EPT![[image loading]](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/darksentenal/sentsguidetogundam.png)
Updated 10/13/2014
To those of you who either know me, or browse the Anime Discussion Thread regularly, know that I am a big fan of Mecha anime. Some of you might remember my Guide to Mecha blog. Well, I've decided that I should make a guide talking about the most successful, popular, and influential mecha series of all time, Mobile Suit Gundam.
Mobile Suit Gundam is an anime series that was first made its debut in 1979. Gundam was revolutionary, as it was one of the first mecha anime that took robot anime from the "Monster of the Week", often childish, 'Super Robot' anime of the 70s, and made a gripping war drama out of it. It essentially created what is now known as the 'Real Robot' genre.
There are many different Gundam shows. There were full length TV series, there were movies, there were short OVAs, there were feature length Movies. There are roughly 20 main entries in the series, some great, some not so great. 20 series and over 30 years can be daunting and intimidating for new people wanting to get into Gundam, so this guide will be designed to talk about the series, say where starting points are, and things like that.
Before I begin, I'll get this out of the way first. Gundam is generally divided into two different categories, "UC" (for Universal Century) and "AU" (Alternate Universe). UC is the main Gundam Timeline, where as AU Gundams are all in a separate continuity. As such, almost ALL AU Gundams can be watched in any particular order, since they are their own self-contained story.
And since some people would prefer a TL;DR version, here is a list of Gundam anime that you can watch without anything prior. But please, please, check out the descriptions below for more information and clarifications. Bolded are recommended entry points:
Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989)
Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991)
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (1993)
Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995)
Mobile Suit Gundam: 08th MS Team (1996)
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002)
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007)
Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2011)
Maybe Gundam: G no Reconguista? (2014, currently airing)
With that out of the way, lets begin.
UNIVERSAL CENTURY
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The Classic
The Classic
This is the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and the start of the Universal Century timeline. This is the main starting location for UC Gundam.
The original Gundam, often called "Gundam 0079", takes place in the year UC 0079, and tells the story of Amuro Ray, in what would go on to be called the One Year War. The war is between the Earth Federation, and the Principality of Zeon. Amuro is a young boy in a Space Colony that comes under attack by the Zeon, and he is thrust into the war, piloting a new Federation Mobile Suit, the Gundam (note: 'Mobile Suit' is what Gundam calls its giant robots). The story follows Amuro's development as a character, as he must mature and adapt to his situation, and end the bloodiest war in human history. This show created many of the tropes used commonly in anime even to this day that we now take for granted.
The original Gundam is a very old anime, coming from 1979. Its original run was 43 episodes. Surprisingly, the TV series was actually canceled during its first run! However, after it was canceled, Gundam was brought back as a Trilogy of movies, referred to as the Gundam Trilogy. It was with this Trilogy that Gundam took off and became the icon it was.
If you want to watch the original Gundam, either the series or the Movie Trilogy is fine. The Movie Trilogy might be the better choice, as it is shorter (filler cut out), and the animation is overall better (as the animation in the series was suspect in many cases (aka really bad), even for its time).
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'Gritty War Drama', now darker
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is the next Gundam that was produced. Zeta Gundam is considered by many to be the BEST Gundam series ever made. In my humble opinion, it is a master piece.
Set in UC 0087, Zeta Gundam takes place 7 years after Mobile Suit Gundam. In the aftermath of the One Year War, a new fighting force has been created to try and stamp out new threats before they arise. This force, called the Titans, greatly abuse their authority, brutalize the Space Colonies, and sets the stage for a Civil War. Zeta Gundam follows the story of Kamille Bidan, who gets caught up in the Civil War, and throws in with the AEUG, an organization created to fight the Titans.
Zeta Gundam has aged very well for an anime from the 80s. Its animation back then, and even now, was stellar. The story of Zeta is dark, full of political intrigue, engaging, and almost perfectly paced (save for a few spots, its 50 episodes long give it a break). However, note that the cast is full of people who are batshit insane. Additionally, the show can have some pretty weird dialogue, which is actually the norm for many Tomino-directed anime.
Zeta Gundam was adapted into a set of movies called "Zeta Gundam: A New Translation". However, other than looking nice, ANT is NOT a good substitute for the series. The movies have many problems, omit too many things, and has an ENTIRELY different ending that doesn't fit with later UC works. Watch the series, you won't be disappointed.
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Anime janai.
Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam, or "Double Zeta" Gundam, is a direct sequel to Zeta Gundam. It picks up right after Zeta Gundam ends. So, given how Zeta Gundam ended, you could almost think of ZZ Gundam episode 1 as Zeta Gundam episode 51. ZZ Gundam is a whole different dinosaur in terms of presentation than Zeta was, but for what it is, its a solid show.
As I said, ZZ Gundam is a direct sequel to Zeta. It continues to follow the AEUG, however, this time follows a youth by the name of Judau Ashta. ZZ Gundam starts off with a very different flavor than Zeta, as it is much more light-hearted and "fun". This anime is full of people who are even more batshit than people in Zeta Gundam. For almost the entire first half of the series, it keeps the happy-light-hearted attitude it started with, but later on it sobers up and gets much darker, more of what is expected out of a Gundam show.
ZZ Gundam is one of the dark-horses in the franchise, but so long as you aren't expecting to get another Zeta Gundam out of it, it is an enjoyable ride that turns into alot of people dying.
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Conclusion of the most iconic Rivalry in Anime
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack is the first theatrical Gundam movie that was produced. The movie is significant in a lot of ways. In terms of this guide, it is most significant in that it is the "conclusion" of the main storyline in UC Gundam, that began back in the original.
Set in the year UC 0093, Char's Counterattack shifts back to Amuro Ray, the hero from the original Gundam. The events of the original, Zeta, and ZZ Gundam have left the Earth Sphere with many scars, and now Amuro's old rival, Char Aznable risen up with his Neo Zeon faction, and will once and for all attempt to settle the decades long, off and on conflict between the Earth and the Colonies.
CCA is a good movie. While it does have its share of flaws (a few annoying characters come to mind), it does have plenty of things to make up for it. The epic showdown between two rivals is a must see for Gundam fans. Additionally, the conclusion of story that has developed from the beginning of Gundam to now, the animation, and the pacing are all great.
These 4 constitute the "main" story-arc of Gundam. However, the Universal Century has many more entries. Most of these are Side Stories to the main arc, or "Late UC" entries, which take place long after the rest have ended. Late UC Gundam shows can be watched whenever, and don't require ANY previous Gundam experience.
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"Stupid girl, the Federation doesn't have mobile suits, the Zeon are soooo cooool"
Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket is an 6 episode OVA that is set in, like its title suggests, UC 0080. It is set at the very end of the One Year War. 0080 was very well received, and is very popular among Gundam fans (although personally, I'm not a fan, but watch and decide for yourself).
Gundam 0080 is set in a Space Colony towards the end of the War, and follows a boy named Alfred. Unlike nearly all other Gundam shows, Alfred is no soldier, and he never fights or pilots a Mobile Suit. Instead the series tells the story of war from the eyes of a child, and the reality of fighting. The show itself is extremely well animated.
Gundam 0080 can serve as a decent "Gateway" anime, if you have never seen a Gundam show before. Although it takes place during the One Year War, having watched the original is not required to watch this.
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Shit gets real...istic
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team is another very popular 12 episode OVA series. Again, this show takes place during the One Year War, and follows a Federation grunt by the name of Shirou Amada. Unlike other most other Gundam series, the main character is already a soldier. Unlike most other Gundam series, the main character is an adult, in his mid-20s. And unlike most other Gundams, he is no ace pilot, and is simply a grunt.
The 08th MS Team takes place mostly in the battlefields of South-East Asia during the One Year War. It tells of the grunts, the normally faceless pilots, who fight in grunt mobile suits, and attempts to tell a very "realistic" war story. Well, as realistic as giant fighting robots can be, but it damn well tries! While they still do pilot Gundams in this series, their Gundams are essentially glorified grunt units that are made to look like Gundams to sell the brand.
The 08th MS Team is one of the best Gundam series out there, and is very unique in its telling of a more realistic war drama, minus the teenage angst and beam spam.
This series is a side story, and you are not required to have watched any Gundam prior to watching this, although there are references to the original.
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Birth of the Titans
Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is a 13 episode OVA series. This is the first OVA series that is NOT set during the One Year War, and instead in its more immediate aftermath.
0083 tries to bridge the gap between the Original Gundam and Zeta Gundam. It follows Kou Uraki, a Federation Test Pilot, as a conflict with Zeon Remnants breaks out. 0083 is overall a solid series. The animation and battles in the show are great. However, the show is somewhat lacking when it comes to characters. Although, this is not without exception, as there is a character (Gato) who is well regarded by people who like the Zeon. Even still, 0083 is a good watch.
While technically you can watch 0083 without any previous Gundams, it is not recommended. I highly recommend at LEAST having watched the original Gundam before this. Watching Zeta Gundam before will also help you appreciate its ending more, but watching Zeta isn't required for this.
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Best looking anime of all time
Gundam Unicorn is a 7 episode OVA series set in the Universal Century. Each episode is roughly an hour long, with the last episode being a whopping 90 minutes. And it is one of the best looking animes ever made.
Unicorn takes place in UC 0096, 3 years after Char's Counterattack. Unicorn basically tries to conclude all the loose ends left behind after CCA, with the fate of both the Earth Federation and the Zeon. It follows the story of Banager Links. In typical Gundam fashion, its has a very apparent anti-war message to it.
In this story, there exists something called "Laplace's Box". What the box actually is, and what is inside of it, is a complete mystery. However, its rumored to hold something that can completely throw the state of the world into chaos, and has been enough to blackmail the Federation Government for decades. Zeon remnants want it, to reestablish the Principality. The Federation wants it to secure their rule. And Banager Links is stuck in the middle, the the Unicorn Gundam, said to be the "key" to open the Box.
How to describe how Unicorn looks and sounds... Well, okay, imagine that Sunrise (the studio that produces Gundam) took like 50 million dollars, and directly converted it into anime. Gundam Unicorn is the one single best looking anime ever made. Production levels are off the chart for this. It looks and sounds incredible, the cinematography is great, there is just so much good with this project. The music was done by Hiroyuki Sawano, the same guy who did the music for stuff like Kill La Kill, Attack on Titan, Guilty Crown, and Aldnoah Zero. And this was before he just did the same type music for everything he ever did.
Unicorn is UC, but its a side story. You are able to watch and understand it ok without previous Gundam knowledge... But Unicorn is best appreciated after watching the main Gundam line (og->z->zz->cca). In fact, I would highly encourage watching it after the main Gundam line, since it builds and concludes on themes that had been ongoing ever since the original.
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Reaction-face GOLD MINE
Gundam: MS Igloo is very unique for Gundam, in terms of production. MS Igloo is a set of 3 OVAs, each one 3 episodes long. The entire series is done with CGI, even the characters themselves (which is rarely done in anime). The end result is a very mixed bag, with incredibly odd looking characters, who look absolutely insane (due to the CGI), but at the same time, has some very good fights.
MS Igloo takes place in the One Year War, at many different parts. Two of the OVA series for it concern a group of Zeon Weapons Developers, who in each episode, test a new prototype Mobile Suit in battle, at various parts from the war, from the very first battle, to the conclusion of the war. The last part, and in my opinion the best/most interesting, tells of Earth Federation grunts fighting against the Zeon Invasion. One episode is ENTIRELY about a squad of infantry-men who are tasked with hunting an killing colossal Mobile Suits with nothing but anti-tank weapons. Another episode is entirely about a tank crew, and features battles between the Federation's Main Battle Tanks against the Zeon's mobile suits. The last episode features squad of Guntanks (imagine a gundam upper body, and a tank's lower body) during one of the biggest land battles in the war.
Strictly speaking, no prior Gundam knowledge is required for this series. However, MS Igloo is almost entirely fanservice for people who are already Gundam fans. The story is either non-existent or forgettable, the characters all seem insane from the CGI, and all that's left is cool CGI battle sequences.
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Tomino really hates mothers
Gundam F91 is a movie, and is considered "Late UC". Originally, F91 was supposed to be a TV series. However, that never went through, and F91 was forced into being a movie.
Set in UC 0123, decades have past since the conflicts between the Earth Federation the Zeon. Now, a new war occurs in the space colony of Seabook Arno. The movie's first half tells of a civilians struggle through a battlefield of Mobile Suits, and while the second half of the show tells of Seabook joining with the Federation to defeat the Crossbone Vanguard.
F91 looks very good, and you can tell that they had some real good ideas for a TV series from it. However, it suffers from being incredibly compressed, so the pacing feels really off.
Since F91 is Late UC, you can watch it at any time you want.
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Okay, fine, he really hates women and children in general, holy shit
Victory Gundam is perhaps the darkest and most bloody Gundam show made to date.
Victory Gundam is the only TV Series Late UC Gundam. It is set in UC 0153, making it the latest UC Gundam to date. Additionally, it has one of the youngest protagonist in any Gundam, a boy named Usso Evin. The poor kid is 12 years old, and this is DEPRESSION TOMINO (Tomino is the director/creator of Gundam). Victory Gundam tells the story of Usso getting wrapped up in the bloody war between the Earth Federation, and the fanatical Zanscare Empire. As I said, this is the darkest and most bloody Gundam show to date, and the director really goes out of his way to make Usso miserable. Sometimes it feels as if characters get introduced simply so they can get killed.
Victory Gundam is alright, although it isn't great. It is Late UC, so watch it whenever. Victory Gundam has alot of really interesting fights. Usso is like the MacGyver of Gundam pilots. Usso will pull of stuff that other pilots would never even consider doing. And not only will he kill people in ways other Gundam pilots would never even dream of, he will passive-aggressively blame his victims for their own death, at the same time as killing them with the detached legs of his Mobile Suit that are holding a beam saber in their feet. Like for example, this is some of the stuff you might see from the fights in Victory.
That is it for all of the completed UC gundam shows. For those of you who want a tl;dr version of that
Original->Zeta->ZZ->CCA
Side Stories and Late UC mostly whenever*
*Read above for each entry for details
Now I'll move onto the AU Gundams. AU Gundams can essentially be watched whenever you want, without prior Gundam experience, other than a few cases.
ALTERNATE UNIVERSE
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LETS SEE IF THIS BURNING HAND OF MINE CAN FIT INSIDE MY MOUTH
LETS SEE IF THIS BURNING HAND OF MINE CAN FIT INSIDE MY MOUTH
Mobile Fighter G Gundam was the first AU Gundam show made, and it is one of the most unique Gundam shows. If I had to sum up what G Gundam is like, its basically "Gundam + Professional Wrestling + the Olympics + Kung Fu". Sounds crazy, right? But don't worry, its a really fun ride.
G Gundam takes place in world where every country on Earth has moved their government to orbiting Space Colonies. And instead of fighting huge wars for dominance of the Earth, they have a huge Competition called the "Gundam Fight" every four years to decide who will rule the Earth. Each country fields a single Gundam, and they all fight in a battle royale, until there is only one Champion. G Gundam follows the Gundam Fighter for Neo Japan, Domon Kasshu. He is a hot-blooded young man, searching for his brother during the tournament, who is accused of murdering Domon's parents.
The show is almost like a mix of a "Super Robot" (with Mechs with super powers, and attack calling), mixed with the stuff that made Gundam so different. It is a very enjoyable watch.
G Gundam is AU, watch whenever. In the west, this was some people's first Gundam ever.
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Bishounen Gundam
Gundam Wing is probably the best known Gundam show in America, due to its debut on Toonami back in the 90s. As such, it brought many people into the franchise, including myself.
Set in the year After Colony 195, the Earth and the Colonies are controlled by the Earth Sphere Alliance. However, the colonies are unhappy with their rule, and desire independence. As such, 5 powerful Mobile Suits are built in secret, and are then sent to Earth to fight for their independence.
Gundam Wing isn't the best Gundam, and in my opinion hasn't aged well, but it was a good gateway gundam. Its AU, so watch whenever.
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Dem Wings
Gundam Wing: The Endless Waltz is the movie sequel to Wing. It takes place shortly after Wing ends, and continues the story. There really isn't much to say about this one. The Mobile Suits have a different design in this movie (Wing Zero Custom is particularly famous), and there are some good fights, but there isn't much to this movie.
Its AU, but also a direct sequel to Wing, so you have to watch Wing first.
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Fucking Japan, canceling this show
After War: Gundam X is a show I have a soft spot for. Gundam X is unique in its setting. As you can tell from the title, Gundam X takes place "After the War". The War in this case was a catastrophic war that resulted in turning the Earth into an almost barren wasteland.
Set in the year After War 0015, the Earth's ecosystem has finally recovered enough for the few scattered survivors on Earth to start rebuilding the planet. It follows the story of Garrod Ran, a boy who grew up in this post-apocalyptic world. Garrod is essentially a mercenary, and one mission is hired to rescue a girl named Tiffa Adell.
Gundam X is a solid show, but unfortunately the Japanese didn't think so when it was airing. Gundam X shared the original's fate, and was cut short before it reached its full run, so the ending is rushed. Even despite that, Gundam X is a good watch. Garrod is one of the most likable Gundam MCs, and his relationship with Tiffa is handled really well.
Gundam X is AU, watch whenever.
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Depression-Tomino is no more
Turn A Gundam is a master piece. I'll get this out of the way now, before I actually start to talk about the show. Turn A is really really good, and you cantechnically watch it whenever you want since it is AU, but I still strongly recommend at least watching the main UC Gundams (og->z->zz->cca) before watching this. Turn A was meant to be the "Final" Gundam show. There are plot points revealed in this anime as it progresses that directly tie into almost all Gundam series that had aired before this. Thus the big reveal towards the end is best appreciated after getting some Gundam experience.
Turn A Gundam is set on Earth, but it is set in an Earth that seems like its during the 1910s. There are zeppelins and biplanes, horse drawn artillery, and old model-T styled cars. The world is mostly peaceful. However, this ends when humans from the Moon (aptly called 'Moonrace') begin their immigration back to the Earth. In the midst of the conflict this creates, a young Moonrace who wants to live among the Earth's people finds an ancient Mobile Suit in some ruins, the Turn A Gundam, and works bring peace between his people and the Earthlings.
Turn A Gundam gives off a really "War of the Worlds" feel to it, with WW1 era technology attempting to fight off invaders from space in giant robots. Turn A Gundam is directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the director of other Gundams like the original, Zeta, and Victory. So it still has the same style as those, however he has gotten over his depression, so it is alot more... Happy I guess? Not that Turn A Gundam is all smiles and sunshine, there is plenty of war drama to be had in this show. The cast of characters in Turn A is really strong, the development of certain characters is really strong. The story is great too, although slower paced. And as per usual with Tomino anime, the cast of chracters, while having a strong cast that gets developed quite well, also is full of people who are insane or just plain silly. But it makes senses, so enjoy.
One of the most off-putting things people have before they watch Turn A is how the Turn A itself looks. It does look odd compared to all other gundams, with its moustache, but don't let that turn you off. However, it looks beautiful in the show, and the design really grows on you. This anime is very well animated, and stylistically pleasing to watch.
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Savior of Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is a love-hate deal. On the one hand, its a very popular show, that was insanely successful, and saved the franchise after the poor sales of previous entries. On the other hand some people loath the show for various reasons I'll mention in a bit.
Gundam SEED is can sort of been seen as "The Original Gundam remade for a new audience." And indeed, it can be sort of a retelling of it, as many aspects of SEED's plot are very similar to the original, more so than almost any previous Gundam, although there are twists and changes made to make it stand on its own.
Gundam SEED is set in Cosmic Era 71. War has broken out between the Earth Alliance and the ZAFT, the armed forces of the Space Colonies (called Plants in this). The war is more than just that, however. The Plants are made up of a people called Coordinators, whose people are all genetically altered and advanced prior to birth. This is a war between "Naturals" (people born naturally) and Coordinators (people whose genes were altered pre-birth). Gundam SEED's war is structured very similarly to the One Year War, however, halfway through the series it takes its own turn with the inclusion of a 3rd faction, Orb. SEED also differs greatly from the original, with the inclusion of significant characters like Athrun and Cagalli.
Gundam SEED is personally one of my favorite Gundam shows, but it gets alot of hate. In the pursuit of fairness, I'll outline why here. But since this is my blog, and fuck these people, I'm going to spoiler it: + Show Spoiler +
Gundam SEED makes way to much use of Stock-Footage. Its used all the time, and can be jarring if you are looking for a well animated show, that's not watching the same motions repeat all the time in battles. Gundam SEED has too many recap episode, I think it had like 4 or 5 (its 50 eps in total). Gundam SEED has a strong anti-war/pacifist message. It makes use of endless escalation of war between two down-right evil sides, to demonstrate this. It may seem preachy to some. There are many complaints about the melodrama in the show as well. And SEED's sequel really sucked (but IMO a sucky sequel shouldn't reflect on this work). The main character and the female lead are often criticized as being "Mary Sue" characters.
Despite the haters, I still found its story well executed and most of the characters well developed. The writing flows consistently for the most part (I can think of one or two places that were poorly written/explained), and the plot progression makes sense. It has some of my favorite mecha designs as well, and incredible music. Watch for yourself and find out.
SEED is AU, and can be watched whenever. If you are unsure about Gundam as a hole, SEED is an excellent entry point into the series.
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Gundam SEED Destiny is a direct sequel to Gundam SEED. It takes place 2 years after its end. Destiny introduces a new cast of characters, a new war, and a new story. Destiny is one of the most popular Gundam shows ever made. Teamliquid's favorite Banling, Harem, loves this show just ask him about it!!!
The main character in this is Shinn, a ZAFT pilot. The story revolves around him when a new war breaks out between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT.
Now let me be clear. Fuck this show. This show is really popular, and you should watch it to decide for yourself, but fuck this show. And here is why. You remember those problems I outlined for Gundam SEED? Multiple most of those by like 10. This show uses the same stock footage as SEED, they didn't even produce their own stock. The anti-war message is still there, except at this point you have the main character from SEED, Kira Yamato, who is just way too powerful, who just shits on everything that disagrees with him. Not even death can stop Jesus Yamato. Kira was an okay character in SEED, who was decently developed for the most part (despite being fairly generic), but in Destiny he is almost emotional-less, stubborn, and over-powered. Its like Destiny went out of their way take all the characters that Gundam SEED developed, and ruined them. For example, Cagalli, who was one of the best characters in SEED, was handled extremely poorly in Destiny.
Destiny is a good example of a train-wreak. It actually started out fine, but eventually gets to a point where you are like "fuck this show". But, this is simply my opinion on the matter, and its a fact that SEED Destiny was one of the most popular anime created in the past 2 decades. Watch it for yourself to decide, although I don't recommend doing so.
Destiny is a direct sequel to SEED, so watch SEED first.
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Why so short
Gundam SEED: Stargazer is a very short OVA series that takes place during SEED Destiny. It is also alot better than SEED Destiny, but its really really short. Stargazer is only 3 episodes, each 15 minutes long. Thus its problems are what you would expect of a series that doesn't even last an hour. However, its a nice little series, and if you did decide to watch Destiny, following up with Stargazer is a good choice.
Requires having watched both Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny.
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ORE WA... GUNDAMU
Gundam 00 is the most recent, completed Gundam series, made back in 2007. It was broadcasted in two separate parts, Gundam 00, and Gundam 00 Season 2, each 25 episodes. Because of this, Gundam 00 is often considered two separate animes, but technically its just two different seasons of the same show. However, for discussing Gundam 00, breaking it up into these two parts is useful.
Gundam 00 is set in 2307 AD. So that means 300 years from now. This show is one of the few Gundams that actually take modern world and works with it. At this point in Human History, most of the worlds Energy comes from 3 Orbital Elevators and Solar Power. Fossil Fuels have been mostly depleted and used up. The entire world has organized under 3 different factions, each one controlling a different Elevator. We have the Union (formerly the United States), the Human Reform League (formerly Russia, China, and India), and the AEU (formerly the European Union). In this world, suddenly an organization called Celestial Being emerges. They entire any conflict in the world, and with their vastly superior mobile suits, defeat both sides and end the fighting. Their goal: The eradication of Warfare, by the use of force.
Gundam 00 Season 2 takes place 4 years after season 1. Due to this, and their split broadcast, is why Season 2 is often treated as a separate anime. Gundam 00 continues the same story as Season 1, just 4 years after the dust settled after Season 1.
Gundam 00 Season 1 was very good. Both seasons are very well animated, and Season 1 was didn't copy any set format of previous shows. The mechs were cool, the animation is great, and the story is interesting. Season 2 however is often grouped with SEED Destiny. It shows promise, and then just falls off, ruining characters and ruining the plot.
Gundam 00, AU, etc, you have read this already.
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Giant. Space. Flower.
Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer is a movie sequel to Gundam 00. It takes place 2 years after Season 2.
Gundam 00 does something that no other Gundam show has ever done (and hopefully will never do again). It brings in Aliens as the villains. Yeah, Aliens. Except they are more like space needles. The Gundam 00 Movie is well animated, but... All the fights are basically beam spam against endless numbers of space needles who fly around. There isn't the normal drama between two people fighting, two characters who you know and care about. No. This is characters who you stopped caring about in Season 2 shooting beams at endless numbers of [literally] faceless space needles that just sorta fly around all over the place. Then the ending is kinda wtf.
I don't really recommend watching this one, but feel free to watch it yourself, and decide for yourself. You need to have watched Gundam 00 prior to watching this.
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Ehh...
Gundam AGE is the most recent 50-episode AU Gundam series. It does some unique things, and it also does some of the most despised cliche stuff that it almost ruins the whole package.
Gundam AGE is set in the year AG 101, when without warning, a Space Colony is attacked and destroyed by a mysterious, unknown enemy, referred to as the "UE" (Unknown Enemy). This sparks off a war that will span generations. And there lies the draw of Gundam AGE. This show is designed to be a Generational story. Which means, the show starts out with a kid named Flit Asuno as the main character. Then, like 15 episodes later, we hit a timeskip, and Flit is now an Adult, and a leader within the Federation. His son Asemu takes over as the main character. And then after another dozen or so episodes, we have another time skip, and will then follow the son of Asemu, Kio. So this is one continuous story, spanning 3 Generation of the Asuno family, telling the story of this war. Characters from previous parts return older, changed, and you get to see just how exactly people grow up and change over the course of their life.
Initial impressions had the first generation being nothing special, but the 2nd Generation, the one about Asemu, has been extremely good in my opinion. However, its ultimately irrelevant, and we move on to Generation 3 with Kio. It starts out good, and then it goes full "UNDERSTANDING". The last arc really left a bad taste in my mouth.
Animation has been anywhere from great to spotty. Sometimes it looked as if they took animation directly out of Gundam Unicorn for it, other times things just looked like shit. Battles in the Beam Saber battles in the 2nd Generation were great, and fights throughout the 3rd Generation were all good too (several well done "base battles"). One of the points of complaint about Gundam AGE is character design. And indeed, the character design does look "childish", like you were watching Digimon or something. But over time, character design has improved, and doesn't actually affect the content of the story, so don't let that turn you off.
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YuGiOh x Gundam wtf? ITS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD
This was an entry that took many people by surprise. A few years back, there was a short OVA series called "Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G", that was about building Gunpla plastic models, and battling them. Since the title technically doesn't have "Gundam" in it, I can't really included it in this guide. However, for the short series that it was, it was a fun little show, for Gundam fans, by Gundam fans. And then Gundam Build Fighters was announced, and it was taken to the next level in terms of quality.
Lets get it out of the way right here. Gundam Build Fighters is not a war drama. The closest thing it could be compared to is a highschool sports/tournament anime. It is a world where people build their own Gundam Models, and then can battle them in areas, as a competitive sport. However, its so good. This anime ranks as one of my favorites. You have the main characters of Iori Sei, a Gunpla builder who is no good at fighting, and Reiji, a mysterious boy who is extremely talented at battling. They team up, and attempt to win the Gunpla Battle World Championship. On the way there are many rivals and challenges to overcome. Sounds nothing like Gundam, except maybe G Gundam, right?
The story is filled with engaging characters, compelling character drama, excellent mecha design, and above all, incredible mobile suit battles. Fights in episode 6 and episode 14 (I think) rank as some of the best Gundam battles I've ever seen. Another stand out thing in this show is the music, as the music is great. It rivals even Turn A Gundam and Gundam Unicorn in musical quality. I think the thing that stands out most about this anime, is just the love the creators poured into it. Having written this guide, you can probably tell I love Gundam. The creators are just like that. Every episode is filled with love of the franchise. You can tell that the creators love their work, and want you, the viewer, to love it too.
Gundam Build Fighters is technically AU. Some would argue that it isn't even Gundam. However, its full of fanservice and love for the Gundam franchise, that having watched Gundam before will increase your enjoyment of it. It has, however, been certified by people who don't even watch other Gundams as a good show, so don't let lack of Gundam experience stop you from watching it.
So that concludes all the completed main entries of the Gundam series. There are currently two on-going Gundam projects, one is sorta UC, the other AU. I'll discuss them briefly, since they aren't finished yet, and I don't like judging incomplete projects.
CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS
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Build Fighters is back, now with 3v3
Build Fighters is back, now with 3v3
Considering it has just started, and only 1 episode has aired, not much can be said about it. This anime is a direct sequel to Gundam Build Fighters, which was a sleeper hit when it aired a year ago. It is set 7 years after, and about a group of students at Sei's old school. The Gunpla Battle club is in dire straights, and Hoshino Fumina is trying to put it back together. She finds Kamiki Sekai, a new student with a love for competitive martial arts, and tries to convince him to join. The first episode ends with them uncovering a hidden/secret Gunpla made by Sei, the Build Burning Gundam.
So not much to say about it. Where Gundam Build Fighters was mostly geared towards one on one Gundam battles, this one is supposed to be geared towards Team Focused battles, specifically 3v3. Time will tell how it will turn out, but the first episode fills me with hope.
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Tomino is Back
"Gundam: G in Reconguista" is another currently airing Gundam anime. This one, unlike Build Fighters, is actually a war drama. It is being directed and written by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator and director of the Original Gundam, Zeta Gundam, ZZ, CCA, Victory, F91, and Turn A Gundam.
This anime is set in the Regild Century, at least 1000 years after the Universal Century. The World is at peace, or seemingly is. The Capitol Tower, a Space Elevator, connects the Earth and Space, as well as being the sole provider of Energy for the Earth. A trainee of the Capitol Guard, Bellri Zenam, is on a non-simulated exercise on the Elevator, when Space Priates attack. Over the course of the battle, Bell captures the G-Self and its pilot, the young woman Aida. Aida's objective, the G-Self, and the mysteries surrounding them will change Bell's destiny, and will shake the Regild Century.
Its only 3 episodes long, so I can't go much into it. This anime has been known as "G Reko" ever since it was announced 2011, so that is what I will be calling it. A few things stand out about G Reko so far. First, the character design is by the same guy who did the character designs for Eureka Seven. The Mecha Design is odd, but to me refreshing, and done by the guy who did it in King Gainer, along with some Turn A designs. And finally, the directoral style. We are getting raw Tomino, as he is doing both the directing and the script. This show is crazy. Its full of the batshit characters like from other Tomino productions such as Zeta or Turn A Gundam. It has extremely good battles, thus far. It as a strange, foreign setting, with a culture vastly different from our own, that the show is filling in, little by little as it progresses. And the mobile suit cockpits have their pilot chairs double as a toilet. Genius. I'm enjoying G Reko right now, but the style and pacing seem to be weird for many people. This might be one to wait till it finishes, and then marathon it (if it bothers you after watching a few episodes weekly). I, however, will enjoy the crazy open-cockpit shenanigans, and toilet humor, combined with mecha porn, every week.
So there it is, lots and lots of writing about Gundam. Hopefully that answers any questions you guys might have about the series, in addition to the impressions on various shows from a Gundam fan. I'll close with some FAQ about Gundam:
How many Gundam shows are in English?
Every single one of these have been subbed in English, and you can find them on various places on the Internet. Most of these have also been Dubbed in English as well, if you don't want to watch it in Japanese. Gundams with no English dub are as follows: ZZ, Turn A, X, Victory, Stargazer.
What is "SD Gundam"?
It stands for Super Deformed Gundam. SD Gundam is basically a short series of parodies, with cute super deformed robots/characters making a spoof of different things that happen in the series. There are also other SD Gundam works, like SD Gundam Force, but shit sucks.
Are there any new Gundams planned on the horizon?
Yes. After Unicorn finishes, there are plans to animation "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin". The Origin is a manga, which retells the One Year War, with updated mecha designs, and really just has everything else fleshed out more than what was originally presented. If Unicorn is any indication, this is something to look forward to. But from information that has leaked out about it, it seems like it will not be a direct adaption, so who the fuck knows.
How come they always add so many robots into every Gundam series?
The simple answer is that Gundam is more or less a really long 'Gunpla' commercial, that generally comes with good plot/characters/fights.
What is a 'Gunpla'?
'Gunpla' stands for Gundam Plastic Model. They are model kits made by Bandai in Japan, that you assemble yourself. I own a ton of them, and could really go into Gunpla, but thats beyond the scope of this blog. Check out this blog for information on Gunpla.
Favorite Gundam shows?
Personally, SEED, Turn A, Gundam Build Fighters.
I've never watched Gundam before, where do I start?
Depends. If you are comfortable with old anime, start with the original. If you want something more recent, Gundam SEED is probably the best point.
Other 'gateway' Gundams include: 08th MS Team, Wing, 00
I think that <insert anime here> looks better than Gundam Unicorn!
WELL YOU ARE WRONG SERIOUSLY THEY LIKE PUMPED 50 MILLION DOLLARS OR SOME SHIT DIRECTLY INTO THE ANIME IDK HOW DONT ASK ME OMG IT LOOKS SO GOOD UR WRONG unless you say Redline, but thats not fair
I watched Gundam Wing on Toonami, and I thought it was real good!!
Yeah, I thought Power Rangers was real good too when I was a kid. But I don't think 'OMG THE FUCKIN ILLUMINATI ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD, LETS SEND 5 SOCIOPATHS IN INVINCIBLE DEATH MACHINES TO STOP THEM WITH TERRORISM: The Anime' stands the test of time.
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