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(The cover of vol. 2 of WO79, a newsletter for members of the Gundam fan club known as the KGFC. This text varies in difference against other zines and doujins of the era as its primarily focus was to share opinions, correspondence and even meet-ups with other fujoshi.)
"Character introductions & impressions - Major Char Aznable
What I feel for him now is now influenced by his past. That's what made him who he is today. What happened when he was young has made him into the person he is now. I still don't know exactly what that truly is. I have no idea, but I think his past is a legitimate key to Gundam's entire plot. Garma thought of him as his best friend, but he (Char) knew this and took advantage of him, eventually killing him. Sure, he may have done something cruel, but I felt sorry for him when Garma died, though.
I don't think Char-sama is bad - it's something deep inside him that makes him go down this path. Therefore, when Char-sama thinks about his sister, it makes you feel that he has a sensitive isde of him as well. However, even though they separated over 10 years ago, it feels naive to think that these sorts of feelings will stay the same forever. But, it's natural to have those emotions, so I don't care. No one is perfect. I'm starting to like him even more!" - Yui Yuihara, KGFC member #12
One of the texts I acquired from M was vol. 2 of WO79, a fanzine by the Gundam fan club known as the KGFC. The KGFC, which stands for the Kanagawa Gundam Fan Club, seemingly was heralded by high school age individuals, primarily women, were lead by the individuals known as Mami and Ashura. Mami addresses the readers and members alike with a welcoming yet very direct addressing of all orders of fan club affairs right off of the bat - "After the first issue was published, we were overcame with a number of complications but managed to get the second issue published. I'm truly sorry for everyone who was worried about our situation up until now, though with our future activities, we intend to fill in all the gaps and keep you all informed."
Its not for certain what these hurdles were, though given the nature of high school lead fan clubs of the day, one could assume that timing or finances played a role in these production hiccups. "We will be reading this book aloud and will exchange opinions with each other, so thank you to everyone who submitted a theme or manuscript! I think we we will be bale to express a wide variety of sensibilities and that this will be a big step towards our future club activities."
The KGFC's focus on criticism, while from the front of high school age individuals, predates later critiques from 1981 to 1983 proper. Based on the timeline in which this fanzine was published, Amuro's meeting with Ramba Ral's ground troop unit and even the fallout of Garma Zabi's death had already lingered deeply into the queer Gundam fandom at this point and still permeated aspects of the conversations had. While it lingered onward, other discussions blossomed about the intentionality behind Char's betrayal, some of which aligned his actions with a past grudge that seemed grey at best. Was it his father's death? His separation from his sister Artesia? It simply was too early to know, though the aspects surrounding Char's seemingly petty response bore more connotations than met the eye.
Many aspects of this text waffle back and forth between then canonical information to topics that became only known widely post production, showing a unique link between studio access and magazine articles of the day. For instance, Mirai Yashima is often refered to as "Mirai Eiland", a direct reference to her name as given in the original Gunboy documents. Strangely enough, Mirai's name had already been established by episode 2 of 0079 as Paolo Cassius makes note of it. The same episode is discussed in depth within this fanzine, so one is left with the interpretation that perhaps there was a lapse in when this write up was actually made.
Still, more questions posited were given no answers as I read along, though the breadth of criticism seemed to lie solely in how Zeon's star ace pilot, Char Aznable, navigated the terrain against the Federation - " Major Char was in total disbelief when he hears about the performance of the mobile suit (Gundam) from the Zaku crew who have returned from their recon mission. There are not many people left on Side 7 who can fight, so the only good thing about this misfortune was that their numbers were low."
An appreciation shared among the KGFC was that of Gundam's BGM, in which the various scores, which ranged from everything from disco to orchestral numbers, hit a chord deep within the fanbase. To quote fan club member Yu Hayami, "When it comes to the music that simply oozes out of this story, it certainly doesn't have the cohesiveness of a symphonic suite nor does it take from other ideas. For example, Yamato (Space Battleship Yamato) is very conscious of the works of Tchaikovsky. I think that because of the close connection it has with the plot, the songs give us a great deal of emotion."
The BGM seemed to convey a sense of "human warmth" hidden within the plot structure and was far more psychologically engrossing against the grain of what once was. There was a seemingly magical prowess that expressed the theme and tone of Gundam from the score alone, and before anyone knew it, they were inexplicably "understanding of the serious implications of the plot." From softer themes to high energy, if not experimental sounds, the BGM for Mobile Suit Gundam is discussed in an endearing amount of depth as not only a riveting piece of media, but one that should be highly prioritized as an artistic medium in itself.
(Yui Hayase among others of the KGFC discuss Gundam's score and BGM as being important even outside of the animation itself.)
One of my favorite tracks, A Decisive Battle, are discussed with the eloquence of a genuine music critic by high school students in a way that is exceptionally refreshing nearly 40 years later; "Brass and strings repeat several times for the themes A Long Sleep and A Decisive Battle. The bass uses a beat that sounds akin to a heartbeat, and its as if you can feel the breathing of something waking up from its slumber. This perfectly aligns with the strings that glide right over it. A synthesizer only enhances the sci-fi feel. There are no other songs that musically express such a terrifying sense of anticipation."
The maturity of this group is, quite frankly, palpable. Even down to the fanzine's layout and points of conversation, the KGFC's near inexhaustible candor can also be found in their open establishment of "fan-club original characters", in which they openly ask as early as mid 1979 for members to create original characters, or OCs, as well as settings for Mobile Suit Gundam. This aspect of creation, while extremely fond to me, was extremely surprising to see as the KGFC's call to action was very personal and direct.
"Create your original character corner! We have taken up an issue that its a bit too large of a project for the theme of issue 3. This is the set theme. Please share your thoughts on dictatorship from your perspective (and how does Amuro, Bright, and Captain Char feel about this topic?) as your personal opinion, to the best of your ability. Even just a brief impression is fine.
Please share your opinion in the journal! As a rule, papers and opinions should not exceed one page of report paper. We also welcome illustrations, original manga, etc. Thank you very much! The deadline is October 10th, so please send it to the staff representative.
Here is an example of an original character, Miya Iolanta - Maiya: "Maybe it's because I can no longer see the horrible world." She's a blind civilian girl who's eyes were damaged in the war. Illustrated by Asura."
Additional closing details inform members of bulletins, club meet ups, as well as fees that must be paid for attending meetings as well. This level of organization, while necessary for any real group production, was not only organized and succinct, but seemingly lenient to those who could not make particular deadlines. The production of this book seemingly took place towards the end of Gundam's 1st season proper, as funds were required to be turned in by at least November 15th if they'd paid in September.
Time allowed, correspondence and letters were required to have a 50 yen stamp should they actually wish to write back and forth as payments for sending registered mail could not be taken from the fan club's money box. "P.S. If you would like a reply to your letter(s), I would appreciate it if you could enclose a 50 yen stamp... having to pay for a reply letter out of my own pocket is hard on my wallet!!!" Simply put, an organized fanzine took more than just talent and time.
