SCI-FI Channel to air GUNDAM 00

[C.E. Evans]

Looks like it's snowing in Hell. It as announced at Anime Expo 2008 that the long-running Gundam franchise is returning to U.S. airwaves in late fall/early winter:

July 4, 2008 (Cypress, CA) –Bandai Entertainment Inc. announced today that they have licensed the television rights to the series GUNDAM 00 to Starz Media, which has set the series for its US premier on Sci Fi Channel. First season episodes will premiere in early November this fall on Sci Fi Channel's “Ani-Monday” block, which features leading programming from Manga Entertainment, a division of Starz Media. Two episodes will air each week during a 13 week run.
“We are excited to be bringing Gundam to the Sci Fi Channel, we believe this is going to be a new era for Gundam in the U.S., having found an ideal home for broadcast, said Ken Iyadomi, President of Bandai Entertainment Inc. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the latest installment in the long running franchise and takes place in the year 2307 A.D. When fossil fuels have been completely depleted and humanity has turned to solar energy to maintain its way of life, the controlling nations of the solar power find themselves at war with more impoverished countries and threats to the “promised land of God” lead to the formation of a group called the Celestial Being, whose purpose is to end war and unite humanity through the use of four Gundam mech. The series is directed by Seiji Mizushima whose past credits as a director and storyboard artist include Fullmetal Alchemist, Evangelion, and Appleseed: Ex Machina.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2008-07-05/sci-fi-channel-to-broadcast-gundam-00

 

[Leroy]

This is great news I'm also hoping that Sci-Fi will air Zeta. Hopefully with the influx of new programming Sci-Fi will expand it's anime block maybe into the afternoons filling the void Toonami left?

 

[FreezeC77]

This is great news I'm also hoping that Sci-Fi will air Zeta. Hopefully with the influx of new programming Sci-Fi will expand it's anime block maybe into the afternoons filling the void Toonami left?

It would be awesome is Sci-Fi then aired the original gundam series at a later time. I'm sure it wouldn't cost them much as Bandai wouldn't mind the extra exposure.

Sci-Fi channel is now going to be showing Gurren Lagann starting this month and then sometime in the future Gundam 00 so they're definitely getting into the new top animes. Adult Swim has some serious competition now.

 

[Leroy]

^ Hopefully Sci-Fi will be willing to finish the series this time.

 

[Meredith]

Bet they will screw it up, I really like Gundam 00's political message and the contemporary links to terrorism and it is like what Trek used to be in the 60's discussing todays hot button issues under the guise of sci-fi.

 

[Leroy]

Are there any other instances where an anime was heavily edited in recent times for containing sensitive issues?

 

[Daedalus12]

Are there any other instances where an anime was heavily edited in recent times for containing sensitive issues?

Gundam Seed a few years back (if that is recent enough for you). Most references to sex and drugs were edited out. Flay's tits were airbrushed away. Nearly every personal firearms were transformed into ridiculous looking neon color toy guns. Nearly all of the more graphic violence scene i.e. Nicol's torso being chopped in half or Clyne being peppered by a dozen machine guns were edited.

 

[cylkoth]

Wow, almost forgot, but it starts tonight and is airing now. English dub seems pretty good 10 mins in.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Man, this is pretty damn dull so far. I find a lot of recent sci-fi anime to really stiff and ponderous.

 

[Leroy]

I think it's a really good series far better that the hit or miss SEED Destiny here's hoping the show does well so Sci-Fi will air more.

 

[cylkoth]

Man, this is pretty damn dull so far. I find a lot of recent sci-fi anime to really stiff and ponderous.

The plot will kick it up a notch soon. Introducing the typical huge anime cast of characters makes it tougher to get started sometimes. I'm just happy we're getting 2 eps a week. I'd like to think SEED would've fared better if Adult Swim had ran 2 eps back to back, to prevent the middle of the series (the desert arc) from dragging on so long.

 

[FalTorPan]

You mean the Sci-Fi Channel is actually showing something that's sci-fi in nature?

 

[Witterquick]

The dub wasn't bad. So far the scifi animes I like this season has been Gundam 00 (currently in its 2nd season in Japan) and Tytania. I liked Casshern Sins and Chaos; Head but they're getting boring. I guess I lean towards space opera.

 

[Leroy]

FalTorPan said:
You mean the Sci-Fi Channel is actually showing something that's sci-fi in nature?

Shocking isn't it? Now if only people would watch so Sci-Fi would be encouraged to air similar projects anime or otherwise.

 

[zakkrusz]

This is great news I'm also hoping that Sci-Fi will air Zeta. Hopefully with the influx of new programming Sci-Fi will expand it's anime block maybe into the afternoons filling the void Toonami left?

It would be awesome is Sci-Fi then aired the original gundam series at a later time. I'm sure it wouldn't cost them much as Bandai wouldn't mind the extra exposure.

Sci-Fi channel is now going to be showing Gurren Lagann starting this month and then sometime in the future Gundam 00 so they're definitely getting into the new top animes. Adult Swim has some serious competition now.

Unfortunately, there'd be nothing much in it for Bandai to let them air the first Gundam series as they've let it go out of print. Who knows if it's even theirs anymore.

 

[Leroy]

^ I was hoping they would air Zeta, since 0079 is oop they still have the rights the only thing stopping them from releasing a multilingual complete collection is the fact that it wouldn't sell.

 

[melancholymecha]

Im watching it only b/c Im enjoying Sunrise's Code Geass so much. I hope there's a character or two I can get hooked on to like I did with Orange-kun (for CG) or I might start getting bored as I usually do with mecha shows.

 

[zakkrusz]

I haven't met a mech show I didn't like....okay, Macross 7 was pretty crumby.

^ I was hoping they would air Zeta, since 0079 is oop they still have the rights the only thing stopping them from releasing a multilingual complete collection is the fact that it wouldn't sell.

It would be nice if they aired Zeta but pretty mean to the non-UC-Gundam-initiated Sci-Fi chanel audience if they didn't air the original series before it. They'd be pretty lost if AniMonday just jumped right into Zeta. As for it not selling, yeah, pretty much only the hardcore Gundam fans would buy it. (Hell, I'd buy it.) Nobody wants to watch or buy shows with such old and outdated animation though. It's pretty much why the original Gundam bombed on CN, why Zeta sells like crap, and why the anime companies eventually discontinue good old series like MSG, Kimagure Orange Road, and Maison Ikkoku. It's really rare nowadays that you'd see a US anime distributor pick up something more than 5 years old.

Haha! I suppose I sound like an old man, which I'm not, but I do have an appreciation for anime; both new and old. A good show is a good show no matter when it was made.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I probably won't watch it. I didn't do much for me, and as far as I remember the dub is pretty terrible.

Though, so far, I think season two has been better. (Albeit a bit trite.)

 

[Leroy]

Zakkrusz said:
It would be nice if they aired Zeta but pretty mean to the non-UC-Gundam-initiated Sci-Fi chanel audience if they didn't air the original series before it. They'd be pretty lost if AniMonday just jumped right into Zeta.

If they wanted they could skip MSG and just air the movie trilogy instead although it's sub only.

Zakkrusz said:
Haha! I suppose I sound like an old man, which I'm not, but I do have an appreciation for anime; both new and old. A good show is a good show no matter when it was made.

I know how you feel I wish more people had this sentiment. I'm bummed that there isn't more excitement over this show being on TV, the franchise used to be a Toonami staple.