The Gundam franchise is Japan’s Star Wars: a huge media entity built on a space opera. Star Wars — later titled Star Wars: A New Hope — premiered in 1977. Mobile Suit Gundam first aired two years later, in 1979. Both appeal primarily to teen boys and have laser swords. Still, they’re different enough. So different that you might never have given mecha shows a proper look. That was me until recently. So then, why should you, at the dawn of 2024, give a bantha poop about Gundam’s many series and movies? Jump in, and let’s see.
The Fatal Flaw of the Mouse Monopoly
Yoshiyuki Tomino, creator of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, said that anime is experiencing a golden age that could sour if creators go the route of Disney. Tomino said Disney’s latest movies lacked heart and were “depressing” and “boring,” likely a result of their production goals. He also criticized their move from hand-drawn to digital animation.
Is anime, and the giant robot genre, safe from following Disney’s fall? Tomino said that Bandai Namco Filmworks, who produces the Gundam series, has already picked up a few of Disney’s bad habits. A few weeks ago, we saw a trailer for Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, a show that looks just like a PC game. I think CGI makes perfect sense for mecha, especially in this case, but how amazing might the show be with traditional cel animation for the human mecha pilots?
The hand-made aesthetic of the original Star Wars trilogy inspired me. But I don’t think we’ll ever see that roughness in the franchise again, especially under Disney’s banner. While writing this post, I came across Dragon’s Heaven, a mecha anime that features miniature shots in the opening minutes and a rough, hand-drawn animation next. Those are attainable production values young creatives can aspire to. While AI might bridge the gap between small and large companies in the future, the technology can’t create the art of imperfections. An artist takes a clean blank canvas and keeps marring it until they’ve formed their finished work. Take a close look, and you see the strokes. Each stroke is a perfect “mistake” that creates a thing of beauty. Polish it too much, and you get the weird botoxed bum of the uncanny valley.
When Science Fantasy Grows Up
Star Wars was science fantasy. Jedi were space wizards. The Force was magic. And Gamorreans were just orcs. Then along came Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace to explain the magic in a gruesome attempt to re-establish the franchise within science fiction. Midichlorians in your blood, they said, determined your connection to the Force. That was a gut punch to fans like me, fans who loved the mystery and fantasy of the setting. Explain the magic, and you destroy the magic.
Gundam shows stick to safer ground, remaining firmly within the science fiction realm. That appeals to our mechanically minded brains. If you’ve ever opened electronics to look inside, built a moving Lego creation, appreciated the roar of a jet engine, or tried to optimize any part of some machinery, you’ve got something inside that resonates with mecha, the big machines of war that give the series its name.
Disney seems bent on infantilizing Star Wars, with many series aimed at kids. Gundam media squared their shoulders and declared a stand for authenticity and maturity. Chibi mecha aside, this is a series for boys that men can return to. You’ll find fanservice if you look for it, but the mecha genre is broad enough to go beyond Tomino’s creation to find lovely lady bits on display. Thank you, Japan!
It’s a Vast Gundam Galaxy
Japan is obsessed with giant robots — it’s their marker for sci-fi — but the Gundam franchise is just the tip of the mecha iceberg. If you lean into cyberpunk, check out Ghost in the Shell or Appleseed Ex Machina. Want giant robots and samurai? Check out Samurai 7. More space drama? The Macross franchise. Want science fantasy? How about Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind or Gurren Lagann? Body horror mecha? Gleipnir! But I’m only scratching the surface. It’s a deep rabbit hole. The J-List Blog’s intrepid team regularly reports on new and exciting anime, so watch this space to keep your eyeballs busy.
My watching has come full circle. I remember loving Robotech as a kid. Something about jets becoming fighting robots spoke to me. Star Wars came later. There was more of it, so it was easier to consume. Now Robotech has my attention again, thanks to streaming services. The original anime that Robotech was stitched from, Macross, is accessible now, too. The AnimEigo Kickstarter for The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers, Again DVD blasted through its funding goals, so I can’t be the only one going back to it again.
Keep Your Droids, I’ll Take a Mecha Battle Suit
Of course, Gundam — and other mecha shows like Robotech — aren’t Star Wars. That’s what makes them special. And maybe we only need to get far, far away from the Star Wars galaxy.
Does Star Wars even have battle suits? Chicken walkers don’t count! And if you love battle suits, what about the amazing Megami Device Collaboration Busou Shinki Type Angel Arnval 1/1 Plastic Model? It even comes with lightsa… um… laser swords.
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