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A classic anime series both here in the US and in it’s original Japan, Mobile Suit Gundam is less a show than an outright industry. TV series, OVAs, movies, games, model kits, novels, toys, trading cards, you name it. If there’s an event to publicize or anything that can be sold in this world, someone, somewhere has plastered a Gundam image on one at some time. Yes, even toilet paper.

Story Intro

Due to the Earth’s overpopulation — some alternate stories state it as due to a global war — space colonies called “Sides” have been built at certain spots in Earth’s and the Moon’s orbit called Lagrange Points, locations where the Earth’s and the Moon’s gravity have equal effect, canceling out any accelerations. Political turmoil and greed being a part of human nature, however, it’s only a matter of time before a resistance movement arises to break free of the current establishment. This occurs in different years, depending on the timeline involved.

As Gundam is a wartime set of shows, each series and film deals with war in various ways, from extreme militarists to extreme pacifists. Each will have its share of wartime violence, of course, but the better characters certainly don’t enjoy it.

Other Notes

The offical (US) site, with information about current releases, is: GundamOfficial.com.

Another site with information and timelines can be found at: GundamProject.com.

All versions of Mobile Suit Gundam are done by the Sunrise studio (many using the collective pseudonym “Yadate Hajime”, also spelled “Yatate Hajime”), and those that have been released in the US are distributed by Bandai Entertainment.

• “Universal Century” timeline:
  • UC 0079: Mobile Suit Gundam (43-episode TV, 3 Compilation Movies)
  • UC 0079: The 08th MS Team (12-episode OVA)
  • UC 0079: Gundam IGLOO (9-episode CGI OVA, three trilogies)
  • UC 0080: Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (6-episode OVA)
  • UC 0083: Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (13-episode OVA)
  • UC 0087: Z (Zeta) Gundam (50-episode TV)
  • UC 0088: Gundam ZZ (Double Zeta) (47-episode TV)
  • UC 0093: Char’s Counterattack (Movie)
  • UC 0123: Gundam F91 (Formula-91) (Movie)
  • UC 0153: V (Victory) Gundam (51-episode TV)
  • UC 0223: G-Saviour (Movie, live-action/CGI)
• “After Colony” timeline:
  • AC 195: Gundam W (Wing) (49-episode TV)
  • AC 196: Gundam W (Wing): Endless Waltz (3-episode OVA, Compilation Movie)
• “Cosmic Era” timeline:
  • Cosmic Era 70: Gundam SEED (50-episode TV)
  • Cosmic Era 73: Gundam SEED Destiny (50-episode TV)
  • Cosmic Era 73: Gundam SEED Stargazer (3-episode online series)
• Alternate stories:
  • Universal Century Parody: SD (Super Deformed) Gundam (long-running OVA series under many titles, 52-episode TV “SD Gundam Force”)
  • Future Century 60: G Gundam (49-episode TV)
  • After War 0015: Gundam X (39-episode TV)
  • CC 2345: Turn A Gundam (50-episode TV, Compilation Movie)
  • 2307 A.D.: Gundam 00 (50-episode TV)