Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Mobile Fighter G Gundam
North American DVD cover of Mobile Fighter G Gundam volume 1
機動武闘伝Gガンダム (Kidō Butōden Jī Gandamu)
Genre	Mecha, Martial arts, Romance, Magical Boy
Anime television series
Directed by	Yasuhiro Imagawa
Written by	Fuyunori Gobu
Music by	Kohei Tanaka
Studio	Sunrise
Licensed by	Bandai Entertainment
Original network	TV Asahi
English network	Cartoon Network
Original run	April 1, 1994 – March 31, 1995
Episodes	49
Manga
Illustrated by	Kōichi Tokita
Published by	Kodansha
Magazine	Comic BonBon
Demographic	Children
Original run	April 1994 – April 1995
Volumes	3
Manga
Kidō Butōden G Gundam Gaiden: Shouryuu Densetsu
Illustrated by	Toshiya Murakami
Published by	Kodansha
Magazine	Deluxe BonBon
Demographic	Children
Volumes	1
Manga
Kidō Butōden Gaiden: Gundam Fight 7th
Illustrated by	Ototoi Kitarou
Published by	Kodansha
Magazine	Comic BonBon Special Edition
Demographic	Children
Published	1996
Volumes	1
Manga
Super Class! Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Written by	Yasuhiro Imagawa
Illustrated by	Kazuhiko Shimamoto
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Magazine	Gundam Ace
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	July 2010 – present
Volumes	4

Mobile Fighter G Gundam, known in Japan as Mobile Fighting Legend G Gundam (機動武闘伝Gガンダム, Kidō Butōden Jī Gandamu), 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, it is the first of the Gundam series to be 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 American Cartoon Network's Toonami block from August 5, 2002 to October 16 of the same year.

The show takes place in "Future Century", where Space Colonies have agreed that rather than having war to decide who controls everyone a fighting tournament is held every four years between the space colonies to decide the right to rule instead. Each country sends a representative Gundam Fighter to fight on Earth until one is left, and the winning nation of that Gundam 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: primarily characters gaining superhuman speed and strength through intense martial arts training and a focus on decisive personal duels as opposed to large scale military conflicts. Though most of its Gundams feature super robot elements, such as heroic designs and voice activated special attacks, other mecha still behave like real robots.

Design

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 and the old school Shounen Jump, like Ring ni Kakero

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.

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, and later the God Gundam (aka burning 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.

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), and the new King of Hearts and leader of the Shuffle Alliance. He spent ten years training in martial arts under Master Asia (the pilot of Master Gundam), alternately called Touho Fuhai (Undefeated of the East or Invincible East). Domon is on a mission to find his brother Kyoji, who has stolen the JDG-009X Devil Gundam, and to free their father Doctor Kasshu, who was placed in cryogenic suspension due to his involvement with the Devil Gundam. This is why Domon 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 on her, proven by the fact that the mere possibility of losing Rain makes him either go ballistic or become lost. His anger and rage released the super-mode of his Gundam, the Shining Gundam. With the help of his surrogate teacher Schwarz Bruder, he became a much better fighter, even learning to use inner peace and tranquility to unlock God Gundam's Ultimate Mode. At the end of the series, he hears the truth about both the Devil Gundam incident and why Master Asia sided with the JDG-009X Devil Gundam. He had trouble accepting it, but let it go when he finally heard Asia's side of the story.

Rain Mikamura

Domon's partner and childhood friend, who secretly and gradually falls in love with Domon. 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. If needed, she can even pilot a Gundam herself, being one of the few non-Gundam Fighters able to put on a fighting suit despite the pain the process brings to an untrained body, and manage to use the Mobile trace system. Rain has piloted the Shining Gundam on two occasions and later piloted the Rising Gundam during the Battle Royale to aid the other Gundam Fighters.

Determined and almost shockingly patient, 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. After that, 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 Domon finally admitted his love to her, which allowed Rain to break her self-imposed emotional barriers and control of the Devil Gundam over her body.

Media

Anime

G Gundam aired on Cartoon Network in August 2002.

Manga

A three volume manga was produced serializing the show, as illustrated by Kōichi Tokita. Tokyopop published this in English, retaining the dub's edited names.

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 about Sai Saici's annoyance that his film counterpart is the damsel in distress while Rain is 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.

Music

Openings

1. "Flying in the Sky" by Hitofumi Ushima (episodes 1-25)
2. "Trust You Forever" by Hitofumi Ushima (episodes 26-49)

Endings

1. "Umi Yori mo Fukaku" (海よりも深く, "Deeper Than The Ocean") by Etsuko Sai
2. "Kimi no Naka no Eien" (君の中の永遠, "The Eternity in You") by Takehide Inoue

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. Domon Kasshu, Rain Mikamura, Kyoji Kasshu, and Master Asia reappear in Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 along with The Dark Army. In addition, in the U.S. only PS2 game "Battle Assault 3 featuring Mobile Suit Gundam Seed", Domon Kasshu and Master Asia appear as playable characters piloting the Burning and Master Gundams respectively. They must be unlocked by first finding certain hidden missions and defeating them in the game's story mode.

See also

• List of Mobile Fighter G Gundam mobile suits

External links

• Official Websites: Anime, GundamOfficial
• Mobile Fighter G Gundam (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Animerica review
• Mount and Blade Mod