Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Encyclopedia
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, known in Japan as , is an anime
series in the mecha
genre, and is one of the alternate universe Gundam
series, taking place in the After Colony timeline. It is the second alternate universe in the Gundam media franchise, following Mobile Fighter G Gundam
. The plot centers around a war between Earth and its colonies in space; however, in contrast to the Universal Century
continuity, the Gundam pilots of Gundam Wing are more closely allied to each other than they are to any particular side in the conflict unfolding around them.
The series aired across Japan on the terrestrial TV Asahi
network. The series ran for forty-nine half-hour episodes, beginning on April 7, 1995 and ending on March 29, 1996. Masashi Ikeda was the overall director of the series. Katsuyuki Sumizawa (Yoroiden Samurai Troopers
) wrote the scenario for the series and was one of three official script-writers, along with Akemi Omode and Katsuhiko Chiba. Ikeda wrote one script himself and one with Omode and one with Sumizawa. Toshifumi Kawase also wrote three scripts in the latter part of the first half of the series. Koh Otani composed the music. The series was loosely based on the original 1979 series, Mobile Suit Gundam
, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino
and Hajime Yatate
. Gundam Wing was among the first series in the Gundam franchise (not including OVAs) to be dubbed
in English and was aired on Cartoon Network
in the U.S. and the U.K. Since then, the series has also been dubbed into Tagalog, French, Italian, German, Arabic, Spanish, Indonesian, Malay and Portuguese.
), and, down on the Earth, the nations have united as the United Earth Sphere Alliance. However, the Alliance oppresses the colonies with its military power. The colonies desire a peaceful resolution to the situation, joining together in a movement headed by the pacifist Heero Yuy. In the year After Colony 175, Yuy is shot dead by an assassin (believed to be Odin Lowe), forcing the colonies to search for other paths to peace. The assassination also prompts five disaffected scientists from the Organization of the Zodiac (more commonly referred to as OZ) to turn rogue after the completion of the mobile suit
prototype Tallgeese.
The story of Gundam Wing begins in the year After Colony 195, with the start of "Operation Meteor": the scientists' plan for revenge against OZ. The operation involves five teenage boys, who have each been chosen and trained by each of the five scientists, then sent to Earth independently in extremely advanced mobile suits (one designed by each of the scientists) known as "Gundams" (called such because they are constructed from a rare and astonishingly durable material known as Gundanium alloy, which can only be created in outer space). Each Gundam is sent from a different colony, and the pilots are initially unaware of each other's existence.
The series focuses primarily on the Gundam pilots: Heero Yuy (an alias, not to be confused with the martyred pacifist), Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, and Chang Wufei. Their mission is to attack OZ directly, in order to rid the Alliance of its weapons and free the colonies from its oppressive rule. The Gundam pilots each start out on separate missions, but encounter each other and then join forces later while on Earth.
Along the way, Heero meets Relena Darlian, the seemingly ordinary daughter of Earth's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, after her father is assassinated by OZ's ruthless second-in-command, Lady Une, it is revealed to Relena that she is really Relena Peacecraft, heir to the pacifistic Sanc Kingdom.
Although the five Gundams succeed in destroying several of OZ's supply bases and mobile suit factories, the sinister organization is still able to complete its ultimate goal of overturning the Alliance and becoming the new ruler of Earth and the colonies. Wufei attempts to kill OZ's ambitious yet chivalrous leader, Treize Khushrenada, only to be defeated in a sword duel. Treize, however, admires Wufei's fighting spirit, and allows Wufei to escape so they can fight again another day.
Throughout the series, Heero has several mobile suit battles with OZ's "Lightning Count," Zechs Merquise (whose true identity is Milliardo Peacecraft, Relena's older brother). During their second encounter in Siberia, however, the colonies are held hostage by Lady Une, who tries to force the Gundam pilots to surrender their mobile suits to OZ; Heero, in response, self-destructs his Gundam, nearly killing himself in the process.
Later on, the Gundam pilots return to outer space, only to find that the colonies they were sent from have now sided with OZ. Marked as rebels, they fall on hard times; Quatre witnesses his father's murder, Heero, Duo and Wufei are captured by OZ, and Trowa enlists as a soldier of OZ (secretly as a double agent).
At this time, the Wing Gundam ZERO is introduced. This mobile suit was the original Gundam designed by the five scientists, but was never constructed due to its signature feature: the ZERO System, a combat system that directly interfaces with the pilot's brain and feeds the pilot tactical data on the fly. The downside of this is that prolonged exposure causes hallucinations, and in some cases, insanity. Quatre, who has been driven mad with grief over his father's death and the colonies' betrayal, discovers the schematics for Wing ZERO and has it built. He then uses it to go on a rampage against OZ and avenge his father's death, but he is eventually stopped by Heero and Trowa (although Trowa is nearly killed and suffers temporary amnesia).
After returning to Earth, Heero and Quatre take refuge in the newly reopened Sanc Kingdom, which is governed by none other than Relena. The kingdom, however, is being pressured by the Romefeller Foundation (the group that controls most other countries, as well as OZ) to dissolve. By this time, the Foundation has reformated OZ's military force to consist primarily of mobile dolls
.
Trieze has been confined to Romefeller's headquarters due to his outspoken dislike of the use of unmanned suits in combat (which he feels negate the true spirit of battle). In his confinement, Treize builds the Gundam Epyon and later gives it to Heero. Much like Wing ZERO, Epyon is equipped with the ZERO System. After being affected by the System, Heero fights once more against a returning Zechs, who is piloting Wing ZERO. After the battle ends in another draw, they exchange Gundams and part ways.
At the same time, Relena formally dissolves the Sanc Kingdom due to the tremendous pressure from Romefeller. She then becomes the chief representative for the Foundation (at first as a figurehead, but gradually gaining more and more power) under the title "Queen of the World".
Eventually, Treize is released from confinement, and he relieves Relena of her crown, telling her that while she has successfully laid the foundation for true peace, he is the one with the strength to bring it to fruition. Treize then takes control of the Romefeller Foundation; at the same time, Zechs returns to space to become the leader of the White Fang
organization under his true name: Milliardo Peacecraft. White Fang has seized control of a Peacemillion-class battleship OZ was building for Romefeller to show its military power, called Libra. Zechs fires Libra's main cannon at the Earth, causing great damage to the planet. This prompts Treize to start gathering all of the military power he can muster from Earth's forces to retaliate, while the Gundam pilots remain neutral.
White Fang continues to battle the Earth forces by taking out the only remaining OZ base in space: Space Fortress Barge. Eventually, the Gundam pilots choose to fight against White Fang. During the epic final battle, Treize is killed (of his own volition) in a rematch against Wufei, while Heero fights against Zechs one last time. Their battle is broadcast to all of Earth and space by Lady Une. When the citizens see the meaningless battle, they put aside their differences, whether they are from the colonies or from Earth, and form what becomes the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. However, White Fang refuses to surrender, and sends Libra plunging on a collision course with Earth. After several attempts from the other four Gundams to prevent this, Heero intercepts the battle station's remains as it enters Earth's atmosphere and destroys it with Wing ZERO's twin-barrel buster rifle, bringing an end to the war.
, compiling various scenes from the series along with a few minutes of new footage, were released in 1996 as Gundam Wing: Operation Meteor I, II and III. A three-volume OVA series, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
, was produced in 1997 as a sequel to the TV series; plot-wise, it brought the After-Colony timeline to a close. In 1998, a movie version of Endless Waltz was made, with additional footage, alterations of the music scores, and a different ending theme song.
Gundam Wing was later licensed for release in North America by Bandai Entertainment and was dubbed into English by Ocean Productions. The series was broadcast in the U.S. on Cartoon Network's action-oriented programing block Toonami
, premiering on March 6, 2000 and ending on May 11, 2000. In the first extended promo leading up to the series' premiere, voice actor Peter Cullen
narrated the back story, evoking memories of Voltron
's opening credits. The promo was said to be so riveting that Bandai decided to use it as the official promo for the series.
It was broadcast in two formats; an edited version shown in the daytime on Toonami and an uncut version shown past midnight as part of Toonami's "Midnight Run." Examples of the edits included the removal of blood, profanity, and the word "kill" being replaced with the word "destroy" (this was extended to Duo's nickname, "The God of Death", changed to "The Great Destroyer", forcing the alteration of two episode titles), though the word "death" was mostly left intact. The uncut version shown was completely unedited. Reception for the uncut version was a factor in the eventual creation of the Adult Swim
programing block, which premiered on September 2, 2001.
All Gundam Wing episodes have been released on VHS
and DVD
in the U.S. Differences between the two video systems is that the episodes on VHS contain the edited version while the episodes on DVD contain the uncut version. Endless Waltz was also dubbed by Ocean Productions and an edited version of it aired on Cartoon Network on November 10, 2000. It was later released on a DVD that contains both the OVA and movie versions.
Ending:
Insert songs:
sidestories
have also been produced. Episode Zero is a prequel, detailing the events leading up to series; the stories have been collected in a volume that also contains one brief open-ended interlude, Preventer 5, that details an operation that occurs after Endless Waltz. A coincident storyline to the series is presented in Last Outpost (G-Unit). Several sequel manga, occurring between Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz, have also been written: Blind Target, Ground Zero, and Battlefield of Pacifists.
The Gundam Wing, Battlefield of Pacifists, and Endless Waltz manga series were published in English by Tokyopop
, while Blind Target, Ground Zero, and Episode Zero were published by Viz Communications. Another sequel manga detailing the future of the colonies entitled Tiel's Impulse was printed in 1998 and has not been published in the United States.
In September 2010, Gundam Ace
magazine began serializing a manga called New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz: Glory of the Defeated that retells the events of the anime while incorporating facts from Episode Zero and the novel Frozen Teardrop.
magazine announced they would serialize a "New Gundam Wing Project". The project was eventually revealed to be a novel, titled New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop. Written by Katsuyuki Sumizawa, the novel begins a new timeline, following the "Mars Century" calendar ("MC") which was the successor of the previous "AC" calendar. According to an interview with the author, the novel will span backwards into the AC century and the Gundam pilots, Relena, and their children will make appearances.
called Gundam Wing: Endless Duel was released for the Super Famicom in Japan. It was the only Gundam video game to be based solely on Gundam Wing. The game was never released in the United States or Europe, but has gained some popularity through the emulation
of older video games. Since then, Gundam Wing characters and mecha have appeared in several other video game series including Super Robot Wars
, Gundam Battle Assault, Another Century's Episode
, and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
.
Upon the show's popular debut in North America, Gundam Wing received a large roster of licensees for merchandise including wallscrolls, apparel, school supplies, skateboards, trading cards, and action figure models.
which managed an average television rating
over four percent. It was ranked number two in Animage
magazine's Anime Grand Prix in 1996 and was also ranked number 76 in the publication's list of the 100 most important anime of all time.
Gundam Wing was a greater success in North America however, and is credited with single-handedly popularizing the Gundam franchise among Western audiences. Just over a week after its premiere on Cartoon Network on March 6, 2000, the series was the top rated program in all age groups. During the summer of 2000, it remained as the first or second top-rated show among kids and teens during its twelve airings per week on Toonami. The initial airing of the OVA Endless Waltz on November 10, 2000 was the channel's second highest rated program ever at the time, only being topped by the premiere of Funimation
's in-house dub of Dragon Ball Z
.
Anime
is 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 in the mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
genre, and is one of the alternate universe Gundam
Gundam
The 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, taking place in the After Colony timeline. It is the second alternate universe in the Gundam media franchise, following Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Mobile Fighter G Gundam, known in Japan as , is a Japanese animated television series directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa . Created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the franchise in 1994, it is the first of the Gundam series to be set in an alternate continuity from the original "Universal Century"...
. The plot centers around a war between Earth and its colonies in space; however, in contrast to the Universal Century
Universal Century
is 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....
continuity, the Gundam pilots of Gundam Wing are more closely allied to each other than they are to any particular side in the conflict unfolding around them.
The series aired across Japan on the terrestrial TV Asahi
TV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
network. The series ran for forty-nine half-hour episodes, beginning on April 7, 1995 and ending on March 29, 1996. Masashi Ikeda was the overall director of the series. Katsuyuki Sumizawa (Yoroiden Samurai Troopers
Ronin Warriors
Ronin Warriors, known in Japan as , is a Japanese anime series and manga adaptation created by Hajime Yatate. The anime was produced and animated by Sunrise, and aired across Japan on Nagoya Television from April 30, 1988 to March 4, 1989 and has a total of 39 episodes.Ronin Warriors was produced...
) wrote the scenario for the series and was one of three official script-writers, along with Akemi Omode and Katsuhiko Chiba. Ikeda wrote one script himself and one with Omode and one with Sumizawa. Toshifumi Kawase also wrote three scripts in the latter part of the first half of the series. Koh Otani composed the music. The series was loosely based on the original 1979 series, Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino
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...
and Hajime Yatate
Hajime Yatate
is a pseudonym for the collective contributions of the Sunrise animation staff.-Name:"Hajime Yatate" is considered named after a quote of Matsuo Bashō's Oku no Hosomichi:-Credited series:...
. Gundam Wing was among the first series in the Gundam franchise (not including OVAs) to be dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
in English and was aired on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
in the U.S. and the U.K. Since then, the series has also been dubbed into Tagalog, French, Italian, German, Arabic, Spanish, Indonesian, Malay and Portuguese.
Plot
In the distant future, Mankind has colonized space (with clusters of space colonies at each of the five Earth-Moon Lagrange pointsLagrangian point
The 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...
), and, down on the Earth, the nations have united as the United Earth Sphere Alliance. However, the Alliance oppresses the colonies with its military power. The colonies desire a peaceful resolution to the situation, joining together in a movement headed by the pacifist Heero Yuy. In the year After Colony 175, Yuy is shot dead by an assassin (believed to be Odin Lowe), forcing the colonies to search for other paths to peace. The assassination also prompts five disaffected scientists from the Organization of the Zodiac (more commonly referred to as OZ) to turn rogue after the completion of the mobile suit
Mobile weapons
In the Gundam terminology, the terms normal suit and astrosuit are used to refer to normal astronaut spacesuits, so as to avoid confusion with mobile suits....
prototype Tallgeese.
The story of Gundam Wing begins in the year After Colony 195, with the start of "Operation Meteor": the scientists' plan for revenge against OZ. The operation involves five teenage boys, who have each been chosen and trained by each of the five scientists, then sent to Earth independently in extremely advanced mobile suits (one designed by each of the scientists) known as "Gundams" (called such because they are constructed from a rare and astonishingly durable material known as Gundanium alloy, which can only be created in outer space). Each Gundam is sent from a different colony, and the pilots are initially unaware of each other's existence.
The series focuses primarily on the Gundam pilots: Heero Yuy (an alias, not to be confused with the martyred pacifist), Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, and Chang Wufei. Their mission is to attack OZ directly, in order to rid the Alliance of its weapons and free the colonies from its oppressive rule. The Gundam pilots each start out on separate missions, but encounter each other and then join forces later while on Earth.
Along the way, Heero meets Relena Darlian, the seemingly ordinary daughter of Earth's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, after her father is assassinated by OZ's ruthless second-in-command, Lady Une, it is revealed to Relena that she is really Relena Peacecraft, heir to the pacifistic Sanc Kingdom.
Although the five Gundams succeed in destroying several of OZ's supply bases and mobile suit factories, the sinister organization is still able to complete its ultimate goal of overturning the Alliance and becoming the new ruler of Earth and the colonies. Wufei attempts to kill OZ's ambitious yet chivalrous leader, Treize Khushrenada, only to be defeated in a sword duel. Treize, however, admires Wufei's fighting spirit, and allows Wufei to escape so they can fight again another day.
Throughout the series, Heero has several mobile suit battles with OZ's "Lightning Count," Zechs Merquise (whose true identity is Milliardo Peacecraft, Relena's older brother). During their second encounter in Siberia, however, the colonies are held hostage by Lady Une, who tries to force the Gundam pilots to surrender their mobile suits to OZ; Heero, in response, self-destructs his Gundam, nearly killing himself in the process.
Later on, the Gundam pilots return to outer space, only to find that the colonies they were sent from have now sided with OZ. Marked as rebels, they fall on hard times; Quatre witnesses his father's murder, Heero, Duo and Wufei are captured by OZ, and Trowa enlists as a soldier of OZ (secretly as a double agent).
At this time, the Wing Gundam ZERO is introduced. This mobile suit was the original Gundam designed by the five scientists, but was never constructed due to its signature feature: the ZERO System, a combat system that directly interfaces with the pilot's brain and feeds the pilot tactical data on the fly. The downside of this is that prolonged exposure causes hallucinations, and in some cases, insanity. Quatre, who has been driven mad with grief over his father's death and the colonies' betrayal, discovers the schematics for Wing ZERO and has it built. He then uses it to go on a rampage against OZ and avenge his father's death, but he is eventually stopped by Heero and Trowa (although Trowa is nearly killed and suffers temporary amnesia).
After returning to Earth, Heero and Quatre take refuge in the newly reopened Sanc Kingdom, which is governed by none other than Relena. The kingdom, however, is being pressured by the Romefeller Foundation (the group that controls most other countries, as well as OZ) to dissolve. By this time, the Foundation has reformated OZ's military force to consist primarily of mobile dolls
Mobile weapons
In the Gundam terminology, the terms normal suit and astrosuit are used to refer to normal astronaut spacesuits, so as to avoid confusion with mobile suits....
.
Trieze has been confined to Romefeller's headquarters due to his outspoken dislike of the use of unmanned suits in combat (which he feels negate the true spirit of battle). In his confinement, Treize builds the Gundam Epyon and later gives it to Heero. Much like Wing ZERO, Epyon is equipped with the ZERO System. After being affected by the System, Heero fights once more against a returning Zechs, who is piloting Wing ZERO. After the battle ends in another draw, they exchange Gundams and part ways.
At the same time, Relena formally dissolves the Sanc Kingdom due to the tremendous pressure from Romefeller. She then becomes the chief representative for the Foundation (at first as a figurehead, but gradually gaining more and more power) under the title "Queen of the World".
Eventually, Treize is released from confinement, and he relieves Relena of her crown, telling her that while she has successfully laid the foundation for true peace, he is the one with the strength to bring it to fruition. Treize then takes control of the Romefeller Foundation; at the same time, Zechs returns to space to become the leader of the White Fang
White Fang
White Fang is a novel by American author Jack London. First serialized in Outing magazine, it was published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th-century, and details a wild wolfdog's journey to domestication...
organization under his true name: Milliardo Peacecraft. White Fang has seized control of a Peacemillion-class battleship OZ was building for Romefeller to show its military power, called Libra. Zechs fires Libra's main cannon at the Earth, causing great damage to the planet. This prompts Treize to start gathering all of the military power he can muster from Earth's forces to retaliate, while the Gundam pilots remain neutral.
White Fang continues to battle the Earth forces by taking out the only remaining OZ base in space: Space Fortress Barge. Eventually, the Gundam pilots choose to fight against White Fang. During the epic final battle, Treize is killed (of his own volition) in a rematch against Wufei, while Heero fights against Zechs one last time. Their battle is broadcast to all of Earth and space by Lady Une. When the citizens see the meaningless battle, they put aside their differences, whether they are from the colonies or from Earth, and form what becomes the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. However, White Fang refuses to surrender, and sends Libra plunging on a collision course with Earth. After several attempts from the other four Gundams to prevent this, Heero intercepts the battle station's remains as it enters Earth's atmosphere and destroys it with Wing ZERO's twin-barrel buster rifle, bringing an end to the war.
Anime
After the series ended, two OVAsOriginal video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
, compiling various scenes from the series along with a few minutes of new footage, were released in 1996 as Gundam Wing: Operation Meteor I, II and III. A three-volume OVA series, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, known in Japan as , is the sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, both of which are set in the After Colony timeline, an alternate universe to that of the original Gundam series...
, was produced in 1997 as a sequel to the TV series; plot-wise, it brought the After-Colony timeline to a close. In 1998, a movie version of Endless Waltz was made, with additional footage, alterations of the music scores, and a different ending theme song.
Gundam Wing was later licensed for release in North America by Bandai Entertainment and was dubbed into English by Ocean Productions. The series was broadcast in the U.S. on Cartoon Network's action-oriented programing block Toonami
Toonami
Toonami 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...
, premiering on March 6, 2000 and ending on May 11, 2000. In the first extended promo leading up to the series' premiere, voice actor Peter Cullen
Peter Cullen
Peter Claver Cullen is a Canadian voice actor, known as the voice of Eeyore in the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise, Optimus Prime and Ironhide in the original Transformers series, and the narrator in both of the original American Voltron series...
narrated the back story, evoking memories of Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...
's opening credits. The promo was said to be so riveting that Bandai decided to use it as the official promo for the series.
It was broadcast in two formats; an edited version shown in the daytime on Toonami and an uncut version shown past midnight as part of Toonami's "Midnight Run." Examples of the edits included the removal of blood, profanity, and the word "kill" being replaced with the word "destroy" (this was extended to Duo's nickname, "The God of Death", changed to "The Great Destroyer", forcing the alteration of two episode titles), though the word "death" was mostly left intact. The uncut version shown was completely unedited. Reception for the uncut version was a factor in the eventual creation of the Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult 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...
programing block, which premiered on September 2, 2001.
All Gundam Wing episodes have been released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the U.S. Differences between the two video systems is that the episodes on VHS contain the edited version while the episodes on DVD contain the uncut version. Endless Waltz was also dubbed by Ocean Productions and an edited version of it aired on Cartoon Network on November 10, 2000. It was later released on a DVD that contains both the OVA and movie versions.
Cast
| Character | Japanese Voice Cast | English Voice Cast |
|---|---|---|
| Heero Yuy | Hikaru Midorikawa Hikaru Midorikawa is a Japanese voice actor from Otawara, Tochigi who is represented by Aoni Production.He is most known for the roles of Softon in Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Tamahome in Fushigi Yugi, Seiran Shi in Saiunkoku Monogatari, Heero Yuy in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Kaede Rukawa in Slam Dunk, Zelgadis Greywords in... |
Mark Hildreth Mark Hildreth (actor) Mark Hildreth is a Canadian actor and musician, based in the U.S. He has appeared in many movie and television roles. A graduate of The National Theater School of Canada, Mark Hildreth's theater credits include Hamlet , Bertram in All's well that Ends well , Richard of Gloucester in Richard III and... |
| Relena Peacecraft | Akiko Yajima Akiko Yajima , born May 4, 1967, is a Japanese voice actress from Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture.-Anime:*Battle Athletes Victory *Berserk *The Big O *Blood+... |
Lisa Ann Beley Lisa Ann Beley Lisa Ann Beley is a Canadian voice actor, who has voiced various characters from anime. She grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, before moving to Vancouver, where she studied in the University of British Columbia's acting program.-Anime:... |
| Duo Maxwell | Toshihiko Seki Toshihiko Seki is a Japanese voice actor and member of 81 Produce. Apart from voice actor work, Seki sometimes does live action drama stage work. He is sometimes mistaken for another voice actor, Tomokazu Seki, sharing the same last name but are unrelated.-Person/Career:... |
Scott McNeil Scott McNeil Scott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada... |
| Trowa Barton | Shigeru Nakahara Shigeru Nakahara is a veteran seiyū . He works at Vi-Vo .-Notable voice roles:*Another Century's Episode 2 , *Arion *Aura Battler Dunbine *Biker Mice from Mars... |
Kirby Morrow Kirby Morrow Kirby Morrow is a Canadian actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia.- Filmography :2011 Mortal Kombat: Legacy King Jerrod– Kitana & Mileena: Part 1 … King Jerrod... |
| Quatre Raberba Winner | Ai Orikasa Ai Orikasa is a popular Japanese voice actress and singer from Tokyo. She works for Production Baobab. Orikasa is also the Japanese dub voice for Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Her debut work was Shoukoushi Cedie in 1988... |
Brad Swaile Brad Swaile Bradley "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... |
| Chang Wufei | Ryuuzou Ishino Ryuuzou Ishino is a Japanese voice actor most notable for providing the voice for Chang Wufei in Gundam Wing.-Anime:*.hack//Roots as Smile *Ahiru no Quack *Ai to Yuuki no Pig Girl Tonde Buurin as Male Student... |
Ted Cole Ted Cole - Anime Roles :* Beyblade - Lee, Spencer, Kane, Coach Barthez* Dokkoida!? - Pierre the Slave* Death Note - Reiji Namikawa, Yukito Shiraba, John McEnroe/Larry Conners, Jack Neylon/Kal Snydar* Dragon Ball - Yamcha... |
| Zechs Merquise | Takehito Koyasu Takehito Koyasu is a Japanese voice actor.-Career:Koyasu is part of the voice actor quartet Weiß consisting of Weiß Kreuz voice castmates Shinichiro Miki, Tomokazu Seki, and Yuuki Hiro... |
Brian Drummond Brian Drummond Brian Drummond is a Canadian actor. He also serves on the board of directors for the New Westminster-based Urban Academy along with his wife, Laura Drummond, also a voice artist. He and his wife serve as vice-president and president, respectively.- Career :Drummond was born in Salmon Arm, British... |
| Treize Khushrenada | Ryotaro Okiayu Ryotaro Okiayu is a Japanese voice actor, who was born in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, and raised in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture. He has been active since 1989, and is currently affiliated with Aoni Production.... |
David Kaye David Kaye David V. Hope , known professionally as David Kaye, is a Canadian American actor who is better recognized for his work as a voice actor... |
| Lucrezia Noin | Chisa Yokoyama Chisa Yokoyama is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Tokyo. She is founder and head of her own voice company called Banbina after leaving Arts Vision. When she was a high school student, she was an assistant of Jump Broadcasting Station of Weekly Shōnen Jump... |
Saffron Henderson Saffron Henderson Saffron Henderson is a Canadian voice actress and singer and the daughter of Bill Henderson of Chilliwack fame. She has voiced various characters from anime series... |
| Lady Une | Sayuri Yamauchi Sayuri Yamauchi is a Japanese voice actor. She is credited as Sayuri in the anime she appears in. Sayuri works at Aigumi.-Sayuri's roles:*Cyborg 009: 0012*Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: Satella... |
Enuka Okuma Enuka Okuma Enuka Vanessa Okuma is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her work on the TV series Madison, on the TV series Sue Thomas F.B. Eye, and the Nickelodeon teen drama Fifteen... |
| Catherine Bloom | Saori Suzuki | Moneca Stori Moneca Stori Moneca Stori is a former Canadian voice actress known mostly for her role as the original voice of Kagome Higurashi in the English version of InuYasha. She is also credited as Monica Gemmer... & Cathy Weseluck 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... |
| Sally Po | Yumi Touma | Moneca Stori Moneca Stori Moneca Stori is a former Canadian voice actress known mostly for her role as the original voice of Kagome Higurashi in the English version of InuYasha. She is also credited as Monica Gemmer... & Samantha Ferris Samantha Ferris Samantha Ferris is a Canadian actress and in the mid-1990s was a television reporter for the Bellingham, Washington station KVOS TV-12 and Vancouver's BCTV, where she went by the name Janie Ferris... |
| Hilde Schbeiker | Kae Araki Kae Araki , better known by the stage name , is a Japanese voice actress. After standing in for Kotono Mitsuishi when Mitsuishi had appendicitis, Araki originated the role of Chibiusa in the same series soon after... |
Marcy Goldberg |
| Dorothy Catalonia | Naoko Matsui Naoko Matsui is a Japanese voice actress from Hakodate. Matsui was a member of Production Baobab for 20 years before becoming a freelancer. She is also a voice acting instructor.... |
Cathy Weseluck 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... |
| Duke Dermail | Osamu Kato | Jim Byrnes Jim Byrnes (actor) James Thomas Kevin "Jim" Byrnes is a blues musician, guitarist, and actor.-Life and career:Byrnes was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a homemaker mother and a municipal accountant father. He has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, since the mid-1970s... |
| Howard | Hiroshi Ishida | Ward Perry 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:... |
| Doctor J | Minoru Inaba Minoru Inaba is a Japanese voice actor from Shizuoka Prefecture. He is affiliated with Ken Production.Inaba is best known for his roles in Disney productions , Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory , Buzz Lightyear of Star Command , and The Transformers .-Television animation:*After War Gundam X - Rike Anto,... |
Dave Ward |
| Quinze | Osamu Ichikawa | David Mackay |
| Narrator | Akio Ōtsuka | Campbell Lane Campbell Lane Campbell Lane is a Canadian actor who primarily does work in Vancouver. He has appeared in many television shows produced there, and has done some voice acting for anime as well.- Television Roles :... |
Music
Openings:- "Just CommunicationJust Communication"Just Communication" is the first single released by j-pop duo Two-Mix. It was released April 29, 1995. The song was composed by Shina Nagano and performed by Minami Takayama. Just Communication was used as the first opening theme for the popular Anime series Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, and marked the...
" by Two-MixTwo-MixTwo-Mix is a Japanese pop music group formed in 1995 by Minami Takayama and Shiina Nagano . Their style is fast electronic pop.- History :...
(ep. 1-40) (YTV Broadcast: 1-49) - "Rhythm Emotion" by Two-MixTwo-MixTwo-Mix is a Japanese pop music group formed in 1995 by Minami Takayama and Shiina Nagano . Their style is fast electronic pop.- History :...
(ep. 41-49)
Ending:
- "It's Just Love!" by Rumi Onishi (ep. 1-49)
- "Just Communication" (Instrumental Version) by Kow Otani (ToonamiToonamiToonami 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...
Broadcast, ep. 1-49; the credits aired over an amended version of the show's first opening)
Insert songs:
- "Just Communication" by Two-MixTwo-MixTwo-Mix is a Japanese pop music group formed in 1995 by Minami Takayama and Shiina Nagano . Their style is fast electronic pop.- History :...
(eps. 3 & 49) - "Rhythm Emotion" by Two-MixTwo-MixTwo-Mix is a Japanese pop music group formed in 1995 by Minami Takayama and Shiina Nagano . Their style is fast electronic pop.- History :...
(eps. 36, 38, 39, and 41)
Manga
In addition to manga adaptations of the series and Endless Waltz, several mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
sidestories
Side story
A side story is a story that occurs alongside established stories set within a fictional universe. As opposed to a prequel, sequel, or interquel, a side story takes place within the same time frame as an existing work....
have also been produced. Episode Zero is a prequel, detailing the events leading up to series; the stories have been collected in a volume that also contains one brief open-ended interlude, Preventer 5, that details an operation that occurs after Endless Waltz. A coincident storyline to the series is presented in Last Outpost (G-Unit). Several sequel manga, occurring between Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz, have also been written: Blind Target, Ground Zero, and Battlefield of Pacifists.
The Gundam Wing, Battlefield of Pacifists, and Endless Waltz manga series were published in English by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
, while Blind Target, Ground Zero, and Episode Zero were published by Viz Communications. Another sequel manga detailing the future of the colonies entitled Tiel's Impulse was printed in 1998 and has not been published in the United States.
In September 2010, Gundam Ace
Gundam Ace
is a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten, it largely focus on the Gundam franchise. There is a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media Co., Ltd.-Overview:...
magazine began serializing a manga called New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz: Glory of the Defeated that retells the events of the anime while incorporating facts from Episode Zero and the novel Frozen Teardrop.
Novelization
In early 2010, Gundam AceGundam Ace
is a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten, it largely focus on the Gundam franchise. There is a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media Co., Ltd.-Overview:...
magazine announced they would serialize a "New Gundam Wing Project". The project was eventually revealed to be a novel, titled New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop. Written by Katsuyuki Sumizawa, the novel begins a new timeline, following the "Mars Century" calendar ("MC") which was the successor of the previous "AC" calendar. According to an interview with the author, the novel will span backwards into the AC century and the Gundam pilots, Relena, and their children will make appearances.
Other media
In 1996 a fighting video gameFighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
called Gundam Wing: Endless Duel was released for the Super Famicom in Japan. It was the only Gundam video game to be based solely on Gundam Wing. The game was never released in the United States or Europe, but has gained some popularity through the emulation
Emulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...
of older video games. Since then, Gundam Wing characters and mecha have appeared in several other video game series including Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
, Gundam Battle Assault, Another Century's Episode
Another Century's Episode
, abbreviated as A.C.E., is a mecha action video game produced by Banpresto and developed by From Software. It was released for the PlayStation 2 on January 27, 2005....
, and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
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:...
.
Upon the show's popular debut in North America, Gundam Wing received a large roster of licensees for merchandise including wallscrolls, apparel, school supplies, skateboards, trading cards, and action figure models.
Reception
Gundam Wing was only a modest success in Japan during its initial run; it, along with G Gundam, was the only Gundam series of the 1990s1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
which managed an average television rating
Audience measurement
Audience measurement measures how many people are in an audience, usually in relation to radio listenership and television viewership, but also in relation to newspaper and magazine readership and, increasingly, web traffic on websites...
over four percent. It was ranked number two in Animage
Animage
is 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...
magazine's Anime Grand Prix in 1996 and was also ranked number 76 in the publication's list of the 100 most important anime of all time.
Gundam Wing was a greater success in North America however, and is credited with single-handedly popularizing the Gundam franchise among Western audiences. Just over a week after its premiere on Cartoon Network on March 6, 2000, the series was the top rated program in all age groups. During the summer of 2000, it remained as the first or second top-rated show among kids and teens during its twelve airings per week on Toonami. The initial airing of the OVA Endless Waltz on November 10, 2000 was the channel's second highest rated program ever at the time, only being topped by the premiere of Funimation
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
's in-house dub of Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
.
See also
- List of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing characters
- List of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing mobile units
- List of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing locations
- List of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing nations and factions