When it comes to the vast universe of the "Mobile Suit Gundam" series, "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" often gets playfully dubbed the "pretty boy" group by fans, and it's definitely left a lasting impression. Not only were the characters super cool, but even their voice actors became fan favorites, making it one of the rare Gundam titles to truly capture a female audience.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing," and the official channels have teased a slew of upcoming events, joining forces with "Mobile Fighter G Gundam" and "After War Gundam X" to form the "GWX" anniversary trio. But hold up – Japanese netizens recently dug up an old interview on X (formerly Twitter) featuring none other than Yoshiyuki Tomino's comments on "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing," and it's got the internet buzzing!
The Japanese netizen posted an excerpt from a 2018 Animatetimes interview with "Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative" producer Naohiro Ogata and director Shunichi Yoshizawa, where both discussed Tomino's influence on them.
Shunichi Yoshizawa recalled: "Director Tomino actually praised 'Mobile Fighter G Gundam' director Yasuhiro Imagawa quite often, because he created a completely new image for Gundam." He even lauded "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing," with Tomino stating: "The iconic line in it, 'I'm going to kill you,' is a brand-new form of sexual expression." (laughs)
▼ Interview content screenshot
The phrase "I'm going to kill you" originated from a conversation between protagonist Heero Yuy and heroine Relena Peacecraft. After Heero, carrying out "Operation Meteor," was unexpectedly rescued by Relena and she saw his true face, he told her: "I'm going to kill you." Later, Heero infiltrated Relena's school to retrieve his Gundam, where they met again, and he repeated this classic line, forging an unforgettable bond with Relena.
Even though this interview is years old, many fans still find this comment hilarious. After all, "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" was one of the few Gundam series that even women followed back in the day, so this interpretation definitely carries some weight. I mean, "I'm going to kill you" was practically a nationwide sensation, with everyone, young and old, treating it as a confession of love (?!).
Some netizens even pointed out that upon seeing that scene, their immediate thought was a popular internet phrase: "This is basically making love."
Meaning, any intense spiritual connection between people is essentially the same as making love (?!). Another netizen shared a funny story about a girl they followed online who replied to a photo of someone else's kid building a Gundam Wing model with: "I'm going to kill you ❤️" – and apparently got blocked and reported for it (lol).
This just goes to show that "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" was truly a hot topic back then and continues to be a fan favorite. So, what do *you* all think about Director Tomino's claim that "I'm going to kill you" is a form of sexual expression?