~The History and Origin of the Gundam Series~
(Borrowed from Toonami)
(Matrix's Note: This info can be found in the Toonami website under Community. And it WAS originally Ask Tom, but is now ask Sara...Boo-hoo, Tom's dead. That's so sad! <~~On this matter, you can check out my Personal Thoughts section.)
"Gundam" has been a phenomenon in Japan since it's birth in 1979, when "Gundam" creator Yoshiyuki Tomino ushered in a new way of looking at Giant Robots in a more "realistic" setting- called "Gundam". Since then "Gundam" has become the Star Wars of Japan, with 7 different Television series (comprising over 400 episodes), 8 movies, 4 direct to video series (including perhaps the greatest "Gundam" story ever, 0083), novels, comics, and of course the incredible model kits (that Toonami gives away). Most of these "Gundam" stories take place in the "Universal Century" timeline of the original shows, but in recent years certain creators have been invited to re-interpret "Gundam" for a new audience- these shows include "Gundam Wing," shown currently on Toonami, as well as "G Gundam," "Gundam X" and "Turn A Gundam," which just finished airing in Japan. As of this moment, Bandai is dubbing most of the "Gundam" series for American release. They are all pretty great, check em out if you get the chance...or keep watching Toonami...