Fukudas best work

[yugioh54]

No bashing Fukuda or Destiny please, but what was considered his best work in the eyes of Japan, He worked on the Future Cyber Formula racing series, and Gear fighter Dendoh, was that enough for him to be chosen to create SEED and I enjoyed Cross Ange and am looking forward to Grendizer U where he is considered creative director but practically the creative voice of the series. I'd give SEED an A, Destiny a B I wasn't the biggest ZETA fan either and Destiny was modelled after Zeta so the inconclusive ending that zeta does, doesn't work for Destiny because there was no guaranteed 3rd series or movie. Cross Ange A in entertainment value but also well put together despite the fetishes. I wish some of the glossed over lore could make a sequel happen but they'd have to negate the original ending somewhat. I liked Destiny despite shafting Shinn to supporting character after his confrontation with Stella and his fight with the freedom . I'm quite excited for Grendizer U I know people will check it out with the script compostion by the code geass and gundam mercury witch. Cross Ange already felt somewhat code geass esque with the first half before becoming it's own thing. I wish FUkudas early series were available. His work has a style to it I know he liked shigeta apeing the obari style. He used what he learned on cross ange in the freedom movie (the new freedom and justice were cool with the transformation and different texture for the phase shift)and then moved back to his traditional SEED/Destiny tricks

[Seto Kaiba]

No bashing Fukuda or Destiny please, but what was considered his best work in the eyes of Japan, [...]

Eh... if we're being honest with each other, Fukuda's filmography only really has two noteworthy titles on it:

Future GPX Cyber Formula and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

If you don't count the remasters and special editions, those two titles and their sequels made up approximately 1/3 of his total filmography. Given that Cyber Formula is a beloved but neglected racing series and Gundam SEED is one of the most successful titles in one of the most successful anime franchises around, it's not much of a contest. Gundam SEED's kinda head, shoulders, knees, toes, and several inconveniently tall skyscrapers above the rest of his body of work.

[yugioh54]

True but Gear Fighter Denoh, Cross Ange are good measures of his style. I don't want to say SEED is his greatest work but he's quite proud of it. But I think Grendizer U shows he can produce pretty entertaining series. He actually hinted he wanted to do more Cross Ange but Bandai was focusing on Gundam. He also heavily helped out Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE Season 2 and even directed an episode. While doesn't get to do his own shows all the time, his own small series I think were better then Tominos output post Gundam

[Seto Kaiba]

True but Gear Fighter Denoh, Cross Ange are good measures of his style. I don't want to say SEED is his greatest work but he's quite proud of it. But I think Grendizer U shows he can produce pretty entertaining series. He actually hinted he wanted to do more Cross Ange but Bandai was focusing on Gundam. He also heavily helped out Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE Season 2 and even directed an episode. While doesn't get to do his own shows all the time, his own small series I think were better then Tominos output post Gundam

Good measures of his style, perhaps... but not anywhere near as well-known, respected, or successful as Cyber Formula or Gundam SEED.

He's worked on some heavy hitters like Dirty Pair and Victory Gundam in minor capacities, but in terms of works he's actually been in charge of his filmography's pretty forgettable outside of Gundam SEED and Cyber Formula. That his next best-known work after those two is a toy commercial (Gear Fighter Dendou) kind of says all that needs to be said.

[Mafty]

For good or for bad Cross Ange is one of his more memorable non Gundam works. I've found Cross Ange to be a mixed bag. The story and worldbuilding are quite interesting, plus the mech designs are really neat looking.

However it does get a bit too mean spirited (even considered that is part of the stories plot) and seems to go a bit too much into shock value at times (Honestly the current series Kingdom of Ruin seems similar in its cynical plot lines), that being said several of the characters do get some development, and the show itself seems to have a bit of a sense of humor in its next episode clips.

One thing that did seem to carry on from Cross Ange is the rather unique mech designs, where the Vilkis armor design seems to influence the Eclipse Gundam.

[yugioh54]

I'm quite excited that he's working on a super robot remake,

[Mafty]

Totally, the trailer and mech designs look amazing. Is there any word on which service it will stream on?

[yugioh54]

From the information on ANN I'm excited yet having Ichiro Okouchi on the project might make this a hit already, it's pretty sudden he'd jump onto a new show after just finishing Mercury and having Tatsuto Higuchi from Cross Ange writing scripts is a plus as he already worked with Fukuda. I just hope it feels like a Fukuda production rather then what happened with Mari Okada and IBO when Go Nagai was in charge. But this could also become an Okouchi product. I know cross ange felt code geass inspired but it was really it's own thing. Plus this is Super Robot show. Go Nagai, Fukuda or Okouchi influence could influence the show to be more or less a hybird of real and super robot. I think Fukuda animating and having say in story makes it more his project as he likes to be involved in story and animation. He was heavily involved in animation and storyboards of all his shows

I just wish it was airing this season, I assume the fall season is when it premieres.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2 ... ts/.205340

Shun Kudō (Kimi dake ni Motetainda) is directing the anime. Tatsuto Higuchi (Shine Post) is writing the script. Arakimari is the sub-character designer. Kō Inaba, AF_KURO, and Junichi Akutsu (Astrays) are in charge of mechanical design.

grendizer
©Go Nagai/Dynamic Planning-Project GrendizerU
The new anime is described as a reboot of the original 1975-1977 anime.

Mitsuo Fukuda (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, Gear Fighter Dendoh, Future GPX Cyber Formula) is the anime's chief director at GAINA, and Gō Nagai is the executive producer on the project. Ichiro Okouchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury) is writing and overseeing the series composition. Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Wolf Children, Gunbuster 2: Diebuster) is designing the characters, and Kōhei Tanaka (One Piece, Sakura Wars, Dirty Pair) is composing the music.

[yugioh54]

Fukudas title changed, he's general director now!
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2 ... re/.210362

[yugioh54]

Gear Fighter Dendoh (2000) - Chief director, storyboards, episode director[5]
Cross Ange (2014) - Creative producer, storyboards, mechanical unit director
Grendizer U (2024) - Chief director[6]

[yugioh54]

Looking at his past work Fukuda was an episode director on five series, taking the majority of his work, he was quite busy and even episode directed the final episode of 2 series and direct around 9-10 episodes of each series plus stoaryboarding, he had no say in story but his roots were pretty solid. On his own shows he also animates and directs


"According to director Mitsuo Fukuda, the Cavalier Aifrid was directly inspired by the Cavalier units from the 1987 anime Metal Armor Dragonar, which he had also previously worked on."
https://gundam.fandom.com/wiki/AMGS-X18 ... s_&_Trivia


Metal Armor Dragonar (1987) - Episode director, eps 3, 8, 12, 17, 22, 28, 32, 38, 43, 48
storyboards eps 12, 17, 22, 28, 32, 38, 43, 48
Mashin Hero Wataru (1988) - Episode director, eps 1, 7, 12, 16, 21, 25, 29, 34, 40 storyboards eps 7, 12, 16, 21, 29, 40
Madö King Granzört (1989) - Episode director ep 1,5,10, 15,20,25 storyboards
Brave Exkaiser (1990) - Chief unit director, episode director, eps 1, 11, 16, 21, 31, 37 storyboards eps 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 31, 37, 48
The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn (1992) - Storyboards, episode director eps 5, 10, 15, 20

[Mafty]

It's so great to see Dragonar shout outs, it's such an underrated series.

It will be interesting to see Grendizer U when it comes out, so far it seems promising.

[Seto Kaiba]

Looking at his past work Fukuda was an episode director on five series, taking the majority of his work, he was quite busy and even episode directed the final episode of 2 series and direct around 9-10 episodes of each series plus stoaryboarding, he had no say in story but his roots were pretty solid.

There's really nothing remarkable or noteworthy about any of that.

The only thing really remarkable about his filmography is that he's stayed with a single studio (Sunrise) for practically his entire career. He didn't have that rare and special kind of crazy that produces creator-directors like Tomino or Kawamori, so he worked his way up from the bottom like the normal workaday corporate guy he is. Fukuda had eight years in at Sunrise before he was allowed to direct anything, and naturally Sunrise started him out in episode direction on a low-risk copycat series and mainly let him take the reins when the series was beyond saving. He got a few more softballs with toy commercial focus to get him situated and get a few years of experience before trying him out on something more serious (Cyber Formula).

It wouldn't be until he had over twenty years in with the company that Sunrise would trust him with a comparatively low-risk Gundam AU title... that would become Gundam SEED, and they don't seem to have been willing to trust him with anything big since Destiny underperformed.

[Mafty]

It seems like Grendizer U is breaking that trend. It's not being produced by Sunrise (It's being made by Gaina a now independent studio that started off as a Fukushima based subsidiary of Gainax).

Plus it seems to be a rather large project that Fukuda is now chief director of. It remains to be seen how this will turn out. But so far the previews look promising.

[yugioh54]

We know Fukuda can do it, Cross Ange was a decent series and he was creatively involved and he was at every story meeting and trusted the team assembled when things in the story got sticky, even if there is a bit of a plothole because the ending was a little too tidy. I know Fukuda is a decent creative, he may not be Tomino or Goro Taniguchi but still excited for Grendizer U. He was passionate about all the projects he worked on that includes Destiny and Freedom. Granted he needed to be creative director on Cross Ange whether that was a demotion or a new title to do what he always does(board,direct,animate,story) but having someone focus on the budget and management (the director and producers of cross ange) and the multiple clip shows and mismanagement Destiny had. On the old forum info on cross ange was positive, whether Tusk died after episode 22, he lived but it was discussed, I hope the same happens with Grendizer U. Whether we liked

[Seto Kaiba]

We know Fukuda can do it, Cross Ange was a decent series [...]

Cross Ange is not a series you want to cite as an example if your goal is to convince anyone that Fukuda is going to do a good job.

It was a mess, start to finish, that limped along on frankly excessive levels of sexual fanservice while also shaming the audience for the fanservice it was forcing on them. (Small wonder, then, that it didn't do very well.)

I know Fukuda is a decent creative, he may not be Tomino or Goro Taniguchi but still excited for Grendizer U. He was passionate about all the projects he worked on that includes Destiny and Freedom.

You can be passionate about something and still do a very poor job working on it.

Remember, the reason that Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom came out in 2024 and not 2007 as originally announced was because he dropped the ball as producer and director of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny and the negative reception of the series and ensuing decline in viewership and merchandise sales led Sunrise to reconsider their future plans for the AU.

[DragoMaster009]

Honestly I'm of the opinion he didn't do a good job on original Seed either and that his strongest shows to were Cyber Formula and Dendoh. And I'm also of the opinion that he should never touch Gundam again as long as he lives due to how poor in quality his Real Robot works are compared to when he was back on a leash in his Super Robot days.

[yugioh54]

I thought Cross Ange was a pretty entertaining series, sure the fanservice is a bit much but it was a breathe of fresh air and felt like a sunrise show when 2014 was a slow year for sunrise, it also I think put Fukuda back on the map. It was fairly successful and mentioned he wanted to do more but Sunrise was focusing on Gundam. Cross Ange is no masterpiece but it was a pretty fun show, not a masterpiece but was fun start to finish. It wasn't jsut the fanservice, having a female lead pilot that wasn't a magical girl series was refreshing, it did feel a little too code geass inspired but had me hooked by episode 4 it was a running on all cylinders. The ending is a little too neat and tidy, I wouldn't say it limps, but the Embryo villain was uncomfortable. Unfortunaly Fukuda swiped him for the FREEDOM movie

I thought SEED was well made, sure a number of people says the show was boring in the first cour but I enjoyed the first arc and in retrospective it was fresh, seeing Kira struggle and using the strike in creative ways, Cagalli being in the first episode, Flay and Lacus were introduced and became important pieces. The earth alliance being human characters before becoming corrupt, Patrick Zala in the background slowly gaining power It also wasn't in a rush to get to the more faster plot in cour three. Granted his foreshadowing wasn't too calculated so all the later stuff felt natural whether intended or not. Wing was also a mess, I mean the head writer leaves for a few episodes and a colony is gone and he has to write toward that. SEED at least feels consistent and had a well rounded finale.

[robopolonius]

No bashing Fukuda or Destiny please, but what was considered his best work in the eyes of Japan, He worked on the Future Cyber Formula racing series, and Gear fighter Dendoh, was that enough for him to be chosen to create SEED

Yes. His resume was outstanding before SEED. Both Future GPX and Dendoh were very critically beloved, and he was the CGI director for Crush Gear Turbo, Sunrise's first anime to use CGI and an anime that ended up doing so well it got a whopping 68 episodes plus a sequel.

Destiny was modelled after Zeta so the inconclusive ending that zeta does, doesn't work for Destiny because there was no guaranteed 3rd series or movie.

What do you mean? Destiny's ending was fairly conclusive.

[yugioh54]

It was conclusive but it felt like Zeta's ending for being abrupt, the original episode 50 at least. The treaty at the end, Lacus returning to the PLANTS, Shinn's defeat, Durandel gone. But the ending also feels rushed, and anticlimatic, Zeta's ends with Kamille beating the badguy but gets a psychic attack that cliffhangers the show. While DESTINY could've lead into another series about Athrun, Kira and Shinn don't feel like they had complete character development and didn't find all the answers. I guess the complaint is that the ending was a little too neat