[vin]

Mobile Suit Gundam Metaseries Discussion Thread

(Original post by From Wikipedia)
The Gundam Series is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots (or "mecha") called "Mobile Suits" (MS); usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam. The metaseries started on April 7, 1979 as a serial TV show called Mobile Suit Gundam. That first TV series has since spawned a franchise that has come to include works released in numerous media. Titles have appeared in the form of multiple television series and OVAs, movies, manga, novels and video games, among other modes. The story from the original 1979 series has been considerably extended with sequels, prequels, side stories and alternate timelines. As a result, the title Gundam has become a collective term for the seven distinct but related timelines that can be pieced together from the stories that appear in the Gundam franchise. Generally speaking, the timelines do not intersect, but they do contain a few common elements such as the titular war machines called Gundam.

But these series are much more than giant robots fighting each other. There's the politics, the factions, humanity's future in space, and the characters who are all caught up in a bitter war in space and on the earth which they can not escape.

The timelines are:

Universal Century

Mobile Suit Gundam (TV: 1979)
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (TV: 1985)
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (TV: 1986)
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (movie: 1988)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (OVAs: 1989)
Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (movie: 1991)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (OVAs: 1991)
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (TV: 1993)
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (OVAs: 1996)
Gundam Evolve (short film series: 2001–2007, all episodes are based on U.C. except Episodes 3, 6, 7, 8 and 14)
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War : (2004)
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079: (2006)
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: Gravity Front (2008)
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (OVAs: 2010)

You could watch these in the order they were made or by the order of years they are set in:

Mobile Suit Gundam (0079)
The 08th MS Team (0079)
MS igloo (0079)
0080-war-in-the-pocket (0080)
Stardust Memory (0083)
Zeta Gundam (0087)
ZZ Gundam (0088)
Char's Counterattack(0093)
Unicorn (0096)
F91 (0123)
Victory Gundam (0153)

Future Century

Mobile Fighter G Gundam

After Colony

Gundam Wing
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz

After War

After War Gundam X

Correct Century

Turn A Gundam

Cosmic Era

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED MSV Astray
Gundam Seed CE73 Stargazer

Anno Domini

Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer

Post about anything to do with any of the numerous gundam series or timelines here.

Keep Anything spoileriffic in spoiler tags.

[Aiko]

Well, where do I begin?... I've watched practically everything from the Gundam franchise over the years (according to A-P, 50 titles), with 0079 serving as one of the first anime series I've seen back in 94 to 95.

Suffice to say, it's an incredibly iconic anime franchise that has become, in a way, an intrinsic part of Japanese popular culture, and is primarily responsible for establishing the mecha genre.

I haven't got a definitive favourite as I've enjoyed all of them for different reasons, even the much loathed Seed Destiny. I'm currently enjoying Unicorn and am awaiting episode 4.

[vin]

Ive really only scratched the surface having previously only seen wing and 00, but recently(ish) getting into UC. Really didnt think Id like the original as much as I did. Part of it was that the main characters were mostly all ordinary people thrown into a situation just trying to survive everyday. As opposed to 00 and wing where I imagine they had been trained for years and knew what they were doing. But the one year war was so developed with all these events happening and a proper time line almost like an actual conflict. And then there's char... the masked man... with his own hidden goals manipulating events into his favour. Oh and the zaku such a cool design, all those smooth curved surfaces and the fact unlike the gundams actually looks like its made for war. And then char's red version because camouflage is for cowards.

[Aiko]

(Original post by vin)
Ive really only scratched the surface having previously only seen wing and 00, but recently(ish) getting into UC. Really didnt think Id like the original as much as I did. Part of it was that the main characters were mostly all ordinary people thrown into a situation just trying to survive everyday. As opposed to 00 and wing where I imagine they had been trained for years and knew what they were doing. But the one year war was so developed with all these events happening and a proper time line almost like an actual conflict. And then there's char... the masked man... with his own hidden goals manipulating events into his favour. Oh and the zaku such a cool design, all those smooth curved surfaces and the fact unlike the gundams actually looks like its made for war. And then char's red version because camouflage is for cowards.

From what I can remember, UC placed a much larger emphasis on realism (especially 08th MS Team) whereas this was less apparent, sometimes nonexistent, with later installments. This is perhaps reflexive of the modern day anime where the characters seem to possess an unwavering adaptability to what's happening around them, and largely why anime that doesn't take this for granted such as those from UC and other series away from Gundam like NGE are noted for this.

[vin]

(Original post by Aiko)
From what I can remember, UC placed a much larger emphasis on realism (especially 08th MS Team) whereas this was less apparent, sometimes nonexistent, with later installments. This is perhaps reflexive of the modern day anime where the characters seem to possess an unwavering adaptability to what's happening around them, and largely why anime that doesn't take this for granted such as those from UC and other series away from Gundam like NGE are noted for this.

wing was particularly daft in this regard bending prison bars with your bare hands come on now.

Going by what ive heard and odd images Ive seen, Im assuming G gundam is some kind of comedy.

[caraniel]

Gundam!

I've watched a fair amount over the years, and currently have Turn A, Victory, X & G on standby (especially looking forward to G Gundam - Windmill Gundam, Tequilla Gundam & Gundam with cape riding a unicorn, these are things I need in my life!)

I'm really loving the Unicorn OVAs - really gorgeous animation, and its great to get back to the UC timeline.

[vin]

(Original post by caraniel)
Gundam!

I've watched a fair amount over the years, and currently have Turn A, Victory, X & G on standby (especially looking forward to G Gundam - Windmill Gundam, Tequilla Gundam & Gundam with cape riding a unicorn, these are things I need in my life!)

I'm really loving the Unicorn OVAs - really gorgeous animation, and its great to get back to the UC timeline.

G gundam really is a comedy http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/g/gf13-049nm.htm ..from neo mexico and it has a sombrero


Im leaving unicorn till i get through all the previous UC stuff

[yoyo462001]

Great thread. Watched everything since Gundam Wing apart from Gundam X which I stopped after a few episodes, got bored. I enjoyed the opening more than the anime I also like the art style because it's very very similar to Gundam Wings.

[LiberiFatali]

I've seen Wing, Seed/Destiny and 00. All were pretty cool, though the drama in S/D was just a little bit tiring.


I feel like I'm missing something by not watching the UC series, going to have to get onto that when I have a bit more time.

[vin]

Ive not seen the MS Gundam dub but this speech is awesome

[AngryJellyfish]

I've had Turn A Gundam and Victory Gundam on my want to watch list for a long time now, and recently added After War Gundam X (nope, I'm not taking these in any logical order, apart from maybe my current bias towards 90s shows ). I lost Gundam 00 when my hard drive went up though. As for ones I've already seen, only 08th MS Team so far, which was awesome.

Nice to know I'll have somewhere dedicated to post when I finally get around to them, anyway.

[vin]

(Original post by AngryJellyfish)
I've had Turn A Gundam and Victory Gundam on my want to watch list for a long time now, and recently added After War Gundam X (nope, I'm not taking these in any logical order, apart from maybe my current bias towards 90s shows ). I lost Gundam 00 when my hard drive went up though. As for ones I've already seen, only 08th MS Team so far, which was awesome.

Nice to know I'll have somewhere dedicated to post when I finally get around to them, anyway.

watch the original

[AngryJellyfish]

(Original post by vin)
watch the original

I saw the first episode a week ago at Aberanime's 'History of Mech' screening, it seemed like it would be a good series, but I'd have to get hold of it first.

[yoyo462001]

Are they still on Gundam Unicorn? And hows that going, haven't watched it since first episode back in September

[vin]

(Original post by yoyo462001)
Are they still on Gundam Unicorn? And hows that going, haven't watched it since first episode back in September

its being released very slowly, but Im not watching it till I get through more of the previous universal century series

[haleem]

Toonami. Back in the day.

[Atherilia]

I've hardly seen any Gundam. Seed/Destiny and 00 (s2 as well) need to watch the film for 00 it's on my drive just have not got around to it yet.

[caraniel]

The Gundam 00 movie is the best comedy film I've seen in a very long time!

[vin]

Indeed it was very entertaining

[vin]

Somone on facebook was talking about watching star dust memory and that it was good but no zeta. I wanted to say I preferred it to zeta becuse it didnt have any stupid young people making idiotic decisions and was cool and all since it was like gundam top gun ...also gato is

walking straight into a federation base and stealing a gundam with ease