Ever been in a creative field where a client asks for something, but their request is so vague or unreasonable it sends you spiraling? It's a classic case of differing perspectives between industries, often leading to hilarious misunderstandings.
Recently, Japanese manga artist Takuji Kato, known for works like "Robot Universe 1.0" and "Knight's & Magic," shared a relatable predicament on X (formerly Twitter). His nephew asked him to draw a "Gundam" illustration. Simple enough, right? Wrong. The request for "Gundam" plunged Kato into deep contemplation. With decades of Gundam history and countless mobile suits, which one was he supposed to draw?
Forget the fact that the Gundam franchise spans over forty years with countless series. The real head-scratcher, as any true Gundam fan knows, is defining "What *is* a Gundam?" This existential question has spawned countless memes.
▼ Gundam meme
Since it was for his nephew, Kato couldn't get *too* lost in the weeds. But when he, a seasoned Gundam expert, asked his nephew, "Which Gundam do you want?" and the kid replied, "Any kind is fine!" that's when the real struggle began. With so many variations, which one would truly be "the Gundam" in his nephew's eyes? While most people might not bat an eye, for a Gundam fan, "Any kind of Gundam" is practically a philosophical debate!
Ultimately, he settled on drawing the original RX-78-2 Gundam, a perfect diplomatic solution. Phew!
Naturally, many Gundam fans online completely understood Kato's struggle, imagining his internal monologue probably looked something like this:
Netizens also chimed in with their own suggestions of "Gundams" that would be incredibly difficult for a child to recognize.
And of course, we can't forget this stylish gentleman... (right?)
One commenter even pointed out that if Kato had drawn the Turn A Gundam (∀ Gundam), given a child's age and knowledge, they might have said, "That's not a Gundam!" But any true connoisseur would shout, "You are Gundam too!"
It just goes to show, asking a Gundam fan to "just draw a Gundam" is a uniquely challenging request!
