Tsurumaki defends Gendo (2002 interview)

[kuribo-04]

Umm...opinions on this? I'm honestly in awe.

Copied from my tumblr post (sorry, I'm very busy):

I might comment more on this later. German interview with Kazuya Tsurumaki from 2002.

Tsurumaki wasn’t a writer on Evangelion, but he was deeply involved in the production as storyboarder and co-director (still his role in the Rebuild films).

Well I just had a fucking laugh attack reading his answer to the question “What do you think about Gendo Ikari?”

First he says people in Japan see him negatively (as expected). Then he says “they” (implying Gainax as a whole?) wanted to create a strong father, who motivates Shinji to become more adult, and he mentions that parents in Japan are becoming soft.

I couldn’t fucking read that with a straight face.

Tsurumaki, I fucking love you, but what the fuck.

What’s hard to get for me is that he implies this isn’t just his interpretation? I’m pretty sure Anno did NOT portray Gendo like this.

And Gendo is in no way, shape or form doing the right thing ever in Evangelion. He is an obstacle to himself and the people around him.

OG interview:
http://www.tomodachi.de/html/archiv/funime/f27_kurz_1.html

Edit: I should mention he literally says Gendo was supposed to be a positive influence on Shinji.

[eldomtom2]

Gendo is a complex character, and I certainly don't think (especially considering his inspiration) he's mean to be a villain or someone seen particularly negatively, especially not in the TV series - he's more negatively depicted in EoE and Rebuild.

[robersora]

We all know how awkward the staff tends to be when communicating. They are a bunch of huge dorks, lol. That said, I can imagine that he was just trying to be cheeky or was completely serious, lol. Who knows.

[Reichu]

Need at least two more instances of "fucking" in that post, kuribo.

I'm not sure why you bothered quoting it, tbh. ("Busy" is a poor excuse; nothing time-sensitive about this.) In the context of the forum the tone is just jarring and douchey, and contributes effectively nothing. Would be better to condense it to the main points. Do you WANT to sound like just another smartass Internet jerk?

[kuribo-04]

@robersora:
Yeah, I also have the feeling Tsurumaki might have said that just to surprise the interviewer.
When you have scenes like Yui biting Gendo's head off, it doesn't make sense.

@reichu:
Yes, I didn't have time. I don't think I have to explain everything that's going through my life right now.
On my personal tumblr I was just being silly, obviously on here I never talk like that.
I had a choice between just copying that already existing text or not sharing that info at all.
But if you think the topic adds nothing at all, feel free to delete it.

I was going to actually translate the interview from German when I had the time, but don't feel like doing that anymore honestly.

Do you WANT to sound like just another smartass Internet jerk?

No.

[Reichu]

By "not time-sensitive", I meant "there's no reason you couldn't just make the topic 'properly' when you're not busy". If you don't make a post immediately, the ability to write about it doesn't disappear. It's not a black and white thing. You simply delay the gratification of writing about it. Any expectation for you to explain your life to anyone comes solely from you imposing that expectation by posting rush-jobs and saying "sorry, too busy to do better!" In minor posts, it's no big deal, but you're creating a topic, in Discussion, which is supposed to be for relatively meaty stuff, sooo....

Not everyone here follows your alternate Internet personas, either. Your followers might know you're doing it in good fun. But if your intention is to inform us about an interview, and then you post this diatribe where, out of context, it's like you abruptly got a personality transplant, and sparse information about the interview is buried is what amounts to a dudebro Internet Hot Take... (Perhaps an exaggeration, but the tone isn't something I'm particularly fond of, and seek to avoid in my reading online as much as possible, which includes, yes, the content of this forum.)

The others weren't bothered, so feel free to continue. It's just some stuff to keep in mind for the future, potentially.

[kuribo-04]

I don't agree with everything you say, but I see your points.

While it is true I could have waited for another moment to make the post, the truth is I would have forgotten. I know I would have. And I'd rather wanted the information shared since this is such a strange answer.

That's also all that Tsurumaki said, which makes his answer so hard to follow.
It's just his answer to one of the questions, so he didn't say more than that.
Parents in Japan are getting soft, Gendo was meant to be a strong father, positive influence on Shinji by making him become more independent and adult.