follows Ray Azumi, an orphan chosen to pilot the advanced Gundam ZERO in a future where humanity has spread across the solar system but is forced to flee Earth due to a silicon-based lifeform called Apocalypse.
Kamiyama, known for his work on series like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Star Wars: Visions, views Gundam's core anti-war message as particularly resonant in the current global climate. "Gundam's theme is war, and the message is anti-war," Kamiyama stated in an interview. "In a time of real war, like now, I wasn’t sure how much impact animation can have. I don’t think animation is something that will stop the war." He aims to convey this message through the characters, hoping their struggles and hopes can foster empathy and understanding in an era of division.
He also highlighted the franchise's second key theme: the inability to change the past, but the capacity to take positive action toward the future. "By emphasizing those positive contributions and actions towards the future, perhaps that might help reassign or rewrite the meaning of the past and how that affects you," Kamiyama explained.
Navigating a franchise with a nearly 50-year legacy presents unique challenges. Kamiyama noted the delicate balance required when working with established properties. "The difficulty working within a franchise is that there are existing fans. There are certain expectations that you have to meet, and conclusions that fans have already preconceived of what that is. You have to deliver on that. But on top of it, you need to surprise them and betray their expectations at the same time, which is a conflicting approach." For XARX-ZERO, this meant creating a new story and universe while still acknowledging fan expectations.
Kamiyama also elaborated on the distinctive naming convention for the series, "Alex Zero," which follows a pattern set by its predecessor, GQuuuuuuX. He explained that "RX is the codename for Gundam, and it’s my way of wordplay as well," linking it to the creation of a new timeline.
Producer Yasufumi Kohashi mentioned that Executive Producer Naohiro Ogata requested a "hardcore sci-fi world setting" that had "never been done in Gundam." This directive, inspired by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s motto, "You have to break taboos to create something new," provided Kamiyama with the creative freedom to push the boundaries of the franchise.
The enduring appeal of Gundam, according to Kamiyama, lies in its fundamental exploration of "human nature and conflict." The mobile suits themselves are central to this, representing evolved weapons of war within a fantasy setting that often includes scientific explanations, distinguishing it from other robot anime. Furthermore, Kamiyama reaffirmed the importance of the Char-like character, a recurring archetype in Gundam who serves as a rival and a mirror to the protagonist, calling it "another important feature of Gundam as well."