Presentation PA #59

The Gundam World and Peace for the 21st Century? This issue introduces you to the Gundam series. Gundam Wing might outwardly look like a Bishônen (pretty boys) show with giant robots, but the story is much deeper than that, offering many themes for us to think about, especially the big question the 21st Century: “How can we achieve peace?” We all have the same four basic feelings: joy, anger, sadness, and comfort. We all feel in our daily lives that we need to laugh and smile, but the society doesn’t allow us to do so all the time. Of course, no one likes difficult & hard times, with sorrow and anger, but when humans began to form an organized “society,” in order to find some comfort, it forced us to deal with a complicated world, whether we like it or not. I recently watched the CNN TV mini-series Millenium about the last 1000 years of human history. It is practically only about wars and conflicts, and, unfortunately, most idealist and noble humans (like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, etc., who taught us non-violence & pacifism) were simply murdered & crushed. In Gundam Wing, a girl named Relena Peacecraft is also a pacifist, but she’s ousted by force. Is war totally evil? In Gundam Wing, those five boys are, as all boys of that age, very naive & pure, and they’re forced to go to war & fight. Does it make them evil? I’ve also been watching the war in Chechnya on TV and it is extremely troubling. Moslem people want the total control of their republic (particularly on its natural resources, like petrol) and don’t want to be a part of Russia. CNN is trying to cover both sides of the story, but when I saw a very poor Moslem woman in Chechnya, saying somethings like, “Independance or no independance, wars are made by rich people in their offices. I have to worry about my food for tomorrow!” I think it says everything. In Gundam Wing, normally boys of that age are in highschool, dating with girls and hoping for the future. Those boys have no future whatsoever and they don’t even know if they can survive tomorrow! The politics of the Earth federation and of the Colonies, made them seriously cynical, as if they have forgotten how to laugh and how to be happy anymore. I do hope that all viewers will be able to see this recurrent theme in Gundam: “we must avoid wars at any cost if we can, and even if we’re forced to fight, how can we do things right?” In fact, according to Gundam Wing series planner, Mr. Katsuyuki Sumisawa, interviewed in Newtype magazine, the screenplay writer prepared 20 ways of ending this story! Do you like the ending of Gundam Wing? You’ll be the judge. Anyway, I hope you had an Happy New Year 2000 (be it the 21st Century or not) and let’s hope for peace on Earth!

Miyako Matsuda

This is the first issue of the magazine published in the year 2000. To celebrate this new beginning (after more than twelve years!), we have put the cover illustration on a virginal, white background! I am disappointed in this new millenium. They had promise us lots of things for the the 21st Century (flying cars, ray guns, etc.), but all we have is the same old routine! ;) This is also a special issue dedicated to GUNDAM -- one of our favorite shows. I particularly like Gundam W (and its OVA sequel, Endless Waltz) because of its general appeal: the action & robots will please the kids, the mecha will please the guys, the bishônen heroes will please the girls, and the complexity of the intrigue will please those who like real stories. This is probably why it is the first Gundam show on American TV. However, don’t be mistaken, it is not a show about violence, but (as Miyako pointed out) it is a show about peace. 8th MS Team has the same thematic, but I like it even better because of its Vietnam-like feel... Finally, this issue is also BIG: sixty-eight pages, twenty in color, three-hundred illustrations, and about forty-five thousands words! Let me tell you that it is lots of work -- much more than usual. That’s probably why this issue is a little late and looks so crammed with information. Sorry about that. Beside the 24-page spotlight on Gundam, this issue offers a report on the Japanese movies at the Montreal World Film Festival, an interview with Apollo Smile, the conclusion of “Anime Under Fire”, The Modern Japanese Music database Part 3, four Anime Stories (Corrector Yui, Orphen, Seikai No Monsho and Trigun) and our usual load of news & reviews (manga, models and video). There has been so many anime released lately that we have introduced a new, shorter format of review: the capsule review! Enjoy!

Claude J. Pelletier