Last year, Bandai Namco pledged to release just about every Gundam-related project in the US. They weren’t kidding. At the Bandai Namco and Sunrise panel at New York Comic Con, we got wind of the entire release schedule for the giant robot franchise over the next six months, and it’s about as stacked as a Zaku on a Christmas tree. I don’t know what that means either.
First up, Turn A Gundam, a series that was never before released in the US is available now on two DVD box sets on rightstufanime.com. The first movie version will come out on November 3, 2015. “We know you’ve been waiting a long time for Turn A Gundam,” Akane Hagino, manager of international sales at Sunrise, reminded patient fans. Turn A Gundam first premiered in 1999 and is notable for its direction by original Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, soundtrack by Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), and character design by Akira Yasuda, AKA Akiman, known for Street Fighter III and many other Capcom games.
The original Mobile Suit Gundam series from 1979 will make its return with two Blu-ray and DVD box sets. The first will come out on November 3, 2015 and the second on December 1, 2015. The movie trilogy DVD box set will come out in early 2016. Set in the “Universal Century” far in the future, Mobile Suit Gundam is the beginning of the entire Gundam story. If you ever wanted to know who Amuro Ray or Char Aznable are, or what a Zaku is, then check out where it all started.
Before going into more detailed releases, the panel briefly mentioned future titles to expect in 2016, like Z Gundam, Gundam ZZ, Gundam X, Build Fighters, and Build Fighters Try. Z Gundam and Gundam ZZ are direct sequels to the original Mobile Suit Gundam, whereas Gundam X and the Build Fighters shows are their own separate continuities.
Next, one of the latest series, Gundam: Reconguista in G is now streaming all 26 episodes on Hulu. Right Stuf will release the Blu-ray and DVD set in spring of 2016. Yoshiyuki Tomino has returned to direct the series, which is set even further in the future in the future in an era after Universal Century.
Going way back to before the beginning, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin II: Artesia’s Sorrow will receive a simultaneous worldwide release on streaming services on October 31, 2015 with a collector’s edition Blu-ray to follow on November 7, 2015. Directed by Takashi Imanishi, Artesia’s Sorrow is based on the comic Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, which serves as a reimagining of the original
series.
The panel then announced the release date of the12th and final volume of the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin comic on December 15, 2015. These comics sold over 110,000 copies in the US according to Bandai Namco, which doesn’t sound like a whole lot. On the other hand, the books are expensive high-quality hard covers and anime and manga aren’t the hot-sellers they used to be in general, so maybe there’s a
good number.
Finally, a brand new series called Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is now available via streaming on Daisuki.net, Hulu, and Gundam.info. Starting on October 11, it will start streaming on Crunchyroll and FUNimation. This series, set in an alternate timeline a la Gundam X, depicts a confrontation between Earth and Martian forces using the titular giant robots. It was also announced that an English dub of the series will be produced by Sunrise and Bang Zoom Entertainment. It will be available in early 2016.
“We are working really hard to deliver this as soon as we can to you in early 2016,” Akane Hagino said. “We know you love dubs!”
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