Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
File:Gundamzz.jpg Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ title screen
Genre	Military science fiction
Anime
Directed by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Studio	Nippon Sunrise MGM/UA Television Production
Released	March 1, 1986 – March 31, 1987

The anime TV series Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ or Mobile Suit Gundam Double Zeta (機動戦士ガンダムZZ, Kidō Senshi Gandamu Daburu Zēta) aired on Japanese TV from 1986–1987, was the third Gundam series, and a direct follow up to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino returned to lead the series, and he assembled a new team consisting of character designer Hiroyuki Kitazume, who had been one of Zeta Gundam's animation directors, and mechanical designers Makoto Kobayashi, Yutaka Izubuchi and Mika Akitaka. The series was later aired by the anime satellite television network, Animax, across Japan and later its respective networks worldwide, including Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, South Asia, Latin America and other regions, but is one of the few Gundam series which has never been brought to the United States.

Overview

Gundam ZZ was originally conceived of as a second season of Zeta Gundam, but it was ultimately decided that the show should feature an all-new cast. Tomino originally wanted to make Char the main character before receiving the "okay" on Char's Counterattack. Nevertheless, its broadcast immediately followed that of Zeta Gundam and manages to tie up a major plotline from Zeta that was left unfinished.

As part of Tomino's tendencies to follow up a tragedy with a comedy, this nominal sequel to Zeta Gundam struck a much lighter, often comical, tone, in contrast to its predecessor's brooding melodrama. For example, in the first episode, Captain Bright is reduced to defending the Argama from thrown oranges. Judau Ashta's first battle clearly lampoons the previous Gundam pilot's instant piloting ability by having Judau be incredibly poor at combat in his first battle, however his opponent is still quite afraid of him. The whimsical opening theme song Anime Ja Nai (It's Not Anime) reflected the campiness of the first half of the series. The second half of the series does return to a more serious tone while sporting a more somber opening theme song.

Because of its lighter tone and its slapstick humour, the series suffers a poor reputation among the serious-minded ranks of Gundam fandom, some of which even accuse Tomino of deliberately trying to sabotage the Gundam franchise. Despite this, it scored high ratings with the younger, more casual audiences, and the show's first opening theme Anime Ja Nai became extremely popular with anime fans and is sometimes mentioned as one of the most memorable anime songs of all time.

Story

As the continuation of Zeta Gundam, this series once again follows the story of the Anti Earth Union Group (AEUG) battleship Argama after Zeta's final episode. To fight off the Axis Zeon, now called the Neo Zeon, Captain Bright Noa recruits a group of teenage junk collectors led by the loudmouthed but powerful Newtype Judau Ashta to pilot the Argama's mobile suits. Now sporting a line up of the behemoth MSZ-010 Double Zeta Gundam and the returning MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, RX-178 Gundam Mk-II and Gundam-like MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki, the group is nicknamed the Gundam Team. As such, this became the first of a number of Gundam series where a team of Gundam mobile suits fight alongside each other regularly. The climax takes place at Side 3 in the Battle of Axis.

Out of the major Zeta Gundam characters, only recurring captain Bright Noa and Axis leader Haman Karn make more than cameo appearances in ZZ; Char Aznable's planned appearance was canceled when Tomino was given the go-ahead to do the Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack movie. Yoshiyuki Tomino's original plan for the show which involved Char's return was neither revealed though Glemy's sudden change in motivation seems to give a hint that he fills in for him at the end, nor does Tomino himself remember it and aside from the openings, Amuro Ray does not make an appearance in the series either. The alternate ending presented in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation is not considered canon, and has no retroactive effect on continuity.

Openings and Endings

Openings:

• Anime Ja Nai (It's Not Anime) by Masato Arai (eps 1-25)
• Silent Voice by Jun Hiroe (eps 26-47)

Endings:

• Jidai ga Naiteiru (The Era is Crying) by Masato Arai (eps 1-25)
• Issenman-Nen Ginga (Ten Million Years Galaxy) by Jun Hiroe (eps 26-47)

Voice Actors

File:0088 Gundam ZZ Crew.jpg

The main characters in Double Zeta, from left to right, top: Beecha Oleg, Mondo Agake, Elpeo Puru, Roux Louka, Leina Ashta, Elle Vianno and Ino Abbav, bottom: Judau Ashta. Background: MSZ-010 Double Zeta Gundam (left) and MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam.

• Kazuki Yao as Judau Ashta
• Tsutomu Kashiwakura as Glemy Toto
• Yoshiko Sakakibara as Haman Karn
• Chieko Honda as Elpeo Puru, Puru Two
• Eriko Hara as Elle Vianno
• Hazuki Monma as Chara Soon
• Hirotaka Suzuoki as Bright Noa
• Kenyuu Horiuchi as Mashymre Cello
• Kôzô Shioya as Mondo Agake
• Masami Kikuchi as Ino Abbav
• Maya Okamoto as Leina Ashta
• Miki Itou as Mineva Lao Zabi
• Naoko Matsui as Roux Louka
• Shingo Hiromori as Beecha Oleg
• Bin Shimada as Nie Gihren, Niki
• Chika Sakamoto as Shinta
• Fumihiko Tachiki as Panpa Rida
• Hideyuki Umezu as Nelmarsen
• Hiroyuki Shibamoto(Kenta Abe) as Creyue Oye, Torres
• Houchu Ohtsuka as Yazan Gable
• Jun'ichi Kanemaru as Chimatter
• Kayoko Fujii as Emary Ounce
• Kazuyo Aoki as Anma
• Kenichi Ogata as Dido Kaltoha
• Kenichi Ono as Ein
• Kouji Totani as August Gidan, Gottn Goh
• Masako Irie as Anna Hanna
• Mayumi Shou as Haro, Qum
• Minoru Inaba as Dune, Magany
• Miyuki Matsuoka as Fa Yuiry
• Nobuo Tobita as Kamille Bidan

External links

• Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ ({{{type}}}) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia