Mobile Suit Gundam

[Temucano]

Which version is the canon?

Mobile Suit Gundam TV series

Mobile Suit Gundam Movie trilogy

Mobile Suit Gundam books (Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation)

[zeo-mare]

i am pretty sure the original manga which was produced into the Anime TV series is the most canon, it is a little more accurate the the tv series (which is missing some things). but i do consider the tv and movie series to be canon as well, the movies just seem like shorter retelling of the entire tv series. I am not sure about those books you have listed though(Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation).

[Myriad]

The movies are just compilations of the 0079 TV Show.

The novels are a different universe. I actually prefer the novels. Amuro was actually trained to use the Gundam. They are not just a boy finds a bot story.

[ArchVile]

I've always felt that the canon story was the events of the series with the mecha of the movies.

And the Novels, forget them, they aren't even close to being canon, very good stories though.

[azrael]

I believe the TV series and the Movies are the ones we use. Since most of the sequels are based off of the TV series/Movies, we use those.

[Skull Leader]

perhaps the books I was reading were different than the ones you speak of, but in the novels, didn't the White-Base team wind up joining Zeon towards the end?

[yellowlightman]

perhaps the books I was reading were different than the ones you speak of, but in the novels, didn't the White-Base team wind up joining Zeon towards the end?

I'm pretty sure they did, or at least Char managed to get his own Gundam. Goes to show why the books aren't canon, as they don't seem to work with the sequels.

I don't think Gundam stresses canon storylines as much as a series like Macross does. The original One Year War and the White Base story has been told in so many forms, it's almost irrelevant exactly which one is the right one.

[maxjenius81]

Among many other changes ranging from as you mentioned an alliance between White Base and not Zeon, but Char. Amuro also dies (killed by Sharia Bull), Sayla Mass and Amuro have a torrid love affair, he not only gets RX-78-2, but also -3 as -2 is destroyed by Kusco Al I believe. The books are an interesting look into Tomino's dream gundam, but arent too terribly well written in my opinion. They were translated in the US by Del Rey sometime ago before the big Gundam and Anime boom. There are also novelizations for Zeta, Chars Counter Attack (Hi Streamer) and Victory I believe.

I'm pretty sure they did, or at least Char managed to get his own Gundam. Goes to show why the books aren't canon, as they don't seem to work with the sequels.

I dont think Char ever got his own GUndam, at least not in the original novel triolgy. At the end he was piloting an MS-09R Char custom with the beam bazooka. If youre referring to the RX-78 CHar Custom from Girens Greed, I think that was just a cool concept mech that never shower up in any major work.

Edited November 29, 2004 by maxjenius81

[yellowlightman]

The books are an interesting look into Tomino's dream gundam, but arent too terribly well written in my opinion. They were translated in the US by Del Rey sometime ago before the big Gundam and Anime boom.

They were translated by Frederick Schodt, the dame guy who wrote the books Manga Manga! and Dreamland Japan. I think the translation came off as rather dry, which makes sense because Schodt isn't much of a prose writer, to my knowledge. Not to mention he'll be continually criticized for romanizing Char's name as the correct "Sha."

[maxjenius81]

Not to mention he'll be continually criticized for romanizing Char's name as the correct "Sha."

Meh back then I thikn that was a pretty good translation of his name. Like the old Jion translation of Zeon. Jion is more gramatically correct as is Sha from a strict kana to english standpoint. THough i do agree, Char looks cooler.

Edited November 29, 2004 by maxjenius81

[yellowlightman]

Not to mention he'll be continually criticized for romanizing Char's name as the correct "Sha."

Meh back then I thikn that was a pretty good translation of his name. Like the old Jion translation of Zeon. Jion is more gramatically correct as is Sha from a strict kana to english standpoint. THough i do agree, Char looks cooler.

Yeah, I agree that it is the right way to translate his name because that's how his name is actually pronounced in Japanese, just that fans gave Schodt crap over it because the accepted Japanese romanization of the name has always been Char.

[Keith]

It definately lies somewhere between the TV series & movie, though I prefer to lean more towards the movies.

Although, I'm a bit interested in finding out about this Amuro dying thing...did his events with Lala still play out?

Edited November 29, 2004 by Keith

[Panon]

Yeah, I agree that it is the right way to translate his name because that's how his name is actually pronounced in Japanese, just that fans gave Schodt crap over it because the accepted Japanese romanization of the name has always been Char.

I haven't actually got a copy yet, but I believe the latest reprinting of the novels has the names all revised to their official forms.

As for which part is canon, I believe that while the TV and movies are both canon in their own way, but the movies take precidence when the two conflict.

[Skippy438]

Easy way to determine who takes precedence ... In Char's CA, when they are retelling the story of Lala's death, are there G-Armors or Core Boosters? I'd find out myself but by copy is across the ocean right now.

[maxjenius81]

Theres core boosters

[Skull Leader]

It definately lies somewhere between the TV series & movie, though I prefer to lean more towards the movies.

Although, I'm a bit interested in finding out about this Amuro dying thing...did his events with Lala still play out?

Keith, I'm pretty sure the events dealing with Lala play out pretty similar to the way they did in the manga/TV series, I don't remember anything out of the ordinary, but it has been 10+ years since I've read them.

[Myriad]

Here are all the books together.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=books&n=507846

I have seen the compilation at book stores recently too.

Keith you should check out the book storyline.

[Jolly Rogers]

i am pretty sure the original manga which was produced into the Anime TV series is the most canon, it is a little more accurate the the tv series (which is missing some things). but i do consider the tv and movie series to be canon as well, the movies just seem like shorter retelling of the entire tv series. I am not sure about those books you have listed though(Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation).

Care to shed some light on which "original manga" you were referring to?

The novels were written by the original director, who had to change his story drastically due to toy sponsor issues (no depictions of sex, etc.) and the show being axed before it got the full run. He wrote the novels to present his story in an uncensored form.

The plotline regarding Lalah from the TV and movie was actually a Frankensteined version between the originally planned subplots involving the first NewType pilot, Kusko Al, and Lalah, who appeared after Kusko bought the farm.

Since Bandai released toys and model kits of Char's Gundam and the G3 Gundam, which first appeared in the novel and then later incorporated into games, you can say the novels are canon since Bandai shouldn't be releasing merchandise based on non-canonical designs.

Edited November 30, 2004 by Jolly Rogers

[maxjenius81]

Amuro dies right at the end of the war during the invasion of Side 3 which takes place after A Baoa Qu. He and Char are having a 'Newtype' moment (talking telepathecially) and Amuro finally understands Char and agrees to convince White Base to help him in his quest to assisinate the Zabis and end the war. However, before Char can tell everyone in his team, Sharia Bull shoots Amuro in the back. Amuro uses his Newtype death to tell everyone the score and Char leads the White Base into Side 3 where he helps Kishiria shoot Giren in the head (this did not happen at A Baoa Qu as in the movie/TV) after which he throughs her (she was in his Rick Dom's hand) into the ground, thus killing all Zabis and allowing the senate to sue for peace as i recall. Its been a while since ive read the books, so this might be a little hazy.

[Keith]

Interesting, though I think I like the way things played out in the TV series/movie better.

[Commander McBride]

If I remember correctly, it wasn't Chalia who killed Amuro, it was the third member of Char's squad, an otherwise unimportant character.

The flashbacks in the later series and movies all point to the MSG movie trilogy as the official canon.