Yoshiyuki Tomino, the mastermind behind gems such as Mobile Suit Gundam, Space Runaway Ideon, and Triton of the Sea, spoke with Kyodo News to commemorate his recent Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon accolade.

During the interview, the 84-year-old director expressed that the production industry is facing a crisis, suggesting that digital technology made modern films lose a ‘sense of wonder.’ He elaborated on how, in his time, films would have shots where the audience would search for the character within a large background.

The acclaimed director also spoke on the wide use of CG in today’s anime and film, stating that they ‘seem to be just trying to show off the CG because they went to the trouble of creating it.’ ‘They’ve forgotten the theory of direction and drama that gives visuals a sense of wonder,’ Tomino added.

Yoshiyuki Tomino also touched upon how modern film’s resolution has become so high to the point where people can see the characters’ pores. He followed it up with an explanation, stating that even though technological innovation is good, filmmakers should be ‘directing with proper dramatic calculation.’

When asked about future projects, Tomino stated that he’s working on storyboards at home, preparing for a new project. He explained that production hasn’t started yet and that he has a lot of research to do, but says that ‘if I’m allowed to make it, it will be a masterpiece.’