mobile suit gundam
Official Japanese title: 機動戦士ガンダム (Kidou Senshi Gundam)
Official English title: Mobile Suit Gundam
A 1979 science fiction and mecha anime television series produced by Sunrise, created by Tomino Yoshiyuki and Yatate Hajime (the latter being a collective pseudonym for the entire Sunrise animation staff), with mechanical designs by Ookawara Kunio. It is also known as First Gundam because it became the origin of all Gundam metaseries.
It is notable because it helped to create the Real Robot genre of piloted mecha and has spanned a very successful franchise lasting over 40 years. Because of its popularity many consider it the Japanese equivalent of Star Wars.
Set in the far future, during the year Universal Century 0079 (79 years after the creation of the first permanent colony in space), it follows the story of Amuro Ray, the teen pilot of the RX-78-2 mecha during the Earth Federation-Zeon conflict known as the "One Year War".
Tomino, the main writer of the series, has cited the 1959 novel Starship Troopers as an important inspiration. He even coined the term "mobile suit" used to name the piloted mecha from the anime series as a reference to the novel's own "mobile infantry".
Due to copyright issues the series was called Gungal in the Genshiken anime comedy series.
This tag is for the 1979 TV series and related media only. For the franchise as a whole, use the Gundam tag.
See also
- MACROSS - A franchise heavily influenced by Gundam.
- Kikou Senki Dragonar - Official spiritual remake by the same production company.
This tag implicates gundam (learn more).