| Mobile Fighter G Gundam | |
|---|---|
 North American DVD cover featuring Domon Kasshu (center) and Rain Mikamura (right) | |
| 機動武闘伝Gガンダム | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Written by | Fuyunori Gobu |
| Directed by | Yasuhiro Imagawa |
| Music by | Kohei Tanaka |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of episodes | 49(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | ANN (TV Asahi) |
| Release | April 22, 1994 (1994-04-22) – March 31, 1995 (1995-03-31) |
| Related | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kōichi Tokita |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Comic BonBon |
| Original run | April 1994 –April 1995 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Yoshitake Suzuki |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Imprint | Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko |
| Original run | August 29, 1995 –March 1, 1997 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Manga | |
| Kidō Butōden G Gundam Gaiden Shōryū Densetsu | |
| Written by | Toshiya Murakami |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| Magazine | Deluxe BonBon |
| Original run | December 1994 –April 1995 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Manga | |
| Kidō Butōden Gaiden Gundam Fight 7th | |
| Written by | Kitarou Ototoi |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| Magazine | Comic BonBon Special Edition |
| Original run | March 1996 –December 1996 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Manga | |
| Chōkyū! Kidō Butōden G Gundam | |
| Written by | Yasuhiro Imagawa |
| Illustrated by | Kazuhiko Shimamoto |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Magazine | Gundam Ace |
| Original run | July 26, 2010 –August 26, 2011 |
| Volumes | 7 |
| Manga | |
| Shinjuku Tōhō Fuhai! | |
| Written by | Yasuhiro Imagawa |
| Illustrated by | Kazuhiko Shimamoto |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Magazine | Gundam Ace |
| Original run | September 26, 2011 –January 26, 2013 |
| Volumes | 8 |
| Manga | |
| Bakunetsu Neo Hong Kong! | |
| Written by | Yasuhiro Imagawa |
| Illustrated by | Kazuhiko Shimamoto |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Magazine | Gundam Ace |
| Original run | February 26, 2013 –2015 |
| Volumes | 7 |
| Manga | |
| Saishū Kessen-hen | |
| Written by | Yasuhiro Imagawa |
| Illustrated by | Kazuhiko Shimamoto |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Magazine | Gundam Ace |
| Original run | 2015 –August 26, 2016 |
| Volumes | 4 |
Mobile Fighter G Gundam, also known in Japan asMobile Fighting Legend G Gundam (機動武闘伝Gガンダム,Kidō Butōden Jī Gandamu) (and commonly referred to as simplyG Gundam), is a 1994Japaneseanimated television series produced bySunrise and the fifth installment in the long-runningGundam franchise. The series is set in the "Future Century", wherespace colonies representing countries have agreed to hold an organized fighting tournament known as the "Gundam Fight" every four years to settle their political differences in place ofwar. Each colony sends a representative fighter piloting a giant, humanoidmecha called a Gundam to battle on Earth until only one is left, and the winning nation earns the right to govern over all the colonies until the next tournament. The events ofG Gundam followDomon Kasshu, the pilot of NeoJapan's Shining Gundam during the 13th Gundam Fight. Domon's mission is to both win the tournament and to track down his older brother, who is believed to have stolen the mysterious Devil Gundam (AKA the Dark Gundam outside of Japan/Asia) from the Neo Japan government.
Commemorating the 15th anniversary of theGundam brand,G Gundam was produced toreboot the waning popularity of the long-running franchise. It is the firstGundam series with a self-contained plot set in an alternatecalendar era from the original "Universal Century" timeline. Additionally, the show casts aside many of the conventions set by its predecessors and takes many new steps for its franchise, such as a focus onmartial arts and decisive, personal duels as opposed to large-scale military conflicts.G Gundam was directed byYasuhiro Imagawa, with its settings and characters significantly influenced by the director's interest inworld cinema. The anime's real-world locales were drawn from numerous foreign films and were planned usinglocation scouting.G Gundam ran for 49 episodes on Japan'sTV Asahi from April 22, 1994, to March 31, 1995. An English-language version produced byBandai Entertainment aired in the United States onCartoon Network'sToonami block beginning on August 5, 2002. Since its original broadcast,G Gundam has spawnedmanga, audio albums,video games, guide books, and several lines ofscale models.
During its conception and Japanese television debut,G Gundam was met with controversy among its production staff, sponsors, and fans because the show takes a wildly different turn from all previous entries in theGundam universe. However, for that very reason, the series is cited as a milestone in its long-running franchise and ultimately proved very popular in the region. Reception forG Gundam has been generally positive in North America. Reviewers praised the primary characters and mecha as unique and stylized, but strongly disagreed on the plot. While some critics enjoyed the bold andcampy divergence from the moredramatic social and political undertones traditional ofGundam, others foundG Gundam's story diffusely shallow, repetitive, or not up to standards set by its anime predecessors.
Unlike previous series in theGundam franchise which are set in the "Universal Century" timeline,Mobile Fighter G Gundam takes place in an alternate "Future Century" universe.[1][2] Within this timeline, much of mankind has abandoned a ruined Earth to live inspace colonies. The countries on Earth have corresponding colonies just outside the planet's atmosphere. Rather than fightwars for political and social dominance, the colonies agree to hold a "Gundam Fight" tournament every four years. Each country sends to Earth a representative piloting a highly advanced, humanoid mobile fighter called a Gundam. The Gundams compete with one another in one-on-one battles, under a strict set of rules, until only one fighter remains; the nation represented by the winner earns the right to rule all of space for that period.[2] Each Gundam is controlled directly by the user within the cockpit using the "Mobile Trace System", agesture recognition andfeedback mechanism whereby the Gundam mimics the pilot's own body motion,combat skills, and weapon-wielding capabilities.[1]G Gundam opens at the start of the 13th Gundam Fight in Future Century year 60 and follows NeoJapan'sDomon Kasshu, fighter of his nation's Shining Gundam and bearer of the coveted "King of Hearts" martial arts crest.[1] Aside from winning the tournament, Domon's mission is to track down his fugitive, older brotherKyoji, who allegedly stole the experimental Devil Gundam from Neo Japan's government, leaving their mother dead and their father (Dr. Raizo Kasshu) to be arrested and sentenced tocryostasis.[3]
Under orders from MajorUllube Ishikawa, Domon and his childhood friend and mechanicRain Mikamura travel from country to country, challenging each one's Gundam while searching for clues to the whereabouts of Kyoji and the Devil Gundam.[3] Domon's initial matches with NeoAmerica'sChibodee Crocket, NeoFrance'sGeorge DeSand, NeoChina'sSai Sai Ci, and NeoRussia'sArgo Gulskii end indraws, gaining mutual respect among the fighters.[1][2] As they encounter Gundam pilots who had come in contact with the Devil Gundam, Domon and Rain learn of its uniquecellular properties toregenerate,multiply, andevolve by infecting organic matter and causing violent behavior in living things.[3] The duo then journey to NeoTokyo, a city decimated by the Devil Gundam's army of mobile weapons. Domon reunites with his esteemed martial arts instructorMaster Asia, who is also the champion of the last Gundam Fight, the former King of Hearts, and one-time leader of an elite group of Gundam fighters called the Shuffle Alliance. After Domon and Rain help the city's survivors defend their last outpost inShinjuku, Master Asia reveals himself as a servant of the Devil Gundam, having also gainedcontrol over Chibodee, George, Sai Sai Ci, and Argo using Devil Gundam (DG) cells.[2][3] The four remaining members of the Shuffle Alliance intervene and vow to destroy their previous leader for his crimes. Ultimately, the Alliance members offer their lives in purging the DG cells from Domon's four comrades and bestow each of them with a Shuffle Alliance crest as their successors. Kyoji and the enormous Devil Gundam eventually appear from beneath the ground of Shinjuku but shortly thereafter vanish alongside Master Asia. As the Shuffle Alliance trains in theGuiana Highlands for the Gundam Fight finals, Master Asia and the Devil Gundam reappear.[3] With the help of his friends and a new ally in NeoGermany's masked warriorSchwarz Bruder, Domon defeats the Devil Gundam. When the Shining Gundam becomes incapacitated during the battle, Domon desperately manages to activate a newly acquired God Gundam, escape Master Asia, and make his way to the finals set in NeoHong Kong.[2][4]
The Gundam Fight finals are presided over byWong Yunfat, Neo Hong Kong'sprime minister, and the current ruler of the space colonies and Earth. Wong chooses to have the qualifying nations battle in one-on-one andtag team preliminary matches to reach abattle royale onLantau Island, where the tournament is to end with the winner facing the defending champion Master Asia.[2][4] Having gained possession of the Devil Gundam, Wong secretly plots to revive and control it as his trump card to inevitably maintain his own power over space. Domon and his companions make their way to the battle royale while several truths concerning the Devil Gundam are unveiled. Rain's father,Dr. Mikamura, eventually explains that the Devil Gundam (originally called the Ultimate Gundam) was constructed by Dr. Kasshu to rejuvenate the dying Earth. Jealous of his genius colleague, Dr. Mikamura had Neo Japan's officials attempt to confiscate Kasshu's creation. To prevent the military from using his father's invention for its own agenda, Kyoji fled with and crash-landed the Gundam on Earth, where its computer malfunctioned, triggering its malevolent activity. Ullube subsequently had Dr. Kasshu arrested, framed Kyoji as a criminal, and used Domon and Rain as pawns in recovering the Gundam.[4] In a separate confession, Master Asia discloses to Domon that, having been distressed by the utter destruction wrought by the Gundam Fights, he planned to use the Devil Gundam to wipe out humanity and allow Earth to heal naturally.[2] The battle on Lantau Island culminates with Domon fatally besting Master Asia in a final confrontation, while Kyoji and Schwarz sacrifice themselves so that Domon can attack the Devil Gundam's cockpit and disable it once again.[4] Though the schemes of both Wong and Master Asia are foiled, Ullube quietly claims the Devil Gundam and transports it to Neo Japan's space colony for his own purpose. Having been corrupted by DG cells with ambitions of supreme power, Ullube kidnaps Rain and places her into the Devil Gundam's core to act as its energy source. The hulking monstrosity then merges with the colony and begins absorbing Earth itself.[2] As the entire world's Gundams unite to assault the Devil Gundam from the outside, the Shuffle Alliance breaks inside the colony and destroys Ullube. Finally, Domon professes his love for Rain and releases her from the core. Invoking the power of the King of Hearts, the couple vanquishes the Devil Gundam once and for all.[4]
Mobile Fighter G Gundam was produced bySunrise in association with advertising agenciesSotsu andDentsu, and toy companyBandai.[5] The series was created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of theGundam franchise, created byYoshiyuki Tomino in 1979.G Gundam was directed byYasuhiro Imagawa, known for his work on theGiant Robo andGetter Robo Armageddonoriginal video animations (OVAs).[2]G Gundam was chiefly written and supervised by Yoshitake Suzuki (using his pen name "Fuyunori Gobu"), a veteranscreenwriter for various Sunrise properties such asReideen the Brave,Shippū! Iron Leaguer andThe King of Braves GaoGaiGar.[1] Many of the principal production crew members forG Gundam were carried over the previous season'sMobile Suit Victory Gundam,[1] including character designerHiroshi Ōsaka andmechanical designersKunio Okawara andHajime Katoki.[2] Manga artistKazuhiko Shimamoto collaborated on the show's character designs.[6]Kimitoshi Yamane acted as a back-up mechanical designer and has since worked on Sunrise's acclaimed seriesCowboy Bebop andThe Vision of Escaflowne.[1] Hirotoshi Sano, previously credited forTekkaman Blade,[2] was responsible for directing the mechanical animation inG Gundam, but also produced much of show's promotional artwork seen on home media covers.[1] The musical score forG Gundam was composed byKohei Tanaka.[5] The opening theme song "Flying in the Sky" performed byYoshifumi Ushima and the closing theme "Umi Yori mo Fukaku" (海よりも深く; "Deeper Than The Ocean") by Etsuko Sai are played for the first 25 episodes of the series.[7] The opening theme "Trust You Forever" by Ushima and the closing theme "Kimi no Naka no Eien" (君の中の永遠; "The Eternity in You") by Takehide Inoue are played for the remaining episodes.[7]
Like other earlymecha anime, theMobile Suit Gundam franchise was backed by sponsors whose main interest was having television programs advertiseplastic models and toys.[8]Gundam fiction set itself apart from others in the same genre with itsdramatic plot devices, morally complex characters, and depictions of the horrors of war.[9] These aspects, combined with its "Real Robot" mecha approach, madeGundam immensely popular for several years. After the broadcast ofVictory Gundam beginning in 1993, Imagawa, a young protégé of Tomino, was selected as the director of the next installment in the franchise, titledPolcarino Gundam.[10] However, asGundam popularity dwindled and sales began to drop by this time, the sponsors forced the creators toreboot the brand with the newly titledMobile Fighter G Gundam. Conceived as a less realistic "Super Robot" series,[10]G Gundam abandoned its military roots and was aimed at younger viewers to increase toy sales, while also pulling from the then-recent popularity offighting games such asStreet Fighter II andshonen manga at time.[8] Alterations including a lack of a warfare-centered plot, Gundamsstereotypically based on nationality, and Earth as aring were originally seen as blasphemous to Imagawa and much of Sunrise's staff.[8][11] Notwithstanding, Imagawa became more supportive of the changes after seeing some impressive, complex designs inG Gundam's sponsor-created toys.[8] He eventually settled into his position, taking advice from his mentor. "If you continue to make a copy of a copy of a copy," he stated, "eventually the image degrades to nothing."[12] Imagawa thought it was important for creators and sponsors to buy into each other's ideas for the benefit of a product's success.[8] The director also commented that in order to sell a product likeG Gundam to an audience resistant of such ambitious changes, creators must instill their own personalities to overcome hardships and make the work unique.[12] By the end of production, Imagawa considered it meaningless to compareG Gundam to other parts of the franchise and disregarded the concept of a "conventional"Gundam series.[11] "This is MYGundam," he proclaimed, "And I've made aGundam that I can be proud of."[10]
As a film fanatic, Imagawa perceived that referencingworld cinema would help illustrate the real world settings inG Gundam. The production staff primarily wished to utilize sightseeingguide books, but found that these books did not show the locations from the perspective of everyday people.[11] The battlegrounds in the first several episodes were conveyed using a number of multimedia works including films byFederico Fellini,Woody Allen,Alfred Hitchcock, andYılmaz Güney; filmsbased on Wong Fei-hung; video clips of the bandSwing Out Sister; music by the groupsGenesis andMagma; and scenery fromMonty Python acts.[11][13][14] Each episode's introductory narration, provided by the characterStalker, was inspired by American television dramas such asStar Trek andThe Twilight Zone.[14] In the same manner, certainG Gundam character names and their techniques were drawn from films, most prominently the Hong Kongwuxia genre.[15][16] For instance, the alternate name of antagonist Master Asia,Tōhō Fuhai (東方不敗; "Undefeated of the East"), is named directly after the protagonist of afilm of the same title.[15] Additionally, the villain Wong Yunfat is based heavily on Hong Kong starChow Yun-fat, specifically the actor's appearance in the filmGod of Gamblers.[17] Some elements inG Gundam were taken from other anime andmanga. A key scene at the series midpoint involving the Shining Gundam's gold-colored "Super Mode" was inspired bySaint Seiya.[18] Another instance towards the show's climax, where the hero's rivals join him to fight a greater opposing force, was a commonly used motif inWeekly Shōnen Jump comics, most notablyRing ni Kakero.[16]
Some of the settings inG Gundam were planned usinglocation scouting, a technique Imagawa learned while working on his directorial debut,Mister Ajikko. He stated that this type of research can "upgrade" animation production quality when supplemented by indirect experience from watching films.[15] For the prison in Neo Russia, Imagawa drew from the architecture of theAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary, which he coincidentally toured one year beforeG Gundam's development.[13] When his superiors requested he restrict the show's setting to one location, Imagawa used the city Shinjuku (beginning in the 12th episode) as an opportunity for his staff to learn and practice location scouting within Japan.[15] Changing countries every week in the show's early run was overwhelming for the set designers and background artists, yet the crew felt Imagawa "over-elaborate" on Shinjuku. The story transitioned to Guyana so that the artists could apply a simpler, dense forest environment.[19] Once this portion of the anime's plot concluded, staff members flew to Hong Kong to research and record for the Neo Hong Kongstory arc.[20] Imagawa mentioned that Neo Hong Kong does not possess its own space colony inG Gundam, so he wanted to accurately depict the country as one that continues to thrive on Earth.[17] The director speculated that it would be difficult to illustrate Hong Kong due to its amount of detail, but he was very satisfied with the background artist's work.[20]
Imagawa credits himself for conceiving a majority of the various Gundams participating in the finals of the Neo Hong Kong arc. The director worked closely with mecha artists to create these "one-shot" opponents and found many of the comical and eccentric designs very charming, especially the windmill-shaped Hurricane Gundam of Neo Holland.[20][21] The designs for Neo Singapore's Ashura Gundam and Neo Malaysia's Skull Gundam were included in the show as winners of contests held by theKodansha publicationsComic BonBon andTV Magazine; Imagawa expressed regret that these Gundams were used as enemy characters since they were designed by young fans of the anime.[22]
Around the 40th episode, Imagawa focused on adding aromantic theme intoG Gundam's narrative.[23] He explained that he was "not good at depicting female characters" when directing and he had not previously "written a 'normal' relationship of man and woman".G Gundam was Imagawa's first attempt at a "love story", though he admitted it took him the entire length of the series demonstrates this point.[18] The show's final scene shows Domon and Rain riding off together on the horse Fuun Saiki; Imagawa sensed that the cliché of the hero with hisdamsel on awhite horse was "the safe road" given the director's lack of experience with love stories.[21] Imagawa polarized the production studio staff when he decided to insert the English phrase "Love-Love" into Domon and Rain's final attack against the Devil Gundam. Sunrise producerMasahiko Minami protested that it sounded so "unseemly" that he even confronted Imagawa about it at the director's home. However, Imagawa not only thought the phrase had a nice ring to it but wanted to include it because he had already found success in defying convention withG Gundam. Imagawa was prepared to take the risk of any harsh criticism for its use in the finale. "I didn't even care if I wouldn't be able to work in the industry because of that 'Love-Love'," he said. "I truly believe that one cannot work as a director without enthusiasm and a love of challenges."[21]
TheMobile Fighter G Gundam television series originally aired in Japan on theterrestrial channelTV Asahi from April 22, 1994, to March 31, 1995, for a total of 49 episodes.[5][24] The show would not reach North American audiences until 2002.Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, a series that succeededG Gundam on Japanese television in 1995, was first localized in North America byBandai Entertainment in early 2000.Gundam Wing was a huge success in the United States while being broadcast on the popular afternoonToonami block ofCartoon Network often beating block stalwartsDragon Ball Z andSailor Moon and was the highest-rated program on all of Cartoon Network for a time.[25][26][27] In late 2001, Bandai acquired the rights to distribute an English-dubbed version ofG Gundam with voice casting recorded byOcean Productions in their Blue Water studio inCalgary, Alberta.[28] The English-language version ofG Gundam premiered as a free screening at theSony Metreon Action Theatre inSan Francisco on March 30, 2002,[29] and subsequently premiered on Toonami on August 5, 2002.[30] Due to the channel'scensorship policies, some edits were made for the broadcast. This mainly involved altering the names of several mobile fighters, such as changing God Gundam and Devil Gundam to Burning Gundam and Dark Gundam respectively.[2][31] The show was also aired on the channel's "Midnight Run" and as part of its Saturday programming in November 2002.[32][33] Cartoon Network officially droppedG Gundam from its afternoon schedule the following June.[34] The series has since been re-broadcast on the Japanese cable networkFamily Gekijo[35] and thesatellite channelAnimax.[36]
Bandai Entertainment releasedG Gundam onDVD in North America in four box sets and in twelve separate volumes (each disc containing four to five episodes). The DVDs contain both the English-dubbed and Japanese-subtitled versions, as well as extras such as production notes from the director. The first three volumes and first box set were released on November 5, 2002.[37] The second box set and next three volumes were released on February 4, 2003.[38] The third box set and next three volumes were released on April 22, 2003.[39] The final box set and last three volumes were released on June 17, 2003.[40] Bandai re-released the series as part of its "Anime Legends" label in two larger collections on May 9 and June 27, 2006.[41][42]G Gundam has had similar DVD releases in Japan; a collection containing the entire series was placed on sale October 27, 2010.[43]G Gundam has further been made available on variousvideo on demand services includingAmazon Instant Video,[44] thebroadband access siteBandai Channel,[45] and Bandai's official GundamInfoYouTube channel.[46] Due to the closure of Bandai Entertainment, the series has been out-of-print. On October 11, 2014, at their 2014New York Comic Con panel, Sunrise announced they will be releasing all of the Gundam franchise, includingG Gundam in North America though distribution fromRight Stuf Inc., beginning in Spring 2015.[47] On March 29, 2017,Crunchyroll began streaming the series on their website.[48] Right Stuf will release the series on Blu-ray and DVD in 2018.[49]
G Gundam was also the secondGundam series to air onPhilippine television and dubbed inFilipino onGMA Network in 1999, replacingGundam Wing.
A large amount of printed fiction related toMobile Fighter G Gundam has been published since the original Japanese airing of the series. The first was amanga adaptation of the show, illustrated byKōichi Tokita and serialized inKodansha'sComic BonBon from April 1994 to April 1995. Three bound volumes (tankōbon) collecting the individual chapters were released by Kodansha between October 6, 1994, and May 6, 1995.[50][51][52] During the airing of the TV series in North America,Tokyopop acquired the rights to publish an English-translated version of the manga.[53] All three volumes were released between June 17 and October 7, 2003.[54][55][56] Alight novel adaptation of the TV series by Yoshitake Suzuki was published in three books byKadokawa Shoten under itsSneaker Bunko label between August 29, 1995, and March 1, 1997.[57][58][59] In addition to the adaptations, a plethora ofone-shot side stories and spin-offs to the main plot that have been published in various Japanese magazines. Two manga were serialized in certain editions of Kodansha'sComic BonBon. The first was a side story titledKidō Butōden G Gundam Gaiden Shōryū Densetsu (機動武闘伝Gガンダム外伝翔龍伝説; "Mobile Fighter G Gundam Side Story: Flying Dragon Legend"), detailing Sai Sai Ci's journey to improve his fighting skills after losing to Domon in the 13th Gundam Fight finals. The manga was written and illustrated by Toshiya Murakami, serialized from December 1994 to April 1995 and released as atankōbon on June 6, 1995.[60] The second was a prequel story titledKidō Butōden Gaiden Gundam Fight 7th (機動武闘外伝ガンダムファイト7th; "Mobile Fighter Side Story: 7th Gundam Fight"), telling of a young Master Asia's participation in the 7th Gundam Fight. Authored by Kitarou Ototoi, this manga was serialized from March to December 1996 and released intankōbon form on January 8, 1997.[61]
From 2010 to 2016, Kadokawa Shoten'sGundam Ace magazine serialized a 26-volumeG Gundam manga retelling written by series directorYasuhiro Imagawa and illustrated by the show's character collaboratorKazuhiko Shimamoto with his associated Honō Production studio.[6] Imagawa described this manga as "the complete version of the story, the master work version".[10] The first part, titledChōkyū! Kidō Butōden G Gundam (超級! 機動武闘伝Gガンダム; "Super Class! Mobile Fighter G Gundam"), was serialized from July 26, 2010, to August 26, 2011; seventankōbon were released from December 25, 2010, to December 26, 2011.[62][63] The second part, subtitledShinjuku Tōhō Fuhai! (新宿・東方不敗！; "Shinjuku / Undefeated of the East!"), was serialized from September 26, 2011, to January 26, 2013; eighttankōbon were released from December 26, 2011, to July 26, 2013.[64][65] A third part, subtitledBakunetsu Neo Hong Kong! (爆熱・ネオホンコン！; "Erupting / Neo Hong Kong!"), was serialized from February 26, 2013, to 2015; seventankōbon volumes were released from July 26, 2013, to August 26, 2015.[66][67] A fourth and final part, subtitledSaishū Kessen-hen (最終決戦編; "The Final Battle"), was serialized from 2015 to August 26, 2016; fourtankōbon volumes were released from August 26, 2015, to September 26, 2016.[68][69]
A total of foursoundtrack albums containing the background and vocal music ofMobile Fighter G Gundam were released during the show's original television run in Japan. All of them were republished byStarchild on March 5, 1999.[70][71][72][73] The first album,Round 1 & 2, is two discs of music.[70] The second album,Round 3, contains music and a specialaudio drama featuring the show's Japanese voice actors.[71] The third album,Round 4, contains the rest of the background music.[72] The final album,Round 5, features vocalimage songs performed by the voice cast as well asinstrumental versions of the show's two opening themes.[73] Vocal songs from the show have also been included on variousGundam music compilations.[74][75][76]
Bandai has published three Japan-exclusivefighting video games based solely onMobile Fighter G Gundam. The first game, developed by Pandora Box for theSuper Famicom, was released on December 27, 1994.[77] The second game, also developed by Natsume, was released for thePlayStation on October 10, 2002, as the 12th volume of theSimple Characters 2000 series.[78] The third game was released formobile phones supported by Japan'si-mode andFOMA services on November 6, 2006.[79] In addition, characters and mecha fromG Gundam have appeared in variousGundam crossover games such asMobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space,[80] theSD Gundam G Generation series,[81] theDynasty Warriors: Gundam series,[82][83] andBanpresto'sSuper Robot Wars franchise,[84][85] among others.
Bandai has marketed a large amount of collectible merchandise based onG Gundam in both Japanese and North American territories.[2][31][86] This includes plasticmodel kits ranging from 1:144 to 1:60scales; expensivegarage kits made fromresin; andaction figures, some of which are exclusive to North America.[2] Sunrise produced a promotionalshort film centered onG Gundam as the third entry of an OVA series known asGundam Evolve, packaged as a limited edition bonus with the Master Grade GF13-017NJ Shining Gundam model kit.[87][88] Numerous guide/art books relating toG Gundam have been published.[2] There are two Japanese books published byMediaWorks:Mobile Fighter G Gundam: Gundam Fight Handbook (機動武闘伝Gガンダム ガンダムファイトハンドブック) released in August 1994[89] andMobile Fighter G Gundam Complete Record (機動武闘伝Gガンダム 完全収録ガンダムファイト) released in June 1995.[90] Another book,Gundam Wars 4 Fighting G: Model Graphix Special Edition (ガンダムウォーズ4 ファイティングG―モデルグラフィックス スペシャル・エディション), was published by Dai Nippon Kaiga Co. in September 1995.[91] Rapport released an art book titledMobile Fighter G Gundam: Battle Memory (機動武闘伝Ｇガンダム バトルメモリー) in 1994.[92]Hobby Japan published a book in itsGundam Weapons series in July 2002, dedicated to collecting and building scale models based on the show.[93] An English-language guide book,Mobile Fighter G Gundam Technical Manual, was released byTokyopop in North America on November 12, 2002.[94] The Japanese clothing companyCospa sells officially licensed apparel featuringG Gundam.[95]
Mobile Fighter G Gundam received mediocre televisionratings during its run on Japanese television in 1994 and 1995. According toNikkei Business Publications, the series saw an average of just 4.02% viewership for theKantō region andGreater Tokyo Area throughout its 49-episode run. The overall ratings forG Gundam were higher than that of the previous seriesMobile Suit Victory Gundam and slightly lower than the following seriesMobile Suit Gundam Wing.[96] Critically,G Gundam was met with some controversy upon its Japanese debut.[1][12][26][97]G Gundam replicates very little of the dramatic, militaristic conventions of priorGundam series, setting itself apart with a differenttone; taking place outside the franchise's main timeline; and foregoing large-scale, armed conflicts in favor of tournament-style, martial arts matches.[9][97] DirectorYasuhiro Imagawa claimed to have taken a large amount of criticism for these changes from both fans and design staff members.[8][12]G Gundam ultimately proved very popular in Japan, however, after the debut of characters such as Master Asia, whose Master Gundam bolstered merchandise sales after its appearance.[2][8][10][98][99]
Both Kunio Okawara andYoshikazu Yasuhiko, animation director and character designer for the originalMobile Suit Gundam, praisedG Gundam, crediting Imagawa's work to allowing individuals other than Yoshiyuki Tomino to create an original Gundam concept.[100]
Early in the show's North American run, Bandai reported thatG Gundam had the top ratings of any anime show for the period.[101][102][103] The company considered the show to be a "hit" at the time.[104] However, officials for Toonami recounted in 2006 that noGundam series earned significant viewer ratings after the first North American airing ofGundam Wing in 2000.[27]G Gundam received an overall positive critical reception amid its mainstream exposure in the United States.[12] Nonetheless, views onG Gundam's plot remain largely mixed. Negative reactions to the plot mostly stem from its stark contrast to precedingGundam entries that have traditionally focused on deep political and social issues in the midst of war.AnimeNation writer John Oppliger consideredG Gundam to be "the plague of theGundam franchise"[105] and "one of the biggest mis-steps in anime history" due to its elimination of such serious subtext.[106] Both Bamboo Dong of theAnime News Network[38] and Duncan Scott ofProtoculture Addicts were also initially disappointed for the same reason, with the latter writer feeling that the series features "Gundam" in its title purely for marketing reasons.[107] Derrick L. Tucker of T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews called the series' episodic storyline its "most profound weakness", whereby "the narrative exists predominately [sic] to move the viewer from fight to fight".[97] Tucker also found that the potential for its more dramatic themes, such as tension between Domon and Master Asia or Domon's romantic relationship with Rain, is "overshadowed from start to finale by the show's domineering, if repetitive action sets".[97]
Other critics were more accepting of the plot as it progressed, overlooking comparisons to pastGundam series.Animerica editor Mark Simmons, Martin Ouellette ofProtoculture Addicts, and anime journalist Mike Toole have all shared opinions that the show can be immensely enjoyed by not taking it too seriously.[1][2][9] David Smith ofIGN denotedG Gundam "the greatest giant robot series that has ever been" because of the seemingly "over-the-top" nature that drives the premise. Smith asserted, "G Gundam maintains a completely straight face through every second. That's the trick, because to let the audience laugh for one moment would break the effect. You don't laugh atG Gundam – you become completely absorbed in the wondrous violence of it all."[108] Simmons concluded that the addition of components like "nanotechnological plagues, evil armies, zombie legions, betrayal, and heartbreak [...] make the end result entertaining for more sophisticated viewers as well as for youngsters enticed by the colorful shiny robots".[1] Toole stated that despite valid criticism that the plot is "silly and exaggerated" and its introductory episodes suffering from "battle of the week fare", the debut of Master Asia triggers "some great character development".[9] Dong similarly appreciated the show more in its Neo Hong Kongstory arc and perceived it much easier for a new viewer to begin watching at any point in the series than with otherGundam installments.[39][40]
The large cast of characters and mecha inG Gundam has received mostly praise from critics. Toole, Tucker, Ouellette, and Smith made positive mention of the primary characters for their unique designs and attributes; all four reviewers have noted many of the supporting characters to be overlystereotypical with regard to their nationality.[9][97][108] Toole particularly enjoyed the protagonist Domon, whom he described as very well-rounded, and regarded Master Asia as "both a great hero and a great villain".[9] Tucker interpreted the main characters "stylized and distinctive" which possess individual motivations that give them "dynamic appeal".[97] Tucker was also impressed with the design variety and color format of the mobile fighters, which break the mold set by theconventional Gundam template.[97] Toole and Smith together felt that the morecampy Gundam stereotypes added to the show's endearment.[9][108] While referring to Neo America's mobile fighter, Smith exclaimed, "This show has a cowboy/boxer/quarterback/surfer Gundam, for God's sake."[108] Simmons equivalently and sarcastically summarized, "This is a world where the space colony of Neo Holland is represented by a Gundam that transforms into a giant windmill."[1]
During the North American DVD production interviews forMobile Fighter G Gundam, Imagawa was asked to address the message "See you again Gundam Fight 14" shown at the lastcut of the final episode. He answered that it was simplyword play and had no intention of affirming asequel to the anime.[21] Granted its large number of manga side-stories, Imagawa surmised that it would be "impossible" to create an animated sequel or OVA series toG Gundam and disclosed he would not direct it if there were. He said, "I believeG Gundam is a series that started as a program for kids and eventually worked out because I stayed vividly aware of that until the very last moment, overcoming a lot of obstacles and bad situations (in terms of directing)."[21]
Oppliger found thatG Gundam had established a legacy within theanime industry, albeit a different one from its 1979 namesake.[26] He elaborated thatG Gundam represents a "catalyst for development within Japan's anime industry" for being the first completereboot of theGundam franchise and the first of manyGundam TV series to feature a self-contained storyline separate from the traditional franchise continuity.[26] In 2001,G Gundam was listed by the Japanese magazineAnimage among the top 100 most important anime in history in terms of historical significance, influence and impact on the anime industry.[109]
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