Translation of Masahiro Kurata's "Cucuruz Doan: A Man's Transition" - Gundam Ace August 2022 Special Appendix Supplement (Cucuruz Doan Ace)

 This is a translation of an overview of Cucuruz Doan , focusing on the transition of Cucuruz as a 1-off character in the original Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) to his adaptation within the 2016 MSD manga as well as the 2022 film. This was featured in Gundam Ace's supplemental booklet for August of 2022, which covered the film as well as other published content, such as comics, settei, and interviews with staff on the film. 

(illustration in byline by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko)

Cucuruz Doan: A Man's Transition

This is the first new story for Mobile Suit Gundam in over 40 years. How was Cucuruz Doan, the main character of the story, portrayed? We'll look into the origin of the TV episode, Mr. Junji Ohno's manga adaptation, as well as the movie version. Let's discuss the transition. 

Upper byline:

Original story for Mobile Suit Gundam: Yoshiyuki Tomino & Hajime Yatate 
General Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino 
Screenplay: Yoshihisa Araki 
Storyboard: Jinya Sadamitsu
Director: Minoru Otani 

Upon receiving an emergency signal from the Federation Air Force, Amuro heads to a nearby island in his Core Fighter, where he encounters a Zaku controlled by a man named Doan and is shot down. Doan, a deserter from the Zeon army, lives a peaceful life on the island with a girl name Roland and three children, despite being constantly frightened by his pursuers. At first, Amuro is repulsed by his (Cucuruz') appearance, but gradually his heart is moved.

The Reclusive Doan From the TV Series

The movie, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island, which is directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, is an adaptation of the 15th episode of the TV series Mobile Suit Gundam, broadcast in 1979. The story was produced as a Gaiden (side story) episode with little connection to the main plot, not taking place before or after it. This was done in order to allow freedom in the arrangement of the series. Therefore, there are few elements related to the outline, and it was not included into the TV series when it was later re-edited as the theatrical trilogy, nor when Mr. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko wrote the manga (in reference to Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin). 

While the TV series was unique, it (episode 15) was a whited-out (deleted) episode. Its often talked about due to the discrepancies in drawing that occurred due to the animation being outsourced overseas, this being due to scheduling issues (at Sunrise). But the exchange between Amuro Ray and Curucuz Doan, who deserted from the Zeon forces and secluded themselves on an island to live with their children, is different from the usual flow. The story has a strong message and was highly acclaimed among fans and has been loved for a long time.

The appearance of the man named Cucuruz Doan, depicted in the same episode of the TV series, has an air of a recluse that is weary from war. 

Although he repels the Earth Federation Forces that come to the island, he only takes away their weapons and freedom of action. Its only when they disobey that he actively harms them. 

(cont. from page 14) There is no sign of strife, and the children are also fighting in the same vein, though he advises them to refrain from doing so. Although he's afraid of his pursuers from the Principality of Zeon, Cucuruz is more worried about the safety of the island, Roland, and the children. 

Yoshihisa Araki, who was in charge of the scenario of the same story, later wrote about the scenario in the first volume of Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin MSD: Cucuruz Doan's Island. He says that he had Doan's settei and a rough draft of the story, and that he later created the children and other characters that would later appear. All the while, Mr. Araki, who was born in 1939, said that war orphans were familiar to him (due to the implications of WW2). 

As for Doan, in the 1981 guidebook Gundam Century Soaring Warriors, published by Minoru Shobo, there is a passage that is written stating that "Doan is fed up with the vulgarity of his comrades, and to atone for his sins, he takes his children and hides on an island. He's holding his breath so that he won't be found. He should know better. Even so, he alone can't change the situation of the war. He knows he can't do anything to change his situation, but he can try." 

What is referred to as "comrade vulgarity" is the fact that the Zeon army shamelessly kills even children and non-combatants. In references to "sins", it refers to the fact that Doan killed the parents of the children who currently reside with him on the island. 

Doan's sentiments were similar to those held of the Vietnam War. His sentiments recall the tragic story of the My Lai Massacre, in which non-combatants were killed by the U.S. military. Its also reminiscent of the soldiers who were plagued with suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after returning home (from the war). 

At the same time, its worth noting that Doan himself "understands that life on the island is a kind of escape" and realizes that he alone cannot change the course of the war. The Doan of the TV series is frightened by the Principality of Zeon's forces and does not know how to improve the situation. Ultimately, he just deals with each case scenario and waits of the situation to end some day. 

(TV, 1979. Mobile Suit Gundam episode 15 "Cucuruz Doan's Island". Doan was just holding 

his breath on the island!!)

 Doan of MSD, Who Got a Fleshed Out Past

(cont. from page 15) 30-odd years after the aforementioned TV series was broadcast, Mr. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko adapted his own manga into a film as the general director of the OVA Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. Mr. Junji Ohno was in charge of creating a spin-off manga, which became Mobile Suit Gundam MSD: Cucuruz Doan's Island. 

In this work, which takes place in the same setting as the OVA The Origin, Doan appears as a special ensign within the Principality of Zeon's forces, who has been involved in the development of MS since before the outbreak of the One Year War. He's assigned as captain of the "Development Training Y-1 Platoon", which is assigned to test MS.

Although Doan has a stern air about him, he is portrayed as a reliable captain who his subordinates trust. After the outbreak of the One Year War, the Principality of Zeon's plans were thwarted, and the members were gradually forced to struggle against the brutal side of the war. Although he has his own beliefs, he has no choice but to support his friends throughout their fight after the Earth colony drop operation.

In the midst of a guerrilla mop-up operation, Doan suddenly escapes. Why did he leave the battlefield? After witnessing the inhumane atrocities, he questions himself as to whether he should keep fighting or not. 

 

(The comic, which was released in 2016. Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin MSD: Cucuruz Doan's Island. Manga adaptation by Junji Ohno. Mechanical design by Hajime Katoki. Character design by Tsukasa Kotobuki. Original concept by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino. Based on the original manga by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin.)

In October of 0079 of the Universal Century, following the turmoil of southern North America following the death of Garma Zabi, Corporal Vasily of the Principality of Zeon encounters and battles the new Mobile Suit "Gundam" of the Earth Federation Forces. Vasily barely manages to get rid of the Gundam, but loses both his wingmen and subordinates in the process. Even before the start of the war, the corps were stranded in the middle of a strategic nightmare. Why did their captain leave them and escape? Vasily and the others fight with complicated feelings towards Doan in their hearts...

The Novelization of Cucuruz Doan's Island

Kiyoto Takeuchi, the author of Mobile Suit Gundam NT, wrote this novelization. The original elements of the novelization are also inserted in other media. While complimenting the movie, it still creates its very own world. The prologue details Doan's activities in 0075, from joining the Republic of Zeon's army to the formation of the Southern Cross Corps - as well as an episode that triggered Doan's departure from the army. You can feel the homage to Junji Ohno's manga Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin MSD: Cucuruz Doan's Island.

(cont. from page 16) 

In this story, Doan's role as a soldier is not depicted as it was in the TV version. Everything from Doan's career, exchanges with his then colleagues, to relationships with relatives are depicted in great detail. A guest character, who only appears in once episode, suddenly has a past and a place in history. 

At the same time, using Doan himself as the main character instead of using Corporal Vasily and his beloved subordinates as viewpoint characters, the depiction (of Doan) became three dimensional, and his image feels more realistic. 

MSD is a work that incorporates Doan, who was outside the main story line in the TV series, into history and further solidifies the existence of Doan as a human being. 

When Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, who completed the OVA The Origin, saw this work, it lead to the production of the movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island. 

(The movie version, 2022. Original: Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino. Director: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. Screenplay: Toshizo Nemoto. Character design: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, Atsushi Tamura, and Tsukasa Kotobuki. Mechanical design: Kunio Okawara, Hajime Katoki, and Kimitoshi Yamane.)

The Earth Federation Forces, having endured the defensive Battle of Jaburo, launched a large-scale counterattack operation to capture Odessa, the home of the Zeon Earth Invasion Force. In the midst of this, Amuro and his friends have been assigned on a mission to clear out the remaining enemies on an uninhabited island, commonly known as "The Island of No Return". Amuro and his friends set out to search for those left behind, but what they saw there were children and a Zaku that shouldn't have been there. After losing the Gundam in battle, Amuro meets a man named Cucuruz Doan. 

Doan From the Movie is Holding "Purpose" To Change the Situation

As mentioned before, the movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island, is an adaptation of episode 15 of the TV series, and the story is also arranged as a single theatrical work, though the character of Cucuruz Doan changes within it. 

Doan from the TV series is particular about fighting without using weapons against MS, though in this film, Doan wields a heat hawk and is willing to annihilate his enemies in order to protect the children. There is a sense of aversion held towards the war that is distinctly different from the TV version, where Cucuruz is depicted as an idealistic recluse. 

Most importantly, while the TV series depicted the island as a place that was used as "some kind of escape" until the war situation changed, Doan in this film stays on the island to achieve a particular goal. As for the goal, as its an original element to the film, you'll have to watch and find out, but his goal is to change a particular situation - and to change this situation, he must change the course of history and interfere with the world around him.

Director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko was inspired by the Y-1 platoon in MSD to make the Southern Cross Corps appear in this work. In the screenplay of this film, when the Southern Cross Corps visit the island to attack, Doan says "Isn't it possible to escape from the past?" Its impressive. 

Of course, the worlds of each work are independent, but if you put them side by side like this, Doan -  who was hiding and had given up interacting with the world, to gaining a position in the timeline with MSD, to the movie version within Cucuruz Doan's Island, he seems to have changed into a person who confronts the past with his will and intervenes in the situation by himself. Some would say that its nothing more than farfetched. However, I think that being able to enjoy a single character in such a multi-layered way is the depth of the Gundam world, which has spanned over 40 years. (end of article)