G. Reco OT | Lesser anime | Streaming schedule & individual show OTs
Our hobby is in grave peril as once again anime finds itself on its deathbed, ready to simply vanish at a moment’s notice as all the good things in the industry pass and terrible monstrosities rise to finish it off once and for all. So much tragedy has struck anime this past year as Ghibli reassesses its future, JoJo has gone on break, and Hunter x Hunter has ended, We thought this time might never come after the reprieve brought to us by Space Dandy findings its footing, the brilliance of Ping Pong, and Gundam Build Fighters exorcising the demons in the hearts of so many anime fans past and present. Even the craftsmanship present in Ai Mai Mi and Pupipo is gone now with both shows having finished.
This has created a void.
Terror in Resonance was the harbinger that we ignored, we believed in Watanabe and he failed us. Through this failure, new terrors arise, seeking to undermine the integrity of the medium with depravity unheard of since the works of Kazuo Koike were still being adapted into OVAs. Terraformars has landed and spread its ill message supporting sexism, racism, and censorship. Cross Ange approaches, dire omens having warned us of what to expect and no godly person ready nor willing to accept what that show brings. Most frightening and despicable of all is the cautious optimism being demonstrated by those waiting for Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works, not having been burned enough in the past.
The prophesied arrival of Yasuhiro Imagawa’s Shin Great Mazinger has yet to come to pass and as such anime has yet to be saved once and for all. Something has to be done to turn back this tide of terrible, something to ensure anime exists for the next generation of fan. Like Rome electing Gaius Marius to consul time and time again, we too need an old hand that’s skilled in these matters, someone not constrained by such trivialities as storytelling, continuity, or naming convention, a seasoned maverick willing to lead us through this troubled time.
What we need is a hero…
That’s right, Yoshiyuki Tomino returns to mend our broken world with his new project:
Gundam Reconguista in G
The Bald Wizard is set to once again weave a spell with this new show that’s not for us, but for the fans that come after us. Before we get to that, we should discuss how we arrived there first. No, we won’t start with Triton of the Sea or La Seine no Hoshi. We’ll start with something a little more topical. Something like…
Brave Raideen - OP
Aired: 4/4/1975-3/26/1976
Episodes: 50
This was Tomino’s first mecha directorial duties, handling the first 26 episodes. The show is notable for the Raideen’s mystical origins and being of the first true transforming robots. It’s also influential with Yutaka Izubuchi citing this show as a source for his later work RahXephon.
It’s something I’d like to fully watch someday along with other shows of that era.
Invincible Super Man Zambot 3 - OP
Aired: 10/8/1977-3/25/1978
Episodes: 23
Tomino wrote and directed this one and it shows as this is where the “Kill ‘em all” philosophy he abuses becomes clear. Another I intend to get to and something I should prioritize given its short length.
Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 - OP
Aired: 6/3/1978-3/31/1979
Episodes: 40
Something I’m actually more familiar with, having ventured forth to explore the writer/diretor double threat Tomino brings in order to check out the Yoshinori Kanada animated episodes (5, 10, 16, 22).
Wacky Tomino is out full force here with the occasional somber episode. What I’ve often wondered is if its cast of a playboy, his butler, and the two women that argue over him didn’t happen to inspire a certain Other super robot show. That’s going way back if so.
Mobile Suit Gundam - OP
Aired; 4/7/1979-1/26/1980
Episodes: 40
Tomino’s landmark work that served to redefine a genre, complete with a cast that’s stood the test of time. While other real robot shows might be better (particularly those by Ryōsuke Takahashi), this has the prestige of being the first that’s helped let the franchise continue running strong today.
In ‘81/’82, Tomino was able to release the famous compilation movies that let him better realize his original goal,removing various elements befitting a super robot show to better ground the work by reworking various plot elements and expanding scenes & animation. To some, this has become the de facto way to experience the original 0079 conflict.
Space Runaway Ideon - OP
Aired: 5/8/1980-1/30/1981
Episodes: 50
Another work I’m sadly unfamiliar with firsthand, it’s one with a long standing legacy for its legendary grittiness and grim storytelling. Like Gundam, it faced cancellation as well as remade into two compilation movies. Sometime I’ll have to decide the best way to experience the show first hand, most likely I’ll settle on both.
Combat Mecha Xabungle - OP1
Aired: 2/6/1982-1/29/1983
Episodes: 50
Wacky Tomino with the Jexhius seal of approval.
Aura Battler Dunbine - OP
Aired: 2/5/1983-1/21/1984
Episodes: 49
Notable for introducing Byston Well to anime fans and serving as inspiration for Escaflowne, it’s a neat combination of fantasy & sci-fi elements close to Zeta Gundam in tone. It also has some of the the best Tomino names. I mean, c’mon, there’s a guy named Shot Weapon!
Heavy Metal L-Gaim - OP1
Aired: 2/4/1984-2/23/1985
Episodes: 54
Another Tomino show I should check out given Mamoru Nagano’s role as character & mecha designer. Going over articles for this, I saw one (unsubstantiated) claim that Nagano created his seminal work, Five Star Stories, due to being unsatisfied with L-Gaim.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam - OP2
Aired: 3/2/1985-2/22/1986
Episodes: 50
Considered one of the best shows in the franchise, Zeta’s probably stood the the test of time and is without a doubt influential itself. While Tomino’s storytelling & character issues are ever present, the show itself is introduces a new cast to continue the neverending warfare and brings back old cast members who struggle to resemble who they once were.
Of note is Mamoru Nagano also designed the Hyaku-Shiki and Zeta Gundam. I’d always wondered they looked so distinct.
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ - OP1
Wacky Tomino returns to the chagrin of Gundam fans. It’s divisive in the fandom for obvious reasons as the tonal whiplash conflicts directly with the grim ending of Zeta.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack - Trailer
Released: 3/12/1988
An original film that serves as the final act in the conflict between Amuro & Char. It’s not without its issues but the baggage cleaned up in it needed to be for the franchise to move forward.
Mobile Suit Gundam F91 -Trailer
Released: 3/16/1991
Planned as a full series, it was eventually “condensed” into a two hour movie with an apparent attempt to jam every last bit of a full tv length story into it. It was so bad that another original Gundam movie wouldn’t be made until the 00 movie. The fact that F91 wasn’t bad enough to prevent this abomination is another failure on its behalf.
It has some god tier animation going for it so there's that.
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam - OP1
Aired: 4/2/1993-3/25/1994
Episodes: 51
Another I don’t have any firsthand experience with and it’s a shame as perhaps madpierrot could have been swayed not to watch it rather than embracing his plan of giving up on the mecha genre after finishing it.
Garzey’s Wing - Trailer
Episodes: 3
Possibly the most Tomino thing ever. Let us never speak of it again.
Brain Powerd - OP
Aired: 4/8/1998-11/11/1998
Episodes: 26
Yet another I haven’t watched sadly despite the interest I once held in Yoko Kanno’s music, Branduil was dispatched in 2011 to watch this in order to contribute to our general knowledge base. He was never seen again.
Turn A Gundam - OP1
Aired: 4/4/1999-4/14/2000
Episodes: 50
Hands down my favorite Gundam show, a less pessimistic Tomino, great characters, and the brilliant setting left this one as a show I’d recommend to any anime fan, not just Gundam fans. More Yoko Kanno music and delicious Syd Mead designs round out this one into a complete product.
Overman King Gainer - OP
Aired: 9/7/2002-3/22/2003
Episodes: 26
Another gap in my knowledge and one I should check out. It’s wacky Tomino once again and from all I’ve been told, that’s why it’s good.
The Wings of Rean
Released: 12/16/2005-8/17/2006
Episodes: 6
An ONA based off of his original light novel series from ‘83-’86, I have no idea why he made it nor why keeps going back to Byston Well and I really wish he’d stop.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation - Gackt video that makes this look cool
A retelling of Zeta Gundam with a bad combination of TV animation combined with high quality feature animation. Its various retcons has made it somewhat despised given the pedestal Zeta is placed upon.
You know what? Talk about Garzey’s Wing. Let us never speak of this again instead.
Gundam Reconguista in G - PV1 | PV2 | PV3
Airing: 10/2/2014
http://www.g-reco.net/
Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Character Design: Kenichi Yoshida
Mechanical Desgin: Akira Yasuda, Osakabe Ippei, Kimitoshi Yamane
Setting Desgin: Joey Jones, Kinu Nishimura, GoudaCheeeeese, Pablo Uchida , Sunakura Takumi , Kurashima Ayumi
Color Key Artist: Nobuko Mizuta
Art: Okada Tomoaki
Soundtrack: Yugo Kanno
Sound Director: Eriko Kimura
Early reports state it’s good Tomino returned to bless us wth Gundam once again. Set in the Regild Century that takes place after the UC timeline and follows the journey of a pilot trainee named Beruri Zenamu. That's a fine Tomino name and only the first of many to look forward to.
Tomino has said the show isn’t meant for the current Gundam fan but the children, the next-generation of fandom. Despite such a strong statement, if good Tomino shows up as expected, we’re all in for a treat. After all, the last Gundam show aimed at kids ended up being one of the best in the franchise. Here’s hoping!
---
I've also taken the liberty of making various Tomino related avatars so all the Tomino fans out there can celebrate the salvation of anime. Please be excited and don't be afraid to express your fandom.
Our hobby is in grave peril as once again anime finds itself on its deathbed, ready to simply vanish at a moment’s notice as all the good things in the industry pass and terrible monstrosities rise to finish it off once and for all. So much tragedy has struck anime this past year as Ghibli reassesses its future, JoJo has gone on break, and Hunter x Hunter has ended, We thought this time might never come after the reprieve brought to us by Space Dandy findings its footing, the brilliance of Ping Pong, and Gundam Build Fighters exorcising the demons in the hearts of so many anime fans past and present. Even the craftsmanship present in Ai Mai Mi and Pupipo is gone now with both shows having finished.
This has created a void.
Terror in Resonance was the harbinger that we ignored, we believed in Watanabe and he failed us. Through this failure, new terrors arise, seeking to undermine the integrity of the medium with depravity unheard of since the works of Kazuo Koike were still being adapted into OVAs. Terraformars has landed and spread its ill message supporting sexism, racism, and censorship. Cross Ange approaches, dire omens having warned us of what to expect and no godly person ready nor willing to accept what that show brings. Most frightening and despicable of all is the cautious optimism being demonstrated by those waiting for Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works, not having been burned enough in the past.
The prophesied arrival of Yasuhiro Imagawa’s Shin Great Mazinger has yet to come to pass and as such anime has yet to be saved once and for all. Something has to be done to turn back this tide of terrible, something to ensure anime exists for the next generation of fan. Like Rome electing Gaius Marius to consul time and time again, we too need an old hand that’s skilled in these matters, someone not constrained by such trivialities as storytelling, continuity, or naming convention, a seasoned maverick willing to lead us through this troubled time.
What we need is a hero…
That’s right, Yoshiyuki Tomino returns to mend our broken world with his new project:
Gundam Reconguista in G
The Bald Wizard is set to once again weave a spell with this new show that’s not for us, but for the fans that come after us. Before we get to that, we should discuss how we arrived there first. No, we won’t start with Triton of the Sea or La Seine no Hoshi. We’ll start with something a little more topical. Something like…
Brave Raideen - OP
Aired: 4/4/1975-3/26/1976
Episodes: 50
This was Tomino’s first mecha directorial duties, handling the first 26 episodes. The show is notable for the Raideen’s mystical origins and being of the first true transforming robots. It’s also influential with Yutaka Izubuchi citing this show as a source for his later work RahXephon.
It’s something I’d like to fully watch someday along with other shows of that era.
Invincible Super Man Zambot 3 - OP
Aired: 10/8/1977-3/25/1978
Episodes: 23
Tomino wrote and directed this one and it shows as this is where the “Kill ‘em all” philosophy he abuses becomes clear. Another I intend to get to and something I should prioritize given its short length.
Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 - OP
Aired: 6/3/1978-3/31/1979
Episodes: 40
Something I’m actually more familiar with, having ventured forth to explore the writer/diretor double threat Tomino brings in order to check out the Yoshinori Kanada animated episodes (5, 10, 16, 22).
Wacky Tomino is out full force here with the occasional somber episode. What I’ve often wondered is if its cast of a playboy, his butler, and the two women that argue over him didn’t happen to inspire a certain Other super robot show. That’s going way back if so.
Mobile Suit Gundam - OP
Aired; 4/7/1979-1/26/1980
Episodes: 40
Tomino’s landmark work that served to redefine a genre, complete with a cast that’s stood the test of time. While other real robot shows might be better (particularly those by Ryōsuke Takahashi), this has the prestige of being the first that’s helped let the franchise continue running strong today.
In ‘81/’82, Tomino was able to release the famous compilation movies that let him better realize his original goal,removing various elements befitting a super robot show to better ground the work by reworking various plot elements and expanding scenes & animation. To some, this has become the de facto way to experience the original 0079 conflict.
Space Runaway Ideon - OP
Aired: 5/8/1980-1/30/1981
Episodes: 50
Another work I’m sadly unfamiliar with firsthand, it’s one with a long standing legacy for its legendary grittiness and grim storytelling. Like Gundam, it faced cancellation as well as remade into two compilation movies. Sometime I’ll have to decide the best way to experience the show first hand, most likely I’ll settle on both.
Combat Mecha Xabungle - OP1
Aired: 2/6/1982-1/29/1983
Episodes: 50
Wacky Tomino with the Jexhius seal of approval.
Aura Battler Dunbine - OP
Aired: 2/5/1983-1/21/1984
Episodes: 49
Notable for introducing Byston Well to anime fans and serving as inspiration for Escaflowne, it’s a neat combination of fantasy & sci-fi elements close to Zeta Gundam in tone. It also has some of the the best Tomino names. I mean, c’mon, there’s a guy named Shot Weapon!
Heavy Metal L-Gaim - OP1
Aired: 2/4/1984-2/23/1985
Episodes: 54
Another Tomino show I should check out given Mamoru Nagano’s role as character & mecha designer. Going over articles for this, I saw one (unsubstantiated) claim that Nagano created his seminal work, Five Star Stories, due to being unsatisfied with L-Gaim.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam - OP2
Aired: 3/2/1985-2/22/1986
Episodes: 50
Considered one of the best shows in the franchise, Zeta’s probably stood the the test of time and is without a doubt influential itself. While Tomino’s storytelling & character issues are ever present, the show itself is introduces a new cast to continue the neverending warfare and brings back old cast members who struggle to resemble who they once were.
Of note is Mamoru Nagano also designed the Hyaku-Shiki and Zeta Gundam. I’d always wondered they looked so distinct.
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ - OP1
Wacky Tomino returns to the chagrin of Gundam fans. It’s divisive in the fandom for obvious reasons as the tonal whiplash conflicts directly with the grim ending of Zeta.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack - Trailer
Released: 3/12/1988
An original film that serves as the final act in the conflict between Amuro & Char. It’s not without its issues but the baggage cleaned up in it needed to be for the franchise to move forward.
Mobile Suit Gundam F91 -Trailer
Released: 3/16/1991
Planned as a full series, it was eventually “condensed” into a two hour movie with an apparent attempt to jam every last bit of a full tv length story into it. It was so bad that another original Gundam movie wouldn’t be made until the 00 movie. The fact that F91 wasn’t bad enough to prevent this abomination is another failure on its behalf.
It has some god tier animation going for it so there's that.
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam - OP1
Aired: 4/2/1993-3/25/1994
Episodes: 51
Another I don’t have any firsthand experience with and it’s a shame as perhaps madpierrot could have been swayed not to watch it rather than embracing his plan of giving up on the mecha genre after finishing it.
Garzey’s Wing - Trailer
Episodes: 3
Possibly the most Tomino thing ever. Let us never speak of it again.
Brain Powerd - OP
Aired: 4/8/1998-11/11/1998
Episodes: 26
Yet another I haven’t watched sadly despite the interest I once held in Yoko Kanno’s music, Branduil was dispatched in 2011 to watch this in order to contribute to our general knowledge base. He was never seen again.
Turn A Gundam - OP1
Aired: 4/4/1999-4/14/2000
Episodes: 50
Hands down my favorite Gundam show, a less pessimistic Tomino, great characters, and the brilliant setting left this one as a show I’d recommend to any anime fan, not just Gundam fans. More Yoko Kanno music and delicious Syd Mead designs round out this one into a complete product.
Overman King Gainer - OP
Aired: 9/7/2002-3/22/2003
Episodes: 26
Another gap in my knowledge and one I should check out. It’s wacky Tomino once again and from all I’ve been told, that’s why it’s good.
The Wings of Rean
Released: 12/16/2005-8/17/2006
Episodes: 6
An ONA based off of his original light novel series from ‘83-’86, I have no idea why he made it nor why keeps going back to Byston Well and I really wish he’d stop.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation - Gackt video that makes this look cool
A retelling of Zeta Gundam with a bad combination of TV animation combined with high quality feature animation. Its various retcons has made it somewhat despised given the pedestal Zeta is placed upon.
You know what? Talk about Garzey’s Wing. Let us never speak of this again instead.
Gundam Reconguista in G - PV1 | PV2 | PV3
Airing: 10/2/2014
http://www.g-reco.net/
Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Character Design: Kenichi Yoshida
Mechanical Desgin: Akira Yasuda, Osakabe Ippei, Kimitoshi Yamane
Setting Desgin: Joey Jones, Kinu Nishimura, GoudaCheeeeese, Pablo Uchida , Sunakura Takumi , Kurashima Ayumi
Color Key Artist: Nobuko Mizuta
Art: Okada Tomoaki
Soundtrack: Yugo Kanno
Sound Director: Eriko Kimura
Early reports state it’s good Tomino returned to bless us wth Gundam once again. Set in the Regild Century that takes place after the UC timeline and follows the journey of a pilot trainee named Beruri Zenamu. That's a fine Tomino name and only the first of many to look forward to.
Tomino has said the show isn’t meant for the current Gundam fan but the children, the next-generation of fandom. Despite such a strong statement, if good Tomino shows up as expected, we’re all in for a treat. After all, the last Gundam show aimed at kids ended up being one of the best in the franchise. Here’s hoping!
---
I've also taken the liberty of making various Tomino related avatars so all the Tomino fans out there can celebrate the salvation of anime. Please be excited and don't be afraid to express your fandom.
