Gundam...mission accepted

Lets go back to 1999, I sat anxiously at my desk staring at the clock as it seemed to stop for an eternity on each stroke of the secondhand. tick...my homework is all done. tick...everything is in my bag so I can go quickly. tick...do I have a clear route out the door? tick...finally, the bell rings and I bolt out the classroom door. I weave through the herd of kids in the hallway with technical prowess that would put even the best Call of Duty player to shame. I barrel into my father's car and tap my fingers on the door as we drive home. I get inside, throw my bag by my bedroom door and turn on the TV. I MADE IT! My whole world melts away as I am instantly sucked into the hypnotizing magic of Toonami. Just in time to see the credits for Ronin Warriors before another epic episode of Dragonball Z... now it's time for the deep political intrigue and heartbreak of my favorite child-soldiers as that iconic opening rolls. It's time for Gundam Wing.

I've revisited Gundam Wing many times over the years and, as I've grown older and more sophisticated, the story has started to fall apart at its seams almost as fast as the style of its animation. But somehow, it never fails to pull me back in. It's a heavy dose of nostalgia that takes me back to being 14. To a simpler time in my life when I was first discovering the depth of what a story could be. Back when The Matrix was life-changing philosophy, the power of Goku's positivity and purity of heart could turn the most evil of enemies back to good, and five young men piloting giant robots could be pulled into the conflicts of the adult world and make a real difference. Maybe it was my mind at that age or maybe it was that 90's storytelling style, but things seemed more simple back then. Good and evil, right and wrong, there were always clear lines to separate them. I appreciate those stories more now than ever. Now that we live in the age of the anti-hero, the sympathetic villain, the good-guy with the dark past, those older stories are a breath of fresh air. It was a time before streaming services or amazon, so once Gundam Wing ended...I had no way to find more of the amazing Gundam series. In fact, I was unaware of the true gargantuan nature of the Gundam franchise. Little did I know, 25 years later I would stumble back into its arms and find a great new hobby.

The Gundam universe branches out through around 60 anime series and movies, as well as novels, graphic novels, and plastic models called Gunpla (the combination of the words Gundam, and the Japanese word for plastic model). With so many options at my fingertips, how could I ever pick a place to start? Well, it all boiled down to dumb luck. I found the series, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury on YouTube, dubbed in English, so I decided to give it a try. I wanted to see if modern Gundam gave me that same feeling that Gundam Wing had brough to my younger years. And boy did it! I've since found out that the Gundam fanbase is very divided on The Witch from Mercury, but going in blind...I loved it! The story was fun, with some interesting and amusing twists and turns. There were reveals in the story that genuinely caught me off guard and made me stop and re-think about the series up to that point. There were questions of morality, the abuse of science, relationships forming and breaking, prejudice and oppression, and where a child's loyalties should lie when their faith in adults is shaken. It had everything I remembered Wing having...plus it looked AMAZING! The Gundam Aerial is badass! This lit a fire in me that left me craving more. So I took my D&D and Warhammer 40k skills and ordered my first Gunpla model.

A few days later, the box arrived containing the MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom. That's a long name that, to me at least, meant blue robot with a big machine gun from a series I hadn't watched. I chose it because it was on sale and I didn't know if Gunpla was for me or not. I was afraid to invest too much into something that I didn't know if I would enjoy. I opened the box and was immediately intimidated by the number of parts and the complicated look of the instructions. The Gouf sat on my desk for a week before my daughter found him. I had already admitted defeat before ever cutting my first piece from the runner so I slid the pieces back into the box and handed it to her. I invited her to start the Gouf for me as I began working on another squad of Space Marines. As my tiny soldiers began to materialize on my desk, I glanced over at her. She sat stooped over her desk with the intensity of a mad scientist, carefully snipping out pieces and placing them in organized groups. I continued my task of reinforcing my squad of Ultramarines with these new soldiers...time went by and the silence was suddenly broken "Dad! Hey, Dad!" I turned to see my mad scientist holding up the torso and legs of a small robot "Dad, it's got legs.." She sounded crazy, but the pride in her eyes from taking this pile of plastic and creating the majority of this figure brought so much joy to my heart. I watched her work with the focus of some wild engineer in a laboratory as the plastic came together. She turned and sat the completed Gouf on the edge of my desk..."He's done" We marveled at the size and details of the model as she chose its first action pose. I was so proud of her and she was so proud of the Gouf..."Dad, can we get another one?"

Not long after completing the Gouf Custom, the Gundam Aerial and Wing Gundam arrived in the mail. We bonded over our mutual love of plastic action figures as we built them...with Gundam Wing streaming in the background. I'm the proud father of a brand new baby Gundam fan, and I'm loving exploring this

fandom with her. Since then I've enjoyed The Witch from Mercury a second time, found the 08th MS Team streaming and watched it all in one night (that's the series the Gouf Custom comes from) My next anime adventure will be the Iron Blooded Orphans. Our next two models are in the mail and "Little Miss Nostalgia" can't wait to cut open the boxes. We're adding the original RX-78 Gundam and the Calibarn to our collection. I look forward to posting pictures for you all to enjoy soon.

Zechs Merquise

The Gundam franchise first aired in 1979 and is estimated to have earned over 5 billion dollars since it arrived. As I said before, there are nearly 60 series and movies in the franchise now. But, remember these are anime series that typically run 12 to 24 episodes long. Some of the longest series in the franchise only run 50 episodes. The more I'm learning and watching, the more I'm enjoying and growing to respect the Gundam fanbase. So, if you're a fan of anime or just enjoy good storytelling and giant robots, I'm sure there's a Gundam series out there for you. With my limited experience with the numerous series, I don't feel qualified to make suggestions yet. But, with that being said, the 08th MS Team is a throwback to older animation but, with 12 episodes, is an outstanding story. The Witch from Mercury has plot holes and contrivances, but if you're willing to just go for the ride, it's a really good 24 episode story. Gundam Wing...my first experience with the franchise...has aged pretty poorly. I still think the 5 hero Gundams are awesome designs, but the story is a little bit "B Movie" by today's standards. It's still a fun ride and has one of the best characters I've seen in any anime in Zechs Merquise. If you watch Gundam Wing, I bet you'll agree with me.

So, Gundam is a fun fandom to dip your toes into. If you're a model builder, you're robbing yourself if you don't try one of the countless Gunpla models. If you're experienced with building models, the master and perfect grade models are expensive but incredibly impressive. If you're just a hobbyist like me, the high grade models are affordable and look great on a shelf. If you're a fan of anime or good animated storytelling, there are endless tier lists out there that rank the various Gundam series. I can't recommend enough to find one that has an eye-catching summary and give it a watch. (Again, the 08th MS Team is awesome...and on Hulu). If you grew up with Gundam, come back to the party. If you didn't, it's time to check out what you've been missing. Let me know what you find and if you enjoyed it. After Iron Blooded Orphans, I'll be looking for more suggestions. As always, God bless, and peace be with you all...and don't forget to GAME ON!