Everything you ever wanted to know about the Gundam universe but were afraid to ask was addressed at this very panel. One of the many fan-run panels that is done every year at AX, it’s an opportunity for knowledgeable fans to talk and celebrate all things celebrating Gundam. Fans of all ages, genders, and backgrounds were in attendance.
To kick off the panel, the lead host chose to start off with a bit of Gundam-related humor before showing a trailer for the new Gundam 00 movie, Awakening of the Trailblazer. Once the trailer was finished, the lead host began to talk about the upcoming model kits – some of which were attached to the movie while there were some from other Gundam series. It was then announced that the next episode of Gundam Unicorn was also to be released later this year with its own respective model kits.
After the conclusion of the model kit discussion and trailers discussion, the next topic of focus was the Gundam universe within the manga. Just like the various anime series that seem to take place in different parts of the universe – the manga are also split into their respective series. Ranging from the original series all the way to the recent Gundam 00, these manga storylines provide fans with alternate POVs within the same story, deeper subplots within an established scene in its respective anime, or expand upon a certain character’s past.
The Japanese magazine known as Gundam ACE then discussed various manga stories are printed into the main book itself, breaking news about anything new within the Gundam universe, fan art and even little bonus goodies for those that pick up the magazine. Providing so many different ways of appealing to the fans, it’s easy to see why Gundam has has remained a fan-favorite for over thirty years.
Thanks for covering the panel! I was part of the panel discussing Gundam manga. I hope everyone enjoyed the panel and we look forward to next year’s!
[...] panels and workshops, but was unable to because they were held on Thursday (Opening Ceremonies, Gundam: the Panel, Fanfiction Writing, Self-Publishing for Online Mangaka, and Origami) or Sunday (Do Anime [...]
It’s great to see some coverage of the panel! I know it was a little rough for anyone who wasn’t pre-registered or much of a morning person but we had quite a turn out, about a third of the largest room in the convention center was filled with amazing Gundam fans. Here’s hoping next year is on day 2
and has lots of 0080 and UC support!