Mobile Suit Gundam 00

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (機動戦士ガンダム00（ダブルオー）) is the seventh incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise during a 15-second trailer on June 2, 2007. The series aired on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 5, 2007 to March 29, 2008. On July 13, 2008, a trailer announcing a second twenty-five episode season was aired. The second season began on October 5, 2008 and concluded on March 29, 2009. A movie sequel is planned for the year 2010.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series to be animated in widescreen and in high-definition, as well as the first to be set in the non-fictional Anno Domini era. The series is set in a futuristic Earth and is centered around the exploits of the fictional paramilitary organization Celestial Being and its efforts to rid the world of war and conflict with a series of unique and extremely advanced mobile suits known as "Gundams".

First season
The main tagline for the first season is Rebirth Begins Through Destruction.

The series is set in 2307 AD. As a result of the depletion of fossil fuels, humanity had to search for a new source of power. The power was found in the form of massive arrays of solar power collectors orbiting the Earth, and supported by three orbital elevators, each one serving one of the three "power blocs" on the planet, namely Union, controlling the region surrounding North America, Human Reform League (Sino-Japanese: 人類革新連盟; Romaji: jinrui kakushin renmei; Pinyin: rénlèi géxīn liánméng), consisting of China, Russia and India, and AEU, which controls mainland Europe.

With this nearly inexhaustible source of energy benefiting only the major powers and their allies, constant warfare erupts around the globe among minor countries for fuels and energy. Countries that once economically relied on the sale of fossil fuels have plunged into poverty. Some even believe that solar energy threatened the "promised land of God", resulting in the 20-year Solar Wars. This chaos led to the formation of a private military organization, called Celestial Being (ソレスタルビーイング), dedicated to eradicating war and uniting humanity through the use of four humanoid machines called Gundams. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 follows four mobile suit pilots termed Gundam Meisters (ガンダムマイスター), sided with Celestial Being. The main protagonist is 16-year old Setsuna F Seiei (刹那・Ｆ・セイエイ), a quiet, taciturn young man who grew up in the war-torn Krugis Republic. He pilots the GN-001 Gundam Exia, a high mobility mobile suit effective in melee combat.

Unable to counter Celestial Being's superior technology, the three major powers eventually unite into the United Nations Army (国連軍) in order to counter Celestial Being's armed interventions. In order to fight the Gundams, the United Nations Army employed the help of Laguna Harvey. Harvey, a Celestial Being intelligence agent turned traitor, provides them with 30 GN-X, mobile suits equipped with pseudo-GN Drives. As the United Nations resist Celestial Being's interventions, a second team of Gundams, known as Team Trinity, appears and assists in the Meisters' eradication of war, albeit in a much more cruel and cold-blooded fashion, in contrast with the original Meisters' less-aggressive nature of armed intervention.

Alejandro Corner, a former Celestial Being observer who plans to make use of the chaos and destruction created by Celestial Being to rule a reconstructed world, subsequently takes over Veda, Celestial Being's supercomputer which is located on the moon. Without the tactical aid from the organization's artificial intelligence, Celestial Being is easily overwhelmed and overpowered by GN-X units and their superior numbers.

The United Nations Army initiates Operation Fallen Angels to destroy the Gundams, having discovered the location of the Meisters' mothership, Ptolemaios. During the operation, Ali Al-Saachez kills Lockon Stratos after a climactic battle. Alejandro Corner, in his unique custom mobile armor Alvatore, attacks Gundam Exia as the GN-X units proceed to destroy the Ptolemaios and the remaining Gundams. Exia struggles with the monstrous Alvatore, but in the end succeeds in killing Alejandro. Graham Aker, an ace pilot of the United Nations Army, then challenges Setsuna to a fight, seeking revenge for his fallen comrades and questioning the purpose of Gundams' existence. The fight results in the destruction of the GN-Flag, while the Exia is heavily damaged.

Second season
Four years have passed since the final battle between Celestial Being and the UN Forces. Humanity, having established the Earth Sphere Federation, forms an autonomous peace-keeping force, A-Laws, separate from and above the formal Federation army. Given unfettered discretion, A-Laws is charged with the duty to further unify nations, enforce the will of mankind, and dispose of terrorist cells. Unknown to the general public, however, is that the A-Laws misuse their power and employ inhumane tactics to oppress freedoms, doctrines, and ideologies, all in the name of 'unity'.

Saji Crossroad has followed the path to becoming a space engineer, to keep his promise to Louise Halevy. But he ends up being mistaken for a member of the dissident organization Katharon and is unjustly imprisoned. Louise herself is compelled to become involved in Federation government reform and joined A-Laws as a mobile suit pilot during the four-year gap, using her family inheritance to fund A-Laws research.

Meanwhile, Setsuna, having survived the battle with Graham Aker four years ago and is in hiding, has witnessed a change in the world due to the actions of Celestial Being. Setsuna tries to confront the A-Laws by himself with his battered Gundam Exia, but is easily overpowered by their newer models. He is soon rescued by Tieria Erde, piloting his new mobile suit, the Seravee Gundam.

By combining the GN Drives of Exia and 0 Gundam, Celestial Being's engineers manage to complete Aeolia's plans for an advanced mobile suit with twin GN drives - the 00 Gundam - which is entrusted to Setsuna. To pilot the two remaining new units, Lockon Stratos' twin brother is invited to assume his brother's codename and former position as the pilot of the Cherudim Gundam, and after Allelujah Haptism is rescued from the prison he was being detained in during the timeskip, he assumes the command of Arios Gundam.

Unknown to Celestial Being and the A-Laws, a third party is manipulating both sides of the conflict. This group call themselves "Innovators", composed of Alejandro Corner's former assistant Ribbons Almark, and his six subordinates. Subsequently, it is revealed that Aeolia Schenberg's plan is to ensure humanity's survival; unite the world's factions through Celestial Being's armed interventions and then advance humanity into deep space and undergo Innovation, a trans-human process.

Film
A theatrical release was announced at the end of episode 25 of season 2, called Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie: A wakening of the Trailblazer (劇場版 機動戦士ガンダム00 -A wakening of the Trailblazer-) A new character is revealed to be the first officially acknowledged true Innovator, whose name is revealed to be Descartes Shaman. A new enemy appears to be a newly discovered alien life form, Extraterrestrial Livingmetal Shapeshifter (ELS). The Japanese premiere has been announced for September 18, 2010. The year is 2314 AD, two years after Celestial Being's last great battle and the world faces a new crisis. A derelict Jupiter exploration ship, abandoned 130 years ago, has left its orbit and is approaching Earth. The ESF has also begun to exploit the power of Innovators through Descartes Shaman. The world's exposure to GN Particles has resulted in many people awakening as True Innovators. Realizing the military benefits of such individuals, the Earth Sphere Federation has begun to research Innovation and exploit the emerging Innovators' abilities. As Celestial Being and its Gundam Meisters begin their final mission to save humanity from an unimaginable threat, the Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shape-shifters (ELS), Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei is about to discover the true purpose of his evolution as an Innovator and the nature of the "dialogues" for which Aeolia Schenberg's plan had prepared the human race.

Bandai Entertainment hosted the North American premiere of the film at New York Comic Con/New York Anime Festival. They later announced the license for the film. It was announced on 13 September that Singapore is going to be the first country to screen Gundam 00 movie with English subtitles on the same day as Japan, running from 18 September to 29 September in the Alliance Francaise Theatre.

The movie will be released on DVD & Blu-Ray on December 25, 2010 in Japan.

Characters
Setsuna F. Seiei (刹那・F・セイエイ)
 * Born as Soran Ibrahim, Setsuna is the primary protagonist of the show and was discovered by Celestial Being at the age of 14 for having special potential as a pilot. He is currently a Gundam Meister for their organization, piloting the Gundam Exia, and later the 00 Gundam, both specialized in close combat. Before gaining his Gundam Meister codename, he was a child soldier in the war-torn Republic of Krugis.  He murdered his own parents under Ali Al-Saachez's influence in order to prove his devotion to God, and hence bears a deep hatred towards Saachez. Due to his previous religious brainwashing (and awakening from it), Setsuna no longer believes that God exists. Setsuna believes that war can only be stopped through direct confrontation, and therefore has little tolerance for diplomats and politicians, believing that their "peace talks" only lengthen the conflict and cause more casualties. Disappearing at the end of the first season, Setsuna reappears four years later and rejoins Celestial Being. In the upcoming movie, Setsuna initially pilots a repaired version of 00-Riser Gundam (it use double particle tanks instead of two GN Drive) named the 00 Raiser Condenser Type, later in the movie however, he pilots his new mobile suit 00 Qan[T]("Double Oh Quanta"), a new mobile suit specifically made for Setsuna, an Innovator pilot.

Lockon Stratos (ロックオン・ストラトス)
 * Born Neil Dylandy, Lockon decided to join Celestial Being after losing his parents and little sister to terrorists in Ireland; because of this, he loathes terrorists. As the eldest pilot, he is considered the team leader of the Gundam Meisters, and sports a more easygoing, flamboyant personality as compared to the other Gundam Meisters. He owns an orange Haro to control Gundam Dynames when sniping and just like Setsuna, he has a personal feud with Ali Al-Saachez, who was directly involved in the terrorist bombing that caused the death of his family. After being killed at the climax of the first season, his younger twin brother Lyle Dylandy chooses to become the new Lockon Stratos, primarily to help spy on Celestial Being for the dissident group Katharon. He pilots the Cherudim Gundam, which is also specialized in long range combat. Later on, he falls in love with a new member of the Ptolemy, Anew Returner. In the upcoming movie, Lockon pilots a powerful redesigned variant of Cherudim, Gundam Zabanya, which focuses on both heavy artillery and sniping.

Allelujah Haptism (アレルヤ・ハプティズム)
 * Allelujah spent his childhood as an orphan in the Human Reform League as a Super Soldier experimental subject, designated "E-57". While generally gentle and rational compared to the other Gundam Meisters, he has another harsher, unstable, and outright sadistic alter ego, named Hallelujah inside him, which was the result of the Super Soldier experiments. His main rival in combat is another subject of the Super Soldier program, the HRL pilot Soma Peries who shares a mysterious connection with him. He is the pilot of Gundam Kyrios, and later, the Arios Gundam, both of which specialize in high mobility and are able to transform into mobile armors (fighter jets). Allelujah is imprisoned during the four year timeskip between both seasons, but he ends up being rescued by his companions after the other three Meisters reunite. In the upcoming movie Allelujah and his lover Marie Parfacy pilot together Gundam Harute, which was created over Arios' and GN Archer's frame.

Tieria Erde (ティエリア・アーデ)
 * Gundam Meister of the heavily armored Gundam Virtue and its successor unit, the Seravee Gundam, Tieria treats Veda's orders with high regard, valuing the mission above all other issues; he is also able to independently access Veda directly. As a result of his arrogance and cold attitude towards others, his relationship with the other Gundam Meisters got off a rocky start, but later learns to care for the other Meisters. Of all the Gundam Meisters, Tieria is the most enigmatic, with an unknown past and a peculiar connection with the Innovators. Contrary of the other Meisters who were either K.I.A. or M.I.A. in the end of the first season, Tieria continued to work for Celestial Being during the 4 year timeskip. Tieria first appears in the second season rescuing Setsuna in his battered Exia from A-Laws' mobile suits; Tieria then brings Setsuna back to Celestial Being to resume his position. In the upcoming movie, Tieria pilots the Raphael Gundam, a new unit produced by Tieria for his own personal use, with features from both GN-008 Seravee Gundam and GNZ-003 Gadessa.

Development
According to Hiroomi Iketani, one of the Gundam 00 producers, planning for Gundam 00 started in 2005, under the tentative name "Next". Iketani approached Seiji Mizushima, the director who directed Fullmetal Alchemist. Mizushima was initially reluctant about accepting the job due to his lack of knowledge regarding the Gundam series, for the first time at the end of 2005.

The staff, consisting of over 300 people, spent roughly 2 years planning the series. Compared to other anime shows, Gundam 00 has more main staff members, partly due to the detailed mobile suit designs.

Release
The series premiered on October 6, 2007, replacing Toward the Terra on the terrestrial MBS and TBS networks, occupying the networks' noted Saturday 6:00 p.m. timeslot. The first season ended its run on March 29, 2008. Season one of the series will be re-broadcasted across Japan on various television networks such as TBS, Kids Station, MBS and BS-i from April onwards. Season two is being broadcast in the MBS and TBS Sunday 5:00 p.m. slot since October 5, 2008.

Currently, fourteen DVD collections have been released. The DVDs performed well in sales, with the first collection ranking third on the Oricon's overall weekly DVD chart. The Blu-ray disc collections have been confirmed, with the first and second volume released on August 22, 2008.

The final DVD of season one contains a whimsical trailer for the second season. Featuring voice work by the four Meisters, the trailer lampoons many early ideas for the show, fan theories and anime clichés before leading into a special message from Mizushima and a preview of the 00 Gundam.

A series of compilation movies with new animated sequences and re-recorded dialogue, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Special Edition, has been announced. The first volume will be released in Japan on October 27, 2009 in the DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and UMD format.

Licensing for a North American release of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 was announced by Bandai Entertainment at New York Comic Con 2008 on April 18, 2008. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series to air on national television in the United States since Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and began airing twice weekly on November 24, 2008 on SCI FI (now known as SyFy). The first season concluded its first run on SCI FI on February 9, 2009. The second season is set to air on the same network and time slot starting June 29, 2009.

In Europe the series is licensed by Beez Entertainment.

Music
The series' music was composed by Kenji Kawai. There are four TV-series soundtracks released, the first on January 10, 2008, the second on March 26, 2008, the third on December 24, 2008, and the fourth on April 1, 2009. Kawai continues to compose the music in the movie adaptation, and the soundtrack was released on September 22, 2010.

The first opening theme song, "Daybreak's Bell" was performed by the band L'Arc~en~Ciel. The first ending theme was "Wana" (罠), performed by The Back Horn. Both songs were replaced in episode 14 with "Ash Like Snow", performed by The Brilliant Green, as the new opening and "Friends" by Stephanie as the new ending. The first opening song, "Daybreak's Bell" was also used as the ending theme to the last episode. "Love Today", performed by Taja, was used as an insert song in episode 19 and 24.

The first opening theme song for the second season is performed by Uverworld,  titled "Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi" (儚くも永久のカナシ). The ending theme, "Prototype" is performed by Ishikawa Chiaki. The second opening theme song "Namida no Mukou" (泪のムコウ), is performed by Stereopony. The second ending theme, "Trust You" is performed by Yuna Ito. The song "Unlimited Sky" by Tommy Heavenly6 served as an insert song for the seventh, eighteenth, and twenty-second episodes and as the ending song for the twenty-fifth episode. The song "Tomorrow" by Ayumi Tsunematsu served as an insert song for the fourteenth and fifteenth episodes and as the ending song of the fourteenth episode. The "Tomorrow" CD single, released on February 25, 2009, contained two versions of the song: "Marina's Solo" and "Marina and Children".

A series of character CDs has been announced; with the first one, featuring Setsuna F Seiei and the character's seiyū Mamoru Miyano, with a song written by the band Skoop On Somebody, to be released on August 13, 2008. The second entry to the series of character CDs, featuring Lockon Stratos and seiyū Shinichiro Miki, was released on September 24, 2008. The music for second character CD was done in collaboration with Eijun Suganami and Shinji Matsuda, members of The Back Horn.

Books and publications
A novelized version of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 was published by Kadokawa, currently ongoing with two volumes and authored by Noboru Kimura. The book series have been licensed by Bandai Entertainment and will have the first volume released on the December 29, 2009. The manga adaptation have also been licensed and will be released in the United States on the August 24, 2009.

A light novel series, Mobile Suit Gundam 00P was serialized in Dengeki Hobby Magazine and centers around the previous generation of Gundam Meisters. Like the anime, it was also divided into 2 seasons: First season is set 15 years before the anime series, while second season is set 10 years after season one. 00P features events that happened before the main story. It is penned by Tomohiro Chiba, with model conductions by Dengeki Hobby Magazine. The first volume of the sidestory was released in May, 2008 by Dengeki Hobby. After the series ended, a sequel named Mobile Suit Gundam 00N was on serialization, taking place the same time as season one.

A graphic novel that features variations of existing mobile suits, Mobile Suit Gundam 00V, which was serialized in Hobby Japan, is told in the format of a mobile suit development history book published 20 years after the anime series, featuring photo guides of customized models. It centers around the Mobile Suit observer Robert Spacey and his encounters with the different mobile weapons in the Gundam 00 universe. A sequel entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00V Senki has replaced 00V after its serialization ended. 00V's timeline happens between the end of season one and beginning of season two, and 00V Senki's timeline is after the ending of season two.

Manga
Four TV broadcast-based manga series exist to date with two new ones coming in the future. One is serialized in Kerokero Ace and drawn by Kouzoh Ohmori. Minor changes are present compared to the anime, such as the use of more visually comedic facial expressions, and the omission of certain characters and subplots. The first volume to this version was released on March 26, 2008 by Kadokawa Comics. It has been released in English in North America by Bandai Entertainment, with the first volume released on September 23, 2009.

The other manga adaptation series of the same name is also based on the television series, and is drawn by Auto Taguchi. Unlike the first manga series, this title is published by Kodansha. The two manga series essentially follow the same story as the anime's main plot, but vary in the sequence of events that unfold and in artistic style.

A manga sidestory entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00F was serialized in Gundam Ace. Illustrated by Kōichi Tokita, this manga series focuses on Fereshte, an autonomous branch of Celestial Being that is also in possession of several previous generation Gundams. The series acts as a link for the main story to the 2 other sidestories and introduces the characters and mecha from the other publications. First volume to this title was released on March 26, 2008 by Kadokawa Comics. A sequel for 00F, called Mobile Suit Gundam 00I, was serialized in Gundam Ace after 00F. It is also illustrated by Kōichi Tokita and takes place in the same time as season two. It mainly focuses on Innovades, and few characters from 00F has appeared.

Another manga series based on the anime, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Aoi Kioku, runs monthly on Kadokawa's Gundam Ace. This series focuses on the Gundam Meisters' memories and is illustrated by Tarō Shiguma.

Video games
A 3D action game based on the anime entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00, published by Namco Bandai Games and produced by BEC for the Nintendo DS, was released on March 27, 2008. This game follows the anime's plot with slight variations, but lacks the introduction of the GN-X, ending with the entrance and introduction of Team Trinity instead.

A second video game, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters and developed by Yuke's for the PlayStation 2, was released on October 16, 2008 Capcom and published by Bandai (now known as Namco Bandai Games). Unlike the first Nintendo DS game, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters covers the first season's plot completely, albeit with slight deviations.

The series is also featured in the video game SD Gundam: G Generation Wars, which focuses on the first season. It is also featured in Gundam Assault Survive, which also focuses exclusively on the first season. Setsuna and 00 Raiser are to be playble in the upcoming Gundam Musou 3 Video game. Gundam Exia was featured as a usable mecha (which was initially locked) in the Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam, and Gundam Virtue was featured in Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam NEXT, in the PSP version of NEXT it also featured the 00 Raiser and Reborns Gundam.

The Gundam 00 will be featured in Another Century's Episode Portable which will mark their first debut in crossover series that is not Gundam-exclusive.

CDs
A drama CD prequel entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Another Story: Mission-2306 was released on July 23, 2008. In this drama CD, Setsuna F Seiei is tasked with the mission of preventing an assassination of Barry Halevy, the leader of a fossil fuel export regulation watchdog group, and protecting his daughter, Louise Halevy from terrorist organizations. A second drama CD, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Another Story: Road To 2307, has been announced and is currently slated for a September 24, 2008 release. This drama CD will focus on the Meisters, as well as the Union's story. Unlike the first prequel CD drama, the second will have a comparatively much more serious tone, with stories that link to the original TV series.

A series of character CDs based around the concept of being a message to the character from the cast member who plays them will be released, starting from Setsuna's on August 13, 2008. Three original soundtracks and five singles, featuring the theme songs used throughout the first season, have also been released.

Critical reception
After a sneak preview of Gundam 00 on September 1, 2007, Anime News Network remarked "striking parallels" between the series and an earlier installment of the metaseries, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995): "Like Gundam Wing, Gundam 00's main story begins with hyper-powerful Gundam units appearing at various locales to execute slightly-less-than-Dynasty-Warriors-level mayhem in synchronized phases of a paramilitary operation." Later on October 21, 2007, Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network speculated that just like Mobile Suit Gundam SEED adapted the original Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) for modern audiences, Gundam 00 may possibly be an attempt to do the same with Gundam Wing. He also remarked that "its political flavour [...] is distinctly post-9/11", noting the political and cultural similarities between the series and our modern society. Critics have praised the series for the smooth, detailed visual effects and animation.

""As for the production values, they're top-notch: the mecha and character designs are attractive, and the fights—especially the opening chase scene—are fluid and composed with an eye for maximum impact.""

- Carl Kimlinger

Following the end of the first season, Gundam 00 has received much critical acclaim. Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network gave the first season a B+ rating, praising the second half of the season for its "unstoppable narrative momentum." He stated that its "sheer momentum is breathtaking, and even as coldly detached as the series is, the catastrophic fates in store for its cast make for compelling viewing," and concluded that "being swept up in the coalescing second half, the abrupt drop-off at the end only raises a raging thirst for season two." Chris Beveridge of Mania.com gave the first season a B rating, stating that as "this part of the series comes to a close, events become bigger than they were before and nobody is safe from change – or death." He concludes that the "culmination of this season does give me all that I like from a Gundam series as it tries to change the world and then throws you for a loop by moving everything ahead four years." Ross Liversidge of the UK Anime Network gave the first season a 9/10 score, concluding that it is "Everything Gundam should be - huge cast, lots of politics and big battles. Fans should be pleased."

Mamoru Miyano, the seiyū for Setsuna F Seiei, won the "Best Voice Actor" award at the 2008 Tokyo International Anime Fair. Miyano and Tieria Erde's seiyū, Hiroshi Kamiya, both won the "Best Main" and "Best Supporting Male Characters" respectively at the 2008 Seiyū Awards. In the United Kingdom, Gundam 00 has been nominated for the 2009 NEO Award for Best Anime.

The film version have received some praise, with Michael Toole from Anime News Network ranking the film an Overall C grade.

Popularity
While critically acclaimed, the first season of Gundam 00 experienced lower average viewer ratings than its predecessors Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. Over its 25 episode run, it averaged a television viewer rating of 4.85% and peaked at 6.1%. On a more positive note, Gundam 00's average rating was higher than the other previous Gundam shows set in alternative universes such as Gundam Wing (which averaged 4.3%) and G Gundam (which averaged 4.1%). The viewer ratings for the second season of Gundam 00 had improved, reaching ratings as high as 6.3%.

The series was also a commercial success, with the DVDs showing consistently high sales figures. The third and seventh DVD release topped the anime DVD sales chart.

In a top 20 anime poll published in the April 2008 issue of Newtype magazine, Japanese readers voted for Gundam 00 as the best anime, higher than its predecessor Gundam SEED, which was voted ninth. In Newtype's poll for top 10 male anime characters, Setsuna F Seiei was voted second, Tieria Erde third, Lockon Stratos fifth, Graham Aker sixth and Allelujah Haptism at seventh; and in its poll for top ten female anime characters, Nena Trinity was voted eighth and Marina Ismail was voted tenth.

At the Anime News Network website, the first season of Gundam 00 has an average rating of 8.4/10 and ranked #129 in its top 250 anime poll as of October 18, 2008, while the second season has an average rating of 9/10 and ranked #14 in its top 250 anime poll as of December 13, 2008.