Posted on January 9, 2024

Dual Magazine No. 8

KUNIO OKAWARA DESIGN ROOM

Takara-style “Recommendation of original model”

This corner presents 3D versions of original mecha design drawn by Kunio Okawara, the mecha designer for Votoms and Dougram.

Real robot anime is characterized by many variations of a single design. Votoms is basically composed of two types of A.T. variations. One is based on a mid-class Scopedog, and the other is based on a heavy-class Standing Tortoise. The only exception is the lightweight Zwerg. In this respect, it is simpler than the CB Armor in Dougram. Therefore, in the world of Votoms, it is possible to easily create an original A.T. by making minor modifications and changing the paint.

The A.T.s shown here are two variations of a typical design. Please refer to the examples and try your hand at modification.

Desert Dog

A Scopedog designed for desert warfare. It is not a full-scale modification, but merely desert camouflage. The difference in design is due to the use of civilian custom parts instead of genuine Gilgameth military parts. It is not different from the basic Scopedog in terms of functionality, but its versatility to adapt to various environments makes it suitable for use in the desert.

This model was introduced as an example in the “3D Comic Report” in the second issue of 3D Journal. We have included it in this corner because of many requests to show it in color. Very few parts were reused, and most were modified by molding with poly putty and plastic plates.

No.8 V1 M Production / Toshihiko Tanaka, Yoshiaki Tsuneta (MA-MEZO)

SN-Turtle

The ATH-14 series is an official A.T. of the Gilgameth Army. The Bera Guerillas (in Kummen) obtained it through the Secret Society. The Snapping Turtle is a type modified by the Secret Society for P.S. use, based on the Brutishdog’s data. It defeated many Kummen government A.T. forces.

This is a simplified version of the original Ypsilon paint job seen in the anime, a 1/24 Takara SAK Snapping Turtle painted according to Mr. Okawara’s specification. The whole body was painted with semi-gloss finish except for the orange parts. Masking tape was used to create marks on the surface.

Overview of Sunsa arc

Story chart tracking character movements

Sunsa episode list, Quent design collection

Quent story digest on right side

A.T. Technology Part 3: A.T. Pilot Suits

In the previous issue, we discussed the electronics of A.T. This time, we will examine the A.T. pilot suit that connects the pilot to the mechanism.

The A.T., which was born as a land warfare weapon, eventually became a general-purpose weapon capable of space warfare. However, because the fundamental design concept was to reduce the size of the A.T. to the technological limit, pilot suits were required to support the pilot as the environment changed.

The basic functions of the A.T. flight suit must meet the requirements for life support in space, such as temperature control, radiation resistance, and air pressure control including respiration. For temperature control and radiation resistance, the base material must have thermal circulation and heating effects, and a radiation-resistant coating must be applied. The fabric itself has a maintenance function.

As for respiration, the pilot receives an air supply from the A.T. main body when boarding, while pressurization and depressurization are performed. The air tank connected directly to the helmet is for emergency use when away from the A.T. In addition, it is made to have elasticity in consideration of activities outside the A.T.

Except for the life-support mechanism, the helmet is integrated with the main body of the A.T. and its information transmission functions. The goggle directly transmits external information (scope image and sensor information) to receivers in the earpieces and the eyepieces. The mouth of the mask is equipped with a communication device. When airtightness is not required, a goggle can be used without a helmet or special pilot suit.

Armored Trooper Technical Description

1 Gilgameth Region Military A.T. pilot suit

This type of A.T. boarding suit is a little old-fashioned in terms of both function and design, but it still fulfills the basic requirements of the A.T. pilot suit.

2 Balarant Region military A.T. pilot suit

A combination of a normal space suit and a special helmet. The air tank is built into the back of the helmet.

3 Secret Society A.T. pilot suit

The air tank is built into the chest. Can be used as a normal helmet without the goggle and tubes.

4 Ypsilon’s A.T. helmet

The air tank is located in the back of the helmet like the Balarant version.

5 A.T. pilot suit for Fyana

The air tank is built into the shoulders.

6 Simple A.T. goggle

A.T. goggles of the Gilgameth type. It has a built-in communication device.

Votoms Research Part 1

Special Interview with Ryosuke Takahashi, General Director

History of the Astragius Galaxy

On the evening of February 1, 1984, at the coffee shop Aoyagi near Sunrise Studio, I was waiting for Mr. Takahashi to arrive while talking with Mr. Inoue, who was in charge of concepts and production. Mr. Takahashi was very busy at this time with script checks for the final episode of Votoms and his next new project.

I talked with Mr. Inoue about the Hundred Years War and the history of the Astragius Galaxy, which is not depicted in the TV program. He said, “There are very few records left from before the Hundred Years War.” He likes to say things like that, but he still answered my questions in detail. In the meantime, Mr. Takahashi arrived. It was his turn in the hot seat.

“Please go easy on me.” When he said this, I was humbled. In this interview, I wanted to ask him about the relationship between supernatural beings, Quentians, Perfect Soldiers, and Chirico, which are all shown in parallel. The following is what Mr. Takahashi had to say.

[Translator’s note: just for context, at the time this interview occurred the TV series was 4 episodes into the Quent arc. “Wiseman” had not yet been named, so this discussion was loaded with spoilers at the time. It was eventually published on March 20, just days before the final episode was broadcast.]

History of the Astragius Galaxy

Quent is located in the central region of the Astragius Galaxy. The Quent civilization was already at its peak when something like a civilization began to sprout on the planet Melkia. That was about 3,000 years ago. The supernatural beings who were expelled from Quent appeared as gods on other planets across the galaxy with various levels of civilization.

When I create a story, I get hints from real world history. If you do so, you can clearly feel the shadows of ancient civilizations. It’s not common in many stories, but clearly there was something around that was not the same as normal people, being treated as gods. In modern times it is not religious belief, but something like UFOs.

In this way, the supernatural beings used their unique abilities to haunt the stars. Even if we don’t call them “rulers,” they were involved in politics and economics.

The First Galactic War was the result of those civilizations creating their own space navigation systems and clashing as a result. This would have been about 1,000 years ago (in the story). Of course, the development of space navigation was a little seed planted by the supernaturals. However, the previous form of rule, which had been God, was replaced by the political form of the Balarant and Gilgameth nations. This is evidence of the weakening of the supernaturals’ power.

They were a mutant species, so to speak, so they could increase their population, but before they could gain the energy to develop as a species, they were expelled from Quent, and their number gradually decreased. Wiseman is not the name of an individual, but of the whole group of mutants. Eventually, those whose power faded returned to Quent and made it their home.

They recorded the know-how they had acquired during their 3,000 years of rule, one by one, and sealed it in their will before their life as a species expired. Wiseman continued to search for a successor, realizing that the technological advances of Balarant and Gilgameth’s war had created the same environment that gave rise to the mutants. He used Rochina and the Secret Society to search for them.

I haven’t actually established this, but the last of mutants may have been alive until about 10 years ago. So, Wiseman focused on Chirico’s childhood, and wanted to see if he would develop into a supernatural being.

Quent’s 3,000-year history

I myself, as well as many other adults today, am no longer able to keep up with the amount of information that young people consume. I’ve always had a fear of these young people. But because civilization developed so slowly, we never felt it in a single generation.

On the other hand, I think adults have always fully put to use the knowledge they gained while growing up to control the next generation. Experience matters, especially in an agrarian society. Even if they grow old and are physically unable to create new things, they’re still able to stand above the younger generation with their accumulated knowledge. That’s what it meant to be an elder.

Nowadays, however, we no longer have anything to tell our children. From the start, even a sense of play is lost to them. I think this is connected to the sense of crisis we feel when facing today’s civilization. This sense of crisis is not only felt by us, but by all adults. These days, values are changing rapidly. But have to think the development of civilization is a positive thing.

I think of mutants and P.S. as people who have adapted to a civilization that has reached its peak. They are artificially or naturally evolved human beings. They have the ability to interact with the cutting edge of technology of their time with ease. I believe civilization will change the human condition in much the same way the natural environment changes biological systems.

I wanted to deny this completely through Chirico and the Quent people in the story. I know that WarGames (the movie) is fictional, but I believe that there will eventually be a situation where machines leave humans behind and start running on their own. If human beings can no longer keep up with civilization, they will eventually try to leave the decision-making to machines. But I don’t think such a world can be called a civilization. At that point, man will change. Or rather, he will be forced to change.

The ancient Quentians did not want to take the next step up the ladder of civilization, so they chose the path of retreat. The mercenary business they started 3,000 years ago has something to do with their way of thinking. The idea of mercenaries is an attitude that does not question the rightness or wrongness of their opponents. It’s similar to Golgo 13 in my mind, which is a philosophical theme that as long as the conditions are met, they carry out their work without any social guilt or ideology.

The Quent mercenaries participate in the war of the Astragius galaxy, but they are only a weapon, and they’re not involved in the world. In their determination to deny the advancement of civilization, they have made mercenaries their sole industry.

I would like to point out, however, that this is by no means the entire story of Votoms, only one of its themes. Also, I don’t know if I really believe that this is what our future holds. It’s just one of the ways to choose a theme when creating a story. Wiseman is the sum total of the supernatural beings who ruled the whole galaxy. The Quentian way of life is one of the symbols in the battle between Wiseman and Chirico, who refuses to either rule or be ruled.

Astragius Galactic Chronology

178,000 years ago: Quent civilization begins

3,000 years ago: Quent civilization stagnates. Appearance of supernatural beings

2,000 years ago: Faster-than-light navigation is achieved. Civilization emerges.

1,000 years ago: First Galactic War

Supernatural beings rise in the shadows

500 years ago: Second Galactic War

100 years ago: Outbreak of the Third Galactic War (Hundred Year War)

0 year: Armistice in Melkia year 2343, Hundred Year War halted

1 year later: Hundred Year War rematch begins

Mutants and the P.S.

As for the difference between a P.S. and a supernatural being, it is not clear. I’m not putting any detailed conditions on it. As I said before, that part is abstract and simple. In short, it’s not necessarily high fighting power in an A.T. or an immortal body, it’s someone who can make friends with the technology of their time. (Laughs)

Just as the Quent civilization created the mutants, the technology of Gilgameth and Balarant pushed Chirico to the top. It’s safe to assume that there are others who possess the same qualities. Chirico’s fighting ability is secondary to his own environment. On the other hand, Wiseman may have noticed Chirico’s extraordinary qualities because of his unusually high combat skills. In this sense, the Red Shoulder Unit may be a reserve army of mutants.

On the other hand, a P.S. is not a mutation, but the best soldiers among the existing human beings. In the old days, they would have passed the A-class test. In other words, they are born with the best fighting ability from the beginning, because they were modified into perfect soldiers to cope with a machine civilization. Wouldn’t an unawakened Chirico naturally be able to beat a P.S.? But he has more potential than that. He surpassed Ypsilon, acquiring one piece at a time in each battle.

If we want to make the ending more exciting, we shouldn’t have an abstract confrontation. I think it would be interesting to have a mutant who thinks differently from Chirico, and for the two of them to fight it out in front of Wiseman.

How to make Votoms

As you know, the story of Votoms is full of holes. (Laughs) Why are there holes? Mr. Yamaura (the project manager of Sunrise) often says to me, “We are not what the world calls writers.”

Even if they have a grand idea, writers don’t start from the very beginning with a detailed structure. They build it from the moment they begin to write. Their pen moves like a living thing, and strangely enough, the story is woven properly. This kind of thing attracts me to a story.

However, in the case of TV, there are many conventions that precede a story, so even if the story is well written, it is often not interesting as a story. This is what Mr. Yamaura calls a setting drama. Every time, he tells me, “Setting drama is not interesting. Ryo-chan, make something that isn’t like that.”

So, as for me, the first thing I do is to create a character named Chirico. Then I decide on a general framework, saying, “This is roughly how it should be.” When Chirico starts to move and say something, the story gets started. If it goes too far, I just poke and prod it back to the original direction. It’s a drama that is created through the actions of the main character. In that sense, I feel that this work was able to move a little away from being a “Setting drama.”

[Translator’s note: based on the context, “Setting drama” appears to be a story driven by events rather than a central character.]

Next time, we will post the complete “Votoms Encyclopedia”

Votoms Research Part 2

A.T. Mechanism History

The Emergence of the Machine Trooper

Written by Dual Magazine Editorial Department
illustrated by Makoto Sakuma

Note: The illustrations of M.T. and A.T. are the editorial department’s speculation

All worldly things have their necessity. Before proceeding to the A.T. mechanism history page, let’s look into the history of how the A.T. was developed over three galactic wars.

History of the Hundred Years War

The Hundred Years War began as a limited local war which started in one corner of the Astragius galaxy, involved neighboring planets one after another, and gradually escalated to split the galaxy in two.

At the beginning it was an era of fleet warfare using space battleships, and long-range missiles were not used since each planet was well-prepared to defend itself against such an attack. Fleet warfare and subsequent drop offensives were the battle system at the beginning of the Hundred Years War.

This was followed by close combat between winged space fighters. At the same time, it was proposed that the tanks used in drop attacks be converted to a one-man version. The Machine Trooper (M.T.) was an evolution of this concept.

The M.T. had the function of a one-man tank, but also a variety of weapons that could be used with a manipulator, enabling it to respond to various combat situations. The use of the Muscle Cylinder (M.C.) also made the M.T. a tank that could be easily mass-produced. The addition of armor evolved the M.T. into the A.T. It did not take long to reach this development, and the A.T. gradually became the mainstay on the battlefield because of its usefulness.

In the Astragius Galaxy, some planets perished and others prospered during the 100 years of warfare. When A.T.s began to play an active role on the battlefield, the planet Melkia, where they were developed, gained its position as the pre-eminent planet of the Gilgameth region.

Trends in the Hundred Years War

100 years ago: (2243) Beginning of local warfare (The era of space ships and space fighters)

50 years ago: Collapse of the main Gilgameth planet

30 years ago: P.S. concept developed (discovery of the new use of jijirium)

25 years ago: Development of M.C. pack (20% larger than current one)

20 years ago: M.T. (Machine Trooper) developed.

18 years ago: A.T. (Armored Trooper) put into service.

15 years ago: Melkia gained superiority.

3 years ago: Red Shoulder Battaltion is formed.

0 year: (2343) End of war

A.T. mechanism history 1

Development of the A.T., which quickly became the main weapon on the battlefield, began 25 years before the end of the war with the application of the Muscle Cylinder (hereinafter abbreviated to M.C.). The MT-01 was a prototype using this cylinder. However, it could not withstand actual combat. Even so, the military pressed ahead with development of the M.T. for two reasons: the maneuverability of its bipedal walking style and the versatility of its manipulator, which were very effective on the battlefield.

Later, this idea blossomed into the MT-02ST and MT-03ST. The MT-03ST was the first mobile cavalry unit to be deployed on the battlefield, kicking off mass production for the first time.

The AT-O1ST was produced by adding armor (cover?) to the MT-03ST. However, this was only on the cockpit part. No armor had yet been added to the arms and legs, since the M.C.’s top performance could not cope with the increase in weight. The AT-02 was equipped with a new M.C. developed to overcome this problem, and the arms and legs were armored. However, the sensor and manipulator were the same as those of MT-03ST.

The appearance of A.T.s with the same concept as the current A.T. had to wait until the development of the AT-03ST.

MT-03ST

The MT-01 and MT-02 were developed on a trial basis. With the practical application of the M.C., the MT-03ST was mass-produced and put into actual combat.

The M.T. can be thought of as a manned mobile vehicle with arms and legs. The head was equipped with a sensor, though the combat situation was chiefly monitored by the naked eye. The arms were equipped with simple manipulators. Previously, tanks could only use fixed weapons. The M.T. was able to respond to various combat situations by simple virtue of its body shape.

The arms and legs were exposed, making it look lightly armed, but it had a scale equivalent to that of a heavy class A.T. This is because the M.C. was not yet miniaturized. It was developed mainly for ground combat, and the pilot often had to fight with a gun.

AT-02, AT-03

This was a type of MT-03ST with added armor. The basic structure of the arms and legs was the same, with the sensor unit on the head. However, several variations and custom-made types were also produced at the time.

In the illustration, the sensor unit of AT-02 was changed to a fixed lens, and the hand is the modified AT-03 type with a complete manipulator. It was called M.A. (missile assault) type because it was equipped with missile pods on the waist. It was a popular, custom-made body.

The AT-03 was not very different from the AT-02, but the M.C. was a great improvement over the M.T. era, and it was able to move a heavy-class body with ease.

BAT-01

When the Gilgameth AT-03 was put into full-scale operation, the Balarant forces were outnumbered in various regions. As a countermeasure, they tried to develop a similar model based on an AT-03 they had obtained intact.

The first model was the BAT-01. The overall design was the same as the later BATM-03, which is currently the mainstay. But due to delays in the development of the M.C., the performance was greatly inferior. In particular, the larger caterpillars on the legs could not technically imitate the gliding wheel of the AT-03.

Drawing by Mika Akitaka

Secret Society developed Armored Trooper
Light-class 01 type desert specification

X-ATL-01-DT Zwerg

Specifications

Height: 2912mm

Crew: 1 pilot

Basic standby weight: 3436kg

Armor thickness: 5-7mm

Cruising speed: 39km/h

Muscle Cylinder pack type: Slekzol System lP-NI-S2

Reaction fluid: DT-M 9,6HP l2

Total volume of reaction fluid: 95 l

Standard solution change: every 200 hours

Equipment:
11mm triple-barreled machine gun (interior of both arms)
Sand Roader (optional parts)

Portable weapons: Hand Solid Shooter (rocket howitzer) x 1

Hand-held equipment: Hand Searchlight x l

This lightweight A.T. was developed by the Secret Society on the basis of Melkia’s product. The lightweight design, including the use of reinforced plastic with metal laminate coating for the armor, makes it a lightweight weapon that is far more mobile than conventional A.T.s. The light-class A.T. was developed in parallel with the P.S. project, and the Secret Society was the first to put it into practical use. When used by ordinary soldiers, it is suitable for reconnaissance and support purposes, but it is difficult to control and is not suitable for novice soldiers.