is a televised
animeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, created by
Sunriseis a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...
. Created and directed by
Yoshiyuki Tominois a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
, it premiered in
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on
Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Nickname: Mētele is a TV station joining All-Nippon News Network in Nagoya. It is broadcast in Aichi Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, and Mie Prefecture.-Analog:JOLX-TV*Nagoya TV Tower - Channel 11...
on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes. It was the very first
GundamThe is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
series, which has subsequently been adapted into numerous sequels and spin-offs.
The series was later re-edited for theatrical release and split into three movies in 1981. The characters were designed by
Yoshikazu Yasuhikois a Japanese animator and manga artist in the anime industry.Yasuhiko dropped out of Hirosaki University and was hired by Osamu Tezuka's Mushi Productions in 1970 as an animator. He later went freelance and worked on various animation productions for film and television. In 1981 he won the Seiun...
and
Kunio Okawarais a mechanical designer in the Japanese anime industry. A mechanical designer is similar to a character designer, but the design is for robots, ships, and other mechanical items found in a particular show. Okawara was the first in the industry to be specifically credited as a mechanical designer...
was responsible for the mechanical designs, including the titular giant robot, the RX-78-2 Gundam. When the first movie was released on February 22, 1981, it was regarded as the new age of Anime and an event called
Declaration of new age of Anime (アニメ新世紀宣言) in Shinjuku and director Tomino delivered a speech questioning the then social concept in which stereotypical Anime was portrayed as being bad and poorly made to the gathered 15,000 youngsters.
The series was the first winner of the
Animageis a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, was serialized in Animage from 1982 through 1994...
Anime Grand Prix prize, in 1979 and the first half of 1980. By the end of 2007, each episode of the original TV series averaged a sales figure of 80,928 copies, including all of the different formats it was published in (VHS, LD, DVD, etc.). The first DVD box set sold over 100,000 copies in the first month of release, from December 21, 2007 to January 21, 2008.
As part of the 30th Anniversary of the Gundam series, the company officially announced a project on March 11, 2009 called
Real-G, a plan to build a 1/1 real size scale Gundam in Japan. It was completed in July 2009 and taken down later. The 18 meter tall statue was reconstructed in Shizuoka Prefecture and was taken down in March 2011.
Synopsis
Set in a
fictional universeA fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
in the
Universal Centuryis the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
year 0079, the Principality of Zeon has declared independence from the
Earth FederationThe is a fictional organization in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime series. The name also made a reappearance outside of the Gundam series in following media.* Godzilla vs...
, and subsequently launched a
war of independenceThe is a fictional conflict from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam metaseries. The One Year War is very similar to World War II, the major difference being that The One Year War is in a science fiction setting and some major battles occurred in space...
. The conflict has directly affected every continent on earth, also nearly every space colony and lunar settlement. Zeon, though smaller, has the tactical upper hand through their use of a new type of humanoid weapons called mobile suits. After half of all humanity perishes in the conflict, the war settled into a bitter stalemate lasting over 8 months.
The story begins with a newly deployed Federation warship, the
White BaseThe White Base is a fictional spaceship from the Japanese science fiction anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. It serves as the mothership of the protagonist crew members and the famous mobile suit Gundam...
, arriving at the secret research base located at the Side 7 colony to pick up the Federation's newest weapon. However, they are closely followed by Zeon forces. A Zeon reconnaissance team member disobeys mission orders and attacks the colony, killing most of the Federation crew and civilian in the process. Out of desperation, citizen boy
Amuro Rayis a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
accidentally finds the Federation's new arsenal—the
RX-78 GundamThe RX-78 Gundam is a fictional manned robot, introduced in 1979 in Yoshiyuki Tomino's and Sunrise's anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. In the series, it is a testbed weapon for the Earth Federation when it falls into the hands of Amuro Ray, the son of a weapons designer, who goes on to pilot it in...
, and neutralizes the situation. Scrambling everything they can, the
White Base sets out with her newly formed crew of civilian recruits and refugees in her journey to survive, and unknowingly, change the course of the war.
Original concept and development
The "Mobile Suits" of the show were inspired by the
power armorsA powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, or exoframe, is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of an exoskeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement.Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist...
from the
Starship TroopersStarship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
American novel from 1959. Yoshiyuki Tomino's original plot for the anime was considerably much more grim, with Amuro dying halfway through the series, and the crew of the White Base having to ally with Char (who is given a red Gundam), but finally having to battle him after he takes control of the Principality of Zeon. The original concept found expression in a series of novels written by Tomino soon after the show's conclusion, and elements of the storyline weaved themselves into
Zeta Gundam and
Char's Counterattack.
The final episodes (encompassing the battles of Solomon and A Baoa Q) were originally planned to be more elaborate, with exotic Zeon mecha defending the fortresses. Budget cuts scrapped the episodes (and the designs) although at least two (the Dom-like Dowadge and Gelgoog-Like Galbaldy) do become resurrected for
Zeta Gundam and
Gundam ZZ.
Reception
Gundam was not popular when it first aired, and was in fact cancelled before the series was intended to end. The series was originally set to run for 52 episodes and was cut down to 39 by the show's sponsors, which included the original toymakers for the series. However, the staff was able to negotiate a one month extension to end the series with 43 episodes.
When
Bandaiis a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
received the licensing to the show's
mechaA mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
, however, things changed completely. With the introduction of their line of Gundam models, the popularity of the show began to soar. The models sold very well, and the show began to do very well in reruns and even better in its theatrical compilation. Audiences were expecting another giant robot show, and instead found
MS Gundam, the first work of anime in an entirely new genre, the
mechaA mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
drama or the
'real robot' genreis a genre of Japanese animation. The genre contains mecha robots that are powered by conventional power sources and weapons explainable by real world science, and that use ranged weapons and speed to survive battle situations....
as opposed to the
'super robot' genreis a term used in manga and anime to describe a giant robot or mecha, with an arsenal of fantastic super-powered weapons, extreme resistance to damage unless the plot calls for it, sometimes transformable or combined from two or more robots and/or vehicles usually piloted by young, daring heroes,...
.
In February 1980
Mobile Suit Gundam was aired in
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the first country to broadcast the show abroad of
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It's one of the most appreciated
Animeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
in that country still today, counting multiple fan clubs and a strong market for both
home videoHome video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
and Gunpla.
Mobile Suit Gundam was also later aired by the anime
satellite televisionSatellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
network,
Animaxis a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
, across Japan, with the series continuing to be aired on the network currently, and later its respective networks worldwide, including
Hong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
,
Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
,
South AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, and other regions.
Hoping to capitalize on the success of airing
Gundam Wing the previous year, Bandai Entertainment released a heavily edited and English-dubbed version of the series premiering on
ToonamiToonami was a registered trademark of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997 and ended on September 20, 2008.The...
across the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Monday, July 23, 2001. However, the series did not do as well as
Gundam Wing and would be pulled before it had finished. Following the pattern of its initial airing in
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, it was later cancelled before the entire series was shown. When the September 11th attacks occurred, the series was almost over (there were only six episodes left). Immediately following the attacks, Cartoon Network and many other stations, began pulling war-themed content and violent programming as well. However, the series finale were shown as part of Toonami's "New Year's Eve-il" special on December 31, 2001. It is sometimes stated that
MSG was cancelled "because" of the September 11, 2001 attacks. This was verified by a Toonami producer in a March 4, 2002 interview with
Anime News NetworkAnime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
.
On Saturday, June 8, 2002, the series was given another chance by Cartoon Network in their late-night
Adult SwimAdult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
block, but it was again pulled before completing its run because of low ratings.
On May 30, 2006, Bandai Entertainment re-released the English dub of the TV series in a 10 volume DVD set. There was no Japanese audio track included, apparently because
Yoshiyuki Tominois a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
felt that the original mono mix was in too poor of a condition to use. However, in 2007 the original series was released on DVD in Japan, which sold over 100,000 copies within a month's time from December 21, 2007 to January 21, 2008.
At the 2010 New York Comic Con/
New York Anime FestivalThe New York Anime Festival is an anime and manga convention held annually since 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City...
, Bandai Entertainment announced that they will re-release the Gundam TV series with both Japanese and English dubs. Only one episode out of the 43 episode will not be dubbed, at the request of
Yoshiyuki Tominois a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
. Bandai will release the TV series in two sets in summer of 2011. The first set is scheduled for release on September 13, 2011.
In both American TV showings and on the American DVD release, episode 15 ("Kukurus Doan's Island") was cut out. Tomino remained silent as to why the episode was cut and it remains a mystery, the episode becoming a "lost episode" of sorts, never being dubbed. The episode remained on the Japanese DVD release.
Novel
In 1979, before the end of the anime, Yoshiyuki Tomino himself created the first novelizations of the original Gundam anime series. The novels, issued as a series of three books, allowed him to depict his story in a more sophisticated, adult, and detailed fashion. Along with this adaptation came several major changes to the story. For example, Amuro is already a member of the Federation military at the time of the initial Zeon attack on Side 7, and the main characters in the Federation serve on the
White Base-class ships
Pegasus and
Pegasus II rather than the
Pegasus-class
White Base. Additionally, the war continues well into the year UC 0080 in the novels, whereas it concludes at the beginning of that year in the anime series.
Perhaps the most controversial difference between the anime series and the novels is that in the latter, Amuro Ray is killed in the final attack against the Zeonic stronghold of A Baoa Qu when his RX-78-3 is pierced through the torso by a Rick Dom's beam bazooka. This occurs as Char's unit attempts to warn him about Gihren's intention to destroy the fortress and take the Federation's offensive fleet along with it. Char Aznable and the crew of
Pegasus II (
White Base), along with handpicked men under Kycilia Zabi's command, make a deep penetrating attack against the Side 3 and together kill Gihren Zabi, after which Kycilia is killed by Char. Tomino later lamented that had he known that anime ending would be different and that another series would be made, he would not have killed off Amuro in the novels. Because of such significant deviations from the animated series, movies, and subsequent sequels the novels themselves are not considered canonical; however, the detailed account of past events leading up to the introduction of the mobile suit and early skirmishes of the OYW are more or less accepted in the continuity. Nonetheless, they are often enjoyed by fans because they provide a great deal of detail and help explain the philosophical underpinnings of the Gundam series.
The three novels were translated into English by Frederik Schodt and published by Del Rey Books in September 1990. At the time, there were no officially recognized romanizations of character and mecha names, and a variety of different spellings were being used in the English-language fan community. In the original three novels, therefore, Mr. Schodt wrote the name "Char" as "Sha." "Sha" is a transliteration of the Japanese pronunciation, although Mr. Tomino later publicly confirmed at Anime Expo New York 2002 that the name was originally based on the French name
Charles AznavourCharles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world...
, a popular French-language singer. (Interestingly, the 2004 edition of the English translation revealed that Schodt felt that the "Char" rendering "seemed too close" to Aznavour's name.) He also rendered "Zaku" as "Zak," and (after consulting with Mr. Tomino) "Jion" as "Zeon," instead of "Zion," which was in use in some circles. Some North American fans, already attached to particular spellings, took great umbrage at Schodt's renditions, forgetting that in the original Japanese most character and mecha names are written in
katakanais a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet . The word katakana means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana scripts are derived from components of more complex kanji. Each kana represents one mora...
, and that there were, therefore, no "official spellings." Many years later, when the Gundam series was finally licensed in North America, the rightsholders did come up with a unified list of "official spellings" for English-language material, and some of these spellings include Schodt's renditions, as well as the renditions to which certain North American fans were attached.
In 2004, Frederik Schodt revised his original translation of the books, which had been out of print for nearly a decade. What had been a three volume set in the 1990 Del Rey edition was re-released by Stone Bridge Press as one single volume of 476 pages (with a vastly improved cover design), titled
Mobile Suit Gundam: Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation. Since the rights holders in Japan by this time had created a unified (although still evolving) list of romanized character and mecha names, Schodt was able to use it, and Amuro's rival in the novel thus became "Char" and not "Sha"; the popular Zeon Mobile Suit, similarly, became "Zaku," and not "Zak".
Compilation movies
Following the success of the
Mobile Suit Gundam TV series, Yoshiyuki Tomino returned in 1981 and reworked the footage into three separate compilation movies. The first two movies,
Mobile Suit Gundam and
Mobile Suit Gundam: Soldiers of Sorrow, were released in 1981. The third movie,
Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space, was released in 1982.
Each of the three movies is largely composed of old footage from the TV series, however Tomino felt that some things could be changed for the better. Tomino removed several aspects of the show which he felt were still too super robot-esque for the real robot series he intended
Gundam to be, such as the Gundam Hammer weapon. The G-Armor upgrade parts were also completely removed and replaced in the narrative by the more realistic Core Booster support fighters, and Hayato receives a RX-77 Guncannon at Jaburo to replace the disadvantaged RX-75 Guntank. The third movie also includes a substantial amount of new footage expanding on the battles of Solomon and A Baoa Qu.
In 1998, the three compilation movies were first released for directly to VHS subtitled into English as part of Bandai's AnimeVillage releases, which makes them among the first
Gundam works released in English. The movies were released again in North America on May 7, 2002 in DVD format, available separately or in a boxed set. These are also available only with re-done Japanese audio with English subtitles, the DVDs identical to the 20th anniversary release of the movie compilation in Japan. The original Japanese voice cast members rerecorded their lines with the exception of those who were deceased. The 20th anniversary release was digitally remastered and many of the sound effects were replaced, most notably the futuristic gun sounds being replaced by louder machine gun sound effects. Also, the music soundtrack, while not remixed was rearranged and in some cases removed from some scenes. The vocal songs are rearranged also, especially in the closing credits of the second and third movies.
Bandai Visual, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
has announced the re-release of the
Mobile Suit Gundam movies on DVD from new HD masters and with the original, theatrical, mono audio mix. This box set is scheduled for release in Japan on December 21, 2007.
In May 18, 2010 Bandai Entertainment re-released the movie trilogy under their Anime Legends label; as of 2011 this has been the latest release.
Manga
Mobile Suit Gundam manga, namely
Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 and
Mobile Suit Gundam: The OriginMobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN is a manga adaptation of the television anime series Mobile Suit Gundam written and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the original series' character designer...
, are published in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Viz Communications.
Characters
Earth Federation
- Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
- Bright Noa
is a fictional character from the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam and the related films. In the anime, he is only mentioned as Earth-born...
- Fraw Bow
- General Revil
In the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime, General Revil is one of the Earth Federation's leading Space Force commanders...
- Haro
is the mechanical mascot of the Gundam science fiction anime franchise, and is the only character that appears in more than one timeline. Haro has since become a mascot for the Sunrise studio as a whole, often appearing in their recent idents....
- Hayato Kobayashi
- Kai Shiden
was one of the supporting characters in the classic anime TV series Mobile Suit Gundam.Kai's name is derived from the name of a World War II era Japanese fighter plane, the Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai.-History:...
- Matilda Ajan
- Mirai Yashima
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. She is one of the three White Base crew to display Newtype abilities, along with Amuro Ray and Sayla Mass.-History:...
- Ryu Jose
is a fictional character from the 1979 anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. He was voiced by Shōzō Iizuka in the original Japanese version and by Ward Perry in the English dub.-Fictional background:...
- Sayla Mass
, is a fictional character from the Universal Century Gundam universe, first appearing in the groundbreaking 1979 43-episode anime series Mobile Suit Gundam...
- Slegger Law
- Tem Ray
Principality of Zeon
- Char Aznable
, born is a fictional character from the Gundam franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonists in Mobile Suit Gundam and later becomes one of the protagonists of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. In his final appearance in Char's Counterattack, he assumes leadership of the Neo Zeon movement,...
- Crowley Hamon
- Degwin Sodo Zabi
is a fictional character in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam universe. He was the absolute dictator of the Principality of Zeon and came to power in UC 0068 after the suspicious death of Zeon Zum Deikun.- Rise to Power :...
- Dozle Zabi
In the fictional Mobile Suit Gundam series, is the second oldest son of Degwin Sodo Zabi and the Principality of Zeon's Space Attack Force Commander...
- Garma Zabi
- Gihren Zabi
is a fictional character, and antagonist from the universe of the Gundam anime series. He was voiced by the veteran seiyu, Banjo Ginga in the original Japanese version. In the English dubbed series and movie adaptations the character was voiced by Hiro Kanagawa and Doug Stone respectively.American...
- Kycilia Zabi
In the fictional Mobile Suit Gundam series, is the only daughter of Degwin Sodo Zabi. While Yoshiyuki Tomino's novel version of MSG indicates her as the fourth of his five children and youngest except for Garma, the ongoing Gundam: The Origin manga by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko identifies her as his...
- Lalah Sune
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.-Fictional Character Biography:Lalah is a young woman who is the "star student" of Professor Flanagan due to her strong Newtype abilities, and as such is also one of the key test subjects in the development of Newtype-related weaponry...
- M'Quve
- Ramba Ral
- Black Tri-Stars
Opening and ending songs
Opening:
-
- Lyrics: Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
(as the pseudonym "Rin Iogi")
- Composition: Takeo Watanabe
was a Japanese musician and composer. In addition to composing the well known theme song for Cutie Honey he has also composed music for multiple television anime and films including Lone Wolf & Cub, Candy Candy, and Mobile Suit Gundam....
- Arrangement: Yuji Matsuyama
- Artist: Koh Ikeda
Ending: by Koh Ikeda (TV series) by
Takajin Yashiki— whose real name is also Takajin Yashiki, but written in kanji — is a singer and television celebrity from Nishinari Ward, Osaka City, Kansai, Japan.-Programs:Present*Takajin Mune Ippai *Takajin No Money...
(Movie I) by
Daisuke Inoueis a Japanese businessman best known as the inventor of the karaoke machine. Inoue, a musician in his youth employed in backing businesspeople who wanted to sing in bars, invented the machine as a means of allowing them to sing without live back-up...
(Movie II) by Daisuke Inoue (Movie III)
Interlude by Hori Koichiro by
Keiko Todais a Japanese actress and seiyū. Her most famous role is being the voice of the children's hero Anpanman on the long running anime Soreike! Anpanman...
by Keiko Toda - Insert Song in Episode 36
Cast
| Character | Japanese | English (Series) | English (Movies) |
| Amuro Ray |
Toru Furuya is a veteran narrator and seiyū born on July 31, 1953 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As a child, he was a member of Gekidan Himawari, a children's acting troupe...
|
Brad SwaileBradley "Brad" Swaile is a Canadian voice actor. He has acted in several animated series, known mostly for his anime roles; particularly that of Amuro Ray in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, Mousse in Ranma 1/2, and Quatre Raberba Winner in Gundam Wing...
|
Michael Lindsay Michael Lindsay is a voice actor. Lindsay has also been credited under the name Dylan Tully. Lindsay was born in Washington, D.C. but moved at a young age to New York...
|
| Char Aznable |
Shuichi Ikeda is a veteran seiyū born on December 2, 1949 in Tokyo, Japan. Ikeda is married to Sakiko Tamagawa, although he was once married to Keiko Toda. He currently works for Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society...
|
Michael Kopsa Michael Kopsa is a Canadian voice, film, television and stage actor, notable for his role as Char Aznable in the English dub of Mobile Suit Gundam and for his role as Commander Volcott O'Huey in Galaxy Angel. He has also provided the voice of Beast in X-Men: Evolution...
|
Steven BlumSteven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
|
| Bright Noah |
Hirotaka Suzuoki was a Japanese voice actor and actor from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture who graduated from Tokyo Keizai University.His best known roles include Mobile Suit Gundam , Captain Tsubasa , Saint Seiya , Dragon Ball Z , The Transformers , Ranma ½ , Rurouni Kenshin , Pokémon...
|
Chris Kalhoon |
Wheat St. James |
| Mirai Yashima |
Fuyumi Shiraishi is a Japanese voice actor.-Voice Roles:*Ashita no Joe *Osomatsu-kun 1966 *Obake no Q-Taro 1985 *Kaibutsu-kun 1968 *Mobile Suit Gundam 1979-1980 *Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam 1985...
|
Cathy Weseluck Cathy Weseluck is a Canadian voice actress who frequently works with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is known with providing the voice for characters in various anime series such as Mirai Yashima , Dorothy Catalonia and Catherine Bloom , Near , Shampoo , Kagome's mother , Misa...
|
Leslie Buhr |
| Sayla Mass |
Yō Inoue |
Alaina Burnett Alaina Burnett is a Canadian voice actor from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Roles :*Earth Girl Arjuna - Kaine Ariyoshi*Infinite Ryvius - Ran Luckmolde*Inu Yasha - Izayoi...
|
Olivia Bardeau |
| Fraw Bow |
Rumiko Ukai is a Japanese voice actress best known for voicing Frau Bow in the original Mobile Suit Gundam. She is a member of 81 Produce.-Voice Roles:*Frau Bow in Mobile Suit Gundam *Kitty Kitten in Space Runaway Ideon *Miyuki Tokita in Brigadoon...
|
Kristie MarsdenKristie Marsden is a Canadian actress, singer and dancer.Marsden was the youngest Canadian actress to play the role of Sophie in the Broadway musical, Mamma Mia!. She played the role for 832 performances...
|
Melissa FahnMelissa Fahn is an American voice and stage actress and singer known for her work in anime dubs and other mainstream animated series, as well as her work in Broadway and Los Angeles Theatre.-Biography:...
|
| Kai Shiden |
Toshio Furukawa is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni Production and is married to fellow voice actress Shino Kakinuma. His height is 164cm. Hobbies are Fishing, diorama, reading and movies.In July 2011, Furukawa appeared at Anime Expo as a guest.-Career/Personal:...
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Richard Ian Cox Richard Ian Cox is a Welsh-Canadian voice actor and online radio host best known for his voice acting for English language dubs of anime. Cox gained prominence for playing the character of Henry Dailey's teenaged traveler and horse rider, Alec Ramsay, in The Family Channel's Adventures of the...
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Eddie FriersonEdward Davies "Eddie" Frierson is an American voice actor and stage actor who is also known as Christy Mathewson, Ted Richards, and Eric Frierson Edward Davies "Eddie" Frierson (born November 22, 1959) is an American voice actor and stage actor who is also known as Christy Mathewson, Ted Richards,...
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| Hayato Kobayashi |
Kiyonobu Suzuki is a Japanese voice actor. His most famous role is perhaps Hayato Kobayashi in Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, and the MSG Movie Trilogy.-Anime roles:*AD Police Files as Hyde Kashew...
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Matt Smith Matt Smith is a Canadian voice actor who works for Ocean Productions in Vancouver.-Roles:*Dragon Ball Z - Tien * InuYasha - Hojo, Akitoki Hojo * Zoids: New Century Zero - Sanders...
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Richard Cansino Richard Cansino is an American voice actor. He is also known as Richard Hayworth because he is the nephew of Rita Hayworth, and occasionally goes by the name Steve Davis after the British snooker player of the same name...
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| Ryu Jose |
Shōzō Iizuka is a male Japanese voice actor from Fukushima Prefecture who is affiliated with Sigma Seven. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University....
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Ward Perry Ward Perry is an anime voice actor who has voiced characters for a number of anime dubbed by the Ocean Group in Vancouver, Canada. He is mostly known as the voice actor of Dragonball Z Villain Kid Buu.-Credits:...
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Ward Perry Ward Perry is an anime voice actor who has voiced characters for a number of anime dubbed by the Ocean Group in Vancouver, Canada. He is mostly known as the voice actor of Dragonball Z Villain Kid Buu.-Credits:...
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| Lalah Sune |
Keiko Han is a Japanese voice actress. She attended Tōyō Eiwa Jogakuin, going on to study theatre arts at Nihon University. She gained experience in theater while attending school by obtaining work through Aoni Production, singing the theme songs in productions such as Story of the Alps: My Annette and...
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Willow JohnsonWillow Johnson is a Canadian voice actress working for the Ocean Productions based in Vancouver. She has performed the roles of several characters for many anime series...
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Lia Sargent Lia Sargent is an American voice actress. She is known for extensive anime and video game voice work and has also done ADR directing and script writing for Animaze.. iNC...
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| Gihren Zabi |
Banjo Ginga , sometimes credited as his real name , is a Japanese voice actor who was born in Kofu, Yamanashi. Ginga is currently affiliated with Aoni Production...
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Hiro Kanagawa Hiro Kanagawa, born , is a Vancouver-based actor.He was born in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. He is perhaps best known as Principal Kwan from Smallville. His most notable anime role is Gihren Zabi from Mobile Suit Gundam...
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Doug Stone Douglas David Stone is a voice actor who is most notable for his representation of the character Psycho Mantis from the popular video game Metal Gear Solid, as well as the voice of Matt Trakker and several other characters in M.A.S.K., and Dragonborg in Beetleborgs Metallix...
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| Garma Zabi |
Katsuji Mori is a Japanese voice actor often accredited as the Casey Kasem of Japan. He is most known for the roles of Go Mifune , Joe Shimamura/009 , Ken the Eagle , Jouji Minami , and Garma Zabi .- Anime :*Nephrite in Sailor Moon*Seiji Hayami in Cutey Honey*Go Mifune in Mach Go Go Go/Speed Racer is a...
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Brian Dobson Brian Dobson is the third of three brothers, the others being Paul and Michael, who are well known for their talent as voice actors.- Anime Roles :*.hack//Roots - AI Harald...
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| Kishiria Zabi |
Mami Koyama Mami Koyama is a veteran seiyū and J-pop vocalist who was born in Nishio, Aichi. She was once married to fellow seiyū Tōru Furuya, her co-star in Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, and Casshern Sins...
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Michelle Porter |
Bambi Darro |
| Dozle Zabi |
Daisuke Gouri |
French Tickner |
Peter Spellos Peter Spellos is a voice actor who is also known as G. Gordon Baer, Gordon Baer, G. Gordon Bear, David Conrad, and Orville Ketchum.-Anime:* Black Jack - Mr. Brane* Bleach - Koganehiko, Dordonii...
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| Degwin Zabi |
Ichiro Nagai is a male seiyū from Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. He was formerly represented by Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, but is now represented by Aoni Production.-Television animation:*Akuma-kun *Bikkuriman...
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Chris Schneider |
Elliot Reynolds |
| Ramba Ral |
Masashi Hirose is a Japanese voice actor. He works at Production Baobab.He is known for the roles of Ramba Ral , Rikishiman , Gosterro , and Nakano-sensei .-Anime television:...
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John Payne John Payne is an English-born Canadian voice actor who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, Canada. He has played several roles in anime, most notably Ramba Ral in Mobile Suit Gundam and Rasetsu in InuYasha....
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Michael McConnohie Michael D. McConnohie is a voice actor and is the President of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. He is known for his recognizable deep booming voice and is generally known for playing more charismatic characters...
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| Crowley Hamon |
Yumi Nakatani |
Lenore Zann Lenore Zann is a politician as well as a screen, television, stage, and voice actress who has appeared in numerous television shows and films...
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Dian Andrews |
Gundam the Ride
"Gundam the Ride: A Baoa Qu" was an
amusement parkthumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
attraction at the
Fuji-Q HighlandFuji-Q Highland is an amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan.The theme park is near the base of Mount Fuji. It has a number of roller coasters, as well as The Haunted Hospital, the world's second largest haunted attraction, and Thomas Land, a children's area with a Thomas the Tank Engine...
Amusement Park located in
Fujiyoshida, Yamanashiis a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū.-Geography:It is considered a high-elevation city in Japan, at 2,140 to 2,800 feet above sea level. The city is also located between two of the five Fuji Lakes.-Geology:Fujiyoshida was founded on...
,
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was a
dark rideA dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects....
for the park.
Gundam the Ride, which opened to the public on July 20, 2000, was based on
Mobile Suit Gundam. Set during the final chaotic Battle of A Baoa Qu, Gundam the Ride places its riders in an Escape Launch Shuttle about to leave the battleship
Suruga.
The animation of Gundam the Ride used mostly computer graphics, however, all human characters were hand-drawn cel animation, similar to the style current
Gundam video games are done in. All of the character designs for Gundam the Ride were done by Mikimoto Haruhiko.
The ride's characters make a cameo appearance in the video game "Encounters in Space" while the player (playing as Amuro Ray in his Gundam) is making his way through the
Dolos.
The ride closed on January 8, 2007.
Gundam Crisis Attraction
Set to replace the original "Gundam the Ride", the main feature of this attraction is a full size 1:1 Gundam model, lying flat inside the venue. Instead of sitting in a movable cockpit and watching a CG movie, it requires participants to carry handheld devices throughout the attraction to find certain pieces of information, similar to a
scavenger huntA scavenger hunt is a game in which the organizers prepare a list defining specific items, using which the participants — individuals or teams — seek to gather all items on the list — usually without purchasing them — or perform tasks or take photographs of the items, as specified...
, in order to activate the Gundam. The interior of the attraction is a mock-up of a Federation ship, and employees remain in-character inside of the ride.
Video games
(For the list below, only video games featuring mobile suits appeared in
One Year WarThe is a fictional conflict from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam metaseries. The One Year War is very similar to World War II, the major difference being that The One Year War is in a science fiction setting and some major battles occurred in space...
, or related variations)
There have been many video games based on or with mobile suits from the original
Gundam series. Of these, the following have crossed the border into North America:
- Gundam Battle Assault, Gundam Battle Assault 2
- Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise From the Ashes
Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise From the Ashes, also known in Japan by the alternate title of is a video game that was released for the Dreamcast. It is based in the Universal Century timeline of the popular Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. It was developed and published by Bandai...
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo
Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo is a video game for the PlayStation 2. It was released on August 6, 2001. It features voice acting from the original cast, and a hidden mode called "Tactics Battle", where one can pilot Earth Federation and Zeon mobile suits in various combat situations...
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front
Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front is a game for the PlayStation 2, which revolves around a Zeon Special Commando Unit during the One Year War, called the Midnight Fenrir Corp. This MS team was created by Kycilia Zabi and participated in the capture of the California Base during the 2nd Earth...
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space
Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space is a Third-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 2 released in 2003. The game is centered on space based mobile suit combat...
- Mobile Suit Gundam VS Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire
Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire, known in Japan and Europe as , is a PlayStation 3 launch title, published and developed by Namco Bandai, based on Sunrise's Mobile Suit Gundam franchise...
(Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight in Japan)
- MS Saga: A New Dawn (Mobile Suit Gundam: True Odyssey in Japan)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Never Ending Tomorrow
- Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
On the first day of its release, Gundam Musou sold over a 100,000 copies, making it the first PS3 title to do so on its first day. Also, the game sold about 70 percent of its 170,000 -180,000 launch day shipments, making it rank third in overall sales — after Ridge Racer 7 and Mobile Suit Gundam:...
, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2, originally released in Japan as , is a tactical action video game based on the Gundam anime series, and the sequel to 2007's Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. It is developed by Koei/Omega Force and is published by Namco Bandai...
, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 (Gundam Musou in Japan)
Current generation games that have been unreleased in countries outside Japan include:
- Mobile Suit Gundam (1993 arcade game)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Bonds of the Battlefield
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Spirits of Zeon ~Dual Stars of Carnage~
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Spirit of Zeon ~Memory of Soldier~
- Quiz Mobile Suit Gundam: Monsenshi
- Mobile Suit Gundam Giren's Greed: Blood of Zeon
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles
is a Sci-Fi Mech Shooter/Mech Simulator Game for the Sony PlayStation 2. This game allows you to play as a regular soldier on either the EFSF or the Principality of Zeon, witnessing events from the One Year War on a grunt unit's point of view. You will be able to fight side by side with the Ace...
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Climax UC
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The One Year War
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Path of the Soldiers
Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senshitachi no Kiseki is a GameCube-exclusive third-person shooter video game released in 2004 by Bandai. The game was released only in Japan and a part of the Mobile Suit Gundam series....
(also referred to as Ace Pilot)
- Gundam Battle (series)
Gundam Battle is a series of games exclusively made for the Sony PlayStation Portable game console, all based on a same game engine. Currently there are 5 games in the series.-Gundam Battle Tactics:...
- SD Gundam G-Generation (series)
- SD Gundam SCAD Hammers
SD Gundam: Scad Hammers is a Gundam title for the Wii in which players control a mech unit equipped with a giant hammer. It has been released in Japan.-Playable Mobile Suits:* RX-78-2 Gundam* RGM-79 GM* RX-78-2 Gundam [Magnet Coating]* RX-78-3 Gundam "G-3"...
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Operation: Troy
- Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senjō no Kizuna
Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senjō no Kizuna , is a Japanese arcade game set in the original Gundam universe . The game was created by Bandai Namco and Banpresto and was released late 2006. Play involves stepping into a P.O.D...
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam is an arcade game that newly crossover with other Gundam in Gundam Vs. series. The game features up to 30 different Mobile Weapons, and a play system similar to previous titles in the Gundam Vs. series....
Legacy
Despite being released in 1979, the original
Gundam series is still remembered and recognized within the
anime fan communityis a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
. The series revolutionized
mechaA mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
anime, introducing the new
Real Robotis a genre of Japanese animation. The genre contains mecha robots that are powered by conventional power sources and weapons explainable by real world science, and that use ranged weapons and speed to survive battle situations....
genre, and over the years became synonymous with the entire genre for many. As a result, for example, parodies of mecha genre commonly feature
homageHomage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
s to
Mobile Suit Gundam, thanks to its immediate recognizability.
John Oppliger observes that the characters of
Amuro Rayis a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
, to whom the young Japanese of that time could easily relate, and
Char Aznable, born is a fictional character from the Gundam franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonists in Mobile Suit Gundam and later becomes one of the protagonists of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. In his final appearance in Char's Counterattack, he assumes leadership of the Neo Zeon movement,...
, who was "simply [...] fascinating", made a major contribution to the series' popularity. He also concludes that "in many respects First Gundam stands for the nostalgic identifying values of everything that anime itself represents".
American
musicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Richie KotzenRichie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
former Guitarist from
PoisonIn the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
and MR.BIG released an album called
Ai Senshi ZxR on 2006 in Japan. The Album Consist of covered music from Gundam Series and original songs.
American
musicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Andrew W.K.Andrew W.K. is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, entertainer, and motivational speaker. He is the host of the television series Destroy Build Destroy.-Early life & career:Andrew Wilkes-Krier was born in Stanford, California, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
released an album called
Gundam RockGundam Rock is a cover album by Andrew W.K., released on September 9, 2009 only in Japan. The album consists of covered music from the Gundam series to celebrate its 30th Anniversary....
on September 9, 2009 in Japan. The album consists of covered music from the Gundam series to celebrate its 30th Anniversary.
The series, and
Yoshiyuki Tominois a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
himself, are both referred to in the 2011 post-apocalyptic novel
Tobacco-Stained Mountain GoatTobacco-Stained Mountain Goat is a science fiction/noir novel by Australian author Andrez Bergen. It is set in a post-apocalyptic, near-future Melbourne, Australia. It features cover art and some illustrations by American artist Scott Campbell, and was first published through Another Sky Press in...
.
One of the dogs in Inubaka is named after Amuro.
Background Research
The background research of Mobile Suit Gundam is well praised in its field, positions in which the colonies (sides) are located in orbit are
lagrangian pointThe Lagrangian points are the five positions in an orbital configuration where a small object affected only by gravity can theoretically be stationary relative to two larger objects...
s are based on real scientific theory, while the colonies (sides) are based on the O'Neill cylinder theory. It even caused the fame of the O'Neil cylinder in Japan.
External links