Kunio Okawara

is a mecha designer in the Japanese anime industry.

He was born and currently lives in Inagi, Tokyo, where he works out of a studio in his home.

He was one of the pioneering mecha designers in Japan and established the profession of 'mecha design' in the anime industry.

His representative works include Gundam series from the Real Robot shows, the Brave series from the Super Robot shows and Time Bokan series from the comedy anime.

In 2011, he received the Distinguished Service Award of the Japan Media Arts Festival for his achievements over the years.

Style

When designing a mecha, Okawara considers the process of deformation and even the process of manufacturing it in reality, and imagines something that can be immediately generated into a CAD blueprint.

Ordinary designers draw a number of pictures, but he often makes models in wood or metalwork, as he thinks it is quicker to show the real thing.

The origin of this is that when he entered the industry in the 1970s and 1980s, robot anime was at its peak and many of the sponsors of anime programmes in Japan were toy companies.

At the time, he was the only one who could talk about 'transforming' and 'combining', so when he made presentations using three-dimensional objects, the sponsors were very receptive, and his ideas were usually accepted immediately.

He also started producing 3DCG using a computer when a games company asked him to do some design work.

He says that what he enjoys working on is the Time Bokan series, because there's no critical feedback, only reactions that everyone enjoys watching it.

Biography

Okawara entered Tokyo Zokei University as a first-year student.

Following graduation, Okawara worked for Onward Kashiyama, the largest textile and apparel company, where he designed mass-produced ready-made suits.

He was originally scheduled to return to the art section and draw background art once Gatchaman finished. However, thanks to Tatsunoko Productions' continuous production of mecha action works such as Hurricane Polymar and Tekkaman: The Space Knight, he was able to continue his career as a mecha designer under Nakamura.

At the end of 1976, Nakamura left Tatsunoko, so Okawara co-founded Design Office Mechaman with him.

The die-cast metal character toys sold by Clover, the sponsor at the time of its broadcast, suffered poor sales and the show was discontinued.

However, the programme gradually gained popularity through re-runs, and model magazines began to publish dioramas of battlefields created by readers using scratch-building techniques.

This was followed by the launch of the plastic model brand MSV (Mobile Suit Variations), a spin-off of the TV series designed by Okawara, and the boom continued until the mid-1980s.

Okawara had joined the project halfway through, so the image of the work was not fully conveyed to him.

Okawara then drew a design based on the space suit motif, but both were rejected as not suitable for the lead role.

Okawara proposed a new robot with a samurai motif, which was the original idea for Gundam.

While the design was being finalised, Okawara was taken by Yamaura to Clover to present the mechanism of the combined and transformable toy, which made a good impression on them.

Enemy robots, on the other hand, were generally not intended for commercialisation at the time, and sponsors had fewer restrictions.

In the second half of the season, Tomino, who was getting into the swing of things, began to draw his own rough designs, and Okawara, who was busy with other work, began to clean up the designs as they were.

Seeing Bandai's success, Takara approached Okawara to sell plastic model kits themselves, and they produced Fang of the Sun Dougram. Okawara designed the main robot, Combat Armour, without the human-like face and with a more military look than the Gundam.

This gave Okawara even more challenging robot designs for the next Armored Trooper Votoms.

Okawara did not participate in the subsequent Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ and the film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, and Tomino again appointed Nagano as the main designer. However, Nagano was not only removed as Gundam designer for both works, but was also dropped from his position as main designer.

Okawara later expanded his activities beyond animation, working with industrial manufacturers and local authorities.

History of works

(Listed chronologically)

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972–1974)

:*Artist (enemy mechanical design)

Hurricane Polymer (1974)

:*Mechanical design (Tatsunoko Mechaman Design Office)

Tekkaman: The Space Knight (1975)

:*Mechanical design (Tatsunoko Mechaman Design Office)

Gowappā 5 Godam (1976)

:*Primary mechanical design (Tatsunoko Mechaman Design Office)

Time Bokan (1976)
Blocker Gundan IV: Machine Blaster (1976)
Yattāman (1977)
Mechander Robo (1977)
Chōgattai Majutsu Robo Ginguiser (1977)
Tobidase! Machine Hiryū (1977)
Gekisō! Ruben Gaizer (1977)
Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 (1978)

:*Principal mechanical design

:*Selected works: Daitarn 3

Uchū Majin Daikengō (1978)
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II (1978)
Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)

:*Principal mechanical design

:*Selected works: Gundam (mobile suit), MS-06 Zaku II

Zendaman (1979)
The Ultraman (1979)
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman F (1979)
Invincible Robo Trider G7 (1980)
Time Patrol Tai Otasukeman (1980)
Tondemo Senshi Muteking (1980)
Fang of the Sun Dougram (1981)
Yattodetaman (1981)
Saikyō Robo Daiōja (1981)
Doraemon: The Record of Nobita: Spaceblazer (1981)
Kaitei Taisensō (1981)
Combat Mecha Xabungle (1982)
Gyakuten Ippatsu-man (1982)
Armored Trooper Votoms (1983)

:*Principal mechanical design

:*Selected works: ATM-09-ST Scopedog

Round Vernian Vifam (1983)
Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman (1983)
"Mobile Suit Variations" model kit line (1983)

:*Principal mechanical design

Panzer World Galient (1984)
Chōriki Robo Galatt (1984)
MS-X manga series (cancelled) (1984)

:*Principal mechanical design

Blue Comet SPT Layzner (1985)
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: Gundam Mk-II

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986)
Metal Armor Dragonar (1987)
Armor Hunter Mellowlink (1988)
Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru (1988)
Mado King Granzort (1989)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989)
Mobile Suit Gundam F90 model kit series (1990)
:*Principal mechanical design
Brave Exkaiser (1990)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: Exkaiser, King Exkaiser, Dragon Kaiser, Great Exkaiser

The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird (1991)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: Fighbird, Busou Gattai Fighbird, Granbird

Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: F91 Gundam Formula 91

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991)
The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn (1992)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: Da-Garn, Da-Garn X, Great Da-Garn GX

Hero Senki: Project Olympus (1992)
The Brave Express Might Gaine (1993)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: Might Gaine, Great Might Gaine, Might Gunner, Great Might Gaine Perfect Mode

Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (1993)

:*Mechanical design

Shippū! Iron Leaguer (1993)
Brave Police J-Decker (1994)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: Deckerd, J-Decker, Fire J-Decker

Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: GF13-017NJ Shining Gundam, GF13-017NJII God Gundam

The Brave of Gold Goldran (1995)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: Goldran, Great Goldran

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: XXXG-01W Wing Gundam, XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero

Brave Command Dagwon (1996)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: Fire Dag won, Super Fire Dagwon

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (1996)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: [[RX-79 Series#RX-79.5BG.5D Gundam Ground Type|RX-79[G] Gundam Mass Production Ground Type]]

After War Gundam X (1996)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: GX-9900 Gundam X

Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (1997)

:*"Original Mechanical Designer" (actual mecha redesigned by Hajime Katoki)

The King of Braves GaoGaiGar (1997)

:*Principal mechanical design

:*Selected works: GaoGaiGar

Turn A Gundam (1999)

:*Mechanical design

Betterman (1999)
Last Legion UX (1999)

:*Promotional artwork

' (1999)
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Final (2000)

:*Principal mechanical design

:*Selected works: GaoFighGar, Genesic GaoGaiGar

Time Bokan 2000: Kaitō Kiramekiman (2000)
Gravion (2002)
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam, ZGMF-1017 GINN, GAT-01 Strike Dagger.

' (2002)
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED X Astray (2003)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: YMF-X000A Dreadnought Gundam, CAT1-X Hyperion Gundam

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny (2004)

:*Mechanical design

:*Selected works: ZGMF-X56S Impulse Gundam

Super Robot Wars GC (2004)

:*"Original Mechanical Designer"

"SYS*017" exhibit at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Ishikawa (2004)

:*Head-mounted display and control trigger design

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam A New Translation: Heirs to the Stars (2005)
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam A New Translation II: Lovers (2005)
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam A New Translation III: Love is the Pulse of the Stars (2006)
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer (2006)
Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula (2007)

:*Guest mechanical design

:*Selected work: Chronos Zero

Another Century's Episode 3: The Final (2007)

:*Mechanical design of Falugen Custom, variation unit from Metal Armor Dragonar

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007)

:*Mechanical design of GN-000 0 Gundam and others

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (2010)

:*Original mechanical design (most of the actual mecha designs, including those for the eponymous mobile suit, were done by Hajime Katoki)

World of Tanks Blitz (2016)
Guest mechanical design, O-47

War robots (2014)

designer for sword unit 190

When asked what the favorite of his works was during an interview, Okawara chose his designs for Shippū! Iron Leaguer.

Style

Biography

History of works

Art books

Notes and references

Notes

References

Sources

Further reading

External links