The appeal and reviews of Turn A Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly: What makes it a successful sequel to a masterpiece?

Turn A Gundam II Moonlight Butterfly - Turn A Gundam II Moonlight Butterfly

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

February 10, 2002 - January 1, 2000

■Distribution company

Shochiku

■Original Story

Original story by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino

■ Director

・General Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino

■ Production

・Production: Sunrise

■Works

© Sotsu, Sunrise

■ Story

Loran, who was entrusted with disposing of the nuclear bomb, headed for space aboard Wilgem. Meanwhile, the forces of Gim Ghinganam, who controls the Moonrace's military, destroy the asteroid Mistletoe, where Diana had taken refuge, and its fragments head towards the moon city. Loran uses a nuclear bomb to break up the fragments. Eventually, Nguyen and his party land on the moon and meet with Agrippa Maintainer, who effectively controls the moon. Diana also attends, disguised as Kiel, and tries to question Agrippa about his true intentions. Agrippa was afraid that Diana's moon return operation would awaken the fighting instincts of the Moonrace, and was trying to banish such people from the moon. He was also extremely afraid of the ∀ Gundam that Loran was riding on, and said that ∀ might destroy the civilization of the moon and earth. In order to settle the situation, Diana unravels the "dark history" from the data in the Winter Palace, and the final war of humanity and the secrets of the ∀ Gundam are revealed.

■Cast

・Roland/Romi Park ・Kiel & Diana/Rieko Takahashi ・Socie/Akino Murata ・Nguyen/Go Aoba ・Keith/Jun Fukuyama ・Fran/Kumiko Watanabe ・Harry/Toru Inada ・Phil/Takashi Koyama ・Ginganam/Takehito Koyasu ・Agrippa/Hiroya Ishimaru

■ Main staff

・General Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino
・Character design: Akira Yasuda
・Character design: Yoshihito Hishinuma
Mechanical design: Kunio Okawara, Syd Mead, Atsushi Shigeta, Takumi Sakura
・Music: Yoko Kanno ・Production: Sunrise

■ Main Characters

・Roran Cehack: Moonrace (naturalized on Earth, Ingressa Militia) 17 years old. Moonrace boy. Turn A pilot. Born November 2nd, 2328. He is from the Mayzam district of the moon and is from a lower class called the Canal People. After graduating from middle school, at the age of 15, he descended to the North Amelia continent of Earth in the second of six Flats with Keith and Fran as an advance investigator for the return to Earth. He was saved by the Heim sisters Kiel and Shisoe when he drowned in a river and was hired as a servant. He admires both Diana, the Queen of the Moon, and Kiel, who looks exactly like her. He has a gentle personality and does not like fighting, and hopes for the peaceful return of the Moonrace. On the night of his coming-of-age ceremony on Mount Ark, he boarded a Turn A that appeared from inside the stone statue of White Doll, and due to Nguyen's plan, he was forced to participate in an unwanted battle as a female pilot, Lola Lola.
- Kiel Heim Affiliation: Earthling. 17 years old. The eldest daughter of the Heim family, who run a mine in Vicinity, Ingressa. She looks exactly like Diana. She was living in Knox and studying at university, but now she has an upwardly mobile ambition, believing that it is time to gain experience in the real world. In the confusion of the Diana counter attack, she becomes an assistant to Nguyen at Bostonia Castle. However, due to Diana's mischievous spirit, Kiel and Diana end up switching places.
- Sochie Heim Affiliation: Earthling (Ingressa Militia) The second daughter of the Heim family who runs a mine in Vicinity, Ingressa territory. A strong-willed, tomboyish, and selfish girl, but also cute. She joins the Militia and pilots a Capulus robot doll. She also occasionally pilots a Turn A. Having experienced the deaths of her father and fiance in the war, she aims for revenge at one point, but grows as she comes into contact with different cultures and learns the truth about her dark past.
Nguyen Third Lineford Affiliation: Earthling (Central figure of the Ingressa Militia) Grandson of Messer, Lord of Ingressa. At the age of 19, he became a central figure of the Ingressa Militia. He seeks to bring about an industrial revolution on Earth using lunar technology, and is enthusiastic about negotiating with the Moon and applying that technology. After the war between the Militia and Diana Counter breaks out and Nox falls, he seeks refuge in Rujana and plots a comeback. After joining the Rujana Militia, he heads to the Moon on the excavated battleship Wilgem.
・Diana Sorel Affiliation: Moonrace (Queen of the Moon) A thoughtful and intelligent queen of the moon. She looks exactly like Kiel. Hoping for the peaceful return of the Moonrace to Earth, she leads the Diana Counter, descends to Earth on her flagship Soleil, and begins negotiations with the lords of Earth. As the Moonrace are destined to be in artificial hibernation, her real age is unknown. She descended to Earth about 100 years ago and fell in love with the first Will Geim, but broke him off and returned to the moon. This story was passed down on Earth as the fairy tale "The Gendarme, the Ship of Feathered Robe". The Sorel family is a family that gained fame for successfully breeding plants that can grow in the space environment on the asteroid colony "Mistletoe". Since then, they have been administering the moon in collaboration with the Maintainer family, in charge of domestic affairs, and the Ginganam family, in charge of military affairs. She frequently switches places with Kiel, who looks exactly like her, and while acting as Kiel, she realizes Agrippa's betrayal and decides to return to the moon.
Harry Ord Affiliation: Moonrace (Captain of Diana's Royal Guard) Captain of Diana's Royal Guard with the rank of lieutenant (later promoted to captain). An excellent pilot who flies the golden MS Smoo. He is known for his red sunglasses. A tactician, he is an intelligent person who always makes calm decisions. He is fascinated by Queen Diana and has sworn absolute loyalty to her. He protects Kiel, who has been replaced by Diana, and the two of them develop a bond as they work together. He comes from the lower classes of the Moon and once served Ginganam.
Phil Ackerman: Moonrace (Diana Counter), 25 years old. Captain of Diana Counter (later promoted to Major). On-site commander of the First Return Fleet. Hard-line and military-like. Dotes on his subordinate, Pou Eiji. He rebels against the moderate Diana, but after Diana descends again, he becomes her subordinate and pledges his loyalty.
・Gim Ghinganum Affiliation: Moonrace (General of the Ghinganum Army) A Moonrace warrior. Along with Agrippa's Maintainer family, he is a family that supports the Sorel family and is in charge of military affairs. The Ghinganum family has been conducting military exercises for over 2,500 years, and it is estimated that their power exceeds that of the Diana Counter. He is a dangerous man who says that fighting is his reason for being, and fights in the mobile suit Turn X himself. At first, he joins forces with Agrippa and betrays Diana, but after Agrippa's death, he joins forces with Nguyen and invades Earth.
Agrippa Maintainer Moonrace (Maintainer family) The manager of the hibernation system in Genganham, the capital of the moon, who has been working on the moon in place of Diana, who descended to Earth. He is also the person named by Coren as the person to send reinforcements from the moon. The Maintainer family, along with the Genganham family, supports the Sorel family, and is mainly in charge of domestic affairs. Agrippa was known as a moderate, but in order to maintain peace and stability in the moon society, he planned to assassinate Diana, fearing that contact with Earthlings would awaken a fighting instinct in the people's hearts.
Fran Doll: Moonrace (naturalized on Earth), 17 years old. A Moonrace girl. At the age of 15, she descended to Earth with Loran and Keith as an advance investigator for the return to Earth. She joined the newspaper company "Knox Chronicle" in Knox as a printer and began working as a photographer.
Keith Leger Affiliation: Moonrace (naturalized on Earth) A Moonrace boy. 17 years old. At the age of 15, he descended to Earth with Laurent and Fran as an advance investigator for the return to Earth. He worked at the Donkey Bakery in Nox, the capital of Ingressa territory, and fell in love with the master's daughter, Verlaine. He began running a bakery during the battle with Diana Counter. He created a neutral zone by selling bread to Earthlings and Moonraces alike.

■ Related works

・[TVA] 99.04.09-00.04.14 Turn A Gundam (50 episodes)
・[MVA] 02.02.09 Turn A Gundam I Earth Light

■ Review

"Turn A Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly" is one of the Gundam series' most profound themes, and its narrative and message have been highly praised. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino has created a story that delves deeply into war and peace, and the history and future of humanity. This work is not just a robot anime, but also an outstanding human drama.

The story begins with Loran, who has been entrusted with defusing the nuclear bomb, riding aboard the Wilgem into space. This scene is tense and thrilling, and has the effect of drawing the viewer into the story. The scene in which Gim Ghinganam's forces destroy the asteroid Mistletoe, where Diana has taken refuge, and its fragments head towards the city on the moon, is visually very impactful and heightens the sense of urgency in the story. The scene in which Loran uses the nuclear bomb to shatter the fragments is visually beautiful and extremely effective as the climax of the story.

In the scene where Nguyen and his party land on the moon, a meeting with Agrippa Maintainer is depicted. This scene depicts political maneuvering and betrayal, as well as human desires and fears, and is depicted as a very realistic human drama. The scene where Diana disguises herself as Kiel and questions Agrippa's true intentions deeply moves the viewers. The development in which Agrippa fears that Diana's moon return operation will awaken the fighting instincts of the Moonrace and tries to banish such people from the moon is very realistic and evokes deep sympathy from the viewers. In addition, the scene where Loran is extremely afraid of the ∀ Gundam he is piloting and says that the ∀ might destroy the civilizations of the moon and earth makes the viewers feel deep fear and anxiety.

The scene where Diana unravels the "dark history" from the data in the Winter Palace and reveals the final war of humanity and the secrets of Turn A Gundam leaves viewers deeply moved and astonished. This scene is extremely effective as the climax of the story, deeply moving the viewers. Diana's actions and determination evoke deep empathy in the viewers, helping them to understand the theme of the story more deeply.

The cast also delivers excellent performances. Paku Romi plays Laurent, who has a gentle personality and strong will, very realistically. Takahashi Rieko plays Kiel and Diana, skillfully portraying the differences between the two characters, deeply moving the audience. Murata Akino plays Sochie, who is strong-willed and tomboyish, very realistically. Aohaba Tsuyoshi plays Nguyen, who is passionate and determined to bring an industrial revolution to Earth using lunar technology, very realistically. Fukuyama Jun plays Keith, who works at a bakery, very realistically portraying the kindness and strength of Keith. Watanabe Kumiko plays Fran, who works at a newspaper company, very realistically portraying the strength and kindness of Fran. Inada Toru plays Harry, who is infatuated with Diana, very realistically portraying his loyalty and strength. Mr. Tsuyoshi Koyama, who plays Phil, portrays the strength of the hard-line Phil and his pride as a soldier in a very realistic way. Mr. Takehito Koyasu, who plays Ghinganam, portrays the dangerous charm of Ghinganam who loves fighting in a very realistic way. Mr. Hiroya Ishimaru, who plays Agrippa, portrays the fear and desire of the moderate Agrippa in a very realistic way.

The main staff also did an excellent job. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino created a story that delved deeply into war and peace, and the history and future of humanity. Character drafter Akira Yasuda created very realistic character designs. Character designer Yoshihito Hishinuma created very realistic character expressions and movements. Mechanical designers Kunio Okawara, Syd Mead, Atsushi Shigeta, and Takumi Sakura created very realistic mechanical designs. Music composer Yoko Kanno expressed the atmosphere of the story very realistically. Production company Sunrise created a very realistic worldview for the story.

The main characters are also portrayed very realistically. Loran Cehack is portrayed very realistically as a Moonrace boy, a Turn A pilot, and a member of the Ingressa Militia who has naturalized on Earth. Kiel Heim is portrayed very realistically as an Earthling, the eldest daughter of the Heim family, and a girl who looks exactly like Diana. Sochie Heim is portrayed very realistically as an Earthling, the second daughter of the Heim family, and a member of the Militia. Nguyen Saad Reinford is portrayed very realistically as an Earthling, a central figure in the Ingressa Militia, and a young man who tries to bring an industrial revolution to Earth with lunar technology. Diana Sorel is portrayed very realistically as the Queen of the Moonrace, a thoughtful and intelligent woman, and a woman who looks exactly like Kiel. Harry Ord is portrayed very realistically as the commander of the Moonrace Diana Royal Guard, a skilled pilot of the golden MS Sumo, and as a loyal person who is fascinated by Diana. Phil Ackerman is portrayed very realistically as the captain of the Moonrace Diana Counter, a hard-line military man, and a person who loves his subordinate Pou Eiji. Gim Gingham is portrayed very realistically as a Moonrace warrior, a general of the Gingham army, and a dangerous man who loves fighting. Agrippa Maintainer is portrayed very realistically as a member of the Maintainer family of the Moonrace, a manager of the hibernation system who has been working on the moon's affairs in place of Diana in the lunar capital of Genganam, and a person known as a moderate. Fran Doll is portrayed very realistically as a Moonrace girl, a girl who has naturalized to Earth, and a photographer working for a newspaper. Keith Leger is portrayed with great realism as the Moonrace boy, as the boy who has naturalized to Earth, and as the young man working in the bakery.

There are also some very interesting related works. The TV anime "Turn A Gundam" is a long series of 50 episodes, which deeply depicts the background of the story and the growth of the characters. The movie "Turn A Gundam I: Earthlight" is a compilation of the first half of the TV anime, and gives a sense of the tension and thrill of the story. These works are very important for deepening your understanding of "Turn A Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly".

"Turn A Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly" is a work that deals with a particularly profound theme among the Gundam series, and has been highly praised for its narrative and message. The story delves deeply into war and peace, and the history and future of humanity, eliciting deep emotion and empathy from viewers. The excellent work of the cast and staff, and the realistic portrayal of the main characters, portray the world of the story very realistically. The related works are also very interesting, making this an important work for deepening your understanding of the story. Please watch this work and feel its profound theme and message.