The original animation "Metallic Rouge" will be broadcast as an anime in 2024, but do you know its general director, Izubuchi Yutaka? Izubuchi is one of Japan's leading mecha designers, and has designed mecha for numerous anime works to date. He is better known among anime fans as a mecha designer than as a director, so anime fans who learned about Izubuchi through "Metallic Rouge" should definitely look him up. In this article, we'll be introducing Izubuchi, the mecha designer who serves as general director of this series, and the mecha he has designed himself.
Mecha Appearing in the Space Battleship Yamato Series
Among Izubuchi's early mecha designs, the mecha that appear in the Space Battleship Yamato series are particularly popular. Mecha designed by Izubuchi have appeared since Space Battleship Yamato III, and he designed many iconic mecha in Space Battleship Yamato III in particular.
Arizona
This is a space battleship that appears in "Battleship Yamato III." Its design is similar to both the Space Battleship Yamato, the main character of the series, and the equally well-known Space Battleship Andromeda, and it remains extremely popular to this day. It also appears in the latest installment of the "Space Battleship Yamato 2199" series, "Yamato Forever REBEL 3199," so many fans may have seen this ship before.
Seeadler III
This is a space fighter that appears in "Battleship Yamato III." It is the main fighter of the Garmillan Empire and has a design similar to that of the Earth Army. It looks like a Garmillan version of Cosmo Zero, and while it's controversial, it's said to be one of the best-designed Garmillan weapons.
Mecha Belonging to the Dingir Empire
Izubuchi also designed the fleet of the Dingir Empire, the ultimate enemy that appeared in "Space Battleship Yamato: The Final Chapter." Unlike the Garmillan fleet, which has been depicted as an enemy in the past, the curved design of this battleship is rare. Instead, it features a chunky shape with numerous rod-like decorations on its surface. The design exudes a sinister atmosphere befitting a final boss, and many fans were likely devastated by its sheer ominousness when they saw it in theaters.
Mechas Featured in "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?"
Mecha designed by Izubuchi also appear in "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?", the biggest hit in the "Macross" series. This work is famous for the participation of many young animators who would later become leading figures in the anime industry. Like the many young animators who participated in this work, Izubuchi was also an animator who would go on to have great success in the future.
Nujadel Gar
This is a battle suit that appears in "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?". It remains a popular battle suit, with a 1/144 scale Nujadel Gar plastic model still being sold by Premium Bandai.
Mechas Appearing in "Armored Trooper Votoms"
Though not widely known as an animation, the mechas that appear in "Armored Trooper Votoms" are also important to understanding Izubuchi. Like "Mobile Suit Gundam," "Armored Trooper Votoms" was produced by Sunrise's Animation Planning Department, and is one of the works that supported the golden age of Japanese robot anime in the 1980s.
Responsible for designs other than Gallian
The reason this work is so important for learning about Izubuchi is that, with the exception of the main character, Gallian, all of the mecha featured in this work were designed by Izubuchi himself. This is the animation work in which Izubuchi's mecha appear most frequently and play an active role, so if you've enjoyed the mecha designs of Izubuchi in his previous works, we recommend watching this work.
Mechas Appearing in the "Mobile Suit Gundam" Series
When asked about mecha designed by Izubuchi, many people think of the mecha that appear in the "Mobile Suit Gundam" series. "Mobile Suit Gundam" has gained popularity not only in Japan but also overseas through Gunpla and other products, and among them, some of the most popular mecha have been created by Izubuchi. It can be said that it was the "Gundam" series that made Izubuchi a global celebrity.
ν Gundam
This is the lead mobile suit that appears in "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack." The ν Gundam is one of the most popular mobile suits in the Gundam series, and even today it consistently ranks highly in mobile suit popularity polls held in numerous locations. This Gundam features a stylish and simple design, moving away from the rugged, large-gun, and heavily armed Gundam designs that were common in Gundam works prior to Char's Counterattack.
Sazabi
This is the rival mobile suit that appears in "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack." It is the final mobile suit to feature Char Aznable, the most popular enemy character throughout the series, and it remains an overwhelmingly popular mobile suit to this day. In contrast to the simple and stylish design of the Nu Gundam, this mobile suit has a dignified feel, yet makes extensive use of curves and a well-balanced design. It is a well-designed mobile suit that is said to be the pinnacle of Zeon mobile suits, and it remains enduringly popular even today.
Kampfer
This is an enemy mobile suit that appears in "Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket." It is one of the most popular Zeon mobile suits that appeared during the One Year War, and it was the suit that came close to defeating the Alex Gundam, the main character of the series. This mobile suit is characterized by its speedy combat style, which matches well with its curvaceous design.
Hy-Gogg
This is an enemy mobile suit that appears in "Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket." The Hy-Gogg is designed as an even more powerful mobile suit based on the Z'Gok that appears in "Mobile Suit Gundam." While the original Z'Gok design is highly popular, Izubuchi's Hy-Gogg is equally popular, serving as the face of the Zeon Swimming Club, one of the most prominent characters in the series.
Mobile Police Patlabor
Mobile Police Patlabor, a landmark realistic robot animation that debuted in the late 1980s, features almost all of the designs for the Labors by Izubuchi. Compared to Mobile Suit Gundam and Super Dimension Fortress Macross, this work depicts more realistic near-future robots, and Izubuchi's signature curved Labor designs match well with the realistic near-future worldview of this work.
Responsible for the design of all major Labors
This work features a variety of attractively designed Labors, most of which were designed by Izubuchi. Rather than the futuristic robot designs seen in previous works, these Labors are designed as more realistic and plausible designs, creating a unique atmosphere never before seen in real robot animations.
Why Izubuchi Designs Have Enduring Popularity
So far, we've introduced numerous mecha designs, all of which are famous and enduringly popular. From here, I'd like to explain why Izubuchi-designed mecha have enjoyed such enduring popularity.
Modern Design
Compared to his previous designs, Izubuchi's mecha have a significantly more modern look. Even compared to the heavy, tin-toy-like robots seen in "Mobile Suit Gundam" and "Mazinger Z" from the 1970s onward, Izubuchi's mecha often have a more curvaceous, modern design.
Much use of simple, feminine curves
In particular, Izubuchi's mecha designs often feature very simple curves, giving them a certain feminine charm. As new robot anime has developed, Izubuchi's designs have shifted away from the dinosaur-like giant robots with complex weapons and armor, pursuing more stylish and simple designs.
Pursuing style over impact
Thus, while Izubuchi's designs may not make much of an impact at first glance, the longer you look at them, the more tasteful their designs become. Perhaps the timeless appeal of these wound-like designs is the reason why Izubuchi's mecha remain so popular today.
Similarities with Space Battleship Yamato Design
Izubuchi, in particular, has stated that he was heavily influenced by Space Battleship Yamato. His designs share many similarities with Space Battleship Yamato. Originally a manga artist for girls, Leiji Matsumoto's works often feature feminine curves, and it's likely that these distinctive feminine curves in Matsumoto's work influenced Izubuchi's designs.
Summary
Did you enjoy this article? This time, we introduced the mecha designed by Yutaka Izubuchi, the general director of the original animation "Metallic Rouge," which will air in 2024. In addition to the mecha introduced this time, many other popular manufacturers have mecha designed by Izubuchi, so if you're a fan who was interested in this article, be sure to check them out.
