Finding Your Gateway Gundam

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Animation and ProductionThe core offerings of the Gundam franchise are composed of 1980’s TV Series and have markedly dated animation, music and production values.

It is important to consider how you feel about such factors when picking out a title within the franchise to try out.



Primary Considerations• I can truly enjoy a classic series

without having to make excuses for it.

• My minimum standards for production quality are late 1980’s movies or newer

Click Haro to proceed to Directorial Style Considerations

Click Haro to proceed to Series Length Considerations



LengthOlder Gundam TV series run in excess of 50 episodes and demand considerable time investment from viewers.• I would prefer something more

concise before I gauge how much time I want to invest in the franchise.

• 50 episodes? Pshaw! I watched Legend of the Galactic Heroes!

Click Haro to claim your Gateway Gundam show


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Writing/Directorial StyleCreator and Director Yoshiyuki Tomino’s style was considered ahead of its time, but by now may be considered dated.There are exposed inconsistencies and/or plot-holes which viewers used to contemporary writing styles and conventions may find strange and difficult to overlook.

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I am prepared to Judge the anime based on its relative merits and not on contemporary writing/directorial conventions.

Conformity to contemporary writing/directorial conventions in terms of realism and cohesion is critical to my enjoyment of an anime.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshiyuki_Tomino


Mecha Design/AestheticOf Tomino’s better animated offerings, viewers may want to consider the importance of general aesthetic or ‘hardness’ of the science fiction of the show. This is especially important in terms of the action (battle sequences/physics) and mecha design.

• I am open to alternative settings and mecha designs apart from the normal/traditional Gundam Aesthetic.

• I prefer sleek mecha designs and/or the grim and dark aesthetic of more “real” robot shows.

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Robot Type Gundam offers a wide variety of robot-types from hard science fiction “real types” to ‘soft ‘sci-fi offerings approaching the level of “super types”.

• I enjoy overpowered super-prototypes/superhuman pilots and delight in the constant one-upmanship of each faction’s latest super-weapons and their destructive capabilities.

• I prefer “real type” power balance in my mecha anime with more normal pilots and mecha and with super prototypes few and with more limited effectiveness.

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Click Haro to proceed to Political/Moral Message considerations

Click Haro to proceed to Story Balance considerations



MessageDifferent series particularly in alternate continuities will vary widely in terms of the moral lines they draw for their characters. Some are situated along clear “good vs. Evil” lines, while others will have moral ambiguity.

• I delight in gray areas and feel that moral ambiguity in the characters make them truer representations of human beings.

• I prefer moral lines be drawn cleanly between black and white, good vs. evil. Simplifying who to root for is significant in my enjoyment of anime.

Click Haro to proceed to further Mecha/Design aesthetic considerations


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Mecha Design/AestheticViewers may want to consider the importance of general aesthetic or ‘hardness’ of the science fiction of the show. This is especially important in terms of the action (battle sequences/physics) and mecha design.

• I am open to alternative settings and mecha designs apart from the normal/traditional Gundam Aesthetic

• I prefer sleek mecha designs and/or the grim and dark aesthetic of more “real” robot shows.

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Story BalanceDifferent series within the franchise balance action and drama differently. As such, one of the viewers major considerations could be how much action he/she is really expecting from the series vis-a-vis plot or character development.

• Fewer action scenes is a small price to pay for well developed characters and fully explored themes.

• I think a good balance of drama and action is the most desirable. I like my series to have lots of cool action without being stupid, and feature great drama without being too heavy.

• I feel that the franchise is called “Gundam” for a reason. As such, although I appreciate a good story, I feel that the mecha and action should take centre stage.




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Turn A GundamRegarded by some as the “Ghibli Gundam” in part because of its Victorian era aesthetic and strange mecha designs, Turn A is a departure from the grim themes prevalent in most of Tomino’s work in the franchise.

Those who can get past the strangeness of the setting are in for an involving story with some of the most loveable characters in in the franchise.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_A_Gundam


Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s CounterattackThe epic conclusion to the core storyline of Tomino’s Universal Century as well as to one of the most important rivalries in all anime, CCA contains arguably the fullest expressions of Tomino’s major themes in Gundam (ex. Newtypes) while providing some of the best mecha designs in all Gundam featured in large, epic battles.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam:_Char%27s_Counterattack

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam:_Char%27s_Counterattack


Mobile Suit Gundam: Compilation MoviesThe start of the franchise and still one of its best offerings, the MSG Movies remain one of the absolute classics of anime. MSG introduced some of the most enduring characters of our time and ushered in the “real” robot revolution.

The 43 episode season is compiled into a movie trilogy. Each of the three movies is largely composed of old footage from the TV series, with a few modifications by Tomino himself.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam#Compilation_movies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam#Compilation_movies


Mobile Suit Zeta GundamArguably Tomino’s masterpiece, Zeta tackles comprehensively all the themes prevalent in his other work and shows the director at the height of his kill ‘em all glory. With an epic story spanning 50 episodes, Zeta boasts some of the most enduringly popular characters and mecha in the franchise.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Zeta_Gundam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Zeta_Gundam


Mobile Suit Gundam 00The latest and shiniest offering in the Gundam franchise, packed to the gills with overpowered mecha, pretty girls and even prettier men, 00 also offers stellar action, post-9/11 geopolitics and more plot twists than you can shake a stick at. It is the Gundam anime for today’s viewer.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam_00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam_00


Mobile Fighter G GundamThe greatest departure from the Gundam aesthetic, G eschews Gundam’s “real” roots and moves wholesale into “super” territory with elaborate posing sequences and called out attacks. G injects some much welcome hot blood into the franchise and gives us some of the most memorable characters in Gundam

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Fighter_G_Gundam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Fighter_G_Gundam


Mobile Suit Gundam SEEDRegarded by many as their “gateway” Gundam series, SEED provides us with many of the core themes of the original series dressed up in modern aesthetics and conventions. The mecha and character designs are quite attractive and in line with modern standards, while the action scenes are entertainingly choreographed. Basically a light offering that allows the viewer to get his feet wet in the franchise. Back to Primary

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Gundam 0083: Stardust MemoryFeaturing mecha designs by Shoji Kawamori, 0083 has some of the best eye candy in the franchise. Fight scenes start out as small skirmishes which eventually escalate to become space engagements of epic scope. My personal gateway into the franchise, 0083 does not fail to entertain. Did I mention that the mecha designs were by Shoji Kawamori? Back to Primary

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Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket0080 is a wonderful character driven story that delivers Gundam’s “war is hell” theme from the viewpoint of a non-combatant. One of the most touching and heartrending offerings in the franchise, 0080 still delivers excellent, if sparse action and attractive mecha design. At heart however, it is an intimate and powerful account of ordinary lives touched by the horrors of war. Back to Primary

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Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS TeamArguably the most “real” (read: military) offering in the franchise, 8th MS Team delivers great mecha action, great characters and a compelling story. 8th MS Team also brings something unique to the table by making the setting a backdrop to what is really a Romeo and Juliet style love story between two genuinely likeable characters.

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Finding Your Gateway Gundam