It is nearly 35 years since the theatrical version of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM was released. Numerous works, whose creators have publicly stated they were influenced by Gundam, have been worldwide big hits. One such work, the Guillermo del Toro-directed Pacific Rim, remains fresh in audiences’ minds, and thus the influence of Gundam continues to reverberate throughout the world.

The first work in the Gundam franchise, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, is set in the “Universal Century,” when overpopulation has forced part of humanity to immigrate from Earth to Space. During a war for independence declared against the Earth Federation by the nation of space migrants, the “Principality of Zeon,” a young boy, Amuro Ray, pilots the Federation’s new weapon–the Gundam—and grows up in the heat of battle. The series features numerous characters with unique personalities, including Char of the Zeon army, who goes by the nom de guerre “The Red Comet.” The famous lines said by these characters sparked conversations throughout Japan.

This animated TV series began broadcasting in April 1979. The show created a minor sensation, which transformed into a social phenomenon with the 1980 release of “Gunpla”–plastic models based on the franchise–and a trilogy of theatrical films from 1981. The appeal of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM–the realistic near-future SF setting; the scenes of the human–piloted, humanoid-shaped “Mobile Suits” fighting; and a layered wartime human drama–enraptured countless fans, turning existing perceptions of animated works about robots on their head.

Join us for our 2016 SUMMER OF GUNDAM, featuring the series that revolutionized the giant robot genre, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM!