The silence in the conference room was broken by the sudden scrape of a chair.
Mitsui Chuta had shot to his feet, eyes locked on Nakayama Takuya. He stormed around the table, looking as though he might drag Takuya straight back to the Shizuoka factory himself.
But a hand landed firmly on his shoulder, halting him mid-stride.
"Mitsui-san, please—calm yourself."
It was President Ito of Sunrise.
Mitsui froze, realizing how impulsive he had been. He glanced back at Ito, then at Takuya, who looked both amused and mildly exasperated. Swallowing hard, Mitsui forced himself to sit back down.
"Ito-shachō, I—"
"I understand your feelings," Ito said, withdrawing his hand and turning toward Takuya. His expression carried both apology and a heavy, unspoken anticipation. "But I believe Nakayama-san hasn't finished yet."
All eyes turned once again to Takuya.
When everyone had settled back in their seats, Ito continued.
"Nakayama-san, you've proposed creating a completely new TV Gundam series, one that departs from the Universal Century timeline. In principle, we agree with this direction. However, a concept strong enough to sustain a fifty-episode annual series isn't something that can be conjured overnight."
"I assume," Ito added with a small smile, "you already have something in mind?"
The room's atmosphere shifted immediately—anticipation filled the air.
After all, everyone in the industry knew what Nakayama Takuya's name represented.
The Fatal Fury animation—his project—was still the gold standard for fighting anime.
Pokémon had conquered the world, becoming a true national phenomenon.
Even Masami Kurumada's idea for Saint Seiya had originated from Takuya's early creative guidance.
With such a record, no one believed he would come to this meeting empty-handed.
Takuya met their eager gazes with an easy smile. There was no pressure—only confidence.
"Of course."
Two simple words, but they carried weight.
He didn't sit down. Instead, he walked to the whiteboard at the front of the room, picked up a black marker, and began.
"Since we're aiming for a younger audience, the story's core must be simple, direct, and full of passion."
As he spoke, he wrote three large characters on the board: Gundam Battle Tournament.
"My concept is this: Humanity, driven off Earth by environmental collapse and pollution, has migrated into space. There, they've built massive orbital colonies—each named after nations of the old Earth—forming the 'Neo Japan,' 'Neo China,' 'Neo America,' and others."
"To prevent repeating the wars of the old Earth, the colonies have signed an agreement to decide global supremacy in a new way—through a Gundam Battle Tournament!" His marker struck the board with emphasis.
"Every four years, each nation sends its best fighter and most advanced Gundam into battle. The winner's nation earns the right to rule and administer the Earth sphere for the next four years."
The room buzzed with lively discussion.
It was a simple, even brutal premise—but irresistibly fresh. A world where global dominance was decided through a fighting tournament? That was genius!
And from a production standpoint, one-on-one Gundam battles were far less resource-intensive than massive space wars.
"The rules are simple," Takuya continued, writing again.
"In battle, destroy your opponent's Gundam head to win. To prevent casualties, attacking the cockpit is forbidden. And the Earth—" Takuya's tone darkened—"will become an unrestricted arena of chaos and destruction."
The room stirred again, excitement growing.
What an intriguing setup! It showcased the destructive beauty of Gundam combat, hinted at the savagery of such a tournament, yet softened the cruelty of war with clear, humane limits—a perfect balance for a younger audience.
"And the protagonist?" Ito asked, eyes bright.
"The protagonist comes from Neo Japan." Takuya wrote a large 'J' and circled it, then drew another circle around an 'A'.
"His father, a brilliant scientist, was sentenced to cryogenic imprisonment for developing a dangerous machine—the 'Devil Gundam.' His older brother stole the prototype and fled to Earth."
"The Devil Gundam's original purpose was to use DG Cell technology to restore Earth's environment automatically. But the DG Cells went berserk, transforming it from a 'salvation device' into a 'weapon of destruction.' To control it, a pilot with extraordinary mental power is needed—to serve as its 'core unit.'"
"To clear his father's name and find his brother, the protagonist enters the Gundam Battle Tournament as Neo Japan's representative."
A tale of family tragedy, revenge, and redemption—it gave the hot-blooded concept emotional depth.
"On his journey, he'll meet other fighters—representatives from Neo China, Neo America, Neo France, Neo Russia. Rivals who become allies." Takuya scribbled C, A, F, and R on the board, linking them with circles. "Of course, there will also be a nemesis."
"For example, his mentor—the previous tournament champion—a man who claims to protect Earth, but secretly conspires with the Devil Gundam."
Takuya set the marker down and faced the room.
"The main story—redeeming his family, finding comrades, defeating his rival, and saving the world—is straightforward. At the same time, each episode can feature a new country and a new opponent, giving the series an episodic rhythm."
"This version of Gundam will no longer focus on psychic 'NewTypes,' but instead return to the purity of martial arts—the unity of mind, technique, and body. The hero's finishing move will even manifest his burning spirit as a physical, devastating strike."
"And each nation's Gundam will reflect its cultural identity—honoring Olympic-style internationalism and giving global audiences something uniquely familiar to relate to."
He turned to Mitsui, smiling faintly.
"This way, every country gets its own culturally inspired Gundam model—and a constant stream of new merchandise."
"And," he added, "the episodic format also makes production management easier. We can outsource individual country arcs, letting the core team focus on the main story. When audiences start to tire of stand-alone episodes, we can accelerate the main plot to sustain ratings. The main story delivers depth; the episodes provide breadth—and both drive model sales."
When Takuya finally set down the marker, the room was utterly still.
Ito and Mitsui exchanged a glance, both seeing the same spark of delight in each other's eyes.
The core was classic shōnen passion, perfectly tuned for younger fans.
The structure balanced production needs with commercial appeal.
And the merchandising potential? Limitless.
It was—simply put—perfect.
The creative staff's faces were flushed with excitement. This was a Gundam with soul—yet free from the heavy chains of the Universal Century, giving them boundless creative freedom.
Director Tomino even sighed with relief.
"Excellent. Just excellent!" Ito slapped the table and stood up. "Let's do it! We're greenlighting this project immediately. Assemble a team and start developing the details!"
The room erupted into cheers.
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