Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
機動戦士ガンダム・シード
(Kidō Senshi Gandamu SEED)
Genre Drama, Mecha, Military
TV anime
Director Mitsuo Fukuda[1]
Studio Sunrise[1]
Licensor Flag of the United States Flag of Canada Bandai Entertainment
Flag of the United Kingdom Beez Entertainment
Flag of Australia Flag of New Zealand Madman Entertainment
Flag of Singapore Odex
Network Flag of Japan MBS, TBS, Animax
Original run October 5, 2002 – September 27, 2003
Episodes 50
OVA: After Phase: In the Valley of Stars
Director Mitsuo Fukuda
Studio Sunrise
Episodes 1
Released March 26, 2004
Manga
Author Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino
Publisher Flag of Japan Kodansha
English publisher Flag of the United States Flag of Canada Del Rey
Demographic Shōnen
Original run February 17, 2003 – January 29, 2004
Volumes 5
Anime and Manga Portal

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (機動戦士ガンダムSEED　[シード] Kidō Senshi Gandamu SEED [Shīdo]?), often shortened to Gundam SEED, is an anime television series animated by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. It is a part of the Gundam franchise that started in 1979, but takes place in an alternate universe called the Cosmic Era. The series spans fifty episodes,[1] which broadcasted in Japan from October 5, 2002 to September 27, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. on the JNN TV stations TBS and MBS. The series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 2002. It was adapted into a manga published by Kodansha on February 17, 2003. Gundam SEED's story continues in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.

Contents

Plot

See also: List of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED episodes

The series is the first set in the Cosmic Era. This series begins with the Bloody Valentine War between Earth and the colonies that is similar to the One Year War of the original Gundam series with certain traditional elements from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and After War Gundam X such as the presence of five multicolored Gundam mobile suits and the threat of an apocalypse. On one side is the Earth Alliance, and on the opposite is the space colonies that form ZAFT (Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty). Mankind is divided over human genetic engineering, with normal humans known as "Naturals" and the genetically altered humans known as "Coordinators". Like the original series, while ZAFT has a head start on mobile suit design, the Earth Alliance quickly catches up with its five prototype Gundams. With ZAFT having stolen four of the prototypes, young Coordinator Kira Yamato pilots the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam and is forced to fight his old friend Athrun Zala. Little do they know that there exist sinister forces working to bring about events that go far beyond their worst nightmares.

Characters and cast

See also: List of Gundam SEED characters

Production

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is directed by Mitsuo Fukuda (Future GPX Cyber Formula and Gear Fighter Dendoh) with music by Toshihiko Sahashi.[1]

It is based on the original concept of Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino of their early work, Mobile Suit Gundam. For this kind of project, almost all entire staff of Sunrise, Inc. was involved, along with Victor Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment, which they provided the original soundtracks and theme songs.

Major singers in Japan's pop industry whose songs were used for the series was also given guest roles as characters who were in small episode arcs, whereas at the end they were killed. Takanori Nishikawa of T.M.Revolution who did the first opening song, contributed with the voice for the ZAFT pilot Miguel Aiman in the first episode. Vivian Hsu who sang the the second openings song "moment" with Kazumi Endo, contributed with the voice for Andrew Waltfeld's partner Aisha.

Release

The series first premiered in Japan on the terrestrial MBS and TBS networks, where it occupied the Saturday 6 pm timeslot replacing Ultraman Cosmos.[2] Mobile Suit Gundam SEED aired between October 5, 2002 and September 27, 2003. The series was also streamed freely on the internet the following day for users subscribing to Nippon Telegraph and Telephone east and west services in Windows media or Real format.[3] Nearing the completion of the Japanese airing, Bandai Entertainment licensed the series for North American distribution which they announced at Otakon 2003.[4] The English adaptation was produced in association with The Ocean Group and the English-language dub was recorded at Ocean Studios in Vancouver, Canada.[1] The series has been released on ten DVDs in uncut bilingual format between August 10, 2004 to May 10, 2005.[5][6] A two part box set called the "Anime Legends Edition" was released on January 82008 and March 42008 each containing five DVDs.[7][8]

A five minute epilogue called "After Phase: In the Valley of Stars" was released on the thirteenth and final DVD of the Japanese release.[9] It was not released on the North American DVD release, because it was not given to Bandai Entertainment by Sunrise;[10] however, it was released on the final European DVD release.[11]

English broadcast

United States

On Saturday, April 17, 2004,[12] an edited version of the English dub premiered at 10:30 pm on Cartoon Network's Toonami block.[13] On October 23, 2004, it was moved to 1:00 am on Saturdays starting with episode 27. The series finished its initial run on April 15, 2005.[14] It looped back and started over in this time slot, but was pulled half way through the second run, after being on the air for approximately a year and a half.

The majority of the series was aired with a TV-Y7, apparently, at the insistence of Bandai who were desperately trying to push the new Gundam SEED toy line. However, since most retailers had stopped carrying the Gundam line due to over-saturation from the G Gundam series, this soon became a lost cause. Only the final episode was given the TV-PG-SV rating rather than the usual TV-Y7 rating.

Things that were edited out on the Cartoon Network version include mature content (e.g. most references to the sexual relationship between Kira and Flay Allster — though the initial scene presenting this was left partially intact); scenes of intense combat violence (e.g. almost all shots of pilots, including main characters, in their cockpits before having their machines destroyed); cold-blooded or brutal murders that are non-mobile suit related (e.g. Siegel Clyne getting shot by ZAFT soldiers loyal to Patrick Zala); all references to the fact that the "Living CPUs" need to take performance enhancing drugs; and most notoriously, handguns being sloppily and inconsistently transformed into neon-colored lasers, dubbed "Disco Guns" by fans, for most of the show's run. Also, there was little to no use of the words "kill" or "die" in the middle of the series airing, with the phrase "taking his/her life" or some variant of the phrase in the place of either word.

Since most of the series had been edited by Williams Street before broadcast, Cartoon Network changed very little in terms of content allowance. However, the airings of the final two episodes were left mostly unedited, with only a few elements being affected — namely the guns used by Muruta Azrael, Patrick Zala, and one of the ZAFT soldiers (which was given neon-colored lights in certain but not all of the image frames), airbrushing the naked Flay's body in the final episode to avoid showing her cleavage, reducing the amount of blood shown, editing the character's lines to remove either inappropriate language or controversial lines, and the removal or altering of flashbacks of graphic assassinations.

Canada

The Canadian version debuted on YTV's Bionix programming block on September 10, 2004 at 9:30 pm,[15][16] where it got a better reception and aired comparatively uncut. On September 2, 2006, YTV stopped broadcasting the show after airing the entire series three times through. Gundam SEED returned to the Bionix block on March 9, 2007 at 11:30 p.m., beginning its fourth run on YTV; the same evening Gundam SEED Destiny made its North American premiere on YTV. On June 2, 2007 at 11:00 p.m., Gundam SEED began its fifth run on YTV in Bionix's Saturday lineup. In September 2007, Gundam SEED was removed from YTV's schedule.

Philippines

On Cartoon Network Philippines, the English dub version of Gundam SEED aired on Toonami and editing was also implemented, later it was aired on Adult Swim in its unedited version. The Filipino dub version aired on Hero channel, ABS-CBN and Studio 23 with no editing implemented.

United Kingdom

On January 5, 2008, an unedited version of Gundam SEED premiered on AnimeCentral at 9:30 pm. As per the channel's usual scheduling episodes are shown daily with each episode screening three times, at 9:30 pm, 12:30 am and 3:30 am. A trailer for the series, featuring the original narration from the opening titles, began airing on December 19, 2007 and has been repeated frequently both before and during the show's run. A second trailer, featuring an excerpt from the first episode's prologue, began airing after the show's debut, but without a caption identifying the show.

Reception

The show has become one of the most popular of the Gundam series in Japan enjoying high television ratings and DVD sales.[17][18] According to the analyst John Oppliger of AnimeNation, Gundam SEED became the first Gundam series which was widely successful not only among "Gundam fans and hardcore otaku" but also "mainstream, casual Japanese viewers".[19] Gundam SEED is the eighth TV Feature Award winner at the Animation Kobe Awards in 2003, the third Grand Prix award winner at the Japanese Otaku Awards in 2003, the winner of the Tokyo International Anime Fair's animation of the year in 2004, Animage's 25th Anime Grand Prix award winner in 2002, and topped the charts in Newtype magazine reader poll.[20][21][22][23][24] However, the show was not well received by older Japanese fans. Sunrise's president, Takayuki Yoshii, believes it was because Gundam SEED incorporated elements from popular live-action television dramas. Instead of focusing on the robot action, the show focused more on the characters.[25]

Controversy

In episode sixteen, the main protagonist, sixteen-year-old Kira Yamato, is seen putting on pants after getting out of a bed, where fifteen-year-old Flay Allster lies sleeping naked suggesting a sexual relationship. The Japanese Commission for Better Broadcasting reported that viewers filed complaints regarding the scene because the show was aired at 6 pm when children would be watching.[26] Mecha Anime HQ's review indicated that the scene was the first time a "Gundam hero" ever had sex during the course of a Gundam series and also considered it relevant to the plot.[27]The scene was extended in the special edition.

Theme music

Main article: Music of Cosmic Era

Opening themes:

Ending themes:

Insert themes:

Adaptations, spinoffs, and sequels

On March 26, 2004, a five minute original video animation (OVA) titled "After Phase: In the Valley of Stars" was released on DVD in Japan. The OVA was an epilogue to Gundam SEED.

A three-part compilation of the TV series has been released as Gundam SEED: Special Edition.

An adaptation of the TV series, authored by Mizuho Takayama, was originally a supplement of Comic BomBom. This version comes with folding color posters of the mobile suits, and a bonus Gundam SEED Destiny episode 0 comic. The stories were eventually published into 2 volumes by Kodansha. The 2 volume version is available in Chinese, published by Rightman Publishing Ltd. in Hong Kong.

The TV series was also turned into a series of novels by Riu Goto, published by Kadokawa Shoten.

Also running with the TV series was a series of manga called Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray that told a side-story to the anime series. This proved popular enough to generate two more side-stories: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray R and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED X Astray.

The English manga, authored by Masatsugu Iwase, is published in North America by Del Rey Manga and in Singapore by Chuang Yi, while Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray is published in North America by TOKYOPOP.

On July 6, 2004, the sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, was announced after over a month of rumors. It started airing in Japan on October 9, 2004 on the network Mainichi Broadcasting System and ran until October 1, 2005.

A third Gundam SEED production, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer, is an original net animation side-story to Gundam SEED Destiny, the first of three episodes began streaming on Bandai Channel on July 14, 2006, and a DVD containing all three episodes was released on[November 24, 2006 in Japan.

On May 7, 2006, a new movie based in the Cosmic Era was announced by Sunrise.

The first Gundam SEED & Gundam SEED Destiny Fan Disc: Seed Supernova was released by Sunrise on June 22, 2007, and the second was released on September 25, 2007. Both discs contain bonus material and specials. [1] Some specials included, "World Wide Seed", [2] which shows Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny in different languages including, English, French, Korean, etc.

Theatrical film

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: The Movie
Genre Mecha, Action, Drama
Animated film
Director Mitsuo Fukuda[29][30]
Studio Sunrise
Released TBA
Anime and Manga Portal

While the plot has been written, production has not yet commenced on this unnamed theatrical entry of the Gundam SEED anime series. The project does not currently have a timeline date after its predecessor, Gundam SEED Destiny. It will be the first full-length film (not a compilation movie) within the Gundam metaseries since Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991).[29][30]

On May 6, 2006, this film was first announced at the Sony Music Anime Fes' 06 with a brief clip featuring the characters Shinn Asuka, Cagalli Yula Athha, Lacus Clyne, Kira Yamato, and Athrun Zala.[30] After the Sony Music Anime Fes' 06, Sunrise announced the film on their website.[29]

In the March 2008 issue of Animage magazine, Chiaki Morosawa explained that a plot outline had been created but she had fallen ill due to cancer and required continuous treatment. The project has been placed on indefinite hiatus, with Morosawa asking that fans please continue to wait.[31][32]

Plot

No official or reputable unofficial information exists about the plot. Houko Kuwashima, voice actress of character Stella Loussier, has stated on her "SEED Club blog" that the character will somehow also have a role in the film.[33] Lacus Clyne, Yzak Joule, and Dearka Elsman will return as members of the PLANT Supreme Council and Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala, Shinn Asuka, and Lunamaria Hawke will be part of the ZAFT military.[34]

Cast and crew

Video games

Note that this list only includes games with SEED and SEED Astray characters.

Super Robot Wars

In Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 for the PlayStation 2, the last installment of the Super Robot Wars Alpha series, some story plots in Gundam SEED are central to the main story of the game. The climax of these plots would be the Second Battle of Jachin Due, where players would be able to see the re-enactment of the destruction of the GAT-X105 Strike (piloted by Mu La Flaga) and the Dominion.

Also, players would be able to use both the ZGMF-X10A Freedom and ZGMF-X09A Justice in battle against Rau Le Creuset and the ZGMF-X13A Providence. New dialogue was recorded for this non-canonical encounter.

The SEED storyline would be used again in Super Robot Wars J for the Game Boy Advance, and used yet again for Super Robot Wars W for the Nintendo DS, which also featured the storyline for the Gundam SEED ASTRAY manga.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Credits". GundamOfficial. Bandai America Incorporated. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "October Anime Premieres: Days Four and Five". Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  3. ↑ "Gundam Broadband Streaming Moves Ahead In Japan". Anime News Service. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  4. ↑ "Bandai: Otakon 2003". Anime on DVD (2003-08-09). Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  5. ↑ Beveridge, Chris. "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Vol. #01". Anime on DVD. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  6. ↑ Beveridge, Chris. "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Vol. #10". Anime on DVD. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  7. ↑ "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Collection 1 (Anime Legends Edition)". Anime on DVD. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  8. ↑ "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Collection 2 (Anime Legends Edition)". Anime on DVD. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  9. ↑ "After Phase: Between the Stars". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  10. ↑ "2005 - Bandai Entertainment - Katsucon". Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  11. ↑ "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Vol. #10". Animeondvd.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  12. ↑ "The Story". GundamOfficial PHASE 1-13. Bandai America Incorporated. Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  13. ↑ "Cartoon Network Shifts Toonami To Saturday, Creates Miguzi". AWN Headline News. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  14. ↑ "The Story". GundamOfficial PHASE 41-50. Bandai America Incorporated. Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  15. ↑ "YTV PROGRAMMING UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 2004". Corus Entertainment (2004-09-01). Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  16. ↑ Bandai Entertainment, YTV (2004-09-10). "Bandai And YTV Bring Anime Programming to Canada". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  17. ↑ "Gundam Seed Anime on the Cartoon Network in April". www.icv2.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
  18. ↑ "Gundam Seed Sells 1 Million DVDs in Japan". Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
  19. ↑ John Oppliger (2007-10-12). "Ask John: Which Gundam Series Have Had the Most Impact on Anime?". AnimeNation. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
  20. ↑ "Animation Kobe". www.anime-kobe.jp. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
  21. ↑ "Japanese Otaku Awards' 2007 Winners Announced". Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  22. ↑ "2004 Nominated Works - Animation of the Year". Tokyo International Anime Fair. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
  23. ↑ "Animage 25th Grand Prix Results". Anime News Service. Retrieved on 2008-01-06.
  24. ↑ "Gundam Seed Anime Returns". ICv2. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
  25. ↑ "Inside Sunrise", Newtype USA 3: 14-21, February 2004 
  26. ↑ "Mainichi condemned for implied sexuality in Gundam Seed". Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  27. ↑ "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed - Phase 16: Burning Clouds of Sand". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  28. ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=883)
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 "Theater edition Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (tentative name) production announced" (in Japanese). Sunrise (2006-05-07). Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 "Gundam SEED goes theatrical Updated". Gunota Headlines (2006-05-06). Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  31. ↑ "Whatever happened to the Gundam SEED movie?". Gunota Headlines (2008-03-12). Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  32. ↑ Animage Magazine, March 2008 http://ayano919114.blog43.fc2.com/blog-entry-564.html (Japanese)
  33. ↑ "Minor SEED movie update". Gunota Headlines (2006-05-28). Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  34. ↑ ""DATA GUNDAM" file" (in Japanese). Monthly Gundam Ace. May 2007. 

External links

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