Ippei gyoubu biography sample paper
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This was added later, on the director’s request, to enhance the first episode’s climax. Perhaps some will watch this film with deep sentiment, reflecting on the journey of their lives during that period. Being led by the director’s style and seeing him having our mecha used so impressively is a designer’s dream.
―――Thank you for your time today.
Gundam’s Popular Mechanic Designer Gyoubu Ippei on His Design Philosophy and Vision for AS ONE
The highly anticipated feature-length animated film AS ONE, currently in theaters, brings together a dream team of creative talents.
Gyoubu Ippei, one of Japan’s most celebrated mechanic designers, is responsible for the formidable mecha designs featured in the film, creating visuals that radiate an overwhelming presence.
Gyoubu-san is a familiar name to mecha fans, having worked on not only the game version of Hoshi to Tsubasa no Paradox but also popular Gundam series titles like Gundam G no Reconguista and Kidou Senshi Gundam Tekketsu no Orphans (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans).
Reflecting on how he joined the project, Gyoubu-san shared, “Around 2020, as the arcade game was nearing the end of its operation, I received an official request to design mechs for a theatrical original work that would share the same world-view.
When you see it in the actual episode, it’s clear that the design with the added action was put to good use, and I was really grateful for that.
―――And it made a comeback in Season 2, which was unexpected. The order was the Dilanza, Darilbalde, and finally switching to a Gundam. In fact, I also designed military-spec mechs, but they didn’t make it into the main story.
JETURK HEAVY MACHINERY: RESILIENT, PRAGMATIC, AND HIGH-POWER LIFE-RESPECTING DESIGNS
―――You primarily handle designs for Jeturk Heavy Machinery. This reflects the company’s stance quite well. I’ve even drawn a full design for it.
―――We’d definitely love to see that.
Gyoubu: Personally, I feel the GUND format amplifies and distorts the pilot’s emotions.
With specific shapes already outlined, our challenge as designers was to determine how far we could expand on these concepts.
―――The Dilanza was a sort of foundational mobile suit, then?
Gyoubu: Absolutely. The way the Gundams are depicted as almost godlike at the end was very impactful.
―――Meanwhile, Guel not piloting a Gundam seemed to cement his policy.
Gyoubu: Yes.
Guel’s character arc expanded significantly, shedding light on the role of the GUND format. A key highlight of the film is the stunning transformation of these combat mechs into impressive debris removal units, showcasing a relentless pursuit of realism and delivering powerful visuals on screen.
Released on August 22, 2025, AS ONE is a completely original theatrical production that inherits the enthralling world of the arcade game Hoshi to Tsubasa no Paradox while weaving an entirely new narrative.
The GUND-equipped Schwarzette is the anomaly. Since it was the film adaptation of a project I had been involved with from its very inception, my decision to participate was instantaneous.” For AS ONE, he maintained the “super robot x real robot” concept from the game version while also integrating elements of realistic heavy machinery.
Gyoubu-san revealed his meticulous attention to detail, stating, “We set the size to 19.8 meters, half that of the game’s mechs, to allow for easier interaction with human characters.
The idea emerged to position him as a super pilot who doesn’t pilot a Gundam. As for equipment, we explored and established a method for operating ‘rock-crushing’ technology, designed to break apart meteors, using giant mechs.”
He particularly highlighted Solidia (known as Aerial in the film) as a mech he holds deep affection for.
I remember being surprised at our first meeting when they pointed and said, “Your seat is over there.” You don’t usually get assigned seating at meetings, right? Can you tell us how you came to be involved with them?
Gyoubu: Well, it was decided from the start that I’d be handling Jeturk.
The mass-produced models have flag-like shapes, but for Guel’s suit, I imagined something like a trophy. The order from the director was “a giant sword that splits into bits and mounts on the body, with the hilt serving as a separate sword.”
―――That’s quite specific.
Gyoubu: The base was a Gundam I sketched for the competition.
Still, I hope the red Schwarzette sees the light of day (laughs).
―――It seems that Director Kobayashi considers the specific mechanics of the show when giving design orders.
Gyoubu: Not just the director, but the entire staff sticks to their guns (laughs). The director is quite skilled at drawing, and rough sketches accompany every brief.
I hope there’s an opportunity for people to see them sometime,” he mused.
Furthermore, Gyoubu-san reflected on the unique challenge of this project: “While I’ve worked on many titles where the world-view is shared but the era is different, this was a completely unprecedented direction – sharing the world-view but with entirely different operational methods, specifically transitioning from combat mechs to debris removal mechs.