is a Japanese
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series written and illustrated by
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
is a Japanese animator, manga artist, and anime director. He is best known for being the character designer and animation director of the original ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' anime, which began in 1979. That same year, he began working as a manga art ...
. It is a retelling of the story from the 1979
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series ''
Mobile Suit Gundam
, also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting ...
'', of which Yasuhiko was the original character designer.
An
original video animation
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
adaptation of the manga, focusing on the stories of Casval Rem Deikun (more famously known as
Char Aznable
, born and also gone by the name , is a fictional character from the ''Gundam'' franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonists in ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' working for the Principality of Zeon, named after his late father Zeon Zum Deikun, ...
) and his sister Artesia (aka
Sayla Mass
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
), produced by
Sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects.
Terminology
Al ...
was released between 2015 and 2018 in six parts. Yasuhiko was the chief director of the adaptation, with Sunrise veteran Takashi Imanishi as director, and Katsuyuki Sumisawa as the scriptwriter. A 13-episode
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television recompilation of the OVAs aired on
NHK General TV
, abbreviated on-screen as NHK G, is the main television service of NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster. Its programming includes news, drama, quiz/variety shows, music, sports, anime, and specials which compete directly with the output of its ...
in 2019.
Plot
The plot of the manga follows somewhat closely to the plot of the original series. It is the year
Universal Century
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile S ...
0079, and the eighth month of a vicious war between the Earth Federation and a breakaway nation of space colonists, the Principality of Zeon. The story follows the crew of the warship ''
White Base
The SCV-70 ''White Base'' (ホワイトベース ''Howaito Bēsu''), also nicknamed Trojan Horse (木馬 ''Mokuba''), is a fictional spacecraft, spaceship from the Japanese science fiction anime series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. It serves as the mo ...
'', as they fight to ferry the experimental
RX-78-02 Gundam mobile suit to the Federation base at Jaburo.
Although for the most part faithful to the original series' plot (all of the major events unfold in mostly the same manner as the TV series, though often in different locales), Yasuhiko has taken the liberty of changing certain elements in the series universe, giving a different character to the series and the struggle that unfolds. Primary among these is the presence of mobile suits in both sides well before the conflict begins—in fact, in the flashback sequences, both the Earth Federation Forces and Zeon use Guntanks in 0068, and they and the Guncannon mobile suit are described as "obsolete" and fit for target practice in the first volume (in the TV series proper, both the RX-75 and the RX-77 were as new as the RX-78 Gundam itself, designed to serve as long- and mid-range fire support units).
Other differences concern the breadth of the Gundam's journey to Jaburo. Where it's implied that the White Base's journey to Jaburo in the series was pretty much a circumnavigation of the globe unconnected to many real-world locations, Yasuhiko's journey places the White Base's landfall near
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, the headquarters of
Garma Zabi
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
(in the series, Garma was based out of a generic
"New York" — ''Origin'' in fact states the Zeon occupation HQ as
Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall, completed in 1928, is the center of the government of the city of Los Angeles, California, and houses the mayor's office and the meeting chambers and offices of the Los Angeles City Council. It is located in the Civic Cente ...
, with Garma residing in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
/
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...
) and moves the craft steadily to the southeast, and down the
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
n coast—past
Caracas, Venezuela
Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...
and through
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which ...
and into
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, where Jaburo, the headquarters of the Earth Federation, is located. This retelling cuts out some of the more trivial encounters seen in the original series, while keeping and expanding on important characters like Garma,
Ramba Ral
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
, and the Black Tri-Stars. As a direct result the events of Operation Odessa which takes place around the Ukrainian city of the same name, occur after the events of Jaburo, as opposed to the anime where they occur before.
Yasuhiko further finally tells the entire back story of the Gundam universe in the manga. After the successful defense of Jaburo, the story diverts into a very in-depth flashback, told primarily from the viewpoints of
Sayla
Sayla is a sub-district of Surendranagar district, Gujarat, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the mos ...
and
Char
Char may refer to:
People
*Char Fontane, American actress
*Char Margolis, American spiritualist
* René Char (1907–1988), French poet
*The Char family of Colombia:
** Fuad Char, Colombian senator
** Alejandro Char Chaljub, mayor of Barranquilla ...
(with a secondary thread being told from
Amuro's POV) recounting the downfall of Zeon Zum Deikun, the rise of the Zabi family, the construction of Side 7 and the research into mobile suits, and leading up through a decade until the launching of the One Year War. It also goes into detail answering many previously unanswered questions such as the appearance of heretofore unseen Zeon mobile suits prior to the MS-05 Zaku I, how
Dozle Zabi
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
received his trademark scars and even the origin of Casval Deikun/Edward Mass' "Char Aznable" identity. Volume fourteen, deals with the Battle of Loum at the beginning of the One Year War, and is the last piece of the in-depth flashback.
The story shifted back on track to the original anime's storyline, featuring the White Base's involvement in the Federation's
Operation Odessa, as well as including
Kai Shiden
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
's encounter with Miharu. Afterwards, the manga deals with the end of the Odessa campaign and, in another departure from the series, takes
M'Quve and his Gyan out of the picture before he has a chance to confront the Gundam.
Media
Manga
The series was first serialized in the magazine ''
Gundam Ace
is a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten. It largely focuses on the ''Gundam'' franchise. There was a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media (Taiwan) Co., Ltd, discontinued in 2008.
Overview
Gundam Ace s ...
'' in Japan from 2001 to 2011 and has been collected in 24 ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' volumes, with the last volume containing extra side stories. Both are published by
Kadokawa Shoten
, formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines su ...
under their ''Kadokawa Comics A'' imprint.
Viz Comics
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
attempted to translate the series and publish it in America in a quarterly,
perfect-bound magazine-sized format, although low sales very quickly ended the American run.
Although Viz released 12 volumes of its English translation, they do not correspond with the Japanese volumes. The English volumes, with an average length between 100-130 pages were about half of that of the equivalent Japanese ''tankōbon'', which ran anywhere between 200-270. The length varied as some contained just four chapters, some contained an additional "special" shorter side story, and others contained a full five chapters. The reason for this could be that the Japanese serialization focused on keeping distinct chapters. As a result, the English serialization ended up having a higher price point than its Japanese equivalent with only roughly half of the content. The Viz release stopped near the end of volume six in the Japanese version.
The popularity of the manga in Japan has led to the release of ''
aizōban'' or Collector's Edition versions. Each collector's edition combines two ''tankōbon'' volumes (combining the beginning and end sections into one), creating large, leather bound, hardback editions with dozens of pages printed in full color, as opposed to about 5 pages per ''tankōbon''.
At Otakon 2012, North American publisher Vertical announced that it will publish an English language adaptation of the series in hardcover format similar to the Aizoban editions. The first volume was released on the March 26, 2013 and the series was completed with the publishing of the 12th volume on December 17, 2015.
A spinoff of the manga, titled , was written by Junji Ōno and serialized in ''
Gundam Ace
is a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten. It largely focuses on the ''Gundam'' franchise. There was a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media (Taiwan) Co., Ltd, discontinued in 2008.
Overview
Gundam Ace s ...
'' from June 25, 2016 to May 25, 2019, 10 years after the original manga's serialization and collected into five tankobon volumes. The manga serves as a prequel to
episode 15 Episode 15 may refer to:
* "Episode 15" (''Primeval'')
* "Episode 15" (''Twin Peaks'')
{{disambiguation ...
of the original TV series.
Tankōbon volume list
Aizōban volume list
''MSD: Cucuruz Doan's Island'' volume list
Anime
Sunrise announced in June 2011 that an anime adaptation of ''Gundam: The Origin'' was in production. In March 2014, it was announced it will be a four-episode OVA series with event screenings at Japanese theaters, in celebration of the 35th anniversary of Gundam, and centering on the stories of
Casval Deikun and his sister
Artesia. The first episode, titled , premiered in limited Japanese theaters on February 28, 2015. Sunrise produced an English dub recorded at
NYAV Post
NYAV Post is an American recording studio located in New York City. It was founded by Michael Sinterniklaas in 2000, with a West Coast branch located in Los Angeles, California.
The studio is prolific in recording anime dubs, original animatio ...
for the first time since Bandai retired their Gundam license. Another two-episode OVA series, ''Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin: Loum Arc'', was released in 2017 and 2018.
A 13-episode
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television recompilation of the OVA series aired from April 29 to August 12, 2019 under the title .
Sugizo
, born and better known by his stage name Sugizo, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist and violinist of the rock band Luna Sea since 1989.
Sugizo started his solo care ...
produced the theme songs.
His band
Luna Sea
Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of make-up and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most success ...
performed the three opening themes, the first being ,
the second ,
and the third a cover of
TM Network
TM Network is a Japanese rock/new wave/pop musical band, made up by Tetsuya Komuro (keyboardist), Takashi Utsunomiya (vocalist) and Naoto Kine (guitarist). They became popular in Japan as the "futuristic pop songs with synthesizer" after the r ...
's , the ending theme of 1988's ''
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack''.
For the ending themes he decided to collaborate with female singers. The first ending theme is a cover of Daisuke Inoue's , the theme song of 1982's ''
Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space'', by Sugizo feat.
Glim Spanky
is a Japanese rock band from Nagano Prefecture, consisting of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Remi Matsuo and lead guitarist Hiroki Kamemoto. Originally formed in 2007 as a quartet, the group became a duo in February 2010.
Their name comes from ...
.
The second ending theme is a cover of
Hiroko Moriguchi
(born June 13, 1968 in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan), better known by her stage name is a female Japanese singer and tarento. Moriguchi is affiliated with the talent agency NoReason Inc., where she also serves as Second Production Departme ...
's , the second opening theme song of 1985's ''
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a 1985 Japanese television anime series, the second installment in the ''Gundam'' franchise, and a sequel to the original ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu ...
'', by Sugizo feat. KOM_I (
Wednesday Campanella
is a Japanese music group formed in 2012 combining musical genres such as EDM, J-pop, and hip hop into a unique stylistic blend. The lyrics generally follow a theme of famous or mythical people and creatures from history, pop culture, or vari ...
).
The third ending theme is the new song "A Red Ray" by Sugizo feat.
miwa.
The last is a cover of his and
Morrie's co-composition by Sugizo feat.
Aina the End
, stylized as AiNA THE END, is a Japanese singer and idol. She is a founding member of the idol group Bish.
Career
Prior to joining Bish, Aina the End moved to Tokyo and first worked as a singer at a nightclub in Shibuya, then in a backup danc ...
(
BiSH
is a Japanese alternative idol girl group that was founded in 2015 by their manager Junnosuke Watanabe. The group was conceived as a successor to BiS, an idol group managed by Watanabe that disbanded in 2014.
History
Bish was initially an ...
). The English dub for the ''Advent of the Red Comet'' TV recompilation series was broadcast in the United States on
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
's
Toonami
Toonami ( ) is an American late night television programming block that primarily broadcasts Japanese animation and occasionally American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and produced by Williams Street, a divis ...
programming block from July 7 to October 6, 2019.
Notes
References
External links
Official ''Gundam: The Origin'' website
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
2019 anime television series debuts
2002 manga
Origin
Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Comics and manga
* Origin (comics), ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002
* The Origin (Buffy comic), ''The Origin'' (Bu ...
Kadokawa Shoten manga
Shōnen manga
Toonami
Vertical (publisher) titles
Viz Media manga