Find out about Gundam

Gundam is one of the longest running meta-series of anime featuring giant robots. Mobile Suit Gundam was developed principally by Yoshiyuki Tomino, along with a changing group of Sunrise creators who went under the collective psuedonym "Hajime Yatate". Gundam is a turning point in the history of anime and manga, as it is credited for inspiring the Real Robot genre.

The main theme of all the various Gundam series is always the harsh depiction of the atrocities of war. All the machines, including the Gundams, are always depicted realistically as machines. The technology, at least that of the Universal Century, is practical and derived from true science.

The narration is always revolving around the emotions of the characters. With few exceptions, there are no absolute good guys and bad guys; all have their motives. Gundam also features true to life issues and clear political ideas. Finally, most of the stories are basically structured as coming-of-age dramas. This makes the plot more real.

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)

The series did not receive high ratings when it was first aired, and was in fact cancelled before the series was intended to end. Audiences were expecting another giant robot show, and instead found MS Gundam, the first work of anime in an entirely new genre, the mecha drama or the 'real robot' genre as opposed to the 'super robot' genre. The show did very well in reruns and in its theatrical compliation.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985)

The sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. A bona fide hit among many Gundam fans, the show was however poorly received by many casual TV watchers, who found it depressing and confusing. Such, the series never becomes nearly as popular in Japan as the original.

Char's Counterattack (1988)

Making its theatrical debut on March 12, 1988, Char's Counterattack is the final culmination of the original saga begun in Mobile Suit Gundam and continued through Zeta Gundam and Double Zeta Gundam. In addition to being the first original Gundam theatrical release, Char's Counterattack was also the first Gundam production to make use of computer graphics during a five-second shot of a colony rotating serenely in space.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War In The Pocket (1989)

The first Gundam OVA series. It was also the first time anyone other than creator Tomino Yoshiyuki was given a chance to direct a Gundam story. In 1989, it served to commemorate Gundam's ten-year anniversary. As suggested by its subtitle, "War in the Pocket," it is a small, personal story; a side story focusing on the experiences of a ten-year-old boy during the One-Year War.

Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991)

This anime movie was Gundam creator Tomino Yoshiyuki's attempt to launch a new Gundam saga, set thirty years after Char's Counterattack. Originally planned as a full-length television series, Gundam F91 was re-tooled as a thirteen-episode OVA early in the development process, then further condensed into a theatrical feature film. The results are generally regarded as less than satisfactory.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991)

A 13-episode anime OVA series set in the Gundam universe. Subsequent volumes, containing one 30-minute episode each, followed every one or two months; the final volume went on sale on September 1992. The series was directed by Mitsuko Kase (Episodes 1�E) and Imanishi Takashi (8�E3).
After the completion of the OVA in 1992 the series was reformated into a compilation movie and re-released under the title Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: The Last Blitz Of Zeon. To date, the movie has not been released in America.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994)

Premiering in 1994, Mobile Fighter G Gundam was the first non-Universal Century animated Gundam series, and one of the most controversial. Directed by Giant Robo's Yasuhiro Imagawa, this series takes a vastly different approach to the Gundam saga. Detractors criticize G Gundam as either an ugly parody of the Gundam world or a thinly disguised take on the Street Fighter/Dragon Ball Z trend with the Gundam name. There is a following of G Gundam fans who liked its out of worldliness and willingness to play up exaggerated national stereotypes for comedic effect.

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995)

A very popular Gundam series! Known in Japan as New Mobile Report Gundam W. Initially directed by Masashi Ikeda and written by Katsuyuki Sumizawa (Ronin Warriors), the series was loosely based on the original 1979 Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (1996)

A twelve-episode Gundam OVA series that takes place during the One-Year War, and depicts the point of view of the common soldier rather than that of the Newtype aces. It was the longest-running Gundam OVA series, in terms of episode release schedule.

G-Saviour (2000)

G-Saviour is a live action television movie set in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam metaseries. Because of weak writing, wooden acting, mediocre mecha designs and poor continuity editing, G-Saviour is seen as the weakest Gundam offering to date. Gundam's original story co-creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, who was not involved in this production, voiced his disapproval of G-Saviour at Anime Expo New York 2002.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002)

A part of the Gundam franchise that started in 1979, but takes place in an alternate universe called Cosmic Era. It begins with a war between Earth and the colonies that is similar to the One Year War of the original Gundam series. Mankind has evolved into new forms through genetic engineering, with normal humans known as 'Naturals' and the genetically altered known as 'Coordinators'.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny (2004)

Directed by Mitsuo Fukuda, Gundam SEED Destiny is the sequel to Gundam SEED and the second Gundam series to be set in the Cosmic Era timeline. Set in CE 73, two years after the peace treaty between ZAFT and the Earth Alliance was signed in Gundam SEED, members of the Earth Alliance special task force known as "Phantom Pain" hijack three new mobile suits from a ZAFT armory base during a meeting between Orb Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha and ZAFT Chairman Gilbert Durandal. What begins as a pursuit of a band of Extended Naturals by Orb refugee Shinn Asuka, Alex Dino (Athrun Zala in disguise), Rey Za Burrel, and the crew of the Minerva, escalates into cataclysmic circumstances which lead to the declaration of yet another war. Gundam SEED Destiny had its premiere broadcast in Japan on October 9, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. on the JNN TV stations (TBS and MBS) and ended on October 1, 2005.