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Gundam Wing | |
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Initial Run | |
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Network |
Cartoon Network (Toonami) |
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Broadcast |
March 6, 2000[1] - Dec. 8, 2000 |
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Episodes |
49 (List of Episodes) |
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Second Run | |
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Network |
Cartoon Network (Toonami) |
|
Broadcast |
March 12, 2001[2] - May 11, 2001[3] |
New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (alternatively referred to as Mobile Suit Gundam Wing or simply Gundam Wing) was a 49 episode anime broadcast in Japan beginning in 1995 and later broadcast in the United States in 2000 on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block.
Gundam Wing premiered on Toonami on Monday, March 6, 2000 at 5:30 PM EST. In the promos leading up to the broadcast, Peter Cullen narrated the back story, evoking memories of Voltron's opening credits. It was broadcast in two formats; an edited version shown in the daytime and an uncut version aired at night on Toonami's Midnight Run.[4]
Examples of the edits included the removal of blood, profanity, and the word "kill" being replaced by the word "destroy". (This was extended to Duo's nickname, "The God of Death", with it being changed to "The Great Destroyer", forcing the alteration of two episode titles.) The uncut version, shown after midnight, was completely unedited - a first for Cartoon Network, which at the time had never shown an unedited anime.
While the series was a modest success in Japan during its original run, Gundam Wing became a greater success in the U.S. through its run on Toonami and was widely credited with single-handedly popularizing the Gundam franchise as a whole among Western audiences (as well as contributing to the rise in popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture that Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z made during the late 1990s/early 2000s).
Plot
In the distant future, Mankind has colonized space (with clusters of space colonies at each of the five Earth-Moon Lagrange points), 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, 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 the OZ military organization. The operation involves five young boys who have each been chosen and trained by one of the five rogue scientists, then sent to Earth independently in extremely advanced Mobile Suits, one designed by each of the scientists, known as "Gundams". Their Mobile Suits are called Gundams because they are constructed from a rare and astonishingly durable material known as Gundanium alloy, which can only be created in outer space.
The five Gundam Pilots — Heero Yuy (an alias, not to be confused with the assassinated leader), Duo Maxwell (also an alias), Trowa Barton (another alias, he was previously known as Nanashi (No-Name)), Quatre Raberba Winner, and Chang Wufei — originally have no knowledge of each others' existence. On first meeting any of the other five, each pilot believes the others to be enemy pilots in new OZ mobile suit designs. Once the young pilots realize that they have the same objective of destroying OZ (and in some cases the same mission), they band together to help each other complete their goals.
Characters
Main Characters
Heero Yuy — The 15-year-old pilot of the Wing Gundam and (later) the Wing Gundam Zero, the boy known as Heero is the most serious and grim of the Gundam pilots. His true name is unknown, but for Operation Meteor he has been code-named after the martyred leader of the space colonies. Raised by the scientist Doctor J in the L1 colony cluster, Heero has been trained since childhood to be a ruthless battle machine, equally proficient in mobile suit piloting, personal combat, demolitions and computer hacking. Though Heero's upbringing hasn't yet managed to squeeze all the compassion out of him, he is nonetheless callous towards ally and enemy alike, recklessly careless with his own life and generally a cold-blooded character. Over the course of the series, however, he comes to appreciate the support of his fellow Gundam pilots and the emotional support of Relena Peacecraft, whom he vows to protect from any danger (even though he originally threatened to kill her when she learned of his mission).
Duo Maxwell — Duo is the 15-year-old pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe. He is an orphan of U.S. descent who was raised by the L2 colony cluster's social services program. By the age of 15, he had already been employed in field operations and as a mechanic. Duo refers to himself as "The God of Death"; a reference to the amount of death he witnessed early in his life. Despite his hardships, Duo has a cheerful outlook. At times, he finds his friends overly serious and tries to teach them to relax and enjoy themselves. Duo's light-heartedness, however, is not reflected in his fighting. As the pilot of the Deathscythe, he is a determined warrior willing to sacrifice anything for victory.
Trowa Barton — Trowa is the 15-year-old pilot of the Gundam Heavyarms, one of the five Gundams sent to Earth during Operation Meteor. By revealing almost nothing about his past, the tight-lipped Trowa has earned his reputation as a man of mystery (much like Heero). Hailing from the L3 colony cluster, he masterfully brought his Gundam Heavyarms to Earth without detection by disguising himself as a circus clown. Although the strong, silent type, he is a warrior only by necessity and fights only when needed. However, once in battle, Trowa attacks his enemies with utter ruthlessness and deadly accuracy.
Quatre Roberta Winner — Quatre is the 15-year-old pilot of the Gundam Sandrock. Quatre, a test–tube baby, is the youngest brother and only male child in a family of 30 children. His father, a wealthy aristocrat and powerful political force in the L4 colony cluster, has always opposed the rule of OZ. Although his mother was lost in childbirth, Quatre had a happy childhood free of strife and hardship — unlike the other Gundam pilots. As the firstborn and only male progeny, Quatre is due to inherit his father's fortune and political power when he comes of age. By joining Operation Meteor in the hopes of protecting his family and home colony, however, he goes against his father's pacifist beliefs. Although physically weak and not the most skilled of Gundam pilots, Quatre excels in creating battle strategies and tactics. Due to these skills, he has an army of mobile suit pilots called the Maganac Corps. dedicated to serve him on Earth.
Chang WuFei — WuFei descends from the Changs, an esteemed family of Chinese warriors, and hails from the L5 colony cluster. Due to his heritage of honor and integrity, WuFei abhors the Alliance. Although he has aligned himself with Sally Po and her rebels, he prefers to work alone. He maintains a calm and quiet temperament but is also prone to angry emotional outbursts. As evidenced in the prequel manga Episode Zero, when WuFei was younger he was calmer and much more cerebral, but his unwillingness to fight resulted in the death of his wife Meilan, a strong girl who took the responsibility of protecting the colony (and the newly-built Shenlong Gundam) onto herself and was killed in battle. WuFei then chose to carry out her path of justice in honor of her sacrifice. WuFei refuses to fight those he sees as weak, such as pacifists, women and children.
Relena Peacecraft — Although Relena is the 15-year-old pampered adoptive daughter of an Earth Alliance foreign affairs minister and the undisputed queen bee of her posh private school, she yearns for something more in her well-ordered life. Her chance encounter with the Gundam pilot Heero Yuy soon provides exactly the kind of excitement she's been longing for, and her whole life changes soon after. When Relena's dying foster father reveals her true identity to her, she decides to continue the pacifist work of her real father, King Peacecraft, and becomes a leading advocate for peace and non-violence in an increasingly chaotic world. As the daughter of King Peacecraft, Relena is one of the heirs to the Sanc Kingdom. She decides to reunite her country under the banner of non-aggression, and slowly gathers the Gundam pilots to her, attempting to convince them that there are non-violent ways to solve the problems of their world. It's also rather obvious throughout the series that Relena is in love with Heero, as she goes to great lengths at times just to be near him and believes that he provides her with the courage she needs to carry out her ideals.
Zechs Marquise — The masked man known as Zechs is an ace mobile suit pilot of the Alliance's elite Specials force, which is in reality a front for the secret society OZ. Having earned the highest marks in the history of the Specials' Lake Victoria military academy, Zechs received the first two-rank promotion in the organization's history, and acquired the nickname "Lightning Count" for his exploits. He is a hero to the Specials' members and the trusted friend of their leader Treize. He also becomes the first pilot to master the original mobile suit prototype, the Tallgeese. But for all his fame, Zechs is shrewd and cautious, wary of taking unnecessary risks or underestimating his enemies. Zechs' mask hides a dark secret. He is actually the son of King Peacecraft, heir to the Sanc Kingdom and Relena's long-lost older brother. Zechs also serves as Heero's main rival throughout the series.
Treize Khushrenada — Treize is the aristocratic OZ Supreme Commander. Originally the leader of the Specials (the Alliance's elite Mobile Suit corps), Treize gained control of the Alliance's military through clever manipulation of Earth's ongoing power struggle with the colonies. Charismatic, intelligent, and cunning, Treize has the OZ mobile suit forces in the palm of his hand and will not hesitate to use them against the five Gundam pilots. Though he is an enemy to all the Gundam pilots, he strikes a particular rivalry with WuFei after defeating the young man in a regular sword duel and allowing him to live, which causes WuFei to obsess over the rest of the series about defeating Treize in real combat.
Mobile Suits
XXXG-01W Wing Gundam — Heero pilots the most powerful of the Gundam mobile suits sent to Earth at the start of the series (as well as the titular mobile suit of the series), the Wing Gundam. Out of the original five Gundams created for Operation Meteor, Wing is the only one capable of transforming into a high-speed aircraft (dubbed "Bird Mode"), making it perhaps the most versatile and well-balanced Gundam as well. It also bears the closest resemblance to the Wing Zero prototype suit that all five Gundams were based on. Heavily equipped for combat (both long-range and short-range), Wing Gundam is armed with its signature Buster Rifle, capable of destroying multiple enemies in a single shot, and a Beam Saber that can slice through any enemy mobile suit with ease. The Gundam is also outfitted with two 40 mm Machine Cannons, two 20 mm head Vulcan guns, and a large shield that can also be used as a ramming weapon due to its pointed edge. Wing is referred to as "Gundam Zero-One" by the OZ organization.
XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe — The most agile and maneuverable of the five Operation Meteor Gundams, the Deathscythe is certainly a fierce opponent, but when piloted by the talented Duo, it becomes nearly unstoppable. This Gundam is outfitted with a Hyper Jammer stealth system, which enables it to sneak up on most enemies. When combined with its remarkable land speed, it is no wonder that some have dubbed the Gundam Deathscythe the "God of Death." Its Beam Scythe weapon has struck fear into the hearts of many an adversary. The Deathscythe is also equipped with a Buster Shield that emits a small beam and can be launched at nearby enemies. Deathscythe is referred to as "Gundam Zero-Two" by OZ.
XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms — Trowa pilots this Gundam, a heavy artillery juggernaut. The long list of the Gundam Heavyarms' weapons begins with its Beam Gatling Gun, a devastating piece of equipment that can reduce enemies to ribbons with a hail of firepower. The Heavyarms also has two smaller Gatling Guns mounted inside its chest cavity. On top of that, this Gundam is armed with two Machine Cannons, Homing Missile Launchers, Micro Missile Launchers, and two Vulcan Guns. While it is obviously better suited for long-range combat, the Heavyarms is also equipped with an "Army Knife" mounted on its right forearm for more "immediate" fighting situations. True to its name, Heavyarms is the slowest of the five original Operation Meteor Gundams, but its lack of speed cannot be considered a debilitating weakness in light of its tremendous arsenal. Heavyarms is referred to as "Gundam Zero-Three" by OZ.
XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock — Quatre's Gundam Sandrock may have been designed with desert combat in mind, but this Gundam makes for an intimidating opponent just about anywhere. Only the Gundam Deathscythe surpasses its speed and maneuverability. The Sandrock carries two Heat Blades (or Shotels) that are housed under its shield when not in use. Like Deathscythe, the Gundam Sandrock is equipped with a Hyper Jammer system for covert or subversive tactics. Sandock is referred to as "Gundam Zero-Four" by OZ.
XXXG-01S Shenlong Gundam — When building the Shenlong, Master O created this Gundam to complement WuFei's martial arts training; allowing WuFei to use his skills when piloting the Shenlong. In order to do this the Gundam was built for speed and easy maneuverability. Shenlong's weapons are the "Dragon Fang" (found on the right arm) that serves as a flamethrower, and the lance-like Beam Javelin. Shenlong is referred to as "Gundam Zero-Five" by OZ.
XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero — An updated version of the Wing Gundam, the power of the Wing Zero is alarming. In fact, the files that ultimately led to the creation of this Gundam were lost for a number of years, probably due to fear of its awesome might. The designs for Wing Zero actually inspired the creation of the five Operation Meteor Gundams, but there is one key difference in its operational controls; Wing Zero is powered by a brain wave-activated system called the ZERO System. This unique technology, similar to that found in the Gundam Epyon, can drive a pilot to a mental breakdown if not treated with extreme caution. Wing Zero is armed with its signature Twin Buster Rifle, easily twice as powerful as the Wing Gundam's single version of the same weapon and capable of destroying an entire space colony. Also like Wing Gundam, the Wing Zero can transform into a high-speed aircraft (dubbed "Neo Bird Mode"). Overall, Wing Zero is the most formidable of all Gundams, matched only perhaps by the Epyon. Wing Zero is also notably the only Gundam to have been piloted by all five Gundam pilots at least once during the series (as well as Zechs), though Heero ultimately becomes its regular pilot towards the end of the series.
XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell — The Deathscythe Hell is an even faster version of Duo's Gundam Deathscythe. Its main weapon, the Twin Beam Scythe, is an updated version of the original Beam Scythe, featuring two blades of deadly energy instead of one. The Deathscythe Hell's stealth system has also been updated from the original, equipped with a more powerful Hyper Jammer called the Active Cloak. In addition, this Gundam has been outfitted with a pair of menacing black wings that can be retracted to provide an extra layer of armor in close combat. Due to being an upgraded version of Dearthscythe, the Deathscythe Hell is also referred to as "Gundam Zero-Two" by OZ.
XXXG-01S2 Altron Gundam — After the destruction of the Shenlong, a more powerful Gundam named Altron was created for WuFei. This Gundam carries more firepower and has greater maneuverability than its predecessor. The Altron's main weapon is a Twin Beam Trident. However, it also carries a flamethrower-equipped "Dragon Claw" on each arm and Beam Cannons on a back-mounted "Stinger Tail". Due to being an upgraded version of Shenlong, the Altron is also referred to as "Gundam Zero-Five" by OZ.
OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon — Treize created this Gundam specifically for his friend Zechs, top pilot of OZ (though it is initially piloted by Heero briefly before he exchanges it with Zechs for the Wing Zero). This powerful Gundam is the only mobile suit capable of competing with the Wing Zero. Like Wing Zero, the Gundam Epyon is operated by a ZERO System and is capable of transforming into a flight mode. When transformed for flight, Epyon resembles a frightening two-headed dragon, and can navigate the skies with an amazing degree of precision. Though it lacks long-range weapons (due to Treize's preference for dueling), the Epyon is equipped with an extendable Heat Rod and a gigantic Beam Sword that can cut through nearly any material on Earth.
<gallery hideaddbutton="true" orientation="landscape" position="center" spacing="small" widths="215"> Gundam_Wing_5.jpg|The 5 Gundam Pilots heero yuy.jpg|Heero Yuy Duo Maxwell.jpg|Duo Maxwell trowa barton.jpg|Trowa Barton Quatre_winner.png|Quatre Winner wufei.jpg|Chang Wufei Relena-Peacecraft.jpg|Relena Peacecraft zechs.jpg|Zechs Marquise
Ttreize Khushrenada.png|Treize Khushrenada
<gallery hideaddbutton="true" orientation="landscape" position="center" spacing="small" widths="215"> Lucrecia_Noiin.png|Lucrezia Noin Sally_Po.png|Sally Po Catherine_Bloom.png|Catherine Bloom Hilde_S.jpg|Hilde Schbeiker Dorothy_Catalonia.jpg|Dorothy Catalonia Lady_Une.png|Lady Une Rashid_.jpg|Rashid Auda.jpg|Auda Abdul.jpg|Abdul Ahmed.jpg|Ahmed Doctor_J.jpg|Doctor J Professor_G.jpg|Professor G Master_O.jpg|Master O Instructor_H.png|Instructor H
Doktor_S.png|Doktor S
Voice Cast
| Character | English Voice Actor | Japanese Voice Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Heero Yuy | Mark Hildreth | Hikaru Midorikawa |
| Duo Maxwell | Scott McNeil | Toshihiko Seki |
| Trowa Barton | Kirby Morrow | Shigeru Nakahara |
| Quatre Raberba Winner | Brad Swaile | Ai Orikasa |
| Chang Wufei | Ted Cole | Ryuzou Ishino |
| Relena Peacecraft | Lisa Ann Beley | Akiko Yajima |
| Lucrezia Noin | Saffron Henderson | Chisa Yokoyama |
| Sally Po | Moneca Stori (ep. 1-19) Samantha Ferris (ep. 20-49) |
Yumi Touma |
| Catherine Bloom | Moneca Stori (ep. 1-13) Cathy Weseluck (ep. 35-49) |
Saori Suzuki |
| Hilde Schbeiker | Marcy Goldberg | Kae Araki |
| Howard | Ward Perry | Hiroshi Ishida |
| Treize Khushrenada | David Kaye | Ryoutarou Okiayu |
| Zechs Merquise | Brian Drummond | Takehito Koyasu |
| Lady Une | Enuka Okuma | Sayuri Yamauchi |
| Duke Dermail | Jim Byrnes | Osamu Kato |
| Dorothy Catalonia | Cathy Weseluck | Naoko Matsui |
| Quinze | David Mackay | Osamu Ichikawa |
| Tubarov | Richard Newman | Yuji Mikimoto |
| Doctor J | Dave Ward | Minoru Inaba |
| Professor G | Brian Drummond | Yuzuru Fujimoto |
| Doktor S | David Mackay | Shinya Ohtaki |
| Instructor H | — | Takashi Taguchi |
| Master O | — | Masashi Hirose |
| Narrator | Campbell Lane | Akio Ōtsuka |
Gallery
Episodes
| Color | Season | Episodes | U.S. Season Premiere | U.S. Season Finale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 49 | March 6, 2000 | May 11, 2000 | |
| OVA 1 | 4 | Unaired | Unaired | |
| OVA 2 | 3 | November 10, 2000 | November 10, 2000 |
Gundam Wing is a 49 episode Japanese anime series that premiered in Japan from April 7, 1995 to March 29, 1996 on TV Asahi. In 2000, an English language dub of the series was produced and made its U.S. premiere on Cartoon Network's weekday afternoon programing block, Toonami. The Gundam Wing franchise also includes a 4-part OVA titled, Gundam Wing: Operation Meteor and a 3-part OVA titled, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz. Endless Waltz was later compiled into a movie titled, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz Special Edition.
All Gundam Wing episodes have been released on VHS and DVD in the U.S. The Differences between the two video systems is that the VHS episodes contain the edited version while the DVD episodes contain the uncut version.
Broadcast History
- Japan (TV Asahi) – April 7, 1995 - March 29, 1996
- United States (Cartoon Network) – March 6, 2000[1] - December 8, 2000; March 12, 2001[2] - July 20, 2001
- Canada (YTV) – July 2000[5] - 2001
- United Kingdom (Cartoon Network) – 2000 - 2001
- Australia (Cartoon Network) – July 7, 2001 - 2002
- Latin America & Brazil (Cartoon Network) – 2002 - 2003
Toonami Broadcast History
The series aired in the U.S. on Cartoon Network's weekday afternoon programing block, Toonami, from March 6, 2000[1] to December 8, 2000. After a 3 month hiatus the series returned for a second run on Toonami from March 12, 2001[2] to May 11, 2001[3]. The series also aired on Toonami's Midnight Run and Rising Sun. Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz also premiered on Toonami on November 10, 2000. During Toonami's April Fools 2012 stunt, the series returned to Toonami for one night only. The series also aired in the United Kingdom, Australia and Latin America on those countries' respective Toonami blocks.
- Toonami (United States) – March 6, 2000[1] - December 8, 2000; March 12, 2001[2] - May 11, 2001[3]
- Midnight Run – March 6, 2000 - November 3, 2000; May 14, 2001 - July 20, 2001
- Rising Sun – April 15, 2000 - July 1, 2000
External Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Gundam Wing Toonami Promo ". http://toonami.wikia.com/wiki/File:Toonami_-_Gundam_Wing_Heero_Character_Promo_(1080p_HD).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Gundam Wing Returns ". Video World's Cartoon News. http://www.oocities.org/supreme182/CartoonNews.html. Retrieved on November 26, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "More Changes For Toonami ". Video World's Cartoon News. http://www.oocities.org/supreme182/CartoonNews.html. Retrieved on November 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Gundam Wing Uncut To Air On Weeknights ". animenewsservice.com. March 6, 2000. http://web.archive.org/web/20010306023529/http://www.animenewsservice.com/archives/feb22.htm. Retrieved on December 14, 2014.
- ↑ "YTV Anime News ". animenewsnetwork.com. September 13, 2000. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2000-09-13/ytv-anime. Retrieved on September 2, 2015.