Mobile Suit Gundam director Yoshiyuki Tomino held a press conference on Tuesday for the upcoming "World of Yoshiyuki Tomino " exhibit.

Shōzō Yabu, one of the organizers for the exhibit and leader of the arts division at the Kobe Shibun, said, "We made this happen because of the passion Tomino puts into animation and film, and because of the zeal of the curators at each of the museums. Mobile Suit Gundam has its 40th anniversary this year. I feel that now is an auspicious time to look back on the director's career."

Yōzō Yamaguchi, curator at the Fukuoka Art Museum, explained that the exhibit is divided into six parts. It begins with Tomino's sketches from childhood and covers his entire career all the way until Gundam: Reconguista in G . There will be over 1,000 items on display, while the average museum exhibit has 70-80 items. Takeshi Kudō, curator at the Aomori Museum of Art, said, "There were many different people on the committee throwing in ideas, so the exhibit has a lot of variety. Every part has a different approach. This was per the request of Tomino himself. We'd like you to take this opportunity to understand the entirety of Tomino's world."

Finally, Tomino came to the front to thank the curators for their efforts and support. He also said, "Now that anime and manga have been accepted as part of our culture, I'd like you to think about how they respond and interact with society at large. When you come away from the World of Yoshiyuki Tomino , it's your homework to think about what kind of role media should play, and what kinds of messages they should convey.

"Even a giant robot anime can have messages and drama. It may have been experimental, but I wanted to create something that expresses part of myself. I hope you can read into my work and discover new ways of living. I'm hoping that this exhibit is founded on that idea."

The "World of Yoshiyuki Tomino " exhibit will open in the Fukuoka Art Museum from June 22 to September 1. From there, the exhibit will be brought to the Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art from October 12 to December 22, the Iwami Art Museum from January 10, 2020 to March 23, the Aomori Museum of Art from April to June 2020, a yet-to-be-announced venue in the Toyama Prefecture from July to September 2020, and the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art from September to November 2020.

Source: Comic Natalie