The History of Gundam Part 2

Previously:

Mobile Suit Gundam launched in the spring of 1979.  Though initially cancelled, the franchise found a rebirth thanks to a successful compilation film trilogy.  This paved the way for two sequel TV Series, Zeta Gundam and Gundam ZZ; the beginning of the long running SD Gundam short film series; a successful original feature film in Char’s Counterattack; and a fondly remembered 10^th Anniversary OVA in Gundam 0080.  All in all, not a bad beginning for the little Mobile Suit that could.  But nothing could prepare anyone for what was coming next.

 

Part 2-The Second Coming (1990-1999)

The 1990’s were a relatively busy decade for the Gundam franchise.  Much of it saw a new project (film, OVA or TV Series) released in rapid, close succession.  1991 alone saw the release of two potential entry points to the universe in the theatrical film Mobile Suit Gundam F91 and the OVA series Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.  F91 was fraught with production problems, including starting as a potential 50 episode TV series before being forced into a movie (no doubt thanks to Char’s Counterattacks success) with only 14 TV scripts completed.  Yeah it was a nightmare and it wouldn’t be the last one for poor director Yoshiyuki Tomino.  0083 found greater success with impressive visuals and a “Top Gun” atmosphere to the story and characters while also serving as a prequel to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.

 

Come 1993 the first biggest change for the franchise was about to begin on a sad note.  The purchase of Gundam by Studio Sunrise interfered heavily with Yoshiyuki Tomino’s production of Mobile Suit Victory Gundam.  The director entered a bout of depression reflected in Victory Gundam itself with a character kill count that equals or surpasses Zeta and caused Tomino to step away from the universe he ushered into the world.

A year later was the beginning of a unique experiment for Gundam: the concept of an alternate universe.  With this approach, new fans could enter the franchise without the decade plus backstory from the original Universal Century era.  The first of these projects was 1994’s Mobile Fighter G Gundam.  Set in the Future Century, G Gundam was basically Street Fighter with Giant Robots as dozens of fighters from orbiting space colonies descend to Earth for a tournament that will decide who rules the planet for the next four years.  G Gundam was a success thanks in large part to the fact that almost every Mobile Suit in the series was a Gundam with its own unique design and capabilities.

 

In 1995, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing arrived.  Set in the After Colony era, Wing centered on five teenage rebels sent to Earth, each with their own Gundam, to wage war against a shadowy organization oppressing the space colonies.  While Gundam Wing was successful in Japan, it’s legendary run in America is what would define the show for years to come…but more on that later.  1996 saw both success and unexpected failures for the franchise.  While Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team was a hit with fans thanks to a refreshing return to the One Year War storyline, After War Gundam X did not succeed where Victory, G and Wing had in previous years.  In fact, the post apocalyptic Gundam story met the same fate as the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, being cancelled at 39 episodes rather than intended 50.

 

As Gundam headed towards its 20th Anniversary, Sunrise made strides to give the franchise the love it deserved.  In 1997, Gundam Wing gained a sequel OVA in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, which would later get a special extended theatrical edition released alongside 08th MS Team short film, Miller’s Report, in 1998.  Then came 1999, the 20th Anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam.  With this came the return of original series director Yoshiyuki Tomino, bringing with him some of the best artists in the industry, plus American scifi designer Syd Mead and Anime OST legend Yoko Kanno to bring the world Turn A Gundam.  The show polarized fans with its choice of setting and questionable redesign of the titular Mobile Suit, along with subtle hints that the Universal Century, Future Century, After Colony and After War Eras are all connected.  However, the general consensus is Turn A Gundam being hailed as one the best entries in the franchise and has become a must watch title for all fans of Gundam, along with it’s two compilation films: Earth Light and Moonlight Butterfly.  Gundam ended the 90’s on a pretty high note.  So how would it fair coming into the 2000s?