The Official Gundam Reconguista Anime Thread Mk I

[Hi_Nu_Gundam]

You know "New Yark" was written differently in kana too, right? It's not like they just arbitrarily changed the English spelling.

-- Mark

I was recalling an interview for one of the Gundam video games (was either Journey to Jaburo or Federation vs Zeon) where the localization team wanted to change it to "New York" but in their words "a little bald wizard" insisted they keep it Yark.

[AmuroNT1]

You DO realize that the person you're talking to may well have been part of that translation team, don't you?

[Raikoh]

Tomino explained this in an interview back when the title was announced... The Japanese just like that hard "g" sound in their titles. Most mecha anime titles have one. And Tomino decided to just corrupt the word reconquista.

"Reconguista" is actually a word, though. In Portuguese. Whether it was intentional or not, they just sort of replaced it with a different but just as valid word, for flavor.

[Kyuzo Aoi]

I'm going to step in and tell everyone right now that I don't want this discussion to turn into pages of endless speculation about Turn A and the Dark History. After 14 years, it's gone beyond tiresome to hear people drone on forever trying to force everything into some mega timeline. I don't want to see a constant stream of how/when/if this show will connect to Turn A, particularly when we have so little to go on.

I know it's impossible to expect people to control the instinct to go out of control with the speculation, I'm going to say it anyway. Let's all wait for the show to actually air and see if Tomino intends to make some explicit connection to Turn A.

OK. Sorry for that, Chris. We're just carried out with the excitement. Well, to be honest, I am skeptical of many of the fan interpretations of Dark History, anyway. Let's just view it symbolically instead of literally.

[gunform1010]

Can we just assume the Earth Federation was abolished along with the UC calendar? Or is it too soon to say so?

[Chris]

OK. Sorry for that, Chris. We're just carried out with the excitement. Well, to be honest, I am skeptical of many of the fan interpretations of Dark History, anyway. Let's just view it symbolically instead of literally.

Not aimed at you, just a general announcement for everyone to read and understand.

[felip3cruz]

Tomino explained this in an interview back when the title was announced... The Japanese just like that hard "g" sound in their titles. Most mecha anime titles have one. And Tomino decided to just corrupt the word reconquista.

"Reconguista" is actually a word, though. In Portuguese. Whether it was intentional or not, they just sort of replaced it with a different but just as valid word, for flavor.

Actually, no. The word for "reconquest" in Portuguese is "reconquista". "Reconguista" is indeed a corruption of the word.

[angelwingzero]

OK. Sorry for that, Chris. We're just carried out with the excitement. Well, to be honest, I am skeptical of many of the fan interpretations of Dark History, anyway. Let's just view it symbolically instead of literally.

Not aimed at you, just a general announcement for everyone to read and understand.

Noted, Sir Chris.

Can we just assume the Earth Federation was abolished along with the UC calendar? Or is it too soon to say so?

I don't think they've made mention of what the government in the Regild era is yet. It could still be the Federation as far as we know so far.

[Evex]

Whelp new trailer is out, and we get a bit more information on things.

The reguild era is a period of time after the universal century, which means there was another calendar change at some point. The story appears to be from the following.

Spoiler

Some time has passed since the end of the Universal Century, a history marked by space colonization and space warfare.

Humanity's prosperity, which ushered in a new era known as Regild Century (R.C.), was believed to endure alongside the global peace.

It is the year R.C.1014.

The Capital Tower is an orbital elevator that rose above the Earth's surface and linked Earth and space. As the conduit of the Photon Battery energy source to the surface, it is regarded as sacred.

Beruri Zenamu is in the middle of training for the Capital Guard (established to protect the Capital Tower), when the tower is attacked by G-Serufu — a highly maneuverable mobile suit with technology that is not from any known country.

Beruri, who joins the battle in the maintenance mobile suit Rekuten, successfully captures the G-Serufu. However, Beruri feels something for the space pirate girl named Aiida Reihanton who piloted the G-Serufu. It is the same feeling he has for G-Serufu, even though he supposedly never seen it before. The G-Serufu, which should only be operable under specific conditions, is somehow started up by Beruri.

The objective of Aiida and the space pirates who attacked the Capital Tower, and the fate followed by Beruri who was chosen by G-Serufu, will lead to truths that will shake the entire Regild Century era.

There are apparently three well known groups in the story so far, space pirates, capitol guard and oddly enough St. Ivaes Academy. The Capitol Guard appear to be part of the Capitol army, which uses the Kattoshii a flight capable mobile suit. The show doesn't officially begin until October, but the first three episodes are being released in theaters between August 23 through September 5.

[toysdream]

Actually, no. The word for "reconquest" in Portuguese is "reconquista". "Reconguista" is indeed a corruption of the word.

Exactly. Here's a page on the historical Reconquista from the Portuguese Wikipedia:

http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista

"Reconguista" may look Portuguese, but it's not. If there's ever an in-story explanation, it may come down to the kind of futuristic linguistic drift that gave us "New Yark" and "Lake Mid" and "Ameria" and "Manupich" in Tomino's previous Gundam shows.

-- Mark

[gunform1010]

There are apparently three well known groups in the story so far, space pirates, capitol guard and oddly enough St. Ivaes Academy.

I hope we have a good reason to care about students and cheerleaders.

I'm glad we got a badass in a maintenance mobile suit.

[HellCat]

As long as we don't edge too close to Valvrave territory, we should be good.

Plus maybe it'll make up for near all of Banagher's class getting toasted in the opening chapter of Unicorn.

[gunform1010]

As long as we don't edge too close to Valvrave territory, we should be good.

Plus maybe it'll make up for near all of Banagher's class getting toasted in the opening chapter of Unicorn.

Valvrave looks crazy. Maybe worth a try. Also, yeah I suppose we do need cool kids. Perhaps some of them childhood friends of Beruri and accidentally find out a few state secrets, hehehe.

[Kratos]

The more I see about this, the more interested I get. The plot summaries are promising something distinct from past Gundam series, and I think I'm starting to get legit excited (rather than just curious).

Regarding the Reguild Century: 1014 years! Oh my. I wonder if it's possible that the Universal Century was changed to the Reguild at some point, but numbering continued? Sort of like AD to CE on a wider scale. I'm basing that on literally nothing, other than 1014 years being a LONG time removed from the UC despite promos connecting the show to it from the start.

I don't think they've made mention of what the government in the Regild era is yet. It could still be the Federation as far as we know so far.

It's worth noting this bit of the official synopsis:

...G-Serufu — a highly maneuverable mobile suit with technology that is not from any known country.

Though I don't know what the wording of this is in Japanese, the use of the term "country" implies at least a few separate governments (that have distinct technology from one another, to boot). That might mean countries on Earth, or both on Earth and in space. In fact, that summary also notes that this Capital Tower connects earth and space, which tells me they're two separate entities (rather than existing under the thrall of a single government). Perhaps the Earth Sphere has since returned to a nation-state system, with several sets of colonies existing as their own independent states. And if a tower - which can't really reasonably extend beyond orbit - is used to connect the two, maybe whatever state(s) exist(s) on Earth have no political presence beyond the planet at all.

[gunform1010]

The calendar change is plausible.

In any case, in order to have space pirates, we need nations in space first to pirate from, right?

[Kratos]

In any case, in order to have space pirates, we need nations in space first to pirate from, right?

Well, you'd really just need SHIPS in space, since that's what pirates usually intercept and take from. Technically, humanity could have moon colonies or space tourism or something and space pirates would still be a believable issue.

Of course, I agree and think it's much more likely that the show involves space nations, but they're not a necessity for the pirates.

[Mythgarr]

1014 in the future of UC's end (whatever it is...probably right after G-Saviour?)
I wonder if there will be beings made of light and "humans" are just shells and to activate the G-Self (G-Serv?) they need to have humans with a fragment of light soul in it

or probably in 1000 years technology just went stagnant for whatever reason.

And hey, probably the pilot is 14 years old ?

[mobiusdiablo]

I'm going to step in and tell everyone right now that I don't want this discussion to turn into pages of endless speculation about Turn A and the Dark History. After 14 years, it's gone beyond tiresome to hear people drone on forever trying to force everything into some mega timeline. I don't want to see a constant stream of how/when/if this show will connect to Turn A, particularly when we have so little to go on.

I know it's impossible to expect people to control the instinct to go out of control with the speculation, I'm going to say it anyway. Let's all wait for the show to actually air and see if Tomino intends to make some explicit connection to Turn A.

Phew, thank you for taking the words out of my mouth.

Took a look at Gundamguy's stuff this morning and... I'm alright with the character design, it doesn't strike me as either really outstanding or really ugly. The mechs feel more hit or miss for me, but not the usual suspects.

G-Self/G-Serufu (Could be G-Seraph): I actually like the design quite a bit from lineart - It's weird, it's different, and it's an interesting take on the obligatory RX-78-2 lookalike. Since when did we ever get a slimmer G(undam) with curves?

Kattoshi: Not as warm on it as the apparent main suit - something just strikes me wrong about how wide those hips are placed and yet how thin they look. That, and it feels like they just copypasted a hang-glider behind it.

Rekuten: Uh...eh...? I'm not entirely certain how to take this one as it's an alleged worker unit, but it's giving me vibes of the Desperado from AGE. A bit more detailed but still rather toylishly simple and now with giant tanuki ball maneuver engines that almost look like its shoulders.

Grimoire: Looks like the antagonist Mook suit, and while it looks kinda fat-Vaganish, I kind of like the design. It certainly doesn't look like a ripoff or an uninspired retread of anything we've seen in previous shows. Besides the 'mass production suit used by pirates' caption, I'm curious about the circular piece on its belly. That seems to be the standard place for the cockpit for this series, but I wonder why it's so big compared to the others. Maybe it's an extra layer of armor over the hatch? Maybe the Grimoires are tiny compared to the larger MS? Who knows?

Still looking forward to this, though I'm kind of avoiding the trailers because I don't want their animation to color my impressions on the actual show when it debuts.

[Kratos]

G-Self/G-Serufu (Could be G-Seraph): I actually like the design quite a bit from lineart - It's weird, it's different, and it's an interesting take on the obligatory RX-78-2 lookalike. Since when did we ever get a slimmer G(undam) with curves?

00 had Exia there's a reason I love that design like I do.

Know what I like about the G-Self (I think that's the official name, though I can't cite any sources offhand)? The big eyes. And the glowy bits, but the big eyes really do it for me. I'm not even sure why.

[darkhunger]

Official translation of the site and some new info on the characters and MS's
http://en.gundam.info/topics/white/34204