Gundam

This is the article about the multimedia franchise. You may be looking for Gundam (concept), the page about the concept of Gundam within the fiction of the universe.
Gundam is a franchise of mecha anime that focus on giant mech known as "Gundam" after the original RX-78-2 Gundam introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam. Massively popular in Japan, the Gundam franchise has spawned video games, manga, and other media. It ranks among the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, only being topped by juggernauts like Pokemon and Hello Kitty.List of highest-grossing media franchises. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. The entire culture of Gunpla, or Gundam model building, was also created by the Gundam franchise and became so large that the franchise introduced an anime, Gundam Build Fighters, based purely around that aspect of the fandom.
Despite this massive popularity in Japan, however, the Gundam franchise is relatively niche in Western fandom compared to the similarly high-grossing Batman franchise.Gundam & Related Fandoms tag on AO3. Accessed 14 Oct 2019.Batman - All Media Types tag on AO3. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. Gundam anime such as Gundam Wing and Gundam SEED that aired on Toonami in the early 2000s have a larger English presence, but in English speaking anime fandom Gundam tends to be a thing people know of but have never seen. The most popular series of the franchise in English-speaking anime fandom is Gundam Wing, possibly owing to wide exposure via Toonami and high slash potential. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, which aired in 2022, also brought a number of new English-speaking fans into Gundam fandom; it was celebrated for having a canonical F/F relationship featuring its main character and for featuring a diverse range of body types.
==History==
For ease of reading, this history only covers animated and live action entries into the Gundam franchise. Associated manga, video games, and other related releases are better covered on the specific page for each series. This is in line with what the people behind the Gundam franchise consider to be "official."Gundam: What Sunrise thinks is Official. Posted 18 Jan 2016. Accessed 17 Oct 2019.
Originally conceived as a story about characters fighting aliens and known in production as "Freedom Fighter Gunboy" or simply "Gunboy," it was requested by Clover, a toy company with a stake in the project, that robots be added to the story.Origin of the name of Gundam. Posted 26 Jul 2010. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. Haruka Takachiho, a prominent figure in the Japanese SF fandom, was aware of the powered suits of armor in Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers and drew inspiration from that idea to created a power suit of armor for Gunboy that was more human-sized but the production team felt it was too small and unappealling to children so it was swapped for a 18m tall power suit. The iconic Gundam name came from the decision to combine the word "gun" with the last syllable of "freedom," which creator Yoshiyuki Tomino switched to "dam" to signify that Gundams were dams holding enemies back. 
Gundam is a hugely influential series in Japan, being one of the longest-running franchises and having run for 40 years almost continuously on Japanese television. The release of Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979 is thought to be the start of the "real robot" genre of mecha anime. Unlike previous mecha anime, the Gundam series generally focuses on realism and the idea that the mech itself was neither good or evil, but the people using the tools to further their own agendas could be.Ask John: Which Gundam Series Have Had the Most Impact on Anime? Posted 12 Oct 2007. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. In Japan, Gundam has a cultural impact similar to Star Wars or Star Trek in America or Doctor Who in the UK but it's somewhat of a niche fandom to the English speaking portions of fandom thanks to the heavily interconnected timeline that most Gundam properties belong to: Universal Century or UC for short. In 2012, a statue of the original Gundam was erected in Odaiba, Tokyo to protect the Tokyo Bay and was so beloved that it was given a special send-off before it was dismantled in 2017.Tokyo's Giant Gundam Statue Is Dismantled With One Final Tribute. Posted 15 Mar 2017. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. It was replaced by a new Gundam statue from Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn later that year that was taller and could transform from "Unicorn mode" to "destroy mode"Gundam's 20-meter replacement statue unveiled in Odaiba. Posted 24 Sept 2017. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. which was later reported to be at the center of an embezzlement scheme by Bandai employees.Japan's Giant Gundam Statue Reportedly Part of Embezzlement Scheme. Posted 19 Jan 2019. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
===Universal Century Continuity===
Mobile Suit Gundam was the first Gundam series to be released and set the tone for much of the Gundam franchise. Namely, it featured a more realistic take on robots than other shows of the time such as Mazinger Z and a heavy focus on the toll war takes on people. It was also the introduction of the franchise's most popular character: the antagonist Char Aznable, rival of protagonist Amuro Ray.Gundam's Char Aznable Is Still the Most Magnificent Bastard to Ever Pilot a Giant Robot. Posted 23 March 2018. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. After its initial release, however, Mobile Suit Gundam was largely considered to be a flop due to audiences expecting a less serious show in the vein of the "super robot" genre of mecha anime and was cut short.'Mobile Suit Gundam Movie Trilogy' Blu-Ray Review: If You Are New To 'Gundam' Then Start Here. 6 June 2017. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. After the series was cut short, Bandai purchased the rights to make merchandise for the show from Clover and began producing very cheap plastic model kits that would be the precursor to GunplaA History Of Gundam, The Anime That Defined The Giant Robot Revolution. Posted 9 Mar 2015. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. The popularity of those kits in combination with three recut and condensed compilation movies finally cemented the popularity of Gundam and, in 1985, the sequel Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam was released. It was followed by Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ in 1986, which was the last Gundam series released in the Showa era of Japan. The first half of Gundam ZZ was much more comical and light-hearted in nature than the previous two shows and this drastic change of tone upset many fans.
Many fans, upon watching or rewatching the series when it was finally officially released in English in 2015, however, found that while the first half of the show was, perhaps, goofy and annoying, there was something to be said for the latter half of Gundam ZZ.
Perhaps the strength of that second half is what led to the first original Gundam movie to be released: Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, which breathed life back into the franchise and is considered to be one of the best Gundam anime.2019 "Gundam Census". Posted 8 Jul 2019. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. 機動戦士ガンダム 逆襲のシャア (the Japanese name for Char's Counterattack) ranks first at 29.2% of respondents. Gundam wasn't considered to be popular enough to gain a television slot during this time period, however, and would release shorts in the form of unrelated parody shorts that developed into their own continuity known as SD Gundam. They also released two OVA, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket and Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, as well as another theatrical movie, Mobile Suit Gundam F91. This movie was intended to be a full-length series to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the franchise, but was later reconfigured into a movie, making it somewhat incoherent due to the compressed runtime.'Gundam F91' Blu-Ray Review: A Wonderfully Animated Missed Opportunity. Posted 7 March 2017. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. It was also designed to be a soft reboot of the franchise, in that it's still set within the main timeline but set many years after what's already been shown with brand-new characters, much like the Star Wars sequel movies feature Rey instead of an already established character. Unlike the Star Wars sequels, however, Gundam F91 featured no characters from previous entries into the franchise.
By this point, because of the highly inter-connected nature of the franchise and the somewhat failed attempt to reboot with Gundam F91, Sunrise sought to attract the younger audience that liked the cartoonish nature of the SD Gundam continuity. The result was Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, released in 1993, which was still set in the UC Timeline but attempted to do what Gundam ZZ had already failed at and mix a more light-hearted tone with the core of the Gundam franchise: the horrors and cost of war.
It is also widely noted as being quite depressing due to the fact that it was made during a difficult time for Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. There are wide reports of him being depressed during its production, as well as having difficulties with the fact that Sunrise had been sold to Bandai recently and Bandai wanted Gundam to be a toy commercial rather than a storytelling effort in its own right.What Happened with Victory Gundam. Posted 20 Jun 2019. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. 
===Introduction of Alternate Timelines===
Thanks to the many issues plaguing Victory Gundam the next entry in the Gundam franchise, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, did away with the things that were perceived to be the reason for the Gundam franchise's waning popularity. Namely, G Gundam is not of the "real robot" genre of mecha but is instead of the "super robot" genre and is completely disconnected from the "Universal Century" timeline. This was considered somewhat heretical when G Gundam premiered in 1994, especially since it was released for the franchise's 15th anniversary, which is why many Japanese fans wouldn't list G Gundam among their favorite Gundam entries but people from English speaking fandom might.Animerica Spotlight: Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Accessed 14 Oct 2019.
The turn from a highly interconnected universe, however, proved to be popular, even if G Gundam itself wasn't necessarily so, and Bandai seized upon that opportunity to create Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, released in 1995. The series was so popular that the staff was immediately asked to make a sequel, which proceeded because writer Katsuyuki Sumizawa was dissatisfied with the ending to the original series.Mobile Suit Gundam W Special Column. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. Before the release of Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, however, another OVA was released. Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team went back to the original timeline and is considered to be one of the best examples of the "real robot" genre because it contains none of the more fantastical elements of the Gundam franchise, such as Newtypes or ridiculously overpowered weapons.
In addition to the 08th MS Team OVA, the series After War Gundam X was also released between Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz. It was not as well-received as Gundam Wing, with ratings dipping so low that the series was cut from the planned full season to just 39 episodes.After War Gundam X Sub.DVD - Collection 2. Posted 18 Jul 2016. Accessed 14 Oct 2019.
Not all fans found Gundam X to be as bad as the collective opinion. It has been described as "Gundam doing an impression of Evangelion",After War Gundam X. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. but general opinion on MyAnimeList seems to move between the show being described as "underrated" or "the worst Gundam ever made."After War Gundam X user reviews on MyAnimeList. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. This divisive opinion of Gundam X, however, is nothing new for the Gundam franchise. Even among the most well-loved Gundam shows, opinions tend to be quite mixed and that's the case with Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz. First released in 1997 as a three-episode OVA, Endless Waltz was quickly repackaged into a movie the following year and fans consider the movie to be the "official" version, as it adds several scenes that make the transitions between episodes more coherent and is generally better paced.Endless Waltz: OVA or Film? Posted 8 Jan 2018. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. Opinions on it, however, range from "just an excuse to bring back these "pretty boys" and satisfy thousands of fans need for more"User Review by galagea123 on IMDB. Posted 21 Aug 2000. Acessed 15 Oct 2019. to "Endless Waltz concludes the Wing series very well. It’s like having an excellent dessert after your meal."User Review by Goldeneyeuro on MyAnimeList. Posted 11 Aug 2009. Accessed 15 Oct 2019.
===20th Anniversary Celebration===
Endless Waltz was followed by the announcement of the Gundam Big Bang Project to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Gundam franchise. The centerpiece of the Big Bang Project was the release of Turn A Gundam in 1999. Turn A was the first Gundam series to hire a foreign mech designer and Syd Mead was given free reign to design the mechs, a choice which Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino considers a mistake.Gundam Creator Blasts Today’s Voice Actors, Designer Syd Mead. Posted 1 Sept 2014. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. It was also a departure from the earlier tone of the Gundam franchise, but that departure has made it beloved among fans and Loran Cehack is considered one of Gundam's most likable protagonists.Seven reasons to watch Turn A Gundam. Posted 16 March 2015. Accessed 14 Oct 2019. One reviewer said that Turn A is "closer in tone and approach to the work of Studio Ghibli rather than earlier Gundam series" and "has some of the best characterization in all of Gundam, with many of the protagonists being warm and likable as well as being refreshingly layered with it."'Turn A Gundam' Blu-Ray Review: The Definitive Version Of A Deeply Underrated Classic. 2 Aug 2017. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. It seemed like things were looking up for the Gundam franchise, and perhaps they might have been had the very next entry in the Gundam franchise not been G-Saviour.
Like Turn A, G-Saviour was also intended to be a centerpiece of the 20th anniversary celebration. Unlike Turn A, however, G-Saviour was a live-action Gundam movie produced in Canada that never explicitly mentions the word "Gundam."G-SAVIOUR: A Japanese TV Special Made In Canada. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. Many reviews express bafflement at the idea of G-Saviour being a Gundam property at all due to both the lack of common Gundam terminology and, well, Gundams.
Overall, however, while some reviews are positive even those reviews don't consider G-Saviour to be a good entry point for the Gundam franchise.User Reviews on IMDB. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. Despite all of this, however, the CGI in G-Saviour is impressive for the time period and some people consider the movie worthwhile just for that aspect.
===Cosmic Era Continuity===
After the 20th anniversary, Gundam slowed down production of new content. Where Gundam had produced a new series every year for almost a decade, it would take almost two years before Mobile Suit Gundam SEED would be released. In that gap, a number of short animations known as Gundam Evolve were packaged with certain model kits or aired at conventionsGundam Evolve (OAV) on Anime News Network. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. and Gundam Neo Experience 0087: Green Divers was released. Intended to be played in multi-screen theaters such as planetariums,Gundam Neo Experience 0087 - Green Divers (movie) on Anime News Network. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. Green Divers is the only entry in the Gundam franchise that has never been released outside of Japan. Many Gundam fans search for a way to watch Green Divers only to be told that the planetarium format means it's never been released to home video.Any way to watch Gundam Neo Experience 0087: Green Divers? Posted 7 May 2019. Accessed 15 Oct 2019.Know Anything About Gundam Neo Experience 0087: Green Divers? Posted 14 Jul 2012. Accessed 15 Oc 2019. It is, however, frequently screened in locations across JapanGundam Neo Experience 0087: Green Divers on Japanese Wikipedia. Accessed 15 Oct 2019.
After the short hiatus, Gundam SEED was released in 2002 and is immensely popular among the Japanese Gundam fanbase, having sold over 1 million copies on DVDGundam Seed Sells 1 Million DVDs in Japan. Posted 6 April 2004. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. and dominating the top 8 spots in the yearly ranking of DVD sales, a feat not accomplished again until the release of Mr. Osomatsu in 2016.Top-Selling Animation in Japan on Blu-ray Disc/DVD by Series: 2016. Posted 28 Dec 2016. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. The English language fandom, however, has more mixed opinions on Gundam SEED.
Many fans criticize the fact that Gundam SEED is a reboot of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, feeling that it adds nothing of value or that the original was superior. This thinking highlights a major difference between Japanese fandom and English fandom in that Japanese fans had twenty years between the release of Mobile Suit Gundam and Gundam SEED where the English release of these two shows was only four years apart. The Japanese fandom can evaluate Gundam SEED on its own merit, because it was released so far from the series it's rebooting, but English fandom finds the reboot unnecessary.
Regardless of the English fandom's feelings about Gundam SEED, Japan liked it so much that a sequel was immediately put into production. Before Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny could be released, however, Superior Defender Gundam Force was released for the 25th anniversary of the Gundam franchise. A Japanese-American co-production, it was the first Gundam entry to be broadcast in a different country before being broadcast in Japan and the first full-3DCG series to be broadcast on Japanese TV.Gundam School Part 14: "What is 'Gundam', anyway?" This simple (?) question is answered in our fourteenth casual weekly column just for new fans! Posted 17 May 2013. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. In a reversal of the opinions about Gundam SEED, SD Gundam Force got relatively high American television ratings but was the least popular Gundam in terms of Japanese television ratings, followed by After War Gundam X.SD Gundam Force Least Popular Gundam Ever in Ratings. Posted 13 Feb 2005. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. Because of this, the second season of the show was never aired in America. Actual opinion of the show, TV ratings aside, are more in line with the Japanese fandom's opinions:
There are, however, those who recognize that SD Gundam Force wasn't intended for the same audience as many other Gundam shows. It was, primarily, intended for children and while you can show darkness in a children's show, it will never be the same as the amount of violence and horror you can show in a work intended for a more mature audience.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam was also recut into three compilation movies for the franchise's 25th anniversary. After SD Gundam Force came the release of Gundam SEED Destiny. It was, like its predecessor, wildly successful in Japan with the special edition coming in at #7 behind My Neighbor Totoro and Cars in a list of Japan's best-selling DVDs in 2007Japanese Animation DVD Ranking: Top 20 DVDs of 2007. Posted 30 Dec 2007. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. and reaching over 1 million copies sold just like Gundam SEED.Destiny Ships 1 Million DVDs. 28 Nov 2005. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. The English fandom, however, was not so kind to it. A major complaint among the English speaking fandom is that Gundam SEED Destiny brings back the previous cast but focuses on a new protagonist named Shinn Asuka whom many find to be a weak point in the show.
Gundam SEED Destiny would be the last Gundam television show until the release of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 three years later in 2007. In-between Gundam SEED Destiny and Gundam 00, the first two parts of Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO were released, as well as a series of ONA for Gundam SEED known as Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer.
===Anno Domini and the 30th Anniversary===
Following the release of MS IGLOO, which returned to the "Universal Century" timeline, Gundam once again went back to alternate timeline with the release of Gundam 00 in 2007. With character designs by Yun Kōga, probably best known for Loveless, Gundam 00 is unusual in that it's the only Gundam series to be set in "our" world rather than an alternative timeline such as Universal Century or Cosmic Era. Gundam 00 experience lower ratings than both Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny, but higher ratings than other Gundam shows set in alternate timelines such as Mobile Fighter G Gundam or After War Gundam X.All Gundam TV series ratings. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. DVD releases for Gundam 00 topped the sales charts several times, so while perhaps not as popular as Gundam SEED in Japan, Gundam 00 was still quite popular.Japanese Animation DVD Ranking, March 26–April 1. Posted 16 April 2008. Accessed 15 Oct 2019.Japanese Animation DVD Ranking, July 31–August 6. Posted 8 Aug 2008. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. Aside from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Gundam SEED, Gundam 00 was one of the first Gundam shows to gain a sizable English fanbase because it aired on SyFy in America.Gundam 00 to Run on Sci Fi Channel on November 17. Posted 4 Jul 2008. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. A large part of the reason Gundam 00 became so popular with English fandom (aside from the slash potential) was the fact that it resonated with a post-9/11 audience due to the politics involved.
While Gundam 00 was airing, the third part of MS IGLOO was released. This was followed by the release of the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn OVA in 2010, which was initially reported to be six episodes long but ended up being 7 episodes long.Mobile Suit Gundam UC Anime Series Adds 7th Volume (Updated). Posted 13 May 2012. Accessed 15 Oct 2019. While many people enjoyed the return to the Universal Century timeline, Unicorn was widely criticized for being unforgiving when it came to canon knowledge.
The release of Gundam Unicorn was followed by the release of SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors and Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer. Unlike the recut movie versions the Gundam franchise tends toward, A Wakening of the Trailblazer followed in the footsteps of Endless Waltz and provided an all-new story that neatly concludes the story of Gundam 00. Reaction from fans about the movie's plot, however, is mixed.
For the 30th anniversary of the Gundam franchise, Sunrise released Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G, which was essentially a commercial for the Gunpla aspect of the Gundam franchise. Despite this, Gunpla Builders was generally well-recieved among fans.Mokei Senshi Gunpla Builders Beginning G reviews on MyAnimeList. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
===Build Fighters Era===
Mobile Suit Gundam AGE was the first Gundam project released after the 30th anniversary of the Gundam franchise. Sunrise contacted Level-5, a game studio most known for their work on blockbuster hits such as the Professor Layton series and Yokai Watch. Akihiro Hino's enthusiasm for Gundam, however, led to the creation of an entire anime series based on the proposed idea for the game.'Gundam AGE' Blu-Ray Review: An Ambitious Generational Tale That Doesn't Quite Come Together . Posted 5 Jul 2018. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. This choice proved to make for a confusing show, with some Gundam fans being simply turned off by the cartoonish art style that Level-5 is known for while others found the juxtaposition of the art style and the actual content of the show, which was in the vein of other Gundam projects, to be jarring.
Like many Gundam shows, reviews for Gundam AGE are mixed with some liking the show and others heavily disliking the show but very little middle ground.Mobile Suit Gundam AGE user reviews on MyAnimeList. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. Gundam AGE was followed by Gundam Build Fighters, which represented a new direction for the franchise. While the "main" entries to the Gundam franchise would continue to be about war, Build Fighters followed in the footsteps of Gunpla Builders and focused on the merchandise aspect of the franchise. Unlike Gundame AGE, Build Fighters is a show genuinely aimed towards children. Despite this, however, many Gundam fans loved it because of the many references to other Gundam shows that Build Fighters made and the fact that it's centered on a subculture that they themselves were a part of.[WT! Gundam Build Fighters: A season long tournament arc for the non-mecha fan.] Posted 8 Dec 2017. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. After the release of Build Fighters, the popular parody 4-koma Mobile Suit Gundam-san was adapted into an anime. It did quite well in DVD salesJapan's Animation DVD Ranking, April 18-24. Posted 26 April 2016. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. but fan reaction is mixed on whether or not it's worthwhile.Mobile Suit Gundam-san. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
The next installment in the main Gundam franchise was Gundam Reconguista in G, released in 2014, which was the first series to be directed by gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino since Turn A Gundam, a fact which initially excited many fans. When the show was actually released, however, fans were left with mixed feelings. While the show was widely praised for its art direction and animation, many fans were confused by the plot of the show. People who watched the show as it aired had trouble remembering the things that the show wanted you to remember and this made following the plot difficult leading to a show that didn't feel up to Tomino's usual standfard of work.'Gundam Reconguista In G' Blu-Ray Review: An Anime As Beautiful As It Is Confused . Posted 10 Nov 2016. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
G-Reco was followed by the second season of Build Fighters, known as Gundam Build Fighters Try. While many enjoyed the second season of Build Fighters, the staff changed between seasons and that aspect disappointed many fans.Gundam Build Fighters Try user reviews on MyAnimeList. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. As the second season of Build Fighters was airing, the animated adaption of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin was released. A prequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam, The Origin focused on the backstory of Char Aznable and fan reaction was generally positive although some fans felt it wasn't a good addition to the Universal Century timeline.Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin user reviews on MyAnimeList. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans was the next entry into the main Gundam franchise. While IBO generally received positive reviews for its depiction of the cost of war on child soldiershttps://dotandline.net/iron-blooded-orphans-review/ ‘Iron-Blooded Orphans’ Understood How War Affects Children]. Posted 9 April 2019. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. and the way its storytelling effectively built to the show's inevitable conclusion,Iron Blooded Orphans is One of the Best-Ever Gundam Series. Posted 16 Dec 2017. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. one reviewer even calling it a "grim masterpiece,"GUNDAM: IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS is a Grim Masterpiece. Posted: 13 February 2018. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. concerns were raised about the show's content in Japan, given that IBO featured no warning about the content of the show.Scene in Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Causes Viewer Complaints. Posted 9 Nov 2015. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. While IBO was airing, Sunrise also released the Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt ONA and while many fans enjoyed it, some found Thunderbolt's use of jazz as a leitmotif confusing.Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt] user reviews on MyAnimeList. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
The second season of IBO began airing in 2016, after which Sunrise released an ONA for Build Fighters called Gundam Build Fighters: GM's Counterattack and the Mobile Suit Gundam: Twilight AXIS ONA in 2017. Nobody liked Twilight AXIS.Mobile Suit Gundam: Twilight AXIS user reviews on MyAnimeList. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
===40th Anniversary Beyond===
Released in 2018, Gundam Build Divers was a spiritual sucessor to Build Fighters. Like Build Fighters, it focused on the Gunpla aspect of the Gundam franchise but unlike Build Fighters the focus was shifted toward a virtual reality MMORPG where users scan and upload their Gunpla and compete to see who is the best Gunpla Diver. While some fans enjoyed Build Divers or found it to be ok, if not the best thing ever, many fans were disappointed that the series bears no connection to Build Fighters and little connection to the hobby of building Gunpla, focusing instead on selling them.Gundam Build Divers user reviews on MyAnimeList. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
Build Divers was followed by Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative, the first standalone film since A Wakening of the Trailblazer. While a sequel of sorts to Gundam Unicorn, fan reaction to Gundam Narrative was mixed.Gundam Narrative review: Facing the terrifying Newtype myth (No spoilers for NT. Spoilers for Unicorn). Posted 17 Feb 2019. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. The focus on Newtypes was always going to be a tricky subject, however, given the fact that some fans feel that such aspects of the Gundam franchise detract from the "real robot" aspects of Gundam, stretching the believability of Gundam being grounded in reality, while others find them to be in-line with other science fiction franchises. It was also thought to be quite lore-dense, making it more for hardcore Universal Century fans than the casual Gundam fan.
2019 marked the 40th anniversary of the Gundam franchise and ahead of this celebration the concept for the 40th anniversary event, Beyond, was announced as well as five new projects.Mobile Suit GUNDAM's 40th Anniversary Project launches! Five new titles to be released & theme song announcement by LUNA SEA! Posted 28 Nov 2018. Accessed 16 Oct 2019. The first of these projects to be released was a 13 episode anime adaptation of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin called Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin - Advent of the Red Comet. Then, another entry into the SD Gundam continuity: theSD Gundam World Sangoku Soketsuden ONA followed by the first Gundam anime to be released in the Reiwa period, Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise. A sequel to Build Drivers, the early reviews of the show appear to be positive compared to Gundam fandom's distate for the original.First Impressions: Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE . Posted 12 Oct 2019. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
The remaining two projects announced for the 40th anniversary are a 5-part movie version of Gundam Reconguista in G and a movie adaptation of Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash.
==Differences Between Japanese and English Fandom==
Like many fandoms for a source material that was in a different language, the English-speaking Gundam fandom differs heavily from the Japanese-speaking Gundam fandom. Mostly these differences are in which Gundam are the best, something that's subjective anyway. Mobile Fighter G Gundam is routinely among the least-liked Gundam shows for Japanese fans, for example, since they feel it's jarring and not in line with the core ideals of the Gundam franchise. By the time G Gundam was released to a Japanese audience, Gundam already had an established canon and lore that G Gundam completely did away with, but since the English fandom was primarily introduced to Gundam through the already alternate timeline of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, they had a much easier time transitioning between the idea of the interconnected Gundam universe and the alternate timelines. There's also a difference in opinon with regard to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, since it's a retelling of the original Mobile Suit Gundam. Japanese fans loved Gundam Seed, but English's fandom's opinion is more mixed with many expressing disappointment that it's a retelling and feeling it doesn't bring anything new to the table but others loving it.Mobile Suit Gundam SEED user reviews on MyAnimeList. Acessed 17 Oct 2019.
==="Char Clones"===
The biggest difference between English Gundam fandom and Japanese Gundam fandom is their feelings toward the character Char Aznable. While both would agree that Char is an iconic character in anime, the Japanese Gundam fandom loves CharOricon: Fans Want L, Char Aznable Spinoffs. Posted 8 Jan 2007. Accessed 17 Oct 2019. and has heavily merchandised Char, making Char-branded everything from credit cardsGE Consumer Finance's "Char Custom" Credit Card Webpage. Accessed 17 Oct 2019. to Nike shoes.@flightclub on Instagram. Posted 9 Oct 2015. Accessed 17 Oct 2019. On the other hand, while English fandom considers him to be iconic, they also have an inexplicable hatred of "Char clones," or characters that vaguely resemble Char. While some fans use the term Char clone almost affectionately,Mobile Suit Gundam: A Char For All Seasons. Posted 16 Sept 2016. Accessed 17 Oct 2019. it is generally used as a derogatory term to demean characters from other parts of the franchise for being too much like Char.I know people have mixed feelings about Gundam Wing, but I don't think anyone can deny that this man was one of the greatest antagonists in the history of television. Char clones need not apply. 4 Jun 2019. Accessed 17 Oct 2019. This term only appears in the English fandom, despite the fact that one of the spin-off novels features a literal clone of Char. Where the disconnect regarding the character comes from, primarily, is the misunderstanding of Char's place in history. While English fandom sees Char as the archetype, Japanese fandom is aware of the history that led to the creation of Char and sees him as an iteration of an archetype.
Therefore, the "Char clones" that bother the English fandom so much aren't thought of that was by the Japanese fandom. The things that make up a Char clone to the English fandom are things that are much more common in Japanese culture than Western culture. Char clones are marked by "skilled fighting, unique custom mobile suits, and of course, masks." Skilled fighting is a term that could apply to most Gundam characters, given that the protagonists are usually somehow "special" or "elite," and masks are a common character feature in anime and manga. Masks are a trademark of a phantom thief, as well as being a prominent feature of kabuki, so the fact that a character has a mask isn't as odd as it seems. That leaves the unique custom mobile suit aspect, which is his defining feature as Japanese fandom uses シャア専用 or "Char custom"シャア専用 can be more literally translated as "exclusively for [use by] Char," but it's commonly translated into English as "Char custom" when シャア専用 Gunpla kits are released to Western consumers. to refer to both Gundams that were exclusively made for Char and Gunpla kits or merchandise that has either been branded or re-branded as being a "Char custom."シャア専用 page on Pixiv. Accessed 17 Oct 2019. This, however, is also a trait of the Red Baron, whom Char is partially based on and who famously flew custom-painted red aircraft.
== Influences on Other Fandoms ==
The Wow Cool Robot meme, which originated in Gundam fandom in late 2015 or early 2016, quickly breached containment and has spread to many other fandoms.
==External Links==
===Meta===
* Organizing Gundam: Internal Consistency vs. User Experience by Kalloway (2016), regarding tag wrangling of the Gundam franchise on Archive of Our Own
* If GBF was real and people actually fought gunpla what kind of meta would we see? on the Gundam subreddit
* They're Poster Boys, Jim, but not as you know 'em. by Lemontrash
===Primers===
* by ABaoaQuWasAnInsideJob on Imgur
* by ABaoaQuWasAnInsideJob on Imgur
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===Podcasts===
* Radio Meteor a podcast about Gundam Wing by Lemontrash
* Mobile Suit Breakdown: the Gundam Anime Podcast
* The Great Gundam Podcast
===Other Fanworks===
* Gundam & Related Fandoms at Archive of Our Own
* "Gundam" search on Wattpad
* Gundam UC on FF.net
* Gundam Wing/AC on FF.net
==Notes and References==
===Notes===
===References===
Category:Gundam