gundamstories | Discussion Post: Side-Stories and Other Non-Animated Gundam

You're viewing

gundamstories
Create a Dreamwidth Account Learn More

Reload page in style: site light

taichara posting in

gundamstories

From manga to gunpla variations to light novels and everything in between, there is a lot of Gundam material that isn't found in any given main anime series in the franchise.

Which brings us to our new discussion topic:

What do you think of the Gundam 'side' materials?

Do you have a favorite, or least favorite? Do you consider it all canon, or only certain parts -- or maybe only for some Gundam universes and not others -- or does it even matter? Are there side-stories you're interested in but haven't read/seen/watched yet?

Lay it all out here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

redsixwing

I'm so torn about side materials.

On the one hand, the side story manga for Wing, Last Outpost, was SO much fun. On the other, if they had suits that advanced and we see multiple trips way out of Earth orbit in the main series, it makes a plot hole you could drive a Gundam-hauling truck through.

And on the mechanical gripping claw, I couldn't get into the side story for 00 at ALL. :p Not sure what it was about it.

One of my favorite Gundams came out of side stories (Hydra!) and I'm inclined to count "more cool gunpla" as a positive overall, haha.

From:

taichara

I can buy that there are trips out of Earth orbit, if only because we know that sods are devouring asteroids for resources and raw materials (the Winner family's entire fortune and influence is based on it, no less) and I don't think that most NEOs are suitable for that sort of thing ~~and I'm too lazy to check my bookshelf~~. I'm not really bothered by that one.

The hilariously over the top mobile suits are a whooooooole different issue, but that's Tokita for you *lol*

Which one for G00? *puts money on it being 00F ~*

From:

redsixwing

*s* Fair enough!

Yes and yes. I like my mobile suits OTT, but I gather people who don't were fairly bothered by it.

HEYYYY you're right on the money. -_-; There was more than one?

From:

taichara

Given how gloriously self-contained Last Outpost/G-Unit is simply by virtue of being mostly nobs in the middle of nowhere, I've always taken people who were really nettled as needing to take a few deep breaths, myself ~

*sporfles* *says nothing ~*

Yuuup:

Gundam 00P ~~my preciousssssssss~~
Gundam 00F
Gundam 00I
Gundam 00I 2314

From:

taichara

(I am so slow)

I've picked up a fair few manga and other suchsorts in the Gundam multiverse, many of which I find myself being attached to probably as much, sometimes more, than the original source material in many ways, oops --? (Frozen Teardrop yaaaaaaay ~~~)

Major examples, hmm ...

G00F and G00P I'm really fond of, G00P probably more than the actual G00 anime despite having pieced together the contents from summaries and brute force (damnit Bandai you should have translated that one and not 00F even if I do love Fon) and despite G00-proper having Lockon in it ... but G00I is just ... it's from a stupid part of AD's timeline and written after Chiba fell into the crazy zone is all I can say about it >.>;;

I faaaaar prefer the various Astray series to actual SEED/SEED Destiny, oops. Except for VS Astray because what even the merciful godfuck was that o_x

And of course Gundam Wing Frozen Teardrop is absolutely amazeballs and if they ever ever actually do use it as a launchpad for something animated I will die of joy :D

On canonicity, that one gets weird, lol. Sunrise-Bandai likes to claim sometimes that absolutely nothing but what is animated is canon, but then you get things like Red Frame in SEED's OP ~~ And that pretty much the entirely of G00's background hinges on 00P. Things like that. (but especially Red Frame because that shit's hilarious and I sometimes ~~sweat bullets over~~wonder what might have been if Astray stuff had actually been in the anime ...)

From:

redsixwing

AUGH how could I forget Frozen Teardrop.

And Endless Waltz for that matter, sure it's animated and therefore canon but I guess I've never really elevated it out of side-story status mentally. *s*

Ask half a dozen fans what's canon and you'll get at least eight answers. I cherry-pick shamelessly for fanfic purposes, and don't care if anyone else does it too - I just want to know what's canon for a given fanwork.

From:

taichara

Have you poked it at all yet? :D?

Hilariously, EW gets to be extra muddied just by sheer virtue of how many versions of it there are now ~~

(hay I wonder whether Glory counts as a side material, a canon revision, or just a thing that's happening? I've heard all three opinions lololol)

*grins*

From:

redsixwing

Not really. orz
My job sort of leapt up and ate my face recently. I've been studying kanji like mad, but actually reading things? Haha, no.

Which is even better! Pick'n'choose canon ahoy.

(Oh my gosh, right? I lean toward "canon revision" personally but there's a ton of options out there.)

From:

taichara

I hear you on the work thing, yup >.>;;

From:

moon_blitz

I'm interested in the side stories, but being familiar with only a few of the newer series, the material is either only partially translated (the Astray manga) or not translated at all (all the Age and Build Fighters side material).

The Lost War Chronicles manga is my current favourite, since I really liked all the characters involved and how the story played out.

From:

taichara

The upside (if it can be said) of the Astray series, at least, is that at least the stronger ones are the ones that managed to be translated?

But yeh, lack of actual translation can definitely be a barrier *shakes fist at Frozen Teardrop*

From:

kalloway

Belated, but if you're curious about the Astray novels, I've been chewing on them for ages over here.

From: (Anonymous)

Unfortunately, I don't have access to a lot of the side materials. The ones I have read tend to be more UC (though I do want to snag some Wing stuff) which is the universe I tend to prefer. That being said some of the UC side stories sound so ridiculous I'd rather just ignore them. I did read bits and pieces of "The Plot to Assasinate Ghiren Zabi" and I enjoyed that. Would Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin count? It's got an animated piece now, but as far as I know it'll only cover the flash back volumes of the manga (which is fantastic btw, available in hardback even). I basically consider that manga to be something of an alternate universal century.

I definitely want to get at some point:
Blue Destiny
Anything Wing related
the new 0083 manga (the artwork is so pretty)

tl;dr I'm definitely interested in side stories

From:

taichara

I'd say The Origin counts, much the way I tend to throw in Gundam Wing EW: The Glory of Losers -- Glory's also a retelling, but it's made some notable changes. (it may be the 'official' version now, but I'm not certain.)