Gundam Wing 30th Anniversary Celebration at San Diego Comic-Con
This year was one of the biggest for the Gundam franchise, with the marking of the 30th anniversary of the Gundam Wing series. At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the series had a special panel dedicated to celebrating the milestone anniversary with special guests, videos, and announcements for Gundam Wing’s 30th anniversary project and three other major Gundam series.
The panel titled “GUNDAM Showcase -Featuring 30 years of Gundam Wing,” featured English voice actors from the anime series, Mark Hildreth (Heero Yuy), Scott McNeil (Duo Maxwell), Brad Swaile (Quatre Raberba Winner), and producer Naohiro Ogata, who has worked on several Gundam projects, as special guests.
Already a fan of the series, I came into the room excited to celebrate with other Wing fans. There was a long line of people waiting for the panel before the doors opened, so long that it went outside the building (and it did not include the people already inside waiting). By the time the doors opened, the room was already packed with people, and it was clear how excited everyone was to be a part of the celebration and see what's in store for the series.
To many, including myself, Gundam Wing was their first Gundam series, as it was also the first in the series to air in North America. The series was well-loved by many fans who watched Toonami in 2000 when it was first broadcast.
The panel kicked off with announcements and talks about the Gundam Wing 30th anniversary project. It included an original special illustration to celebrate the series' milestone and it was inspired by the original and iconic artwork from the anime series. At the end of the panel, fans also received the special artwork as a poster.
They also showed a commemorative video titled “Mobile Suit -Gundam Wing Operation 30th-” that featured updated character designs, artwork, and new scenes. Illustrated by Sakura Asagi, the artwork and character design were kept the same as homage to the original anime series, while giving them a more updated and vibrant look. The end of the video included a surprise: a whole new design, including new Gundam designs. The iconic second opening song, “Rhythm Emotion,” sung by TWO-MIX, was played throughout. From the original designs to the music, the video has brought a lot of nostalgia to those who were watching it and were especially familiar with the original series.
Other announcements included the re-release of Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz in both Japanese and American theaters, as well as a special video titled "Introducing Gundam Wing from Zero." There's also a new manga, a collaboration event with the video game Call of Duty, new merchandise, and a TCG card game.
Throughout the panel, the special guests were asked questions about the Gundam Wing series and its 30th anniversary projects. We were able to hear lines from the English voice cast, and they sounded just as I remembered them from the English dub of the series.
When asked about what the recording process was like for them now as compared to the 2000s, the cast all agreed on how "special" and "cool" it was to work on the series. McNeil mentioned that Gundam Wing was "one of the very first shows of this ilk that we have done" and "kind of got the buzz from the get go...this was different, this was special."
Swaile also agreed and said that Gundam Wing "blew his mind with its incredible visuals, giant robots, great music, and toys." Meanwhile, Hildreth added that "it wasn't like any other animated series I think any of us have ever done." He also went on to say that, "we were fortunate because we got to jump to this moving train with some amazing music, the themes, and all the psychological stuff that goes on in the show."
After seeing the 30th anniversary video, just like the fans, the special guests were also in awe since it was their first time seeing tit. McNeil commented about how cool it was, while Swaile felt nostalgic about his first time watching the series, and said that it brought him back not only to a moment of being naive with Gundam but also to the excitement of what he knows about Gundam now.
The panel concluded with announcements from the Gundam franchise as a whole. It included the announcement from Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blood Orphans and its 10th anniversary projects, such as a special compilation film, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blood Orphans Urdr Hunt -Path of the Little Challenger-, and a sequel film from the Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway series, the Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, which recently revealed a trailer.
However, I was most surprised to see special video messages from Japanese voice actors, Hikaru Midorikawa (Gundam Wing’s Heero Yuy), Kensho Ono (Gundam Hathaway’s Hathaway Noa), and Kengo Kawashima (Gundam Iron-Blood Orphans’ Mikazuki Augus).
It’s been 30 years since Gundam Wing was broadcast in North America. From the “GUNDAM Showcase -Featuring 30 years of Gundam Wing” panel, it’s clear that the series is still loved by many fans. Celebrating the series’ 30th anniversary at San Diego Comic-Con was a great way for fans to be part of the celebration. Whether they are Gundam fans who were there during Gundam Wing or not, there is a ton of news that fans of the Gundam franchise can be excited about.
Images: ©SOTSU・SUNRISE
