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View Full Version : Future Gundams - Where should they go?



Infinity Blade
06-18-2003, 03:51 PM
This is a subject that relates to both Toonami and Adult Swim, but since I didn't want to have to create a topic for both forums, I hope this is alright. Sorry if it's not. ^^;

So, we all know that eventually, Bandai will dub every Gundam series. And most likely, every Gundam series will probably come to Cartoon Network in some form or another.

Of course, there also comes the question at times as to which block each particular series should go to, Toonami or Adult Swim. It's hard to argue that G Gundam was right at home on Toonami, while if Adult Swim in it's present form had been around when they came on TV, the UC OVAs probably should have been put on AS and edited to their standards.

Then coming out... sometime in the next year or so, we have Zeta and the new SD Gundam, most likely going to AS and Toonami (or perhaps SVES), respectively. But, out of curiosity for those that may actually know about them, where do you think the others should go, whenever they may come out?

Since it's the only unaired series I can give proper judgement on, I'll begin by speaking for the latest series out in Japan, Gundam SEED. And try to avoid major spoilers while I'm at it...

Opposed to the opinion of others I have seen, I think it could fit quite well on Adult Swim. Despite it's flashy mecha and battles, it's bishounen littered cast, and so on, SEED is more comparable to the original Mobile Suit Gundam than Wing.
It's also very... slow. It's pace is so very, very slow. Mind you, I don't mind this. But rather than making sure to cram a big battle into each and every episode, there are several episodes where there is no fighting, or very little of it. Instead, we get character development and interaction as we move towards the next big battle. Now, personally, this is the kind of thing I love. However...

This is something that could very easily turn off the younger kids that Toonami targets. Look at G Gundam, Wing, DBZ, YYH... even Kenshin. All of them are jam packed with action in nearly every episode, enough to make it so that, even if a younger kid doesn't grasp or care about the plot or characters, he'll be drawn in by the massive amount of ass kicking going on. Although SEED has some battles that are spectacular, I can't help but think the episodes that have absolutely no action could easily bore a kid and cause him to drfit away from the show. Heck, I'd imagine there are grown up fans that it could bore at times, it just depends on how one reacts to that type of thing. Plus, there's one particular plot element a quarter of the way through the series that would likely not survive in any way, shape, or form on Toonami... and taking that element out would, in my opinion, hurt the plot and development of the characters. But that's just my opinion.

There is also the fact that a majority of the cast is quite young, though, most of which ranging from 14 to 17 years old. But at the same time, the same can be said for Inuyasha, and... well, every other Gundam series with the exception of 0083 and 08th MS Team, so that's a moot point.

And of course, here we won't have people simply being erased and destroyed... something that applies to all Gundam series, I guess. :p

(I would also mention a couple of brief but graphic moments of violence in the latest eight or so episodes in Japan, but as that's not the kind of thing I dwell on when it comes to this, I won't.)

This is not to say that airing it on Toonami doesn't have it's merits, though. Despite it's slow pace and non-action episodes, it's overall designs, along with it's intense and well animated battles likely COULD appeal to the Wing crowd. Plus, whenever it comes out here, I expect a BIG marketing blitz from Bandai, and that could possibly be easier on Toonami than on Adult Swim.

The most ideal option for a series like this would be to find a place that is a happy medium between AS and Toonami... but sadly, no such place exists. So, my first choice for SEED would be Adult Swim due to the possiblity of it's pacing losing kids and certain elements that could be handled better there. Toonami, though, is likely, and probably more realistic in the grand scheme of things considering Bandai will probably be looking at it as a very big cash cow.

Either way, though, I can't wait for this series' domestic DVD release. ^^

And although I've seen very, very little of these series, I'll toss out some random guesses for a couple of others...

Gundam X - Toonami
Turn A Gundam - Adult Swim

And I'm quite certain I'm pretty accurate with Turn A, at the very least. :p

okendri
06-18-2003, 07:14 PM
From all that has been said by some of the people here, UC gundam is dead to toonami so that leaves the AUs for toonami. Seed may present some problems, but the similarities to Wing and the new animation makes it perfect for toonami in my mind.

joerammstein
06-18-2003, 07:52 PM
Cripes, they can skip over Turn-A completely for all I care. I would eventually like to see X turn up on Toonami, however.

okendri
06-18-2003, 08:31 PM
I want to see Turn A simply for the fact that Tomino was at the helm of that series.

Neo-Era
06-19-2003, 02:38 AM
I want to see Turn A simply for the fact that Tomino was at the helm of that series.

You also might want to see it because it's one of the most underrated anime of the 90's. =) Nice change of pace for Gundam and as good an ending for the entire franchise as could be hoped for.

As for worrying about Toonami viewers' reaction to Gundam SEED, I have to disagree. SEED will be huge with the Wing-raised crowd.

MachSabre
06-19-2003, 03:13 AM
Actually having seen the entirity of Turn A, to be honest... Other than two scenes in particular, both easily editable scenes involving brief nudity, there's nothing in Turn A that couldn't be show on daytime Toonami or SVES. But Adult Swim would be the most likely, seeing how it sometimes goes whole episodes without even having a mecha in it.

ohmrbill
06-19-2003, 03:44 PM
Seed may present some problems, but the similarities to Wing and the new animation makes it perfect for toonami in my mind.

Wing was successful on Toonami because it had ultra-flashy, invincible mechas piloted by even more invincible teenagers who were oozing with angst for no real good reason. SEED has none of this. The only similarity I can see between SEED and Wing is the relative attractiveness of the cast. Granted, I've only seen about 5 episodes, but at least right now that's the way it seems.

Really I think ALL of the Gundam TV shows (Turn A may be an exception; it's hard to tell sometimes when it comes to Tomino) should go on Toonami because that's the primary age bracket their shooting for (though not the ONLY age bracket). But it's already been proven that UC doesn't do well on Toonami, so that's why it's on AS. So I think whether SEED goes to Toonami or AS is a decision t up to the people at CN who decide these things. If they think it will be able to do well on Toonami simply because of the new animation, then that's where it will go.

okendri
06-19-2003, 04:32 PM
From what I've seen of Seed(I watched the first 10 or so episodes and picked up in the 20's and watched all of them after that) it displays some of same invincibleness that the Wing featured. Seed will do well wherever they put though.

Space Cadet
06-19-2003, 05:10 PM
This is what I think would happen:

Z Gundam, ZZ Gundam, Gundam F91, and V Gundam= AS

Gundam X= Toonami

Turn A Gundam= AS

Gundam SEED= Toonami

SD Gundam= Toonami

Sheamon
06-19-2003, 08:14 PM
SEED's quite similar to Wing, from the 5 Gundams all piloted by pretty boys (although unlike Wing they're not all on the same side) to the almost exclusive teenage cast and flashy mecha/animation. Its resemblance to the original Gundam is interesting at times, but its certainly not something thats adult, warranting of being on Adult Swim. There's one questionable thing for it being on Toonami, but you can't put a show on Adult Swim just because of that, it would be a travesty.

Seeing as I haven't seen any Gundam show not released in America (outside of SEED of course) can't comment on the rest.

Andrew T. Hingson
06-19-2003, 09:07 PM
I think every Gundam will get a duel treatment after this point. Uncut on DVD and AS and cut on Toonami and or SVES. The exceptions would be Gundam X, Gundam SEED, and SD Gundam. All shoe-in's for Toonami and/or AS.

Gundam SEED will probably show up around the time Toonami has Dragonball GT going.

Space Cadet
06-19-2003, 09:10 PM
From the two episodes that I saw of Gundam X, it would fit well with Toonami.

okendri
06-19-2003, 09:28 PM
There are a couple of gory scenes that would have to be editted out, but they are about 1 or 2 seconds only so no one would notice. I doubt they will do the dual treatment.

Andrew T. Hingson
06-19-2003, 09:32 PM
There are a couple of gory scenes that would have to be editted out, but they are about 1 or 2 seconds only so no one would notice. I doubt they will do the dual treatment.

SEED, SD Gundam, and Gundam X wouldn't get dual treatment. All there others might (accept perhaps the movies and OVA's).

okendri
06-19-2003, 09:42 PM
I just don't see them airing Zeta, ZZ, V, and Turn A being on Toonami. The UC series just don't do well on Toonami given the old animation and it being slower than Wing, the same with Turn A. I could be wrong, but that's just my opinion.

Infinity Blade
06-19-2003, 09:57 PM
SEED's quite similar to Wing, from the 5 Gundams all piloted by pretty boys (although unlike Wing they're not all on the same side) to the almost exclusive teenage cast and flashy mecha/animation.

...which are about the only similarities I can think of, and are really, really quite superficial. In my opinion, at least.

I would hardly call the idea of putting it on AS a "travesty", either. I pointed out other reasons as well, but those are merely in my opinion. Others disagree with it, but hey, that's fine. And even still, I have yet to see a good suggestion as to how to handle that "one thing" without hurting the plot on Toonami.

Though besides that, I do think it could work on Toonami. I just think it could work on AS too. That's just me, though.

Will Sturnick
06-19-2003, 10:27 PM
While Turn A is somewhat of a question mark, I peg X and SEED as Toonami bound. I've seen all of X and there is nothing that's too risque for Toonami. Though there is some God talk, IIRC, but that is too frequent.Though the thing about ZZ that makes it an odd fit is its first 18 or so episodes.

I don't see how a slow moving plot should stop shows from being on Toonami. I mean look at Dragon Ball Z (Sorry, I couldn't resist).

Gary L Thompson
06-19-2003, 10:35 PM
Here's an idea:

Why not start a block on CN for--Gundam shows! (I'm serious. They've certainly made enough of them).

Ludicris
06-20-2003, 12:55 AM
Well, in my opinion almost every gundam series except for G gundam has dialogue too advanced for most of the kids who watch toonami. The reason wing did such a good job with the ratings is due to the older/more mature audiences tuning in because they didnt have a block for themselves. Though I still think it doesnt matter what block the show will be on it will still get pretty much the same ratings, though it might get more on adult swim because the more mature audiences will be home by then and be able to watch the show. I dont know if im making sense, its pretty late. Oh well, long live gundam!

Neo-Era
06-20-2003, 07:11 AM
And even still, I have yet to see a good suggestion as to how to handle that "one thing" without hurting the plot on Toonami.

I haven't seen a good reason why removing that one scene is going to substantially hurt SEED for Toonami viewers. Everything they'd need to know to understand the overall plot isn't contained only in that 30 second section of the show.

Keiichi
06-20-2003, 10:36 AM
Seed starts turning dark around ep 29. With the theme getting a bit more mature and some graphic death sceans.

Infinity Blade
06-20-2003, 12:01 PM
I haven't seen a good reason why removing that one scene is going to substantially hurt SEED for Toonami viewers. Everything they'd need to know to understand the overall plot isn't contained only in that 30 second section of the show.

Where did I say that it's everything needed to know? :p I merely think it's an important plot point, and marks a change in direction for some of the key characters that I can't figure out how to change without seriously dumbing things down. If they CAN figure out another way to handle it that works well, then fine. I'm not really all THAT picky. ^^;

Andrew T. Hingson
06-20-2003, 02:26 PM
Seed starts turning dark around ep 29. With the theme getting a bit more mature and some graphic death sceans.

Um hello... Kenshin anyone? If Sean wants it on Toonami it'll be on Toonami. I'm almost certain Bandai will try to the merchandise to mainly the7-11 age group, some to th 13-17, just a little to the college students, and barely at all to the adults. Toys for the kids models for the older croud (much like Gundam Wing, G Gundam, etc.).

Keiichi
06-20-2003, 05:40 PM
Meh, I know they they could edit it down into a shell if its former self if they want too. :p I was just pointing out there's other stuff that makes a bit more difficult to air on toonami besides that certain scean which can be cut out.

Neo-Era
06-20-2003, 09:39 PM
The scene in question is being blown out of proportion. It's not necessary to understand the overall plot of the show because nothing big that affects the greater plot ever comes as a result of it. All it really does is show how truly, deeply disturbed one character in particular is and viewers already know the character in question has major emotional problems because it's established elsewhere during the show. In other words, it's all a matter of degrees in terms of the development of the character.

It's not going to "seriously dumb things down" unless it's referred to later in an integral way to the plot that absolutely requires knowledge of that specific scene (like if, say, Fllay becomes pregnant or if Kira develops an STD or something). Otherwise, it's not going to affect your enjoyment of the show severely.

lostrune
06-21-2003, 09:46 AM
Well, in my opinion almost every gundam series except for G gundam has dialogue too advanced for most of the kids who watch toonami. The reason wing did such a good job with the ratings is due to the older/more mature audiences tuning in because they didnt have a block for themselves.

Nah, Gundam Wing was a hit because of all the screaming fan-grrrls!!! :D


Though I still think it doesnt matter what block the show will be on it will still get pretty much the same ratings, though it might get more on adult swim because the more mature audiences will be home by then and be able to watch the show. I dont know if im making sense, its pretty late. Oh well, long live gundam!

Nah, Toonami will garner better ratings than post-midnight shows. It basically depends on what Bandai wants to do with the Gundam franchise. If they want to re-popularize it like the GWing phenomenon years ago, they have to go thru Toonami like they just did with G-Gundam.

Infinity Blade
06-21-2003, 09:51 AM
Well, I also never said it was completely vital to the overall plot, either. I DO think it's important to the overall understanding of certain characters, however. But that's just me. I'm sure there's some way to respectfully handle it, I just haven't figured it out yet. :p

As well...


Um hello... Kenshin anyone?

That's exactly the reason I chose not to heavily point to the violence. :p

Will Sturnick
06-21-2003, 11:44 AM
(like if, say, Fllay becomes pregnant or if Kira develops an STD or something).

Well if that happens then pretty obvious, that they must've...