The first Z Gundam movie is titled Heirs to the Stars

In 2005 the 50 episode Z Gundam television series from 1985 was compiled into a movie trilogy titled Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation. I grabbed the DVD set when I saw it on Amazon.com but waited to watch them until my surround sound system was working. It was worth the wait! The movies use dolby 5.1 surround and, together with the full-screen animation, make for an awesome cinematic experience.

The movies were really cool and a lot of fun to watch. They’re a real treat for Gundam fans already familiar with Z Gundam. However, I have a hard time recommending them to people who haven’t already seen the Z Gundam episodes.

The movies mix old, remastered animation from the TV series together with new animation. The new animation is both lush and brilliant. Mobile suits and ships come alive in a way I didn’t know was possible. Battle scenes in space take on new dimensions and captivate the viewer. Details of mobile suit mechanisms (like transformation) are demonstrated proving the animators cared about the material with which they were working – and the fans as well. New animation also showed viewers interesting day-to-day details of life aboard space ships. Details like navigating corridors in zero gravity and the devices provided for crew members to live more efficiently in space were added to the movies. My only complaint is the jarring difference at times between old and new animation. The difference in quality becomes more noticeable when the scenes are mixed together so thoroughly. Although I learned to accept it I doubt new viewers would be so forgiving.

The second Z Gundam movie is titled Lovers

Compressing around 21 hours into three feature films meant many things had to be cut. Sub plots, lighter moments and scenes detailing relationships between characters had to go. For a longtime Gundam fan that isn’t a problem but for someone new to Z Gundam it could give wrong impressions. I wouldn’t doubt that a westerner who knew nothing about Gundam, after seeing these three movies, would think Z Gundam is light on plot and character development. Also, the relentless pace of action scenes, although incredible to see in the movies, can tire a person out. That’s why I wouldn’t show the Z Gundam movies to someone not already familiar with UC Gundam.

One thing that was interesting to see was the emphasis in the movies on the relationship between Emma Sheen and Captain Henken. The original TV series didn’t give enough time to this character relationship and the death of Captain Henken at the end suffers as a result. The movies take time in several scenes to show not only Henken’s pursuit of Emma’s affections but also Emma’s grudging acceptance. This makes Henken’s sacrifice towards the end of the story more moving.

The third Z Gundam movie is titled Love is the Pulse of the Stars

The movies show a radically different ending for Camille Bidan, Z Gundam’s main character. The TV series ends with him suffering so much trauma that he’s a mental vegetable. After 20 years the creators decided to give Z Gundam’s dedicated hero a happy ending with his love and childhood friend, Fa. Although I’m usually a purist on details of plot and theme, I found myself accepting this change easily. After 20 years Camille deserves a break.

Important characters from Z Gundam.

Every mecha fan eventually reaches a point where he (or she) contemplates Tomino’s classic sci-fi anime shows. The potent concoctions of drama and tragedy mixed with epic casts of characters and intricate political maneuvers draw so many of us. After the roller coaster ride is finished we’re left wondering what to make of it all. Why did Camille Bidan, after so heroically defending his friends, have to end up as a vegetable at the end of Zeta Gundam? Why did everyone – I mean everyone – have to die in Dunbine and Ideon? This article is one mecha fan’s attempt to explain what Tomino may have been trying to get across to his viewers. Although what follows is the speculation of a fan from the wrong side of the Pacific Ocean I don’t believe that themes in anime are impossible for non-Japanese to understand. I’ll need to discuss some ideas from Japanese culture but what anime fan isn’t also a student of Japanese culture?

Characters from Legendary God Giant Ideon.

There’s Only One Tomino

First let me clarify what I mean by “classic” Tomino sci-fi anime. Tomino Toshiyuki is a name well-known to most anime fans. He has been involved in a great many anime projects since he began his career in 1964. Mecha fans remember him best for his many science-fiction anime shows. To this day, many fans in North America call him “Mr. Gundam” for his brilliant work on the first several Gundam anime shows. During the 70s and 80s Tomino produced and/or directed a lot of science-fiction anime for television. His trademark during that period of his career were shows with large casts, intricate political situations and bleak stories where the heroes battled against superior forces to save the lives of countless civilians. These stories so often ended in tragedy for characters the audience had grown to love that some Tomino fans call it his “kill ‘em all heyday.”

Despite the harsh stories he told the anime from Tomino’s classic period remain popular today. The Gundam franchise is constantly trying to recapture the magic of Zeta Gundam. Toys and models from Mobile Suit Gundam, Dunbine and Ideon still sell well today – decades after the shows finished their runs on television. With so many obvious similarities between these classic sci-fi shows it’s easy to discern Tomino’s classic style. But why did Tomino adopt that style? Why did he tell such bleak stories? Why did he want us to learn the details of the complicated relationships between so many characters? Why so many factions that created such nuanced politics in shows that were targeted primarily at younger boys? Above all, why did we have to see such tragic deaths after tuning in to the heroes’ fortunes for 50 episodes?

This clip shows the death of King Foizan, Elle’s father.

A Japanese Idea
Tomino wanted to stress the importance of a very Japanese idea: community. By community I mean the values that hold a large group of people, a society, together. Unity, concern for others, self restraint, cooperation – these are the values that lay at the heart of classic Tomino anime. This may seem like a rather abstract set of ideas but they tie together neatly when you consider the fact that the Japanese hold these as traditional values. The Japanese language has many words that mean types of relationships between people (both individuals and groups). Several of these words specifically refer to harmonious social relationships. Words like these in everyday use make this concept more concrete to Japanese people. It was a Japanese audience that Tomino was writing for. In the 70s and 80s not much anime was officially exported from Japan so the animation studios weren’t thinking about how their shows would play for international audiences. A lot of anime of that time stressed the importance to boys of learning these values but Tomino wanted to show what happened when a society lost sight of these lessons.

It Takes a Village to Tell a Story
A large cast of characters is necessary for demonstrating these themes. Unlike a lot of the stories we see, Tomino wasn’t concerned with a character learning to value his or her own circle of family and friends. In order to deal with the issues affecting a society a story needs to show a decent sampling of that society. Tomino’s classic anime featured a group of heroes that helped the audience get a handle on things. However, unlike most anime, Tomino showed us a really large number of characters. The heroes had brothers, parents, friends, etc. Also, a lot of time was spent on the villains so that the viewer was seeing both sides of the conflict. Not only that, but the villains’ family members, friends and acquaintances were also brought into the story. As the story progresses the audience sees how events affect everyone. This stresses the idea that no one is an island. Every decision, every action sends out waves that are felt by everyone. A small cast of characters would make it impossible to see this.

Characters from Mobile Suit Gundam.

Shades of Gray

Western fans have praised Tomino for avoiding the simplicity of good vs. evil in his tales. They point to examples like Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) and say that there are no heroes or villains, only shades of gray. As enticing as this sounds it is untrue. Tomino anime had heroes and villains but he didn’t represent them in simple lights. Mobile Suit Gundam is a good example of this. The Principality of Zeon was murdering whole colonies full of people, dropping those colonies on Earth to create disasters that killed countless civilians and using nuclear weapons in battle. They were villains. The Earth Federation was working to stop these atrocities so the Federation were the heroes of the story. To his credit, Tomino showed us Zeon’s desire for freedom from the Federation’s oppressive government so the situation was not as simple as black and white. Still, the story had heroes and villains.

In classic Tomino anime it’s important to see what makes people villainous or heroic. The Zabis, the ruling family of Zeon, by declaring Zeon an archduchy  were returning to a medieval model for society that placed them squarely on top. They placed their own desires before those of the people of Zeon. In their ruthless military tactics they killed many thousands of people without a care and harmed Earth’s natural environment. In their propaganda they declared spacenoids innately superior to people living on Earth. What made Zeon evil was they disregarded the good of other people in their race for their own selfish desires. They were working against the values of unity, cooperation and self-restraint. Zeon’s evil manifested in the fighting that occurred within Zeon’s ranks. Kishiria and Gihren, both members of the Zabi family and leaders in the military, hated each other and wasted resources and lives in their struggle to be on top. Char worked from within to assassinate Zeon’s leadership so he could get revenge on the Zabi family for killing his father. The Federation didn’t have infighting like this. Tomino was showing us the severe disunity within Zeon to emphasize their evil nature.

Camille’s final battle in Z Gundam episode 50.

The Federation’s government, although not nearly as bad as Zeon’s government, also disregarded the values of community. The Federation saw those living on Earth as a kind of elite that deserved a better life. The Federation found it easy to ignore the needs of people living in space colonies. The One Year War of Mobile Suit Gundam was a terrible ordeal for humanity but it wasn’t all Zeon’s fault. The Federation and Zeon shared fault for the situation. The heroes aboard the White Base didn’t want to extend the Federation’s superiority. They fought because Zeon’s evil clearly needed to be stopped. The White Base’s crew were mostly from space colonies and were heroes because they wanted to see society return to a proper balance where those on Earth and in space received equal treatment.

Keep It Together
Tomino was constantly using disunity to make clear who the villains were. In Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) the AEUG held together well but the villains were an uneasy alliance of the Jupiter fleet, Axis, the Federation and the Titans. Haman Kahn, Paptimus Scirocco and Basque Ohm, each a leader of one of the villainous factions, worked together but were constantly looking for their chances to backstab each other. Aura Battler Dunbine (1983) showed a tight alliance of heroes but terrible discord among the villains. Neal Givens, Elle Hammu and Queen Lapana, leaders of the resistance, cared deeply for each other and never flagged in their loyalty. Drake Luft, King Bishott and Shot Weapon, leaders in Drake’s invading army, were all planning treachery against each other.

Characters from Aura Battler Dunbine.

A Death in the Family
The many tragic deaths of well-loved characters in classic Tomino anime happened for a reason. The tragedies that occurred on both sides of the conflicts we saw in Tomino’s stories brought home the consequences of ignoring the values of community. Tomino was trying to tell us that, ultimately, the results of turning our backs on our community and pleasing our own desires is the loss of loved ones. All people have many bonds with others. Siblings, parents, children, relatives, friends, coworkers – all suffer when someone dies. Each of the characters we see die in Tomino anime had those connections. The conflicts that resulted from people losing sight of the importance of others lead to many losses. The most heart-rending of these on-screen tragedies was probably the conclusion of Legendary Giant-God Ideon (1980). In the grand battle that tears through the Terrans and Buff Clan we see children killed by soldiers as they try to seize control of the Solo Ship. Tomino didn’t pull any punches.

Powers of the Mind
The final point to discuss is the mind powers that showed up in many classic Tomino anime shows. Aura Battler Dunbine (1983) had aura power, Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam had newtype abilities. Legendary Giant-God Ideon had the Id. Other shows had mind powers by other names. Tomino used mind powers in his classic anime to emphasize the grief that ensues when people forget their connection to society. In the anime, mind powers were a newly discovered phenomenon that allowed people to better connect with others. Newtype ability and aura power allowed people to sense others at great distances. It allowed insight into the emotions felt by others. These new abilities offered the promise of a new era. An age where people would have additional tools to help them understand each other. An age where it was harder for less outgoing people to be ignored. Sadly, in the anime stories where these mind powers surface people find ways of using them for war. Aura powers helped aura battlers move more quickly and win in battle so people with these abilities were recruited as pilots and sent to fight. Initially, newtype abilities helped people piloting mobile suits avoid enemy fire. Advanced technology let newtypes control sophisticated weapons like remote weapons (bits and funnels). People began to fear newtypes and what should have been a boon to society was instead used to tear it apart with distrust and more destructive fighting.

An Enduring Legacy
The popularity of Tomino’s classic science-fiction anime stories will endure for many years to come. The thoughtfulness he poured into his carefully constructed stories show through so well that their appeal spans the world. Understanding the themes he wanted to impart to his viewers helps us understand why he used the techniques he did. The next time you encounter a fan that scratches his or her head over some of the details of Tomino’s classic style perhaps you can help them to see what Tomino was probably getting at. If my speculations have missed the mark or if you have something to add feel free to leave a comment and speak your mind. I’d like to thank the Austin Otaku for valuable help in writing this piece.

Knights follow Shio as he pilots the Sirbine on his way to attack the Black Knight's fortress

The Tale of Neo Byston Well (1988) is a 3 episode OAV that takes place 700 years after the events of Aura Battler Dunbine (1983). This time the story takes place entirely in Byston Well as no one has access to the Aura Road that was used so much in the first Dunbine story. I first heard about the Dunbine OAV when I was a teenager and have been waiting many years to see it. My enthusiasm was dampened somewhat when I saw that the subtitles, prepared by a group called Freebird, were truly awful. English wasn’t even their second language. My limited understanding of Japanese helped me make sense of the awkward subtitles well enough to feel like I wasn’t missing much of what was being said.

The Tale of Neo Byston Well is one of those OAVs that suffered from a limited budget. The story, although quite different in nature from Aura Battler Dunbine, was interesting and the artwork was very good. The lack of budget showed in the quality of animation. Many scenes consisted of still images being moved slowly across the screen. It wasn’t annoying so much as sad. Mechanical designs as good as the Sirbine and new Zwarth deserve better treatment.

Shio and Remuru, the two main characters of the story. The Fiorene Silky Mau sits on Shio's shoulder.

Neo Byston Well took a very different look at Byston Well than the first Dunbine story in 1983. Aura Battler Dunbine showed us complicated human politics in a fantasy setting with medieval technology. The world of Byston Well was changing as new technology was slowly being worked into human society. The Dunbine OAV takes us to the Byston Well of 700 years later. The new technology that was being integrated 700 years earlier has been forgotten and human society has even lost much of the medieval technology it had before. Neo Byston Well has a strong fantasy feel. Humans scrounge most of what they have and wonder at the mysteries left behind by the people of past ages. The two aura battlers seen in the OAV reflect this fantasy feel with a more ornate and organic look. This time, the aura battlers look like they were hand-crafted by wealthy courts rather than pulled off of an assembly line like in the Dunbine TV series. Since aura battlers were always constructed from the body parts of the immense wild animals of Byston Well, the OAV style actually looks more appropriate than the style of the TV series.

The aura battler Sirbine appears to be a descendant of the Dunbine.

In the midst of this later age, a warlord called the Black Knight has the only functioning aura battler, a new model Zwarth, and is working to expand his domain.  When he attacks the small city of Baran-Baran in an attempt to steal their rumored treasure he makes an enemy of Shio. Shio is a sort of far-ranging hunter scavenger who becomes a warrior when he sees that the Black Knight has captured Princess Remuru and decimated Shio’s favorite trading post. Before long Shio discovers that the treasure hidden in Baran-Baran is a second aura battler, the Sirbine. With the help of a fiorene named Silky Mau, Shio takes the fight to the Black Knight. During a siege of the Black Knight’s fortress by Shio’s new army we discover that a mysterious figure who has been supplying the Black Knight with advanced technology is a cursed character from the first Dunbine story who plans to use ancient missiles to open the Aura Road.

Although the animation quality suffers and the subtitles are poor I still enjoyed The Tale of Neo Byston Well. The character and mecha designs were inspired. The artwork for settings and creatures was top-notch. Although quite different, the new look at Byston Well increased its appeal for me. This OAV is only available via download but it’s worth it for those who have seen the Dunbine TV series.

The blog AltJapan has reported on a momentous find for mecha fans. Anime fan Roger Harkavy has discovered a box that belonged to Imai Company that contains artwork from Artmic Studio. The box contained black and white production drawings for Genesis Climber Mospeada and Super Dimensions Cavalry Southern Cross.  He has made the file available to mecha fans everywhere.  AltJapan has the full report. You will certainly want to download the PDF and take a look at the designs that almost made it into Mospeada. I was fascinated by the rare look into the show Southern Cross was originally meant to be.

I watched Terminator Salvation (2009) last night after waiting for it to come out for rental.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It was a great movie.

After 3 Terminator movies showing the machines going back in time to strike at  the origins of the resistance leader John Conner we finally get to see the other side of the story.  Christian Bale plays a hardened, embittered John Conner fighting desperately against Skynet and its killer machines.  Sam Worthington plays a man copied from the past and sent on an unwitting errand to bring John Conner within striking distance of Skynet’s newest terminator.

Probably my favorite thing about the movie is they placed it at the point in time shortly before Skynet made its first use of the time travel machine to send a new-model terminator back to kill John Conner’s mother (the 1984 movie).  Great action, a long-awaited look at the early stages of the human/machine war and attention to detail made this a great movie.  Do yourself a favor and rent it soon.

My Gundam Unicorn novels arrived! The series has 10 volumes and, unfortunately, they are in Japanese so I can’t read them. I was hoping for mecha profile pages but sadly there are none. Still, the black and white illustrations throughout the novels are really nicely done. Also, each volume has a color illustration or two towards the front.  Can’t wait to get a new scanner and upload the images!

Promotional poster outside the mall.

From October 19th through the 27th in Bangkok, Thailand a large Gundam exhibition was held in the Siam Paragon shopping mall to celebrate Gundam’s 30th anniversary. My father was on the scene to take photos. I wish I could have been there!

The RX-78-2 Gundam helps promote the event.

Gundam 00 and Gundam Unicorn were well-promoted.

A nice exhibit near the entrance gave people an overview of the Gundam anime over the years.

A huge model from Gundam 00 was on display.

It's nice to see cosplayers. However, I find it disturbing that girls look better than guys when cosplaying as the heroes of Gundam 00. Kind of says something about our latest crop of Gundam main characters, eh?

Another cosplayer poses for photos.

Gundam models were on display in large numbers.

And you thought you had a big collection!

A store was set up for the exhibit to make sure everyone had enough models to build.

Gundam fans were working on their models right at the exhibition.

There was plenty of Gundam merchandise on hand to buy. Wish I could have shopped there!

Gundam Unicorn anime

 If you’re anything like me you’re waiting anxiously to hear about the anime for Gundam Unicorn.  It’s been too long since we’ve seen new anime in Gundam’s U.C. universe.  Even longer since we’ve seen something new that happens after the One Year War.

MyAnimeList reports on a Japanese report from Anime!Anime! that indicates Gundam Unicorn won’t air on television.  Bandai Visual has decided to try movie theaters and the Internet to hook new viewers instead of the traditional boobtube.