Qukey

Just keep in mind that Zeta is the sequel of Mobile Suit Gundam and 0080 and 0083 are side stories of it. Therefore, it is expect the audiences have some knowledges of the One Year War, the power struggle between Earth Federation and Zeon, the basic physic of Universal Century and the detail of the Atlantic Treaty before it can be enjoyable.

The original Mobile Suit Gundam is 43 episodes long, with a 42 episodes DVD release in R1. It is cut into 3 movies, also available in DVD. Zeta is possibility the most popular Gundams aside from Mobile Suit Gundam. It is very dark and tragic with many character deaths. It is the Gundam every fans should watch but I would not recommand it to new fans. Zeta should be watched after Mobile Suit Gundam as many characters appears in Zeta as well. The new Zeta movies condenses the 50 episode series into 3 movies with new footage. Two movies are released and the third one is coming to theatre in Japan.

0080 sets in the last 2 weeks of the One Year War in UC 0079. 0083 sets in UC 0083, 3 years after the end of OYW. They are not directly linked but the event in the end of OYW is the causes of the events in 0083. The main purpose of 0083 is to bridge Mobile Suit Gundam (UC 0079) and Zeta Gundam (UC 0087). It gives a hint about the forming of Titan, an elite group withing Earth Federation.

[QUOTE=SeraphimRei]What do you mean [I]bringing in a large group of female fans into the franchise.[/I] Is there something much different about GW than the other shows? Or was it one of the first Gundams? As you can tell I don't know much info about Gundam.[/QUOTE] Gundam Wing is very different from other Gundams in style. UC Gundams, from Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) to Victory Gundam (1993, last official UC Gundam TV series), has never get a reasonable size of female fans. Comparing to the character designs of GW, UC Gundam characters are far less attractive. Even the original pretty boy Char Aznable, (he is the one on my avater) cannot compare to the newer, even prettier boys of GW. BTW, he is the character both Zechs and Treize are based on. Also, the older Gundams spends more time on the political and military than romances between characters. The mobile suits in UC Gundams are not as colourfu as the ones in GW as well. They feel more like war machines, instead of some collectibles that can be used by the choosen ones. The GW Gundams are highly specialized but the UC Gundams can be piloted by anyone. A Gundam in UC cannot destroy hundreds of their opponents. The enemies in UC Gundam are far more skillful than the one in GW. They are given personalities and developed as characters as well. For a taste of UC Gundam, I highly recommand watching 0080 War in the pocket or 08th MS Team. 0080 has 6 episodes and 08 MS Team has 12. They are both side stories of the Mobile Suit Gundam.

All AU Gundams are designed to attract different groups of audiences. GW is the first one to successfully bringing in a large group of female fans into the franchise. As for Gundam Seed, its role is to bring new fans who have never seen Gundams before. Both shows take the things from older Gundams and repackaging them into something else to appeal to their target audiences. It is really not possibly to say which is more mature as they are different in nature.

Gundam Seed Genisis does not exist. The only CE Gundam making is Stargazer with 3 episodes planned. I would not recommand both GS and GSD to anyone who is familiar with UC Gundam. However, these two are good as beginner's Gundam. Keep in mind that a lot of the storyline are taken from older UC Gundams.

In Turn A Gundam, the main character dresses as a pretty young woman in some episode. He has disguised as a female MS pilot for some political reason. The manga Five Stars Stories has one of the most interesting cross-gender main character. Amaterasu-no-Mikado is the god created the god who created Joker galaxy. Amaterasu-no-Mikado is born without gender and emotion. To fit into the "human" world, he is physically splitted into several individuals, in both male and female. One of his split Ladios Sopp can be either a male or a female, depending on his choice. Female Sopp and male Sopp have very different personalities as well. Amaterasu is usually refered as male. He is living as 5 individuals with 3 males and 2 females.

[QUOTE]I noticed for the most part that Gundam Fans who started with the Original Gundam series tend to dislike Seed because literally everything it's trying to do, has been done in the Gundam Franchise and literally we've seen it done. Most fans who came in thanks to the poularity and airing of Gundam Wing on Cartoon Network tend to like Seed perhaps cause they haven't been really exposed to any other Gundams for the exception of what was is really available in the american market. So to them everything they see is original and unique, they have no knowledge of the previous series that haven't made it to the stateside yet. That's just my theory about why things are split. [/QUOTE] Your observation is absolutely correct. Sunrise and Fukuda have already stated that Gundam Seed is made to attract new generation of Gundam fans. It is not intented for the older Gundam fans who have already known Gundam. [QUOTE]Anyway getting to another point made earlier....if the Gundam Franchise in many's opinion is at a stalemate why not do the most reasonable thing in my eyes. If your going to reinvent the story all together. Throw out all the Gundam mythology we've come to know. Give the Gundams a new origin, new designs that don't look anything remotely like the Gundam design we've been use to, throw out the whole idea of colonies, and lastly stop making Char -.- ripoffs. [/QUOTE] Turn A Gundam fits your description perfectly. Instead of political war between Earth and colonies, Turn A tells unique story about the conflict between two cultures bound by the same history. It has a great story and some of the most likeable characters in Gundam. Unfortunately, with the inconventional mecha designs, Turn A proves to be poor in selling toys. Since it does not support the big merchandise market, Turn A is overlooked by many. Also, there is a "Char ripoff" in Turn A and Harry Ord has proved to be an excellent character on his own without living in Char's shadow. [QUOTE]Literally start from a new point, and actually create something original instead of borrowing off all the Gundam cliche we are use too. Perhaps you'll scare away fans perhaps you'll make more money but I wish Sunrise would actually be more daring with it's franchise as of late. [/QUOTE] If we want to see another good Gundam story, we need to have a good producer/director who is not going to do everything to sell toys. The creator has to put the story first, instead of the market. When Tomino first created Gundam, the show was cut short and labelled as an failure because he introduced new ideas and people did not accept his view. When there is a working formula that sells, why even bother to tell a different story. We are lucky that Tomino insists on making good stories.

[QUOTE]What I'm trying to say is that all the Gundam series stand alone with their own type of personalities. SEED is different because of how it started off instead of with a colony being dropped or w/e the freaking colony was nuked! I mean when have you seen something like that in another Gundam series?? [/QUOTE] Not coming here to argue, but that is not something I would consider unique in Gundam Seed. There is no colony dropped or nuked in both Victory Gundam and Turn A Gundam. In fact, there is no colony in Turn A. Also, Gundam X does not start with a colony drop or nuke. It starts with the end of the war where the colonies have been dropped 7 years earlier. That is something kind of unique in Gundam. Both Zeta and ZZ do not start with nuking colony as well. Green Noah and Shangri-La are technically not nuked. I try not to get into any discussion about Gundam Seed as I am too old to enjoy it :catgirl: The flashback and recap episodes are killing it for me. The story starts with very promising pace but it can not keep up with the standard. Some of the scenes are too predictable only because we have already seen them in other Gundam series.

As a long time Gundam fan, for over 20 years, I don't really mind both G Gundam and SD at all. Actually, I found G Gundam entertaining enough to be a great Gundam series. It may look different but it preserves many Gundam themes and expresses them in a unique way. It is definitely an interesting series to watch. SD has been a part of Gundam since the 80s and they are funny to watch. The older Super Deformed Gundam is something all Gundam fans should watch and love. The newer Superior Defender targets a very different set of audiences. It is a smart marketing move to introduce toys to younger generation of fans. At least it does not try to be serious like Gundam Seed. I personally think Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny are the worst Gundam series ever created. Instead of having stories about human, Gundam Seed is presented as toy commercials to show case the latest market trend. The story is poorly paced with lower than average character development. There is nothing we have not already seen. Instead of wisely using the plot, most of the time is spent on the cheap romances between immature kids acting in childish ways.

I would certainly treat Rick Hunter and Hikaru Ichijyo quite different. Rick is properly only known in a small part of the world. On the other hand, anime fans have been following Hikaru's story for the last 24 years, since the release of Macross in 1982. Next generation is a part of Robotech, not Macross and it has nothing to do with the original Macross story. The only other full length TV series of Macross is Macross 7 (1994) and Hikaru, Mimei and Misa are not in the story. Max and Millia are and their daughter is the main character.

ZZ is famous for is lighter tone in the first half of the story. There are quite a bit of comedies in the show, with the Zeta-Zaku being the most famous. The second part of the story becomes much darker but it is still far from the atomspheres in zeta and Victory. Anyway, ZZ has a great story on its own and it is too underrated IMO.

Zeta is definitely one of the best Gundam series with a good balance of action, character development and plot. The animation may look aged but the story is far better than many newer series. Zeta Gundam has a highly likeable cast of characters. They are the stars of the story. The plot is fast moving with little stock footages and flashback scenes. The action is possibly the best in all Gundams with interesting mechas design and innovating technologies. Zeta may not be as dark as Victory or as delicate as Turn A; but, it stands on its own as a masterpiece. There is no line between good or evil as they are the same in Zeta Gundam. Being a fan of Zeta for almost 20 years, I highly recommand it to anyone who enjoy good human drama and great character developments. I am kind of disappointed that the opening songs are cut from the DVD release. I also highly recommand to all Zeta fans the three new movies of the series. I am very impressed by the first movie. It is well written and well made.

Many people do not agree to watch English dubs because many English dubs change the stories and characrters. Take CardCaptor as an example. The original CCS is very different from the English dubbed version of CardCaptor in characterization and storyline. When watching Japanese animations, many perfer to watch what the Japaneses intented to make the show, not an English interpretation of the subject. It really depends on personal taste and the amount of modifications of specified shows.

[quote name='densuke']CLAMP doesn't even necessarily think up ALL the characters for the anime based on their works. Card Captor Sakura anime (by Madhouse) includes Meirin Li, a character not in the manga.[/quote] Clamp did the original design on her. Some characters in X manga are replaced by original character in the TV. The movie has a character who is not in the manga but he is in the Tsubasa manga. In Tokyo Babylon OVAs, all characters are original except the 3 main characters. [quote]And I consider Gundam to be a SUNRISE property -- take a look at [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundam[/url] : "...Gundam is the collective term for the Universal Century (UC) series like Mobile Suit Gundam and series in alternative timelines, such as Gundam Wing, made by [b]Sunrise Inc...[/b]"[/QUOTE] Bandai owns Sunrise, so, technically, it is still correct that Bandai owns Gundam. However, credits are given to the directors and storywriters of each series. They are the creators, not Bandai or Sunrise. The two companies are investors. For example, Mobile Suit Gundam is written and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino. The credit of the production goes to Tomino, not the Sunrise. Similarly, the credit of Gundam Seed/Destiny goes to Fukuda, who is the director.

I don't think we can compare a manga group of 4 women and a multi-billion dollor company. Clamp does not create anime. The ladies of Clamp are manga artists and writers. On the other hand, Bandai is a company who bases its business in toy and model selling. I really don't see how they can be compared.

Kind of surprise that no one mention Char Aznable of Mobile Suit Gundam, a truly "gray" character. For detail about him, check out Wikipedia's entry about him at: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Char_Aznable[/url]

How about Zeta Gundam? Kamille is angry at his parents and something happens to them. He becomes depress. Then, Kamille meets Four and something happens to Four. Kamille becomes upset and depress. Kamille meets Four again and something happens to Four again. Kamille becomes depress again. It is just one of the subplot of Zeta Gundam. Actually, I don't recommand it without the knowledge of other UC Gundams. Anyway, it fits your discription perfectly. You might enjoy Rahxephon.

The original Macross is great. It brings in a good twist with the ordinary alien-attacking-Earth type of story. The characters are very well developed and the story is well written, for the first 27 episodes. I also enjoy Macross 7 alot. It is something original. There is not much plot but the characters are highly likeable. Also, the music is excellent, especially the song Angel Voice from Basara. It is close to impossible to find "Do you remember love?" in English translation. The movie is well made, one of the best at its time.

I am from Canada and I am used to important DVDs from the US. As strange as it is, it is hard to find some of the US released DVDs in Canada for resonable prices. I also import from Aisa and Europe once in a while. Most legitimate anime DVDs released in the US are region 1 coded. Some of the older ones are Region All but most companies stick with the region code nowaday. Europe is in Region 2. As long as you have a multi-region DVD player, as you mention before, there show be no problem. When a NTSC region 1 DVD is played, the player, the good ones, can automatically convert the output to PAL. There is no need for a multi-region TV in this case. If your DVD player cannot convert the output to PAL, you will need a multi-region TV. It is very rare to find a DVD player which does not covert the video. It is not something I would worry about. As for importing, I don't know the detail about the UK but here is what I usually has to deal with. Shipping charge maybe high, especially when using couriers instead of postage. It is not to be surprised to find the shipping of a disc is as high as the cost of the disc itself. So shop around but always go with reliable venders. Credit card such as Visa and MasterCard should be accepted internationally without any problem. But, again, look for the reliable sellers and read the information on their website carefully. You may need to pay duty/tax when your items pass through the custom. You may want to check with the custom service for detail importing regulation. Also, if you ever have to return a disc for refund or exchange, you may have to pay for the postage for the item. Again, check with the vender you are buying from. International shopping brings a lot of convinence but it has to be done carefully. I am luck so far that none of the items I have brought has given me any problem. I spend around $200 CAD online every month buying books, DVDs and games. Shop around and only deal with the seller you can trust.

I will try not to spoiler. [spoiler] If we are looking for a reason for the cross-dress, look no further pass the mother. It is her guilt to dress the two children the same so she can pretend that she does not favor one over the other. She is helping in creating the "monster". [/spoiler]Think of the the story in the picture book about the monsters without names. Their parents will be introduced later and wait unit the father's story about their intention. Lunge's theory symbolizes how he feel about the events. He is the one person who always look for the logical explantion and he is willing to believe the tricks of ones mind instead of the creation of a monster. (contradiction? of course) There are so many reasons backing him up in his mind. Keep watching.

I have not seen episode 47 and cannot make a comment on the TV series. I am going to base my opinion on the manga. This is the starting point of the truth about the twins. Their biological parents and the intention of their birth will be reveal soon. The masquerade is very important to their background. Keep watching for more surprise; unless you want any spoiler. Just remember that it is not the first time Jahon has done it. [spoiler][511 is about the experiments. The lifes of the subject are just part of the experiment inside and outside of the institution.[/spoiler] I need to read the manga again sometime. [spoiler]It is not clear if the twins have lived in 511 but it is clear that one or the other (this become very important soon to realize who is the killer) has visited the institution regularly. Again, this is decision of their mother.[/spoiler]Most of the questions will be clear up soon. For anything not answer directly, there are enough hints to draw conclusions. [COLOR=#503F86][SIZE=1][b]Just made the spoilers more invisible, heh. You can use the [spoiler] tags in future, if you want to. But thanks for making the effort ^_~ It's always appreciated. -Solo[/COLOR][/SIZE][/b]

I guess a lot will be cut from the story then. Eighteen volumes of manga in a movie is just not enough. The story is too complicate to understand in only a few hours. It is something need to spend time thinking to full enjoy. Some TV stations like HBO or A&E should pick up Monster and show it as it is. It is not something should be on Cartoon Network. They only good way I can see about making the movie is by taken a portion of the story and concentrates on it, not trying to cover the complete story. Monster requires time for the character to developement. It is not something people watch for half an hour and be able to fully understand the depth of the characters.

[QUOTE=gundampali23]i think gundam is popular because it reaches out to the teens and makes them believe they can be part of something important,something worth fighting for. As for the mechs i think that symbolizes companionship in ur goal. -The Palestian Knight[/QUOTE] That is probably true towards some Gundams. The only one I can think of are G Gundam, Gundam Wing and Turn A Gundam. In these, the Gundams are relic like super mechas. However, when comparing to the others, most noticeable being the UC Gundams, the pilots of these 3 shows since to be attached to their mechas more than usually. In the other Gundams, such as UC Gundams, Gundams are nothing more than just machines being used by war. There is no attachment and no real purpose to fight. At the end, the pilots lost more than they can gain through war. There is really nothing worth to fight for other than realizing how worthless is fighting. That is part of the reason why Gundam is appealing to adults as well. I think different age groups are looking for different things and Gundam can provide something for everyone. At least I don't think Amuro or Usso are too attached to their giant robots. :animeshy:

It is the series I have been waiting for in the last 2 years, even since the licensing announcement. I had watched up to episode 12 before the fansub was stopped. Finally, we can own the DVD. Overman King Gainer was very popular at the time it was released in Japan. Like most of Tomino's story, it has its followers. It is another of Tomino's great piece packed with his witty ideas. For anyone who like a mecha story focusing on the characters, I recommand Overman King Gainer. Similar to his later works such as Brain Powerd and Turn A, Gainer does not allow a big toy market, which many result for less financial success for the producing company. Maybe someone think it is not worth to invest more advertising on the show. How sad! Comparing to Gundam Seed, which, as far as I can see, is nothing more than a 51 episode long toy commercial, Gainer has a lot more value in character and the storyline. For anyone who enjoys Tomino's work, go watch Aura Battler Dunbine, Garzey's Wing and Brain Powerd if you haven't. These are all available in region 1 DVD.