Gundam is a massive franchise, spanning decades worth of TV series, movies, OVAs, manga, games - and of course, model kits. Understandably, many would-be viewers may feel overwhelmed with the collective amount of material on-hand. Now, with a new series being streamed globally, there are already numerous questions being asked about where to start. While we already have a couple of guides linked to in the watch order wiki, they aren't quite up-to-date with this latest series - which is why I feel the need to post about it:I'm interested in Iron-Blooded Orphans, but haven't watched any previous part of Gundam. Can I watch IBO as an entry point into the franchise?Yes, you can. IBO (aka G-Tekketsu) is a standalone series that has no direct canonical/continuity connection to any of the established parts of the Gundam universe. Judging by how Sunrise has made IBO available on multiple official streaming platforms, it's likely they intend for this series to be a gateway for non-Japanese anime viewers.Are there any manga/LNs/VNs required to understand any of the Gundam anime?No. Gundam is an anime-original franchise, so you can just stick to the anime medium in this case. Even in the few instances of Gundam anime being adapted from non-anime material, the events/details left out are either unimportant or otherwise covered in other parts of the anime continuity.I've just started watching IBO, but want to check out more. What should I watch next?There's no precise answer to this question, since asking many Gundam fans about it will give you a wide variety of answers.If you want a shorter, more self-contained Gundam series to watch, there are several shows to choose from. These are outlined in the watch order wiki guides, but I'll list them out here anyway, in production order:Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994, 49 episodes)Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995, 50 episodes) + Endless Waltz (3-part OVA/Movie)After War Gundam X (1996, 39 episodes)Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002, 50 episodes) + Destiny (2004, 50 episodes)Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007, 50 episodes split into two seasons + a movie)Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2011, 49 episodes)Iron-Blooded Orphans (current)These alternate universe (AU) Gundams each have their own fanbases, haters, and unique qualities. For instance, G Gundam is the one series most comparable to Gurren Lagann, being an over-the-top super robot show in contrast to the more serious Gundams.If you're looking for a storyline with length and depth, the original Universal Century timeline is the place to go. Beginning with the original 1979 TV show and its shorter movie trilogy, UC Gundam has far and away the most material to work with. They can be watched either in production order or chronologically, and not everything in here is mandatory viewing.The "core" of the UC timeline consists of:the original series (43 TV episodes/3 summary movies made from 1979-1982)Zeta Gundam (1985, 50 episodes, w/ non-canon summary movies)Gundam ZZ (1986, 47 episodes (considered optional by some due to mixed critical reception))Char's Counterattack (1988, movie)Unicorn (2010-2014, 7-episode OVA)The series that take place during and after the events depicted in the titles listed above are worth checking out, and can be understood by simply watching the first series. In particular, Turn-A Gundam and Reconguista in G each take place well after the events of the early UC, but can still be viewed as their own self-contained shows (albeit probably better-watched with some prior experience).Besides those series, there are several spin-offs, which are less serious and more fun. The SD Gundam shows range from comedic Carnival Phantasm-esque parodies to kid-friendly Saturday morning stuff. More recently, there is Gundam Build Fighters, a glorified commercial for Gunpla (Gundam plastic models) that's actually a great, fun series all on its own (even if its second season, TRY, wasn't as well received).What about the ongoing Origin OVA that's getting a new episode soon? Where does that fit in with the rest of Gundam?The OVA of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is adapted from the manga of the same name, which retells the events of the original series. However, rather than fully remake the original series, this OVA merely adapts new background material that was featured for the first time in the manga.Will I be able to like IBO - let alone any other Gundam - if I'm not that into mecha?G-Tekketsu is being directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai and written by Mari Okada - whose previous works are Toradora and AnoHana. Also, the OP is from Man With A Mission (DATABASE DATABASE WOOOOO).As for Gundam being mecha? Mecha is a broad genre label, encompassing anything that has a large robot as a prominent device/tool used in the series. I feel that it's unfair to characterize the more well-known examples of the genre (Code Geass, Evangelion, Gurren Lagann) as being a-typical. Patlabor is a slice-of-life police comedy/political thriller, with mechs. Escaflowne is a shoujo fantasy adventure series, with mechs. Macross has music and romance as central themes on top of its mech action and sci-fi settings. And so on, and so on. If your only prior experience to mecha has been Aldnoah.Zero or any one of the 3 shows mentioned in the parentheses above, I'd suggest being more open-minded about the genre.Even within Gundam itself, there's a lot of variance in terms of style, target audience, and quality, with the corresponding drama/disagreements between different groups of fans. Some are in it for the old-school UC shows, others for the hot dudes that characterize many of the AU series's core character groups, while still others are indeed watching for the mechs specifically (and the Gunpla they buy and build).TL;DR?Iron-Blooded Orphans is a standalone Gundam series, and could end up being a good gateway into the 36+ year-long Gundam metaverse.Hopefully this should clear things up a bit, but if any other Gundam fans here have their own recommendations/ how-to guides to share, go ahead. http://ift.tt/1FMPIeY
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