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Which Gundam DVD?
SuicaLove
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Registered User regular
So I currently live in Tokyo, where we are in the middle of Gundam fever (there's a huge Gundam on Odaiba and a special anniversary DVD release). I'm heading back to the states soon and thought I would bring back a couple of Gundam figures for two young boys I know (11 and 9 years old). While the figures definitely are cool just to look at, I thought I would order them a DVD off Amazon so they could enjoy the story too. However, I have no clue what to get them! I've never watched much of any of the Gundam series myself, so I don't know what I should pick. I'm thinking movie, not series, and probably something dubbed (as I don't think they want to read subs). Any suggestions? Favorites? They're typical geek boys and I think they would really enjoy something like this. Thanks!
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The Gundam on display in Odaiba is the original Gundam, from the series "Mobile Suit Gundam" (Aka Mobile Suit Gundam 0079). The original series is absolutely great (I just finished powering through it a few weeks ago) but the animation is kind of dated. This probably won't bother them, but to an adult it's really quite funny to notice all the re-used scenes and animation errors. (You'll still love the show anyway).
They made three compilation movies from the series (using a combination of the original footage and new animation), that as far as I know are generally well received. I haven't seen them (since I was able to watch the series I didn't see the need), but they might work.
The movies are called MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SOLDIERS OF SORROW, and MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: HEIRS TO THE STARS. They've been dubbed, I personally don't care for the voice actors from what I've seen, but kids won't care.
The only thing is the age of the boys. (All my knowledge is of the series, not the movies).
In the first episode, numerous people die (bloodlessly as far I remember, but you do see them being thrown around in the explosions). Many characters are built up and then killed. There is little blood, but the deaths may shock the boys. Of course, there is plenty of Robot on Robot violence as well. They do make the point that war and killing are wrong, but I'm not sure if a 9 and 11 year are really going to be watching for the themes and subtexts, y'know?
In addition, and again this all from my knowledge of the series, not the movies, there are a few nude scenes. They are usually brief, and more for comic relief (character A walks in on character B in the shower, oh those wacky pilots!). There are quite a few romantic subplots, but no sex, so you won't have to worry about that.
The sequel series, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, is made from 100% awesome. Better animation, an epic and engaging plot, and great characters. Three movies were made from this as well, but they're not dubbed yet. However, I would shy away from this, as it is much more intense and serious than the first series. However, I'd keep it in mind for when they're a bit older.
There's a 12 episode OVA, called "The 8th MS Team" which is one not only a great Gundam show, it's a great show in general. It focuses on regular soldiers, not the ace pilots that most Gundam shows focus on. As far as plot goes, at it's core it is Romeo and Juliet with Gundams. But, it's awesome. Again, it's pretty serious, so I'd be careful about recommending this one.
There's plenty more (There's a movie "Char's Counterattack", more OVAs, and more series, that tie into the original Gundam storyline. It's pretty big to jump into). I haven't seen all of them, so I can't recommend ones I haven't seen. (I have seen Char's Counterattack. It's good, but probably not for kids that young).
Of course, if you don't care about the connection between the Gundam in Odaiba and the shows and figures you get them, you can always go for the off-shoot series.
A while back, Cartoon Network aired Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, which was apparently pretty popular with kids. It's got a pretty bad reputation, as far as I know, just for being relatively lame. Since CN aired it, it's pretty safe to say it's been cleaned up. There was a movie as well, "Endless Waltz." It has some pretty cool robots.
CN also showed Mobile Fighter G Gundam, which was basically Kung-Fu Giant Robots. I never cared for it, but younger boys probably will. The robots range from cool to ridiculous. I don't think there were movies.
There was also SD Gundam Force, which was like some super kid friendly Gundam Show. I think. I saw commercials for it once.
Of course, you could use this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundam#Animated_series_and_films) list and judge for yourself.
As far as obtaining toys and the films, Gundam stuff is pretty hard to procure in the states (At least where I live). It ranges from expensive to breaking the bank. But, since you're in Japan, it's probably MUCH easier.
Gundam Models are cool, but I wouldn't give them to a kid that wants to play with them. Or an adult that wants to play with them. They're fragile in my experience (I bought like 3 when I was younger, and said "Screw it, I want to make them fight). Plus, there are numerous lines of more stereotypical "Action Figures" that are super detailed and awesome, which I totally recommend getting for the kids if you can find some. They're nigh-indestructible. (Alright, maybe not, but they're hard to break).
Hope any of that helps, and doesn't come off as insane rambling from someone who has caught Gundam Fever as well.
Best of luck! If you manage to get something, I'm sure they'll love it!
(PS: You should watch them too!)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Not sure what you mean by the "bad reputation", as everything i've ever seen about it indicates it was a smash hit to the general public more or less. If you mean that it has a bad reputation amongst certain populations on the Net....well, there's always someone to disagree about anything.
Anyway, while there's certainly not anything that's going to scar someone for life, a lot of the political/philosophical stuff is likely to fly right over their heads, and there's a few darker bits that might make them uncomfortable. Personally, though, I think it's a great series, even if it does get a bit (or a lot) wordy at times.
To like this series, you pretty much have to embrace the concept of something being so cheesy at times that it goes past being bad all the way to awesome again. Even the horse of one of the characters gets his own Gundam at one point.
It was different in a lot of ways from more traditional Gundam series. Case in point, the gundams are nigh-invulnerable super robots instead of being just a bit better than more common mobile suits and characters aren't as faceted. Not necessarily bad, but not up to the quality of something like Zeta Gundam.
Oh, that and the Char expy in Wing, Zechs, was confusing as hell since they tried to cram every switch in allegiance Char had from Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, Gundam Double Zeta, and Char's Counterattack into a single series.
It's probably the self contained series closest to traditional Gundam stuff nonetheless.
The other option would be finding the 3 movies that were made from Mobile Suit Gundam's good parts.
Oh, and to an above poster, 08th MS Team does indeed contain nudity. And frankly some of it is kind of hard to follow without familiarity with the whole Federation vs. Zeon thing from MS Gundam.
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Yeah, that last part could be true. To be honest, now that I think about it, I don't know that any of the Universal Century stuff (which would mean 0079, 0080, 0083, The 8th MS Team, etc.) would fit the bill for an uninitiated set of pre-teens, since part of what makes it good is the political intrigue and character relationships, and it's a lot to handle, frankly. G-Gundam, Gundam Wing, or Gundam SEED are possibly the best bets here.
Also, is it at all possible to talk about Gundam without sounding like a huge dweeb? :P
Of course, pretty unfortunate that it never got a sequel.
*cough*
I'm going to go pick up some figures (not the complex models) at Bic Camera today. They're having a 30% off sale on Gundam things it seems and when I was there the other day I saw salarymen at lunch loading up on them. It was quite the sight!
Keep the recommendations coming if you have them, I may have to pick up a DVD for myself too. I've always been a Robotech girl, but the Gundam fever here seems to be easy to catch.
Endless Waltz is the sequel/epilogue for the Gundam Wing universe, so it may not be a good choice for the first thing to drop in their laps.
Most of Gundam's movies and OAVs are like that really. The exception being the 3 Mobile Suit Gundam movies, which were basically the original series with the junk cut out when people actually started to pay attention to the anime.
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Gundam Wing is good, but it's fairly long and full of political backstabbing and such.
I don't know how they feel about older animation, but I find the style of the original and some of its spinoffs to be a bit off-putting when first watching. The animation hasn't aged well.
But consider that they're probably not going to *get* the plot of any of them, really, and Endless Waltz is probably a fine choice.
I'd think about this too. It's pretty different from the others, though - whereas Gundam 0079 and Gundam Wing and the others are essentially a kind of war drama, G Gundam is more a martial arts drama. Lots of fights and neat mech designs (Shining Gundam may be my fave mech from anything ever).
Also, if you watch this and don't occaisionally shout "Shining FINGER!" to yourself, be concerned: You may have no soul.
I find myself thinking this to myself constantly in Super Robot Wars games during certain attacks. The day I get ahold of a SRW game that actually has G Gundam units in it will be filled with much rejoicing.
I'd have to second G Gundam being the most engaging for that age range even if it's not a traditional Gundam series. The super robot stuff G Gundam is inspired by was really popular with kids back in the day.
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