| I want to start watching the Gundam series, but am not sure where to start. There's a lot of them, how would watch them? |
| Universal Century: Gundam 0079 -> Gundam 08th MS Team -> Gundam 0080 -> Gundam 0083 -> Zeta Gundam -> ZZ Gundam -> Char's Counterattack -> Gundam Unicorn If you want to follow the events chronologically. |
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| 0079 > Zeta Gundam > ZZ Gundam > Char's Counterattack > Gundam Unicorn That's the core Universal Century stuff and I'd recommend watching in that order. The side OVAs like 08th MS Team, 0080 and 0083 can be watched at any point after 0079, excluding 0083 which I'd only recommend after finishing Zeta. Alternative Universe (G Gundam, Wing, Seed, 00, etc) and late Universal Century suff (F91, Victory, G-Reco) can be watched at any point but I think it's best to get through the core UC stuff before branching out. |
| Unless you're particularly stringent with your viewing orders, or comfortable with pre-90's anime, there is no compelling reason to bind yourself to a Universal Century viewing order as mentioned by the others here. For most people it's far easier to start with a (relatively) standalone entry: Gundam Wing, a popular hit in the 90s in both Japan and the West with a focus on a smaller cast of powerful heroes/Gundams. It may feel dated for contemporary anime viewers. Gundam SEED - another of the big Gundams popularity-wise. It rounds out to quite a length of 100 episodes if you count in the direct sequel, SEED Destiny. Moreso than Wing, this one harkens back to the original story formula of the early Gundams. Gundam 00 - Trading full-on war for smaller-scale action, 00 is probably the other most watched Gundam of the last decade. Gundam IBO - the latest TV Gundam, its second season is due to air later this year. Regardless, where you should start with Gundam should depend on your own interests and motives behind getting into the franchise. |
| Moved from Anime Discussion |
| If you came for super robots and an initiatory travel-type story like the shônen nekketsu genre, look at Mobile Fighter G Gundam or MSG Build Fighters. If you came for super robots and pretty boys, look at Gundam Wing or 00. (mindless action and characters, both series privilege metal/beam clashes over characters and story). If you came for war drama and politics (and characters) or relatively less exaggerated robots aka real robots, look at the UC (see last paragraph). The 0079 movie trilogy could be easier to watch than its series, it removes a lot (sometimes too much) like some stupid weapons or robot fight of the day and modifies the events order. (the original story's characters past is currently expanded in OAVs). If you came for super robots and war drama, look at Mobile Suit Gundam Seed. It starts off as some sort of actualization of the original series and its sequel. If you are the type to reject "wheeny characters" like Evangelion's Shinji Ikari, just be aware that he is the original Gundam (1979) hero's spiritual son (only with bonus depression). The Seed main pilot also spawned out of him. If you need detailed romances, effective love stories or can't stand sudden love, do yourself a favour and don't watch anything in the franchise. The Universal Century or U.C. timeline is made of a main story followed by late disconnected events: Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) → MSG 0083 → MS Zeta Gundam → MSG Double Zeta → MSG:Char's counterattack (movie, stupid spoiler title) → MSG Unicorn (OAVs or 0096, the TV recut) → ... The 79 MSG has three animated spin-offs (side-stories of the war who is told in the series): "MSG The 8th MS team" parallel to the middle to end of the series (don't remember exactly) "MSG Thunderbolt" parallel to the end of the series (incomplete adaptation of a currently published manga) "MSG 0080:War in the pocket" parallel to last episodes It also has a "recent" manga retelling, The Origin, who could be considered as the most enhanced version. It alters some ages and the chronology, cuts out useless stuff like the movie trilogy better while retaining a bit more, and shows us the past of several iconic characters and the road who lead to the war. The "past" stories are currently being animated as OAVs: MSG The Origin. (if you watch them, better do it after the main story or in the middle of it because it spoils early revelations) ... → MSG Formula-91 → MSG Victory → G-savior (live action movie) → ... 500 years gap... → Turn-A Gundam → ...500 years gap... → Gundam:Reconguista in G. (MAL website has an error on the last chain) |
Rei_IIIJun 27, 2016 11:57 PM
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