Gundam
Encyclopedia
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
created by Sunrise
Sunrise (company)
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...
studios that features giant robots (or "mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
") called "Mobile Suits" (MS); usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam.
The metaseries started on April 7, 1979, as a serial TV show called Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
. That first TV series has since spawned a franchise that has come to include works released in numerous media. Titles have appeared in the form of multiple television series and OVAs, movies, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, novels and video games, among other modes. The story from the original 1979 series has been considerably extended with sequels, prequels, side stories and alternate timelines. As a result, the title Gundam has become a collective term for the seven distinct but related timelines that can be pieced together from the stories that appear in the Gundam franchise. Generally speaking, the timelines do not intersect, but they do contain a few common elements such as the titular war machines called Gundam. However, all Gundam timelines and worlds, long after their own anime series, do eventually intersect and combine in the series Turn A Gundam
Turn A Gundam
is a 50 episode anime series that aired between 1999 and 2000 on Japan's FNN networks and on the anime satellite television network, Animax, which was created for the Gundam Big Bang 20th Anniversary celebration...
.
The original timeline for the Gundam series was the Universal Century
Universal Century
is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
(UC) series, which included Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...
(1985). Since the 1990s, alternative timelines have been produced and developed, including the Future Century
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Mobile Fighter G Gundam, known in Japan as , is a Japanese animated television series directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa . Created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the franchise in 1994, it is the first of the Gundam series to be set in an alternate continuity from the original "Universal Century"...
, After Colony, After War, Correct Century
Turn A Gundam
is a 50 episode anime series that aired between 1999 and 2000 on Japan's FNN networks and on the anime satellite television network, Animax, which was created for the Gundam Big Bang 20th Anniversary celebration...
, Cosmic Era
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
is an anime series developed by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. As with other series from the Gundam franchise, Gundam SEED takes place in a parallel timeline, in this case the Cosmic Era, the first to do so...
, Anno Domini
Mobile Suit Gundam 00
is an anime TV series, the eleventh incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise...
and Advanced Generation
Mobile Suit Gundam AGE
is a 2011 Japanese science fiction anime television series and the twelfth incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise. The series is first announced in the July issue of Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic, and has gaming company Level-5's President Akihiro Hino in charge of the story...
timelines.
As of January 21, 2008, the Gundam franchise is a 50 billion yen
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
trademark. A year 2000 press release stated that retail sales of Gundam items had totaled $5 billion. In the 2008 ranking of average sales figures for anime copies sold in Japan (1970-2008 total sales figures averaged by episode), Gundam series were in four of the top five places: Mobile Suit Gundam ranked second, with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
is an anime television series, acting as a sequel of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED by Sunrise. It retains most of the staff from Gundam SEED, including Director Mitsuo Fukuda. Set two years after the original Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, the plot follows the new character Shinn Asuka, a soldier from ZAFT,...
third, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
is an anime series developed by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. As with other series from the Gundam franchise, Gundam SEED takes place in a parallel timeline, in this case the Cosmic Era, the first to do so...
fourth, and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam fifth. Also, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, known in Japan as , is an anime series in the mecha genre, and is one of the alternate universe Gundam series, taking place in the After Colony timeline. It is the second alternate universe in the Gundam media franchise, following Mobile Fighter G Gundam...
ranked 18th and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
is a TV series aired on Japanese TV from 1986–1987, was the third Gundam series, and a direct follow up to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino returned to lead the series, and he assembled a new team consisting of character designer Hiroyuki Kitazume, who had been one of Zeta...
ranked 20th. Gunpla's (Gundam Plastic model) holds 90% of the Japan character plastic model market.
Academics in Japan have also viewed the series as inspiration, with the International Gundam Society being the first academic institution based on an animated TV series.
Concept
Mobile Suit Gundam was principally developed by renowned animator Yoshiyuki TominoYoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
, along with a changing group of Sunrise creators who went under the collective pseudonym of "Hajime Yatate
Hajime Yatate
is a pseudonym for the collective contributions of the Sunrise animation staff.-Name:"Hajime Yatate" is considered named after a quote of Matsuo Bashō's Oku no Hosomichi:-Credited series:...
".
During its conceptual phase, the series was titled Freedom Fighter Gunboy, or simply Gunboy for the gun the robot was armed with, and the primary target demographic were shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
(boys). In the early production stages, there were numerous references to the word "freedom
Freedom (political)
Political freedom is a central philosophy in Western history and political thought, and one of the most important features of democratic societies...
": the White Base
White Base
The White Base is a fictional spaceship from the Japanese science fiction anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. It serves as the mothership of the protagonist crew members and the famous mobile suit Gundam...
was originally "Freedom's Fortress", the Core Fighter was the "Freedom Wing", and the Gunperry was the "Freedom Cruiser". The Yatate team combined the English word "gun" with the last syllable of the word "freedom" to form the name Gundom. Tomino then changed it to the current title, suggesting that Gundam signified a powerful unit wielding a gun powerful enough to hold back enemies, like a hydroelectric dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
holding back floods.
Most Gundams are large, bipedal vehicles controlled from cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
s by a human pilot. The majority of these "mobile suits" have a cockpit in the "torso
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
" of the machine, with a camera built into the "head
Head
In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do....
" to transmit images to the cockpit (with the exception of the head-mounted cockpits in Psyco Gundam
Psyco Gundam
refers to a series of fictional mobile armours of prodigious size, appearing in the Gundam franchise in various forms. The animation incarnations were designed by Kazumi Fujita , and have appeared in both Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and its sequel, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, both by the antagonistic Titans...
) and are non-sentient machines, with the exceptions of the artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
A.L.I.C.E. in the side-story Gundam Sentinel
Gundam Sentinel
is a novel set in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam universe, originally serialized in Model Graphix magazine between September 1987 and August 1988. Gundam Sentinel became a cult hit, due to its super-detailed mechanical designs and an intricate story by veteran writer Masaya Takahashi...
and four mobile suits built with the EXAM System and sharing a Newtype
Newtype
A Newtype is theorized to be the next stage of human evolution in the fictional Gundam universe. This minor but groundbreaking metamorphosis is usually expressed as a heightened mental awareness, the result of an evolutionary adaptation to life in space....
human soul in The Blue Destiny
Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story
Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story is a trilogy of Sega Saturn video games set in the fictional universe of Gundam, released between 1996 to 1997...
.
Innovation
Mobile Suit Gundam is said to have pioneered the real robotReal Robot
is a genre of Japanese animation. The genre contains mecha robots that are powered by conventional power sources and weapons explainable by real world science, and that use ranged weapons and speed to survive battle situations....
era of mecha anime
Mecha anime
Mecha anime cover all series that revolve around the use of piloted robotic armors in battle, which is broken down into two subcategories of Super Robot and Real Robot. Mecha series cover a wide variety of genres from comedy to drama, though are always fantastical and larger-than-life in nature and...
.
Unlike its super robot
Super Robot
is a term used in manga and anime to describe a giant robot or mecha, with an arsenal of fantastic super-powered weapons, extreme resistance to damage unless the plot calls for it, sometimes transformable or combined from two or more robots and/or vehicles usually piloted by young, daring heroes,...
cousins, Gundam attempted a realism in the robot design and weaponry, by running out of energy and ammunition or breaking and malfunctioning. The technology is practical and is either derived from true science (such as Lagrange points in space and the O'Neill cylinder as a living environment) or at least well-explained, feasible technology, requiring only a few fictional elements to function (such as Minovsky Physics as a means of energy production from helium-3).
The necessity of developing humanoid robots is also explained, albeit fictional. The fictional Minovsky particle pervasive in Universal Century is depicted as interfering with radar-guided long-distance cruise missiles, anti-aircraft guns, missiles, and all early warning systems, with weapons systems having to rely on human eyes. In Universal Century, the space-based Principality of Zeon
Zeon
In the television anime Mobile Suit Gundam universe, Zeon can refer to the Republic of Zeon, the Principality of Zeon or Neo Zeon. It is also referred to as the Duchy of Zeon or the Zeon Dukedom...
rebels against Earth Federation, requiring a weapons system that could function in zero and normal gravity and be able to open and close air locks, plant demolition charges, and engage with enemy tanks and planes; with a robotic giant being an excellent choice. Once mobile suits have been developed by one side, the opposing force had to develop a similar system, just as British invention of tanks lead to the development of tanks in Germany, and eventually led to tank-to-tank battles.
Gundams realistic scientific setting has gained a reputation in the field itself as well. On July 18, 2007, when MIT's Astronautics Department's Professor Dava Newman displayed a biosuit, the suit was referenced as Mobile Suit Gundam's Normal Suit is now real by various news agencies. On February 14, 2008, when NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
proposed research into nuclear thermal rocket
Nuclear thermal rocket
In a nuclear thermal rocket a working fluid, usually liquid hydrogen, is heated to a high temperature in a nuclear reactor, and then expands through a rocket nozzle to create thrust. In this kind of thermal rocket, the nuclear reactor's energy replaces the chemical energy of the propellant's...
s, Technobahn, a scientific journal in Japan, referred to the usage of nuclear thermal rocket engines on mobile suits in the Gundam universe.
Narrative
The narrative itself revolves around the mobile suits and their pilots fighting in a war, in which destruction and dehumanization are inherent, through multiple sides; each faction having their own heroHero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
es and villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
s, all of which have their own unique motives, failings, and virtues. Gundam also features political battles and debates on various important philosophical issues and political ideals on the nature and meaning of war, the ideal of pacifism, and the continuing evolution - natural or engineered - of humanity and its consequences. These are often framed in the series as a debate between the protagonist and antagonist over the course of a duel, as they try to convince each other of the righteousness of their causes.
Finally, most of the stories are basically structured as "coming-of-age" dramas, where the main protagonist (and sometimes the main antagonist) and most of the cast's personalities, points of view, allegiances, goals, and actions may or may not change dramatically as events unfold. This makes the plot seem more realistic than earlier super robot animated series where the hero and cast usually act in the same predictable manner, with little connection between the episodes. The best example of this is how the personalities of longtime rivals, Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
and Char Aznable
Char Aznable
, born is a fictional character from the Gundam franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonists in Mobile Suit Gundam and later becomes one of the protagonists of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. In his final appearance in Char's Counterattack, he assumes leadership of the Neo Zeon movement,...
, are influenced by their experiences in the Gundam saga.
Characteristics and variations
As a metaseries, Gundam functions with different designs and coloring (with most following Kunio OkawaraKunio Okawara
is a mechanical designer in the Japanese anime industry. A mechanical designer is similar to a character designer, but the design is for robots, ships, and other mechanical items found in a particular show. Okawara was the first in the industry to be specifically credited as a mechanical designer...
's original Gundam design). Producer Masahiko Asano wrote in his notes on the production of S Gundam that everyone seemed to have their own idea of Gundam and in the meeting, they were trying to find the asymptotic view for everyone in the meeting.
- In the Universal CenturyUniversal Centuryis the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
timeline, "Gundam" is the name of the Earth FederationEarth FederationThe is a fictional organization in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime series. The name also made a reappearance outside of the Gundam series in following media.* Godzilla vs...
's (Chikyū Renpō, 地球連邦) first experimental general-purpose mobile suit, which is incredibly powerful, compared to most of the mass-produced models eventually used by either side. Afterwards, many powerful mobile suits based on the Gundam's design also carry the name, such as the RX-178 Gundam Mk-IIRX-178 Gundam Mk-IIThe RX-178 Gundam Mark-II is a fictional mobile suit from the Universal Century Gundam anime series. A collaborative design created by Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita, it is featured prominently as protagonist Kamille Bidan's mobile suit in the first half of Mobile Suit Zeta...
, MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, LM312V04 Victory Gundam, etc. The Anaheim Gundams, or Greek alphabet Gundams are a series of mobile suits developed by the fictional company Anaheim ElectronicsAnaheim ElectronicsAnaheim Electronics is a fictional civilian company that appeared in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The company appeared first in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam as the main financier, supplier, and manufacturer of the faction AEUG...
, some of them are notably carrying different style heads than other Gundams in the series, like the Rick Dias (Gamma Gundam) and Hyaku Shiki (Delta Gundam). In this timeline, Gundam often stands for General-purpose Utility, Non Discontinuity Augmentation Maneuvering weapon system. - In the Future Century timeline, the word "Gundam" refers to a space colony's entry in the "Gundam Fight", a competition that determines which colony would rule the Earth for the next 4 years. The pilots who use these Gundams are known as "Gundam Fighters". However, some suits that are called Gundams are not entries in the Gundam Fight at all, with the most operative examples being the JDG-009X (JDG-00X) Devil Gundam and the JMF-1336R (JMF1336R) Rising Gundam.
- In the After Colony timeline, the word "Gundam" refers to most mobile suits constructed out of a special alloy called "Gundanium", which can only be mined and produced in space. This alloy gives the Gundams high resistance to conventional weaponry and renders them stealthy under radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, due to its nature of absorbing electromagnetic radiationElectromagnetic radiationElectromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space...
. Every Gundam has a unique name that befits the nature of the suit and/or its origins, such as the XXXG-01W Wing Gundam, XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe and the XXXG-01S Shenlong Gundam. - The After War timeline is a loose continuation of the Universal Century, presenting an alternate scenario, with many of the mecha designs loosely based on Universal Century suits. The "Gundam" in this show refers to mobile suits from the previous era built from lunar titanium alloy, and suits made in the After War era that were based on Gundams.
- In the Correct Century timeline, the name "Gundam" is given to the Gundam "Turn A" mobile suit by a specific character, who was originally an ace pilot, but was placed under suspended animationSuspended animationSuspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
. The color scheme of the Turn A reminds the character of the Gundam mobile suits from previous eras. - In the Cosmic Era works, Gundams are mobile suits that carry a specific type of operating systemOperating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, first secretly produced (without the programmer himself knowing what he is programming the system for) by the one of the protagonist's robotics research group, and faced a few upgrades by various factions throughout the story. The acronym of the operating system's original version and its variations always spells "GUNDAM", hence the name of the suits. However, this is retconRetconRetroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned by later toys and scale models tagging the "Gundam", after the unit's own name. - In the Anno DominiAnno Dominiand Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
timeline of Mobile Suit Gundam 00Mobile Suit Gundam 00is an anime TV series, the eleventh incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise...
, the term Gundam is the generic designation of a line of unique and highly effective mobile units developed by Celestial Being, such as the GN-001 Gundam Exia and GN-002 Gundam Dynames. Distinct from concurrently introduced weapons, suit torsos contain a core generatorElectrical generatorIn electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
system known as the GN Drive or Solar Furnace, capable of sustaining independent unit function for an indefinite period of time without needing to refuel. In addition, onboard propulsionSpacecraft propulsionSpacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the...
recycles the generator's GN particle exhaustExhaust gasExhaust gas or flue gas is emitted as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel fuel, fuel oil or coal. According to the type of engine, it is discharged into the atmosphere through an exhaust pipe, flue gas stack or propelling nozzle.It often disperses...
for high-speed, virtually unlimited output. The particle exhaust disruptsElectronic countermeasuresAn electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
the use of conventional radarRadar jamming and deceptionRadar jamming and deception is the intentional emission of radio frequency signals to interfere with the operation of a radar by saturating its receiver with noise or false information...
and a range of wireless communicationsWireless networkWireless network refers to any type of computer network that is not connected by cables of any kind. It is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and enterprise installations avoid the costly process of introducing cables into a building, or as a connection between various equipment...
. - In the Advanced GenerationMobile Suit Gundam AGEis a 2011 Japanese science fiction anime television series and the twelfth incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise. The series is first announced in the July issue of Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic, and has gaming company Level-5's President Akihiro Hino in charge of the story...
of Mobile Suit Gundam AGEMobile Suit Gundam AGEis a 2011 Japanese science fiction anime television series and the twelfth incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise. The series is first announced in the July issue of Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic, and has gaming company Level-5's President Akihiro Hino in charge of the story...
, the Gundam was a legendary mobile suit developed by ancestors of main character Flit Asuno. When he inherits the AGE Device from his mother, which contains plans of a mobile suit that resembles a painting of the Gundam he saw, he decides to name the new mobile suit "Gundam".
- See also the Japanese article for Gundam Type / for details.
Calendar system
The majority of Gundam, including the earliest series, occur in the Universal CenturyUniversal Century
is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
(UC) calendar, with later series set in alternate calendars or timelines
Alternate future
In science fiction stories involving time travel, an alternative future or alternate future is a possible future which never comes to pass, typically because someone travels back into the past and alters it so that the events of the alternative future cannot occur.An alternative future differs from...
mostly unrelated to the UC system (at least three of these calendar systems were actually initially numbered after the year that the series premiered, with 1979's Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
taking place in UC 0079, 1995's Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, known in Japan as , is an anime series in the mecha genre, and is one of the alternate universe Gundam series, taking place in the After Colony timeline. It is the second alternate universe in the Gundam media franchise, following Mobile Fighter G Gundam...
in After Colony 195, and 2007's Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Mobile Suit Gundam 00
is an anime TV series, the eleventh incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise...
taking place in 2307).
- Mobile Fighter G GundamMobile Fighter G GundamMobile Fighter G Gundam, known in Japan as , is a Japanese animated television series directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa . Created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the franchise in 1994, it is the first of the Gundam series to be set in an alternate continuity from the original "Universal Century"...
takes place in the Future Century (FC), where space colonies have gained the upper hand over Earth, consequently attempting to put an end to the internal power struggles now plaguing the planet. - Mobile Suit Gundam WingMobile Suit Gundam WingMobile Suit Gundam Wing, known in Japan as , is an anime series in the mecha genre, and is one of the alternate universe Gundam series, taking place in the After Colony timeline. It is the second alternate universe in the Gundam media franchise, following Mobile Fighter G Gundam...
takes place in the After Colony (AC) calendar system, set after the foundation of the first space colony, where Earth firmly maintains repressive control over its colonies. - After War Gundam XAfter War Gundam XAfter War Gundam X, known in Japan as , is an anime television series from Japan. It is a part of the Gundam franchise that started in 1979, but takes place in an alternate universe called After War Era. The series has 39 episodes, aired in Japan from April 5, 1996 to December 28, 1996 across TV...
takes place in the After War (AW) timeline, set after the conclusion of the 7th Space War, where the Earth is devastated by massive colony drops. - ∀ GundamTurn A Gundamis a 50 episode anime series that aired between 1999 and 2000 on Japan's FNN networks and on the anime satellite television network, Animax, which was created for the Gundam Big Bang 20th Anniversary celebration...
takes place in the calendar system, which director Yoshiyuki Tomino intended as the distant future of all previous timelines. The CC sees the colonies becoming much stronger than the Earth, but unlike the FC timeline, takes a more aggressive stance towards it. The English acronym of CC is Correct Century (コレクトセンチュリー), in the official Japanese ∀ guide book. - Mobile Suit Gundam SEEDMobile Suit Gundam SEEDis an anime series developed by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. As with other series from the Gundam franchise, Gundam SEED takes place in a parallel timeline, in this case the Cosmic Era, the first to do so...
, its sequels, and spinoffs take place in the Cosmic Era, with CE referring to the years after the foundation of the first space colonies. - Mobile Suit Gundam 00Mobile Suit Gundam 00is an anime TV series, the eleventh incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise...
, is so far the only series to occur during the non-fictional timeline. This is reflected in the show with a worldview that more reflects the modern world, and the presence of real-life conflicts and rebel groups such as RIRA and the Tamil Tigers. - Mobile Suit Gundam AGEMobile Suit Gundam AGEis a 2011 Japanese science fiction anime television series and the twelfth incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise. The series is first announced in the July issue of Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic, and has gaming company Level-5's President Akihiro Hino in charge of the story...
takes place in the Advanced Generation (AG) calendar system, which is set after hundreds of years of space colonization and is characterized by the end of all wars in the Earth sphere and a period of peace before the sudden attack of the UE.
Bandai and Japanese-speaking fans unofficially refer to projects not directly related to the first Gundam series or its staffers (such as Gundam Sentinel
Gundam Sentinel
is a novel set in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam universe, originally serialized in Model Graphix magazine between September 1987 and August 1988. Gundam Sentinel became a cult hit, due to its super-detailed mechanical designs and an intricate story by veteran writer Masaya Takahashi...
and Mobile Fighter G Gundam) as "Another Gundam" stories, and to projects made after 1989 as "Heisei
Heisei
is the current era name in Japan. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the first day after the death of the reigning Emperor, Hirohito. His son, Akihito, succeeded to the throne...
Gundam" stories. On a survey for a video game that would become Gundam: True Odyssey
Gundam: True Odyssey
, is a role-playing game for the PlayStation 2 console based on the Gundam franchise. The game was designed to be accessible to a general audience unfamiliar with Gundam...
, the Cosmic Era series (including Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray
is a collection of "gaiden" set in the Cosmic Era of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Whereas the main story of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED focuses on the struggles between the Earth Alliance, ZAFT, and Orb Union, the Astray series is focused on the three MBF-P0x mobile suit prototypes and their respective...
) were collectively referred to as "21st Century First Gundam" (a reference to the original Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
series). English-speaking fans have used the term "Alternate Universe" ("AU" for short) as a nickname for the stories that do not take place within the Universal Century timeline, but this is made unofficial for use in Japan.
Animated series and films
| Name | Media | Year(s) | MSG Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Suit Gundam Mobile Suit Gundam is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes... |
TV series Compilation movies |
1979-1980 1981-1982 |
U.C. 0079-80 |
| Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita... |
TV series Compilation movies |
1985-1986 2005-2006 |
U.C. 0087-88 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ is a TV series aired on Japanese TV from 1986–1987, was the third Gundam series, and a direct follow up to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino returned to lead the series, and he assembled a new team consisting of character designer Hiroyuki Kitazume, who had been one of Zeta... |
TV series | 1986–1987 | U.C. 0088-89 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack is a 1988 anime film set in Gundam's Universal Century timeline of Gundam, specifically U.C. 0093.Making its theatrical debut on March 12, 1988, Char's Counterattack is the culmination of the original saga begun in Mobile Suit Gundam and continued through Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit... |
Movie | 1988 | U.C. 0093 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket is a 1989 Japanese science fiction original video animation series, the first such series in the Gundam franchise. Directed by Fumihiko Takayama, it was also the first time anyone other than creator Yoshiyuki Tomino was given a chance to direct a Gundam story. Released in 1989, it serves to... |
OVA Original video animation , abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation... |
1989 | U.C. 0079-80 |
| Super Deformed Gundam Super Deformed Gundam is a series that spawned from the Gundam series. This series takes the mobile weapons and characters and express them in super deformed style.-Origins:... |
Movie OVA TV series |
1988–1989, 1991, 1993 1988, 1990 1993 |
Unknown |
| Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is a 13-episode anime OVA series set in the Gundam universe. The first volume containing two 30-minute episodes was released in Japan on May 23, 1991. Subsequent volumes, containing one 30-minute episode each, followed every one or two months; the final volume went on sale on September 24, 1992... |
OVA Compilation movie |
1991 1992 |
U.C. 0083 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam F91 Mobile Suit Gundam F91 is a 1991 anime film, which was Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino's attempt to launch a new Gundam saga, set thirty years after Char's Counterattack and twenty seven years after Gundam Unicorn. He re-teamed with character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and mecha designer Kunio Okawara for the occasion.... |
Movie | 1991 | U.C. 0123 |
| Mobile Suit Victory Gundam Mobile Suit Victory Gundam , is a 1993 Japanese science fiction anime television series. It consists of 51 episodes, and was directed by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. The series was first broadcast on TV Asahi and later by the anime satellite television network, Animax, across Japan and later its respective networks... |
TV series | 1993 | U.C. 0153 |
| Mobile Fighter G Gundam Mobile Fighter G Gundam Mobile Fighter G Gundam, known in Japan as , is a Japanese animated television series directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa . Created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the franchise in 1994, it is the first of the Gundam series to be set in an alternate continuity from the original "Universal Century"... |
TV series | 1994–1995 | F.C. 60 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, known in Japan as , is an anime series in the mecha genre, and is one of the alternate universe Gundam series, taking place in the After Colony timeline. It is the second alternate universe in the Gundam media franchise, following Mobile Fighter G Gundam... |
TV series Compilation OVA |
1995-1996 1996 |
A.C.195 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team is an original video animation anime series in the Gundam franchise. Released from January 25, 1996, to April 25, 1999, the 11-episode series details the adventures of an Earth Federation Space Force ground unit during the One Year War - specifically before the original 1979 Gundam series and into... |
OVA Compilation movie |
1996 1998 |
U.C. 0079 |
| After War Gundam X After War Gundam X After War Gundam X, known in Japan as , is an anime television series from Japan. It is a part of the Gundam franchise that started in 1979, but takes place in an alternate universe called After War Era. The series has 39 episodes, aired in Japan from April 5, 1996 to December 28, 1996 across TV... |
TV series | 1996 | A.W. 0015 |
| Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, known in Japan as , is the sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, both of which are set in the After Colony timeline, an alternate universe to that of the original Gundam series... |
OVA Compilation movie |
1997 1998 |
A.C.196 |
| Turn A Gundam Turn A Gundam is a 50 episode anime series that aired between 1999 and 2000 on Japan's FNN networks and on the anime satellite television network, Animax, which was created for the Gundam Big Bang 20th Anniversary celebration... |
TV series Compilation movies |
1999-2000 2002 |
C.C. 2345 |
| Gundam the Ride: A Baoa Qu | Amusement park attraction movie | 2000 | U.C. 0079 |
| Gundam Neo Experience 0087: Green Divers | Specialty format movie | 2001 | U.C. 0087 |
| Gundam Evolve Gundam Evolve , also known as Mobile Suit Gundam Evolve, is a series of short films set in the different timelines of the Gundam series. Originally there were only five Evolve episodes, produced from 2001 to 2003, Bandai started to create new Evolve episodes in 2004... |
Animated shorts | 2001–2005 | various |
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is an anime series developed by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. As with other series from the Gundam franchise, Gundam SEED takes place in a parallel timeline, in this case the Cosmic Era, the first to do so... |
TV series Compilation specials |
2002-2003 2004 |
C.E.71 |
| Superior Defender Gundam Force Superior Defender Gundam Force is a Japanese anime series. The scenario was created by Yūichi Abe.-Overview:A Japan/America co-production, SD Gundam Force initially aired on Cartoon Network in the U.S... |
TV series | 2003–2004 | Neotopia |
| Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War | Movies | 2004 | U.C. 0079 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny is an anime television series, acting as a sequel of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED by Sunrise. It retains most of the staff from Gundam SEED, including Director Mitsuo Fukuda. Set two years after the original Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, the plot follows the new character Shinn Asuka, a soldier from ZAFT,... |
TV series Compilation specials |
2004-2005 2006-2007 |
C.E.73 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079 | OVA | 2006 | U.C. 0079 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer is a side story to the anime TV series, Gundam SEED Destiny. As of July 2006, it is being streamed on as an original net animation. The show is directed by Susumu Nishizawa and written by Shigeru Morita, both staff members of Gundam SEED Destiny.... |
ONA Original Net Animation An original net animation is an anime that is directly released onto the Internet. ONAs may also have been aired on television if they were first directly released on the Internet. The name mirrors original video animation, a term that has been used in the anime industry for straight-to-video... |
2006 | C.E.73 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is an anime TV series, the eleventh incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise... |
TV series Compilation specials |
2007-2009 2009 |
2307-2312 AD |
| Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front | OVA | 2009 | U.C. 0079 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is a novel by popular Japanese author Harutoshi Fukui . The novel takes place in Gundam's Universal Century timeline. Character and mechanical designs are provided by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Hajime Katoki, respectively... |
OVA | 2010-?? (In Production) | U.C. 0096 |
| SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors is a Japanese anime television adaptation of the SD Gundam model kit series BB Senshi Sangokuden that began airing on April 3, 2010 and is produced by Sunrise. It is directed by Kenichi Suzuki and Kunihiro Mori. There is no opening theme song, however, there two ending theme songs. The first ending... |
Movie TV series |
2010 | Mirisha |
| Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer is an animated film set two years after the second season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00, as the film sees Celestial Being against a group of hostile aliens known as ELS. It is the first Gundam series to have included aliens in any of its franchises... |
Movie | 2010 | 2314 AD |
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: The Movie | Movie | To be Announced | C.E. |
| Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G is an original video animation series produced by Sunrise to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Gundam plastic model kits. It's directed by Kou Matsuo and written by Yousuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Kaichiro Terada. The OVA is first released in August 15, 2010 to December 19,... |
OVA | 2010 | 2010 AD |
| Mobile Suit Gundam AGE Mobile Suit Gundam AGE is a 2011 Japanese science fiction anime television series and the twelfth incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise. The series is first announced in the July issue of Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic, and has gaming company Level-5's President Akihiro Hino in charge of the story... |
TV Series | 2011-?? (In Production) | A.G. 115 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN is a manga adaptation of the television anime series Mobile Suit Gundam written and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the original series' character designer... |
TBA | TBA | U.C. 0079 |
Further development
In an interview in the February 2009 issue of OtonaFami, Yoshiyuki Tomino commented on the lack of planning of Sunrise and Bandai and that because a good movie needs 3–4 years of production time, it is too late for him to do anything for 2009, the 30th anniversary of Gundam. However, he did comment that it was not too late to begin considering the 35th anniversary. His wish was that in the future, a common sentence people would use would be to Think like Gundam.Super Deformed Gundam
SD Gundam originated from a contributed illustration of a junior high school student from Nagoya by the name of Koji Yokoi to the "Model News" magazine that Bandai was issuing in the 1980s. The illustration is of a Gundam but with an unusual proportion where the overall height of the Gundam is equal to twice that of its head. This illustration interested the chief editor and so leading to Koji Yokoi serializing SD Gundam in 4 frame comics in "Model News".The super deformed design was suitable for capsule toys and so SD Gundam started merchandising with the Gashapon series "SD Gundam World" in 1985. Although at first SD Gundam started out as a parody of the Gundam series by the 1990s SD Gundam spawned many spin-off series, SD Sengokuden (Musha Gundam) which has a Sengoku setting, SD Gundam Gaiden (Knight Gundam) which has a fantasy medieval setting and SD Command Chronicles which has a modern military style to name a few.
With its popularity, SD Gundam merchandise expanded to include manga, trading cards, anime and video games.
Live-action film
G-Saviour is a live-action television movie set in the Universal CenturyUniversal Century
is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
timeline of the Gundam metaseries. It also officially marks the last events of the Universal Century.
Manga and novels
The manga narration of the original series is published in English in North America by a variety of companies, such as Viz MediaVIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
, Del Rey Manga
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
, and TOKYOPOP
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
, among others, and in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
by Chuang Yi
Chuang Yi
Chuang Yi Publishing Pte Ltd. is a publishing company based in Singapore that specializes in producing domestic and imported comics and comics-related merchandise, in English and simplified Chinese. Chuang Yi distributes all or some of its products in Singapore, Malaysia, India, and the Philippines...
.
Series based on Gundam models
Although not directly related to Gundam, these series incorporate Gundam models as part of the stories (it might be noted that Genshiken and Sgt. Frog were created by subdivisions of BandaiBandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
and Media Factory
Media Factory
is a Japanese publisher. It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd...
and Sunrise, respectively):
- Sgt. FrogSgt. FrogSgt. Frog, known in Japan as , is a manga series by Mine Yoshizaki. It was later serialized into a TV anime series directed by Junichi Sato. Both the anime and manga are comedies that follow the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders to conquer Earth...
- GenshikenGenshikenis a manga series by Shimoku Kio about a college club for otaku and the lifestyle its members pursue. The title is a shortening of the club's official name, , or "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture". The series has also been adapted into an anime directed by Tsutomu Mizushima...
Series about Gundam modeling simulation battle
These series are based on lead characters building their own Gundam Plastic ModelGundam model
Gundam Models refers to plastic and non-plastic model kits depicting the mechas, vehicles and characters of the fictional Mobile Suit Gundam universe by Bandai. These kits have become popular among anime fans and model enthusiasts, especially in Japan and in other nearby Asian countries since the...
and have them battle on a simulation arena.
- Plamo-kyo Shiro(1982–1986)
- A series mainly based on the models of the first Gundam series along with its Mobile Suit Variation series. It is the first series on Gundam models. Series features modification of existing models and creating new ones, like the PF-78-1 Perfect Gundam, Red Warrior, and Musha Gundam, which were endorsed by Bandai and was later released as official models and figures, and also as units featured in various games. The series started the idea for G Gundam of pilot's emotion reflecting the emotion of the unit. Various series basing on the same plot model were published, including sequels like:
- New Plamo-kyo Shiro
- Super Warrior Gundam yaro
- Plamo-kin Taro
- A series mainly based on the models of the first Gundam series along with its Mobile Suit Variation series. It is the first series on Gundam models. Series features modification of existing models and creating new ones, like the PF-78-1 Perfect Gundam, Red Warrior, and Musha Gundam, which were endorsed by Bandai and was later released as official models and figures, and also as units featured in various games. The series started the idea for G Gundam of pilot's emotion reflecting the emotion of the unit. Various series basing on the same plot model were published, including sequels like:
- Plamo-Wars(1994~1998)
- Gunpla Musashi
Video games
Following the popularity of Gundam, various video games feature original characters previously not found in other media. Some video games have been converted into comics or novels.| Games | Book title | Book type | Description |
| Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story is a trilogy of Sega Saturn video games set in the fictional universe of Gundam, released between 1996 to 1997... |
Gundam Blue Destiny | Comic | |
| Gundam Side Story: Rise from the Ashes | 機動戦士ガンダム外伝―コロニーの落ちた地で…〈上〉角川スニーカー文庫 機動戦士ガンダム外伝―コロニーの落ちた地で…〈下〉角川スニーカー文庫 |
Novel | |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles is a Sci-Fi Mech Shooter/Mech Simulator Game for the Sony PlayStation 2. This game allows you to play as a regular soldier on either the EFSF or the Principality of Zeon, witnessing events from the One Year War on a grunt unit's point of view. You will be able to fight side by side with the Ace... |
機動戦士ガンダム戦記―Lost War Chronicles〈1〉角川スニーカー文庫 機動戦士ガンダム戦記―Lost War Chronicles〈2〉角川スニーカー文庫 |
Novel | |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front is a game for the PlayStation 2, which revolves around a Zeon Special Commando Unit during the One Year War, called the Midnight Fenrir Corp. This MS team was created by Kycilia Zabi and participated in the capture of the California Base during the 2nd Earth... |
ZEONIC FRONT―機動戦士ガンダム0079〈1〉角川スニーカー文庫 ZEONIC FRONT―機動戦士ガンダム0079〈2〉角川スニーカー文庫 |
Novel |
Super Robot Wars
The Gundam metaverse makes regular appearances in the Super Robot WarsSuper Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
series by Banpresto
Banpresto
is a Japanese toy company, best known in America for game development, headquartered in the Shinagawa Seaside West Building in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was founded April 1977 as Hoei Sangyo, Co. Ltd. The company was renamed Coreland in 1982, and during the 1980s it worked mainly as a subcontractor for...
. In fact, there has not been a single non-Banpresto Original title which has not featured at least one Gundam series and characters. Some series come and go, but Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
, often in his RX-93 "ν Gundam", is a regular character and has actually never missed a single game. This all changed in Super Robot Wars Judgement
Super Robot Wars Judgement
, is a tactical role-playing video game released for the Game Boy Advance by Banpresto.-Gameplay:Judgement features several systems used in previous games, as well as new ones...
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and Super Robot Wars W
Super Robot Wars W
is part of the Super Robot Wars franchise and was published for the Nintendo DS by Banpresto. It is the first Super Robot Wars game released for the Nintendo DS. Like some DS games, special features can be unlocked by starting a new game with any of the Game Boy Advance era games inserted into SLOT...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. So far, almost every single major Gundam series has made at least one appearance in the series.
The mobile suit units are considered the representing unit in the "real robot
Real Robot
is a genre of Japanese animation. The genre contains mecha robots that are powered by conventional power sources and weapons explainable by real world science, and that use ranged weapons and speed to survive battle situations....
" type of mecha. The games' units are often separated by being "super robots", powerful mecha that often have near-limitless powers and technology, but have a shorter range of movement, and real robots, mecha that are physically weaker, but possess a wider range of movement and accuracy. There have been so many mobile suit units that it is impossible to tell a distinct style, however, mobile suits are extremely agile and have an enormous variety of weapons.
Original design series and variations
Due to the sheer popularity of the Gundam franchise, especially the mobile suit design, several "Original Design Series" were published. These series are drawings and precise specifications for additional mobile suit units not found in the original animated material:- Gundam Century (1981)
Gundam Century was a book published on September 22, 1981. At first it is an unofficial anime guide of Mobile Suit Gundam, published by Minori books(みのり書房) as an extra appendix of the monthly magazine 月刊OUT. The book served as the basics of all the technology and realistic demonstration of Gundam, in which at publish, it is a collection of fan material along with interviews and off-time works from the original Gundam creators like Yoshiyuki Tomino, Kunio Okawara and Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
is a Japanese animator and manga artist in the anime industry.Yasuhiko dropped out of Hirosaki University and was hired by Osamu Tezuka's Mushi Productions in 1970 as an animator. He later went freelance and worked on various animation productions for film and television. In 1981 he won the Seiun...
. Also collected various real world space exploration science and referenced scientific journals like L5 News, Science
Science (magazine)
Science was a general science magazine published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science . It was intended to "bridge the distance between science and citizen", aimed at a technically literate audience who may not work professionally in the sciences...
, Physics Today
Physics Today
Physics Today, created in 1948, is the membership journal of the American Institute of Physics. It is provided to 130,000 members of twelve physics societies, including the American Physical Society...
. The settings in the book has since then been adopted and endorsed by the official company Sunrise
Sunrise
Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight...
and Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
. Although most of the numbers and history has since then been changed a few times, (for example, the One Year War
One Year War
The is a fictional conflict from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam metaseries. The One Year War is very similar to World War II, the major difference being that The One Year War is in a science fiction setting and some major battles occurred in space...
started in November 0079 instead of the current official timeline January 0079). the book is regarded as the pioneer of the realism of the Gundam franchise, and is acknowledged in Gundam Official and is republished by as an official publication in the year 2000, named as Gundam Century Renewal Version.
- Mobile Suit Variations (1983)
- Also known as "MSV", these variations exist from the One Year War, and considered to be official and canonical in the Universal Century timeline.
- Mobile Suit XMS-XMobile Suit X, or MS-X for short, is a series of new mecha designs and variations on standard anime mecha designs, from the Mobile Suit Gundam animated series...
(1984)- Also known as "MSX", these are new models for a proposed, but never produced new animation series, and considered to be official and canonical in the Universal Century timeline.
- Z-MSV
- Variations from the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam series.
- ZZ-MSV
- Variations from the Mobile Suit Double Zeta Gundam series.
- CCA-MSV
- Variations from the Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack movie.
- Kunio Okawara's MS Collection (M-MSV)
- Kunio OkawaraKunio Okawarais a mechanical designer in the Japanese anime industry. A mechanical designer is similar to a character designer, but the design is for robots, ships, and other mechanical items found in a particular show. Okawara was the first in the industry to be specifically credited as a mechanical designer...
's personal reinterpretations of his original designs.
- Kunio Okawara
- F91-MSV
- Variations from the Mobile Suit Gundam F91 movie.
- V-MSV
- Variations from the Mobile Suit Victory Gundam series.
- SEED-MSV
- Variations from the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED series.
- SEED Destiny MSV
- Variations from the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny series.
- 00V
- Variations from the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 series.
Merchandise
Bandai, the primary licensee of the Gundam trademark, makes a variety of products for the Gundam fan. Other companies produce unofficial toys, models, t-shirts, etc. Categories of products include the "Mobile Suit In Action" ("MSiA") action figures, and Gundam Model KitsGundam model
Gundam Models refers to plastic and non-plastic model kits depicting the mechas, vehicles and characters of the fictional Mobile Suit Gundam universe by Bandai. These kits have become popular among anime fans and model enthusiasts, especially in Japan and in other nearby Asian countries since the...
in several scales and design complexity. Generally, each series listed above will have its own set of products, although the MSiA and models lines, such as Master Grade and High Grade Universal Century, may extend across series. The most popular line of action figure in recent year; however, is the "Gundam Fix" series. This line of figures include the mecha shown in the animated series/manga/novels, but also included new accessories to create a more updated version.
Internet
Bandai maintains a number of sites to promote various Gundam projects. Most prominent amongst these is "Gundam Perfect Web", the official Japanese site. Its English language counterpart is the US maintained "Gundam Official". For a brief trial period in 2005, the site hosted the "Gundam Official User Forum". These forums were based on the existing fan forum, "Gundam Watch", and made use of many of its staff. When the project was retired, Gundam Watch was reborn, before passing the torch onto "Gundam Evolution", which maintained many of the same traditions and staff.A number of series specific websites have been produced. These are often available for a limited time, usually to promote a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release. Common content includes character and mecha listings, lists of related merchandise and pay-for-download content. "Special" pages are also frequent, often presenting downloadable wallpaper or a small game. The Superior Defender Gundam Force
Superior Defender Gundam Force
is a Japanese anime series. The scenario was created by Yūichi Abe.-Overview:A Japan/America co-production, SD Gundam Force initially aired on Cartoon Network in the U.S...
site, for example, offers a game where players take the role of the villain Commander Sazabi, attempting to blast his subordinate with his weapons. After completion, users are rewarded with a papercraft of the Ark fans featured frequently in the show's second half.
As a cultural icon
Gundam is a popular cultural icon of Japan; it is a 50 billion yen business of Bandai Namco (projected 50 billion yen income of the company and reached a highest number of 54.5 billion yen in 2006). Not only were stamps published, an employee of the Agriculture Ministry was reprimanded for contribution to Japanese Wikipedia Gundam related pages, the Japanese Self Defense Forces code-named its developing advance personal combat system as Gundam and the Fire department used Gundam to promote the future of fire fighting developments. A tram station stood a monument of the original Gundam and used the main theme of the first Gundam anime as its departure melody and other businesses like Mitsubishi not only created a test-type simulator for concept cars with a version of Gundam cockpit, it also held recruitment seminars using "How to make a Gundam" as a demo of what their development process is and based their Lancer Evolution design on Gundam. Isuzu also used a Gundam to model the VX2. A conference as a preparation for the "International Gundam Society" (国際ガンダム学会) was held on the August 24 in Hiroshima, using Gundam as the main topic to discuss about the relationship of the science and technology in science fiction anime and the real world.Fire fighting poster
Japanese stamps
The RX-78 Gundam was recognized as a culturally significant subject by the nation of Japan on October 23, 2000, with the inclusion of the suit and the main pilot on two stamps in the 20th Century Stamp Series.On March 25, 2011, a set of 10 stamps called Gunpla Frame Stamp Collection 30th Anniversary will be released in Japan. Featuring 10 of the titular Mobile Suit RX-78-2 Gundam's plastic models for 1980 to 2010.
Additionally, this mobile suit and other notable mecha from various Gundam series were recognized in the second set of "Anime Heroes and Heroines" stamps, released in 2005. It was one of only four franchises to be given the honor; the others were Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
, Galaxy Express 999
Galaxy Express 999
is a manga written and drawn by Leiji Matsumoto, as well as various anime films and TV series based on it. It is set in a space-faring, high-tech future in which humans have learned how to transfer their minds into mechanical bodies, thus achieving practical immortality.The manga won the...
, and Detective Conan.
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The code name for the under-development Japan Self-Defense ForcesJapan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
advanced personal combat equipment is "Gundam". On the display exhibition on November 7, 2007, the equipment of the set contains infra-red camera and scope
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
that can verify the incoming target is friend or foe, along with a monitor display that can browse the internet. The equipment has a total weight of 9 kg and the powered suit can run for 8 hours. The testing team consisting of troopers claims that the major improvement should be focused on increasing the battery life of the system. The researchers are also aiming for funnel type systems including missiles that can stay/hover in air and mini scouting robots.
Tram station monument
In 2008, a RX-78 Gundam monument was displayed at Kami-Igusa StationKami-Igusa Station
is a train station in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan.- Adjacent stations :...
.
Isuzu VX2
The concept of Isuzu VX 2 official link is inspired by RX-178 Gundam Mk-II as concept design arts released in the Jan/Feb 1998, as seen in issue no. 71 of the magazine Axis published in Japan.Test-type simulator
MitsubishiMitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
has cooperated with Bandai to create a simulator for concept cars, which will show up in various places including car shows and factory sites for visitors to test run different cars. The simulator features an up to 0.5G simulated acceleration, a 100 inch screen with 24 bit digital sound and accommodation for 4 people in a 2 line formation that the front seaters will control the simulated vehicle. Although the commercial release will be a car simulator, the test-type of this simulator will be decorated like the Gundam cockpit and become a simulation theatre in the Toyota theme park, Mega Web, located in Tokyo.
Seminars
As part of MHI Jobcon 2005 (Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesMitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
Job Convention 2005), a recruiting event of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, seminars were held in six Japanese cities. The topic of these seminars was "Mobile Suit Gundam Development Story"; which indicated the requirements and processes that Mitsubishi would have to implement if the company had been required to build an RX-78 mobile suit.
Lancer Evolution
According to Gundam-san 4 koma comic, the Mitsubishi Lancer EvolutionMitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
appearance is influenced by the RX-78-2 Gundam.
Nissan GT-R(R35)
Nissan Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura said that the angular lines and high-tech vents of the GT-RNissan GT-R
The Nissan GT-R is a sports car produced by Nissan released in Japan on December 6, 2007, the United States on July 4, 2008, and the rest of the world in March 2009.-History:...
were inspired by the Japanese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Gundam.
Ink and wash painting
In 2008, the ink and wash paintingInk and wash painting
Ink and wash painting is an East Asian type of brush painting also known as ink wash painting. Only black ink — the same as used in East Asian calligraphy — is used, in various concentrations....
of Gundam drawn by Hisashi Tenmyouya in 2005 was sold in the Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
auction held in Hong Kong with a price of US$600,000.
International Gundam Society
On August 24, 2008, a conference was held in HiroshimaHiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
with hundreds of academic professionals in different fields joining together to discuss about the relationship of anime science and technology with the modern world, including military, economics, linguistics, and the possibility of the Universal Century
Universal Century
is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
(human colonizing space
Space habitat
A space habitat is a space station intended as a permanent settlement rather than as a simple waystation or other specialized facility...
). Many envisioned that the technology portrayed in Gundam is not far from our time. One aeronautics expert in the project said thermonuclear rockets and spherical helper bots should be pursued.
1:1 Life-size Gundam
As part of the 30th Anniversary of the Gundam series, the company officially announced a project on March 11, 2009 called Real-G to build a 1:1 real-size, scaled Gundam statue in Japan. The project was finished in early June 2009 and opened to the public on July 11, 2009. It was located in Shiokaze Park on Odaiba islandOdaiba
is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential...
in Tokyo, Japan, and attracted over 4 million visitors. The statue was then taken down in September. It was re-erected in the city of Shizuoka in July 2010, this time with a beam saber.
30th Anniversary music
Throughout 2009, Japanese record labels released various albums to honor the 30th anniversary of Gundam. The first of these albums was album I, Senshi: Ai Senshi TributeI, Senshi: Ai Senshi Tribute
is a tribute album of covers of the Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow theme song , originally by Daisuke Inoue. I, Senshi was the first album released to commemorate Gundam's 30th anniversary.-Track listing:...
, featuring various covers of the song "Ai Senshi" from the Soldiers of Sorrow film. American musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K. is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, entertainer, and motivational speaker. He is the host of the television series Destroy Build Destroy.-Early life & career:Andrew Wilkes-Krier was born in Stanford, California, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
released an album called Gundam Rock
Gundam Rock
Gundam Rock is a cover album by Andrew W.K., released on September 9, 2009 only in Japan. The album consists of covered music from the Gundam series to celebrate its 30th Anniversary....
on September 9, 2009 in Japan. The album consists of covered music from the Gundam series to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Lantis
Lantis (company)
is a Japanese company that specializes as a music publisher label for Japanese musicians, anime soundtracks and video game soundtracks. It was established on November 26, 1999, and in May 2006, it was bought by, and became a subsidiary of, Bandai Visual...
also had several of its artists including JAM Project
JAM Project
JAM Project is an anime music genre "supergroup" based in Japan, originally founded on July 19, 2000 by famous 1970s theme song artist Ichirou Mizuki...
, CooRie
CooRie
CooRie is a self-produced Japanese music unit by singer-songwriter Rino that performs songs for anime and games. CooRie used to be a two-persons unit when it debuted in 2003, with Rino doing the lyrics and vocals and doing the music compositions and arrangements...
, Minami Kuribayashi
Minami Kuribayashi
is a Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress from Shizuoka prefecture.Her involvement in the game and anime Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, where she voiced the role of one of the characters, Haruka Suzumiya and performed and penned the theme songs and other songs relating to the series, has brought her...
, and Faylan
Faylan
-Live:*"Flying Dutch Live Tour 2010 Polaris" - October 4, 2010*"Anisama Girls Night Live" - October 31, 2010-Compilations:, released March 24, 2005 *# "Just Believe in Love"*Elements Garden, released August 6, 2008...
record covers of various theme songs, producing Gundam Tribute from Lantis
Gundam Tribute from Lantis
is a tribute album featuring Lantis artists covering songs from the popular Gundam metaseries. It was released in Japan on December 9, 2009, as part of Gundam's 30th anniversary celebrations.-Track list:-External links:**...
. Other albums were
- Gundam 30th Custom
- "2009 'Tobe! Gundam' & 'Eien ni Amuro'": covers of the opening and ending themes featuring Akira Asakura of Romantic ModeRomantic ModeRomantic Mode was a Japanese pop group that debuted in 1996 with their first single, "Dreams." The members are Akira Asakura , Masaki Suzukawa , and Joe Rinoie ....
, Mami AyukawaMami Ayukawais a female Japanese singer from Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.- Theme songs :* Kaze no No Reply , second opening theme song from TV series Heavy Metal L-Gaim...
, Yoshifumi Ushima of Top Gun, Tomohisa Kawazoe of Top Gun & LindbergLindberg (band)Lindberg is a Japanese pop/rock band that was active from 1989 to 2002 and again in 2009. It is now defunct.-History:Lindberg typically appealed to the junior high to early high school crowd, and was unique in that in the time of its inception in 1989, few Japanese "rock" bands had female members,...
, TSUKASA, Jyosei Nagatomo of infix, MIQMIQ, also previously known as MIO, is a Japanese pop singer and vocal trainer from Minato, Tokyo. She is known for her performances on the soundtracks of various anime, notably the theme songs of Sunrise's Aura Battler Dunbine and Heavy Metal L-Gaim...
, Hiroko MoriguchiHiroko Moriguchiis a female Japanese singer from Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.- Theme songs :* "Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete" , second opening theme song from TV series Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam...
, and Chihiro YonekuraChihiro Yonekurais a Japanese singer from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.-History:While Yonekura was attending university, she sent off several demonstration tapes to recording companies. She was scouted out, and received the opportunity to do the opening song "Arashi no Nakade Kagayaite" for the anime Mobile Suit... - Moeagare! Gundam Brass by Naoto Ohtomo leading the Tokyo Symphony Brass
- Gundam World Dance Track 0079
- Gundam Unplugged: Acogui de Gundam A.C.2009
- Gundam Symphony by Toshihiko SahashiToshihiko Sahashiis an accomplished Japanese composer. He graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1986. Sahashi has composed music for various anime series , video games, movies, dramas, and musicals...
leading the London Symphony OrchestraLondon Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
MTR X Gundam
The Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
issued a special set of tickets featuring Gundam theme in December, 2009.
External links
- Official Gundam website
- GundamOfficial Official website for Gundam in North America
- Gundam at the Mecha Anime Headquarters website