Mobile Suit Gundam-san

Mobile Suit Gundam-san
Cover art to Volume 1 of the Gundam-san manga, artwork by Hideki Ohwada
機動戦士ガンダムさん (Kidō Senshi Gandamu-san)
Genre	Comedy, Mecha, Science Fiction
Manga
Written by	Hideki Ohwada
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Gundam Ace, Comic Charge, Kerokero Ace
Original run	2001 – ongoing
Volumes	12
Anime television series
Directed by	Mankyū
Produced by	Kōichi Ueyama, Shin Sasaki
Written by	Hideki Ohwada, Mankyū
Music by	Jun Abe, Seiji Muto
Studio	Sunrise
Licensed by	NA Sunrise
Network	Tokyo MX, BS11
Original run	July 6, 2014 – September 28, 2014
Episodes	13

Mobile Suit Gundam-san (Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダムさん, Hepburn: Kidō Senshi Gandamu-san), commonly referred to as Gundam-san, is a Japanese yonkoma (4-panel) parody gag manga series by Hideki Ohwada. A part of the Gundam media franchise, it is a parody of the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime series, featuring Amuro Ray, Lalah Sune, and Char Aznable as main characters. It has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's shōnen manga magazine Gundam Ace since June 2001 and collected in twelve tankōbon volumes.

The manga has spawned an anime adaptation by Sunrise. The TV series of animated shorts was broadcast on the BS11 network from July 6, 2014 to September 28, 2014.^[1][2]

Overview

The manga is a parody of the original Mobile Suit Gundam and features most of its characters for its yonkoma strips. In addition, there are several "sub-stories" featured in the manga tankōbon, including Captain Zaku-san (隊長のザクさん), which features anthropomorphic versions of the mobile suits from Mobile Suit Gundam, and Gundam Sousei (ガンダム創世), which dramatizes the story of the creation of the Gundam franchise and features Yoshiyuki Tomino as well as other staff and cast members.

Publication

Gundam-san began as a fan created yonkoma series on Ohwada's personal website^[3] prior to being officially published in Gundam Ace in 2001.

The manga was also serialized in the shonen magazine, Comic CHARGE, from the magazine's inception to its cancellation in 2009.

Another series, I see! Proverbs Gundam-san (なるほど☆ことわざ ガンダムさん, Naruhodo Kotowaza Gandamu-san) was serialized in Kerokero Ace starting 2007.

Anime adaptation

The 13-episode TV anime adaptation was broadcast from July to September 2014 in the BS11 (during the Gundam Selection program) and Tokyo MX networks. Episodes are about 3 minutes each. The show was first announced in a Gundam Ace issue in June 2014. Mankyū directed and wrote the screenplay for the anime. Sao Tamado was the character designer. Tohru Furuya and Keiko Han returned as cast members but did not reprise their original roles from Mobile Suit Gundam as Amuro Ray and Lalah Sune, respectively. Instead all of the roles were cast to new voice actors.^[4]

List of Episodes

1. He Likes the Red One (赤いのが好き, akai no ga suki) (Original Airdate: July 6, 2014)
2. Amuro Going Through Puberty (思春期のアムロさん, shishunki no amuro-san) (Original Airdate: July 13, 2014)
3. The Melancholy of Haro-Man (ハロ男の憂鬱, haro-otoko no yūutsu) (Original Airdate: July 20, 2014)
4. How They Met (出会い, deai) (Original Airdate: July 27, 2014)
5. The Red Comet Chick's Menace (彗星ヒヨコの脅威, suisei hiyoko no kyoui) (Original Airdate: August 3, 2014)
6. Dr. Sayla's Consultation Room (女医セイラのお悩み相談室, joi sayla no onayami soudanshitsu) (Original Airdate: August 10, 2014)
7. He Likes Those Who Have Fallen (散った人が好き, chitta hito ga suki) (Original Airdate: August 17, 2014)
8. Daydreaming Amuro (妄想のアムロさん, mousou no amuro-san) (Original Airdate: August 24, 2014)
9. Showdown of Destiny (宿命の対決, shukumei no taiketsu) (Original Airdate: August 31, 2014)
10. Lalah Moves Out (ララァ出撃, raraa shutsugeki) (Original Airdate: September 7, 2014)
11. A Mobile Suit's Feelings (モビルスーツの気持ち, mobiru sutsu no kimochi) (Original Airdate: September 14, 2014)
12. Kycilia-tan, Age 14 (キシリアたん14歳, kycilia-tan, juuyonsai) (Original Airdate: September 21, 2014)
13. He Likes People with Moles (ホクロの人が好き, hokuro no hito ga suki) (Original Airdate: September 28, 2014)

References

External links

• Gundam-san Official Site (Japanese)