Create the next Gundam TV Series

[Outlaw]

or, i dunno, Gunpla Builders for a few years or something

So long as the world at no point hangs in the balance I'd watch it.

Honestly I'll be happy so long as it's well written, everything else is just fluff.

[Kei Katsuragi]

Honestly I'll be happy so long as it's well written, everything else is just fluff.

This is my general disposition. Even though AmuroNT1 pretty much described every brilliantly written Gundam series, all of that wouldn't bug me if it is well written

[Amadi Akintunde]

Howbout a series that acts partly as a satire of traditional Gundam tropes while using them to much better and less derivative ends

[JulieYBM]

I've been toying with a few ideas for a few months.

I think it would be interesting to set a series a few centuries into the space colonization age. I like the number 333, so let's make it the Year 330 on this new calendar. Space wars have left the Earth Sphere a literal graveyard of ships and weapons. The series is set five years after the latest Great War between the Earth Federation (generic name) and whatever space colony government was around at the time. The protagonists are a small (fifty-plus?) guild of junk collectors who make their living collecting junk left over from the last war. One day the lead character (a twenty-something) comes across a Federation warship (the ‘White Base’ of the series) that was lost/abandoned as the last war reached its end. Within that ship is a prototype mobile suit—a Gundam—that had been planned for use in the war before it reached an end. The junk guild decide to keep the ship and the Gundam for themselves, but a band of space pirates (who use modified and repaired ships and mobile suits left over from the war) who have been hired to track down this ship are on their trail.

The initial arc of the series would feature the junk guild bouncing around space trying to escape the pirates, led by a feared and well-known ace pilot: a masked woman known as Captain Scarlet (yeah, just pulled that name out of my ass). This woman is the ‘A CHAR’ of the series, but instead of just being the lead character’s rival I’d like to see her become a love interest just to break from the usual formula in Gundam. I also thought about making this masked maiden the princess of a fallen space kingdom, but that might be drawing a bit too much on past characters in the franchise. Eventually the first arc would end with ‘Captain Scarlet’ killing the infamous ‘pirate admiral’, the head of the ‘pirate fleet’ that Scarlet’s crew and ship are a part of.

The second arc of the series would be the Earth arc. The junk guild brings their salvaged Federation ship and Gundam back to Earth. This arc would explore the exhausted state that the Federation is in after centuries of war and the effect constant war has had on the civilians of Earth. While the war is over, there are still some out-of-touch and gung-ho colony factions still on Earth fighting ‘the good fight’. I haven’t decided what the conflict is about yet…but wouldn’t it be interesting if the actual conflict was never defined? It’d be a sort of commentary on war and whatnot…then again…I’m not against going to war so I suppose I’m just talking out of my ass.

The third arc would return to space and begin to explore just what the hell kind of government is current ruling the space colonies. Maybe they’re a secretive government? Maybe they’re the colonies have become so unstable that governments come and go yearly at this point?

I haven’t thought a lot out yet, but I’d like to continue to think about what sort of ways I can use my favorite elements of previous titles while pushing Gundam in directions it has yet to go.

[abaoaqu]

Something set during Zeta, focusing on a Karaba unit fighting the Titans in, say, the West Indies and Southeastern United States? Kinda like 08th MS Team did with the One Year War?

If not a TV series, then surely an OVA.

[Amadi Akintunde]

Something like that would most likely be an OVA. Even more likely a manga.

[Kuruni]

Semi-off topic: I suggest that when we finally lock this thread (most likely case), we should keep it somewhere easy to find.

Just because it may bring good laugh when there is is news of the next serie XD.

[Amion]

(Read's AmruoNT's post) Well, and here I was watching episode 20 of MSG. I'm amazed how familiar all this sounds. So don;t give Bandai ideas, they might decide to go with that, and just animate the Origin. Although, considering I'm really enjoying my rewatch of MSG, I can't say that would be the worst thing to happen.

Better the original, classic yet stale UC MS designs and tropes, versus rip-offs with a new series that probably has almost the exact same plot.

[AmuroNT1]

That was the joke.

Maybe it's because I'm a cynic in this regard, but the only expectation I have for the next Gundam series is that it'll hang on to the exact same tropes and clichés that everyone rails against in topics like these. The introvert who becomes a Newtype war god, the Char clone, the Four clone... The original series and Zeta were massive successes, so Sunrise is going to keep duplicating their formula rather than taking the risk of trying out a bunch of new ideas. Heck, after the massive backlash against AGE, I'd expect them to be even stronger with the old UC clichés than they would be normally. So all these people wishing for things like a female protagonist, going further out in the solar system, and space aliens are just wasting their breath.

[ShadowCell]

well, i have another expectation for the next Gundam series

it'll prompt people to make even more threads where they wish for the same "gritty realistic grunt mecha war porn out in the solar system with female protagonists and no Newtypes and no masks and the Gundams are gimped and no one ever feels bad about anything or questions what they're doing ever and the whole thing is basically Tom Clancy's Armored Core fanfiction" that they wished for in every single other "what do you want in Gundam" thread since the dawn of time

and they won't get what they want and another show will come out and they'll make more threads and it will just continue on

an endless waltz

[bullethead]

I think a show based around the original characters from the G Generation games might be cool. They already have the voice actors, character designs, some mecha designs, and personality sketches, so most of the pre-production time can be spent actually working out the story.

[Kei Katsuragi]

well, i have another expectation for the next Gundam series

it'll prompt people to make even more threads where they wish for the same "gritty realistic grunt mecha war porn out in the solar system with female protagonists and no Newtypes and no masks and the Gundams are gimped and no one ever feels bad about anything or questions what they're doing ever and the whole thing is basically Tom Clancy's Armored Core fanfiction" that they wished for in every single other "what do you want in Gundam" thread since the dawn of time

and they won't get what they want and another show will come out and they'll make more threads and it will just continue on

an endless waltz

Moving out further in the solar system would not be so bad. On just a pure aesthetic level, having fights in new set pieces could make a new series somewhat visually memorable (if handled by a good director). Everything else you said: If they have a point to any of those would be changes, then I would be content.

[Vent Noir]

I don't know how accurate the claims of AGE being a commercial and critical failure are, but if it fared more poorly than Bandai/Sunrise expected, then hopefully that motivates them to shake things up a little. If the next series appears to be just another rehash of the same stuff, I will probably not bother to watch it (I couldn't be bothered watching the last few episodes of AGE, and have no interest in Gundam: The Origin, either).

[Kuruni]

I say I want another Char's Clone if, as said before, they make him being a Char more than Char himself. Examples...

* Demand to pilot ONLY red MS. We're talking about something like - if given choice between red version of Jurick and Gundam Mk-V, he will choose Jurick (and we're talking about space combat). Oh, it must have horn as well.
* Save for near the end, he will pilot MS that only 20% complete.
"Incomplete? Nonsense, everyone know that body, arms, and head, are just for decoration!"
* He will walk around wearing only mask and speedo (dang, fanservice...). When someone ask him if he forget anything, he will check his mask and then say no. (alternately, he will point out that he rushed out of his room in hurry, and they should thank him for at least wearing the speedo)
* By his side is Lalah's clone, who's much saner and appear to be capable of shooting eye beams, rocket punch, etc (you know, newtype's stuff) off-screen.

On other side, we will have Amuro's clone who's clearly doesn't acknowledge the existence of most support characters, including "his best friend" Hayato's clone. Bright's clone who, when Amuro's clone told him to pilot Gundam himself, actualy does it and kick every asses in his way (plus kissing from girls), and thus force Amuro's clone to keep piloting Gundam else he will loss his hero's role. If Sunrise really want to grab newer trend, lets add sword-base blue magical girl called Setsuna, whose catch phrase including "You're not magical girl!" and "I'm such a fool." Oh, and Takakzu Abe will make brief cameo here and there.

Yeah, I'm not really creative...

[Strike Zero]

* Demand to pilot ONLY red MS. We're talking about something like - if given choice between red version of Jurick and Gundam Mk-V, he will choose Jurick (and we're talking about space combat). Oh, it must have horn as well.

In addition, if no such mobile suits are available, he will utilize military resources to acquire five hundred gallons of red paint in order to alter the currently available mobile suit's color, as well as additional materials used to solder on a horn.

[zerogradius]

If I could craft my own Gundam series, it would go like this:

1. The world is comprised of one super continent. The nations of the world have been in constant battle with each other for millenia, primarily for territory and resources. Mobile suits were created a hundred years prior to the present day and have been used as the primary form of combat ever since.

2. The main protag's homeland (nation A) is one of the largest on the continent and is pushing to gain more power. They create a new MS called the Gundam which utilizes a unique power source called displacement energy. The displacement engine is like a miniturized wormhole that takes this unique form of energy from another universe and powers the Gundam (I have not worked out all the kinks in this one yet).

3. Both men and women are in the military, but even though women are allowed to train to use MSs, only men are allowed to use them to fight in the frontlines. The military leader of nation A allows his daughter (let's call her Sarah) to be a MS pilot, but with the intention that she never fights a single battle (it's all a ploy to show the masses that if his kid can enlist, their's should as well). She becaomes fascinated by MSs and wants to fight in one, but is constantly denied. Her father also arranges for her to be romantically involved with the pilot chosen for the Gundam.

4. The Gundam, as well as their new battleship, is taken to a neutral sector in space for its big test run, which Sarah is forced to attend. Another country (nation B) learns of the test run and attacks the battleship before it begins. The Gundam pilot as well as most senior MS pilots and commanding officers die in the surprise attack. With primarily rookies remaining who are too scared to fight, Sarah decides to ignore the order against her engaging in combat and sorties in the Gundam. She shows how green she is in battle, but the power of the Gundam makes up for it. They escape but are pursued.

5. Constant attacks have forced her to use an experimental weapon, the twin displacement cannon. It succeeds in destroying many of her adversaries, but one of the cannons goes haywire and she is forced to abandon it. It creates a massive explosion that badly damages their pursuers and her nation's battleship, as well as knocks them some distance away from Earth. With much of the crew on both sides dead, the two sides are forced to work together to repair nation A's battleship as best they can so that they can return to Earth. They gain a greater understanding of each other and discover that the prejudices that they believed about one another to be false.

6. The journey back to Earth is not safe as they come under attack from fringe colonies due to their hatred of landers. They fight through those difficulties and return to the Earth sphere, only to be attacked by their respective nations. Both countries do not want those on board to 'poison' the rest of their populaces after spending so much time together, and only Sarah and the Gundam are given safe haven. Sarah refuses to leave her friends for dead, and remains on the battleship. They escape after a lengthy battle and are now classified as rogues. Compounding their problems is the discovery that other nations are developing MSs using displacement engines, leaving them to wonder what would become of the world. Sarah and the others decide to remain as rogues, fighting to keep the perpetual war their world is engaged in from escalating to a point of no return.


I have not decided yet how it would end, but I think this is a pretty good premise for a Gundam series that would not be just another rehash of old ideas but at the same time keeping to common ideals like people on different sides working together for a common goal.

[DuelGundam2099]

I am amazed nothing I suggested got called out on.

[Raptor]

Personally, I want to see an actual war. A small group of soldiers forcing their way into enemy territory to take out a enemy commander. Sort of what 08th MS Team tried to do, but continue the fierce struggle against enemies, using cover, ambushes and the like.

Alternatively, let us see more of the universe. Or even a future where Earth is gone, and only the other planets and the colonies still exist. I would love to see an idea like Lost Colony become a full series.

An enemy with a real reason for what they're doing. Not fanatical, megalomaniac genocidal tyrants.

Maybe an older protagonist, just for a change of pace. Or a female Protagonist.

Specialized Gundams are nice, but maybe a series where the specializations actually mean something.

What I really want to see though, is a Gundam series without a war at all. A Deep Space Exploration Team centric show. Where they combat dangers and aliens. Why not?

-Raptor, out.

[Kei Katsuragi]

I am amazed nothing I suggested got called out on.

Sorry Duel, I've been slacking, haven't I?

[Amion]

I am amazed nothing I suggested got called out on.

Sorry Duel, I've been slacking, haven't I?

This is the first I've seen of this...phenomenon.

Though oddly, I didn't find too much I disagreed with on what you want in the next series. Maybe I wasn't the only one. Or were you refering to some other post. I haven't been paying attention lately, as my crazy fanfic and its pedo-haro are consuming me.