Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is the second Gundam anime series.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (機動戦士Ζガンダム, Kidō Senshi Zēta Gandamu) was a 1985 television anime series produced by Sunrise as a direct sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam. Created and directed by Tomino Yoshiyuki, it premiered on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on 2 March 1985 and aired until 22 February 1986, spanning 50 episodes.
The series was regarded as one of Tomino’s greatest works and established many of the themes and elements that would become staples of the Gundam franchise.
Yasuhiko Yoshikazu designed the characters while Okawara Kunio, Fujita Kazumi, and Nagano Mamoru handled the mechanical designs. The series was later adapted into a compilation film trilogy between 2005 and 2006 titled Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation.
Synopsis
Main article: Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam episodes
Set in Universal Century 0087, seven years after the One Year War and four years after Operation Stardust, the Earth Federation had created an elite task force called the Titans to hunt down remaining Zeon remnants. The Titans became increasingly tyrannical, brutally suppressing anyone demanding equal rights for space colonists.
Two resistance groups emerged in opposition—the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG) and its Earth-based counterpart Karaba. Their ranks included former Federation officers, ex-Zeon soldiers, and civilians fighting against the Titans’ oppression.
The story follows Kamille Bidan, a troubled teenager living in Side 7’s Green Noa colony, whose life changes when he becomes caught up in an AEUG raid led by the mysterious Quattro Bajeena. After stealing a prototype RX-178 Gundam Mk-II from the Titans, Kamille joins the AEUG aboard their flagship Argama.
Quattro, secretly Char Aznable of the One Year War, becomes Kamille’s mentor. The AEUG gains further allies when Bright Noa defects to become captain of the Argama and former Titan Emma Sheen joins their cause. On Earth, they receive support from Amuro Ray and Hayato Kobayashi’s Karaba resistance group.
The conflict escalates when Paptimus Scirocco, a powerful Newtype from Jupiter, orchestrates a coup within the Titans. Further complicating matters, Haman Karn leads the remnants of Zeon from the asteroid Axis into the war, playing both sides against each other. What began as a rebellion against the Titans develops into a three-way struggle for control of the Earth Sphere.
Development
Conception
Director Tomino began planning a Gundam sequel in February 1984. Early proposals included “Zeta Gundam” set in UC 0111 and “Mobile Suit Alpha Gundam” set in UC 0045. By June, the story had evolved closer to its final form, with the completed background and first story arc outline finished by August 1984. The project was officially announced in November.
Despite the lengthy pre-production period, development of the main mobile suit, the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, was delayed due to its complex design and transformation mechanism. This led to the Gundam Mk-II being featured prominently in the early episodes.
Production
Yasuhiko Yoshikazu and Okawara Kunio returned from the original series as character designer and mechanical designer respectively. The series introduced new mechanical designers Nagano Mamoru and Fujita Kazumi, who would go on to influence the franchise’s mecha design. For the first time in a Sunrise production, a dedicated mechanical animation director, Uchida Junhisa, was appointed.
Music
Saegusa Shigeaki composed the background music. American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka wrote the melodies for the opening and ending themes. The first opening theme “Zeta - Toki wo Koete” was performed by Ayukawa Mami, while Moriguchi Hiroko sang the second opening “Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete”. Ayukawa also performed the ending theme “Hoshizora no Believe”.
Release
The series originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network and its affiliated ANN stations from 2 March 1985 to 22 February 1986. It achieved an average viewership rating of 6.4% in the Kanto region and 12.3% in Nagoya Broadcasting Network’s home region, with peak ratings of 11.7% and 17.7% respectively.
The anime satellite network Animax later rebroadcast the series across Japan and its international networks in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.
International release
Following delays and failed television deals, Bandai Entertainment released an English-dubbed version in North America in 2004. The dub was produced by Ocean Productions’ Blue Water Studios in Calgary, Canada. Due to music licensing restrictions outside Asia, the opening and ending sequences were modified to use alternate background music.
The English subtitles drew criticism for being based on the dub script rather than directly translating the original Japanese dialogue. Bandai later corrected this in subsequent DVD releases but did not recall the original box sets.
In 2014, Sunrise partnered with Right Stuf Inc. to release the entire Gundam franchise in North America. They released Zeta Gundam on Blu-ray in March 2016. UK distributor Anime Limited released the series in Region B in August 2016.
Home media
The series was first released on LaserDisc in Japan, with both Part 1 and Part 2 box sets selling 35,000 copies each. The 2001 DVD box set proved even more successful, selling 950,000 copies. Including individual DVD releases and rental versions, total DVD sales reached 1.28 million copies.
Bandai Visual’s 2007 DVD release included remastered video and the original mono audio. In North America, Bandai Entertainment’s 2006 release comprised 10 volumes on DVD. Right Stuf Inc.’s 2016 Blu-ray release came in two collections but lacked the original opening and ending themes due to licensing issues.
Compilation movies
Between 2005 and 2006, the series was adapted into a theatrical trilogy titled Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation:
- Heirs to the Stars (28 May 2005)
- Lovers (29 October 2005)
- Love is the Pulse of the Stars (6 March 2006)
Director Tomino reworked the story significantly, combining remastered footage from the TV series with newly animated scenes. The movies featured updated mobile suit designs and a dramatically different ending from the television series. The trilogy was commercially successful, earning over ¥2 billion at the Japanese box office.
Reception
Initially, Zeta Gundam received mixed reactions from fans of the original series, with some criticising its darker tone, complex political narrative, and emphasis on transforming mobile suits. However, the series proved commercially successful, doubling Gunpla (Gundam model kit) sales during its broadcast.
Critics praised the series for its mature themes, character development, and sophisticated portrayal of war. The show won second place in Animage’s 1985 Anime Grand Prix. Four Murasame was also voted the year’s favourite female character.
In NHK’s 2018 “All Gundam Poll”, which received over 1.7 million votes, Zeta Gundam ranked as the second-best anime in the franchise, behind only the original series. The Zeta Gundam mobile suit placed second among all mobile suits, while “Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete” was voted the best Gundam song.
Legacy
Influence
Zeta Gundam established several elements that became staples of the franchise:
- The concept of a corrupt Earth Federation force as antagonists
- Three-way conflicts between opposing factions
- Transforming mobile suits as lead machines
- The mentor-protégé relationship between an experienced pilot and young protagonist
- Political intrigue and complex factional warfare
- Darker themes and high casualty rates among major characters
Later Gundam series like Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, and Mobile Suit Gundam 00 drew inspiration from these elements, particularly the three-way conflict structure and corrupt elite military forces.
Manga adaptations
Multiple manga adaptations were produced:
- A three-volume series by Kondo Kazuhisa during the original broadcast
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Define by Kitazume Hiroyuki, serialised from 2011
- Movie trilogy adaptations by various artists
- Several side stories and alternate retellings
Video games
Notable video game adaptations include:
- Mobile Suit Z Gundam: Hot Scramble (1986)
- Mobile Suit Z Gundam (1997)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam (2004)
The series’ mobile suits and characters also feature prominently in numerous Gundam franchise games.
Credits
Cast
| Character | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kamille Bidan | Tobita Nobuo | Jonathan Lachlan-Stewart |
| Quattro Bajeena | Ikeda Shuichi | Tom Edwards |
| Bright Noa | Suzuoki Hirotaka | Dave Kelly |
| Emma Sheen | Okamoto Maya | Lisa Christie |
| Fa Yuiry | Matsuoka Miyuki | Angie Beers |
| Four Murasame | Shimazu Saeko | Carol-Anne Day |
| Paptimus Scirocco | Shimada Bin | Jonathan Love |
| Jerid Messa | Inoue Kazuhiko | Ethan Cole |
| Yazan Gable | Ohtsuka Houchu | Corby Proctor |
| Haman Karn | Sakakibara Yoshiko | Jennifer Bain |
| Amuro Ray | Furuya Toru | Matthew Erickson |
Crew
- Directed by Tomino Yoshiyuki
- Written by Yatate Hajime
- Character design by Yasuhiko Yoshikazu
- Mechanical design by Okawara Kunio, Fujita Kazumi, and Nagano Mamoru
- Music by Saegusa Shigeaki
- Art direction by Higashi Junichi
- Mechanical animation director: Uchida Junhisa
Appearances
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam characters
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam episodes
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam mecha
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam factions
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam vehicles
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam vessels
External links
- Official Website, A New Translation I, II, III
- Subtitled episodes on Daisuki’s YouTube channel
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam on Wikipedia
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam on Anime News Network
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam on IMDb