Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Encyclopedia
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 during a 15-second trailer on June 2, 2007. The series aired on the Mainichi Broadcasting System
and Tokyo Broadcasting System
from October 5, 2007 to March 29, 2008. On July 13, 2008, a trailer announcing a second twenty-five episode season was aired. The second season began on October 5, 2008 and concluded on March 29, 2009. A movie sequel was released on DVD & Blu-ray on December 25, 2010 in Japan.
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series to be animated in widescreen
and in high-definition
, as well as the first to be set in the non-fictional Anno Domini
era. The series is set in a futuristic Earth and is centered on the exploits of the fictional paramilitary
organization Celestial Being and its efforts to rid the world of war
and conflict with a series of unique and extremely advanced mobile suits known as "Gundams".
The series is set in 2307 AD
. As a result of the depletion of fossil fuels, humanity had to search for a new source of power. The power was found in the form of massive arrays of solar power collectors orbiting the Earth, and supported by three orbital elevators
, each one serving one of the three "power blocs" on the planet, namely Union, controlling the region surrounding North America; Human Reform League (Sino-Japanese: 人類革新連盟; Romaji: jinrui kakushin renmei; Pinyin
: rénlèi géxīn liánméng), consisting of China, Russia and India; and AEU, which controls mainland Europe.
With this nearly inexhaustible source of energy benefiting only the major powers and their allies, constant warfare erupts around the globe among minor countries for fuels and energy. Countries that once economically relied on the sale of fossil fuels have plunged into poverty. Some even believe that solar energy threatened the "promised land of God", resulting in the 20-year Solar Wars. This chaos led to the formation of a private military organization, called , dedicated to eradicating war and uniting humanity through the use of four humanoid machines called Gundams.
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 follows four mobile suit pilots termed , sided with Celestial Being. The main protagonist
is 16-year old , a taciturn young man who grew up in the war-torn Republic of Krugis. He pilots the GN-001 Gundam Exia, a high mobility mobile suit effective in melee combat.
Unable to counter Celestial Being's superior technology, the three major powers eventually unite into the in order to counter Celestial Being's armed interventions. In order to fight the Gundams, the United Nations Army employed the help of Laguna Harvey. Harvey, a Celestial Being intelligence agent turned traitor, provides them with 30 GN-X, mobile suits equipped with pseudo-GN Drives. As the United Nations resist Celestial Being's interventions, a second team of Gundams, known as Team Trinity, appears and assists in the Meisters' eradication of war, albeit in a much more cruel and cold-blooded fashion, in contrast with the original Meisters' less-aggressive nature of armed intervention.
Alejandro Corner, a former Celestial Being observer who plans to make use of the chaos and destruction created by Celestial Being to rule a reconstructed world, subsequently takes over Veda, Celestial Being's supercomputer
which is located in the moon. Without the tactical aid from the organization's artificial intelligence
, Celestial Being is easily overwhelmed and overpowered by GN-X units and their superior numbers.
The United Nations Army initiates Operation Fallen Angels to destroy the Gundams, having discovered the location of the Meisters' mothership, Ptolemaios. During the operation, Ali Al-Saachez kills Lockon Stratos after a climactic battle. Alejandro Corner, in his unique custom mobile armor Alvatore, attacks Gundam Exia as the GN-X units proceed to destroy the Ptolemaios and the remaining Gundams. Exia struggles with the monstrous Alvatore, but in the end succeeds in killing Alejandro. Graham Aker, an ace pilot of the United Nations Army, then challenges Setsuna to a fight, seeking revenge for his fallen comrades and questioning the purpose of Gundams' existence. The fight results in the destruction of the GN-Flag, while the Exia is heavily damaged.
Saji Crossroad has followed the path to becoming a space engineer, to keep his promise to Louise Halevy. But he ends up being mistaken for a member of the dissident organization Katharon and is unjustly imprisoned. Louise herself is compelled to become involved in Federation government reform and joined A-Laws as a mobile suit pilot during the four-year gap, using her family inheritance to fund A-Laws research.
Meanwhile, Setsuna, having survived the battle with Graham Aker four years ago and is in hiding, has witnessed a change in the world due to the actions of Celestial Being. Setsuna tries to confront the A-Laws by himself with his battered Gundam Exia, but is easily overpowered by their newer models. He is soon rescued by Tieria Erde, piloting his new mobile suit, the Seravee Gundam.
By combining the GN Drives of Exia and 0 Gundam, Celestial Being's engineers manage to complete Aeolia's plans for an advanced mobile suit with twin GN drives - the 00 Gundam - which is entrusted to Setsuna. To pilot the two remaining new units, Lockon Stratos' twin brother is invited to assume his brother's codename and former position as the pilot of the Cherudim Gundam, and after Allelujah Haptism is rescued from the prison he was being detained in during the timeskip, he assumes the command of Arios Gundam.
Unknown to Celestial Being and the A-Laws, a third party is manipulating both sides of the conflict. This group call themselves "Innovators", composed of Alejandro Corner's former assistant Ribbons Almark, and his six subordinates. Subsequently, it is revealed that Aeolia Schenberg's plan is to ensure humanity's survival; unite the world's factions through Celestial Being's armed interventions and then advance humanity into deep space and undergo Innovation, a trans-human
process.
, the director who directed Fullmetal Alchemist
. Mizushima was initially reluctant about accepting the job due to his lack of knowledge regarding the Gundam series, for the first time at the end of 2005.
The staff, consisting of over 300 people, spent roughly 2 years planning the series. Compared to other anime shows, Gundam 00 has more main staff members, partly due to the detailed mobile suit designs.
on the terrestrial
MBS
and TBS
networks, occupying the networks' noted Saturday 6:00 p.m. timeslot. The first season ended its run on March 29, 2008. Season one of the series will be re-broadcast across Japan on various television networks such as TBS
, Kids Station
, MBS
and BS-i
from April onwards. Season two is being broadcast in the MBS and TBS Sunday 5:00 p.m. slot since October 5, 2008.
Currently, fourteen DVD
collections have been released. The DVDs performed well in sales, with the first collection ranking third on the Oricon
's overall weekly DVD chart. The Blu-ray disc collections have been confirmed, with the first and second volume released on August 22, 2008.
The final DVD of season one contains a whimsical trailer for the second season. Featuring voice work by the four Meisters, the trailer lampoons many early ideas for the show, fan theories and anime clichés before leading into a special message from Mizushima and a preview of the 00 Gundam.
A series of compilation movies with new animated sequences and re-recorded dialogue, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Special Edition, has been announced. The first volume will be released in Japan on October 27, 2009 in the DVD
, Blu-ray Disc
, and UMD
format.
Licensing for a North American release of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 was announced by Bandai Entertainment at New York Comic Con 2008 on April 18, 2008. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series to air on national television in the United States since Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
and began airing twice weekly on November 24, 2008 on SCI FI
(now known as SyFy). The first season concluded its first run on SCI FI on February 9, 2009. The second season is set to air on the same network and time slot starting June 29, 2009.
The English version (U.S. version) of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 premiered in the Philippines on November 20, 2010 on Cartoon Network Philippines
and airs weekend nights as part of its Toonami
block. Since the series airs on an early evening slot, a Parental Guidance warning is shown by the network before each episode due its violent nature and is aired with minor edits. The letters PG are also shown on the upper left side of the screen for a few seconds after the opening credits and commercial breaks.
In Europe the series is licensed by Beez Entertainment
.
The series' music was composed by Kenji Kawai
. There are four TV-series soundtracks released, the first on January 10, 2008, the second on March 26, 2008, the third on December 24, 2008, and the fourth on April 1, 2009. Kawai continues to compose the music in the movie adaptation, and the soundtrack was released on September 22, 2010.
The first opening theme song, "Daybreak's Bell
" was performed by the band L'Arc~en~Ciel. The first ending theme was , performed by The Back Horn
. Both songs were replaced in episode 14 with "Ash Like Snow
", performed by The Brilliant Green
, as the new opening and "Friends" by Stephanie
as the new ending. The first opening song, "Daybreak's Bell" was also used as the ending theme to the last episode. "Love Today", performed by Taja, was used as an insert song in episode 19 and 24.
The first opening theme song for the second season is performed by Uverworld
, titled . The ending theme, "Prototype" is performed by Ishikawa Chiaki. The second opening theme song , is performed by Stereopony
. The second ending theme, "Trust You" is performed by Yuna Ito
. The song "Unlimited Sky" by Tommy Heavenly6
served as an insert song for the seventh, eighteenth, and twenty-second episodes and as the ending song for the twenty-fifth episode. The song "Tomorrow" by Ayumi Tsunematsu
served as an insert song for the fourteenth and fifteenth episodes and as the ending song of the fourteenth episode. The "Tomorrow" CD single, released on February 25, 2009, contained two versions of the song: "Marina's Solo" and "Marina and Children".
A series of character CDs has been announced; with the first one, featuring Setsuna F Seiei and the character's seiyū
Mamoru Miyano
, with a song written by the band Skoop On Somebody, to be released on August 13, 2008. The second entry to the series of character CDs, featuring Lockon Stratos and seiyū Shinichiro Miki
, was released on September 24, 2008. The music for second character CD was done in collaboration with Eijun Suganami and Shinji Matsuda, members of The Back Horn
.
, currently ongoing with two volumes and authored by Noboru Kimura. The book series have been licensed by Bandai Entertainment and will have the first volume released on the December 29, 2009.
The manga adaptation have also been licensed and will be released in the United States on the August 24, 2009.
A light novel series, Mobile Suit Gundam 00P was serialized in Dengeki Hobby Magazine
and centers around the previous generation of Gundam Meisters. Like the anime, it was also divided into 2 seasons: First season is set 15 years before the anime
series, while second season is set 10 years after season one. 00P features events that happened before the main story. It is penned by Tomohiro Chiba, with model conductions by Dengeki Hobby Magazine. The first volume of the sidestory was released in May 2008 by Dengeki Hobby. After the series ended, a sequel named Mobile Suit Gundam 00N was on serialization, taking place the same time as season one.
A graphic novel that features variations of existing mobile suits, Mobile Suit Gundam 00V, which was serialized in Hobby Japan
, is told in the format of a mobile suit development history book published 20 years after the anime series, featuring photo guides of customized models. It centers around the Mobile Suit observer Robert Spacey and his encounters with the different mobile weapons in the Gundam 00 universe. A sequel entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00V Senki has replaced 00V after its serialization ended. 00V's timeline happens between the end of season one and beginning of season two, and 00V Senki's timeline is after the ending of season two.
and drawn by Kouzoh Ohmori. Minor changes are present compared to the anime, such as the use of more visually comedic facial expressions, and the omission of certain characters and subplots. The first volume to this version was released on March 26, 2008 by Kadokawa
Comics. It has been released in English in North America by Bandai Entertainment, with the first volume released on September 23, 2009.
The other manga adaptation series of the same name is also based on the television series, and is drawn by Auto Taguchi. Unlike the first manga series, this title is published by Kodansha
. The two manga series essentially follow the same story as the anime's main plot, but vary in the sequence of events that unfold and in artistic style.
A manga
sidestory entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00F was serialized in Gundam Ace
. Illustrated by Kōichi Tokita
, this manga series focuses on Fereshte, an autonomous branch of Celestial Being that is also in possession of several previous generation Gundams. The series acts as a link for the main story to the 2 other sidestories and introduces the characters and mecha from the other publications. First volume to this title was released on March 26, 2008 by Kadokawa Comics. A sequel for 00F, called Mobile Suit Gundam 00I, was serialized in Gundam Ace after 00F. It is also illustrated by Kōichi Tokita and takes place in the same time as season two. It mainly focuses on Innovades, and few characters from 00F has appeared.
Another manga series based on the anime, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Aoi Kioku, runs monthly on Kadokawa's Gundam Ace
. This series focuses on the Gundam Meisters' memories and is illustrated by Tarō Shiguma.
Bandai Entertainment hosted the North American premiere of the film at New York Comic Con/New York Anime Festival
. They later announced the license for the film. It was announced on September 13 that Singapore is going to be the first country to screen Gundam 00 movie with English subtitles on the same day as Japan, running from September 18 to September 29 in the Alliance Francaise Theatre .
The movie was released on DVD & Blu-ray on December 25, 2010 in Japan.
A 3D action game based on the anime entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00
, published by Namco Bandai Games
and produced by BEC for the Nintendo DS
, was released on March 27, 2008. This game follows the anime's plot with slight variations, but lacks the introduction of the GN-X, ending with the entrance and introduction of Team Trinity instead.
A second video game, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters and developed by Yuke's for the PlayStation 2
, was released on October 16, 2008 Capcom and published by Bandai (now known as Namco Bandai Games). Unlike the first Nintendo DS
game, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters covers the first season's plot completely, albeit with slight deviations.
The First Season of Gundam 00 is also included in the game Another Century's Episode Portable
and also in 2nd Super Robot Wars Z ~Hakai Hen~
. The Second season however was included in SD Gundam G Generation World
.
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....
TV series, the eleventh incarnation of Sunrise's
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...
long-running Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima
Seiji Mizushima
is a Japanese anime director. He has directed such series as Slayers Next, Shaman King, Fullmetal Alchemist, and more recently, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Un-Go...
and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise during a 15-second trailer on June 2, 2007. The series aired on the Mainichi Broadcasting System
Mainichi Broadcasting System
is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...
and Tokyo Broadcasting System
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
from October 5, 2007 to March 29, 2008. On July 13, 2008, a trailer announcing a second twenty-five episode season was aired. The second season began on October 5, 2008 and concluded on March 29, 2009. A movie sequel was released on DVD & Blu-ray on December 25, 2010 in Japan.
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series to be animated in widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
and in high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, as well as the first to be set in the non-fictional Anno Domini
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
era. The series is set in a futuristic Earth and is centered on the exploits of the fictional paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organization Celestial Being and its efforts to rid the world of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and conflict with a series of unique and extremely advanced mobile suits known as "Gundams".
Plot
Season 1
The main tagline for the first season is Rebirth Begins Through Destruction.The series is set in 2307 AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
. As a result of the depletion of fossil fuels, humanity had to search for a new source of power. The power was found in the form of massive arrays of solar power collectors orbiting the Earth, and supported by three orbital elevators
Space elevator
A space elevator, also known as a geostationary orbital tether or a beanstalk, is a proposed non-rocket spacelaunch structure...
, each one serving one of the three "power blocs" on the planet, namely Union, controlling the region surrounding North America; Human Reform League (Sino-Japanese: 人類革新連盟; Romaji: jinrui kakushin renmei; Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: rénlèi géxīn liánméng), consisting of China, Russia and India; and AEU, which controls mainland Europe.
With this nearly inexhaustible source of energy benefiting only the major powers and their allies, constant warfare erupts around the globe among minor countries for fuels and energy. Countries that once economically relied on the sale of fossil fuels have plunged into poverty. Some even believe that solar energy threatened the "promised land of God", resulting in the 20-year Solar Wars. This chaos led to the formation of a private military organization, called , dedicated to eradicating war and uniting humanity through the use of four humanoid machines called Gundams.
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 follows four mobile suit pilots termed , sided with Celestial Being. The main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
is 16-year old , a taciturn young man who grew up in the war-torn Republic of Krugis. He pilots the GN-001 Gundam Exia, a high mobility mobile suit effective in melee combat.
Unable to counter Celestial Being's superior technology, the three major powers eventually unite into the in order to counter Celestial Being's armed interventions. In order to fight the Gundams, the United Nations Army employed the help of Laguna Harvey. Harvey, a Celestial Being intelligence agent turned traitor, provides them with 30 GN-X, mobile suits equipped with pseudo-GN Drives. As the United Nations resist Celestial Being's interventions, a second team of Gundams, known as Team Trinity, appears and assists in the Meisters' eradication of war, albeit in a much more cruel and cold-blooded fashion, in contrast with the original Meisters' less-aggressive nature of armed intervention.
Alejandro Corner, a former Celestial Being observer who plans to make use of the chaos and destruction created by Celestial Being to rule a reconstructed world, subsequently takes over Veda, Celestial Being's supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
which is located in the moon. Without the tactical aid from the organization's 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...
, Celestial Being is easily overwhelmed and overpowered by GN-X units and their superior numbers.
The United Nations Army initiates Operation Fallen Angels to destroy the Gundams, having discovered the location of the Meisters' mothership, Ptolemaios. During the operation, Ali Al-Saachez kills Lockon Stratos after a climactic battle. Alejandro Corner, in his unique custom mobile armor Alvatore, attacks Gundam Exia as the GN-X units proceed to destroy the Ptolemaios and the remaining Gundams. Exia struggles with the monstrous Alvatore, but in the end succeeds in killing Alejandro. Graham Aker, an ace pilot of the United Nations Army, then challenges Setsuna to a fight, seeking revenge for his fallen comrades and questioning the purpose of Gundams' existence. The fight results in the destruction of the GN-Flag, while the Exia is heavily damaged.
Season 2
Four years have passed since the final battle between Celestial Being and the UN Forces. Humanity, having established the Earth Sphere Federation, forms an autonomous peace-keeping force, A-Laws, separate from and above the formal Federation army. Given unfettered discretion, A-Laws is charged with the duty to further unify nations, enforce the will of mankind, and dispose of terrorist cells. Unknown to the general public, however, is that the A-Laws misuse their power and employ inhumane tactics to oppress freedoms, doctrines, and ideologies, all in the name of 'unity'.Saji Crossroad has followed the path to becoming a space engineer, to keep his promise to Louise Halevy. But he ends up being mistaken for a member of the dissident organization Katharon and is unjustly imprisoned. Louise herself is compelled to become involved in Federation government reform and joined A-Laws as a mobile suit pilot during the four-year gap, using her family inheritance to fund A-Laws research.
Meanwhile, Setsuna, having survived the battle with Graham Aker four years ago and is in hiding, has witnessed a change in the world due to the actions of Celestial Being. Setsuna tries to confront the A-Laws by himself with his battered Gundam Exia, but is easily overpowered by their newer models. He is soon rescued by Tieria Erde, piloting his new mobile suit, the Seravee Gundam.
By combining the GN Drives of Exia and 0 Gundam, Celestial Being's engineers manage to complete Aeolia's plans for an advanced mobile suit with twin GN drives - the 00 Gundam - which is entrusted to Setsuna. To pilot the two remaining new units, Lockon Stratos' twin brother is invited to assume his brother's codename and former position as the pilot of the Cherudim Gundam, and after Allelujah Haptism is rescued from the prison he was being detained in during the timeskip, he assumes the command of Arios Gundam.
Unknown to Celestial Being and the A-Laws, a third party is manipulating both sides of the conflict. This group call themselves "Innovators", composed of Alejandro Corner's former assistant Ribbons Almark, and his six subordinates. Subsequently, it is revealed that Aeolia Schenberg's plan is to ensure humanity's survival; unite the world's factions through Celestial Being's armed interventions and then advance humanity into deep space and undergo Innovation, a trans-human
Transhumanism
Transhumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
process.
Production
Development
According to Hiroomi Iketani, one of the Gundam 00 producers, planning for Gundam 00 started in 2005, under the tentative name "Next". Iketani approached Seiji MizushimaSeiji Mizushima
is a Japanese anime director. He has directed such series as Slayers Next, Shaman King, Fullmetal Alchemist, and more recently, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Un-Go...
, the director who directed Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist
, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. The world of Fullmetal Alchemist is styled after the European Industrial Revolution...
. Mizushima was initially reluctant about accepting the job due to his lack of knowledge regarding the Gundam series, for the first time at the end of 2005.
The staff, consisting of over 300 people, spent roughly 2 years planning the series. Compared to other anime shows, Gundam 00 has more main staff members, partly due to the detailed mobile suit designs.
Release
The series premiered on October 6, 2007, replacing Toward the TerraToward the Terra
is a Japanese science fiction manga series by Keiko Takemiya. It was originally serialized in Asahi Sonorama's Gekkan Manga Shōnen magazine, between January 1977 and May 1980...
on the terrestrial
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
MBS
Mainichi Broadcasting System
is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...
and TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
networks, occupying the networks' noted Saturday 6:00 p.m. timeslot. The first season ended its run on March 29, 2008. Season one of the series will be re-broadcast across Japan on various television networks such as TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
, Kids Station
Kids Station
Kids Station is a Japanese children's television channel showing animation and other cartoon material. Kids Station also airs some anime aimed at adults during the night, such as Narutaru, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Genshiken, Kujibiki Unbalance and "Rosario + Vampire". It is broadcast on...
, MBS
Mainichi Broadcasting System
is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...
and BS-i
BS-i
is a satellite broadcasting station headquartered in Asakaka Gochome, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its channel name is BS-TBS . It is a member television station of Japan News Network.-Channels:*Television: BS-TBS is assigned BS161ch - 163ch....
from April onwards. Season two is being broadcast in the MBS and TBS Sunday 5:00 p.m. slot since October 5, 2008.
Currently, fourteen 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....
collections have been released. The DVDs performed well in sales, with the first collection ranking third on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
's overall weekly DVD chart. The Blu-ray disc collections have been confirmed, with the first and second volume released on August 22, 2008.
The final DVD of season one contains a whimsical trailer for the second season. Featuring voice work by the four Meisters, the trailer lampoons many early ideas for the show, fan theories and anime clichés before leading into a special message from Mizushima and a preview of the 00 Gundam.
A series of compilation movies with new animated sequences and re-recorded dialogue, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Special Edition, has been announced. The first volume will be released in Japan on October 27, 2009 in the 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....
, Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
, and UMD
Universal Media Disc
The Universal Media Disc is an optical disc medium developed by Sony for use on their PlayStation Portable handheld gaming and multimedia platform...
format.
Licensing for a North American release of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 was announced by Bandai Entertainment at New York Comic Con 2008 on April 18, 2008. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series to air on national television in the United States since 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...
and began airing twice weekly on November 24, 2008 on SCI FI
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
(now known as SyFy). The first season concluded its first run on SCI FI on February 9, 2009. The second season is set to air on the same network and time slot starting June 29, 2009.
The English version (U.S. version) of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 premiered in the Philippines on November 20, 2010 on Cartoon Network Philippines
Cartoon Network Philippines
Cartoon Network is a cable and satellite television channel created by Turner Broadcasting, a unit of Time Warner which primarily shows animated programming. The Philippine version is a branch of Cartoon Network Asia, broadcasting exclusively in the Philippines....
and airs weekend nights as part of its Toonami
Toonami
Toonami was a registered trademark of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997 and ended on September 20, 2008.The...
block. Since the series airs on an early evening slot, a Parental Guidance warning is shown by the network before each episode due its violent nature and is aired with minor edits. The letters PG are also shown on the upper left side of the screen for a few seconds after the opening credits and commercial breaks.
In Europe the series is licensed by Beez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment is a European anime distributor, and they also distribute anime soundtracks. They mainly act as the European branch for Bandai Visual as it is owned by Namco Bandai Holdings...
.
Music
Kenji Kawai
, born April 23, 1957 in Shinagawa, Tokyo, is a Japanese music composer, for motion pictures, anime movies, video games and televised programs. He has contributed to the musical scores for numerous films from Japan and other countries in Asia, working in film genres as diverse as anime, horror,...
. There are four TV-series soundtracks released, the first on January 10, 2008, the second on March 26, 2008, the third on December 24, 2008, and the fourth on April 1, 2009. Kawai continues to compose the music in the movie adaptation, and the soundtrack was released on September 22, 2010.
The first opening theme song, "Daybreak's Bell
Daybreak's Bell
"Daybreak's Bell" is the thirty-third single by L'Arc-en-Ciel, released on October 10, 2007. It also has a P'unk-en-Ciel track, "Natsu no Yuutsu [Sea in Blood 2007]", a remake of their fourth single "Natsu no Yuutsu [Time to say Good-bye]"...
" was performed by the band L'Arc~en~Ciel. The first ending theme was , performed by The Back Horn
The Back Horn
is a Japanese alternative rock band, formed in Tokyo, Japan in 1998.-History:The band got started around April in 1998, when the original members all came to Tokyo from the countryside where they all lived, all for different reasons. They met, and decided to start a band. First called Gyorai, they...
. Both songs were replaced in episode 14 with "Ash Like Snow
Ash Like Snow
"Ash Like Snow" is the 17th single from the Japanese rock band, The Brilliant Green.This song serves as the second opening theme for the Japanese anime, Mobile Suit Gundam 00. The first press contains a Gundam 00 sticker, which differs between limited edition and regular edition, along with...
", performed by The Brilliant Green
The brilliant green
The Brilliant Green is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1997 who were signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan. On December 1, 2009, The Brilliant Green announced that they had signed with Warner Music Group Japan.-Overview:...
, as the new opening and "Friends" by Stephanie
Stephanie (singer)
-External links:*...
as the new ending. The first opening song, "Daybreak's Bell" was also used as the ending theme to the last episode. "Love Today", performed by Taja, was used as an insert song in episode 19 and 24.
The first opening theme song for the second season is performed by Uverworld
Uverworld
Uverworld is a Japanese rock band consisting of five members originating from Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan. Releasing six studio albums and several singles, which went on to achieve massive success, they went on to become one of the most influential rock bands in Japan to this day.-2000–2005: Beginnings...
, titled . The ending theme, "Prototype" is performed by Ishikawa Chiaki. The second opening theme song , is performed by Stereopony
Stereopony
, is a Japanese rock band that formed in Okinawa, Japan in 2007, consisting of Aimi , Nohana , and Shiho...
. The second ending theme, "Trust You" is performed by Yuna Ito
Yuna Ito
is an American pop singer-songwriter and actress who is active in Japan.She was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Hawaii. Ito made her musical debut in Japan with the single, "Endless Story", which was used as one of the theme songs for the popular 2005 film Nana; she also starred in the film,...
. The song "Unlimited Sky" by Tommy Heavenly6
Tommy heavenly6
Tommy heavenly6 is an alter-ego pseudonym created by Tomoko Kawase. Under the name she has released ten singles, three albums, and one compilation album...
served as an insert song for the seventh, eighteenth, and twenty-second episodes and as the ending song for the twenty-fifth episode. The song "Tomorrow" by Ayumi Tsunematsu
Ayumi Tsunematsu
is a Japanese voice actress.-Anime:*Avenger as Mist, Peter *Bakugan Battle Brawlers as Harpy, Miyoko Kūsō*Bokurano as Chizu's mother *Emma: A Victorian Romance as House maid *Fate/zero - Maiya Hisau*Gakuen Heaven as Kazuki Endo...
served as an insert song for the fourteenth and fifteenth episodes and as the ending song of the fourteenth episode. The "Tomorrow" CD single, released on February 25, 2009, contained two versions of the song: "Marina's Solo" and "Marina and Children".
A series of character CDs has been announced; with the first one, featuring Setsuna F Seiei and the character's seiyū
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
Mamoru Miyano
Mamoru Miyano
is a Japanese voice actor, actor, and singer from Saitama. He is best known for his roles on Ouran High School Host Club, Death Note, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and Kōtetsu Sangokushi. At the 2007 Seiyu Awards he was nominated for two awards for his role as Light Yagami in Death Note, and in 2008, he...
, with a song written by the band Skoop On Somebody, to be released on August 13, 2008. The second entry to the series of character CDs, featuring Lockon Stratos and seiyū Shinichiro Miki
Shinichiro Miki
is a Japanese voice actor. He is a member of 81 Produce.Miki is most known for the roles of Kojiro , Takumi Fujiwara , Kisuke Urahara , Akira Yuki , Lockon Stratos , and Roy Mustang .According to the Anime News Network, as of Spring 2007, Miki is...
, was released on September 24, 2008. The music for second character CD was done in collaboration with Eijun Suganami and Shinji Matsuda, members of The Back Horn
The Back Horn
is a Japanese alternative rock band, formed in Tokyo, Japan in 1998.-History:The band got started around April in 1998, when the original members all came to Tokyo from the countryside where they all lived, all for different reasons. They met, and decided to start a band. First called Gyorai, they...
.
Publications
A novelized version of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 was published by KadokawaKadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
, currently ongoing with two volumes and authored by Noboru Kimura. The book series have been licensed by Bandai Entertainment and will have the first volume released on the December 29, 2009.
The manga adaptation have also been licensed and will be released in the United States on the August 24, 2009.
A light novel series, Mobile Suit Gundam 00P was serialized in Dengeki Hobby Magazine
Dengeki Hobby Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works centering around information relating to plastic models. It first went on sale on November 25, 1998...
and centers around the previous generation of Gundam Meisters. Like the anime, it was also divided into 2 seasons: First season is set 15 years before the 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, while second season is set 10 years after season one. 00P features events that happened before the main story. It is penned by Tomohiro Chiba, with model conductions by Dengeki Hobby Magazine. The first volume of the sidestory was released in May 2008 by Dengeki Hobby. After the series ended, a sequel named Mobile Suit Gundam 00N was on serialization, taking place the same time as season one.
A graphic novel that features variations of existing mobile suits, Mobile Suit Gundam 00V, which was serialized in Hobby Japan
Hobby Japan
HobbyJAPAN CO. is a Japanese hobby magazine and publishing company, specializing in roleplaying, war, and tabletop games, as well as action figures, toys, and artbooks for successful anime, manga and light novel franchises.- Role-playing games :...
, is told in the format of a mobile suit development history book published 20 years after the anime series, featuring photo guides of customized models. It centers around the Mobile Suit observer Robert Spacey and his encounters with the different mobile weapons in the Gundam 00 universe. A sequel entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00V Senki has replaced 00V after its serialization ended. 00V's timeline happens between the end of season one and beginning of season two, and 00V Senki's timeline is after the ending of season two.
Manga
Four TV broadcast-based manga series exist to date with two new ones coming in the future. One is serialized in Kerokero AceKerokero Ace
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten. The magazine is aimed at boys between 9 to 13 years old. It is directly focused on the Sgt. Frog series and other works promoted by Bandai such as Gundam. The magazine contains manga comics, computer game reviews,...
and drawn by Kouzoh Ohmori. Minor changes are present compared to the anime, such as the use of more visually comedic facial expressions, and the omission of certain characters and subplots. The first volume to this version was released on March 26, 2008 by Kadokawa
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
Comics. It has been released in English in North America by Bandai Entertainment, with the first volume released on September 23, 2009.
The other manga adaptation series of the same name is also based on the television series, and is drawn by Auto Taguchi. Unlike the first manga series, this title is published by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
. The two manga series essentially follow the same story as the anime's main plot, but vary in the sequence of events that unfold and in artistic style.
A 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...
sidestory entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00F was serialized in Gundam Ace
Gundam Ace
is a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten, it largely focus on the Gundam franchise. There is a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media Co., Ltd.-Overview:...
. Illustrated by Kōichi Tokita
Koichi Tokita
is a Japanese manga artist that is best known for his Gundam manga. Most of his works deal with the alternate universe Gundam series such as Mobile Fighter G Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing....
, this manga series focuses on Fereshte, an autonomous branch of Celestial Being that is also in possession of several previous generation Gundams. The series acts as a link for the main story to the 2 other sidestories and introduces the characters and mecha from the other publications. First volume to this title was released on March 26, 2008 by Kadokawa Comics. A sequel for 00F, called Mobile Suit Gundam 00I, was serialized in Gundam Ace after 00F. It is also illustrated by Kōichi Tokita and takes place in the same time as season two. It mainly focuses on Innovades, and few characters from 00F has appeared.
Another manga series based on the anime, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Aoi Kioku, runs monthly on Kadokawa's Gundam Ace
Gundam Ace
is a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten, it largely focus on the Gundam franchise. There is a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media Co., Ltd.-Overview:...
. This series focuses on the Gundam Meisters' memories and is illustrated by Tarō Shiguma.
Film
A theatrical release was announced at the end of episode 25 of season 2, called A new character is revealed to be the first officially acknowledged true Innovator, whose name is revealed to be Descartes Shaman. A new enemy appears to be a newly discovered alien life form, Extraterrestrial Livingmetal Shapeshifter (ELS). The Japanese premiere has been announced for September 18, 2010. The year is 2314 AD, two years after Celestial Being's last great battle and the world faces a new crisis. A derelict Jupiter exploration ship, abandoned 130 years ago, has left its orbit and is approaching Earth. The ESF has also begun to exploit the power of Innovators through Descartes Shaman. The world's exposure to GN Particles has resulted in many people awakening as True Innovators. Realizing the military benefits of such individuals, the Earth Sphere Federation has begun to research Innovation and exploit the emerging Innovators' abilities. As Celestial Being and its Gundam Meisters begin their final mission to save humanity from an unimaginable threat, the Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shape-shifters (ELS), Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei is about to discover the true purpose of his evolution as an Innovator and the nature of the "dialogues" for which Aeolia Schenberg's plan had prepared the human race.Bandai Entertainment hosted the North American premiere of the film at New York Comic Con/New York Anime Festival
New York Anime Festival
The New York Anime Festival is an anime and manga convention held annually since 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City...
. They later announced the license for the film. It was announced on September 13 that Singapore is going to be the first country to screen Gundam 00 movie with English subtitles on the same day as Japan, running from September 18 to September 29 in the Alliance Francaise Theatre .
The movie was released on DVD & Blu-ray on December 25, 2010 in Japan.
Video games
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (video game)
, is a 3D action video game for the Nintendo DS based on the anime, Mobile Suit Gundam 00. The game involves four main characters who control their mobile suits, performing interventions against various conflicts around the world...
, published by Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
and produced by BEC 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...
, was released on March 27, 2008. This game follows the anime's plot with slight variations, but lacks the introduction of the GN-X, ending with the entrance and introduction of Team Trinity instead.
A second video game, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters and developed by Yuke's for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, was released on October 16, 2008 Capcom and published by Bandai (now known as Namco Bandai Games). Unlike the first 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...
game, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters covers the first season's plot completely, albeit with slight deviations.
The First Season of Gundam 00 is also included in the game Another Century's Episode Portable
Another Century's Episode Portable
, abbreviated as A.C.E. P, is a mecha action video game developed by From Software and published by Banpresto and Namco-Bandai. It was released for the PlayStation Portable on January 13, 2011.-Featured Series/Units:* Blue Comet SPT Layzner...
and also in 2nd Super Robot Wars Z ~Hakai Hen~
Super 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...
. The Second season however was included in SD Gundam G Generation World
SD Gundam G Generation
SD Gundam G Generation is a series of strategy-RPG video games that focus on the Gundam anime franchise.-History:The G Generation series technically began in 1996, when Bandai released a series of six games for Nintendo's Super Famicom console's Sufami Turbo add-on, each focusing on a particular...
.