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Gundam Wing's mobile suits are less realistic and more "Voltron"-style robots, but they've still got the classic Gundam crests.
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How serious is Bandai about making this their next property? Gundam Wing models are currently available at Toys R Us, months before the series even arrives.
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In any case, it's been years since a giant robot cartoon (not counting Big Guy) has been seen on TV. Hopefully, Gundam Wing will open the door for others.
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IGN Sci-Fi Anime Previews
Could the Cartoon Network's latest anime acquisition be the next Robotech?
January 21, 2000
Although today's public has come to know anime mainly through Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, and Pokemon, these are all fairly small scale series compared to the epics of earlier times, like Robotech and Star Blazers. Where the anime on TV today concentrates on personal side, none of them has that epic, world-shattering feel that the classics have. Still, the smart TV programmers over at the Cartoon Network know that the time is ripe for an epic space opera, and have announced a Spring 2000 broadcast for Bandai's Gundam Wing. It's a smart move on the Cartoon Network's part, since it combines much of the appeal of the anime that's popular now with the grand, sweeping scope of yesteryear's best. This series is a very important test case for the station, and could be critical to further anime development in America. Read on.
Today: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (renamed from Gundam Wing)
Premieres: Spring 2000, Cartoon Network.
Who's Putting it Out? Bandai
Who Developed it? Bandai/Sunrise
The Skinny: As most cartoon fans know by now, the Cartoon Network cable channel's most popular programming block on weekdays and weekends is Toonami, the all-action/adventure block that airs late afternoons on weekdays, mornings and midnights on weekends. And of that block, its anime and anime-esque series, like Thundercats and Dragonball Z, have been more popular than anything else. So, it's been looking for a series that combines the hardcore action and scope of classic anime with the marketability of DB or Sailor Moon. And it seems to have found it in Gundam Wing, a 49-episode series from Bandai/Sunrise.
What it's all about: The world of the future, After Colony year 195. Earth has finally expanded into space and has established five orbiting space colonies, which have developed into nearly-independent nations. The Earth, finally settling down into more or less unity after tiring itself out from national conflicts, forms the United Earth Alliance Sphere, and seeing all these resources being spent on these essentially autonomous colonies, decided to put them under its control. The colonies, of course, don't want that to happen. Unfortunately, negotiations break down, and the Earth Alliance develops mobile suits, in essence, giant robots, to enforce its edicts. Even worse, the company that developed the suits seems to have its own agenda.
So, to combat the growing Earth Alliance threat, the colonies manage to obtain five of the original mobile suit developers, who help them to create even better, super-powerful mobile suits from a substance called "gundanium." Piloting these robots are five young, talented boys -- one from each colony (natch!). As a result of the military buildup, tensions between the Earth Alliance and the colonies grow and explode into war. The rest of the series deals with the war between the two fronts and the Romfeller Foundation's own sinister agenda.
What to Expect: Classy animation light-years beyond the relatively primitive Dragonball and Sailor Moon. Sunrise has been doing Gundam cartoons for years, and even though this series came out in Japan 1995-1996, the animation is sophisticated even for that time. Gundam purists who swear by the Universal Century Timeline may scream bloody murder that Stardust Memory or V Gundam weren't chosen, but face it, America isn't quite ready for hardcore, realistic cartoons. The flashier, more glamorously drawn mobile suits and character designs of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing are more accessible to a public used to Pokemon.
Plotwise, though, it's all good. In the course of the series, you'll face a solid beginning, middle, and end. People live, heroes die, villains change sides, and lots of people go out with a bang. Despite the flash, there are enough twists and turns to keep you watching to find out if the Romfeller Foundation has managed to totally corrupt the Alliance, or whether five mechs piloted by humans can stand up against the latest technological developments in automatic weaponry.
Who's it for? Action cartoon fans, anime nuts, and maybe even those who enjoy a good space opera or two.
Who should avoid it? Anybody that insists on Gundam 0083 being the last true Gundam series.
Will we watch? Absolutely. And we encourage everybody else to do so, too. If this gets good ratings, the Cartoon Network will be picking up additional anime series, and if God smiles upon us, may even spin off the mythical all-Toonami network in the future.
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January 21, 2000 - Headlines
- The Funny Pages Archives - feature - (1.21.00)
- Desktop Art Gallery - feature - (1.21.00)
- Movies So Bad You Shouldn't Watch Them Sober - feature - (1.21.00)
- Castewar's Bottom-Shelf Video Reviews - feature - (1.21.00)
- Go Go Gadget Sequel - movies - (1.21.00)
- G vs. E Creators Deal - tv - (1.21.00)
- Finally! New Avengers Episodes - tv - (1.21.00)
- Transformers 'Touch' Down on DVD - tv - (1.21.00)
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