Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz

Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz

Endless Waltz DVD cover, featuring the redesigned Wing Gundam Zero
新機動戦記ガンダムW: ENDLESS WALTZ
(New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz)
Genre Military science fiction
Original video animation
Directed by Yasunao Aoki
Produced by Atsushi Yukawa
Hideyuki Tomioka
Written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa
Music by Kow Otani
Studio Sunrise
Licensed by
Released January 25, 1997 July 25, 1997
Runtime 25 minutes (each)
Episodes 3
Anime film
Endless Waltz -Special Edition-
Directed by Yasunao Aoki
Studio Sunrise
Licensed by
Released August 1, 1998
Runtime 90 minutes
Manga
Written by Kōichi Tokita
Published by Kodansha
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Comic Bom Bom
Original run March 1998July 1998
Volumes 1
Manga
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Ground Zero
Written by Reku Fuyunagi
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Monthly Fantasy Deluxe
Original run August 1998September 1998
Volumes 1
Manga
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Blind Target
Written by Sakura Asagi
Published by Gakushukenkyusha
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Anime V, Looker
Original run July 1998January 1999
Volumes 1

Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, known in Japan as New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (Japanese: 新機動戦記ガンダムW: ENDLESS WALTZ, Hepburn: Shin Kidō Senki Gandamu Uingu: Endoresu Warutsu), is the sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, both of which are set in the "After Colony" timeline, an alternate universe to that of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. Aside from being a continuation to the Gundam Wing TV series, it also reveals details regarding the pasts of the five Gundam pilots and the true objective behind "Operation Meteor."[1]

Endless Waltz originally premiered in Japan as a three-part OVA in 1997,[2][3][4] and it was later released as a theatrical compilation movie in 1998, including additional scenes and an altered musical score.[5]

Synopsis

It is the year After Colony 196, and the battles between Earth and the space colonies have ended. Treize Khushrenada is dead and OZ has come to an end. This gives birth to the Earth Sphere Unified Nation (ESUN) and the Preventers. Seeing they won't be needed anymore, the Gundam pilots (except Wufei) send their suits into the sun. However, this peace would not last, for a rebellion occurs on the newly completed colony, L3 X-18999. Led by seven-year-old Mariemaia Khushrenada, Treize's illegitimate daughter, the rebellion kidnaps Relena Darlian, now the Vice Foreign Minister of the ESUN, during a diplomatic mission to X-18999. As the Gundam pilots investigate further, they discover that Mariemaia is merely a puppet controlled by her grandfather Dekim Barton, a former advisor to martyred colony leader Heero Yuy, who is using X-18999 to go through with the original Operation Meteor, as a contingency plan in case the ESUN doesn't comply. The Gundam pilots must prevent Dekim from seizing power over the ESUN. The Gundams are retrieved from their course to sun to Earth's orbit thanks to Quatre and the Maganacs. The pilots use their Gundams one last time to fight against Dekim's forces, not killing anyone. In the end, Dekim is killed by one of his own soldiers, Earth and its colonies are at peace once again and all mobile suits (including the Gundams) are forever destroyed.

Characters

Mecha redesigns

One of the most notable features of Endless Waltz was the massive redesigns all five of the Gundams from the end of the Gundam Wing TV series received, courtesy of the artist Hajime Katoki. The Gundams in Endless Waltz have more stylized appearances, reflected in the even more demonic design of the Gundam Deathscythe Hell, the more dragon-like design of the Altron Gundam, and the new "angel-winged" design of the Wing Gundam Zero. Despite the dramatically different designs of the Gundams, the story in Endless Waltz retcons them as if the original designs from the TV series never existed.[1] However, this changed after the release of the Glory of Losers manga series.

Music

Theme songs

Distribution

In North America, Endless Waltz premiered on Canada's YTV on September 11, 2000 and on Cartoon Network in the U.S. on November 10, 2000.[14] It was later released to VHS, UMD, and DVD by Bandai Entertainment,[15] with the DVD edition containing both the OVA and compilation movie versions on one disc.[1] Due to the closure of Bandai Entertainment, the OVA and Movie went out-of-print. On October 11, 2014 at their 2014 New York Comic-Con panel, Sunrise announced they will be releasing all of the Gundam franchise, including Endless Waltz in North America though distribution from Right Stuf Inc., beginning in Spring 2015.[16]

Reception

The initial airing of the OVA on November 10, 2000, was Cartoon Network's second highest-rated program ever at the time, only being topped by the premiere of Funimation's in-house dub of Dragon Ball Z.[17] Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies commented that "the giant robot fights are as good as ever" and that "the art direction and design is excellent".[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  2. "Endless Waltz episode 1". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  3. "Endless Waltz episode 2". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  4. "Endless Waltz episode 3". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  5. "Endless Waltz Special Edition". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  6. "XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  7. "XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  8. "XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  9. "XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  10. "XXXG-01S2 Altron Gundam". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  11. "OZ-00MS2B Tallgeese III". Mecha Anime HQ. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  12. "Endless Waltz OVA ending theme". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  13. "Endless Waltz movie ending theme". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  14. "Endless Waltz Toonami trailer". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  15. "Endless Waltz Bandai trailer". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  16. "Sunrise Partners with Right Stuf to Release Gundam Franchise Stateside". Anime News Network. 2014-10-11. Retrieved 2014-10-12.
  17. "Gundam Wing leaving Toonami?!". Anime News Network. December 12, 2000. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
  18. McCarthy, Helen. 500 Essential Anime Movies: The Ultimate Guide. — Harper Design, 2009. — P. 122. — 528 p. — ISBN 978-0061474507
Preceded by
After War Gundam X
Gundam metaseries (production order)
1997
Succeeded by
∀ Gundam
Preceded by
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Gundam After Colony timeline
AC 196
Succeeded by
New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop
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