The official website of the Mobile Suit Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans anime has revealed that the TV series will be 25 episodes long, airing over two consecutive seasons.
The site has revealed that there will be a total of 9 DVD and Blu-ray volumes of the anime. The first volume, releasing on December 24th, will contain episode 1 and the remaining 8 volumes will have three episodes each, totalling 25 episodes. The anime will be a two cour series airing over two seasons back to back. The Blu-ray volumes of the anime will retail for ¥3,800 (~ US$31.80) and the DVD volumes will retail for ¥2,800 (~ US$23.44), without tax.
The first Blu-ray volume will contain additional bonuses that include:
- A download code for Gundam Barbados in the upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS Force PlayStation Vita game
- A special 20 page booklet
- Staff and Cast audio commentary
- A limited disc sleeve
- A special three panel case
The main characters of the series include (left to right):
- Akihiro Altland
- Biscuit Griffon
- Lead character Mikazuki Augus
- Olga Itsuka
- Eugene Sevenstark
- Noruba Shino
The designs for the lead Gundam and mechs:
The first members of the series’ production staff were also revealed:
- Director: Tatsuyuki Nagai (Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai, Toradora!)
- Series Composer: Mari Okada (Toradora!, AKB0048)
- Anime Character Designer: Michinori Chiba (Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE)
- Mecha Designers: Naohiro Washio (Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Kakumeiki Valvrave), Kanetake Ebikawa (Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE), Ippei Gyoubu (Gundam Reconguista in G), Kenji Teraoka (Code Geass, Gundam Build Fighters), and Tamotsu Shonohara (Rean no Tsubasa)
- Art Designer: Kusanagi (Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito, High School of the Dead )
- Music Composer: Masaru Yokoyama (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo)
- Animation Studio: Sunrise (Mobile Suit Gundam, Love Live! School Idol Project)
Here is the first promotional video for the anime:
Gundam is one of Japan’s largest and most iconic franchise. The franchise is mostly set in a science fiction future that focuses on giant mechanical robots. The franchise was created by Hajime Yatate, a group of animators from the studio Sunrise, lead by Yoshiyuki Tomino. It began in 1979 with the release of the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam, though while the anime itself did not receive high praise and viewings, the eventual gunpla models from Bandai launched the series into popularity. Since then, there has been a plethora of anime series, OVAs, films, manga, light novels, games and merchandise based on the franchise. It has become an iconic symbol of Japanese pop culture where Bandai make over 50 billion yen per fiscal year on the models alone.
Here is the synopsis of Mobile Suit Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans:
The show is set 300 years after a great conflict between Earth and Mars known as the “Calamity War.” A woman named Cordelia sets out on a journey to Earth to speak for the independence of the Martian city of Chryse, which is under the control of the Earth government. Escorting her is the private security company CGS, which protagonists Mikazuki Augus and Orga Itsuka are members of. When a group named Gjallarhorn attacks CGS and Cordelia, Orga sees this as a chance to rebel against CGS and launch a coup. Mikazuki and Orga are thrust into a new conflict. To fend off Gjallarhorn, Mikazuki rides an old mobile suit from the Calamity War, powered by a nuclear reactor, the Gundam Barbatos; a mobile suit that steals weapons, armor, and parts from enemies to become stronger.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans is airing every Sunday at 5:00am JST during the Fall/Autumn 2015 anime season. Further information about the new anime will be revealed soon.
You can visit the new project’s site now: http://g-tekketsu.com/
And follow the series on Twitter: @g_tekketsu
