Superior Defender Gundam Force
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese anime
series. The scenario was created by Yūichi Abe.
in the U.S.
for 26 episodes, and later on TV Tokyo
in Japan for 52 episodes, making it the longest Gundam series to date.
The TV show was the first Japanese anime to never have VHS releases and all its home video releases are only available on DVD with each DVD having 3 episodes each.
Though the final 26 episodes were left unaired on television in America, fans petitioned for the second half to be released, and in 2008 the last 26 episodes were released in an English-dubbed DVD set.
Unlike previous SD Gundam
series, SD stands for Superior Defender. It is a crossover
series based on the three SD settings that were used in earlier SD Gundam anime
and manga
: SD Command Chronicles
, a science-fiction-styled militaristic setting; Musha Gundam
, a setting with samurai-themed robots; Knight Gundam
, a medieval European fantasy-themed setting. It also contains many references and homages to the standard Gundam shows, especially those of the Universal Century
, Future Century
, and After Colony
timelines. In a sharp contrast to the dark nature of most of the other Gundam series, SD Gundam Force is extremely lighthearted, though it does at times get more serious as the series goes on, but it's never as dark as the more "traditional" Gundam series.
Despite being the longest-running Gundam series, SD Gundam Force was the least-watched Gundam title in Japan, having averaged a 2.1% share of the viewing audience throughout its broadcast. It beat the previous record holder, After War Gundam X
, which averaged at 2.8% during its run.
Aware of the Dark Axis in advance, Neotopia established the secret Super Dimensional Guard to combat the invaders while keeping the conflict a secret from the public. A young boy named Shute becomes accidentally involved in the first battle between the Dark Axis and the SDG's Gundam Force robot hero, Captain Gundam. Shute's friendship with Captain is critical to activating Captain's Soul Drive, his mysterious power source that is the key to victory. As the fighting continues, Gundams from other dimensions such as Zero and Bakunetsumaru arrive to join the battle as allies. As the Gundam Force beat back the mono-eyed invaders the battle spreads beyond Neotopia into the dimensions of Lacroa and Ark, leading into a final confrontation with the supreme leader of the Dark Axis - General Zeong.
The characters of SD Gundam Force are split into two major factions- Super Dimensional Guard and Dark Axis. Amongst these are various sub-factions/alliances, usually designated by their members land of origin.
Original characters were created for the show by Masato Ichishiki
, author of the SD Gundam Musha Maruden
/SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden
/SD Gundam Musha Banchō Fūunroku
manga. Motion capture data was taken from Japanese pro-wrestler Shinya Hashimoto
for Hakaimaru's movements. While Hakaimaru appears to be a generic Musha Gundam, Da Jarle resembles a OZ-12SMS Taurus.
The video portion of this attraction is included as an extra on the complete Japanese SD Gundam Force DVD box set.
and a 3D action adventure game for the PlayStation 2
. The GBA game retold the story of the first 26 episodes of the show and allowed players to play as either Captain Gundam, Bakunetsumaru or Zero the Winged Knight. Characters could be switched at any time (for the cost of one bar from the special attack meter) and players would need to use each character's strengths to successfully complete the game.
The PS2 title was a much grander affair, presenting a brand new story. The mysterious Dimensional Halo appears in Neotopia and creates mirror versions of Neotopia, Lacroa and Ark. The Gundam Force are forced to battle their way through these copy dimensions and even face their own evil doppelgangers to reach De Scar Road and defeat the Dimensional Halo.
Each Gundam Force member had a variety of new forms they could achieve including one super secret form for each which could only be unlocked by a code (the code was presented on a Japanese trading card and eventually filtered to the Western fandom). The game even eventually allowed the player to play as a Zako soldier.
The Dimensional Halo and it's minions were based on the weapons of the Zanscare Empire in Victory Gundam. The game also featured further references to the earlier UC, FC and AC timeline in the form of new villains to populate the mirror dimensions.
The second track used in the series' closing credits, Kokoro Odoru by nobodyknows+, featured in the 2005 Nintendo DS
rhythm action game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
.
The prequel manga presents untold stories of Captain Gundam, Bakunetsumaru, Zero, Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf and Destroyer Dom. The sidestory, SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden
, is set in the land of Ark and focuses on a band of heroic Musha Gundams.
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. The scenario was created by Yūichi Abe.
Overview
A Japan/America co-production, SD Gundam Force initially aired on Cartoon NetworkCartoon 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for 26 episodes, and later on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
in Japan for 52 episodes, making it the longest Gundam series to date.
The TV show was the first Japanese anime to never have VHS releases and all its home video releases are only available on DVD with each DVD having 3 episodes each.
Though the final 26 episodes were left unaired on television in America, fans petitioned for the second half to be released, and in 2008 the last 26 episodes were released in an English-dubbed DVD set.
Unlike previous SD Gundam
Super Deformed Gundam
is a series that spawned from the Gundam series. This series takes the mobile weapons and characters and express them in super deformed style.-Origins:...
series, SD stands for Superior Defender. It is a crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
series based on the three SD settings that were used in earlier SD Gundam anime
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....
and manga
Manga
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...
: SD Command Chronicles
SD Command Chronicles
is a branch of the SD Gundam franchise. In this branch the characters are military, with the characters from the Gundam series split into air, land and sea troops and redesigned accordingly. Was released as model kits mostly in the Ganso line....
, a science-fiction-styled militaristic setting; Musha Gundam
SD Sengokuden
SD Sengokuden is part of the SD Gundam franchise, a sub-franchise of the popular Gundam anime.Set in the fictional land of Ark, SD Sengokuden re-imagines the mobile suits and mobile armors of the existing and more serious Gundam stories as super deformed sentient samurai in a setting reminiscent of...
, a setting with samurai-themed robots; Knight Gundam
Knight Gundam
is part of the SD Gundam franchise, a sub-franchise of the popular Gundam anime.In Knight Gundam, Gundam mecha and characters are reimagined as knights, sorcerers and other fantasy and medieval European character types. Generally, the series has not been as popular as its counterpart Musha Gundam...
, a medieval European fantasy-themed setting. It also contains many references and homages to the standard Gundam shows, especially those of 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....
, Future Century
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"...
, and After Colony
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
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...
timelines. In a sharp contrast to the dark nature of most of the other Gundam series, SD Gundam Force is extremely lighthearted, though it does at times get more serious as the series goes on, but it's never as dark as the more "traditional" Gundam series.
Despite being the longest-running Gundam series, SD Gundam Force was the least-watched Gundam title in Japan, having averaged a 2.1% share of the viewing audience throughout its broadcast. It beat the previous record holder, After War Gundam X
After War Gundam X
After War Gundam X, known in Japan as , is an anime television series from Japan. It is a part of the Gundam franchise that started in 1979, but takes place in an alternate universe called After War Era. The series has 39 episodes, aired in Japan from April 5, 1996 to December 28, 1996 across TV...
, which averaged at 2.8% during its run.
Synopsis
The story is set in the futuristic city of Neotopia, a happy peaceful place where humans and robots co-exist, until the Dark Axis, an evil force from another dimension, arrives.Aware of the Dark Axis in advance, Neotopia established the secret Super Dimensional Guard to combat the invaders while keeping the conflict a secret from the public. A young boy named Shute becomes accidentally involved in the first battle between the Dark Axis and the SDG's Gundam Force robot hero, Captain Gundam. Shute's friendship with Captain is critical to activating Captain's Soul Drive, his mysterious power source that is the key to victory. As the fighting continues, Gundams from other dimensions such as Zero and Bakunetsumaru arrive to join the battle as allies. As the Gundam Force beat back the mono-eyed invaders the battle spreads beyond Neotopia into the dimensions of Lacroa and Ark, leading into a final confrontation with the supreme leader of the Dark Axis - General Zeong.
Characters
See List of Superior Defender Gundam Force charactersThe characters of SD Gundam Force are split into two major factions- Super Dimensional Guard and Dark Axis. Amongst these are various sub-factions/alliances, usually designated by their members land of origin.
Japanese Cast
- Shute - Romi Park
- Captain Gundam - Hiroshi KamiyaHiroshi Kamiyais a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production. He is best known for being the voice of Nozomu Itoshiki from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and Tieria Erde from Mobile Suit Gundam 00. He won "Best Lead Actor" and "Best Personality" at the Third Seiyu Awards, and "Best Supporting Actor" at the...
- Bakunetsumaru - Susumu ChibaSusumu Chiba, born September 13, 1970, is a seiyū . He is contracted under the Office Osawa Co. LTD. One of his best known roles is as Fujiwara-no-Sai from the anime Hikaru no Go. Also called as Chibashinpo or PUROGURESU.-Anime:*07-Ghost '*A.D...
- Zero - Mitsuki SaigaMitsuki Saigais a female seiyū who was born in Saitama. Saiga works at Ken Production.-Anime:* .hack//Roots * .hack//Sign * 07-Ghost * Ashita no Nadja...
- Guneagle, Hogaremaru- Daisuke NamikawaDaisuke Namikawais a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with Across Entertainment.He started acting in 1984. He is sometimes mistaken for fellow voice actor Daisuke Hirakawa, as their names only differ by one character when written in kanji. Despite his wide range of voice casting, he is usually cast as young,...
- Gundiver - Kazuya NakaiKazuya Nakaiis a Japanese voice actor who was born in Hyōgo-ku, Kobe. He is currently attached to Aoni Production.-Overview:Kazuya Nakai debuted in After War Gundam X as Witz Sou....
- Genkimaru -Yumiko KobayashiYumiko Kobayashiis a Japanese voice actress. She is currently a freelance voice actor but until August 2007 was affiliated with Arts Vision.She and fellow Excel Saga voice actress Mikako Takahashi are known as the duo "The Excel Girls"...
- Cobramaru - Kiyoyuki YanadaKiyoyuki YanadaKiyoyuki Yanada is a seiyū who was born in Tokyo. He was a member of 81 Produce.-Notable voice roles:*After School in the Teacher's Lounge *Baten Kaitos...
- Daishogun - Juurouta Kosugi
- Sayla, Nana - Akiko NakagawaAkiko Nakagawais a Japanese voice actress who was born on in Sapporo. She is married to InuYasha music composer Kaoru Wada.-Notable voice roles:*Sota Higurashi in InuYasha*Anne in Little Snow Fairy Sugar*Miss Goldenweek in One Piece*Miyuki Nanase in Kindaichi Case Files...
- Keiko - Aya HisakawaAya Hisakawais a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer born in Kaizuka, Osaka. In addition to releasing various solo CDs, she is well known for her anime voice roles, and has also done some work in video games. She is best known for her role of Sailor Mercury of the Sailor Moon fame and also Cerberus from...
- Mayor Margaret Gathermoon - Rei SakumaRei Sakumais a Japanese voice actress employed by 81 Produce. She is best known in Japan for her voice work in the long running children's series Soreike! Anpanman; her most famous role in the English-speaking world, however, is probably as the Chinese Amazon Shampoo in Ranma ½.-Notable voice roles:*Akabon...
- Elmechu - Sawa IshigeSawa Ishigeis a Japanese voice actress who was born in Shizuoka, Japan.-Notable voice roles:*Benika Jūzawa in Kure-nai*Poppu Harukaze in Ojamajo Doremi *Izumi Orimoto in Digimon Frontier*Takako Takakura in Magic User's Club...
- Mark, Chief Haro- Takahiro Yoshimizu
- Commander Sazabi - Shuichi IkedaShuichi Ikedais 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...
- Zapper Zaku, Gunbike, Gunpanzer - Eiji YanagisawaEiji Yanagisawais a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with Production Baobab. He is originally from Tokyo.-TV anime:*Arc the Lad - Elk's Father*The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Kiyosumi Morimura, Okabe-sensei, Umpire*Mobile Suit Gundam Seed - Prof...
- Grappler Gouf - Mantarô Iwao
- Destroyer Dom, Patrol GM - Hiroshi MatsumotoHiroshi MatsumotoHiroshi Matsumoto may refer to:* Hiroshi Matsumoto or "Finish" Hiroshi, a video game designer who produced the original Street Fighter as well as the Art of Fighting series...
- Tallgeese, Epyon - Taiten KusunokiTaiten Kusunokiis a male Japanese voice actor and actor from Machida, Tokyo. He is affiliated with Miki Productions.-Television animation:*Bleach as Edrad Leones, Zommari Leroux*Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z *Digimon Savers as Commander Rentarō Satsuma...
- Deathscythe/Deed, Entengo, Zako Soldier - Kentaro ItoKentaro Itois a seiyū who was born in Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. He has been affiliated with Mediarte since May 2009.- Notable anime roles :* Ai No Kusabi - Riki* Ao no Exorcist - Shiratori/Astaroth* Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! WGP - Brett Astaire...
- Kibaomaru - Masayuki TanakaMasayuki Tanakais a Japanese vocalist. He was born in Imari, Saga Prefecture. He is one of the two original vocalists of the band , known for their anime soundtracks such as where Tanaka provided the vocals in the chorus of its opening theme...
- Ashuramaru - Katsuyuki KonishiKatsuyuki Konishiis a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Ken Production. His debut role was Volfogg/Big Volfogg in GaoGaiGar....
- Professor Gerbera, Madnug - Akio Ōtsuka
- Leonardo, Pawn Leo Commander, Zako soldier, Zakrello gate - Takashi NagasakoTakashi Nagasakois a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama Prefecture who works at Arts Vision.- Anime :* Mobile Suit Gundam: The Movie Trilogy , Mayer* Fencer of Minerva , Teo* New Cutey Honey , Caeser , Leader...
- Patrol Ball - Kiyotaka Furujima
- Gundamusai, Raimi - Yuuko Satou
- Moukinmaru - Tetsuo Komura
- Battle, Zako Soldier - Tamotsu NishiwakiTamotsu Nishiwakiis a Japanese voice actor.-Roles:* Dragon Ball Kai * Engine Sentai Go-onger * One Piece * Ren and Stimpy-External links:* at Aoni Production...
- Lilijimarna - Miyu MatsukiMiyu Matsukiis a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Hiroshima Japan.-Anime cast in:*Ayakashi as Hime Yakushiji*ARIA The NATURAL as Ayano *Binchō-tan as Pukashuu*Claymore as Flora*D.C. ~Da Capo~ as Yoriko Sagisawa*D.C.S.S...
- Ginkaku - Masanobu Kariya
- Kinkaku - Makoto Yasumura
- Nataku, Pawn Leo - Takayuki Kondou
- Britainmaru - Eiji MaruyamaEiji Maruyamais a Japanese voice actor who works for Arts Vision.-Notable voice roles:*Soken Ishida in Bleach*Ishbal Camp Elder in Fullmetal Alchemist*Death Phantom in Sailor Moon*Garnest Hogue in Scrapped Princess*Zhoushan Xuan in Shenmue 2*Mitamura in Yu Yu Hakusho...
- Kijumaru - Hirofumi NojimaHirofumi Nojimais a Japanese voice actor. He is represented by Sigma Seven. He is the son of voice actor Akio Nojima and elder brother of voice actor Kenji Nojima.-TV anime:*Agatha Christie no Meitantei Poirot to Marple *ARIA The ANIMATION...
- Zako Soldier - Hisanori Koyatsu
- Zako Soldier - Daisuke Kita
- Operator - Kaoru MorotaKaoru Morota' is often typecasted as Genki girls or tomboyish characters due to her Kansai dialect. Using the alias "AYA", Kaoru has also done voice acting for Anime Eroge titles but also provided theme song vocals for both Evangelion and Le Chevalier D'Eon.-TV Animation:...
- Koa - Erino HazukiErino Hazukiis a Japanese voice actress who works for Aksent.-Notable voice roles:Leading roles in bold.2002*Seven of Seven - Erino Kogarashi*Princess Tutu - Malen and Uzura2004*SD Gundam Force - Core2005...
- Rock - Takuya KirimotoTakuya Kirimotois a Japanese voice actor and actor. He is a graduate of Meijo University.-Anime:* Bleach as Saito Eikichiro* Darker than Black as Amagiri* Death Note as Aiber* Eyeshield 21 as Agon Kongo* Kamisama Dolls as Kyousuke Karahari...
English Cast
- Shute - Deborah Sale ButlerDeborah Sale ButlerDeborah Sale Butler is a voice artist She is also a speech and dialect coach. She was born October 31, 1964.She is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and her hobbies are etch-a-sketch art, relaxing with her cats and science fiction...
- Captain Gundam, Grappler Gouf, Fenn, Zaku Hour co-host - Doug ErholtzDoug ErholtzDouglas J. Erholtz is an American voice actor. He is well known for voicing Asuma Sarutobi from Naruto and Ichimaru from Bleach.- Anime roles :* Battle B-Daman - Joe, Biarce* Bounty Dog - Additional Voices...
- Bakunetsumaru - Yuri LowenthalYuri LowenthalYuri Lowenthal is a voice actor that has voiced several anime and video game characters. He also voiced Kamal for the alternate reality game I Love Bees....
- Zero, Bell Wood, two Zakos - Aliki Theofilopoulos
- GunEagle, Deathscythe/Deed - Dave WittenbergDave WittenbergDavid Richard Paul "Dave" Wittenberg is a prolific South African-born American video game and anime voice actor with nearly one hundred titles to his credit. While Wittenberg was born in a hospital in South Africa, he was primarily raised in Boston...
- Genkimaru - Wendee LeeWendee LeeWendee Lee is an American voice actress. While she has done voice work for many video games as well as several episodes in the Power Rangers franchise, she is particularly prolific in the dubbing of anime. As of April 2009, with 223 credits to her name, she has more credits in this medium than any...
- Sayla, Koah - Michelle RuffMichelle RuffMichelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril...
- Keiko, Juli, Princess, Doah - Kate Savage
- Mayor Margaret Gathermoon, Noah - Philece SamplerPhilece SamplerPhilece P. Sampler is an American voice actress and television actress, whose credits include various characters in anime. She also goes by the aliases of Sue Beth Arden, Victoria Pryne, and Debra Cunningham...
- Chief Haro / Mark, Destroyer Dom - Scott Jasper
- Commander Sazabi, Ashuramaru, Grey Doga, Prio, Zako Red, Young Train - Dominic Joseph
- Zapper Zaku, Kao Lin, Entengo - Danny Katiana
- Tallgeese, Zakerello Gate, Gunbike, Leonardo - Paul St. PeterPaul St. PeterPaul Schmidl Peter , better known as Paul St. Peter, is an American voice actor. He also uses the names George C. Cole, George Z. Cole and Francis C. Cole...
- Allan Peters
- David Lelyveld
- Taylor Henry
- Professor Gerbra/Madnug - Michael McConnohieMichael McConnohieMichael 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...
- Kari WahlgrenKari WahlgrenKari K. Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English language voices for dozens of anime titles and video games. Her debut role was as one of the main characters of FLCL, Haruko Haruhara. She had a live-action role as Tinker Bell in the 2003 Damion Dietz film Neverland...
- Dave MallowDave MallowDave Mallow is an American voice actor. One of his known aliases is Colin Phillips.-Life and career:Mallow was born in Park Ridge, Illinois. His father worked in radio and television and was a thirty year on-air veteran at Chicago's WGN. He attained a BFA in Theater Arts from Drake University in...
- John Smallberries
- Danny Katiana
- George C. Cole
Episode guide
- His Name is Captain
- Soul Drive, Activate!
- Zero, the Flying Knight
- Attack the Enemy Musai!
- Gundam Force, Team Up!
- The Blazing Samurai Comes to Neotopia
- Go! Gunbike!
- A Princess, A Cake, and the Winged Knight
- Bakunetsumaru's Struggle
- Gundam Force Triple Attack!
- The Mystery of Lacroa Part 1: Arrival
- The Mystery of Lacroa Part 2: Trapped
- The Mystery of Lacroa Part 3: Return
- Undercover Mission! Learn the Gundam Force's Secrets!
- Mach Wings: GunEagle!
- Masters of the Deep Sea: GunDivers!
- Ashuramaru: The Old Rival Returns
- Fly, Captain! The SDG Base Hangs by a Thread!
- Showdown! Bakunetsumaru vs. Ashuramaru
- Fenn's Disaster
- Awakening! Feather Dragon
- Attack of the Big-Zam
- Fire Up! Captain System
- Trouble! Stolen Soul Drive
- Neotopia's Moment of Truth
- The Final Battle! Commander vs. Captain
- Into the Dark Axis!
- Ways of the Warrior
- No More Ultimate Techniques! Terror of the Minov Boundary Sea
- Big Comeback! We're the Heroes?
- Evil Sword Epyon
- Epyon's Assault!
- Rescue Operation: The Cursed Princess Lacroa
- Princess in a Black Dress
- Genkimaru, Samurai Number One!
- Rice Balls and the Garden of Wisdom
- Fierce Fight! Deathscythe the Knight of Darkness
- Princess Rele, Revived!
- Gerbera's Invitation
- Kibaomaru's Attack!!
- Shute and the Princess Captured!
- War-torn Ark
- The Ultimate Challenge! Kibaomaru vs Shute
- Bakushinmaru, Flare Up!!
- Gundam Force, Assembled!!
- The Tears of Cobramaru
- Musha Daishinshou Unleashed!
- Tenchijo on Fire! Genkimaru's Roar!!
- Prelude to Destruction: Gerbera's True Identity
- Total Annihilation?! The Threat of the General
- The Final Battle! The General vs Everyone!
- The Voyage Home
Title cards
Each episode title is presented over a card, the art of which changed over the series to reflect the evolution of the main cast:- A simple shining Gundam Force badge
- The three main Gundams assemble and Captain fires his rifle directly at the screen. After the glow subsides the Gundams are seen together and Shute leaps into frame and joins them.
- The three Gundams stand in the background as Shute leaps up in the foreground, doing a triumphant pose.
- The Gundams appear in the regular forms before the card spins around to reveal them in their most powerful forms.
Differences between English and Japanese version
Although SD Gundam Force was designed with US standards in mind, there exists subtle differences between the English and Japanese language versions of the show. These include:- Various specific eyecatches are used in the Japanese version, while the English release uses only one. Examples of differences in the Japanese version include one featuring Mayor Margaret with the various Neotopian Ball mecha and subtle changes to the standard animation such as Bakunetsumaru tripping over, causing his helmet to fall off.
- The Japanese version has a set of specific OPs and EDs while the US version uses scenes/screenshots from the show. While the Japanese version uses similar for its OPs, the EDs are mostly new animation:
- OP 1 ("Sunrise" by Puffy AmiYumiPuffy AmiYumior Puffy AmiYumi is a Japanese rock duo that is currently signed with Sony Music Japan. The group continues to go by the moniker of PUFFY in Japan, but in order to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, it has adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi outside of Japan...
) (eps. 1-13) - OP 2 ("Love & Peace" by Little by LittleLittle by Little (band)Little by Little is a Japanese rock band, consisting of vocalist Hideco and Tetsuhiko. Little by Little's record label is Sony Music Entertainment Japan and they are attached to Stardust Promotion...
) (eps. 14-26) - OP 3 ("Taiyou ni Kogarete" by Harebare) (eps. 27-52)
- ED 1 ("Shinjiru Chikara" by WhiteberryWhiteberrywere a five-piece all-girl pop/rock band from Hokkaidō, Japan. Although not reaching more than cult status outside of their native country , the group gained a loyal following with their recordings and live performances.-History:The band - vocalist Yuki Maeda, guitarist Aya Inatsuki,...
) (eps. 1-13) - A Zako soldier steals Sayla's umbrella, prompting Shute to give chase. Initially unsuccessful, Captain convinces him not to give up and Shute finally manages to retrieve it. - ED 2 ("Kokoro Odoru" by nobodyknows+) (eps. 14-26) - Various members of the cast dancing.
- ED 3 ("Kimi to Boku" by I WiSHI WiSHI WiSH is a Japanese pop group consisting of two members, Ai Kawashima and nao. Ai is responsible for the vocals and occasionally plays the piano also with nao on the keyboard or piano. Their most notable track is and was in the Oricon rankings for over a year. Nao learned the piano when he was 5...
) (eps. 27-38) - The Gundamusai flying through the Minov Sea. - ED 4 ("Koishikute..." by Les.R) (eps. 39-52) - Scenes of Princess Rele.
- In the episode 'Cobramaru's Tears', Cobramaru attempts ritual suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
to repent for failing his master Kibaomaru. As the issue of attempted suicide in a children's show would be controversial in most English-speaking countries the dialogue in the English language version is changed to imply that Kibaomaru is ordering Cobramaru to kill himself and/or go into exile. - In the Japanese version, certain characters are voiced by the voice actors of the past Gundam characters they are referencing. As the Gundam dubs have used various voice acting casts this homage was not used in the English language version.
The Ride
During the show's run in Japan, a limited time attraction was opened. Titled SD Gundam Force: Destructive Daishogun Appears!!Zako?, the twenty minute show used a special theater to present a whole new SD Gundam Force adventure which the audience could interact with. Seemingly set in between episodes 26 and 27 (although overall it is best treated as being non-canon), the stars of the show are the Zakos who have been forced to become the SDG's cleaning crew. The Lacroan villain Da Jarle, Knight of the Hammer and the Ark Destructive Daishogun Hakaimaru seek to unify the world with the mysterious Zakarello Mobile. Da Jarle is able to change the appearance of others and Hakaimaru has a bath fetish that leads to him creating a 'Super Bathhouse' command station. The audience and the Zakos join the Gundam Force as they attempt to stop this new alliance.Original characters were created for the show by Masato Ichishiki
Masato Ichishiki
is a Japanese manga artist who is best known for his work on the SD Gundam series.-Works:* Shageki Boy SHOOT * War War Tanks! * Brave Saga 2 * SD Gundam Musha Maruden * SD Gundam Musha Maruden 2...
, author of the SD Gundam Musha Maruden
SD Gundam Musha Maruden
is a multi-part SD Gundam manga, a spinoff from the popular Gundam anime. It is authored by Masato Ichishiki. It is among a yearly run of SD Gundam stories, being the title for 2001-2003.-Story:...
/SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden
SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden
Running alongside the Japanese release of the TV show Superior Defender Gundam Force, SD Gundam Force Musha Retsuden is a barely connected sidestory. As there is always a yearly SD Gundam manga/model kit line running in Japan, the title seems to only reference the show in the hopes of further...
/SD Gundam Musha Banchō Fūunroku
SD Gundam Musha Bancho Fuunroku
is an SD Gundam manga, a spin off from the popular Gundam anime. It is authored by Masato Ichishiki and ran in Comic Bom Bom. The Bancho in the title is Japanese slang for student delinquents-Story:...
manga. Motion capture data was taken from Japanese pro-wrestler Shinya Hashimoto
Shinya Hashimoto
, was a Japanese professional wrestler. Along with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh, Hashimoto was dubbed one of the "Three Musketeers" that began competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid 1980s and dominated the promotion in the 1990s....
for Hakaimaru's movements. While Hakaimaru appears to be a generic Musha Gundam, Da Jarle resembles a OZ-12SMS Taurus.
The video portion of this attraction is included as an extra on the complete Japanese SD Gundam Force DVD box set.
The Games
Two games have been released based on the show; a side scrolling platform game for the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and a 3D action adventure game for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. The GBA game retold the story of the first 26 episodes of the show and allowed players to play as either Captain Gundam, Bakunetsumaru or Zero the Winged Knight. Characters could be switched at any time (for the cost of one bar from the special attack meter) and players would need to use each character's strengths to successfully complete the game.
The PS2 title was a much grander affair, presenting a brand new story. The mysterious Dimensional Halo appears in Neotopia and creates mirror versions of Neotopia, Lacroa and Ark. The Gundam Force are forced to battle their way through these copy dimensions and even face their own evil doppelgangers to reach De Scar Road and defeat the Dimensional Halo.
Each Gundam Force member had a variety of new forms they could achieve including one super secret form for each which could only be unlocked by a code (the code was presented on a Japanese trading card and eventually filtered to the Western fandom). The game even eventually allowed the player to play as a Zako soldier.
The Dimensional Halo and it's minions were based on the weapons of the Zanscare Empire in Victory Gundam. The game also featured further references to the earlier UC, FC and AC timeline in the form of new villains to populate the mirror dimensions.
The second track used in the series' closing credits, Kokoro Odoru by nobodyknows+, featured in the 2005 Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
rhythm action game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
, sometimes referred to as simply Ouendan, is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005, for release only in Japan...
.
Manga & Side Stories
SD Gundam Force has received a few manga interpretations. These include a serialized retelling of the show, a prequel manga and a loosely connected sidestory. Similar to most TV-to-manga adaptations, the 3 volume adaptation makes various subtle but notable changes for pacing reasons. Examples include the complete absence of Gunbike/Gunpanzer and Madnug managing to override his brainwashing, only to be killed by Zeong for his betrayal.The prequel manga presents untold stories of Captain Gundam, Bakunetsumaru, Zero, Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf and Destroyer Dom. The sidestory, SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden
SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden
Running alongside the Japanese release of the TV show Superior Defender Gundam Force, SD Gundam Force Musha Retsuden is a barely connected sidestory. As there is always a yearly SD Gundam manga/model kit line running in Japan, the title seems to only reference the show in the hopes of further...
, is set in the land of Ark and focuses on a band of heroic Musha Gundams.