Gundam Wing

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (alternatively referred to as Mobile Suit Gundam Wing or simply Gundam Wing) was a 49 episode anime broadcast in Japan beginning in 1995 and later broadcast in the United States in 2000 on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block.

Gundam Wing premiered on Toonami on Monday, March 6, 2000 at 5:30 PM EST. In the promos leading up to the broadcast, Peter Cullen narrated the back story, evoking memories of Voltron's opening credits. It was broadcast in two formats; an edited version shown in the daytime and an uncut version aired at night on Toonami's Midnight Run.

Examples of the edits included the removal of blood, obscene language, and the word kill being replaced by the word destroy. (This was extended to Duo's nickname, "The God of Death", with it being changed to "The Great Destroyer", forcing the alteration of two episode titles.) The uncut version, shown at midnight, was completely unedited - a first for Cartoon Network, which at the time had never shown an unedited anime.

Plot
In the distant future, Mankind has colonized space (with clusters of space colonies at each of the five Earth-Moon Lagrange points), and, down on the Earth, the nations have united as the United Earth Sphere Alliance. However, the Alliance oppresses the colonies with its military power. The colonies desire a peaceful resolution to the situation, joining together in a movement headed by the pacifist Heero Yuy. In the year After Colony 175, Yuy is shot dead by an assassin, forcing the colonies to search for other paths to peace. The assassination also prompts five disaffected scientists from the Organization of the Zodiac (more commonly referred to as OZ) to turn rogue after the completion of the mobile suit prototype Tallgeese.

The story of Gundam Wing begins in the year After Colony 195, with the start of Operation Meteor, the scientists' plan for revenge against the OZ military organization. The operation involves five young boys who have each been chosen and trained by one of the five rogue scientists, then sent to Earth independently in extremely advanced Mobile Suits, one designed by each of the scientists, known as "Gundams". Their Mobile Suits are called Gundams because they are constructed from a rare and astonishingly durable material known as Gundanium alloy, which can only be created in outer space.

The five Gundam Pilots — Heero Yuy (an alias, not to be confused with the assassinated leader), Duo Maxwell (also an alias), Trowa Barton (another alias, he was previously known as Nanashi (No-Name)), Quatre Raberba Winner, and Chang Wufei — originally have no knowledge of each others' existence. On first meeting any of the other five, each pilot believes the others to be enemy pilots in new OZ mobile suit designs. Once the young pilots realize that they have the same objective of destroying OZ (and in some cases the same mission), they band together to help each other complete their goals.

Main Characters
Heero Yuy — The 15 year old pilot of the Wing Gundam and later the Wing Gundam Zero, the boy known as Heero is the most serious and grim of the Gundam pilots. His true name is unknown, but for this mission of revenge he has been code-named after the martyred leader of the space colonies. Raised by the scientist Doctor J, Heero has been trained since childhood to be a ruthless battle machine, equally proficient in mobile suit piloting, personal combat, demolitions and computer hacking. Though Heero's upbringing hasn't yet managed to squeeze all the compassion out of him, he is nonetheless callous towards ally and enemy alike, recklessly careless with his own life and generally a cold-blooded character.

Duo Maxwell — Duo Maxwell is the 15 year old pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe. He is an orphan of U.S. descent who was raised by the L2 colony's social services program. By the age of 15, he had already been employed in field operations and as a mechanic. Duo refers to himself as The God of Death; a reference to the amount of death he witnessed early in his life. Despite his hardships, Duo has a cheerful outlook. At times, he finds his friends overly serious and tries to teach them to relax and enjoy themselves. Duo's light-heartedness, however, is not reflected in his fighting. As the pilot of the Deathscythe, he is a determined warrior willing to sacrifice anything for victory.

Trowa Barton — Trowa is the 15 year old pilot of The Gundam Heavyarms, one of the five Gundams sent to Earth during Operation Meteor. By revealing almost nothing about his past, the tight-lipped Trowa has earned his reputation as a man of mystery. Hailing from the L3 colony, he masterfully brought his Gundam Heavyarms to Earth without detection by disguising himself as a clown. Although the strong, silent type, he is a warrior only by necessity and fights only when needed. However, once in battle, Trowa attacks his enemies with utter ruthlessness and deadly accuracy.

Quatre Roberta Winner — Quatre is the 15 year old pilot of the Gundam Sandrock. Quatre, a test–tube baby, is the youngest brother and only male child in a family of 30 children. His father, a wealthy aristocrat and powerful political force in the L4 colony, has always opposed the rule of OZ. Although his mother was lost in childbirth, Quatre had a happy childhood free of strife and hardship — unlike the other Gundam pilots. As the firstborn and only male progeny, Quatre is due to inherit his father's fortune and political power when he comes of age. By joining Operation Meteor in the hopes of protecting his family and the L4 colony, however, he goes against his father's pacifist beliefs. Although physically weak and not the most skilled of Gundam pilots, Quatre excels in creating battle strategies and tactics. Due to these skills he has a corps of Mobile Suit pilots dedicated to serve him on Earth.

Chang WuFei — Chang WuFei descends from the Changs, an esteemed family of Chinese warriors. Due to his heritage of honor and integrity, Chang abhors the Alliance. Although he has aligned himself with Sally Po and her rebels, he prefers to work alone. He maintains a calm and quiet temperament but is also prone to angry emotional outbursts. As evidenced in Episode Zero, when WuFei was younger he was calmer and much more cerebral, but his unwillingness to fight resulted in the death of his wife Meilan, a strong girl who took the responsibility of protecting the colony (and the newly-built Shenlong Gundam) onto herself and was killed in battle. Wufei then chose to carry out her path of justice in honor of her sacrifice. WuFei refuses to fight those he sees as weak, such as pacifists, women and children.

Relena Peacecraft — Although Relena is the pampered adoptive daughter of an Earth Alliance minister and the undisputed queen bee of her posh private school, she yearns for something more in her well-ordered life. Her chance encounter with Gundam pilot Heero Yuy soon provides exactly the kind of excitement she's been longing for -- plus an element of dangerous flirtation. When Relena's dying foster father reveals her true identity to her, she decides to continue the pacifist work of her real parent, King Peacecraft, and becomes a leading advocate for peace and non-violence in an increasingly chaotic world. As daughter of King Peacecraft, Relena is one of the heirs of the Cinq Kingdom. She decides to reunite her country under the banner of non-aggression, and slowly gathers the Gundam pilots to her, attempting to convince them that there are non-violent ways to solve the problems of their world.

Zechs Marquise — The masked man known as Zechs is an ace mobile suit pilot of the Alliance's elite Specials force, which is in reality a front for the secret society OZ. Having earned the highest marks in the history of the Specials' Lake Victoria military academy, Zechs received the first two-rank promotion in the organization's history, and acquired the nickname "Lightning Baron" for his exploits. He is a hero to the Specials' members and the trusted friend of their leader Treize. But for all his fame, Zechs is shrewd and cautious, wary of taking unnecessary risks or underestimating his enemies. Zechs' mask hides a dark secret. He is actually the son of King Peacecraft, heir to the Cinq Kingdom and Relena's long-lost brother.

Treize Khushrenada — Treize Khushrenada is the aristocratic OZ Supreme Commander. Originally the leader of the Specials (the Alliance's elite Mobile Suit corps), Treize gained control of the Alliance's military through clever manipulation of Earth's ongoing power struggle with the colonies. Charismatic, intelligent, and cunning, Treize has the OZ Mobile Suit forces in the palm of his hand and will not hesitate to use them against the five Gundam pilots.

Mobile Suits
XXXG-01W Wing Gundam — Heero Yuy operates the most powerful of the five Gundams sent to Earth in the wake of Project Meteor, the Wing Gundam. Of the five original Gundams, the Wing Gundam is the only Gundam capable of atmospheric flight, making it perhaps the most versatile and well-balanced Gundam as well. It also bears the closest resemblence to the Wing Gundam Zero prototype suit that all five Gundams were based on. Heavily equipped for combat, the Wing Gundam is armed with its signature Buster Rifle, capable of destroying multiple enemies in a single shot, and a Beam Saber that can slice through an enemy mobile suit with ease. The Gundam is also outfitted with two 40 mm Machine Cannons, two 20 mm head Vulcan guns, and a large shield that can also be used as a ramming weapon. When the Wing Gundam transforms for flight (also called "Bird Mode"), the Buster Rifle serves as a nose cannon and the shield becomes the Gundam's "head."

XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe — The most agile and maneuverable of the five Project Meteor Gundams, the Gundam Deathscythe is certainly a fierce opponent, but when piloted by the talented Duo Maxwell, it becomes nearly unstoppable. This Gundam is outfitted with a Hyper Jammer stealth system, which enables it to sneak up on most enemies. When combined with its remarkable land speed, it is no wonder that some have dubbed the Gundam Deathscythe the "God of Death." Its Beam Scythe weapon has struck fear into the hearts of many an adversary. The Gundam Deathscythe is also equipped with a Buster Shield that doubles as a Beam Sword.

XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms — Trowa Barton pilots this Gundam, a heavy artillery juggernaut. The long list of the Gundam Heavyarms' weapons begins with its Beam Gatling Gun, a devastating piece of equipment that can reduce enemies to ribbons with a hail of firepower. The Gundam Heavyarms also has two smaller Gatling Guns mounted inside its chest cavity. On top of that, this Gundam is armed with two Machine Cannons, Homing Missile Launchers, Micro Missile Launchers, and two Vulcan Guns. While it is obviously better suited for long-range combat, the Gundam Heavyarms is also equipped with an "Army Knife" mounted on its right forearm for more "immediate" fighting situations. This Gundam is the slowest of the five original Project Meteor Gundams, but its lack of speed cannot be considered a debilitating weakness in light of its tremendous arsenal.

XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock — The Gundam Sandrock may have been designed with desert combat in mind, but this Gundam makes for an intimidating opponent just about anywhere. Only the Gundam Deathscythe surpasses its speed and maneuverability. The Gundam Sandrock carries two Heat Blades that are housed under its shield when not in use. Like the Deathscythe, the Gundam Sandrock is equipped with a Hyper Jammer system for covert or subversive tactics.

XXXG-01S Shenlong Gundam — When building the Shenlong, Master O created this Gundam to complement Chang WuFei's martial arts training; allowing Chang to use his skills when piloting the Shenlong. In order to do this the Gundam was built for speed and easy maneuverability. Shenlong's weapons are the "Dragon Fang" (found on the right arm) that acts as a plasma thrower, and the lance-like Naginata.

XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero — An updated version of the Wing Gundam, the power of the Wing Gundam Zero is alarming. In fact, the files that ultimately led to the creation of this Gundam were lost for a number of years, probably due to fear of its awesome might. The designs for the Wing Zero actually inspired the creation of the five Project Meteor Gundams, but there is one key difference in its operational controls. The Wing Zero is powered by a brain wave-activated system called the "ZERO System". This unique technology, similar to that found in the Gundam Epyon, can drive a pilot to a mental breakdown if not treated with extreme caution. The Wing Zero is armed with its signature Twin Buster Rifle, easily twice as powerful as the Wing Gundam's single version of the same weapon and capable of destroying an entire space colony. Also like the Wing Gundam, the Wing Zero can transform into Bird Mode (dubbed "Neo Bird Mode") for atmospheric flight. Overall, the Wing Zero is the most formidable of all Gundams, matched only perhaps by the Gundam Epyon.

XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell — Believe it or not, the Gundam Deathscythe Hell is even faster than its predecessor, the Gundam Deathscythe. Its main weapon, the Twin Beam Scythe, is an updated version of the original Beam Scythe, featuring two blades of deadly energy instead of one. The Gundam Deathscythe Hell's stealth system has also been updated from the original, equipped with a more powerful Hyper Jammer called Active Cloak. In addition, this Gundam has been outfitted with a pair of menacing black wings that can be retracted to provide an extra layer of armor in close combat. The Gundam Deathscythe Hell also carries a Buster Shield.

XXXG-01S2 Altron Gundam — After the destruction of the Shenlong, a faster Gundam named the Altron was created for Chang. This Gundam carries more firepower and has greater maneuverability than its predecessor. The Altron's main weapon is a Twin Beam Trident. However, it also carries a plasma thrower on each arm and is equipped with Beam Cannons.

OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon — OZ Supreme Commander Treize Khushrenada created this Gundam specifically for his friend Zechs Marquise, top Specials pilot for the Alliance. This powerful Gundam is the only Mobile Suit capable of competing with the Wing Gundam Zero. Like the Wing Zero, the Gundam Epyon is operated by a Zero System and is capable of atmospheric flight. When transformed into flight mode, the Gundam Epyon resembles a frightening two-headed dragon, and can navigate the skies with an amazing degree of precision. The Gundam Epyon is equipped with a gigantic beam sword that can cut through nearly any material on Earth.

Main Characters=

Episodes
Gundam Wing is a 49 episode Japanese anime series that premiered in Japan from April 7, 1995 to March 29, 1996 on TV Asahi. In 2000, an English language dub of the series was produced and made its U.S. premiere on Cartoon Network's weekday afternoon programing block, Toonami. The Gundam Wing franchise also includes a 4-part OVA titled, Gundam Wing: Operation Meteor and a 3-part OVA titled, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz. Endless Waltz was later compiled into a movie titled, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz Special Edition.

All Gundam Wing episodes have been released on VHS and DVD in the U.S. The Differences between the two video systems is that the VHS episodes contain the edited version while the DVD episodes contain the uncut version.

Broadcast History

 * Japan (TV Asahi) – April 7, 1995 - March 29, 1996
 * United States (Cartoon Network) – March 6, 2000 - December 8, 2000; March 12, 2001 - July 20, 2001
 * Canada (YTV) – July 2000 - 2001
 * United Kingdom (Cartoon Network) – 2000 - 2001
 * Australia (Cartoon Network) – July 7, 2001 - 2002
 * Latin America & Brazil (Cartoon Network) – 2002 - 2003

Toonami Broadcast History
The series aired in the U.S. on Cartoon Network's weekday afternoon programing block, Toonami, from March 6, 2000 to December 8, 2000. After a 3 month hiatus the series returned for a second run on Toonami from March 12, 2001 to May 11, 2001. The series also aired on Toonami's Midnight Run and Rising Sun. Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz also premiered on Toonami on November 10, 2000. During Toonami's April Fools 2012 stunt, the series returned to Toonami for one night only. The series also aired in the United Kingdom, Australia and Latin America on those countries' respective Toonami blocks.


 * Toonami (United States) – March 6, 2000 - December 8, 2000; March 12, 2001 - May 11, 2001
 * Midnight Run – March 6, 2000 - November 3, 2000; May 14, 2001 - July 20, 2001
 * Rising Sun – April 15, 2000 - July 1, 2000