Universal Century

From MechaBay
Jump to: navigation, search

Universal Century (Uchuu Seiki "The Century of Space") is the English name for the original timeline of the Gundam anime series. The official English name U.C. (abbreviation of Universal Century) is often used instead.

The Universal Century timeline starts with the migration of humanity to populate space, after construction of the first space colony at Side 1 was completed.

By far the most proliferative background universe, Universal Century makes up the dominating majority of the entire franchise. While many new Gundam stories are told in their own parallel universe with independent timelines, giving them a greater degree of creative freedom, the original UC storyline continues to be extremely popular for a variety of reasons. It established the series, and delivered many of its best moments, and nostalgia for the oldest of the Gundam shows (and Gundam's resulting status as a pop-culture icon in Japan) is still a major factor in its continuing success.[1]

Contents

Universal Century Gundam series and films

List of Universal Century Gundam animated series and movies and live-action films in the order of their release:

Universal Century Manga

Main article: Gundam manga

A.D.1986

U.C.0068

U.C.0073

U.C.0079

U.C.0080

U.C.0081

U.C.0083

U.C.0084

U.C.0085

U.C.0087

U.C.0088

U.C.0090

U.C.0091

U.C.0092

U.C.0093

U.C.0099

U.C.0107

U.C.0120

U.C.0122

U.C.0123

U.C.0133

U.C.0136

U.C.0153

U.C.0179

U.C.0223

U.C.1160

Universal Century novels

Main article: Gundam novels

A.D.20XX

U.C.0079

U.C.0079 -

U.C.0083

U.C.0085

U.C.0086 -

U.C.0087

U.C.0088

U.C.0093

U.C.0096

  • Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (working title, scheduled for 2007) - by Harutoshi Fukui. A Zeon remnant, led by a mysterious Char-like figure, fights the Earth Federation, with a "secret" event which occurred 95 years earlier that plays an important role in the story.

U.C.0105

U.C.0123

U.C.0153

U.C.0203

  • Gaia Gear (1987 - 1989) - by Yoshiyuki Tomino. A non-canonical side story, set in the U.C.0200s, where an anti-Federation group creates a clone of Char to battle Manhunter.

U.C.0223

Original design series/variations

Due to the sheer popularity of the Gundam franchise, especially the mobile suit design, several original design series were published. These series are drawings and precise specifications for additional mobile suit units not found in the original animated material.

  • Mobile Suit Variations (1983) - also known as MSV, the variations from the One Year War, considered to be official and canonical
  • Mobile Suit X (1984) - also known as MSX, new models for a proposed but never produced new animation series, considered to be official and canonical
  • Z-MSV - variations from the Zeta Gundam series
  • ZZ-MSV - variations from the Gundam ZZ series
  • CCA-MSV - variations from the Char's Counterattack movie
  • Kunio Okawara's MS Collection (M-MSV) - Kunio Okawara's personal reinterpretations
  • F91-MSV - variations from the F91 movie
  • V-MSV - variations from the Victory Gundam series

Video Games

Main article: Gundam video games

Arcade

Microsoft Windows

Nintendo Entertainment System

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo GameCube

Wii

PlayStation

PlayStation 2

PlayStation 3

PlayStation Portable

Sega Saturn

Dreamcast

Xbox 360

Chronology

Sample of official timeline in 1999

In a pre-production memo, Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino wrote that the first series takes place in 2066 AD[3], which would have the Universal Century calendar starting in 1988 AD. However, a "2079" date stamp in the first Gundam series' episode 26 and a "2087" date stamp in Zeta Gundam's episode 8 indicated a 2001 AD starting date. The date stamps were not included in the subsequent movie versions of these series, and these dates have since been contradicted by works not written by Yoshiyuki Tomino.

Based on a dated newspaper shown in the last episode of the Gundam 0080 OVA series written by Gainax's Hiroyuki Yamaga (Monday, January 14, 0080) and in Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam, Axis Zeon became Neo Zeon on 29th Feb, 0088, the Universal Century can be pinpointed to begin in several specific years, including 2053, 2081, 2109, and 2149. In the Universal Century chronology, the last dated entry of the AD system was 2045 AD, leading to the common misconception that UC 0001 followed immediately afterwards. A few early unofficial sources even listed UC 0001 as 2046 AD (or even 2045, using bad math), but current official materials indicate the presence of a gap of years between the AD and UC calendar systems. Therefore the first year of the Universal Century calendar is deduced on the official Gundam website in North America as being 2053, 2081, 2109, or possibly later, meaning UC 0079 would correspond to 2131, 2159, 2187, or later.

Since the mid-1990s, new official Universal Century chronologies have avoided the inclusion of AD dates before UC 0001. The following are AD dates that were once published with Universal Century chronologies:

1957.10.04 AD
The Soviet Union successfully launches Humankind's first artificial satellite—Sputnik 1.
1961.04.12 AD
The Soviet Union successfully launches a manned artificial satellite—Vostok 1.
1969.07.20 AD
United States of America successfully lands on the Moon's surface with Apollo 11.
1969 AD
Dr. Gerard O'Neill and others announce their space colony concept.
1990s AD
In every region of the world, border disputes and regional conflicts repeatedly erupt.
1999 AD
The Earth Federation government is established. The human space colonization program is announced.
2005 AD
The first solar generating satellite is successfully launched.
2009 AD
Earth Federal Forces is established.
2026 AD
The Jupiter Energy Fleet launches from Lunar orbit.
2045 AD
Construction of the first colony begins.

The following is the chronology of the timeline illustrated in the Universal Century series(main plot events only):

UC 0001
Human Population exceeds 9 billion, first space colony finished and migration to space started.
UC 0045
3 Juno was moved from the asteroid belt to the Earth orbit L3, later know as Lunar II, the major military base of the Earth Federation Space Forces, in the series.
UC 0079~0080
One Year War(Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 - War in the Pocket, Mobile Suit Gundam - The 08th MS Team)
UC 0083
Operation Stardust (Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 - Stardust Memory)
UC 0087
Gryps conflict (Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam)
UC 0088
New De-sides, AEUG's Earth Federation civil war (Gundam Sentinel)
1st Neo Zeon war (Known as Axis Zeon in some newer games, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ)
UC 0093
2nd Neo Zeon war (Mobile Suit Gundam - Char's Counterattack)
UC 0096
Neo Zeon remnants (also known as Sodetsuki, the sleeved, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn)
UC 0105
Mafty anti-Earth Federation terroism (Mobile Suit Gundam - Hathaway's Flash)
UC 0120
Mars Zeon (Mobile Suit Gundam F90)
UC 0123
Cosmo Babylonia (Mobile Suit Gundam F91)
UC 0133
Jupiter Empire (Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam)
UC 0153
Zanscare Empire (Mobile Suit Victory Gundam)
UC 0223
Light of Gaia events (G-Saviour)

References

  1. ^ [1] 機動戦士ガンダムは、同じくバンダイグループの（株）サンライズが制作し、1979年4月～1980年1月にテレビシリーズ第１作が放映されて以来、テレビシリーズ8作品、劇場用映画9作品などが公開され、20年以上にわたり人気を保っています。米国をはじめ、ヨーロッパ、アジアでも作品が放映され、各地で高い人気を得ています。
  2. ^ Gundam Ace June 2009 issue
  3. ^ Quoted in Gundam Century

External links

Retrieved from "http://www.mechabay.com/w/index.php?title=Universal_Century&oldid=651"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Portals
Toolbox