Gundam

Gundam
RX-78-2 Gundam by Hajime Katoki
Created by	Yoshiyuki Tomino Sunrise
Original work	Mobile Suit Gundam
Print publications
Novel(s)	See list
Comics	See list
Films and television
Film(s)	See below
Television series	See below
Games
Traditional	Gundam War Collectible Card Game
Video game(s)	See list
Miscellaneous
Toys	Gundam models The Robot Spirits S. H. Figuarts

Gundam (Japanese: ガンダム, Hepburn: Gandamu), also known as the Gundam Series (ガンダムシリーズ, Gandamu Shirīzu), is a science fiction media franchise created by Sunrise which features giant robots (mecha) with mobile suits bearing the name Gundam. It began on April 7, 1979 as Mobile Suit Gundam, a TV series which defined the real robot anime genre by featuring giant robots in a militaristic setting. The popularity of the first TV series and its merchandise spawned a franchise which includes television series, OVAs, films, manga, novels and video games.

In 2014 the Gundam franchise generated ¥80 billion per year,^[1] ¥18.4 billion of which was retail sales of toys and hobby items.^[1] In the 2008 ranking of sales figures for anime sold in Japan (1970–2008 total sales figures, averaged by episode), Gundam series were in four of the top five places: Mobile Suit Gundam was second, with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny third, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED fourth and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam fifth. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing ranked 18th, and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ 20th.^[2] Gunpla (plastic Gundam models) make up 90 percent of the Japanese character plastic-model market.^[3] Academics in Japan have viewed the series as inspiration; in 2008, the virtual Gundam Academy was planned as the first academic institution based on an animated TV series.^[4]

Overview

Concept

Mobile Suit Gundam was developed by animator Yoshiyuki Tomino and a changing group of Sunrise creators with the collective pseudonym of Hajime Yatate. The series was originally entitled Freedom Fighter Gunboy (or Gunboy) for the robot's gun, with boys the primary target demographic. Early production had a number of references to freedom: the White Base was originally "Freedom's Fortress", the Core Fighter was the "Freedom Wing" and the Gunperry was the "Freedom Cruiser". The Yatate team combined the English word "gun" with the last syllable of the word "freedom" to form the portmanteau Gundom. Tomino changed it to Gundam, suggesting a unit wielding a gun powerful enough to hold back enemies like a hydroelectric dam holding back water.^[5] In keeping with the concept, Gundam are depicted as unique or limited-production, with higher capabilities than mass-produced units.

Most Gundam are large, bipedal, humanoid vehicles controlled from a cockpit by a human pilot. The "mobile suits" have a cockpit in their "torsos", with cameras built into their "heads" to transmit images to a cockpit.

Innovation

Mobile Suit Gundam reportedly pioneered the real robot subgenre of mecha anime.^[6] Unlike its super robot cousins, Mobile Suit Gundam attempted realism in its robot design and weaponry by running out of energy and ammunition or malfunctioning. Its technology is derived from actual science (such as Lagrange points and the O'Neill cylinder in space) or feasible technology requiring only a few fictional elements to function (such as Minovsky Physics).^[7]

Timelines

Most of the Gundam animation (including the earliest series) is set in what is known as the Universal Century (UC) calendar era, with later series set in alternate calendars or timelines. Although many new Gundam stories are told in their parallel universe with independent timelines (giving them greater creative freedom), the original UC storyline continues to be popular. It established the series, setting the standard for hard science fiction in anime; the original Gundam marked the maturing of the giant-robot genre. Nostalgia for the oldest Gundam shows (and its status as a pop-culture icon in Japan) is a factor in its continuing success.^[8]

Spinoffs

SD Gundam, a spinoff of Gundam which began during the mid-1980s, emphasizes comedy and adventure. Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G and Gundam Build Fighters feature contemporary settings and use Gunpla as plot elements.

Media

TV series, films, and video

Except for Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (which follows the current calendar era), all mainstream Gundam series are set in a fictional era which begins after a drastic event or chain of events. The scenario commonly changes as the story progresses between Earth, space, space colonies and (in some cases) the Moon and terraformed planets.

Manga and novels

Manga adaptations of Gundam series have been published in English in North America by a number of companies, such as Viz Media, Del Rey Manga and Tokyopop, and in Singapore by Chuang Yi.

Video games

Gundam has spawned over 80 video games for arcade, computer and console platforms, some with characters not found in other Gundam media. Some of the games, in turn inspired spinoff novels and manga. Most Gundam video games, except Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, were released only in Japan.^[22]

Gundam models

Hundreds of Gundam models, primarily made of plastic but sometimes with resin and metal detail parts, have been released. They range in quality from children's toy kits to hobbyist and museum-grade models, and most are in 1:35, 1:48, 1:60, 1:100 or 1:144 scale. Promotional 1:6 or 1:12 scale models are supplied to retailers and are not commercially available. For Gundam's 30th anniversary, a full-size RX-78-2 Gundam model was constructed and displayed in Tokyo's Odaiba district;^[23] it was taken down on 5 March 2017.^[24]

Other merchandise

Bandai, Gundam's primary licensee, produces a variety of products.^[25] Other companies produce unofficial merchandise, such as toys, models and T-shirts. Products include Mobile Suit In Action (MSiA) action figures and Gundam model kits in several scales and design complexities. Each series generally has its own set of products, MSiA and model lines such as Master Grade and High Grade Universal Century may extend across series. The most popular action-figure line has been the Gundam Fix series, which includes the mecha in the animated series, manga and novels and accessories to create an updated version. In addition to Master Grade and High Grade Gundams, Bandai released a 30th-anniversary series of Gundam models in 2010.^[26] The Real Grade (RG) Gundam series combined the Master Grade's detailed inner structure with additional colour separation, making the 1:144-scale series complex in design and compact in size. After the introduction of the RG Gundam series, Bandai released the Metal Build series in March 2011 (beginning with the 00 Gundam).^[27]

Internet

Bandai maintains several websites to promote Gundam projects; Gundam Perfect Web is the official Japanese site. Its English-language counterpart is the US-maintained Gundam Official. In 2005, the website hosted the Gundam Official User Forum. The forum was based on the existing fan forum, Gundam Watch, using many of its staff. When the project was retired, Gundam Watch was reborn and became Gundam Evolution.

A number of series-specific websites have been created, often available for a limited time (usually to promote a DVD release). Common content includes character and mecha listings, lists of related merchandise and pay-for-download content. Special pages are frequent, often presenting downloadable wallpaper or a small game. The Superior Defender Gundam Force website has a game in which players take the role of villain Commander Sazabi, attempting to blast his subordinate with weapons.

Global spread

Since 1980, Gundam has appeared in the following countries and regions:

Impact

Gundam is a Japanese cultural icon; it is a ¥50-billion-annual business of Bandai Namco, peaking at ¥54.5 billion in 2006.^[28] Stamps were issued, an Agriculture Ministry employee was reprimanded for contributing to the Japanese Wikipedia Gundam-related pages,^[29] and the Japan Self-Defense Forces code-named its developing advance personal-combat system Gundam.

See also

• Bandai Museum
• Mobile Suit Gundam
• Gundam (mobile suit)

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Gundam

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gundam.

• Official Gundam website (in Japanese)
• GundamOfficial Official website for Gundam in North America
• Gundam at DMOZ
• Gundam (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Gundam at the Mecha Anime Headquarters website'
• Gundam Perfect Games (in Japanese)
• Bandai Visual's Gundam minisite (in Japanese)