"Kidô senshi Gandamu" (1979) TV series 1979-1980

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Yoshiyuki Tomino

Writers:

Hiroyuki Hoshiyama (writer)
Yoshiyuki Tomino (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

16 July 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

It is the year 0079 of the Universal Century. A war has broken out between the Duchy of Zeon, a space colony that wants independence...

Plot Keywords:

Space Colony | Space | Robot | Teenage Boy | Space War

Cast

Shûichi Ikeda	...	Casval Rem Daikun / ... (1 episode, 2002)
Michael Dobson	...	General Reville (1 episode, 2002)

Also Known As:

"First Gundam" (International: English title) (informal title)
"Mobile Soldier Gundam" (Japan: English title) (literal title)
"Mobile Suit Gundam"
"Space Fighter Team Gunboy" (working title)
"Uchû sentôdan Ganbôi" (Japan) (working title)

Runtime:

Japan:30 min (43 episodes) | USA:30 min (43 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) (VHS/DVD rating) | USA:TV-Y7 (edited tv version)

Company:

Nippon Sunrise

Trivia:

Originally, the design for the Gundam by Tomino and Kunio Okawara had the Gundam colored a uniform low-visibility gray. The show's sponsors, looking for a marketable toy line, prevailed upon the two to give the Gundam its arresting (if illogical) white, red, blue and gold scheme. A later retcon explained the colors by making them a demonstration/test scheme that was never repainted. In the novels, Amuro's first Gundam was completely white with some red, supposedly reminiscent of an X-Wing color scheme, and instead of the Gundam being upgraded with magnetic coated joints, Amuro was simply given a new one - the G3, which was colored a uniform low-visibility gray.

Quotes:

Narrator: It is the year 0079 of the Universal Century. A half-century has passed since Earth began moving its burgeoning population into gigantic orbiting space colonies. A new home for mankind, where people are born and raised. And die. 9 months ago, the cluster of colonies furthest from the Earth...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in FLCL (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Eien ni Amuro

First Realistic Robot Anime

After almost ten years of giant toys ruling anime, 1979 was the Year of the Gundam. Although 25 years old by now, and cheaply produced at the time, this anime is still very enjoyable and deep. Many are the reasons of its success... some here below:

- No aliens coming to rule the Earth. This is a war for independence. Men against men. Same blood color;

- No good guys vs bad guys. Here everyone fights to survive, it doesn't matter if they agree with war reasons or not. It's everyman fight.

- No giant samurai robot vs. monsters from outer space. Robots in "Gundam" are conventional mass produced weapons as good as tanks or choppers, for both sides. They need energy, fuel, ammo, maintenance, logistic, recover, repair, spare parts. Al these goods are often unavailable in the middle of the battlefield;

- No heroes. Just ordinary people, youths throwed in the middle of a war they didn't want and still can't understand. And, in some of them, Fear will ignite boys' growth to become men;

- no fairy tales. In Gundam people, lots of main characters, dies. Often in ungloryous ways. Often in second rank battles. But they always die for what they think is right. Sacrifice to protect a friend, not to win a battle;

Even being closer to war movie than to Sci-Fi, Gundam is still known as one of the most important and revolutionary examples of Science Fiction. I often ask myself why a good expansive Hollywood adaptation of first Gundam series hasn't still be made...