If you’re a Gundam fan, there’s one sound effect you’ll remember from the long-running anime series above all others. A user on Twitter happened to discover the obscure musical source of that oh-so-memorable sound in a recent viral tweet.
https://twitter.com/Sonya_Sharashka/status/1133288197989920768
“The Newtype sound effect seems to be coming from this unique instrument called a flexatone. I want it… I really want it! I too want this instrument!”
Sound familiar? Fans of the iconic mecha series Gundam are sure to recognize it. In the long-running anime franchise, there are characters called Newtypes who are an advanced evolution of the human race. They have the ability to trigger their advanced senses and anticipate incoming attacks using a skill known as Newtype Flash. Whenever this gets activated, it’s always accompanied by that same, bizarre flexatone twang.
That audio might ring a bell for fans of another classic anime series. Dragon Ball Z, the hot-blooded action series that’s been a part of almost everyone’s childhoods, dropped the flexatone sound effect in every now and then. Much like the Newtypes of Gundam, Saiyan warriors in Dragon Ball Z have keen senses and combat abilities that allow them to sense incoming attacks or daunting nearby power levels. When they sene these things, their eyes widen and that same Newtype sound starts to play.
So, what came first? The Gundam chicken or the Dragon Ball Z egg? The very first Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam, was released by Sunrise back in April of 1979. Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball Z, meanwhile, didn’t come out until April of 1989. So Vegeta’s Newtype senses could be a fun homage to the original Gundam anime, but it could also be a big coincidence. There are many sound effects out there that see frequent use, like a certain popular scream. If Sunrise and Toei bought the same sound effects, they could easily have used the same ones!
It’s not impossible, given how prevalent the flexatone is in other media. If you listen closely, you can hear it in a few iconic songs. Listen closely at the 26-second mark, and you’ll hear a Newtype appear in Super Freak by Rick James. Did Rick James just launch a counterattack at Amuro Ray? Maybe Char Aznable was on bass guitar for this song.
Want another example? C.J. from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas might just be a Saiyan, if the flexatone sound at the 10-second mark of the game’s theme song is any indication.
This isn’t a brand new discovery, but it’s always fun to see fans of these series stumble upon the weird and unexpected origins of some of their favorite anime sounds. There’s a remarkable history of this simple sound being used over the years in countless projects and products. So whether you’re a fan of anime, music, or video games, the flexatone holds a small but special place in all of our hearts.
