Recently, Febri highlighted their interview with Okouchi from last year given the praise that The Witch from Mercury is getting now. If you missed this interview, it reveals lots of interesting info, including how Code Geass wouldn’t exist if not for Gundam.
How the Code Geass Creator Discovered Gundam
In the interview, Okouchi recounted how when he was in fifth grade, a friend of his recommended that he should watch Gundam. From there, Okouchi became hooked on the series, enough that it drove him to buy an anime magazine for the first time. At the time, Okouchi already watched various anime on TV, but he often didn’t think much of them after watching them. Gundam was different though as he wanted to know more about it even after watching an episode. As he was still a young elementary student, Okouchi didn’t have much money to buy all the available magazines, so he limited himself to just one. Though he chose the one with the biggest amount of character features. Thus began Okouchi’s interest in manga. He continued reading anime magazines during this time, and he learned more about other related anime. Thanks to this encounter with Gundam, Okouchi became a renowned anime writer when he grew up. He even said that if it wasn’t for Gundam, he wouldn’t have become an anime writer, which means he couldn’t have co-created Code Geass.
Ichiro Okouchi’s Impression of Gundam
Aside from sharing how he became a Gundam fan, Okouchi also shared his impressions on the series and why it’s still close to his heart as a creator. The main thing he mentioned is how the series balances having exciting mecha action with depth to its world and story. He continued that the robots and the wars in the series were logical and that even mob characters weren’t there just for show. Given the influence of Gundam on Okouchi, it seems that he has finally gone full circle now as he writes the latest anime in the long-running mecha franchise. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is currently airing, with new episodes being released weekly on Crunchyroll. Discover more anime news and info by following us on Twitter @epicstreamanime. READ NEXT: Top Gundam Anime Shows You Should Watch
