Turn A Gundam

Turn A Gundam
Turn A Gundam title screen
∀ガンダム (Tān Ē Gandamu)
Genre	Mecha, Romance, Steampunk
TV anime
Directed by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Written by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Music by	Yoko Kanno
Studio	Sunrise
Licensed by	Bandai Entertainment
Network	Animax, Fuji TV
Original run	April 4, 1999 – April 14, 2000
Episodes	50
Manga
Written by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Illustrated by	Kōichi Tokita
Published by	Kodansha
Magazine	Comic Bom Bom
Original run	April 15, 1999 – March 15, 2000
Volumes	2
Manga
Written by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Illustrated by	Atsushi Soga
Published by	Kodansha
Magazine	Magazine Z
Original run	June 26, 1999 – March 2002
Volumes	4
Anime film
Turn A Gundam I: Earth Light
Directed by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Studio	Sunrise
Released	February 9, 2002
Runtime	120 minutes
Anime film
Turn A Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly
Directed by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Studio	Sunrise
Released	February 10, 2002
Runtime	128 minutes
Manga
Turn A Gundam: Tsuki no Kaze
Written by	Akira Yasuda
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Magazine	Gundam Ace
Original run	2004 – 2005
Volumes	1
Anime and Manga Portal

Turn A Gundam or ∀ Gundam (∀（ターンエー）ガンダム, Tān Ē Gandamu^?) is a 50 episode anime series that aired between 1999 and 2000 on Japan's FNN networks and on the anime satellite television network, Animax, which was created for the Gundam Big Bang 20th Anniversary celebration. It was also compiled into two feature-length movies entitled Turn A Gundam I: Earth Light and Turn A Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly.

Turn A Gundam was the last Gundam TV anime to be directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, who was the main creator of the Gundam franchise and had written and directed many previous Gundam works. This series was made after Tomino had recovered from his depression that had influenced Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, and the general tone and mood of Turn A Gundam is much more hopeful and less dark than his other Gundam series.

Turn A Gundam is also the last of the Gundam metaseries (not counting the compilations and future video game cut scenes) to be hand painted on cels. Gundam SEED, created in 2002, was the first series to use digital coloring.

On 22 July 2010, Bandai Entertainment announced that they had acquired the license to release Turn A Gundam in the United States^[1] and will be released on Region 1 DVD in 2011.

Overview

Turn A Gundam takes place in the year Correct Century 2345 (正暦2345年, Seireki Nisen Sanbyaku Yonjū Go Nen^?, CC 2345), in a different calendar system than the previous Gundam projects. Seireki is a wordplay on the Japanese term for the Common Era (C.E.) Western calendar system (西暦; pronounced Seireki). The English acronym CC is Correct Century (コレクトセンチュリー^?) in the official Japanese Turn A guide book and Correct Century in the English 2001 Correct Century A Bibliographical Study of "Black History" as the black paged introduction of Gundam Officials.^[2]

Plot summary

Further information: List of Turn A Gundam characters

The story of Turn A is viewed from a third-person perspective. It mainly concerns the events that happened to the main character, Loran Cehack. He is a recruit of the Moonrace which was sent to earth on a reconnaissance mission for the later Moonrace massive migration back to earth, which was planned 100 years before the time in which the movie was set. With aggressive parties of moonrace and Earthlings, a war soon broke out between the migrants and the people who lived in the area called Ameria, which was speculated to be America, which the Moonrace claimed to be theirs since their ancestors lived there.

Loran became an active member of the Earth's militia forces with the skills of piloting the white doll, Turn A Gundam, wanting to settle the conflict between Earth and Moon. He discovered more and more history of the past and why the technology had deteriorated so much on earth.

Relationship with previous Gundam series

Image showing relationships of different Gundam series' timeline, sourced from SD Gundam G-Generation DS promotional leaflet in 2005, before the merger of Gundam SEED series into the Dark History Timeline.^[3]

The 2001 Correct Century, A Bibliographical Study of "Black History", printed in black pages in front of the Universal Century Gundam Officials Encyclopedia, is supposedly uncovered by a fictional Lecturer in Black History named Yokk Wakk Onimott during Correct Century 1993. Onimott spends two years to fix the broken pages, five years to interpret the language, and a year to find a publisher. He states that the book was first printed around 3,000 years ago by the Rhea branch of the Earth Federation Government University. Included in the book is a picture drawn by Kunio Okawara showing a mobile suit supposed to be MS-04 as a S.U.I.T. project of the Zeon forces in UC0072~0075. It supposedly was found in 1993 Correct Century in the mountain cycle Library A-a. The white page introduction by another fictional writer, Minaka Junkers, an economy assistant professor of the Rhea branch of the Earth Federation Government University, states the book was published in UC0100 to celebrate the Centennial anniversary of the Universal Century. Thus it is officially claimed that the Universal Century is a time before Correct Century, possibly around 3,000 years before the story of Turn A begins.^[4]

Mobile Units

Main article: List of Turn A Gundam mobile units

Cast & Crew

Cast

• Loran Cehack/Laura Rolla - Romi Park (朴璐美)
• Dianna Soreil, Kihel Heim - Rieko Takahashi (高橋理恵子)
• Sochie Heim - Akino Murata (村田秋乃)
• Harry Ord - Tetsu Inada (稲田徹)
• Guin Sard Lineford - Tsuyoshi Aobane (青羽剛)
• Keith Laijie - Jun Fukuyama (福山潤)
• Gym Ghingham - Takehito Koyasu (子安武人)
• Merrybell Gadget - Rio Natsuki (夏樹リオ)
• Gavane Gooney - Yoshitada Ōtsuka (大塚芳忠)
• Meme Midgard - Ryuji Mizuno (水野龍司)
• Sid Munzer - Akio Nojima (野島昭生)
• Muron Muron - Fumihiko Tachiki (立木文彦)
• Yani Obus - Takuya Kirimoto (桐本琢也)
• Joseph Yaht - Setsuji Satō (佐藤せつじ)
• Corin Nander - Yasuhiko Kawazu (川津泰彦)
• Cancer Kafka - Urara Takano (高乃麗)
• Horace Niben - Hirohiko Kakegawa (掛川裕彦)
• Phil Ackman - Tsuyoshi Koyama (小山剛志)
• Teteth Halleh, Linda Halleh - Yumi Tōma (冬馬由美)
• Fran Doll - Kumiko Watanabe (渡辺久美子)
• Pou Aijee - Yumiko Nakanishi (中西裕美子)
• Bruno - Kazunari Tanaka (田中一成)
• Sam, Jacop - Hidenari Ugaki (宇垣秀成)
• Lily Borjarno - Ai Kobayashi (小林愛)
• Will Game - Kenichi Sakaguchi

Staff

• Director - Yoshiyuki Tomino
• Character Designer - Akira Yasuda, Yoshihito Hishinuma
• Art Director - Shigemi Ikeda
• Mecha Design - Atsushi Shigeta, Kunio Okawara, Syd Mead, Takumi Sakura
• Sound Director - Yota Tsuruoka
• Music - Toshiaki Ohta, Yoko Kanno
• Producers - Hideyuki Tomioka, Takayuki Yoshii, Yoshihiro Suzuki

Episode list

#	Title	Original airdate	English airdate
01	"Howl to the Moon" "Tsuki ni Hoeru" (月に吠える)	April 9, 1999	Fall 2011[citation needed]
Loran lands on Earth and begins working for a wealthy family as their driver. Meanwhile, he meets up with his fellow comrades and discusses their plans.
02	"The Coming of Age Ceremony" "Seijinshiki" (成人式)	April 16, 1999
The Coming of Age Ceremony begins; however, during that time the Moon Race begins its invasion. The White Doll Statue crumbles revealing the Turn A Gundam and Loran uses it to fight back the Moon Race.
03	"After the Ceremony" "Matsuri no Ato" (祭の後)	April 23, 1999
04	"Soldiers from the Hometown" "Furusato no Gunjin" (ふるさとの軍人)	April 30, 1999
05	"The Advent of Dianna" "Diana Kōrin" (ディアナ降臨)	May 7, 1999
06	"Forgotten Past" "Wasurerareta Kako" (忘れられた過去)	May 14, 1999
07	"Training to be a Lady" "Kifujin Shugyō" (貴婦人修行)	May 21, 1999
08	"Laura's Cow" "Rōra no Ushi" (ローラの牛)	May 28, 1999
09	"Corin Called it "Gundam"" "Koren, Gandamu to Sakebu" (コレン、ガンダムと叫ぶ)	June 4, 1999
10	"Visit to a Grave" "Hakamairi" (墓参り)	June 11, 1999
11	"The Destruction of Nocris" "Nokkusu Hōkai" (ノックス崩壊)	June 18, 1999
12	"An Underground Corridor" "Chika Kairō" (地下回廊)	June 25, 1999
13	"An Older Person" "Toshiue no Hito" (年上のひと)	July 2, 1999
14	"Separated Again" "Betsuri, Futatabi" (別離、再び)	July 9, 1999
15	"Memories, Disappear" "Omoide wa Kiete" (思い出は消えて)	July 16, 1999
16	"Everything About Turn A" "Tān Ē no Subete" (∀の全て)	July 23, 1999
An overview of episodes 1-15 from Loran's perspective.
17	"Dust Blows on the Founding of a Nation" "Kenkoku no Dasuto Burō" (建国のダストブロー)	July 30, 1999
18	"Kihel and Dianna" "Kieru to Diana" (キエルとディアナ)	August 6, 1999
19	"Sochie's War" "Soshie no Sensō" (ソシエの戦争)	August 13, 1999
20	"Anis' Power" "Anisu Pawā" (アニス·パワー)	August 20, 1999
21	"Dianna's Desperate Fight" "Diana Funsen" (ディアナ奮戦)	August 27, 1999
22	"Harry's Trouble" "Harī no Sainan" (ハリーの災難)	September 3, 1999
23	"Teteth's Last Words" "Tetesu no Yuigon" (テテスの遺言)	September 10, 1999
24	"Laura's Distant Howl" "Rōra no Tōboe" (ローラの遠吠え)	September 17, 1999
25	"Willgame Takes Off" "Wirugemu Ririku" (ウィルゲム離陸)	September 24, 1999
26	"The Battle of Enlightenment" "Satori no Tatakai" (悟りの戦い)	October 8, 1999
27	"Sunrise at Midnight" "Yonaka no Yoake" (夜中の夜明け)	October 15, 1999
28	"Entrusted Things" "Takusareta Mono" (託されたもの)	October 22, 1999
29	"The Two Named Soriel" "Soreiyu no Futari" (ソレイユのふたり)	October 28, 1999
30	"Holding it within the Chest" "Mune ni Kakaete" (胸に抱えて)	October 29, 1999
31	"Pursuit! Crybaby Poe" "Tsuigeki! Nakimushi Pō" (追撃!泣き虫ポゥ)	November 5, 1999
32	"The King of Legend" "Shinwa no Ō" (神話の王)	November 19, 1999
33	"Captured Manuipich" "Manyūpichi Kōryaku" (マニューピチ攻略)	November 25, 1999
34	"Fly! Through the Stratosphere" "Tobe! Seisōken" (飛べ!成層圏)	December 3, 1999
35	"Zacktraeger" "Zakkutorēgā" (ザックトレーガー)	December 10, 1999
36	"The Militia's Decisive Space Battle" "Mirisha Uchū Kessen" (ミリシャ宇宙決戦)	December 17, 1999
37	"Gateway to the Moon" "Tsuki Sekai no Mon" (月世界の門)	December 24, 1999
38	"Battle God Ghingnham" "Sentōshin Ginganamu" (戦闘神ギンガナム)	January 7, 2000
39	"Asteroid Explosion" "Shōwakusei Bakuretsu" (小惑星爆烈)	January 14, 2000
40	"Sea Battle on the Lunar Surface" "Getsumen no Kaisen" (月面の海戦)	January 21, 2000
41	"Determined to Fight" "Tatakai no Ketsudan" (戦いの決断)	January 28, 2000
42	"Turn X Activate" "Tān Ekkusu Kidō" (ターンX起動)	February 4, 2000
43	"Shocking Dark History" "Shōgeki no Kuro-Rekishi" (衝撃の黒歴史)	February 11, 2000
44	"New Enemy" "Teki, Aratanari" (敵、新たなリ)	February 18, 2000
45	"Guin's Betrayal" "Uragiri no Guen" (裏切りのグエン)	February 25, 2000
46	"Again, to Earth" "Futatabi, Chikyū he" (再び、地球へ)	March 3, 2000
47	"Ghingnham's Invasion" "Ginganamu Shūrai" (ギンガナム襲来)	March 10, 2000
48	"Return of Dianna" "Diana Kikan" (ディアナ帰還)	March 17, 2000
49	"Moonlight Butterfly" "Gekkou-Chō" (月光蝶)	March 24, 2000
50	"Golden Autumn" "Ōgon no Aki" (黄金の秋)	April 14, 2000

Openings & Endings

Openings:

• "Turn A Turn" (ターンAターン, Tān Ē Tān^?) by Hideki Saijo (Ep. 2-38)
• "Century Color" by RAY-GUNS (Ep. 39 - 50)

Endings:

• "Aura" by Shinji Tanimura (Ep. 1 - 40)
• "Tsuki no Mayu" (月の繭^?, Moon's Cocoon) by Aki Okui (Ep. 41 - 49)
• "Kagirinaki Tabiji" (限りなき旅路^?, The Endless Journey) by Aki Okui (Ep. 50)
• "After All" by Donna Burke (First compilation movie ending)
• "Tsuki no Mayu" (Moon's Cocoon) by Aki Okui (Second compilation movie ending ~ In its full version right before the ending credits which are instrumental only)

See also

• List of Turn A Gundam characters
• WD-M01 Turn A Gundam
• Concept-X 6-1-2 Turn X
• Gundam
• The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter

References

1. ^ Anime News Network: Bandai Ent. Adds Tales of the Abyss, Turn A Gundam. Retrieved on 22 July 2010,
2. ^ 2001 Correct Century A Bibliographical Study of "Black History", Gundam Officials 公式百科事典
3. ^ "Moon's Wind", Gundam Ace, 2006
4. ^ Gundam Officials 公式百科事典

External links

• Official Website (Japanese)
• Animax's official website for Turn A Gundam (Japanese)
• Turn A Gundam (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia

Preceded by Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz

Gundam metaseries (production order) 1999 — 2000

Succeeded by G-Saviour