Mobile Suit Gundam 00 - <<Season 1>>

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

timeline from gundam official:

http://www.gundamofficial.com/worlds/uc/ba...d/timeline.html

In Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, dates are given according to the Universal Century, or U.C., calendar. This new calendar was introduced at the start of the Earth Federation's space colonization program.

U.C. 0001

With Earth's population at 9 billion, an ambitious space colonization program begins. The calendar is changed to the Universal Century era.

So they must have had some other caldendar system before they decided to colonise space due to overpopulation.

Maybe the name Gundam 00 sorta conjures up this idea that this is the equivalent to macross Zero which is a prequel to sdf:macross, which is where people make that link to UC?

Even if they made a prequel it wouldn't make much sense to have MS since the first ones were designed as plain worker suits for space weren't they? And that's where the military decides it can use these external suits for military applications. Zeon started this idea first, and then the feds build upon the concept and improve it with their secret gundam project using the new beam rifle weapon tech for better attack damage against Mobile Suits.

What they could of course do is say that the MS idea was actually started by the federation first (well whatever government decides it is a good idea to play with robots as weapons) in the AD years of the calendar, and at the time this tech was stolen or destroyed in some accident before the colonisation programs. Make the robots really primitive, slow, and clumsy before they are destroyed or the project is scrapped. (like the yf21/ghost in macross plus ) They wouldn't be called mobile suits, just powered suits or something. (with many competing designs which must prove the idea against real threats, but which also end up going out of control or too dangerous to be useful ie ED-209 style ) A UC prequel in the years just before space colonisation wouldn't be too bad.

Edited June 6, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[azrael]

Maybe the name Gundam 00 sorta conjures up this idea that this is the equivalent to macross Zero which is a prequel to sdf:macross, which is where people make that link to UC?

Even if they made a prequel it wouldn't make much sense to have MS since the first ones were designed as plain worker suits for space weren't they? And that's where the military decides it can use these external suits for military applications. Zeon started this idea first, and then the feds build upon the concept and improve it with their secret gundam project using the new beam rifle weapon tech for better attack damage against Mobile Suits.

I don't know about that prequel talk...Cuz the UC timeline is pronounced 00xx (double-O followed by the number). This series is pronouced Gundam 00 (double-O).

[ChrisG]

So they must have had some other caldendar system before they decided to colonise space due to overpopulation.

Maybe the name Gundam 00 sorta conjures up this idea that this is the equivalent to macross Zero which is a prequel to sdf:macross, which is where people make that link to UC?

Like I said, Gundam 00 has absolutely no relation to the UC universe. UC's previous calendar was AD - we just don't know when it switched to UC. As for a pre-colonization UC Gundam prequel, it would never happen. There wouldn't be any mobile suits, thus no merchandise to sell. It'd be like having a Macross show with no Valkyries.

[Panon]

Like I said, Gundam 00 has absolutely no relation to the UC universe. UC's previous calendar was AD - we just don't know when it switched to UC.

Same with FC, same with CE. This being AD calender based means nothing in regards to any of the other universes.

One (somewhat obvious I thought) implication of the "00" name would "first year of a new era"

[Keith]

While I doubt it will happen too, the fact remains that the option is still there for them to pull a "hah hah, we blew up all our mobile suits, went into space, and started the U.C. era right after this show" trick at the end. The name 00, until further defined, just seems too suspicious.

[Tinderfitles]

that wouldnt make sense being as the Zaku, the first mobile suit developed, wasnt made until 0078

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Yeah but they could call these older ones "power" suits or something different. Sort of like how you had "normal" suits before the mobile suits. So before the normal suit, you had big chunky power suits that were a cross between a normal and mobile suit. (ie like the power loader in aliens maybe?)

And they would be small robots to help build, repair, and construct ships like the labors in patlabor. So easy. They wouldn't be common though like the petit mobile suit. They would be an experimental idea like the brain wave controlled yf21 in macross plus. (which was changed around later in the form of vf22 as seen in macross 7) If macross got away with it, don't see why gundam couldn't..(not that it matters much to me, just interesting to think about )

Edited June 7, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[wolfx]

The mobiles suits are damaged by the end of the series and will be kept in stasis pods. Zeon gets them and creates the 1s Zaku from whatever they can piece together from the wreck.

DEUS EX MACHINA.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Nasty zeon always taking credit for being the first with everything. Have a scene of them actually burning files and destroying any evidence of the old types ever having come up with anything great, just so the zeon can make themselves feel smarter than the unevolved oldtypes. (zaku mobile suits have always looked more primitive to me than the gundam and gm ones to be honest. Proof that living on earth with gravity as nature intended makes you smarter.)

Edited June 7, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[ChrisG]

Yeah but they could call these older ones "power" suits or something different. Sort of like how you had "normal" suits before the mobile suits. So before the normal suit, you had big chunky power suits that were a cross between a normal and mobile suit. (ie like the power loader in aliens maybe?)

And they would be small robots to help build, repair, and construct ships like the labors in patlabor. So easy. They wouldn't be common though like the petit mobile suit. They would be an experimental idea like the brain wave controlled yf21 in macross plus. (which was changed around later in the form of vf22 as seen in macross 7) If macross got away with it, don't see why gundam couldn't..(not that it matters much to me, just interesting to think about )

Man, talk about downright outlandish. The details about the early development of UC mobile suits have been in place for decades. Aside from not being at all plausible, what point would it serve to make 00 a prequel and work it like this? These are AD mobile suits, with their own magical equivalent to the Minovsky particle. By the way, a "normal suit" as GundamOfficial describes, is just the same spacesuit that astronauts wear today, but renamed to avoid confusion with mobile suits. There's nothing mecha-like about it at all - it's not a power suit or mobile worker.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Yeah I know but the idea of being inside a suit for hostile environment where the human needs to be in a vehicular robot for protection (and using manipulators to grab stuff) is how they could sell it.

In patlabor, they are called labors. In macross they are called battroids/destroids. In gundam they are mobile suits (derived from the robots used for construction of space colonies before they were thought of for military use - like the power loader in aliens) so really does it freakin matter what the name is they use?

Before we had cars we used horses. One is just more high tech. A more primitive MS for a prequel wouldn't be out of the question any more than vf-0 would be for macross. I'm not saying it should be done or anything, just pointing out that it wouldn't be "impossible" to make a prequel or for it to go down that path if one day bandai decides they would do it. Whether it would suck or not or be pointless is another topic though. If turn A can bring back ancient robots (which were modern during thier time in UC calendar) why couldn't a psuedo prequel just chuck in early types of robots that are mobile-suit-like, and just call them something different? (like how people once used "ships" to sail the seas to find new lands to settle, and now -in science fiction - use "space ships" to float around in the far reaches of space to explore? Same thing, different age.)

Bikes take the place of the horse

cars take the place of horse and carriage

spaceships take the place of seaships

....

so mobile suit takes the place of "experimental powered armor" (like iron man)

the former all serve the same basic purpose as the latter despite being newer or more advanced. Just as guns and tanks replace the sword and shield for fighting with. The weapons themselves are not new, just the technology.

Yes the normal suit is just a space suit, but there are also robots that paint the srufaces and clean the sides of ships. (I remember seeing something like this in UC) As if that kinda stuff is so impossible in the AD era...

I mean having a robot vending machine or a robot worker is not so high tech anymore that people who lived before the UC calendar would marvel at and go "WOW never seen a robot in my life before". You don't have to depict AD earth life as so primitive that they have virtually no computers or ideas of there own enough to create cheaper, less sophisticated version of robots. It's just the "idea" of using the robots for war that was new, not robots themselves. Having zeon mass produce the first mobile suit is not the same as saying zeon were the only ones who made military robots. The idea could have been floating around in people's heads long before the technology was advanced enough to be worth building. (like how in macross zero the vf-0 uses up too much fuel and makes fighting a waste of energy unless technology is in place to make it worth putting together so the fighter can stay in the air long enough to actually do anything)

I would imagine that in a theoretical prequel they could just have human nerdy hobbyists exploring the idea of using robotic workers which are fully automated and do the mundane tasks in place of human workers to be a nice start for the first humanoid robot. Then over time people complain that it's not safe or that we can't trust the robots themselves to do a safe job, (like the ghost drones being too dangerous to tell friend from foe in macross plus or the brain wave controls being too unsafe for the pilot) and then the idea pops up from some scientists of a robot exo-suit for people to use as a compromise to keep this idea alive.. using robot bodies to increase work output but keeping the human in control... and the rest is history. (just copy what patlabor did but present it in a way that says this is brand new emerging tech that might be used for the future as opposed to making it commonplace like the petit suits in UC) Now the protesters don't have any excuse to say robotic workers are unsafe since the people who control the suit take the responsibility for the job. But then the paranoid ones in the extremist groups decide to destroy these suits anyway because they don't like them, and that can explain how these never took off: due to scares of its safety or some other BS reason they can come up with to convince the watcher that exosuits existed back in AD times in some form, just not designed to be mass produced for the purpose of fighting in war at that stage since it was just an early experiment. A few get made in limited quantity, some sold on the blackmarket and modified, and people really don't like the idea of them due to limitations and dangers. (and it is not revisited until humanity decides it needs to get off the overpopulated earth, but never again reffered to as exosuits)

The prequel might explore the theme of the danger of the misuse of the exosuit and maybe have terrorist attacks (appleseed?) using these which pose a unique threat where they can act as a form of new body armor making some weapons ineffecitve against criminals that use them. Who cares about going into space with it, when there could be more obvious advantages to them. (ie the increased strength, the hobbyists feeling of power to be inside one, ability to explore with it etc)

Edited June 7, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Black Valkyrie]

One of the four Gundams is (I dare to say it) a transformer.

[azrael]

One of the four Gundams is (I dare to say it) a transformer.

We call them mobile armor....

[promethuem5]

Starscream?

[Graham]

Not trying to bash this too much based on the limited amount of information available so far.

But looking at this pic from MAHQ of the Gundam Excrecia, it definitely looks like it's gonna be another style over substance show aimed at a younger audience.

Graham

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Can't see it properly because it is at a wierd angle. Like they want to distort the image to show perspective or something.

[kalvasflam]

Starscream?

no you idiot... that's Thundercracker... recolored of course.

[kung flu]

These alternete gundam shows are getting way out of hand, the reason i think the original was good was because it had only one gundam that became a symbol for the federation and also the factions were more believable. Judging by this new show and other AU shows it seems several gundams appear just for the sake of it. As for the factions, they are either top secret or in this case mysterious, which sounds like international rescue, thunderbirds.

[azrael]

These alternete gundam shows are getting way out of hand,

You're kinda late to say that....

Simply put, marketing a robot show to 40+ year olds (i.e. the UC fans) is quite hard. This is why they've gone to novels like Gundam Unicorn. As good as the UC-continuity maybe, the fan base for it is not the same age it was 30 years ago. You can't market a cartoon to 40 or 50-somethings. And the kids these days aren't gonna watch a 30-year old show.

Translation from Gunota (Link)

As fossil fuels became exhausted, humanity found a new energy source to change their situation: A large-scale solar power system with three enormous orbiting elevators. However, only a few large countries and their allies reaped the benefits.

Three superpowers had ownership of the three orbiting elevators: The Union, based in the United States Of America, The People's Reform League, made up of China, Russia, and India, and Europe's AEU. The superpowers continue playing a large zero-sum game for their own dignity and respective prosperity. Even though it is the 24th century, humanity has yet to become one.

In this world where war has no end, a private militia appears advocating the eradication of war through force. Each possessing a mobile suit Gundam, they are Celestial Being. The armed intervention by the Gundams against all acts of war begins."

Interesting that we see Europe in the fold of this.

[kensei]

Wait, let me guess...one of the eps involves crashing the solar power system into the earth?

Edited June 10, 2007 by kensei

[Fort Max]

Behold the new face of Gundam, and also my desktop, Excia!

I really like it, the side vents in particular remind of Ex-S and it's about time that Bandai started animating more detailed designs.

Edit: Gunota posted an English article on the new series with a comment or two from the new director (whose name I can't remember long enough to spell),

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/...609TDY21006.htm

12th 'Gundam' to start in autumn

Makoto Fukuda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

Kido Senshi Gundam 00 (pronounced "double O") or "Mobile Suit Gundam 00," the 12th animated TV series to feature the popular robots designed by manga artist Yun Koga, will start in October on the TBS network.

Kido Senshi Gundam 00, scheduled to air on Saturdays from 6 p.m., is the latest series to be spun off from the original Kido Senshi Gundam, also known as "First Gundam," which aired from April 1979 to January 1980.

Unlike conventional anime programs for children, the original series did not take place in a black-and-white world of clear right and wrong. Instead, it described complicated human relationships among the characters.

Also, the original series' exciting robot fighting scenes won the hearts of children and adult anime fans alike, greatly affecting on the nation's popular culture.

The first and succeeding Gundam series had a huge impact on the toy industry, too, as plastic models of the robot characters, often called "Gampura" (abbreviating the words for "Gundam" and "plastic"), reportedly sold 370 million units.

The story of Gundam 00 will take place in 2307 of our modern Western calendar system--which is different from the fictional calendar systems adopted in the old Gundam series--when people are utilizing the sun as a new energy resource. The world is divided into two major powers that are struggling against each other for hegemony, as was the case in the real world in the late 20th century.

The main characters of Gundam 00 are four young people, called Gundam Meister, who operate Gundam robots. The young people are members of a militia called Solestal Being that aims to step into the fray between the two major powers with their powerful robots, hoping to end the wars and achieve world peace.

It is the first time for director Seiji Mizushima to work on a Gundam series, but he is already renowned for his many hit anime programs, including Hagane no Renkinjutsushi (Fullmetal Alchemist), which also aired in the United States on the Cartoon Network channel.

Explaining why Mizushima was appointed, producer Hiroomi Iketani of Sunrise, the series' anime studio, says: "Mizushima is very good at making dramas and building characters. So I wanted him to create a completely new Gundam with a fresh view of that anime world."

Mizushima is excited about working on the project because it is possible to "deal squarely with an important theme--war--in a Gundam series."

"I decided to use the Western calendar system [in the story] as I believed it would help create a more realistic world," he said. "In the series, I want to describe the personal relationships among the characters and their relations with the outside world."

The production staff include scriptwriter Yosuke Kuroda, known for his works Hachimitsu to Clover and Ookiku Furikabutte, and mechanical designers Kanetake Ebigawa and Takayuki Yanase. Ebigawa was on the production staff for Full Metal Panic!, and Yanase has designed characters for Tera e (Toward Terra, Saturdays, 6 p.m., TBS network).

Offering a message to viewers who will watch the show, Mizushima said, "I'll be happy if they get interested in the issues to be featured in the story."

More information about the new series will appear on its official Web site, www.gundam00.net, as updates.

(Jun. 9, 2007)

Edited June 10, 2007 by Fort Max

[Black Valkyrie]

Excia`s design is appealing to me and better than the ones from seed. C`mon on Bandai Metal Material/GQ Gundam Excia.

[Black Valkyrie]

We call them mobile armor....

Thanks for reminding me, I forgot about it.

[kung flu]

You're kinda late to say that....

Simply put, marketing a robot show to 40+ year olds (i.e. the UC fans) is quite hard. This is why they've gone to novels like Gundam Unicorn. As good as the UC-continuity maybe, the fan base for it is not the same age it was 30 years ago. You can't market a cartoon to 40 or 50-somethings. And the kids these days aren't gonna watch a 30-year old show.

Good to know I am still younger than that age group . Still even if its not aimed at the old fans, they still created alot of new fans from gundam seed and most have not grown up yet. So it seems Gundam is changing way to fast.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

They need to have aliens in gundam in order to have world peace. That is how the people in macross came together before the zentradi arrival. No need for children running around blowing up both sides and killing people then.

[Morpheus]

So whats the superhuman power in this universe? Newtype? Seed Mode? Panty mode?

And I also want to see some grunt with real fighting capability like the uber grunt in SRW:OG.

I'll decide whether this show is worthy or not after i see the female captain for this series........

[Ginrai]

I am clearly going to be calling this Double Oh Nothing.

[azrael]

I'll just link this since it's too much to list.

Gunota translation

Original article w/ pics

I'm liking the designs for Exia (Strike), Dynames (Buster), and Kyrios (Aegis)...Virtue feels like The O. Virtue's pilot....someone wanna check that translation and make sure it refers to a "he" and not a "she".

[Fort Max]

Damn, just beaten to the punch. Too much time spent looking at the pics.

I like the designs, chests are weird and decidedly not Gundam in their appearence which is what we all wanted to see anyway. The weapons and stuff looks like it's come from armoured core and is not the flashy stuff we've been getting from CE.

Also like the nice mix of ages/nationalities in there.

Oh and the second guy has the best name ever!

Also, GN-004 is absent from the line up, must be a plot point for later on.

[Black Valkyrie]

Excia (cool head design, in some way it reminds me of Turn A) and Kyrios (Gundam Legioss) they are the ones I like. Regarding the last character its a he.

[F-ZeroOne]

Excia (cool head design, in some way it reminds me of Turn A)

It actually reminds me more of a Gundam Sentinel FA-ZZ Gundam personally. There is a slight roundess to the skull thats vaguely similar to the Turn-A, but personally I feel theres much more of a "normal" Gundam there than there is of a Turn-A.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I like the look of this more than seed. I wonder if it can top seed in story though? No more filler eps like S:Destiny please.

[Morpheus]

Some info about the new Gundam from Gunota.

Also revealed: The Union seems to encompass both North and South America plus Japan while the AEU is also in control of Africa.

GN-001 Gundam Exia

Head height: 18.3m

Base weight: 57.2 tons

Screen details: "Because of the GN particles eminating from the GN Drive within the unit, it has astounding mobility and near infinite energy. Compared to currently-in-use MS, it introduces a great deal of high technology."

Addition info from Dengeki's write-up: "A close-combat, high-mobility MS equipped with 7 blades." "The GN particles eminated into the air cause radio wave interference and disrupt ordinary radar and communications."

Setsuna F. Seiei

16-years-old

Screen details: "Fated boy soldier born & raised in the war-torn Middle East's Kurdis Republic. A cool kid who hates getting close to others and keeps his feelings inside."

GN-002 Gundam Dynames

Head height: 18.2m

Base weight: 59.1 tons

Screen details: "Same as the other Gundams, equipped with a GN Drive. It's emphasis is gun warfare. Has many guns suitable for missions and a GN Sniper Rifle as standard equipment."

Addition info from Dengeki's write-up: "When it carries out precision shooting, the head transforms into Sniper Mode with a concealed camera eye appearing. During that time, a rifle-style controller is used."

Lockon Stratos

24-years-old

Screen details: "Decided to join Celestial Being after losing his parents because of terrorism. The eldest pilot and team leader."

GN-003 Gundam Kyrios

Head height: 18.9m

Base weight: 54.8 tons

Screen details: "Variable unit that can transform into a flight form. In its flight form, it has a rear arms container and can deal with every mission with versatility."

Addition info from Dengeki's write-up: "While it excels at hit-and-run attacks in its flight form, even in its MS form it has offensive capabilities to match other Gundams."

Allelujah Paptism

19-years-old

Screen details: "Spent his childhood as an orphan in the People's Reform League. Usually gentle and quiet."

GN-005 Gundam Virtue

Head height: 18.4m

Base weight: 66.7 tons

Screen details: "Heavily armed type and has powerful weapons such as the GN Bazooka and GN Cannon. It expands the GN Field, covering itself with a barrier and has considerably high defense."

Tieria Erde

?-years-old

Screen details: "A boy with a rare kind of beauty, his history, nationality, and origins all a mystery. Within his gentle tone, he can give a sense of cold intentions."

[Effect]

So they are all guys. Thought as much.

[Morpheus]

The Gundams and its pilot can be seen in this website:

http://www.famitsu.com/anime/news/2007/06/...,73434,0,0.html