• HOME
  • SNS Amused by the Painful Appearance of the "Clumsy" Mass-Produced Zaku, Modeled Surprisingly After "Myself"
Japan Anime News Edit by Taimu Tsuji

SNS Amused by the Painful Appearance of the "Clumsy" Mass-Produced Zaku, Modeled Surprisingly After "Myself"

The Injuries Were Modeled After Myself: "I Thought It Would Be Fun to Project My Accident from a Year Ago"

Mass-Produced Zaku (First Battle) - Created and provided by Youichi Noaki

Mass-Produced Zaku (First Battle) - Created and provided by Youichi Noaki (C) Sotsu, Sunrise


――When it comes to injured mobile suits, the concept of weathering usually comes to mind in Gunpla. This piece wins with the idea of wrapping casts and bandages like a human.

Youichi Noaki: I’m well aware that my skills in decal application and weathering are critically lacking, making it impossible to compete with others in the conventional battle damage or weathering methods. So, I went all out to avoid that, and the result is "him" (laughs).
Actually, about a year before creating this, I was involved in a scooter accident on my way to work, breaking six ribs, my right leg, rupturing my kidney, and suffering a pneumothorax in my right lung, along with a severe bicep injury. I thought it would be simply amusing to project my experiences onto "him." I remember getting a "like" from the Achilles tendon treatment clinic I was attending back then (laughs).

――I see, so this piece was inspired by your own injury experience. Can you tell us more about how this Zaku got injured in the story?

Youichi Noaki: "He," the clumsy one, was trying to hang an officer's machine gun on the rack while tidying up the dock after the combat personnel returned. He tripped over a small step, and when he put his hand down, it landed on an empty container... leading to a chain of events like a Rube Goldberg machine, resulting in this state (cry). His injuries are a head contusion, a ruptured Achilles tendon in the right foot, and a fractured left arm.

――For a clumsy character, those are quite severe injuries (laughs). You've also created and published a post-rehabilitation version. Did this Zaku recover well?

Youichi Noaki: Thank you for your concern. The rehabilitation is complete, and he has been discharged from the hospital. He’s been enjoying vacations at the beach and participating in various festivals. By the end of last year, he even experienced his first battle and has become quite robust.

――That's wonderful (laughs).

Youichi Noaki: Thank you. The actual production wasn’t too difficult, but coming up with his background story was challenging. If no one asked, it would never be brought up (laughs).

――What kind of setting did this Zaku have?

Youichi Noaki: Unlike traditional mobile suits piloted by humans, he’s a fully AI-operated unmanned machine. Each AI has unique personalities, quirks, and strengths and weaknesses. In his case, he’s a typical "akan tare" (Kansai dialect for a hopeless or timid person). Of course, in a good way (laughs).


Source : ORICON NEWS