Kidou Senshi Gundam


Mobile Suit Gundam

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: First Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam: 0079, MSG
Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダム
English: Mobile Suit Gundam
More titles

Information

Type: TV
Episodes: 43
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 7, 1979 to Jan 26, 1980
Premiered: Spring 1979
Broadcast: Saturdays at 17:30 (JST)
Studios: Sunrise
Source: Original
Genres: ActionAction, DramaDrama, Sci-FiSci-Fi
Themes: MechaMecha, MilitaryMilitary, SpaceSpace
Duration: 24 min. per ep.
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 7.761 (scored by 6537565,375 users)
1 indicates a weighted score.
Ranked: #11562
2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #1724
Members: 144,765
Favorites: 2,470

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7.76
Ranked #1156Popularity #1724Members 144,765
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Episodes: /43

Synopsis

It is year 0079 of the Universal Century. Mankind has moved to space, living in colony clusters known as "Sides." One of these Sides declares itself the "Principality of Zeon" and declares war on the Earth Federation, the governmental body currently ruling Earth. Using powerful humanoid robots known as "mobile suits," Zeon quickly gains the upper hand.

Nine months into the conflict, the Earth Federation has developed its own powerful mobile suit called the Gundam. When Zeon launches an attack on the colony holding the Gundam, a 15-year-old civilian named Amuro Ray suddenly finds himself thrown into a conflict that will take him all across Earth and space, pitting him against the enemy's ace pilot, Char Aznable.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Background

Kidou Senshi Gundam was not popular when it first aired, and came close to being cancelled. The series was originally set to run for 52 episodes but was cut down to 39 by the show's sponsors, but the staff was able to negotiate an extension to end the series with 43 episodes. When Bandai bought the copyrights to build plastic models for the show's mecha things changed and the show became popular.

It revolutionized the genre by portraying mecha as piloted military weaponry with real-world scientific basis instead of superheroes' giant robots. Often referred to as the 'real robot' genre, it became the norm for mecha anime in the following years after its release.

The series was the first winner of the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize, in 1979 and the first half of 1980.

Characters & Voice Actors

Aznable, Char

Main
Ikeda, Shuuichi
Japanese

Ray, Amuro

Main
Furuya, Toru
Japanese

Noa, Bright

Supporting
Suzuoki, Hirotaka
Japanese

Haro

Supporting
Inoue, You
Japanese

Mass, Sayla

Supporting
Inoue, You
Japanese

Ral, Ramba

Supporting
Hirose, Masashi
Japanese

Zabi, Mineva Lao

Supporting

Zabi, Garma

Supporting
Mori, Katsuji
Japanese

Shiden, Kai

Supporting
Furukawa, Toshio
Japanese

Sune, Lalah

Supporting
Han, Keiko
Japanese

Staff

Yatate, Hajime
Producer
Tomino, Yoshiyuki
Director, Episode Director, Script, Storyboard, Theme Song Lyrics, Key Animation, Original Creator
Matsuura, Noriyoshi
Sound Director
Sekita, Osamu
Episode Director


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Opening Theme

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"Tobe! Gundam (Fly! Gundam)" by Koh Ikeda
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Ending Theme


Episode Videos




Reviews

May 19, 2025
I went into the very first Mobile Suit Gundam with low expectations due to its age. To my pleasant surprise, its animation wasn’t bad and its writing was far from being bare! It’s very much like how I was surprised by how good Evangelion was due to the same biases.
…Maybe I should stop underestimating old anime.

0079 is definitely endearing. Its plot is about a bunch of trainees and civilians involuntarily taking control of the Federation’s best ship and its best mech, trying their hardest to survive onslaught after onslaught of the enemy forces that want that technology. I’m as surprised as anyone that the show ...
Apr 13, 2025
As someone watching Mobile Suit Gundam decades after its original release, I went into it understanding its legacy—and I have to say, for its time, it holds up impressively in certain areas. The animation and sound design were quite strong considering the era. You can definitely see how it paved the way for future mecha anime and helped shape an entire genre.

That said, it wasn’t always the easiest watch. The pacing dragged in multiple sections, and the show often felt repetitive—especially in the middle arcs. There were stretches where it was genuinely hard to stay engaged. Thankfully, things really picked up in the last quarter ...
Mar 9, 2024
Mixed Feelings
For a long time I'd thought the importance of the original Gundam anime Mobile Suit Gundam was mainly due to its founding of the Real Robot genre as well the huge, sprawling Gundam franchise that's still going strong today. Having actually sat down and watched the show though, I realised that I seriously underestimated the influence of this seminal series: not only did it make its mark in anime history, many of its ideas remain relevant to this day.

It always seemed a little strange to me how Gundam series often recycle the same elements over and over. What became obvious once I started Mobile Suit ...

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