Turn A Gundam

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)
∀ Gundam
Turn A Gundam title screen
Turn A Gundam title screen
∀ガンダム
(Tān Ē Gandamu)
Genre Drama, Mecha, Romance, Science Fiction
TV anime
Director Yoshiyuki Tomino
Studio Sunrise
Network Animax, Fuji TV
Original run April 4, 1999 – April 14, 2000
Episodes 50
Manga
Author Yoshiyuki Tomino (story)
Koichi Tokita (art)
Publisher Flag of Japan Kodansha
Serialized in Flag of Japan Comic Bom Bom
Original run April 15, 1999 – March 15, 2000
Volumes 2
Manga
Author Yoshiyuki Tomino (story)
Atsushi Soga (art)
Publisher Flag of Japan Kodansha
Serialized in Flag of Japan Magazine Z
Original run June 26, 1999 – March 2002
Volumes 4
Manga: ∀ Gundam: Tsuki no Kaze
Author Akira Yasuda
Publisher Flag of Japan Kadokawa
Serialized in Flag of Japan Gundam Ace
Original run 2004 – 2005
Volumes 1
Animated film: ∀ Gundam I: Earth Light
Director Yoshiyuki Tomino
Studio Sunrise
Released February 9, 2002
Runtime 120 minutes
Animated film: ∀ Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly
Director Yoshiyuki Tomino
Studio Sunrise
Released February 10, 2002
Runtime 128 minutes

∀ Gundam or Turn A Gundam (∀ガンダム Tān Ē Gandamu?) is a 50 episode anime series that aired between 1999 and 2000 on Japan's FNN networks and the anime satellite television network, Animax, created for the Gundam Big Bang 20th Anniversary celebration. It was also compiled into two feature-length movies titled ∀ Gundam I: Earth Light and ∀ Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly.

Turn A Gundam was the last Gundam anime to be directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, who was the main creator of the Gundam franchise and had written and directed many previous Gundam works. This series was made after Tomino had recovered from his depression that influenced Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, and the general tone and mood of Turn A Gundam is much more hopeful and less dark than his other Gundam series.

It is important to note that Turn-A Gundam is also the last of the Gundam metaseries (not counting the compilations and future video game cut scenes) to be hand painted on cels. 2002's Gundam Seed would be the first series to use digital coloring.

Contents

[edit] Overview

∀ Gundam takes place in the year Seireki 2345 (正暦2345年 or CC 2345), in a different calendar system than the previous Gundam projects. Seireki is a wordplay on the Japanese term for the Common Era (C.E.) Western calendar system (西暦; also pronounced Seireki). The English acronym CC is Correct Century（コレクトセンチュリー）in the official Japanese ∀ guide book and Correct Century in English in the 2001 Correct Century A Bibliographical Study of "Black History" as the black paged introduction of Gundam Officials.[1]

After the end of Victory Gundam in early 1994, Yoshiyuki Tomino took a five year hiatus from Gundam. In 1999, he returned to the Gundam franchise with the 50 episode series ∀ Gundam (read as Turn A Gundam) as part of Sunrise's "Gundam Big Bang" 20th Anniversary celebration. Set in Correct Century (CC) 2345, this series tells the story of a war between space colonists calling themselves the Moonrace who wish to colonize Earth, and the Earth Militia forces, which use the ancient Turn A Gundam to retaliate. Turn A Gundam is a dramatic depature from the franchise in many ways. Instead of being set in an era of high technology, it is set in a future that has regressed to the early 20th century. Also, the unorthodox design of the title suit comes courtesy of American designer Syd Mead, best known for his work in the film Blade Runner. The series also features the musical talents of Yoko Kanno, who previously worked on Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop and Tomino's own series Brain Power'd. The series finished its run in early 2000, and in 2002 Tomino directed two compilation films, entitled Earth Light and Moonlight Butterfly. Both the TV series and the movies are now available on DVD in Japan, but they are not available in the U.S.

It is important to note that the "Turn A" (∀) in the title of the series is the universal quantifier used in discrete mathematics meaning roughly "all units in a set". Thus, the title can be translated as For all Gundams. This is neither an oversight, nor just arbitrarily selected symbol used for aesthetic purposes - Gundam creator Tomino clearly intended the series to be a sort of "unification" of the Universal Century and the myriad "alternate universes" into a coherent whole. As such, the series frequently features cameos of existing technology from the widely diverse gundam incarnations, examples to that effect include:

  • Several of the mobile suits in the series are clearly from earlier series - the Luziana fiefdom's proudly maintained army of MS-06 Borjarnon units is, in fact, a collection of excavated MS-05 Zaku I and MS-06 Zaku II units. The AMX-109 Kapool appeared initially in Gundam Double Zeta, and the G-M2F (AMX-102) Zssan appears to be a heavily modified AMX-102 Zssa, also from the aforementioned show.
  • In the Turn-A novel and manga, Gwen pilots a machine called the Black Doll, which is described as a giant black Gundam with three beam cannons in its belly and the ability to transform into a box-like form. This description strongly implies that it is, in fact, the MRX-009 Psyco Gundam from Zeta Gundam. The Super Robot Wars and G Generation video games would borrow this concept, having Gwen pilot the Psyco Gundam and calling it "Black Doll".
  • Also from G Generation Spirits which supposed only features UC Gundams, a bonus stage is included which the enemies are cocoons named "System Turn-A", the Turn-A Gundam itself is also available in full completion status of game, becoming the only non-UC timeline mecha in the game.
  • The Turn A Gundam, and associated Earth Militia suits occasionally make use of a 'Hyper Hammer', a large, MS scale flail with mounted rocket verniers. The weapon itself bore a striking resemblance to a similar weapon from Mobile Suit Gundam of the same name.
  • Eventually, the main character is assigned an excavated land-faring warship identical to Mobile Suit Gundam's Gallop land battleship. Coincidentally, it is nicknamed "Gallop" to evoke horse-like swiftness, without prior knowledge of its true name.
  • Queen Diana's palace is, in fact, an erected Squid class battleship from Victory Gundam.
  • Both introductions, as well as Episode 43, present a montage of scenes from previous series as being part of the apocalyptic "Dark History" preceding the events in ∀.
  • In one manga adaptation, Sochie finds a Haro while on the Moon. Dianna panics, telling Sochie to get away from it, as the Haro sprouts sharp saw-like teeth. It turns out to be Bug, one of millions of automated killing machines from Gundam F91 disguised as Haro.
  • Several characters explicitly mention periods of the Dark History based on the calendar system of their respective series. Most notably the Universal Century calendar system is frequently described as taking place several thousands years before the events in ∀ Gundam.
  • Panicking on the battlefield, Corin Nander, a pilot who supposedly served during the Dark History and was subsequently frozen cryogenically, briefly sees the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero.

Generally, acceptance of this theory is spotty at best. Some fans subscribe to a literal interpretation, attempting to piece together the specific order in which Tomino intended the prior shows take place. Others believe the theory, but prefer a less strict delination of time, accepting the show as the cumulation of 20 years of Gundam. Still more fans reject the theory outright, considering ∀ Gundam to be another alternate universe, possibly one in which events similar or identical to the other Gundam shows took place. However, the 2001 Correct Century, A Bibliographical Study of "Black History", printed in black pages in front of the Universal Century, Gundam Officials Encyclopedia, that is supposed to be uncovered by a fictional Lecturer in Black History named Yokk Wakk Onimott during Correct Century 1993 who spent 2 years to fix the broken pages, 5 years to interprete the language and a year to find a publisher, stated the book was first printed in around 3000 years ago by the Rhea branch of the Earth Federation Government University, and included a picture found in 1993 Correct Century in the mountain cycle Library A-a drawn by Kunio Okawara showing a mobile suit supposed to be MS-04 as a S.U.I.T. project of the Zeon forces in UC0072~0075 and the white page introduction stated by another fictional writter, Minaka Junkers, an economy assistant professor of the Rhea branch of the Earth Federation Government University, the book was published in UC0100, celebrating the Centennial anniversary of the Universal Century. Thus officially claimed that the Universal Century is a time before Correct Century, possibly around 3000 years before the story of Turn A begins. [2]

Image showing relationships of different Gundam series' timeline from SD Gundam G-Generation DS promotional leaflet
Image showing relationships of different Gundam series' timeline from SD Gundam G-Generation DS promotional leaflet

One of the more fantastic rumors concerning Turn A is that Tomino wanted to create a series to be a grand union of all his shows (Ideon, Heavy Metal L-Gaim, Zambot 3, etc), not just Gundam.[citation needed] One such rumor states that Tomino wanted the battleship Willgem's main weapon to be Ideon's wave leader gun. When he presented the idea to Sunrise, they turned it down and suggested downscaling it to just contain the Gundam saga and its various alternate universes. Fans of Tomino's works have dubbed this apocryphal work "Turn-A Space".

[edit] Mobile Units

[edit] Earth Militia

  • AMX-109 Kapool
    • AMX-109 Kapool Corin Nander Custom
  • FLAT-L06D FLAT
  • MR-Spi05 Rib
  • MRC-U11D Walking Dumpling "WaD"
  • MS-06 Borjarnon
    • MS-05 Borjarnon Gavane Goonny Custom
  • NRS-P701R Godwin

[edit] Moonrace

  • SYSTEM ∀-99 (WD-M01) ∀ Gundam "Turn A"
  • CONCEPT-X 6-1-2 Turn X
  • FLAT-L06D FLAT
  • G-838 Mahiroo
  • G-M2F (AMX-102) Zssan
  • GMIF (XM-0754) Bandit
  • JMA-0530 Walking Dome "WaDom"
  • MR-Spi05 Rib
  • MRC-C03 Verona
  • MRC-F20 SUMO
  • MRC-F31 (J-2126) Mutto
  • MRC-U11D Walking Dumpling "WaD"
  • NRS-P701 Gozzo
  • NRS-P701R Godwin
  • SPA-51 Cannon Illefuto
  • TAF-M9 Eagel

[edit] Cast & Crew

[edit] Cast

Further information: List of Turn A Gundam characters

[edit] Staff


[edit] Episode list

  1. - Howl to The Moon (月に吠える Tsuki ni Hoeru?)
  2. - The Coming of Age Ceremony (成人式 Seijinshiki?)
  3. - After The Ceremony (祭の後 Matsuri no Ato?)
  4. - Soldiers from Hometown (ふるさとの軍人 Furusato no Gunjin?)
  5. - The Advent of Dianna (ディアナ降臨 Diana Kōrin?)
  6. - Forgotten Past (忘れられた過去 Wasurerareta Kako?)
  7. - Training to be a Lady (貴婦人修行 Kifujin Shugyō?)
  8. - Laura's Cow (ローラの牛 Rōra no Ushi?)
  9. - Corin Called it "Gundam" (コレン、ガンダムと叫ぶ Koren, Gandamu to Sakebu?)
  10. - Visit to a Grave (墓参り Hakamairi?)
  11. - The Destruction of Nocis (ノックス崩壊 Nokkusu Hōkai?)
  12. - An Underground Corridor (地下回廊 Chika Kairō?)
  13. - An Older Person (年上のひと Toshiue no Hito?)
  14. - Separated Again (別離、再び Betsuri, Futatabi?)
  15. - Memories, Disappear (思い出は消えて Omoide wa Kiete?)
  16. - Everything About Turn A (ターンＡの全て Tān Ē no Subete?)
  17. - Dust Blows on The Founding of a Nation (建国のダストブロー Kenkoku no Dasuto Burō?)
  18. - Kihel and Dianna (キエルとディアナ Kieru to Diana?)
  19. - Sochie's War (ソシエの戦争 Soshie no Sensō?)
  20. - Anis' Power (アニス・パワー Anisu Pawā?)
  21. - Dianna's Desperate Fight (ディアナ奮戦 Diana Funsen?)
  22. - Harry's Trouble (ハリーの災難 Harī no Sainan?)
  23. - Teteth's Last Words (テテスの遺言 Tetesu no Yuigon?)
  24. - Laura's Distant Howl (ローラの遠吠え Rōra no Tōboe?)
  25. - Willgame Takes Off (ウィルゲム離陸 Wirugemu Ririku?)
  26. - The Battle of Enlightenment (悟りの戦い Satori no Tatakai?)
  27. - Sunrise at Midnight (夜中の夜明け Yonaka no Yoake?)
  28. - Entrusted Things (託されたもの Takusareta Mono?)
  29. - The Two Named Soriel (ソレイユのふたり Soreiyu no Futari?)
  30. - Hugging in Chest (胸に抱えて Mune ni Kakaete?)
  31. - Pursuit! Crybaby Poe (追撃！泣き虫ポゥ Tsuigeki! Nakimushi Pō?)
  32. - The King of Legend (神話の王 Shinwa no Ō?)
  33. - Captured Manuipich (マニューピチ攻略 Manyūpichi Kōryaku?)
  34. - Fly! Through The Stratosphere (飛べ！成層圏 Tobe! Seisōken?)
  35. - Zacktraeger (ザックトレーガー Zakkutorēgā?)
  36. - The Militia's Decisive Space Battle (ミリシャ宇宙決戦 Mirisha Uchū Kessen?)
  37. - Gateway to The Moon (月世界の門 Tsuki Sekai no Mon?)
  38. - Battle God Ghingnham (戦闘神ギンガナム Sentōshin Ginganamu?)
  39. - The Small Planetary Explosion (小惑星爆烈 Shōwakusei Bakuretsu?)
  40. - Sea Battle on the Lunar Surface (月面の海戦 Getsumen no Kaisen?)
  41. - Determined to Fight (戦いの決断 Tatakai no Ketsudan?)
  42. - Turn X Activate (ターンＸ起動 Tān Ekkusu Kidō?)
  43. - Shocking Dark History (衝撃の黒歴史 Shōgeki no Kuro-Rekishi?)
  44. - New Enemy (敵、新たなリ Teki, Aratanari?)
  45. - Guin's Betrayal (裏切りのグエン Uragiri no Guen?)
  46. - Again, to Earth (再び、地球へ Futatabi, Chikyū he?)
  47. - Ghingnham's Invasion (ギンガナム襲来 Ginganamu Shūrai?)
  48. - Return of Dianna (ディアナ帰還 Diana Kikan?)
  49. - Moonlight Butterfly (月光蝶 Gekkou-Chō?)
  50. - Golden Autumn (黄金の秋 Ōgon no Aki?)

[edit] Openings & Endings

Openings:

  • Turn A Turn by Hideki Saijo (Ep. 2-38)
  • Century Color by RAY-GUNS (Ep. 39 - 50)

Endings:

  • Aura by Shinji Tanimura (Ep. 1 - 40)
  • Tsuki no Mayu (Moon's Cocoon) by Aki Okui (Ep. 41 - 49)
  • Kagiri naki Tabiji (The Endless Journey) by Aki Okui (Ep. 50)
  • After All by Donna Burke (First compilation movie ending)
  • Tsuki no Mayu (Moon's Cocoon) by Aki Okui (Second compilation movie ending ~ In its full version right before the ending credits which are instrumental only)

[edit] References

  1. ^ 2001 Correct Century A Bibliographical Study of "Black History", Gundam Officials 公式百科事典
  2. ^ Gundam Officials 公式百科事典

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz		 Gundam metaseries (production order)
1999 — 2000		 Succeeded by
G-Saviour
v • d • e
Gundam
Universal Century
Anime
Books
Events
Topics
Future Century
Anime
Topics
After Colony
Anime
Books
Topics
After War
Anime
Books
Topics
CC (Seireki)
Anime
∀ Gundam
Topics
Cosmic Era
Anime
Books
Events
Topics
Anno Domini
Anime
Books
Topics
Miscellaneous