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Mobile Suit Victory Gundam

is an anime television program set in the fictional universe of Gundam. It consists of 51 episodes, and was directed by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. The series was first broadcast on TV Asahi (and it's ANN stations) and later by the anime satellite television network, Animax, across Japan and later its respective networks worldwide, including Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Latin America, and other regions, but has never been brought to the United States.

Story

Victory Gundam is set in UC 0153, and succeeds the Federation and Crossbone Vanguard conflict of Gundam F-91. Therefore, it takes place well after the events of the Earth Federation versus Principality of Zeon conflict (which could be said to have ended with Char's Counterattack).

The greatly weakened Earth Federation comes under attack by the BESPA forces of the spaceborn Zanscare Empire; only the AEUG-like League Militaire stands in their way. The mass-produced Victory Gundam is the League Militaire's secret weapon against the invading BESPA.

Overview

Victory Gundam, the first of four Gundam television series that aired on TV Asahi in Japan sequentially from 1993 through 1996 and the second longest Gundam television show with 51 episodes (SD Gundam Force is the first with 52 episodes), also featuring the second youngest protagonist in Gundam anime: the thirteen year old Uso Evin. It is another one of Tomino's "Kill 'em all" series. The main cast casualty rate of the League Militaire (especially the Shrike Team), as well as the Zanscare is extremely high.

According to Tomino, while Victory Gundam was being produced, Sunrise merged with Bandai over his objections. The negative feelings resulting from these events made Victory Gundam his most hated Gundam series. In fact, his interview on the memorial DVD Box's intitial-printing booklet is entitled "Don't buy these DVDs because you should not watch them!!" —similar to an admonition included in the Mobile Suit Z Gundam's final DVD volume. (The interview itself explains the above situation.)

There is an inside-rumor among Gundam fans that the protagonist, Uso Evin, is the great grandson of the late Char Aznable, based on that the last-name of Uso's Mother (Miguel) is the same as Char's last lover, Nanai Miguel (in Char's Counterattack). This series takes place 60 years after the events of Char's Counterattack so this is considered by fans to be very plausible. Even though Tomino officially rejects the rumor, it is also known that the production group considered the idea, just did not implement it (but the last name of Muller "Miguel" stays).

Director Tomino, as with First Gundam and Zeta, had to contend with great deal of pressure from sponsors and other interested parties. The first episode was originally intended to be episode four, but pressure from Bandai to show the main mecha from the start led to a change in the episode order. Another pressure came with merchandising interests to put battleships in the middle point of the series, while the main action was on Earth. As compromise and irony, the strange Bespa battleship/motorcycle mixture vessel made an appearance. The death rate, as mentioned above, is believed to have had a great deal to do with Tomino's mental health (Overman King Gainer, Brain Powered and his other more recent works have hardly any death.)