Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam, sometimes called First Gundam or Gundam 0079, is the original Japanese anime series that launched the entire Gundam franchise. It premiered in Japan on April 7, 1979, and concluded on January 26, 1980, after 43 episodes. The series was produced by Nippon Sunrise, the animation studio now represented by the Sunrise brand under Bandai Namco Filmworks.
Yoshiyuki Tomino is recognized as the creator and director of Mobile Suit Gundam. The original story is officially credited to Tomino and Hajime Yatate, which is a collective pseudonym representing contributions from Sunrise’s creative staff. Bandai Namco officially credits Tomino as Gundam’s creator, while Sunrise lists both Tomino and Hajime Yatate under “Original Story.”
The series takes place in Universal Century 0079, during a conflict known as the One Year War. Humanity has expanded into enormous space colonies, but many of the people living in space resent the authority of the Earth Federation. The Principality of Zeon declares independence and begins a devastating war against the Federation.
Zeon gains an early advantage through the development of mobile suits, large, humanoid military machines designed for combat in space and on Earth. A mobile suit is the general type of weapon; a Gundam is a particular and unusually advanced mobile suit.
The main story begins when Zeon soldiers attack the peaceful colony of Side 7, where the Earth Federation has secretly been testing several prototype weapons. During the attack, teenage civilian Amuro Ray discovers the Federation’s experimental RX-78-2 Gundam. Amuro enters its cockpit and manages to defeat the attacking Zaku II mobile suits despite having no previous combat experience.
Amuro and the surviving civilians escape aboard the Federation warship White Base. Because most of the ship’s experienced military personnel were killed or wounded, its young refugees are forced to become soldiers. They are pursued by Zeon officer Char Aznable, whose rivalry with Amuro becomes one of the most important relationships in the Gundam franchise.
The series struggled during its original television broadcast and was shortened from its originally planned length. However, reruns, Bandai’s Gunpla model kits and three theatrical compilation films helped transform it into a major success.