Original Crusher/Passionate Director Yasuhiro Imagawa Announces New Project for 2024!

Yasuhiro Imagawa, the passionate director often nicknamed the “Original Crusher,” is back with a new project. This announcement comes days after the news of a new spin-off novel for “Mobile Fighter G Gundam,” which originally aired in April 1994. Although fans might be disappointed that it’s just a novel, having Imagawa himself at the helm of this new 2024 project is a consolation.

Yasuhiro Imagawa’s Message

Here is Imagawa’s statement:
「東方不敗は遥かに滅び…やり残したこと、知らんぷりした事…それらが頭の中で30年、 暴れたくてもリングが無くて、ふて寝をする間に丸々太り、俺のこの手が真っ赤に燃えて、ついに壁を殴り破って外の世界へ！果たして誰のどんなファイトが始まるのやら？ゴングが鳴るまでもうしばし！」

“Master Asia is long gone… Unfinished business and things ignored… They have been swirling in my mind for 30 years. With no ring to vent my frustrations, I grew fat and frustrated in my sleep. But my hands are burning red again, finally breaking through the barriers to the outside world! What kind of fight will begin? Just wait for the gong to sound!”

Background

Born in 1961, Yasuhiro Imagawa is now 62 years old. He is a renowned director known for his unique style and numerous classic works from the second golden age of mecha animation in the 90s. However, his directing career in the past decade has been less successful. The last work he directed was the 2014 “WASIMO,” where he only directed one season.

Imagawa began his animation career at Tatsunoko Production’s training institute for new animators. He soon realized he was more suited to be a director and, under the guidance of Hiroshi Sasagawa, participated in the production of Osamu Tezuka’s special animation “Bremen 4: Angels in Hell” in 1981, marking his official entry into the animation industry.

During the 80s, he worked on several well-known animations such as “Aura Battler Dunbine,” “Heavy Metal L-Gaim,” and “Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam,” gaining extensive experience and showcasing his distinctive directing style. In 1987, he directed the cooking animation “Mister Ajikko,” which received high praise for its bold and unique presentation, marking his explosive rise to fame.

His second directorial work, the controversial “Mobile Fighter G Gundam” (1994-1995), was reportedly recommended by Yoshiyuki Tomino, who also seemed to like the work. “G Gundam” overturned traditional Gundam concepts, featuring abstract mecha designs like Beautiful Girl Gundam and Animal Gundam, and was initially criticized. However, its unique worldview, intense performances, and unexpectedly deep storyline slowly reversed public opinion, eventually being regarded as a classic.

Imagawa’s most acclaimed work is the OVA “Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still,” which took six years (1992-1998) to complete. The production quality was exceptional, featuring top-notch visuals and music, and the story reimagined Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s all-star characters. There were rumors of severe budget overruns, which seemed plausible.

His 1998 work “Getter Robo: Armageddon,” which he was replaced midway through, is another regrettable case. It is said he was replaced after just three episodes, resulting in a lack of momentum for the rest of the series.

His last mecha work was the 2009 “Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-Hen,” which restructured the Mazinger universe and was well-received by super robot enthusiasts. Unfortunately, it was not commercially successful, and the teased “G-Hen” never materialized.

Imagawa is known for his passionate and exaggerated style, with twists that create climaxes, often overcoming logical constraints with sheer momentum to surprise audiences. Despite having several critically acclaimed works, his directing career has been somewhat unlucky, which is truly a pity.

Lastly, it might be redundant, but for those who don’t know, Imagawa is a fervent fan of “Star Trek” and Hong Kong cinema.