The Gundam face.

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Gundam0089
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The Gundam face.

I'm curious if there has even been an in-universe reason as to why the Gundam had a distinct face, with eyes, vauge mouth, and the v-fin. I know they all served their tech functions, but why make it like a face? Samurai inspiration aside, was it all just an accident? Is there any supplementary material in the Gundam works that talk about if the Gundam head in-universe was inspired by a samurai, or anything else?
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Arsarcana
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Re: The Gundam face.

Crossbone Gundam featured a OYW flashback with a Ball made up to look like a Gundam face as a psychological warfare experiment so you could argue that the original was done for similar reasons. Basically, an in-universe justification for the out-of-universe justifications of 'it looks cooler that way' and 'it makes it easier for the audience to connect with the machine'.
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AmuroNT1
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Re: The Gundam face.

Allow me to correct: The "B Gundam" wasn't a sanctioned psychological experiment, it was just one random pilot who dressed his Ball up with a Gundam faceplate entirely for stylistic reasons. He was promptly chewed out by his CO. Any psychological effects it had on the Zeons are unknown, because the story is told by that same pilot many decades later, so he can only tell his side of the story (plus "rumors" he heard, like claims that it was the reason Amuro never ran into Gato at the Battle of Solomon).

As for the "Gudam face", well, I believe each element has some sort of technical justification behind it. For example, the V-fin is its main antenna, while the mouthplate tends to be a heat vent.
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Re: The Gundam face.

two parts i'd like to ask about: The "chin" and the red parts on the space between the mouthplate and eyes.(not a universal design i have to admit. my fave main gundam, Zeta doesn't have them.)

oh yeah a third one, anything on the eye colors? :?
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MythSearcher
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Re: The Gundam face.

From the pretty old "Gundam SF World"(so old that it did not even has an ISBN number, published in 1981 by Kodansha)
The inner structure of RX-78's head is:
Eyes being the side camera & laser range finder
V antenna is, well, the main antenna
middle piece of the V antenna is the PASSING radar(typo of passive radar?)
inside the red beard is a speaker, also behind that is the head computer panel
above that, the ^ shape cut out has various tanks and a pressure meter
slightly above that is the magnetic radar
above that, still in the ^ area is the head air controller
top of the head square is the front main camera
behind that leading towards the top of the head is the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks
behind the 60mm vulcan fits the fuel cells batteries combustion chamber(strange way to make a fuel cell if you ask me)
under that on the side bump is the 60mm ammo magazine
towards half way down that part is the coolant water tank and controllers
the duct leading to the main body also double as a sound receiver

Above the eyes(side camera) actually stores a pair of supplementary armour plates to cover the eyes(why they choose to protect the side camera but not the main camera is a mystery to me)

For a more modern interpretation, someone need to get a clearer manual of the PG RX-78.

Rationalization on the twin eyes system is that it is used to capture a 3D view faster. While the main camera takes clearer pictures for zooming in and also creates a better 3D view on the vertical direction.
The specific samurai shape was never really commented on to my knowledge other than saying it was designed to look like a human face.
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Re: The Gundam face.

Gundam0089 wrote:I'm curious if there has even been an in-universe reason as to why the Gundam had a distinct face, with eyes, vauge mouth, and the v-fin. I know they all served their tech functions, but why make it like a face? Samurai inspiration aside, was it all just an accident?
I've never seen a single, concrete explanation for the Gundam's face in any of the technical material that I've read... but, as an educated guess, it seems like it was initially just a convenient shape that allowed them to fit all the feature content they wanted into the head.

After a while, I suspect the face design was retained either for intimidation value, or as a nod to the original Gundam design by the manufacturers (not necessary exclusive).

The details that seem consistent across most of them is that the V-fin is a radio antenna, the block that the V-fin connects to is usually the cover for a radar system, and the "mask" is protecting one of the main heat exchange systems.

Gundam0089 wrote:Is there any supplementary material in the Gundam works that talk about if the Gundam head in-universe was inspired by a samurai, or anything else?
I don't think so... wasn't Tem Ray Canadian?
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Gundam0089
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Re: The Gundam face.

Well what about this? The Gundam Mechanical File?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--wGl-HprgzQ/U ... 600/8a.jpg

Aren't these supposed to have like detailed information?
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Re: The Gundam face.

Gundam0089 wrote:Well what about this? The Gundam Mechanical File?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--wGl-HprgzQ/U ... 600/8a.jpg

Aren't these supposed to have like detailed information?
Like its Macross counterpart, Macross Chronicle, the Gundam Perfect File offers coverage that is more broad than deep. The Mechanic Files don't really get into the "Why" of what any particular Mobile Suit's design features are (unless they're plot-relevant to its native TV series and other appearances)... what it gives you is a basic summary of the suit's stats (like its height, mass, reactor output, engine power, and a list of weapons), some art with captions indicating the essential details of key design features or where weapons are mounted, and a blurb that explains what the Mobile Suit's significance to the story was, garnished here and there with some relevant extra context like its relation to other mecha that it was developed from/into.

The average Mechanic File is only two pages long, and most of that is art... unless the article is spread across multiple sheets as some of the most important ones are. The featured articles in any given volume are usually a centerfold-type spread that's two pages, with the article on one side and the other side devoted to a painting of the mecha.

The sheet that art you linked to is from is sheet FG File 01 Sheet 03A RX-78-2 Gundam, and it DOES actually have a little detail on the head... but all it shows is the "mask" open to reveal the computer inside the head.
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False Prophet
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Re: The Gundam face.

That remind me: Good Guys!Mechs usually have flatter chins than those of the evil ones. Or good guys and bad guys in general. Just look at Iron Mask.

And does the Zeta have the flattest chin of all Gundam?
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Re: The Gundam face.

False Prophet wrote: And does the Zeta have the flattest chin of all Gundam?
a result of having non standard designs in comparison to "MC" Gundams.

http://www.hobbyhovel.com/wp-content/up ... e-shit.jpg

going by this image, the Turn A technically has the largest chin. unless of course you count that red block as a mouth plate. Barbatos comes in close.
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Re: The Gundam face.

AmuroNT1 wrote:Allow me to correct: The "B Gundam" wasn't a sanctioned psychological experiment, it was just one random pilot who dressed his Ball up with a Gundam faceplate entirely for stylistic reasons. He was promptly chewed out by his CO. Any psychological effects it had on the Zeons are unknown, because the story is told by that same pilot many decades later, so he can only tell his side of the story (plus "rumors" he heard, like claims that it was the reason Amuro never ran into Gato at the Battle of Solomon).

As for the "Gudam face", well, I believe each element has some sort of technical justification behind it. For example, the V-fin is its main antenna, while the mouthplate tends to be a heat vent.
That was the best story out of that particular manga. :mrgreen:
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Mimeblade
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Re: The Gundam face.

All I gotta say is...

Thank the LORD that not all Gundams look like "Captain Gundam".

http://dimensionalarea.net/scaps/SDGF/1 ... 29_007.jpg
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Omnislayer
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Re: The Gundam face.

Would you so happen to be (Mime)Blade, the Guilty Gear lore master?

If so I didn't know you were into Gundam.
Apologies if I'm mistaken.
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Re: The Gundam face.

Seto Kaiba wrote:
Gundam0089 wrote:Is there any supplementary material in the Gundam works that talk about if the Gundam head in-universe was inspired by a samurai, or anything else?
I don't think so... wasn't Tem Ray Canadian?
Well, even that doesn't necessarily rule out the idea of a samurai-inspired faceplate; The Origin manga shows General Revil making reference to Japanese culture - I think he specifically refers to bushido at one point during a meeting. Pretty sure it's in volume VI or VII during Char & Garma's academy adventures arc, will have to double-check.

So, continuity-crossing aside, it's not so unusual that Tem Ray may have taken inspiration from Japanese warrior culture when coming up with the design of the Gundam, despite not being Japanese himself. It'd just make him a fanboy of Japan's culture, which I'm sure at least a few of us could relate to... :roll:
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YokozunaBulldozer
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Re: The Gundam face.

Mimeblade wrote:All I gotta say is...

Thank the LORD that not all Gundams look like "Captain Gundam".

http://dimensionalarea.net/scaps/SDGF/1 ... 29_007.jpg
What is even scary is that Tieria Erde's Japanese voice actor Kamiya Hiroshi was the voice.
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Re: The Gundam face.

Dendrobium Stamen wrote:Well, even that doesn't necessarily rule out the idea of a samurai-inspired faceplate; The Origin manga shows General Revil making reference to Japanese culture - I think he specifically refers to bushido at one point during a meeting. Pretty sure it's in volume VI or VII during Char & Garma's academy adventures arc, will have to double-check.

So, continuity-crossing aside, it's not so unusual that Tem Ray may have taken inspiration from Japanese warrior culture when coming up with the design of the Gundam, despite not being Japanese himself. It'd just make him a fanboy of Japan's culture, which I'm sure at least a few of us could relate to... :roll:
Revil refers to bushido when he's looking for Zeon to punish those responsible for Char and Garma's attack on the EF garrison. He argues that a responsible party (in this case, Dozle, as he was the dean of the Zeon military academy) should commit symbolic harakiri and step down. Dozle himself refuses, but he's outranked by Degwin, who takes Revil's proposal in exchange for the entirety of the EFSF to leave Zeon.

It's worth mentioning that Tem Ray was not present in that meeting, nor at any other with Revil. He does meet with General Gopp while reviewing the MS-04's test footage.
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Re: The Gundam face.

Samurai armor is pretty iconic, It wouldn't surprise me that one of the Gundam engineers(or Tem himself) took inspiration from it.
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Re: The Gundam face.

Omnislayer wrote:Samurai armor is pretty iconic, It wouldn't surprise me that one of the Gundam engineers(or Tem himself) took inspiration from it.
That's more what I was getting at; rather than inferring that Revil and Ray knew one another, and had a mutual love of Japanese culture (or that Tem was trying to suck up to the General), it was more to suggest that, just as General Revil appreciated the bushido code, Tem Ray may well have appreciated the samurai aesthetic. It's rather distinct compared to any European armour that I'm aware of, so makes for quite fearsome imagery when applied to an eighteen-metre robot... :roll:
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