, is a 2003 Japanese-American

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 A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

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 ...

. The series was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the

Gundam 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 ...

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...

, and was the first Gundam series to be entirely animated in

cel-shaded Cel shading or toon shading is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make 3-D computer graphics appear to be flat by using less shading color instead of a shade gradient or tints and shades. A cel shader is often used to mimic th ...

3D computer graphics 3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for th ...

(3DCG), and the first full-3DCG series to be broadcast on Japanese television. The show was directed by Yūichi Abe.

Overview

A Japan/America co-production, 26 episodes of ''Superior Defender Gundam Force'' initially aired on the

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...

in the U.S., and later 52 episodes were broadcast on

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certified b ...

in Japan, making it the longest Gundam series ever broadcast. The TV show was the first Japanese anime not to be released on VHS; its home video releases are only available on DVD with each containing three episodes. Though the final 26 episodes were not aired on television in America, fans petitioned for the second half of the series to be released and the last 26 episodes were released in an English-dubbed DVD set in 2008. The title of the show is a reference to the ''

SD Gundam is a media franchise that spawned from the ''Gundam'' franchise. SD Gundam takes the mecha (and characters) from Gundam and expresses them in super deformed and anthropomorphic style. Overview SD Gundam originated from a contributed illust ...

'', or Super-Deformed Gundam sub-franchise, though for this show, SD stands for Superior Defender. It is a

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

series based on the three SD Gundam settings that were used in earlier SD Gundam

and

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 ...

: ''

SD Command Chronicles is a branch of the SD Gundam franchise. In this branch the characters are military, with the characters from the Gundam series split into air, land and sea troops and redesigned accordingly. Was released as model kits mostly in the Ganso li ...

'', a science-fiction-styled militaristic setting; ''

Musha Gundam is a media franchise that spawned from the ''Gundam'' franchise. SD Gundam takes the mecha (and characters) from Gundam and expresses them in super deformed and anthropomorphic style. Overview SD Gundam originated from a contributed illus ...

'', a setting with samurai-themed robots; and '' Knight Gundam'', a medieval European fantasy-themed setting. It also contains many references and homages to the standard Gundam shows, especially those of the

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 ...

, Future Century, and After Colony timelines. In a sharp contrast to the dark nature of most of the other Gundam series, ''SD Gundam Force'' is relatively lighthearted, though it does at times get more serious as the series goes on, it is never as dark as the more "traditional" Gundam series.

Synopsis

The story is set in the futuristic city of Neotopia, a happy peaceful place where humans and robots co-exist, until the Dark Axis, an evil force from another dimension, arrives. Aware of the Dark Axis in advance, Neotopia established the secret Super Dimensional Guard to combat the invaders while keeping the conflict a secret from the public. A young boy named Shute becomes involved accidentally in the first battle between the Dark Axis and the SDG's Gundam Force robot hero, Captain Gundam. Shute's friendship with the Captain is critical to activating Captain's Soul Drive, the mysterious power source that is the key to victory. As the fighting continues, Gundams from other dimensions such as Zero and Bakunetsumaru, arrive to join the battle as allies. As the Gundam Force beats back the mono-eyed invaders the battle spreads beyond Neotopia into the dimensions of Lacroa and Ark, leading into a final confrontation with the supreme leader of the Dark Axis - General Zeong.

Characters

The characters of SD Gundam Force are split into two major factions- Super Dimensional Guard and Dark Axis. Amongst these are various sub-factions/alliances, usually designated by their members land of origin.

Cast & crew

Japanese cast

*Kibaomaru -

Masayuki Tanaka is a Japanese singer. He was born in Imari, Saga Prefecture. He is one of the two original vocalists of the band , known for their anime soundtracks such as where Tanaka provided the vocals in the chorus of its opening theme. After leaving Cryst ...

*Patrol Ball -

Kiyotaka Furujima Kiyotaka (written: 清隆, 清孝, 清高, 聖王 or キヨタカ in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese diplomat *, Japanese illustrator *, Japanese handball player *, Japanese botanist ...

*Gundamusai, Raimi - Sato Yuko *Moukinmaru - Tetsuo Komura *Ginkaku -

Masanobu Kariya Masanobu (written: , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese ''kugyō'' *, Japanese painter *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese ''daimyō'' *, Japanese print designer, book publisher and ...

*Kinkaku -

Makoto Yasumura is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Sigma Seven. Filmography Anime *''AKB0048'' - Leader *''Aikatsu!'' - Johnny Bepp *''Aikatsu Friends!'' - Masamune Yūki, Penne *''Rec'' - Fumihiko Matsumaru *''AKB0048 Next Stage'' - Leader *''A Certain ...

*Britainmaru - Eiji Maruyama *Kijumaru -

Hirofumi Nojima is a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Suginami, Tokyo, who is affiliated with Aoni Production. He is the son of voice actor Akio Nojima, and elder brother of voice actor Kenji Nojima. Filmography Anime Video games Tokusatsu Dubbin ...

English cast

* Allan Peters *

David Lelyveld David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

* Taylor Henry * Aliki Theofilopoulos Grafft *

Dave Mallow Dave Mallow (born October 19, 1948) is a retired American voice actor. Biography Mallow's father worked in radio and television and was a 30-year on-air veteran at Chicago's WGN. After graduating from Maine South High School, Mallow attained a ...

John Smallberries John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

Episode list

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

Title cards

Each episode's title is presented over a card whose art changed as the series progressed to reflect the evolution of the main cast: *A simple shining Gundam Force badge *The three main Gundams assemble and the Captain fires his rifle directly at the screen. After the glow subsides the Gundams are seen together and Shute leaps into frame and joins them. *The three Gundams stand in the background as Shute leaps up in the foreground, standing in a triumphant pose. *The Gundams appear in their regular forms before the card spins around to reveal them in their most powerful forms.

Differences between English and Japanese versions

Although ''SD Gundam Force'' was designed with US standards in mind, subtle differences exist between the English- and Japanese-language versions of the show. These include: *In the intro for the English version of episode 8 "A Princess, A Cake, and A Winged Knight", Shute begins his usual description for Neotopia, but instead calls it

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, and ...

then laughs says he's "just kidding" and continues on with his usual intro. *Various eyecatches are used in the Japanese version, while the English release uses only one. Examples of the differences in the Japanese version include one featuring Mayor Margaret with the various Neotopian Ball mecha, and subtle changes to the standard animation such as Bakunetsumaru tripping over, causing his helmet to fall off. *The Japanese version has a set of specific OPs and EDs while the US version uses scenes/screenshots from the show. While the Japanese version uses similar for its OPs, the EDs are mostly new animation: :* OP 1 "Sunrise" by

Puffy AmiYumi is a Japanese pop rock duo formed in Tokyo in 1995, consisting of singers Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura. In the United States, they adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, who also performed under the name ...

(eps. 1-13) :* OP 2 "Love & Peace" by Little by Little (eps. 14-26) :* OP 3 "Taiyou ni Kogarete" by Harebare (eps. 27-52) :* ED 1 "Shinjiru Chikara" by Whiteberry (eps. 1-13) - A Zako soldier steals Sayla's umbrella, prompting Shute to give chase. Initially unsuccessful, Captain convinces him not to give up and Shute finally manages to retrieve it. :* ED 2 "Kokoro Odoru" by nobodyknows+ (eps. 14-26) - Various members of the cast dancing. :* ED 3 "Kimi to Boku" by

I WiSH I WiSH was a Japanese pop group consisting of two members, Ai Kawashima and nao. Ai is responsible for the vocals and occasionally plays the piano also with nao on the keyboard or piano. Their most notable track is and was in the Oricon ranking ...

(eps. 27-38) - The Gundamusai flying through the Minov Sea. :* ED 4 "Koishikute..." by Les.R (eps. 39-52) - Scenes of Princess Rele. *In the episode "Cobramaru's Tears", Cobramaru attempts ritual

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

to repent for failing his master Kibaomaru. As the issue of attempted suicide in a children's show would be controversial in most English-speaking countries, the dialogue in the English-language version was changed to imply that Kibaomaru is ordering Cobramaru to kill himself and/or go into exile. *In the Japanese version, certain characters are voiced by the voice actors of the past Gundam characters they are referencing. As the Gundam dubs have used various voice acting casts this homage was not used in the English-language version.

Adaptations & spinoffs

Manga

''SD Gundam Force'' has two manga adaptations. These include: a serialized retelling of the show, ''SD Gundam Force'', and a sidestory manga, ''

Superior Defender Gundam Force Gaiden is a promotional manga series released alongside the Japanese release of the ''Superior Defender Gundam Force'' anime. It presents untold stories of the main cast, set before and during the story seen within the show. Stories Captain Gundam ...

''. Similar to most TV-to-manga adaptations, the 3-volume adaptation makes various subtle but notable changes for pacing reasons. Examples include: the complete absence of Gunbike/Gunpanzer, and Madnug managing to override his brainwashing, only to be killed by Zeong for his betrayal. The sidestory manga presents stories of Captain Gundam, Bakunetsumaru, Zero, Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf and Destroyer Dom that cover untold additions to the show as well as character backstories.

Video games

Two games have been released based on the show: a side scrolling platform game for the

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...

(GBA), a 3D action adventure game for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

. The GBA game retells the story of the first 26 episodes of the show and allows players to play as either Captain Gundam, Bakunetsumaru, or Zero the Winged Knight. Characters can be switched at any time (for the cost of one bar from the special attack meter) and players need to use each character's strengths to successfully complete the game. The PS2 title was a much grander affair, presenting a brand new story. The mysterious Dimensional Halo appears in Neotopia and creates mirror versions of Neotopia, Lacroa and Ark. The Gundam Force are forced to battle their way through these copy dimensions and even face their own evil doppelgangers to reach De Scar Road and defeat the Dimensional Halo. Each Gundam Force member has a variety of new forms they can achieve including one super secret form for each which can only be unlocked by a code. The code was presented on a Japanese trading card and eventually filtered to the Western fandom. The game eventually allows the player to play as a Zako soldier. The Dimensional Halo and its minions were based on the weapons of the Zanscare Empire in Victory Gundam. The game also features further references to the earlier UC, FC and AC timeline in the form of new villains to populate the mirror dimensions. The second track used in the series' closing credits, ''Kokoro Odoru'' by nobodyknows+, featured in the 2005

Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

rhythm action Rhythm game or rhythm action is a Video game genres, genre of Music video game, music-themed Action game, action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of ...

game ''

Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan or ''Ouendan'', is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005, for release only in Japan. ''Ouendan'' stars a cheer squad rhythmically cheering for various troubled peopl ...

''.

The Ride

During the show's run in Japan, a limited time attraction was opened. Titled ''SD Gundam Force: Destructive Daishogun Appears!!Zako?'', the twenty-minute show used a special theater to present a whole new SD Gundam Force adventure with which the audience could interact. Seemingly set in between episodes 26 and 27, although overall it is best treated as being non-canon, the stars of the show are the Zakos who have been forced to become the SDG's cleaning crew. The Lacroan villain Da Jarle Knight of the Hammer, and the Ark Destructive Daishogun Hakaimaru, seek to unify the world with the mysterious Zakarello Mobile. Da Jarle is able to change the appearance of others and Hakaimaru has a bath fetish that leads him to create a 'Super Bathhouse' command station. The audience and the Zakos join the Gundam Force as they attempt to stop this new alliance. Original characters were created for the show by

Masato Ichishiki is a Japanese manga artist, who is best known for his work on the ''SD Gundam'' series. Works * ''Shageki Boy SHOOT'' (1998) * ''War War Tanks!'' (2000) * ''Brave Saga 2'' (2000) * ''SD Gundam Mushamaruden'' (2001) * ''SD Gundam Mushamaruden, ...

, author of the

SD Gundam Musha Maruden is a media franchise that spawned from the ''Gundam'' franchise. SD Gundam takes the mecha (and characters) from Gundam and expresses them in super deformed and Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic style. Overview SD Gundam originated from a c ...

SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden ''SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden Bukabuka Hen'' is a sequel to the ''SD Gundam Mushamaruden'' series. Like its predecessor, the manga was released alongside a promotional series of gunpla making it the first SD Gundam manga to be specific ...

SD Gundam Musha Banchō Fūunroku is a short-lived ''SD Gundam'' manga series, a spin-off from the popular ''Gundam'' anime. It is authored by Masato Ichishiki and ran in Comic Bom Bom. The Bancho in the title is Japanese slang for student delinquents Story The series appe ...

manga. Motion capture data was taken from Japanese pro-wrestler

Shinya Hashimoto was a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter and actor. Along with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh, Hashimoto was dubbed one of the "Three Musketeers" that began competing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in the mid-1980s and dominated the pr ...

for Hakaimaru's movements. While Hakaimaru appears to be a generic Musha Gundam, Da Jarle resembles an OZ-12SMS Taurus. The video portion of this attraction is included as an extra on the complete Japanese SD Gundam Force DVD box set.

Reception

Season 1 of the series aired in the U.S. four months ahead of the Japanese release and was the first Gundam series to do so. However, despite its success in the US, Season 2 was not broadcast in North American markets due to the first season's disappointing ratings in Japan when it premiered later. Also, at the time it was aired, ''SD Gundam Force'' was the least-watched Gundam title in Japan, having averaged a 2.1% TV rating in the

Kantō region The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. Slight ...

during its broadcast.Anime News Network - SD Gundam Force Least Popular Gundam Ever in Ratings
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References

External links

Official SD Gundam Force site (Japan)
* {{Toonami Cartoon Network Gundam Force 2004 anime television series debuts Bandai Entertainment anime titles Crossover animated television series Sunrise (company) TV Tokyo original programming