Forum - View topicMobile Suit Gundam: Where to Start and What's Worth Watching [2024 Edition]
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DamianSalazar
Posts: 720 |
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My first Gundam show was Iron Blooded Orphans, and I hated it. It was slow, sluggish, and boring. I struggled to connect with any of the characters (except Biscuit, and Artra), and it lacked mecha battles that were remotely interesting. It didn't help that I watched Gurren Lagann, Eureka Seven, Code Geass and Cross Ange around the same time, and I found three of them (GL, E7, CG) being much better and Cross Ange enjoyable in the ironic sense.
I even found Darling in the Franxx to be better than IBO. It's just that boring. |
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redvelvetdoll
 Posts: 53 |
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I just started Gundam by watching '79 last year. I'm totally fine with 70s era animation so no issues getting into it (also helps I have a league of Gundam fans for friends to tell me "watch this one next! now this one")
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RenRen94
 Posts: 223 |
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This was a fun article to read!
Even though Gundam 00 is a guilty pleasure of mine, I still scream about the whole Lockon situation. You're not alone, Lauren 
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Gilles Poitras
Posts: 476 Location: Oakland California |
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Excellent article, and not just because I agree with you on almost all the recommendations. One detail I'll have to dig into to see what's what, I had always heard the first series was canceled due to poor toy sales as that was how the popularity was being determined.
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KrowRhogan
Posts: 58 |
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My intro to Gundam came from the subtitled VHS (anybody remember VHS tapes) of the First Gundam Movies, War In The Pocket & Stardust Memory. I did watch parts of Gundam Wing when it aired on Toonami. I enjoyed Endless Waltz. For me, Gundam SEED holds a very special place in my heart because it was the 1st full Gundam series I watched in English (even with the edited disco guns).
As far as where to start? In my opinion, I would recommend starting either with G Gundam or Gundam Wing (Universal Century, you would have to start with The Origin, to better understand the timeline). Although I haven't watched the UC in order, I have enjoyed watching what I have from it. Even if I didn't watch the events in series/OVAs/movies that are referenced throughout, you can jump on with the UC and enjoy that series, such as Gundam Unicorn. I also enjoyed the Build Series timeline, seeing the various variations of GunPla featured, and Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. G-Wtich & G-Reco, you can watch without having any prior knowledge of what came before. Though G-Reco is set after the UC, in a new timeline. |
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tintor2
 Posts: 1824 |
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I watched Wing as a kid but I never followed the plot.
I don't recall if it was sales or ratings but I recommend reading Gundam Sousei which parodies how Tomino created the first tv series and the compilation movies. Then again, I ended up watching the tv series of the first Gundam after the movies out of curiosity. It does feel different despite being the same story. Several characters die in the same episodes they are introduced and the whole concept of Newtypes is not explored until the climax. There are also some insert songs that the movies removed. Still, Zeta's movies went way too far with retconning the ending like Code Geass to the point of removing the tragedy that the staff wanted to show. The tv series was filled with more chaos and if it weren't for Double Zeta, Kamille.... well things got ugly. When it comes to Char's Counterattack I found the change of the antagonist to be too sudden when compared to his role in Zeta. He was such a good mentor and even formed a friendship with Amuro (parodied in Sousei with the voice actors) that seemed like a perfect ending to the rivalry. I heard Super Robot Wars downright retconned the movie to the point it doesn't occur. |
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Shay Guy
 Posts: 2123 |
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Interesting way of organizing them! Though looking back at the 2015 version, I see that was more like this than I'd remembered.
What made you decide to lump the After Colony material in with the one-and-done shows? Just felt like "one show and a movie" didn't have as strong a case for its own section as Cosmic Era did? |
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tintor2
Posts: 1824 |
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Now that you mention it, Colony had another sequel in the form of light novels Frozen Teardrop but it was never adapted into an anime. |
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SaneSavantElla
 Posts: 223 |
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I was never a fan of any of the Gundam shows I've seen in the 90s to early 00s (Wing -> X -> Seed -> Destiny). To be fair it's probably partly because I was very young and couldn't follow their plots well, especially as I only watch whenever I happen to catch them on TV.
That soured me from ever watching any Gundam as well as many giant robot and space opera type shows except for the 'Robot Romance Trilogy' from the 70s as well as what I personally call 'softcore' mecha: Escaflowne, Evangelion, FMP, and Eureka Seven (also Rayearth, if that even counts). I've seen half of Witch from Mercury but couldn't finish it. I've always wondered whether starting from the Universal Century timeline would change my mind, or if I would find the themes 'dated' if only because these are the ancestors of everything that followed and thus started its tropes, which I have no appreciation of to this day. |
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tintor2
Posts: 1824 |
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My feelings of the original SEED are kinda strange considering how sensitive they made Kira but even with such characterization, the guy always went to pilot the mecha without orders. It now feels to me like a deconstruction of the whole toxic masculinity issues with Destiny and Freedom trying to balance him a bit more. Still, in retrospect, SEED feels like Mobile Suit Gundam vs Mobile Suit Gundam Wing considering the handling of pilots and mechas at least in the first half.
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Lord Geo
Posts: 2546 Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey |
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Ah, yes, Gundam: A series known for its completely realistic & understated characters... I kid, of course, but aside from that one line from Lauren (I mean, I fully understand the hesitation with the stereotypes, but Gundam is notorious for its ridiculous characters, even ignoring G Gundam) this is a perfectly reasonable newcomers guide for a franchise as massive as Gundam. |
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dmanatunga
Posts: 53 |
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This hand of mine glows with an awesome power! Its burning grip tells me to type a comment indicating that G Gundam should be a Hell Yes instead of Maybe. Also 00 Gundam is my jam.
In all seriousness, it is all opinions so who knows if a show will click if you are new to Gundam. |
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Marzan
 Posts: 515 |
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Holy sh£t! I agreed with every single one of these. That has never happened in almost a decade and a half of ANN articles for me. Sure sign of the apocalypse.
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TJ_Kat
Posts: 363 Location: Saskatoon, Canada |
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In this way, I view Gundam as Japan's Star Trek; a show that wasn't appreciated when it first aired and got cancelled, but later developed a massive fanbase, and became a cultural mainstay.
Finally! I've been saying this for 15+ years now. If you watched Wing once upon a time and feel nostalgic towards it, DO NOT rewatch it now. It does not hold up and will destroy your nostalgia for the show. |
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Arale Kurashiki
Posts: 751 |
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Every Gundam article by this writer has felt completely off the mark - not trying to be rude about it, but anything that says ZZ isn't worth watching has a completely different conception of Gundam than me (and also prominent current Gundam creators like the Unicorn guy or the Crossbone guy). I really encourage people to just start watching Gundam from the beginning and form their own opinions and not think too much about what the fandom thinks about any of it.
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