Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)
The landmark mecha anime that launched a global franchise, following a teenager thrust into the cockpit of humanity's most powerful weapon.
Mobile Suit Gundam - Series Information
- Original Title: 機動戦士ガンダム
- First Air Year: 1979
- Last Air Year: 1980
- Created by: Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Type: TV Series
- Genres: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
- Content Rating (US): TV-14
- Episode Runtime: Average runtime per episode: 25 minutes
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 43
- Status: Ended
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- First Air Date: April 7, 1979 (United States - TV-14), April 7, 1979 (Canada - 14+), April 7, 1979 (Germany - 12), April 7, 1979 (Australia - M), April 7, 1979 (Mexico - B-15), April 7, 1979 (South Korea - 15)
- Networks: Nagoya TV
- Alternative Titles: Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 (US), 기동전사 퍼스트 건담 (KR), Kidou Senshi Gundam (JP), 機動戰士GUNDAM (TW), 机动战士高达 0079 (CN), Los Guerreros Moviles Gundam (ES), 機動戰士高達 0079 (HK)
- Production Companies: SUNRISE, Sotsu, Nagoya Broadcasting Network
- Production Countries: Japan
Mobile Suit Gundam - Plot
What would you do if you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a war? Teenager Amuro Ray sees his life shattered when war comes to his home. During the chaos, Amuro finds himself inside the mobile suit Gundam, the Earth Federation's new secret weapon, and he somehow gets it to work. Amuro and the other refugees flee their homeland on the warship White Base. This group of children and inexperienced soldiers will change the outcome of the war.
Mobile Suit Gundam - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see the conflict that defined a generation of anime:
Will you be able to survive?
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Mobile Suit Gundam - Cast & Crew
Creator(s)
- Yoshiyuki Tomino
Main Cast
- Toru Furuya
- Shuichi Ikeda
- Hirotaka Suzuoki
- Fuyumi Shiraishi
- Kiyonobu Suzuki
- Toshio Furukawa
- Rumiko Ukai
- Yo Inoue
- Shozo Iizuka
- Keiko Han
Writers
- Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Kenichi Matsuzaki
- Yoshihisa Araki
- Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
- Yū Yamamoto
Mobile Suit Gundam - FAQs
Where can you stream Mobile Suit Gundam?
Mobile Suit Gundam is available to stream on Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, both offering the series as part of their subscription plans. These platforms provide access to the original Japanese audio with subtitles, making it easy to watch the classic 1979 series legally online.
Is Mobile Suit Gundam the start of the franchise?
Yes. The 1979 series is the original entry in the entire Gundam franchise, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino. It established the Universal Century timeline and introduced concepts — including the Newtype psychic warriors and large-scale mobile suit combat — that have defined dozens of sequels, films, and spin-offs ever since.
Who are the main voice actors in Mobile Suit Gundam?
The principal voice cast includes Toru Furuya as protagonist Amuro Ray and Shuichi Ikeda as the iconic rival Char Aznable. Supporting roles are filled by Hirotaka Suzuoki as Bright Noa, Fuyumi Shiraishi as Mirai Yashima, Toshio Furukawa as Kai Shiden, and Keiko Han as Lalah Sune, among others.
What is Mobile Suit Gundam about?
Set in a future where humanity has colonized space, the series follows teenager Amuro Ray, who accidentally pilots the powerful Gundam mech during a Zeon attack on his colony. Amuro and a crew of young civilians aboard the warship White Base must survive a brutal war while confronting the human cost of conflict.
How many episodes does Mobile Suit Gundam have?
Mobile Suit Gundam consists of 43 episodes across a single season. It originally aired on Nagoya TV in Japan from April 7, 1979, to January 26, 1980. The series was later re-edited into a theatrical film trilogy that condensed the story for cinema audiences.
Who created Mobile Suit Gundam?
Mobile Suit Gundam was created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, who also directed the series and contributed to its scripts. Produced by Sunrise in collaboration with Sotsu and Nagoya Broadcasting Network, the show was Tomino's ambitious attempt to craft a grounded, war-focused alternative to the super-robot anime popular at the time.
Did Mobile Suit Gundam win any awards or recognition?
While the series initially struggled in ratings and was cut short, it became a massive cultural phenomenon after reruns and the theatrical film trilogy. It is widely credited with pioneering the 'real robot' anime genre and has been recognized across decades by industry bodies and fan polls as one of the most influential anime ever made.
What is the content rating for Mobile Suit Gundam?
Mobile Suit Gundam carries a TV-14 rating in the United States, indicating content that may be unsuitable for children under 14. The series depicts warfare, character deaths, and the psychological toll of combat, themes that informed its mature, anti-war tone throughout its original 43-episode run.
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