Kinoko Nasu and Takeuchi Takashi:

"Please always stay at the top!"

Mamoru Nagano's The Five Star Stories, shorten to FSS

"One must first tune their head properly to understand"

Nasu: I think I was in the 1-2nd year middle school when I first contacted FSS? It was actually my brother, not me, who got into the series first. Back then my brother started living alone as a high schooler, and when I paid a visit to his house and found a Monthly Newtype Magazine (hereon: NT). He wasn't someone who usually watched anime, so I asked, "you buy anime mags now?" and he told me, "I buy it for the manga that runs on it".

And that was FSS?

Nasu: My brother was an old fashioned and hardheaded person, so the fact that my brother was into a manga was a rarity, which left an impression on me. And some time after, volume 1 of the manga was published. I saw it in the bookstore, remembered the title because of my experience with my older brother, and I decided to take a shot at it. Honestly, during my first run of it, I didn't understand much of it. It was fun, but I really couldn't see how this was the thing my older brother would be into. Then I gave it a second run, and things became clearer, and it kept on getting better. The more you read it; the more you dive deeper into its world.

Mr. Nasu, had you watched any of the animation that Mr. Nagano worked on before FSS?

Nasu: I didn't have the opportunity to grow up with Gundam, but I did know Heavy Metal L-Gaim. The Designs of the Heavy Metals were beautiful. But I had no idea that Mr. Nagano was working on the show. It was around volume 2 that I went to a video rental shop and borrowed the L-Gaim Compilation, where I first learned of Mr. Nagano's was the character and mechanical designer in L-Gaim, and how FSS relates to it. To reorganize your previous involved work and turning it into a story that is truly your own, was kind of culture shock to me. This is common now, but back then it was amazing to see someone just dive into something so risky with much assurance. Because it wasn't something you can just do with weak determination.

Takeuchi: Now that you mention it, that was also the case for the editorial department of NT. Mr. Nagano was a complete newbie as a mangaka and yet they were asking for a consistent serialization.

Did Mr. Nasu and Mr. Takeuchi already know each other back then?

Nasu: It was an early time in our relationship, where most of our interactions were him introducing good manga for me to read. I introduced Takeuchi to FSS and we would both enthusiastically talk about how amazing it was. Back then, I was already dreaming of becoming a novelist, but I guess I was still not even a fledgling, something that hasn't even been birth into an egg. So, perhaps I didn't really know what I was really into and what strung a chord in my heart. But with the years, I realized that FSS was as dense as a novel series. FSS is a Manga, but at the same time it's a fairy tale, as well as a historical ensemble drama about the Joker Star Cluster System. And such complex structure was had an undeniable allure to the wannabe novelist in e... Well in retrospective that's probably how it all felt.

Takeuchi: I don't exactly remember how I met the FSS Series, but I didn't start with the Monthly released version, so it was probably the released Volume 1 of the series. A lot of boys our age was becoming passionate with the MH, but for me, it was the Fatima that I really liked. The fairy tale like feeling from Lachesis and Sopp's union was what really led me on. Well of course, the MH were cool as well.

Nasu: I think the reason for that is because Takeuchi is someone who does graphics and art, so he would have been attracted to the design aspect of the series, with the Fatima's pitiable charm would have caused zippy zappy feeling inside of him. Someone like me, as I said before, was buzzing from the depth of the FSS World.

Takeuchi: I think the most shocking part of the end of the volume chronology was perhaps the hypothetical part 3 of the series, the Adventures of Lachesis and the K.O.G.

Nasu: Yeah, yeah. Back then it was too fast and early for us, we didn't understand what it meant to hear details of the story that was so ahead. But in a very long span, there was this archetype of what Nagano wanted to create, that was already filled within the chronology of the series. And with every passing year, that Timeline of Chronology felt like it was becoming increasingly mature and ripe, but that revelation of the scale of the story from its first step, it was no joke, staggering.

----The Character and the MH, the Nation's Backbone and Settings and Chronology were happening, it was truly a volume unheard of in a manga back then.

Nasu: As someone who experienced the First Impact of FSS, should I call it a novel? I guess I didn't expect a text medium to be something so tied to art like this. And as I started to take Takeuchi's hand and start making games myself, I realized that you're allowed to tie art and writing like that myself. And once I did, and started to reflect on FSS series, you realize the insane sense of it all. The " 良" (The Fair/Japanese for a Ranking of the Excellency) that the genius Nagano Mamoru felt, I was biting it through that top feeling he had win my own way, and sending it back to the Joker Star Cluster. And I was eating my way through every monthly release. What a ridiculous and good thing! How much does he love his own ego, and how ambitious and hungry is he for creation!! And all! (laughing)

Takeuchi: On the other hand, from the very 1st volume, it was already unfriendly and difficult to its customers, and I don't think there was any manga back then as difficult to understand as this one. Well maybe Shirow Masamune sensei's manga. It was truly the first of its kind, and perhaps that's why the hurdle was so big.

Nasu: I think the best way to call FSS is Nagano Mamoru's Fairy Tale, no perhaps Mythology? So, if you don't tune yourself to the way of Nagano Mamoru, it wouldn't make any sense to you. I won't say, you won't get something out of it, but you will not get even half of what Nagano Mamoru is trying to say with this story if you don't try. If Nagano-san is giving around a 1000 percent of passion, I think if the readers aren't giving at least 100 percent of passion while reading, they won't be able to get the truly intended taste of the series. To read a normal manga, you only need around 10 percent of passion really. But FSS, it rewards you for how much passion you read it with, it gives you twice as much passion and zeal back. As I was reading the Reboot compilations and went back to the scenes that I was touched by, I realized 'oh so that's what it meant.' So even if the feeling of awe and moving became more faint, the experience of volume 6~7 and onward became completely new volume, where even I who held up a lot of experience felt deep impact that felt like it threw me to the ground.

Re-reading it all during the Reboot serialization, it's expected to find a lot of new discoveries, but to say. "deep impact that threw you off.'.....

Nasu: After I wrote 'Fate', I ended up reading SF Novels as well. So, my skills and knowledge naturally grow as I read it. So, the many beings who appear after Volume 6, like the Gods, Ark, the Tathagata, Satan (Overlord) and I realize that FSS and SF Novels has entered the same territory as each other. In addition, that Specter, he treats those Buddhas and Devil as 'those pathetic low rankers who entered the dead end of evolution'. Just how omnipotent are you (laugh). Nagano Mamoru was thinking on that level from the start. I'm gonna be honest, I got a little mad. But as I grew myself, I started to understand the fun that an author can try. When I was younger, I was even full of hate cause of how much "even if your doing that, you shouldn't put your Fabric Wrapping Cloth so wide' (Fabric Wrapping Cloth is kind of a metaphor for plot points and McGuffins that were thrown into the story, that quite often don't get answered, which originates from Semi-Autobiographical Manga, Shin Hoero Pen. Specifically the Karaburi Service Episode which was actually about manga Kazuhiro Fujita's Karakuri Circus), but now I realize, in an SF Story, if you're not doing something like this at minimum, its not enough, and I fully understood. And from this point, this exists as to be the end of one's own world, and bringing in the elements of the era, while also being a story of human history, a fairy tale, and a mythology, as well as a top mode. There is no pleasure as extravagant as this one.

It's like an American Comic Book while also being like a Shoujo Manga

As a Manga Series, what was your impression of it like?

Takeuchi: I guess something about FSS feels like an American Comic.

Nasu: Are you saying in terms of panel lay out, it feels like an American Comic? The Magazine Newtype the series runs on, uses special size format called the B4 Page deformation, so perhaps that is why. It's kind of like a horizontally long panel layout.

Takeuchi: Nasu expressed FSS is kind of like a hybrid of novel and manga, and I believe American Comic Book is almost exactly that.

Nasu: Yeah, you're right. And for Volume 1 and 2 especially, it has a strong scent of Shoujo Manga as well

Takeuchi: There was also the drawing style as well. The drawing of the characters, for us back then, probably has that kind of sense or feeling to it all.

Nasu: It's the Characters emotional expression. They don't share their 4 basic emotions (joy, anger, sorrow and delight) through dialogue but instead try to capture those emotions through the ambience of art and its depth, that's the sensitive part. So, someone who grew up mainly on Shounen manga suddenly starts reading FSS from volume 1, they wouldn't get its real sticking taste of it.

Takeuchi: I've heard that Shounen Manga moves through the sense of time, Shoujo Manga moves through the direction of the heart, that's why the composition of the manga is so different. There are circumstances where you're not supposed to judge what a Shoujo Manga is by the panel layout, and if you don't have experiences there are man who say they don't know how to read it at all. They said shoujo manga are read from the heart and emotion, so you don't have to read it right or certain way. FSS has that kind of element to it.

Nasu: The reason why I entered this industry and why I ended up becoming a person like how I am today, was because I read my older sister's "Towards the Terra" and was touched by it.

'Towards the Terra', the SF Manga Series by Takemiya Keiko San, oh it even won a Seiun Award

Nasu: That's why I was able to embrace FSS from the start without much issue.

Takeuchi: Alongside Nasu's older brother, and people I knew as well, folks who weren't Otakus also read FSS all around us too.

FSS from the beginning of its serialization, had touched the heart of those who belong to a different genre/type of people from typical animation fans perhaps.

Takeuchi: Since FSS Volume 1 release was 1987, that was when we were 14. Just like how the generation that was 8 years younger than became 14 were deeply impacted by Neon Genesis Evangelion, you can say to the 14 years old of our era were impacted similarly by FSS.

Fatima Machi: Decadent Style (Left) and Plastic Style (Right)

The Necessity of Plastic Style

Nasu: This is about the topic of Fatima, but around 8 years ago, there was a 'Maid Boom'. I believe that a beauty who swears absolute loyalty a single master, without much care for her own happiness is perhaps the ideal shape of what a maid, and that the ultimate form of that idea came in the form of Fatima with the Maid Boom!...is not what I'm trying to say, but rather to say 'a long time ago, that the ultimate example called a Fatima exists too,' is what I'm saying. Wearing a ribbon or a tie, and socks or pumps, the Decadent Style Suit of Fatima helped create their delicate and neat image accurately.

Nasu: But suddenly when the world became linear to the vision of beauty on the outside, Nagano-san suddenly announced the new Plastic Style that was opposite to what the Image of Fatima was at that point. Back then I was thinking, 'The Decadent Style and that Design Line was great, why did you suddenly change to this new Plastic Style? Curse you, Nagano, you twisted person....!", but looking back as a story, I understood that it had no choice but to take such a path.

Takeuchi: I, myself, only recently I realized the strengths of Plastic Style.

Nasu: To explain the story more clearly, the people of the Star Cluster System had no choice but to do so emotionally. The existence of Fatima is like a threat to the existence of women in this world, and if you leave them be, woman's organization will eventually oppress the Fatimas. To protect Fatimas, they have no choice but to accept some kind of pressure of regulation. FSS is a Sci-Fi, but also a Fantasy, and if you start saying it's a Social Story*, Nagano-san will start snickering, but I'm still taking it to consideration. It's an extremely out there Sci-Fi, but it's still somehow grounded.

(*it's a type of term originally used to describe societal detective mystery novels, now just any stories about society or social commentary)

Takeuchi: They say men now a days are slowly becoming more of an herbivore. Where instead of stuff that exists, they prefer that which is fantasy. I believe there are some influences of how this is comfortable and let one remain predominant to this. So, if a being like Fatima exists, men will go crazy for them, and as a result a backlash from women will come as well.

Nasu: Since Nagano-san is the inventor of Fatima, he could have ignored all of that and pushed for Decadent Style if he wanted, but perhaps its philosophy or perhaps aesthetics, he couldn't just allow himself to do so. In the World of Joker Star Cluster, it is natural for existence of Fatima to receive backlash, and for Decadent Style to receive some kind of regulation is inevitable. For him to take his step and think of even that, as a creator myself, I felt amazed. It's as if he sealed his own strongest weapon.

Takeuchi: There are people who say Plastic Style is more erotic. But I've always been a bigger Decadent Style man. (Laugh)

Nasu: Even if you see it now, the Decadent Style is perfect. It can't be helped too.

Takeuchi: If you see the Suit worn by the 3 Goddess of Fate, with the wide shoulder pad, which feels very 90s, but if you match it with their blouse and skirt, it's kind of perfect. I also like Est's school outfit inspired suit because of its overwhelming universality.

The S Type Fatima wearing socks, M Type usings Boots and L-Type using tights, its great its detailed enough you can identify each type of Fatima by their feet.

Takeuchi: And with the Ballanche Fatima, they are numbered, and by the halfway point, they are starting to be listed with full profiles in detail, going over their power gauge, body type, and clearances, etc. That ranking had something that really stuck a chord with a lot of young boys.

If you must choose a specific Fatima, who do you like the most?

Fatima Est

Takeuchi: If I must make a ranking of my favorite Fatimas, first comes Est, and then AT (Atropos) and then Intercity.

Nasu: A scene I like is from Volume 9, the fate of Intercity. It was beautiful. The scene of Joker System's first Fatima Intercity, being given care by everyone around her as her life fades among the trees and birds. I love it so much that I wouldn't have mind if this scene was the last scene of the FSS series almost (Laugh)

Fatima Intercity

Takeuchi: After that, it's probably Palsuet? I love Palsuet's design a lot too.

Nasu: If you ask me to pick a favorite Fatima, it would be very difficult, I love all of them so much.

Intense Entrance of Jagd and Royal Road of Bang Doll

1/100 Jagd Mirage Twin Tower

Now about the MH, what are your opinions and favorite MH?

Nasu: Once again with the difficult questions (Laugh). If you ask me that question, the first thing that shows up in my mind is Jagd Mirage. It was around volume 8, when two full spread coming in a row, drawing the arrival of Jagd Mirage, the impact was amazing. Around 10 years ago, folks at VOLKS released a Garage Kit (GK) of Jagd Mirage Twin Tower. I took time and went to the Akihabara Showcase Room at VOLKS store often, just to say 'ITS SO COOL~~' at it. The Buster Launcher was bigger than the main MH Body. I wanted it, but where would you even keep such a thing. (Laugh)

Twin Tower is 1/100 Scale, and is almost 2m tall counting the Buster Launcher, its amazing how big it was (laugh).

Nasu: That was the peak of the Garage Kit Culture. Now everybody's willpower is much weaker, so there so no one who makes Garage Kits displays like that (laugh). The Twin Tower is the Garage Kit Industry's Basilica Sagrada Familia. We truly lived in a happy era. (laugh)

What is Takeuchi-san favorite MH?

MH Bang Doll

Takeuchi: For me, its of course, the Bang Doll (The Bang). I ended up buying a Volks Plastic Model for it. And in terms of episode, my favorite is Traffics 1. I'm not good with stories that are difficult to understand. Traffics 1 is easy to understand and I like Sword Sage Kaien.

Nasu: Kaien is everyone's favorite character Number 1, so its best we mention who we like besides him.

Takeuchi: Kaien's character is just a bit too strong right.

Nasu: When I was reading the volume where Kaien's meets his fate, for a moment there my fever for FSS just dropped completely. I think his such a big character he can impact your passion for this series.

From Left to Right: Suezo, Douglas Kaien, AT (Atropos), Auxo and MH Schpertor

Takeuchi: A while back, folks at Newtype asked me to go and draw illustration for a Bonus Booklet. And they requested me to draw my favorite characters, and the result was Kaien and AT (Atropos). (Included in Page 184) There story in Traffics 1 was the best, and the portion where Auxo's memory is recovered was the best. And the Bang Doll launch sequence that follows was great too. There were so many delicious events during it all.

Nasu: I feel Bang Doll, in terms of Nagano Designs, is the design that is the most typical one that everyone thinks is cool.

Takeuchi: By the way, I don't really accept how FSS is recognized as a Mecha Series. Rather than MH being accepted as a simple weapon, I enjoy the dramatic emotions of when the MH and Story are tied together so their activity becomes much more highlighted. So, when asked about what MH is my favorite, I ended up flowing towards the story that impacted me.

Nasu: Its rare for me to think a robot is just cool. What I thought was cool was the strange design that felt "was not of this world'. If a Gundam's mobile suit is a design that is meant to match everyone and thus a design that lacks feeling of antipathy, MH always has an element that feels alien and abstract. That bumpy chest makes me feel that element heavily. That's why I didn't want to succumb to the more typical designs of Bang Doll or LED Mirages... even though I'm already obeying its command.... (laugh)

Takeuchi: I think the Bang Doll is the most beautiful among the Star Cluster System personally. (Laugh) But I also feel that, as I grow older, my tastes have slowly changed as well.

Nasu: Yeah, I get it. Like when I was in my teens, when KOG was my favorite.

MH V Siren Prominence

Takeuchi: Now a days Fillmore's MH, especially the Imperial Vehicle (V Siren Prominence) I really like that one. I ended up buying the plastic model for it too (laugh). Isn't Siren the one who came out in Volume 3, who got defeated? Yeah, the one who was defeated instantly by Colus III's Junchoon. But for some reason now a days, it started to look cool to me.

There are so many FSS Characters

What are your general opinions on the characters?

Decors Weiszmel

Takeuchi: I didn't expect Decors would become someone so amazing.

Nasu: It isn't just the strong who are cool after all. There are people whose personality are trash but still be the strongest, that there is something to ponder about how one's humanity and ability are completely separate things is very strict and good.

Takeuchi: Anyways, the fact that there are so many characters makes quite the impression.

Nasu: Back during Volume 2, I was thinking 'wait there are still that many characters who haven't appeared yet? Can't you just drawn them in the manga!'. (Laugh) When I was younger, I thought of Nagano like any other mangaka. But if I can tell something to myself 25 years ago, I would tell him, "Mamoru Nagano isn't a mangaka, his a being known as Mamoru Nagano.' (laugh) That's why he draws a manga and illustrations, make a timeline chart, and occasionally fighting game...or fall completely into the latest technology

Besides Kaien (Laugh) which character do you like?

Takeuchi: Among the Knights, one I like is John Weinzel. Its been few years since the meeting Basha, but I didn't expect it to end that roughly. (laugh)

Nasu: I love characters who were unsung, so I like Allen Braford. Despite having unbelievable talent, due to having a very awkward lifestyle he ends up in horrible situations. For early characters, I like Misson Louth (Bord Bullard), his usually a clown, but during important moments you naturally witness parts of his true strength, you can't help but to be jealous. There's an episode about him in Volume 9. The "Blood" of the Knight becoming active within him late, leading to a conflict with his mother and his meeting with Megaira, it was all fantastic.

Takeuchi: Yeah, the stuff with Megaira was good. It was quite romantic.

Sword Sage Deimos Hiarak

Nasu: That duo is unfair. (laugh) I guess in terms of design, I think Deimos Hiarak is the only one (one and only). That gorilla esque face, that rough and tough figure and pheromones fuming from him, you almost can't resist. Back in Volume 5 when he first meets Queen*, he shows up in 60s Fashion. I thought 'who's this funny uncle?!', as he casually defeats Queen with a 8 men clone technique, and I thought 'wow its so cool!!" (laugh)

*Queen is written as クーン(Kuun) in Japanese, while Queen in English like how Enkidu is エルキドゥ (Elkidou)

Takeuchi: Hiarak at first, was only shown with his old man concept illustration, so we didn't expect a cleft chin carnivorous uncle would be the one who shows up in the main story (laugh)

Nasu: So if I must answer, I would choose Braford, Louth and Hirark, those 3.

Takeuchi: A knight's power has a title that presents their power, so there was this time where they revealed the background information of each Knight Class from Heaven Class (天位: Teni) to Sword Sage all at once. It is also ranked by a relative table showing the power balance of Knights. The declaration of the strongest star cluster system makes the heart skip a beat.

Nasu: Well there are a lot of knights who claim they are the strongest though (laugh)

What was the impact that FSS had on your own work?

Looking back, were there any influences that FSS held in your own creative activities?

Nasu: There's no way it could have not affected us (laugh). Of course, the traditional combination of a story of a girl, a chevalier, and an electronic knight from volume 1, is something I really like. It's a little different from the more success in life that most boys' dreams of, but that figure of a person fighting for the sake of a single girl, the unrivaled might of a Knight and MH, it was all there in one place. The type of storyline I wanted to do was this, I felt that utterly through it all. And of course, the naming sense is important too. FSS's many nations and Knight Corps are likened to many different nations of the earth, but all the names are mixed up isn't it. Nagano-fied arrangements of English, German and French are being announced in pride. I don't know how to read and spell correctly, but it's okay. Why? Because it's cool! This freedom in naming gave me strength. From universal names like the KOG, as well taking in music and military terminology. Mr. Nagano's name selection is superb.

The Empress of Flame, N.E.I.N.

Takeuchi: There's a lot of wordplay and puns in them. Like N.E.I.N. which is an acronym for something.

Nasu: Or if you read Amaterasu's English spelling in reverse, it becomes Mell Rince Usare Tama*. Back then, I thought I probably wouldn't need to go that far (laugh)

*Mell Rince Usare Tama is Amaterasu backward in English, and Amaterasu in the manga is always read with the Kanji Term for the Goddess Amaterasu (天照), making this a hidden pun for Japanese readers

Mell Rince Usarea Tama

It was to subtly imply that Rince was an Alter Ego of Amaterasu

Nasu: In terms of the regularity of my naming convention, it was probably Nagano Mamoru and games like Darius* that affected me. Basically, you're giving names that shouldn't be given to a human to these characters. For example, Focus Light, that's a term for an equipment used by filming studios. But if you use that as a name on a character, there's something really colorful and special to it. Using specialty terms that aren't used outside of each specific industrial sectors that is not widely known to the public, and combine it with a character to create something very charming.

*Darius is a shoot'em up by Taito

Takeuchi: The imagery derived from the text creating this visual that is also added to the character. Which means, FSS is in itself a Visual-kei, yup definitely.

*Visual-kei is a subculture movement in Japanese music and fashion

Nasu: Absolutely. Visual-kei isn't just a mean to an end to become popular among girls, but it means a band who visual aesthetics to express their music. If you say it like that, then Nagano Mamoru is a Visual-kei Mangaka, no a Visual-kei Creator...or something like that right?

How FSS teaches you to "create a world"

Takeuchi: When we first got into FSS, tabletop RPG was popular. Back then Nasu was also making a huge chronicle in our Tabletop RPG session. In my eyes, the current Nasu's Worldview in the style it was formed was a result of being influenced by the process of admiring FSS, chasing after it, and pondering many different things.

Nasu: For example, let's say protagonist A and B, and then make the companion C and D, then make their enemy, and afterwards the game starts, and the back-and-forth process begins and naturally the world grows bigger. It ended up becoming this kind of world, and in case of serialized work, that naturally leads to the conclusion. But in FSS, they first create the setting and background for each nation and characters, focusing on the creation of the world first. And then choose which nation will become the main stage and which knights will be appearing and then the story is made.

First create the massive world first, then for each chapter choose the era, background and protagonist that can be changed anytime. Its like a long form drama

Nasu: The Tabletop RPG experience that Takeuchi talked about was something we actually did before. Choosing a country for the setting and setting up the background for all the knights of that country, then invite in the player characters, and then we enjoy the ride thinking "now let's see how this world moves from this point'.

Takeuchi: For the players, it was like becoming one of the characters within FSS, I think you can imagine just how fun the game was back then. To go out on a limb and put in this way - there was a time when various artists were imitating FSS wasn't there? Everyone was infected by FSS, and of course we were among them.

Gen Urobuchi

Nasu: There's a scenario writer that I'm close to named Gen Urobuchi, I talk to him often but he told me "we cannot possibly write Mr. Nagano's work " Because that isn't something that is a result of an average "otaku context", unless a creator truly has a wide-ranging curiosity and deep understanding, they simply cannot emulate Mamoru Nagno's world - or for that matter, even draw in his style.

Fate/Complete Material

TakeuchI: I think what Nasu was doing with TRPGs back then wasn't mere imitations; I think he was attempting - in his own unique way- to take on the kind of "world-building" that Nagano Mamoru was doing with FSS. The sheer number of characters was another aspect of the challenge he was undertaking at the time. Players were given a special "supplementary guide" that he made; it contained not only lengthy character profiles but also brief, single-line notes listing their connections to other characters. Those single-line notes really sparked our imagination. On the surface, there shouldn't be any relationship between these two characters, yet they appear together on the list of related characters. It makes every player wonder, "why is that?", they might think, "this guy is supposed to be an ordinary person, but the fact that his linked to the Emperor suggests he might not be so ordinary after all." I think that element of enjoying what lies 'between the lines' is something both the players and Nasu learned from FSS. Afterall in FSS, there exists the ultimate and biggest hidden space between the lines, the Chronology of the Timeline.

Current Iteration of the FSS Timeline

Nasu: Though the Timeline does change from time to time (laugh)'

Takeuchi: Yeah, it went into massive reconstruction once. (Laugh) That being said, I think FSS is still perfectly enjoyable even now. The audience of today tends to prefer interpreting for themselves based on limited amounts of information drop fed to them rather than being bombarded with excessive information. And FSS certainly has plenty of elements that are closer to that kind of experience.

Nasu: It's honestly just fun reading without much deep thought, and like I said previously, if you read it seriously, it's even more fun.

Takeuchi: I think there is not a single creator among our generation who wasn't influenced by Five Star Stories.

Nasu: Rather it's only those who were influenced who managed to survive this long as creators. This might be a bit harsh to say, but those who managed to read Volume 1 and Volume 2 in middle school and did not have any kind of inspiration probably didn't survive (laugh)

Takeuchi: I personally see the influences within me. Girls wearing White Blouse and Black Stockings, I am very certain I am going to love this forever (Laugh)

Nasu: Yeah. The inspiration is so clear here that its honestly kind of embarrassing (laugh)

And lastly, we ask for your personal message to Mr. Nagano!

Nasu: Mr. Nagano, please always stay at the top doing what you do best. Until the very end of my natural life! (laugh)

Takeuchi: I look forward to seeing more of those wonderful Fatimas in the future!

This is not a post I want to make, as this has generally been a fantastic community full of valuable contributions - whether sharing news, showing off builds, or talking about anything else related to The Five Star Stories and Mamoru Nagano. There has been some growth in this subreddit and I'm happy to see so many more potential new fans. I want to see it continue to expand.

However, perhaps due to the growth, there has been a noticeable rise in grievance posting. A handful of individuals have taken to creating wishlists for non-existent FSS media (such as new anime adaptations, snap-fit model kits, or video games) and then asserting that the franchise is being "gatekept" simply because these hypothetical items do not exist.

Creating an imaginary product out of thin air, only to incite anger over its absence, is nothing more than rage-baiting and trolling. It wastes everyone's time and energy to demand a product exist and then get mad when it doesn't. This results in an endless toxic stream of imaginary things to rage about. Furthermore, you cannot "gatekeep" something that does not exist. I understand the frustration of newcomers who realize this franchise isn't Gundam. All we have is a short film, the manga, artbooks, and garage kits or plastic models that require glue and paint. That is it. But that is how it has always been since its inception 40 years ago.

Yes, I understand the frustration surrounding Gothicmade only being viewable in Japanese theaters. Yes, I understand being upset that the manga hasn't been fully translated into English. But FSS is a Japanese franchise that does not target a global audience, and until Titan’s recent English manga announcement, it hadn't been licensed in the US in over 20 years. Even now, given the constant delays, it remains uncertain if Titan will successfully release the first two volumes in English.

Ultimately, these are the challenges you accept when choosing to engage with this hobby. If you want a franchise like Gundam, you should watch Gundam and build Gunpla. FSS has never been and never will be Gundam. Demanding that it change its identity, and then inciting false outrage when it doesn't, brings nothing of value to this subreddit.