Exploring Hiroyuki Sawano's Approach to Music Production for 'Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway': "I Want to Bring Out the Entertainment Value Through Sound Even More"

——In that scene, Hathaway pointed it out without being flustered, but in 'The Sorcery of Nymph Circe', after separating from Gigi, the way he's depicted suffering while being captivated by that carnal desire is interesting as a contrast.

Sawano: I also thought that since Hathaway was in the same room, she would be a bit more careful if she was going to change (lol). I wonder... rather than a way of viewing things where I emotionally connect with or analyze characters, there's a part of me that sees things from a bigger picture.

——Was that also the case when you first watched 'Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack'?

Sawano: While feeling the interest in how they were depicting things this way in this era, there was also a part of me viewing the expressions unique to the Gundam series objectively or with some distance. However, I also understood why everyone would come to like Char, and I watched while feeling such things. Not just limited to the Gundam series, I might be viewing all anime and films that way.

Rather than deeply digging into characters, I think I tend to consider what is being depicted in a scene.

——I heard that the music for 'Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway' was created with an approach focused on scenes. Does this mean you pay attention to what's depicted in scenes both when watching works and when creating music for them?

Sawano: Hmm, I wonder. When I create music, I have a strong desire to bring out the entertainment value that the work possesses through sound even more. By having the visuals and music match, if it's a scene that makes you cry, I try adding an exaggerated melody to make it even more tear-inducing. For exciting scenes, if there's epic music with drums playing, I think viewers can experience more dynamism.

——In terms of building excitement through music, "UNICORN" which plays during the scene where the Unicorn Gundam launches in 'Mobile Suit Gundam UC', the first Gundam series you worked on musically, had a truly wonderful sense of exhilaration with the music and visuals united as one.

Sawano: Really? Thank you (lol).

——I felt that "83UeI" and "G1×2" were also tracks that matched their scenes well, so I'm looking forward to watching 'The Sorcery of Nymph Circe' while paying attention to the music.

We were able to glimpse a part of Sawano's approach to music production. In 'Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe', currently showing from January 30, 2026, please pay attention to how the music accompanies each scene.

[Official Website] https://gundam-official.com/hathaway/
[Official X] https://x.com/gundam_hathaway

Interview, Photography, Text / kato
(C)創通・サンライズ