Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Bande Dessinée

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Bande Dessinée (機動戦士ガンダムUC(ユニコーン)バンデシネ, Kidō Senshi Gandamu Yunikōn Bandeshine) is a manga series adaptation of the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn novel series by Harutoshi Fukui. Written by Fukui and illustrated by Kouzou Oomori, the manga was serialised in Kadokawa Shoten’s Gundam Ace magazine from 26 January 2010 to 26 December 2016.

The manga serves as a visual adaptation of Fukui’s novel series, providing detailed artwork that brings the story’s complex political narrative and mobile suit battles to life. The series was compiled into seventeen tankōbon volumes, with the first volume released on 26 July 2010 and the final volume published on 25 February 2017.

The title “Bande Dessinée” is French for “comic strip” or “graphic novel,” reflecting the sophisticated visual storytelling approach taken by the creators. The manga adaptation was produced concurrently with the OVA series, allowing for cross-media promotion whilst maintaining the integrity of the source material.

Synopsis

Main article: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn synopsis

The manga follows the same narrative as the original novels and OVA adaptation, beginning with the Laplace Incident in UC 0001 and focusing on the main story set in UC 0096. The story centres on Banagher Links, a student at Industrial 7 who becomes pilot of the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam and is drawn into a conflict surrounding the mysterious Laplace’s Box.

The manga adaptation allows for more detailed exploration of character expressions and internal monologues, providing visual representation of the complex political machinations between the Earth Federation, Neo Zeon remnants known as the Sleeves, and the Vist Foundation. The artwork particularly excels in depicting the mobile suit battles with dynamic action sequences and detailed mechanical designs.

Development

Conception

The decision to create a manga adaptation of Gundam Unicorn was announced alongside the OVA project as part of a comprehensive multimedia approach to the franchise. Kadokawa Shoten, which published both the original novels and Gundam Ace magazine, saw the manga as an opportunity to reach a broader audience whilst the OVA was in production.

Harutoshi Fukui took an active role in adapting his novels for the manga format, working closely with illustrator Kouzou Oomori to ensure the visual adaptation remained faithful to his original vision. The collaboration allowed for refinements to dialogue and pacing that benefited from the visual medium.

Production

Kouzou Oomori was selected as illustrator based on his previous work in the mecha genre and his ability to handle both character drama and mechanical action sequences. His art style complemented Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s original character designs whilst providing his own interpretation suitable for the manga format.

The manga production was coordinated with the OVA series to ensure consistency across adaptations, though each medium was allowed to explore elements best suited to its format. The manga particularly benefited from having more space to develop supporting characters and political subplots that were condensed in the OVA.

The detailed mechanical artwork drew from Hajime Katoki’s mobile suit designs, with Oomori adding his own dynamic interpretation of the complex transformation sequences and battle choreography that define the series’ mobile suit combat.

Reception

Critical response

The manga adaptation received positive reviews for its faithful adaptation of the source material and detailed artwork. Critics praised Oomori’s ability to capture both the intimate character moments and spectacular mobile suit battles that define the Gundam Unicorn story.

The artwork was particularly commended for its attention to mechanical detail and dynamic action sequences. Reviewers noted that the manga successfully translated the complex political narrative of the novels into visual form without losing the sophistication of Fukui’s original storytelling.

Commercial performance

The manga was commercially successful in Japan, with consistent sales throughout its six-year serialisation period. The series benefited from the popularity of the concurrent OVA releases, with each medium supporting the other’s audience development.

The detailed artwork and faithful adaptation made the manga popular among both Gundam fans seeking additional content and new readers discovering the franchise through the visual medium.

Prequel manga

A three-volume prequel manga titled Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Bande Dessinée Episode: 0 was serialised in Gundam Ace from September 2017 to September 2018. Also created by Fukui and Oomori, this prequel was based on Fukui’s novel The Postwar War and provided additional background to the events of the main series.

The prequel explores events following Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack and leading up to the main Unicorn story, offering deeper insight into the political situation in the Earth Sphere during the interim period.

Legacy

The success of Gundam Unicorn Bande Dessinée demonstrated the viability of high-quality manga adaptations of Gundam properties, influencing subsequent manga projects within the franchise. The detailed artwork and faithful adaptation established a template for translating complex Gundam narratives to the manga medium.

The manga’s detailed mechanical artwork has been referenced in various Gundam publications and model kit instruction manuals, with Oomori’s dynamic interpretations of mobile suit combat becoming influential within the broader Gundam media landscape.

Volumes

Volume	Release Date	ISBN
1	26 July 2010	978-4-04-715458-2
2	26 November 2010	978-4-04-715545-9
3	26 March 2011	978-4-04-715630-2
4	26 July 2011	978-4-04-715715-6
5	26 November 2011	978-4-04-715788-0
6	26 March 2012	978-4-04-715901-3
7	26 July 2012	978-4-04-715999-0
8	26 November 2012	978-4-04-120168-6
9	26 March 2013	978-4-04-120236-2
10	26 July 2013	978-4-04-120344-4
11	26 November 2013	978-4-04-120445-8
12	26 March 2014	978-4-04-120566-0
13	26 July 2014	978-4-04-120691-9
14	26 November 2014	978-4-04-120808-1
15	26 March 2015	978-4-04-120939-2
16	26 November 2015	978-4-04-121176-0
17	25 February 2017	978-4-04-121558-4

External links

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Bande Dessinée on the Gundam Wiki
Gundam Ace official website