After so long, we now finally get to see the original military sci-fi classic anime that started it all: Mobile Suit Gundam. Only on Crunchyroll.

Mobile Suit Gundam's bright and colorful cover.
Don’t let the bright colors fool you. This is a very dark show.

Crunchyroll officially announces that starting today on January 25, 2021; 3:00 P.M. Pacific, they’ll finally start streaming the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime. The anime will be viewable in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and CIS. I’m pretty sure that covers the entire world, but just it case it doesn’t: you have my condolences.

Crunchyroll will air the entire 43-episode season of Mobile Suit Gundam, barring one episode. Episode 15, “Cucuruz Doan’s Island”, still remains unaired and has no English translation, as per Director Yoshiyuki Tomino’s request. I guess that one episode was really terrible, or something like that.

Why Should You Watch Mobile Suit Gundam?

Seriously, don’t let the cheerful music fool you.

Mobile Suit Gundam was the anime that started the whole Gundam craze back in 1979. Despite being a failure in Japan originally, it quickly became an ascended cult series once the plastic models started to sell. Fast-forward a couple decades, and it’s now one of the most popular anime ever. Much of this popularity has to do with how the anime treated its mecha.

A darker Mobile Suit Gundam cover.
There, that’s more like it.

Mobile Suit Gundam was the first series to treat giant robots as weapons of war. Up until that point, they were just walking shonen hero tropes. As weapons of war, we see that the original MSG was definitely a war story. All the tactics, strategy, and horrors of war were showcased in that anime.

A space colony getting dropped on a big city in Mobile Suit Gundam.
When the story starts off with the obliteration of a whole city, you know that shit’s real.

Seriously, don’t let the bright colors and cheerful opening song fool you. MSG is very much Band of Brothers in space. And with giant robots. Don’t forgot those.

Conclusion

All but one episode of the entire Mobile Suit Gundam anime series will air on Crunchyroll on January 25, 2021. If you’re a Gundam fan, or if you just like a dark and gritty sci-fi war story, check it out on Crunchyroll‘s official site. I can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.

Source: Crunchyroll