Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
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is the third installment in
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's long running ''
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 ...
'' franchise and the last TV series in the franchise released in Japan's
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. A direct follow up to ''
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 ...
'', it is directed and written by
Yoshiyuki Tomino is a Japanese mecha anime creator, animator, director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the ''Gundam'' anime franchise. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art. ...
, and he assembled a new team consisting of character designer
Hiroyuki Kitazume is a Japanese animator, manga artist, and illustrator. He is often noted for his work with anime studio Sunrise. Helen McCarthy in ''500 Essential Anime Movies'' commented that he "shot to fame" in 1985 as a character designer on the ''Zeta Gunda ...
, who had been one of ''Zeta Gundam's'' animation directors, and mechanical designers Makoto Kobayashi,
Yutaka Izubuchi is a Japanese anime designer, screenwriter and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical (both robots and other vehicles). He created and directed the ''RahXephon'' ser ...
and Mika Akitaka. Initially airing on
Nagoya Broadcasting Network JOLX-DTV, virtual channel 6 (UHF digital channel 22), branded as is the Chūbu region flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network, owned by the , with its headquarters in Nagoya. It is broadcast in Aichi Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, and ...
and affiliated
ANN Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
stations in Japan, the series was later aired by the anime
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network,
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, across Japan and its respective networks worldwide, including
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, Hong Kong,
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, and other regions. The defunct video streaming website
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had the rights to stream the series worldwide.
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themselves released the series on home video via
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to North America in 2015. On June 24, 2022, the series was made available for streaming on
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.


Overview

''Gundam ZZ'' was conceived as a sequel to ''Zeta Gundam'', featuring a mostly all-new cast. Its broadcast immediately followed that of Zeta Gundam and continues to follow a major plotline from ''Zeta'' involving
Haman Karn ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and sev ...
, regent to
Mineva Lao Zabi ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and sev ...
, and also continues to follow Captain
Bright Noa 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 ship, ''Argama'', as well as introducing the new characters led by
Judau Ashta This is a list of fictional characters from the Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ''. ''Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ'' picks up where ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' left off with Haman Khan, regent to Mineva Lao Zabi, ...
. This sequel to ''Zeta Gundam'' sometimes struck a much lighter, often comical, tone, in contrast to its predecessor's brooding drama. For example, in the second episode, the protagonist Judau Ashta attempts to help
Yazan Gable ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and sev ...
by throwing oranges at the Argama. This is contrasted in the same episode however when Yazan kills the technician Saegusa, and Judau then attempts to pilot the
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 ...
to go after Yazan but is incredibly poor at combat in his first battle. The whimsical first opening theme song ''Anime Ja Nai'' (lit. "It's Not Anime") set the tone for the first half of the series. The second half of the series sports a more somber opening theme song ''Silent Voice'' to accompany a change in tone to the more serious.


Plot summary

As the continuation of ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'', this series once again follows the story of the Anti Earth Union Group (AEUG) battleship ''Argama'' after ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam''s final episode. To fight off the Axis Zeon, now called the Neo Zeon, Captain Bright Noa recruits a group of teenage junk collectors led by the loudmouthed but powerful Newtype
Judau Ashta This is a list of fictional characters from the Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ''. ''Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ'' picks up where ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' left off with Haman Khan, regent to Mineva Lao Zabi, ...
to pilot the ''Argama''s mobile suits. Now sporting a line-up of the behemoth ZZ Gundam and the returning
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 ...
,
Gundam Mk-II The is a fictional manned robot (mecha), introduced in 1979 in Yoshiyuki Tomino's and Sunrise's anime series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. In the series, it is a prototype weapon for the Earth Federation when it falls into the hands of Amuro Ray, the s ...
and the Hyaku Shiki, the group is nicknamed the ''Gundam Team''. As such, this became the first of a number of Gundam series where a team of Gundam mobile suits fight alongside each other regularly. The climax takes place at Side 3 in the Battle of Axis. Out of the major ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' characters, Captain
Bright Noa 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 Axis leader
Haman Karn ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and sev ...
are featured prominently in ''Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ'';
Hayato Kobayashi 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 ...
,
Kamille Bidan '' Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and s ...
,
Fa Yuiry ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and se ...
, Wong Lee,
Yazan Gable ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and sev ...
,
Mineva Lao Zabi ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and sev ...
, and the children Shinta and Qum are featured in various episodes as well;
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 ...
, who had appeared in the first series but had no speaking role in ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'', also appeared in several episodes of ''Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ'';
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, ...
's planned appearance was canceled when Tomino was given the go-ahead to do the '' Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack'' film. Yoshiyuki Tomino's original plan for the show which involved Char's return was never revealed, nor does Tomino himself remember it. Also, aside from the openings and story recap/preview episode,
Amuro Ray is a fictional character introduced in Sunrise's 1979 anime series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. Amuro is a mechanic who becomes the pilot of the mecha known as RX-78-2 Gundam to protect himself from the Zeon forces invading his space colony during the ...
does not make an appearance in the series either.


Reception

The series remains one of the more polarizing series in the franchise due to its lighthearted and campy tone in its first half when compared to Zeta Gundam's grittier one. In 2016, to coincide with the show's Blu-Ray release, Ollie Barder of ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' referred to ''Gundam ZZ'' as a "misunderstood and underappreciated classic." James Whitbrook of ''
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'' called ''Gundam ZZ'' "the black sheep of early ''Gundam''", citing the show's early comedic tone in comparison to the dark ending of its predecessor.


References


External links


Official Website
* * {{Sunrise 1986 anime television series debuts ZZ Sunrise (company)