MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC (UNICORN)
New 6 Part Original Video Animation Released Worldwide this Month Author: Andrew Nguyen Official Site: gundam-unicorn.net (Japanese), gundam-unicorn.net/en (English) Special Thanks to Erik Jansen (MediaLab) and Evelyn Dubocq (VIZ Media) MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC (UNICORN ) (Kidoo Senshi Gandamu Yunikon, 2010) is the latest chapter in the long-running MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM metaseries. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and produced by the Japanese animation studio Sunrise, GUNDAM, which began in April 1979, is one of the premier mecha anime shows in Japan. GUNDAM was one of the first shows that used giant robots (called mobile suits) as actual military weapons. It has spawned numerous sequels and merchandise, particularly in the form of plastic model kits from Bandai of the numerous mobile suits that appear in the metaseries. Furthermore, as the launch pad for the Real Robot genre boom of the 1980s it served as the influence for following shows such as SUPER DIMENSIONAL FORTRESS MACROSS (better known as the first 3rd of ROBOTECH in the US) and PATLABOR. Throughout the production history of the metaseries, many of Japan’s well known figures in animation have participated in the production of one or more of the different Gundam series. In Gundam’s first decade (the 1980s) all of the shows took place in what is known as the Universal Century (UC) timeline. While Sunrise continued to produce Gundam shows that took place in the UC timeline during the 1990s, it also produced shows that took place in completely alternate settings, known as alternate universes (AU). This included TURN A GUNDAM (T?n ? Gandamu, 1999) which Sunrise made on the 20th anniversary of the first series. Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, TURN A GUNDAM tried to unify all of the Gundam shows up to that point. The most recent Gundam TV series is MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 (Kid? Senshi Gandamu 00, 2007), which takes place in the future of the Anno Domini timeline. Many people often refer to it as Japan’s version of STAR TREK, particularly as the first Gundam series, titled MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, underwent the same process that the first STAR TREK did in becoming popular. Both shows did not do well in their initial broadcasts and therefore suffered cancellation, became very popular in reruns and then earned glory with the release of movies related to the two different shows. In the midst of the 30th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam, Sunrise began several projects to celebrate the occasion. In June 2009, Sunrise announced that it would produce a six-episode original video animation (OVA) of the novel series Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. Written by Harutoshi Fukui, the author of books such as Aegis (Bokoku no Aegis) and Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean (Shusen no Lorelei), the novel series consisted of ten novels which the Japanese publishing company Kadokawa Shoten released over a three year period from December, 2006 to June, 2009. The story of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC (UNICORN) begins at the introduction of the Universal Century, known as UC 0001. In what should have been a momentous occasion as humanity truly began to colonize the stars turns into tragedy when an act of terrorism destroys the ceremony. It then jumps to UC 0096, which is three years after the titanic events of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: CHAR’S COUNTERATTACK (Kid? Senshi Gandamu: Gyakush? no Sh?, 1988). In the aftermath of those events, a low level war has continued between the Earth Federation and the remnants of Neo Zeon. However the Neo Zeon remnants, who call themselves Sleeves, may have discovered rumors of dark secrets that tie to the beginning of the Universal Century. They have also learned that an object called the Laplace’s Box contains those secrets. They have arranged a meeting with the Vist Foundation, an organization that a very important player within the Earth Federation as well as the keeper of the Laplace’s Box. However, the Earth Federation has discovered that the meeting location is at a colony called Industrial 7, and sends their elite Londo Bell unit to stop it. Their main fear is that those secrets would almost completely discredit the Earth Federation if they became common knowledge. Also some fear that the opening of the Laplace’s Box will eventually lead to another horrific war. The colony is also the home of a young technical student by the name of Banagher Links who is attending college there. When Earth Federation Forces clash with the Neo-Zeon remnants in and around the colony, he becomes involved in these events as he rescues a mysterious girl named Audrey Burne and learns about the secret links that he has to the Vist Foundation and its treasures. These include a brand new mobile suit called the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam to which the Vist Foundation’s leader, and Banagher’s father, entrusts to Banagher with his dying breath. The first episode of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC premiered February 20, 2010 on PlayStation Network Japan followed by a Blu-Ray release in Japan and the US from Bandai on March 12th. Also Sunrise has shown previews of the first seven minutes of the first episode in both Japanese and English languages. The US will also have a theatrical premiere of the first episode in San Francisco by VIZ Cinema, running March 19th-25th. Sunrise plans to release the next episode of this series in the fall. Sunrise will also release DVDs of the OVA in both the Japanese and English language but for now, the DVD release will only occur in Japan as there has been no word of a release date of the DVDs here in the US.
The ever-popular Gundam return in the new 6 part series MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC (UNICORN). Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2010 Sotsu, Sunrise
VIZ Cinema promo art for MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC. The anime will have a theatrical run in San Francisco starting March 19th. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2010 Sotsu, Sunrise
Suberoa Zinnerman and two of his Neo Zeon subordinates attend a meeting with the chairman of the Vist Foundation. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2010 Sotsu, Sunrise
Mysterious beauty Audrey Burne and student Banagher Links find themselves caught up in a potential interplanetary conflict. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2010 Sotsu, Sunrise
Pilot Banagher Links activates the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam for the first time. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2010 Sotsu, Sunrise
Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2010 Sotsu, Sunrise