Gundam Explained

Gundam
Creator:Hajime Yatate
Yoshiyuki Tomino
Origin:Mobile Suit Gundam
Owner:Bandai Namco Filmworks (directly and through Sotsu)
Years:1979–present
Films:See below
Tv:See below
Games:Gundam War Collectible Card Game
Vgs:See list
Novels:See list
Comics:See list
Toys:Gunpla (plastic Gundam models)
The Robot Spirits
S. H. Figuarts
Otherlabel1:Genre
Otherdata1:Science fiction
Military science fiction
Real robot

is a Japanese military science fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with Mobile Suit Gundam, a TV series that defined the "real robot" mecha anime genre by featuring giant robots called mobile suits (including the original titular mecha) in a militaristic setting. The popularity of the series and its merchandise spawned a franchise that includes 50 TV series, films and OVAs as well as manga, novels and video games, along with a whole industry of plastic model kits known as Gunpla which makes up 90 percent of the Japanese character plastic-model market.[1] [2] [3]

Academics in Japan have viewed the series as inspiration; in 2008, the virtual Gundam Academy was planned as the first academic institution based on an animated TV series.[4]

As of March 2020, the franchise is fully owned by Bandai Namco Holdings through subsidiaries Sotsu and Sunrise. The Gundam franchise had grossed over in retail sales by 2000.[5] [6] [7] By 2022, the annual revenue of the Gundam franchise reached ¥101.7 billion per year,[8] ¥44.2 billion of which was retail sales of toys and hobby items.[8]

Overview

Concept

Mobile Suit Gundam was developed by animator Yoshiyuki Tomino and a changing group of Sunrise creators with the collective pseudonym of Hajime Yatate. The series was originally entitled Freedom Fighter Gunboy (or Gunboy) for the robot's gun, with teen boys the primary target demographic. Early production had a number of references to freedom: the White Base was originally "Freedom's Fortress", the Core Fighter was the "Freedom Wing" and the Gunperry was the "Freedom Cruiser". The Yatate team combined the English word "gun" with the last syllable of the word "freedom" to form the portmanteau Gundom. Tomino changed it to Gundam, suggesting a unit wielding a gun powerful enough to hold back enemies like a hydroelectric dam holding back water.[9] In keeping with the concept, Gundams are usually depicted as prototypes or limited-production, with higher capabilities than mass-produced units, which are often referred to simply as mobile suits.

Most Gundams are large, bipedal, humanoid vehicles controlled from a cockpit by a human pilot. The cockpit is located in the torso, while the head serves as a camera to transmit images back to the cockpit. Gundams Most of the series protagonists are Newtypes, genetically advanced humans adapted for space. Newtypes have psychic abilities that enable them to sense each other across space and to utilize special mobile suits.

The series itself has been described as a space opera.[10]

Innovation

Mobile Suit Gundam reportedly pioneered the real robot subgenre of mecha anime.[11] In contrast to its super robot cousins, Mobile Suit Gundam attempted realism in its robot design and weaponry by running out of energy and ammunition or malfunctioning. Its technology is derived from actual science (such as Lagrange points and the O'Neill cylinder in space, and the use of helium-3 as an energy source) or feasible technology requiring only a few fictional elements to function (such as Minovsky Physics).[12]

Timelines

Most of the Gundam animation (including the earliest series) is set in what is known as the Universal Century (UC) calendar era, with later series set in alternate calendars or timelines. Although many new Gundam stories are told in their parallel universe with independent timelines (giving them greater creative freedom), the original UC storyline continues to be popular, with new installments frequently produced ever since. It established the series, setting the standard for hard science fiction in anime; the original Gundam marked the maturing of the giant-robot genre. Nostalgia for the oldest Gundam shows (and its status as a pop-culture icon in Japan) is a factor in its continuing success.[13]

Spinoffs

SD Gundam, a spinoff of Gundam which began during the mid-1980s, features super deformed designs and emphasizes comedy and adventure. Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G, Gundam Build Fighters, and Gundam Build Divers feature contemporary settings and use Gunpla as plot elements.

Media

TV series, films, and video

Except for Mobile Suit Gundam 00, which follows the current calendar era, all Gundam series are set in a fictional era, with a new calendar adopted after a drastic event or chain of events and typically involve a major conflict involving Earth and space colonies (and in some cases the Moon and terraformed planets). An exception is the Gundam Build timeline, which is set in an alternate present time where all other Gundam installments are fictional.

NameMediaRelease dateTimeline and year
Mobile Suit GundamTV series: 43 episodes1979 - 1980Universal Century (UC) 0079
Compilation movies: 31981 - 1982
Mobile Suit Zeta GundamTV series: 50 episodes1985 - 1986Universal Century (UC) 0087
Compilation movies: 32005 - 2006
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZTV series: 47 episodes1986 - 1987Universal Century (UC) 0088
OVA

2 episodes

2009
Movie1988Universal Century (UC) 0093
Mobile Suit SD GundamMovies: 51988, 1989, 1991, 1993
OVA: 9 episodes1989 - 1991
Compilation TV series: 8 episodes1993
OVA: 6 episodes1989Universal Century (UC) 0079 - 80
Mobile Suit Gundam F91Movie1991Universal Century (UC) 0123
OVA: 13 episodes1991 - 1992Universal Century (UC) 0083
Compilation movie1992
Mobile Suit Victory GundamTV series: 51 episodes1993 - 1994Universal Century (UC) 0153
Mobile Fighter G GundamTV series: 49 episodes1994 - 1995Future Century (FC) 60
Mobile Suit Gundam WingTV series: 49 episodes1995 - 1996After Colony (AC) 195
Compilation specials: 4 episodes1996
OVA: 12 episodes1996 - 1999Universal Century (UC) 0079
Compilation movie1998
Special2013
After War Gundam XTV series: 39 episodes1996After War (AW) 15
OVA: 3 episodes1997After Colony (AC) 196
Compilation movie1998
Gundam: Mission to the Rise[14] Short film1998
Turn A GundamTV series: 50 episodes1999 - 2000Correct Century (CC) 2343 - 45
Compilation movies: 22002
G-SaviourLive-action TV movie2000Universal Century (UC) 0223
Gundam Neo Experience 0087: Green Diver[15] Specialty format movie2001Universal Century (UC) 0087
Gundam EvolveOVA: 15 episodes2001 - 2007
Mobile Suit Gundam SEEDTV series: 50 episodes2002 - 2003Cosmic Era (CE) 71
Epilogue OVA short2004
Compilation specials: 3 episodes2004
Superior Defender Gundam ForceTV series: 52 episodes2003 - 2004
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED MSV AstrayPromo OVA shorts: 2 episodes2004Cosmic Era (CE) 71
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year WarOVA: 3 episodes2004Universal Century (UC) 0079
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DestinyTV series: 50 episodes2004 - 2005Cosmic Era (CE) 73 - 74
TV special2005
Compilation specials: 4 episodes2006
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079OVA: 3 episodes2006Universal Century (UC) 0079
ONA

3 episodes

2006Cosmic Era (CE) 73
Compilation OVA: 12006
Mobile Suit Gundam 00TV series: 50 episodes2007 - 2009Anno Domini (AD) 2307 - 08, 2312
Compilation OVA: 3 episodes2009
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: Gravity FrontOVA: 3 episodes2008Universal Century (UC) 0079
Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record: Avant-TitleOVA2009Universal Century (UC) 0079
Ring of Gundam[16] Short film2009
Mobile Suit Gundam UnicornOVA: 7 episodes, 1 special episode2010 - 2014Universal Century (UC) 0096
Compilation TV series: 22 episodes2016
SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle WarriorsMovie2010
TV series: 51 episodes
Movie2010Anno Domini (AD) 2314
Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning GSpecials: 3 episodes2010Our Century
Mobile Suit Gundam AGETV series: 49 episodes2011 - 2012Advanced Generation (AG) 115 - 164
Compilation OVA: 2 episodes2013
Gundam Build FightersTV series: 25 episodes2013 - 2014Our Century
Specials: 3 episodes2014
Mobile Suit Gundam-sanTV series: 13 episodes2014
Gundam Reconguista in GTV series: 26 episodes2014 - 2015Regild Century (RG) 1014
Compilation movies: 52019 - 2022
Gundam Build Fighters TryTV series: 25 episodes2014 - 2015Our Century
OVA2016
OVA: 6 episodes2015 - 2018Universal Century (UC) 0068, 0071, 0074, 0077, 0078, 0079
Compilation TV series: 13 episodes2019
TV series: 50 episodes2015 - 2017Post Disaster (PD) 323, 325
Mobile Suit Gundam ThunderboltONA: 8 episodes2015 - 2017Universal Century (UC) 0079
Compilation movies: 22016 - 2017
ONA: 6 episodes2017Universal Century (UC) 0096
Compilation movie2017
Gundam Build Fighters BattlogueONA: 5 episodes2017Our Century
Gundam Build Fighters: GM's CounterattackONA2017Our Century
Gundam Build DiversPrologue ONA2018Our Century
TV series: 25 episodes
Mobile Suit Gundam NarrativeMovie2018Universal Century (UC) 0097
SD Gundam World Sangoku SoketsudenONA: 10 episodes2019 - 2021
ONA: 26 episodes2019 - 2020Our Century
Gundam Build Divers: BattlogueONA2020Our Century
Mobile Suit Gundam G40[17] ONA2020Universal Century (UC) 0079
Gundam Build Real[18] Live-action Net Drama: 6 episodes2021Our Century
SD Gundam World HeroesONA: 24 episodes2021
Mobile Suit Gundam HathawayMovies: 32021 - TBAUniversal Century (UC) 0105
Gundam Breaker Battlogue[19] ONA: 6 episodes2021Our Century
Movie2022Universal Century (UC) 0079
Prologue ONA2022Ad Stella (AS) 101
TV series: 24 episodes2022 - 2023Ad Stella (AS) 122
Gundam Build MetaverseONA: 3 episodes2023Our Century
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FreedomMovie2024Cosmic Era (CE) 75
ONA: 6 episodes2024Universal Century (UC) 0079
Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom[20] VR movie2024Universal Century (UC) 0096
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans: Urðr-HuntTBATBAPost Disaster (PD) 323

Live-action film

At the 2018 Anime Expo, Legendary Pictures and Sunrise announced a collaboration to develop a live-action Gundam film.[21] Brian K. Vaughan was brought in to write and serve as an executive producer for the film.[22] In April 2021, it was reported that the project had landed at Netflix and that Jordan Vogt-Roberts had been hired to direct.[23]

Manga and novels

See main article: List of Gundam manga and novels.

Manga adaptations of the Gundam series have been published in English in North America by a number of companies, such as Viz Media, Del Rey Manga and Tokyopop, and in Singapore by Chuang Yi.

Video games

See main article: List of Gundam video games. Gundam has spawned over 80 video games for arcade, computer and console platforms, some with characters not found in other Gundam media. Some of the games, in turn, inspired spinoff novels and manga.[24]

Gunpla

See main article: Gunpla.

Primarily made of plastic, but sometimes paired with resin and metal detail parts, hundreds of Gundam scale plastic models, aka Gunpla, have been released. They range in quality from toolless-build children's toy kits (Entry Grades) to hobbyist and museum-grade models, and most are in common scales such as 1:35, 1:48, 1:60, 1:100 or 1:144 scale. Various Grades exist to target hobbyists, ranging from smaller sized kits such as High Grade and Real Grade, to larger Master Grade and finally Perfect Grade model kits. The Real Grade (RG) Gundam series combined the Master Grade's detailed inner structure with additional colour separation, making the 1:144-scale series complex in design and compact in size, with the final goal of retooling a Gundam to what they might would look like in real life, similar to the real-life Gundam Front Tokyo RX-78-02.

Promotional 1:6 or 1:12 scale models are supplied to retailers and are not commercially available. For Gundam 30th anniversary, a full-size RX-78-2 Gundam model was constructed and displayed at Gundam Front Tokyo, in the Odaiba district;[25] it was taken down on March 5, 2017.[26] A new statue of the Unicorn Gundam was erected at the same location, now renamed The Gundam Base Tokyo.

Other merchandise

Bandai, Gundam primary licensee, produces a variety of products.[27] Other companies produce unofficial merchandise, such as toys, models and T-shirts. Products include Mobile Suit In Action (MSiA) action figures and Gundam model kits in several scales and design complexities. Each series generally has its own set of products, MSiA and model lines such as Master Grade and High Grade Universal Century may extend across series. The most popular action-figure line has been the Gundam Fix series, which includes the mecha in the animated series, manga and novels and accessories to create an updated version. In addition to Master Grade and High Grade Gundams, Bandai released a 30th-anniversary series of Gundam models in 2010.[28] After the introduction of the RG Gunpla line, Bandai released the Metal Build series in March 2011 (beginning with the 00 Gundam).[29]

Internet

Bandai maintains several websites to promote Gundam projects; Gundam Perfect Web is the official Japanese site. Its English-language counterpart is the US-maintained Gundam Official. In 2005, the website hosted the Gundam Official User Forum. The forum was based on the existing fan forum, Gundam Watch, using many of its staff. When the project was retired, Gundam Watch was reborn and became Gundam Evolution.

A number of series-specific websites have been created, often available for a limited time (usually to promote a DVD release). Common content includes character and mecha listings, lists of related merchandise and pay-for-download content. Special pages are frequent, often presenting downloadable wallpaper or a small game. The Superior Defender Gundam Force website has a game in which players take the role of villain Commander Sazabi, attempting to blast his subordinate with weapons.

Global spread

Since 1980, Gundam has also appeared in the following countries and regions:

RegionDebut year
1980
1981
1982
1983
1987
United States
Canada
Brazil
Australia
New Zealand
Rest of Europe outside Italy
Rest of Latin America outside Brazil
1994

Impact

See main article: Cultural impact of Gundam.

Gundam is a Japanese cultural icon; it is a ¥50-billion-annual business of Bandai Namco, reaching ¥54.5 billion annual revenue by 2006,[30] and annual revenue by 2014.[8] Stamps have been issued, an Agriculture Ministry employee was reprimanded for contributing to the Japanese Wikipedia Gundam-related pages,[31] and the Japan Self-Defense Forces has code-named its developing advance personal-combat system Gundam. Based on a December 16, 2023 survey conducted by Nikkei Entertainment, the fanbase of Gundam within Japan has an average age of 42 years, and a male-to-female ratio that skews 90:10.[32]

The impact of Gundam in Japan has been compared to the impact of Star Wars in the United States.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Linder. Courtney. July 21, 2020. Watch Engineers Take Their 60-Foot-Tall Gundam for a Walk. February 9, 2021. Popular Mechanics. en-US.
  2. Web site: Gundam Releases First-Ever English Guide to Gunpla. February 9, 2021. Anime. en.
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20081207100050/http://www3.jetro.go.jp/jetro-file/BodyUrlPdfDown.do?bodyurlpdf=05000892_001_BUP_0.pdf Flow of the Japan toy industry (日本の玩具産業の動向)
  4. News: Lewis. Leo. Gundam cartoon academy to turn science fiction into reality in Japan. The Times. November 1, 2008. July 10, 2017.
  5. Web site: Unique toy line encourages creative play. The Expositor. 38. December 13, 2000. December 3, 2022. Newspapers.com.
  6. Web site: Gundam Wing Phenomenon Grows With Addition of New Licensees as Television Ratings and Toy Line Sales Surge. Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. June 13, 2000. January 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20000821005011/http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000613/ny_bandai_.html. August 21, 2000. Yahoo.com. live.
  7. Web site: Gundam Wing Phenomenon Grows With Addition of New Licensees as Television Ratings and Toy Line Sales Surge.. https://web.archive.org/web/20121016114032/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Gundam+Wing+Phenomenon+Grows+With+Addition+of+New+Licensees+as...-a062704291. Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. The Free Dictionary. October 16, 2012. June 13, 2000. August 10, 2019.
  8. https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/files/ir/financialstatements/pdf/20220805_en_Complement.pdf Bandai Namco Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Statement
  9. Gundam Archives, production notes
  10. Book: Chris Stuckmann. Anime Impact: The Movies and Shows that Changed the World of Japanese Animation. May 15, 2018. Mango Media Inc.. 978-1-63353-733-0. 42.
  11. Web site: Ask John: Which Gundam Series Have Had the Most Impact on Anime?. https://web.archive.org/web/20090616111552/http://www.animenation.net/blog/2007/10/12/ask-john-which-gundam-series-have-had-the-most-impact-on-anime/. dead. June 16, 2009. John. Oppliger. AnimeNation#John Oppliger. October 12, 2007. July 28, 2009. AnimeNation.
  12. "Gundam Science, the High Frontier - G.K. O'neil's Space Colonization Plan, Gundam Century", Out special edition, Renewal Version
  13. http://www.mhi.co.jp/news/sec1/020220nl.html
  14. News: Gundam 40th Anniversary Promotional Anime Teased for This Winter . Anime News Network. September 26, 2019. September 6, 2021.
  15. Web site: E-field . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080512182900/http://www.e-field.gr.jp/index.html . May 12, 2008.
  16. Web site: 2009-08-21 . Part of Yoshiyuki Tomino's 'Ring of Gundam' Previewed (Updated) . 2023-09-29 . Anime News Network . en.
  17. Web site: 2020-01-21 . 'Mobile Suit Gundam' Releases 40th Anniversary "G40 Project" Special Movie . 2023-09-29 . Hypebeast.
  18. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio. Live-Action Video Project 'Gundam Build Real' Debuts on March 29. Anime News Network. September 15, 2022. March 18, 2021.
  19. Web site: Mateo. Alex. Gundam Breaker Battlogue Anime Theme Song, October 19 Premiere. Anime News Network. September 24, 2021. September 24, 2020.
  20. Web site: 2024-03-21 . Mobile Suit Gundam Silver Phantom VR Anime Reveals Trailer Video, New Visual, Main Staff . 2024-07-05 . Anime News Network . en.
  21. News: 'Gundam' Film: Legendary Pictures to Make Live-Action Anime Adaptation. Jeremy. Fuster. The Wrap. July 5, 2018. July 5, 2018.
  22. News: Brian K. Vaughan To Pen 'Gundam' Live-Action Adaptation For Legendary. Amanda. N'Duka. Geoff. Boucher. Deadline Hollywood. March 6, 2019. March 6, 2019.
  23. News: Gundam Live-Action Movie Heads to Netflix with Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. Megan. Peters. Comicbook.com. April 12, 2021. April 12, 2021.
  24. Web site: MobyGames: Game Browser. MobyGames. October 27, 2016. February 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220212085620/https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/altjapan-co-ltd/list-games/. dead.
  25. Web site: Diver City Tokyo: the ultimate Gundam experience. appetiteforjapan. December 2, 2015. Appetite For Japan. March 3, 2017.
  26. News: http://www.gundam.info/topic/17012. ja:「実物大ガンダム立像」5年の歴史に幕。そして新たなプロジェクトへ!. 公式ガンダム情報ポータルサイト「GUNDAM.INFO」. April 12, 2017. ja.
  27. Web site: GUNDAM.INFO The official Gundam news and video portal. na.gundam.info. ja-JP. October 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161026105446/http://na.gundam.info/index/white. October 26, 2016. dead.
  28. Web site: Suzuki. Toshiyuki. RX-78-2 Gundam (RG) (Gundam Model Kits). Hobby Search Co., Ltd.. August 12, 2013. September 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130927042523/http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10115841. dead.
  29. Web site: METAL BUILD FREEDOM GUNDAM. Gundamplanet.com. August 12, 2013. August 2, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130802034225/http://www.gundamplanet.com/metal-build-freedom-gundam.html. dead.
  30. Nekkei BP mook, Otona no Gundamu Perfect (Gundam for Adult's Perfect), Business & History+Character+Mechanic, Nekkei Entertainment,
  31. News: Japanese workers in Wikipedia row . BBC News. October 5, 2007. October 1, 2009.
  32. Web site: 今、本当に推されている「人」「作品」が分かる 最旬"推し"新潮流. February 2, 2024. Ayase Hirashima. Eri Hatano. Nikkei Cross Trend. ja. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240222142208/https://xtrend.nikkei.com/atcl/contents/18/00960/00001/. February 22, 2024.