Mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam first arrived on Japanese television screens back in 1979 and went on to evolve into a massive franchise encompassing manga, novelizations, games and more. After decades of popularity, it will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2019 with a number of huge projects!
The theme for this anniversary is “Beyond”, also reflected in a key visual features four illustrations bringing together iconic titles from the franchise: Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, Iron Blooded Orphans and Gundam 00, Gundam W and Z Gundam, and Gundam Reconguista in G and Gundam: The Origin. It also has a theme song titled “The Beyond” by Luna Sea and X Japan guitarist Sugizo.
In the 3D realm, the Gundam Global Challenge will be taking on (quite literally) an enormous project: creating a moving life-sized Gundam. They hope to unveil the final results in Yokohama in the summer of 2020.
As for the anime-related announcements, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash, has been named as the second in the series of UC NexT 0100 Project movie series and will receive a film trilogy.
The six-part Gundam: The Origin anime series, which was originally screened in cinemas from 2015-2018, will also be aired on TV as a thirteen-part TV series. Sugizo will produce the ending theme while Luna Sea will perform the opening. On the other hand, TV anime Gundam Reconguista in G is set to be recut and released as a theatrical movie.
There will also be a new title for the Gundam Build anime series airing in 2019, as well as SD Gundam World Sangoku Souketsuden.
Finally, the franchise will be heading to the stage with an adaptation titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00, to be performed in Tokyo from Feb. 15-18, and Osaka on Feb. 23 and 24. The Feb. 24 show in Osaka will be live streamed at venues throughout Japan.
(C)Sotsu, Sunrise (C)Sotsu, Sunrise, MBS
Adapted with permission from Anime!Anime!