∀Gundam
The Tribe Gundam, which was broadcast from 1999 to 2000, has a slightly special position in the Gundam series.
The “∀” in front of “Gundam” reads “Turn A,” because the A is upside down.
The reason why this work is special is in its setting.
The world of Gundam works is set on a future Earth.
There are colonies in space that are inhabited by humans, and many Gundam works have depicted battles between humans living in these colonies and humans living on Earth. However, in the world of the Tribe Gundam, Earth’s civilization lags behind that of the present.
This is because the Tribe Gundam’s special system, the “Moonlight Butterfly,” has physically disintegrated the Earth’s civilization. The story begins on an Earth that is in a state of decline from the present day.
In such a world, the main character “Roland Ceac” is sent to Earth as a spy from a nation on the moon (Moon Wraiths), and while spending time as an Earthling, he fights against the Moon Wraiths as a member of the Earth side army. The special thing about this work is not only in the world but also in the depths of the story. I can’t write too much about it because it would be an important spoiler, but it is a setting that has a great deal to do with all Gundam works.
∀I hope that you will see for yourselves the greatest uniqueness of the Tribe Gundam!
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED was created as the “First Gundam of the 21st century.
The main character, a student named “Kira Yamato,” is present when ZAFT, an army of space colony plants, robs five Gundams, the latest mobile suits of the Earth Army.
From there, she becomes involved in the battle between the Earth Army and ZAFT, and grows up troubled by the battle and human relationships.
Kira grows up through encounters and partings on and off the battlefield, as well as secrets related to Kira’s birth, which are revealed in the story. The story also has a certain aspect of an ensemble drama, such as the inner changes of each character.
In this work, the relationship between Kira, the main character, and Aslan, his childhood friend and a member of the ZAFT elite, is particularly well depicted, and the story revolves around friendship, which has not been the case in previous Gundam works.
Incidentally, in many Gundam works, the Gundam named after the title is the main character’s aircraft. However, the “SEED” in Gundam SEED does not refer to the name of the Gundam, but to the abilities of Kira and Aslan.
The Gundam that Kira initially boards is the Strike Gundam manufactured by the Earth Alliance Forces, but in the latter half of the series, Kira switches to the Freedom Gundam manufactured by ZAFT under the guidance of the heroine, Lax Klein.
This Freedom Gundam is especially popular among the Gundam series, and a full-size model is on display at LaLaport in Shanghai, China. If you are interested, why not visit Shanghai to see this Gundam?
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED” was created as the “First Gundam of the 21st century. One year after the broadcast of this work, the sequel to “Mobile Suit Gundam SEED,” “Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY,” was launched.
SEED DESTINY is set two years after the previous work, and the main characters are interchangeable, giving the work an unprecedented taste.
The first protagonist is Shin Asuka, an elite pilot of ZAFT, which was an enemy organization in the previous work. He lost his parents and sister in a battle during SEED and hates his home country of Orb. After losing his family, Shin enlisted in the ZAFT and quickly began to wear the red uniform, the mark of an elite pilot.
Since the beginning of the story, Shin has met and parted with various people and fought through many battles, but his battles have always been accompanied by hesitation and anger. On the other hand, Kira Yamato, the protagonist of the previous work, and his best friend Aslan Zala are also involved in the story, and the complex human drama involving the thoughts and feelings of many people can be said to be one of the charms of this work.
In addition to the complex human drama, there are many other highlights, such as the remakes of mobile suits that have been powered up since the previous work and mobile suits that appeared in the first Gundam. Why not take a look at the fascinating Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY?
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 first season
Two years after the broadcast of “Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny,” a new Gundam series was launched with a completely new worldview. It is “Mobile Suit Gundam 00,” the story of Gundam Meisters who fight to eliminate fighting from the world.
Each Gundam work has used original calendars such as the Space Century and Cosmic IRA. However, in the world of 00, the Western calendar is used as in our world. At the beginning of the story, there is a struggle for supremacy among the three major powers, and the atmosphere here is somewhat similar to that of our world. In such a situation, Gundam works to eradicate conflicts from the world and repeatedly intervenes in various battlefields with its overwhelming performance.
The main character “Setsuna F. Sayei” is a Gundam Meister, a pilot of “Celestial Being,” a private armed organization that uses Gundam to intervene in conflicts around the world. Born and raised in the Middle East, he has been involved in conflicts since he was a child and has lived with the battles. One of the highlights of the game will be his armed intervention with his friends in the Gundam and what he discovers at the end of it.
The Gundam, which operates with the new power engine “GN Drive” and the founder of Celestial Being, “Ioulia Schchenberg,” have attracted many fans.
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 first season
One year after the first season, “Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Second Season” began broadcasting. The setting is four years after the first season, and the story begins with “Shaji Crossroads,” a boy who was a non-combatant in the first season.
Their battle begins again with the reunion of the Celestial Being members who were scattered in the first season. Mysteries that were unknown in the first season are revealed one after another, such as the people behind the world and the meaning behind Ioulia Schchenberg’s creation of the GN Drive and the Gundam.
The main character is played by “Setsuna F. Sayei,” as in the first season. At first glance, the 00 (Double O) Gundam that he boards in the second season is just a high-performance machine. However, this 00 Gundam hides an important secret that could change the world.
The battle of Solestial Being, which has been waging against the world since the first season, comes to an end by defeating those who are behind the world. What is the answer that Setsuna, who has been pondering the meaning of her own battle, will give? And what is the transformation of the world that will take place when all the secrets are revealed?
Personally, this is one of my favorite works in the Gundam series.
Mobile Suit Gundam AGE
Three years after the second season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00, “Mobile Suit Gundam AGE” began with a new stage and new setting, and the greatest feature of AGE is a long battle story like an epic drama between three generations of parents and children and evolving Gundams. The story consists of Part 1 featuring “Flit Asuno,” Part 2 featuring Flit’s son “Asem Asuno,” Part 3 featuring Asem’s son “Kio Asuno,” and Part 4 featuring all three generations.
The first protagonist, Frito, was involved in a battle against the mysterious UE (Unknown Enemy) when he was a boy, and went on to lead a long life of warfare. His son, Asem, struggles with relationships and his own abilities, but grows up in the midst of battle and everyday life. Kio, Asem’s son and Frit’s grandson, was raised by his grandparents and mother, and grew up to be a gentle but excellent Gundam pilot. In the midst of battle, Kio learns the truth about the world, worries, and searches for the meaning of battle.
The epic story of how the three generations of the Asuno family come to an answer and end the battle at the end of a long, long battle is much more spectacular than in other Gundam series. Compared to the previous series, the character designs are cute and made in a way that even children can easily be interested in, so parents and children can get into the charm of Gundam together!
Gundam Reconguista in G
Gundam G Reconguista” was written and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator of Gundam, after the completion of Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, his first Gundam work in 15 years since “Tribe Gundam”.
G Reconguista is set in the distant future of the universe century that began with the First Gundam, in a world called the Re-Gilded Century. In the Rigged Century, which can be called a continuation of the Space Century, many words derived from the Space Century, such as mobile suits and Minovsky particles, also appear.
In such a world, the main character “Berri Zenam” is a candidate for the Capital Guard, a self-defense organization. One day, Berri encounters a mysterious mobile suit and a girl, and is drawn into a battle involving various organizations. How will the truth of the world that is revealed in such a battle make Berli grow up?
Mr. Tomino’s masterpiece has been well received by many Gundam fans, and a theater version, a re-edited version of the TV version, was also released. The human drama that characterizes the Gundam series is one of its charms, but Mr. Tomino’s original dialogue, the “Tomino-bushi,” is also a must-see.
Mobile Suit Gundam Iron Blood Orphans first season
After a turn from the epic story and cute characters, “Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphens” opened with rugged characters and mobile suits. Like 00, this Iron-Blooded Orphens is divided into two parts: the first season and the second season.
The main character is Mikazuki Orpheus, a boy soldier belonging to CGS, a private military company on Mars, who has lived through severe battles with his fellow boy soldiers. Having been oppressed by the adults, Crescent Moon and his childhood friend “Olga Itsuka” leads a coup d’etat against CGS and takes over the organization. They then set up the “Tekkadan,” a group composed mainly of boy soldiers, and sometimes antagonize and sometimes join forces with various people and organizations in order to survive.
The Gundam Barbados that Mikazuki rides is one of the Gundam Frames, mobile suits that were left behind after a battle that took place a long time ago in the work’s world. There are a total of 72 Gundam Frames in existence, and not even half of them have been revealed yet, including those in the works of Gaiden. Therefore, new Gundam Frame mobile suits are being released even now.
This work makes us think about the wars and conflicts that are happening in our world, as we see the battle for life of the Mikazuki and his friends who are still boys and live on the battlefield.
Mobile Suit Gundam Iron Blood Orphans second season
Half a year after the first season, the second season of Iron-Blooded Orphans began. In the first season, various organizations were involved, and many lives were lost, both friend and foe alike. To avenge the lives of their lost comrades, Mikazuki and the rest of the Tekkadan continue to fight.
Having accomplished a great deal in the first season, Tekkadan has expanded its operations and grown into a high-profile organization that is well known on Mars and Earth. Even so, leader Olga’s ambitions have not stopped, and he spends his days fighting with the goal of becoming King of Mars. Meanwhile, Mikazuki, the main character of the group, has lost the functionality of some parts of his body due to overuse of the Gundam during the battles at the end of the first season, but he continues to fight as the ace of the Tekkadan.
In the second half of the second season, more lives were lost than in the first season, and the battle became a quagmire. As the lives of their comrades are lost one after another, the Tekkadan continue to think about what they are fighting for. Where will the lives they have fought and defied lead them?
Even now, new Gundam frames are still being released, so we can still look forward to the future development of this work.