Kiyoshi Hattori's eyes lit up instantly. As a financial veteran, he could smell the money.
"Asset reuse. This will save at least half of the art costs!"
"Not just that." Takuya Nakayama tossed aside his marker, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "Don't forget, soon we'll have Bandai in our hands. Sunrise's 3D model data will be fed directly into Bandai's model design department. The day the anime premieres, the game launches, and Bandai's plastic models hit the shelves! Perfectly synchronized, with zero time lag, we'll squeeze every last cent out of the players' and viewers' wallets!"
The conference room fell silent.
Matsushima frantically wiped the sweat from his palms, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of his throat.
This kind of efficient, ruthless, and terrifyingly precise industrial production line completely overturned the artisan-workshop model that had dominated the Japanese animation industry for decades!
Once this system was established, how could other companies, still painstakingly sketching with pen and paper, ever hope to compete with Sega?
This wasn't competition; it was a one-sided slaughter!
Eiji Yamaura immediately declared, "I'll get back and form a dedicated digitalization task force right away! The new Gundam project will be our first pilot!"
Takuya Nakayama returned to his seat, picked up his long-cold tea, and drained it in one gulp.
"Once this model is proven, we'll replicate it across all our other IPs. Sega needs to play its hand as fast as possible."
Kiyoshi Hattori cleared the documents from the table and took a deep breath.
"Managing Director, funding won't be an issue. The Bandai restructuring is nearly complete. Richard's team did a fantastic job—we'll have a massive amount of liquid cash available."
Takuya Nakayama nodded, his gaze fixed on the blinding sunlight outside the window as a profound, inscrutable smile touched his lips.
"Since Bandai is almost wrapped up, it's time to dust off some of our shelved plans."
He turned to Eiji Yamaura.
"President Yamaura, if I recall correctly, when Sunrise launched Char's Counterattack, wasn't there another project running in parallel, competing for the theatrical release?"
Eiji Yamaura froze, his pen hovering mid-air.
His mind raced, digging through old files from over a decade ago.
A project that could compete on the same stage as a masterpiece like Char's Counterattack?
Seconds later, his eyes widened, and he sharply inhaled.
"You mean—Gundam Sentinel?!"
Takuya Nakayama snapped his fingers, a look of approval on his face.
"Bingo! That's the one."
Eiji Yamaura frowned slightly, his mind already weighing the project's feasibility. His voice trembled with a mix of excitement and regret. "That project was truly breathtaking back then. The S Gundam's design, with its sheer mechanical weight and hardcore military realism, was highly praised internally. Honestly, in terms of pure mechanical detail, it was the gold standard. But it was shelved for a variety of reasons, only ever seeing a serialized feature in a model kit magazine. It became a lingering regret for countless fans."
Takuya Nakayama picked up a marker, drew a large circle on the blank paper, and tapped it twice.
"Then we'll dig it out. Make it an OVA. Since it's a lingering regret, Sega will be the one to fulfill it."
Eiji Yamaura hesitated.
"Produce it now? Sunrise's current capacity is still focused on regular TV series. If we want to do a project of this caliber—"
"Capacity isn't the issue. I won't rush the schedule for this OVA," Takuya Nakayama said, waving a hand to dismiss his concerns, a cunning glint in his eyes. "This is the perfect project to train both the newcomers and the veterans at Sunrise. Let's use it as our first major operation in the digital transformation."
Eiji Yamaura immediately grasped the deeper meaning.
Using a classic, shelved project with a strong fan base as a technical testbed would not only ensure a high quality floor but also minimize the cost of trial and error. Even if there were technical flaws, the excellent script and mecha designs would still be enough to carry it.
"Hajime Katoki," Takuya Nakayama said, his tone resolute. "Let him personally handle the mecha design. The Mobile Suits he designed back then—with their complex lines and immense detail—would have driven the animators to line up on Sunrise's rooftop to jump if we were still using traditional cel animation. But things are different now. The latest 3D digital modeling and rendering can perfectly showcase his insanely detailed mechanical aesthetic."
Eiji Yamaura nodded repeatedly, completely agreeing.
Katoki Hajime had been one of the original mechanical designers for Gundam Sentinel. With him leading the charge, they could best recreate the work's unique, hardcore flavor.
"However, I want to emphasize one point regarding the technical details." Takuya Nakayama leaned forward, his joking tone replaced by a more serious one. "Tell the production team to pay close attention to the lighting and shading. Don't let it look like cheap plastic!"
He tapped the table, half-joking, half-serious. "We at Sega are in the business of entertainment. Bandai sells plastic models—that's their business. We can't let the animation look like a mere toy commercial. But don't go to the other extreme either. Don't overdo it in pursuit of a 'realistic' steel weapon texture. Gundam is, after all, a man's fictional romance; it doesn't need to be a carbon copy of real-life tanks and planes. If current 3D rendering can't meet the requirements, decisively use 2D hand-drawn art where necessary. The work is for the audience, and visual impact always comes first. Don't use technology for the sake of showing off; technical validation is just a side benefit."
Eiji Yamaura nodded repeatedly as he listened, diligently noting down each requirement in his notebook.
"What about the plot?" Yamaura asked, pausing his pen.
"Stay true to the original source material," Takuya Nakayama stated, outlining the general direction. "Capture the stances of the various factions, the emotional turmoil between characters, and the brutal military gambits. Weave in a subtle critique of New Desides' rise and fall, and delve slightly into its underlying causes. It shouldn't be too relentlessly bleak, but it must have depth—something that will leave the audience pondering long after they've finished watching."
Yamaura rubbed his chin, mentally reviewing the list of available directors at Sunrise.
"The choice for Chief Director..." Yamaura tapped his finger on the desk unconsciously, his eyes lighting up. "Takeyuki Kanda would be perfect. He directed the first five episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. His control over realism and deep storytelling is unparalleled in the industry. Although he stepped down due to illness, I heard he's recently recovered. I'll find a time to visit him personally. I'll make the effort—even if it takes three visits to his cottage—to convince him to come out of retirement."
"Perfect," Takuya Nakayama said, highly satisfied with the arrangement.
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