Anime is currently at its zenith of international popularity, with mainstream franchises reaching more audiences than ever. One franchise that's big in Japan but not so much anywhere else is Mobile Suit Gundam. While the series is an absolute phenomenon in the country of its origin, it's yet to see even slightly similar success elsewhere.
Part of Gundam's obscure status stems from its decades-old legacy, as well as its less than ideal handling in Western countries. Its biggest tool in reversing this niche status might not be any of the anime, however, but instead the ever-popular Gunpla model kits. Here's how Gundam got where it is today and how it can dig itself out of the Zeong-sized hole.
Why Mobile Suit Gundam Is Big In Japan
Mobile Suit Gundam is seen as the equivalent of the American Star Wars franchise in Japan, touching countless generations and becoming a pop culture sensation seemingly overnight. Jumpstarting the "real robot" subgenre of giant mecha anime, the elements that set it apart from its competitors are part of what's made the franchise so timeless. Instead of goofy battles with superheroic robots and ridiculous monsters, the story of the original Gundam and its successors are fairly realistic tales of war and strife among space colonies, with the advancement of human technology in the future failing to prevent horrifying warfare.
The more somber storytelling and the inversion of young robot pilots suddenly being A-OK with their roles in piloting mecha made the series a great example of how much more mature anime could be compared to most American cartoons of the time. Combined with the sales of Gunpla model kits representing the franchise's many mecha, Gundam's anime have been incredible successes in Japan since the series' 1970s debut. Along with several different shows, it's inspired countless other media representations, most notably a gigantic real-life version of the classic mechs. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the franchise when it comes to America.
Why Gundam Continues To Struggle Overseas
The first Gundam to come to America in a widespread capacity was Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, which aired on Toonami in the year 2000. This was at a time when the first big wave of anime popularity in America was still prominent, with shows such as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon making this strange foreign way of making cartoons suddenly huge. Gundam Wing was a huge success on the programming block, leading to Toonami also airing a dub of G Gundam and eventually the original series. However, this is part of the reason the series hasn't made as huge of a splash in America.
Much of the Gundam franchise is based on or related to the original series, with alternate universes such as Gundam Wing being exceptions rather than the norm. This meant that America's introduction to the series was a one-off, with nothing else in the franchise being related to Wing. Likewise, as much as it made sense to eventually bring over the original Gundam, this was a much older show than either Wing or G Gundam. Its outdated nature made it a lot harder for modern viewers to get into, thus leaving them with no real connection to the main continuity of the franchise that spawned from the show.
Moreover, even if viewers were willing to watch incredibly old shows, there's quite a backlog to get through in order to catch up with the original Universal Century timeline that's still having productions made for it today. Along with the first show, there's also Zeta Gundam, Gundam ZZ, Char's Counterattack, War In the Pocket, Stardust Memory, F91, The 08th MS Team, Unicorn, Victory Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway. There are also even more disparate alternate continuities like Gundam X, Turn A Gundam, Iron-Blooded Orphans, the diminutive and comical permutations of SD Gundam and the Cosmic Era of Gundam Seed. This is a more than daunting task, and newcomers likely won't have a clue which show takes place when or whether it's connected to another Gundam series.
Part of the current rise in anime popularity is also driven by manga sales, and while there are Gundam manga, the franchise is represented much more by anime. Likewise, the biggest names in anime and manga right now don't have the many decades of history and alternate continuities that Gundam does, making them much easier to get into. Never mind that the franchise's tendency to kill off whole swathes of cast members and ruminate on how war is hell is a lot less palatable of a concept (although the success of franchises such as Attack on Titan begs to differ). All in all, however, these issues combine to make Gundam a near-impossible franchise to get into for the average Joe.
How Gunpla Can Push Gundam Into The Mainstream
Besides manga, another avenue in which various anime franchises are hitting it big in America is through toys, action figures and collectibles. This has seen mainstream big-box retailers such as Walmart and Target suddenly carrying these types of items, including the iconic Gunpla models of the Gundam series.
Having these toys on the same shelves as those for Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia and One Piece, as well as other popular toy franchises such as Marvel, DC, Transformers and Funko Pop! figures is sure to pique the curiosity of more than a few consumers who are unfamiliar with Gundam. This could see them seeking the franchise out in both manga and especially anime form, with the tangible toys and models providing a more visceral entry point into the Universal Century and other timelines than an anime ever could. The fact that there's now a Gunpla-based anime only helps build this bridge to the wider franchise.
Whether or not this will truly translate into more mainstream attention remains to be seen, but as of now, it's probably the franchise's best hope of finally becoming consistently big and mainstream outside of Japan.