Mobile Fighter G Gundam

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Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Ggundam title.jpg
G Gundam title screen
機動武闘伝Ｇガンダム
(Kidō Butōden Jī Gandamu)
Genre Mecha, Martial arts
TV anime
Director Yasuhiro Imagawa
Studio Sunrise
Network Japan TV Asahi
Philippines GMA 7
United States Cartoon Network
Original run April 1, 1994 – March 31, 1995
Episodes 49
Manga
Author Koichi Tokita (art)
Publisher Kodansha
Magazine Comic Bom Bom
Original run April 1994 – April 1995
Volumes 3
Manga
Kidou Botouden G Gundam Gaiden: Shouryuu Densetsu
Author Toshiya Murakami (art)
Publisher Kodansha
Magazine Deluxe Bom Bom
Volumes 1
Manga
Kidou Botouden Gaiden: Gundam Fight 7th
Author Ototoi Kitarou (art)
Publisher Japan Kodansha
Magazine Japan Comic Bom Bom Special Edition
Original run 1996 – ongoing
Volumes 1
Anime and Manga Portal

Mobile Fighter G Gundam (機動武闘伝Gガンダム Kidō Butōden Jī Gandamu?, "Mobile Fighting Legend G Gundam") is a Japanese animated television series directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa (Giant Robo, Getter Robo Armageddon). Created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the franchise in 1994,[1] it is the first of three Gundam series set in an alternate continuity from the original "Universal Century". The 49 episodes of the series aired on TV Asahi from April 1, 1994 to March 31, 1995. An English language version aired on the American Cartoon Network from August 5, 2002 to October 16 of the same year.

The show takes place in "Future Century", in which a fighting tournament is held every four years between the space colonies. Each country sends a representative Gundam Fighter to fight on Earth until one is left, and the winning nation earns the right to govern over the colonies for the next four years. G Gundam follows Neo-Japan's representative Domon Kasshu in year 60 of that century, during the 13th Gundam Fight. He is in the fight both to win and to track down his brother, who had stolen a mysterious Gundam—the Devil Gundam (Dark Gundam in the American version)—from the Neo-Japan government.

The series takes a wildly different turn from the rest of the franchise. It has a number of shōnen elements: the main cast behaves differently,[clarification needed] and characters gain superhuman speed and strength through mere martial arts training. Though most of its Gundams feature super robot elements, such as heroic designs and voice activated special attacks, others still behave like real robots.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Main article: List of Mobile Fighter G Gundam episodes

In F.C. 60, the 13th Gundam Fight begins. Domon Kasshu pilots the Shining Gundam as the representative of Neo-Japan, the Japanese space colony. Along with his crew member Rain Mikamura, he battles the other countries' representatives in order to earn the right to rule Earth and the colonies for four years for Neo-Japan. However, Domon seems to be more concerned with finding his brother and the stolen Devil Gundam.

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of Mobile Fighter G Gundam characters
Domon Kasshu
The main character of the series. The Pilot of the Shining Gundam and later the God Gundam (Burning Gundam in the American versions). He spent ten years training under Master Asia (Pilot of Master Gundam) aka Touho Fuhai (Undefeated of the East or Invincible East). He is also the new King of Hearts and leader of the Shuffle Alliance. He is on a mission to find his evil brother Kyoji who has stolen the JDG-009X Devil Gundam and to free his father, who was placed in cryogenic suspension (Due to his involvement with the Devil Gundam). This is why he agreed to represent Neo-Japan in the Thirteenth Gundam fight. Rash and impulsive, Domon is willing to do what it takes to complete his mission and sometimes he is so hotheaded, he takes it out on his partner Rain Mikamura; however, he's also very psychologically dependent of her, proven by the fact that the mere possibility of losing Rain makes him go either ballistic or become lost. He had trouble accepting the fact that his martial arts teacher, Master Asia, was on the side of the Devil Gundam, but got over it. His anger and rage released the power within his Gundam, the God Gundam. With the help of his surrogate teacher Schwarz Bruder, he became a much better fighter. At the end of the series, he learns the truth about both the Devil Gundam incident and why Master Asia sided with the JDG-009X Devil Gundam.
Rain Mikamura
Domon's partner, she secretly and gradually falls in love with Domon, as she was his childhood friend. She is his crew member for the Thirteenth Gundam Fight, and boasts many talents. She is a renowned engineer and tactician, a decent sharpshooter and a skilled medic/doctor. In some ways, she can even pilot a Gundam herself (she's one of the few non-Gundam Fighters able to put on a fighting suit despite the huge pain that the process brings to a non-trained body) and manage to use the Mobile trace system. Determined, she manages to put up with a brash Domon throughout the series enough so they accomplish their mission and fall in love, in a sense. However, things start to change between them when she learns the truth from Schwarz about her father's involvement in the Devil Gundam incident. After that, however, she decides to go back to Neo-Japan, and ends up kidnapped and forcefully placed in the cockpit of the Devil Gundam by her former boss, Major Ulube. Only by the joint efforts of Domon, the other Shuffle Alliance members and their crew, as well as Allenby, and many other Gundam Fighters, was she freed; mainly because of Domon finally admitting his love to her, which allowed Rain to break her self-imposed emotional barriers and control of the Devil Gundam over her body. She also piloted the Shining Gundam on two occasions and later piloted the Rising Gundam during the Battle Royale.

[edit] Production

[edit] Music

Openings
  1. "Flying in the Sky" by Yoshifumi Ushima
  2. "Trust You Forever" by Yoshifumi Ushima
Endings
  1. "Umi Yori Mo Fukaku [Deeper Than The Ocean]" by Etsuko Sai
  2. "Kimi No Naka No Eien [The Eternity in You]" by Inoue Takehide

[edit] International broadcast

G Gundam aired on Cartoon Network starting in August 2002; however, many of the Gundams' actual names were changed for different reasons. Three of them were changed for religious references, one for an alcohol reference, and the rest for unknown reasons.[citation needed]

Original names go first followed by English adaptation names.

The subtitled version on the R1 DVD release keeps the original names.

[edit] Design

Wiki letter w.svg
 Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (April 2008)

[edit] Influences

Like Imagawa's Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still, G Gundam is influenced by Hong Kong action cinema, specifically the new school of wuxia and the 1970s kung fu wave.[2]

In a series of interviews for the official Region 1 American DVDs, Imagawa explains that Tohofuhai martial arts (the style practiced by Domon Kasshu and his mentor Master Asia) is so successful because rather than sticking to one particular fighting style it is constantly evolving and accepts successful elements from any and all known fighting styles. This is similar to Jeet Kune Do, which is a martial art created by Bruce Lee.

[edit] Cameos

The final battle of G Gundam includes numerous cameo appearances by prominent mobile suits from previous Gundam series such as the original Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, Gundam 0083, Gundam F91, Victory Gundam and the manga Crossbone Gundam. In addition, this battle also featured appearances by Gundam Wing's XXXG-01W Wing Gundam (the first on-screen appearance of the Wing Gundam, as Gundam Wing did not air until after G Gundam was completed) and the title robots Daitarn 3 and Zambot 3. None of these machines played any significant role in the battle other than being destroyed (though RX-78-2, Daitarn 3, V2 and Gundam GP01fb can be seen during the aftermath of the battle), and were likely included as an inside joke to long-time fans of Gundam.

[edit] Media

[edit] Drama CD

The show's second soundtrack CD (titled Round 3, as Round 1 and Round 2 were released as a two-disc album) contains an audio drama. In this brand new story, Domon and the others attend the premiere of a Hong Kong action film based on their adventures. The story of both the film itself and the audio drama is mostly comedic in nature: Master Asia appears as an "anonymous movie-fanatic old geezer", and a running joke involves Sai's annoyance that the film had cast him as a female and given Rain his place as Neo-China's fighter. The drama segments are interspersed with the Cantonese songs that were used to define the show's second half, set in Neo-Hong Kong. A new one created for the album—a Cantonese version of the show's first opening theme "Flying in the Sky"—opens the fictional movie. Domon appears to enjoy the song.

[edit] Manga

A three volume manga was produced serialising the show, as authored by Koichi Tokita. TokyoPop published this in English, retaining the dub's edited names.

[edit] Appearances in other media

Characters from G Gundam appear in the video game Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. Domon Kasshu is initially playable, and completing his Original Mode story unlocks Master Asia. Rain Mikamura also appears as a support ship pilot. They reappear in Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 with Dark Gundam and Kyoji as some of many boss-like mobile weapons known as Mobile Armor. They are also main characters in various games in the Super Robot Wars series, where they team up with many other Gundams and mecha from other series and the series plots are intertwined; and in Super Hero Operations, another game made by Banpresto.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Oppliger, John (2007-10-12). "Ask John: Which Gundam Series Have Had the Most Impact on Anime?". AnimeNation. http://www.animenation.net/blog/2007/10/12/ask-john-which-gundam-series-have-had-the-most-impact-on-anime/. Retrieved 2007-10-26. 
  2. ^ Toole, Mike (October 16, 2003). "Mobile Fighter G-Gundam review". Anime Jump. http://www.animejump.com/index.php?module=prodreviews&func=showcontent&id=232. Retrieved 2008-01-01. 

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam		 Gundam metaseries (production order)
1994 – 1995		 Succeeded by
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
v • d • e
Gundam series
Series
Related
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