Shunsuke Takeuchi Cast as Cucuruz Doan in Cucuruz Doan’s Island Gundam film

Anime production studio Sunrise is gearing up for the premiere of their upcoming theatrical Gundam film, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island. For the fan celebrated “Zaku Day” the official website for the film has announced the casting for the titular Cucuruz Doan character. Doan will be portrayed by Shunsuke Takeuchi, who also portrays Iram Masam in the Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash anime film. Takeuchi is best known for his other roles such as the Producer in THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS, Revolver in Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS, Juuza Hyoudo in A3!, and Brawler in Akudama Drive.

Takeuchi commented about his casting in the film, “I feel very honored to be involved in the Gundam series at this time, which has just passed its 40th anniversary, and to be a part of the ‘first series’ directed by Yasuhiko-san.”

Cucuruz Doan is described as:

A former Principality of Zeon MS pilot who lives on an isolated island with his many children and dairy animals. He became a deserter after running away with the Zaku he was piloting, and has been fighting both the Earth Federation and Principality of Zeon forces approaching the island with the Zaku he has been repairing and refurbishing, disabling enemy machines. He rescued Amuro from the cockpit after engaging with his Gundam who visited the island to mop up the island’s Zeon remnants. He is a skilled pilot, capable of overpowering even the Gundam piloted by Amuro, who is becoming an experienced warrior. He is hiding a certain secret of the island from his former subordinates, the Southern Cross Corps. He is marked for death.

The website also provided the designs for film’s signature mobile suits, RX-78-02 Gundam and MS-06F Doan’s Zaku, piloted by protagonist Amuro Ray and Cucuruz Doan respectively.

Announced during the 2nd Gundam Conference on September 2021, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island is a new anime film directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the character designer and chief animation director of the 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam series, as well as chief director of the 2015-2018 Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin OVA series. The film will be a new perspective on the fifteenth episode of the same name from the 0079 series. The tagline for the new film is “Gundam, rising again—“ and is set to release June 3, 2022 to 185 theaters in Japan.

Story

After enduring the battle at Jaburo, the Earth Federation Forces plan to launch a major counteroffensive to capture Odessa, a major base of Zeon’s Earth Attack forces. The White Base, with Amuro and his fellow crew aboard, head towards Belfast to receive the last resupply before the operation. White Base is then given a mission. The mission is to mop up the remaining Zeon enemies on an uninhabited island, commonly known as the “Island of No Return”. Amuro and his team embark on a search for the remaining agents, but what they see is a group of children and a Zaku that should not be there. After losing his Gundam in a battle, Amuro meets a man who calls himself Cucuruz Doan. Will he be able to uncover the secrets of the island, and will Amuro be able to find the Gundam again and escape safely……?

Cast