The creators best known for the Mobile Suit Gunma and Street Fighter series are teaming up for an unspecified project.
Akira Yasuda, aka Akiman, recently announced his “summon” on behalf of anime franchise creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. Exact details beyond this are still unknown, especially given the two creators’ repertoire, meaning this upcoming project could be a video game or an anime. Although the truth is yet to be revealed, Tomino and Akiman have worked together in the past, and 2024 specifically marks some important anniversaries for GTA.
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In a message shared on X (formerly Twitter), Akira Yasuda noted that he had been “summoned” by Toshiyuki Tomino. The exact meaning of this remains vague, but there is precedent for both working together. Akiman was the character designer for the anime series Turn A Gundam, released in 1999 for the franchise’s 20th anniversary. That series was Tomino’s return to the franchise he created two decades ago, as well as the first collaboration between the two. Yasuda later worked on other parts of the property alongside Tomino – specifically, more recently, Gundun Reconguista in G.
Another anime that Yasuda and Tomino co-wrote was 2002’s Overman King Gainer. This was a completely new mecha line, with no connection to Mobile Suit gundam, and although it has been largely forgotten, it is still popular. known for its unique mech designs. Akiman also provided designs for another mecha series—the iconic Code Geass—unrelated to Tomino. However, this character designer is most associated with Capcom’s Street Fighter series, as he worked for the company from 1985 to 2003.
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GTA has some important anniversaries in 2024
The expected announcement of a seemingly mysterious project involving Tomino and Akiman comes at just the right time. The year 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the original Mobile Suit Gunma anime. Likewise, this is the 25th anniversary of Turn Agundam and the 10th anniversary of Reconguista in G. Given that the pair collaborated on those two anime series, the timing lends credence to the idea that there are several new Gundam projects in the works that involve the work of both creations.
The entire Gundam franchise is currently experiencing a major boost in project count and popularity. The most notable of these is the upcoming anime film Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, which returns to the Space Age timeline of the previous Gundam SEED anime. If nothing else, whatever Tomino and Akiman are working on will probably at least be announced in 2024 to coincide with the anniversary.
Source: X (formerly Twitter)
