Just before the premiere of chapter 7, Interview with General Director Harutoshi Fukui
The truth and fiction of Yamato in sync with the times
Two years have passed since the first chapter. Finally, the final chapter is about to begin screening. We asked Director Harutoshi Fukui, who completed the lengthy 26-episode story as a 7-chapter theatrical film, to reflect once again on REBEL 3199.
The story of Be Forever was much more difficult than I imagined
REBEL 3199 is finally reaching its final chapter. When the first chapter opened, director Fukui said that this work would be “the most challenging one yet.” The reason for this was that the stories of the characters remaining on Earth, and those on board Yamato would be depicted in parallel, and furthermore, Yamato would visit various locations, resulting in an unprecedented amount of work.
“Well, really, each chapter had a different location. It was tough, but I think the staff did a really great job.”
The actual production process was apparently far more challenging than they had imagined.
“More than ever before, there were things we had to decide on our end. It was the visual process. There were things that we were sure were OK, but then there were things that went another way, and we had to think, ‘OK, how do we fix this?’ That was really tough.”
The story itself is familiar to Mr. Fukui, given his long career. However, combining it with actual footage is a different story. He was deeply involved in the production from the storyboard stage and checked each and every frame during the editing stage before completion.
The people who spearheaded this work were Director Naomichi Yamato and his staff, who led the production.
“Director Yamato is a hard worker, as always. That really hasn’t changed. Normally, the Supervising Director is in a position where they can leave the direction of each episode to the individual directors and watch from the background, but he was always at the forefront, doing everything himself. He was sacrificing sleep and meals to do it.”
It seems that Director Yamato’s stance of being a “hard worker,” which has been discussed since the first chapter was released, remained unchanged through the final chapter.
Yamato‘s flight over Shinjuku was planned from the start
There are many memorable scenes, but among them, the scene on Earth in Chapter 6, where Yamato appears in the sky above modern day Shinjuku, left a powerful impact. Apparently, that scene was conceived quite early on.
“That was something we decided on at the beginning. It was the starting point for writing the scripts.”
The original story contained various lies. However, from Fukui’s perspective, it wasn’t always clear what effect these lies were having.
“I was thinking there must be a more effective way to lie. That scene in Chapter 6 was a carefully planned operation for Dezarium’s purpose, to win over the hearts of the Yamato crew, even within the story.”
The result was the audacious development of bringing Yamato into modern day Tokyo.
“If Yamato suddenly appeared in modern times, everyone would be surprised, and it would be interesting, right? That’s where the idea came from.”
To set the story in modern day Tokyo, Fukui himself participated in location scouting. During this time, upon seeing the life-size Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba, he thought, “it would be a shame not to include it in the film.” Fukui also worked on the story for Mobile Suit Gundam UC, and the scene was made possible thanks to that connection.
“Until then, I was a little intimidated by the complexity, but I decided to try and figure out a way to make it happen.”
Now that the life-size Unicorn Gundam statue has finished its exhibition, this scene can be considered a rare one. Furthermore, there is a little trick to The Thinker in the film. In the original work, its left and right wer reversed, but this time it appears in the correct orientation.
“Showing that signals that this time is for real, right?”
The lies that cleverly manipulate the audience are the key to understanding this latest chapter of 3199.
The Com Medal shining around your neck reflects modern society
When reflecting on the story of 3199, what Fukui himself feels ended up linking remarkably well with reality is the Com Medal that appears in the story. This item, when worn around the neck, allows the words of others to be transmitted to everyone simultaneously. It seems convenient at first glance, but in the world of the story it is used by Dezarium to control society.
“That’s basically like social media. For example, what high school students today are doing. If you take it away, they say ‘give it back, give it back!’ That’s what kind of people they turn into.”
Furthermore, Fukui points out the similarity to masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. If someone isn’t wearing one, they’ll be noticed, and people will think, “that person isn’t wearing one.”
“Basically, it’s like the masks from the time of COVID-19. It’s a symbol of the kind of peer pressure and division that we’ve been hearing a lot in the last four or five years.”
While social media is convenient, the filter bubble that surrounds you with only the information you want to know also overlaps with the mechanism of the Com Medal.
“I think Mother Dezarium probably assigns that to every single person, asking, ‘Are there any people who hold opposing views to mine? Are they perceived as enemies?’ And then says, ‘I think this is what’s best for you’.”
These are things that can only be seen by depicting “the present”
The story features issues that we see every day in the news. In the story, Saito’s ancestor says, “environmental destruction and global warming are unstoppable, and we live in an era where once-in-a-century disasters occur almost every year.” Regarding that phrase, Mr. Fukui says, “isn’t that something all Japanese people think?”
Yet, the reason people can continue to live their daily lives is because they believe that things will work out somehow.
“At least, I think that things will work out somehow as long as the people and children in front of me are still alive, so I can endure it.”
That’s precisely why it is meaningful for us, living in the present day, to watch 3199. Movies don’t just show everyday events as they are. By presenting them as stories with a beginning and an end, they allow us to view reality from a slightly detached perspective.
“I think there’s a bit of a bias toward watching movies because TikTok is enough for what we need to see right now, and movies are just beautiful, lovely things that make us forget reality and have fun.”
However, it is precisely because a story has a beginning and an end that we can sometimes see the structure of what is happening in the present.
“This story really shows the structure of how things have come to be the way they are today.”
In that sense, the Com Medal is not just a science-fiction item. They’re like the smartphones that we look at every day, but the small screen of the smartphone is replaced by a medal around the neck. It is something we have gained. It’s a chance to pause and reflect on the world we’re currently living in. Fukui has planted the trigger for this within the story.
In the final chapter, the story that has been built up so far takes a dramatic turn. The relationship between Tsubasa, a boy from Earth, and Fleur, a girl from Dezarium, is one example. In order for the audience to truly grasp the fate that awaits Fleur, the film has carefully depicted the time the two spent together.
During the screening of the first chapter, Mr. Fukui said, “I can promise you the ultimate detox.” It’s not just about forgetting reality, but about re-examining the world we live in through the filter of the story. What lies beyond that is probably what this Yamato is aiming for.
“Even if you haven’t seen Space battleship Yamato much, please do watch it, since it’s a story that depicts the world you’re living in right now. If even one thing resonates with you, I hope you’ll go back and watch from earlier parts to experience for yourself what kind of things are being depicted in anime.”