Summary
The original Mobile Suit anime went on to have a lasting impact on the series and anime in general, setting a conceptual and thematic precedent for subsequent installments. “Gundam” has become a common term for any mech appearing in anime, but in the series, “Gundam” refers to a specific Mobile Suit that has special technology or structure. The original series, with its dark tone and exploration of the emotional toll of war on young pilots, remains one of the best in the franchise and is still well worth watching.
Although The Witch from Mercury created many breakthroughs for Gundam franchise, it still owes a debt to the original Mobile Suit Gunma anime. The original anime is one of the most iconic anime of all time, influencing later installments of the series and anime in general for decades. As a representation, the original Mobile Suit Gunma still holds its own.
Mobile Suit Gun first aired in Japan from 1979 to 1980. The first series released in the United States was essentially a sequel series to Gunma Wing. However, the success of Gundam Wing prompted the release of the original series in 2001. Later installments in the series were successful both in Japan and internationally. Many later entries continued to follow the conceptual and thematic precedents set in the original series. One of the clearest signs of the original’s influence is that “Gundam” has become an acronym for any machine. It is worth noting that in the series itself, the general term for mech is “Mobile Suit” and Gunma is a specific type of Mobile Suit with special technology or structure, although the definition can sometimes be unclear and unclear. arbitrarily.
The influence of Mobile Suit Gun continues to be felt in the Anime
Created by Nippon Sunrise
Gundam has never shied away from using dark tones or realistic depictions of the costs of war. This is established right from the opening narration of the first episode of the original series, with the explanation that Zeon’s war for independence against Earth killed half the population on both sides and photo of a space station being dropped into a city. Likewise, the series’ long-standing tradition of anime’s teenage pilots was established with the first season’s protagonist Amuro, along with the fact that the series has never abandoned through the inevitable psychological and emotional toll when young people are thrust into the driver’s seat of giant war machines. . As fun as the Robots are, anyone who thinks the main draw of the series is mindless mechanical action is missing the point.
The original series ran for 42 episodes – technically 43 episodes, but there was one episode that the series creator and director was unhappy with that was pulled from international releases. Naturally speaking, that’s long enough to flesh out the plot and characters without relying on filler details. Animation has clearly come a long way since 1979, but the art style still has that classic charm that so many old hand-drawn cartoons have, and the action scenes are still good enough. One of the most notable aspects of the series is Amuro’s main rival, Char Aznable, a character so iconic and influential that “Villain Who Looks Like Char” became the character archetype of the series. itself in a later series. He’s perhaps the most compelling character in the series, competent and capable enough to be a constant threat to the heroes and nuanced enough to at least make him endlessly sympathetic.
While newer entries in the series like Witch from Mercury continue to attract new fans and break new ground, each later entry continues to contain the thematic DNA of the original. Both because of its decades-long influence and because it continues to stand strong in its own right, the original Mobile SuitGundam continues to be one of the best entries in the franchise.
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