History Anime / MobileSuitGundam

''Mobile Suit Gundam'' (''Kidou Senshi Gundam'', lit. "Mobile Soldier Gundam"), the original {{Gundam}} show, started in 1979 as a planned 52-episode series but cut down to 43 due to the show pulling in horrible ratings. However, the merchandise for the TV show sold rather well, allowing the series to go straight into syndication, where it found its audience. A largely reanimated compilation trilogy successfully convinced the people with the money to further develop the series, and Mobile Suit Gundam eventually spawned a massive franchise. Though there are now a large number of sequels, side stories, and [[AlternateContinuity Alternate Continuities]], the original ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' remains the most popular show of the franchise.

* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: {{Justified}}, in that the mobile suits that Amuro fights are all top-of-the-line at the time, and Zeon is forced to continually develop more powerful suits as they come to terms with the Gundam, and later the Federation's GM's.

** Only in the series; the CompilationMovie adds a scene where he falls down some stairs and breaks his neck. The whole thing comes off as rather arbitrary, really.

* ANaziByAnyOtherName: SIEG ZEON! HAIL ZEON! Gihren Zabi is directly compared to Hitler by his father at one point.

* NuclearWeaponsTaboo: Averted ''hard''. Nukes are used extensively in the opening battles of the war, resulting in up to a ''billion'' civilian casualties. [[CompleteMonster M'Quve]] also launches an explicitly nuclear missile when it becomes clear that he's lost. Mobile suits also have nuclear reactors in them that GoCritical when hit by beam weapons; this happens several times in the series, including in [[DoomedHometown Side 7]] during the first episode.

* SukliminhovEffect: the Federation have simpler uniforms than the Zeon, and a better success rate.

* ButSirItsNotReady: All three of Zeon's late-game superweapons, the Big Zam, the Colony Laser, and the Zeong. Results were decidedly mixed.

* WorthyOpponent: A few, but the most notable, for this troper, is the squad of Zeon infantry that nearly destroyed the Gundam by placing time bombs on it (they had no remote controlled bombs or they would have destroyed it very easily) and, after being foiled, donned civilian clothes and passed to say hi (Bright recognized them immediately and let them go).

* HoYay: Fans get giddy at the [[spoiler: Char and Garma]] subtext, especially during the shower scene and their ''arranged plans''.

** In {{Dynasty Warriors Gundam}} 2, the GM is, when fully upgraded, weaker than the Zaku II in total stats. In SD Gundam G Generation Wars, the GM is overall stronger than the Zaku II in total stats, as well as having a better Ground Terrain Rating than the Zaku II (which in turn has a better Space Terrain Rating to nullify this). If only the people making the Gundam games could agree on which of the two is stronger, there wouldn't be much confusion.
*** In Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2, the Federation had the GM ready for sortie in the first story mission with Amuro or Char ("Re-entry to Earth"). And yet, when one reaches "Assault at Jaburo", the Zeon refer to the GM as "The Federation's new Mobile Suits". How can it be new if it's sortied for a month before that?

* MisaimedFandom: Yes, the Federation has corrupt leaders. Yes, Zeon has many good, moral, people who serve it. Yes, the Titans are bad. That being said, it's a little scary how many fans will knee-jerk a SEIG ZEON for a regime that murdered, not millions, but BILLIONS of people and continue to wipe out metropolitan centers every few years... FOR FREEDOM.

The original RealRobot series, ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' literally [[GenreLaunch created a genre]], and eventually spawned numerous sequels and side stories. Its direct sequel is ''ZetaGundam'', and there are also a trio of {{OVA}}s set in the same time period as ''MobileSuitGundam: The08thMSTeam'', ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam0080WarInThePocket Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket]]'' and ''[[GundamIGLOO MS IGLOO]]''.

''Mobile Suit Gundam'' (''Kidou Senshi Gundam'', lit. "Movement Soldier Gundam"), the original {{Gundam}} show, started in 1979 as a planned 52-episode series but cut down to 43 due to the show pulling in horrible ratings. However, the merchandise for the TV show sold rather well, allowing the series to go straight into syndication, where it found its audience. A largely reanimated compilation trilogy successfully convinced the people with the money to further develop the series, and Mobile Suit Gundam eventually spawned a massive franchise. Though there are now a large number of sequels, side stories, and [[AlternateContinuity Alternate Continuities]], the original ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' remains the most popular show of the franchise.

The original RealRobot series, ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' literally [[GenreLaunch created a genre]], and eventually spawned numerous sequels and side stories. Its direct sequel is ''ZetaGundam'', and there are also a trio of {{OVA}}s set in the same time period as ''MobileSuitGundam: The08thMSTeam'', ''{{Gundam 0080}}: War in the Pocket'' and ''[[GundamIGLOO MS IGLOO]]''.