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Mobile Suit Gundam AGE
Japanese anime television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダムAGE, Hepburn: Kidō Senshi Gandamu Eiji) is a 2011 Japanese science fiction anime television series and the twelfth installment in Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise. The series was first announced in the July 2011 issue of Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic, which revealed early visuals and confirmed that Level-5's President Akihiro Hino would be in charge of the story.[1] It was then formally unveiled by Bandai at the 2011 Tokyo Toy Show on June 13, 2011, where it was presented as a major cross-media project with anime, video games, and merchandise tie-ins.[2][3]
Set on a futuristic Earth plagued by an interplanetary war that spans a whole century, the story follows three protagonists from the same family, each piloting his own version of the eponymous mecha to defend Earth and its space colonies from technologically advanced foes.
Gundam AGE premiered on the MBS and TBS stations in Japan on October 9, 2011,[4] and ran for 49 episodes until September 23, 2012.[5] A compilation OVA titled Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Memory of Eden was released on July 26, 2013, focusing on the second protagonist, Asemu Asuno.[6]
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Plot
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Mobile Suit Gundam AGE is structured across four main arcs, each following a member of the Asuno family before converging in a multi-generational finale. The First Generation arc centers on Flit Asuno, who as a child witnesses his mother’s death in an attack by the Unknown Enemy (UE). He inherits the AGE Device, which contains the blueprints for a Gundam. Years later, he pilots the Gundam AGE-1, aids in the destruction of the UE’s hidden fortress, and discovers that the UE are humans from Mars, calling themselves the Vagan.[7]
The Second Generation arc focuses on Flit’s son, Asemu Asuno, now an Earth Federation pilot in conflict with Vagan forces. He commands the Gundam AGE-2, confronts a Vagan connection within the Federation, and navigates personal challenges before going missing, leaving the AGE Device to his newborn son, Kio.[7]
The Third Generation arc follows Kio Asuno as the new Gundam pilot amidst a Vagan invasion. He unexpectedly reunites with his father, Asemu—now aligned with the Bisidian space pirates—and learns of the EXA-DB, a powerful military database. After a betrayal and near destruction of his Gundam AGE-3, Kio survives with assistance from Asemu and returns to Earth.[7]
The final arc, commonly known as the Three Generations arc, sees Flit, Asemu, and Kio unite to lead the Federation, Bisidian pirates, and reformed Vagan forces in reclaiming the Moon’s Luna Base. Asemu destroys the EXA-DB to prevent its misuse, and the climactic battle in orbit culminates in saving the Vagan colony "Second Moon." Subsequently, both factions turn their combined resources toward terraforming Mars—fulfilling a long-sought peace and securing Flit’s legacy as a unifier of humanity.[7]
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Production
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Development of Mobile Suit Gundam AGE began when Akihiro Hino and Level-5 were first hired by Sunrise to develop a Gundam video game. Hino, already an established figure through works like Inazuma Eleven and Professor Layton, expressed strong interest in contributing directly to the Gundam franchise. He submitted a plot outline for an anime that incorporated his signature focus on generational storytelling and youth-oriented drama, which Bandai and Sunrise found compelling enough to expand into a full television project.[8] The script was eventually green-lit and first announced in the July 2011 issue of CoroCoro Comic alongside promotional manga material targeting younger viewers.[9]
The project assembled a creative team that combined veterans of the franchise with new contributors. Many staff members had previously worked on Mobile Suit Gundam 00, bringing experience with high-stakes political drama and mechanical design. Susumu Yamaguchi, best known for directing installments of the Sgt. Frog franchise, was appointed series director. Character designs were split between Michinori Chiba, adapting Level-5’s initial concepts for animation, and Takuzō Nagano, while mechanical designs were contributed by Kanetake Ebikawa, Junya Ishigaki, and Kenji Teraoka.[10] Sunrise described the collaboration as an intentional attempt to appeal to both children and long-time Gundam fans by blending toyetic design with the franchise’s usual war-driven themes.[11]
Originally envisioned as an 18-month broadcast, internal decisions and ratings performance led Sunrise to shorten the show’s run to 49 episodes, placing it in line with earlier Gundam series that had been cut short such as the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam and After War Gundam X.[12] Despite this, Hino later noted that he had written far more material than could be adapted and expressed regret that portions of his planned storyline—particularly involving the third generation arc—were compressed in the televised version.[13]
To complement the television series, a side-story smartphone game titled Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Universe Accel/Cosmos Drive was developed for the PlayStation Portable, expanding on background elements and side characters.[14]
An OVA project, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Memory of Eden, was later produced to recompile and expand on the second arc of the anime, focusing on Asemu Asuno and his rival Zeheart Galette. Directed again by Yamaguchi, it featured over one hour of new animation that addressed pacing criticisms of the TV run.[15]
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Media
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Anime
Mobile Suit Gundam AGE premiered on October 9, 2011, airing Sundays at 5:00 p.m. on MBS and TBS, taking over the timeslot previously held by Blue Exorcist.[16] The series ran for 49 episodes and was divided into four distinct narrative arcs: the Flit Arc (episodes 1–15), the Asemu Arc (16–28), the Kio Arc (29–39), and the Three Generations Arc (40–49), which brought the three protagonists together for the conclusion.[17] Each arc corresponded to one of the Asuno family protagonists and reflected Bandai’s intent to create a cross-generational story that could appeal to both children and older viewers.
The anime also marked a milestone in distribution strategy, as it became the first Gundam television series to be simulcast worldwide through YouTube on the official Gundam Info channel, which Bandai described as an experiment in global streaming that would later become a standard practice for the franchise.[18] Despite this pioneering approach, critical reception was divided. Contemporary reviewers praised the ambition of telling a three-generation saga but criticized the uneven tone and the way homages to earlier Gundam works sometimes overshadowed original material.[19]
An important companion release was the two-part compilation OVA Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Memory of Eden, which premiered on July 26, 2013. This special condensed the Asemu storyline and his rivalry with Zeheart into a 150-minute feature that included over an hour of new animation. Critics noted that the re-edit streamlined the pacing and clarified character dynamics, presenting a more focused version of the anime’s middle arc.[20]
For its tenth anniversary in 2022, Bandai Namco released a Blu-ray box set containing restored high-definition transfers of all 49 episodes along with Memory of Eden, which further solidified the series’ place in the larger Gundam canon despite its initially muted reception.[21]
Manga
Two main manga adaptations of the series were produced to coincide with the anime’s debut and broaden its reach to different demographics. Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Story of the Beginning (機動戦士ガンダムAGE 〜始まりの物語〜, Kidō Senshi Gandamu Eiji: Hajimari no Monogatari) by Hiroshi Nakanishi was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine.[22] This short, two-chapter adaptation covered the opening of the anime but featured a notable difference in the AGE System: instead of the AGE Builder producing physical upgrades, the Gundam AGE-1 could directly analyze its environment and integrate machinery into combat. This divergence reflected early experimentation with how the AGE System might be represented across media.
The second adaptation, published in Kadokawa's Gundam Ace, was titled Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: First Evolution. Drawn by Hiyon Katsuragi, it ran from December 2011 to August 2012 and was compiled into three tankōbon volumes.[23] Unlike Story of the Beginning, this series more closely mirrored the anime narrative and was aimed at older Gundam fans reading Gundam Ace.
Two sidestory manga were published to expand the universe and appeal to different readerships. Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Treasure Star (機動戦士ガンダムAGE トレジャースター), written and illustrated by Masanori Yoshida, ran in Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic from September 15, 2011 to May 15, 2012. The series follows a boy named Daiki and his spacefaring adventures aboard the ship Treasure Star, blending Gundam elements with lighter, child-friendly motifs that aligned with Bandai’s cross-media and toy merchandising strategy.[24]
In contrast, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Memories of Sid (機動戦士ガンダムAGE ～追憶のシド～), written and illustrated by Hiroshi Nakanishi, was serialized in Shōnen Sunday S (formerly Shōnen Sunday Super) from January 25 to October 25, 2012 and later collected into three volumes. This darker, more mature narrative acted as a prelude to the anime’s third generation arc, focusing on Asemu Asuno’s discovery of the EXA-DB and SID, and his fateful decision to fake his death and join the space pirate group Bisidian. It offered fans deeper narrative context and continuity that complemented the television series.[25]
Games
Mobile Suit Gundam AGE was deeply integrated into Bandai’s cross-media marketing, with multiple tie-in games. The first was the 2011 Data Carddass arcade title Mobile Suit Gundam: Try Age, developed jointly by Level-5 and Bandai Namco Games.[26][27] The game integrated collectible cards and the Gage-ing Builder model kits, showcasing Bandai’s push to unify arcade play, trading cards, and physical toys into one ecosystem.
On August 30, 2012, Level-5 released Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Universe Accel and Cosmic Drive for the PlayStation Portable.[28] The RPG format emphasized Level-5’s hallmark crafting mechanics and allowed players to experience original side stories not covered in the anime.
Beyond these dedicated titles, AGE suits steadily appeared across Bandai’s crossover franchises. Examples include:
- Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. MAXI BOOST (2014), which introduced AGE-1, AGE-2, AGE-3, Zeydra, and Legilis.[29]
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS Force (2015), which added Gundam AGE-1.[30]
- Super Robot Wars BX (2015), marking the franchise’s first Super Robot Wars appearance.[31]
- Gundam Versus (2017), which featured the AGE-1 as DLC.[32]
- SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays (2020), which included AGE missions and units in its Dispatch Mission Set 4 DLC.[33]
- SD Gundam Battle Alliance (2022), where the AGE-FX appeared as part of the DLC lineup.[34]
This multimedia rollout—spanning manga, arcades, console games, and crossover franchises—illustrates Bandai’s strategy of embedding Mobile Suit Gundam AGE across multiple product lines, ensuring that even if the anime faced mixed reception, its designs and concepts remained present in the broader Gundam ecosystem.
Merchandise
Like other entries in the Gundam franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE was accompanied by a large line of Gunpla model kits. Bandai launched multiple 1/144-scale kits in the High Grade (HG) line concurrent with the anime’s broadcast, including AGE-1 Normal, AGE-2 Double Bullet, AGE-3 Normal, and AGE-FX. The series also introduced the “Gage-ing Builder” line of transformable and customizable toys designed to connect with the Try Age arcade game.
In 2012, Bandai released two 1/100-scale Master Grade kits: the AGE-1 Normal—commended for its engineering and articulation—and later the MG AGE-2 Normal.[35][36] Planned MG releases for the AGE-3 Normal and AGE-FX were announced but later cancelled, reflecting comparatively weak Gunpla sales for the series.[37]
Despite the truncated Master Grade lineup, AGE suits were included in Bandai Spirits' 2019 High Grade “Revive” reissue wave, demonstrating ongoing support despite earlier sales challenges.[38]
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Reception
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Mobile Suit Gundam AGE received a mixed-to-lukewarm critical response, with many commentators faulting its tonal whiplash and unclear target audience. Early episodes were frequently described as simple and sentimental in a way that undercut the franchise’s usual edge, while later stretches were criticized for hurried plotting and dense exposition that blunted their impact.[39]
In Japan, the series struggled on television relative to earlier mainline entries. A 2019 analysis in business magazine Toyo Keizai, which discussed the difficulty of chasing "multiple generations" with one program, explicitly cites Gundam AGE as a case that "recorded particularly low ratings" within the franchise and presents it as an object lesson in demographic overreach.[40] Kantō-region ratings in late 2011 averaged around 2.6%, below both its immediate predecessors and earlier late-night Gundam titles.[41]
Commercial performance mirrored this decline. Blu-ray volumes often sold only in the low thousands, far below franchise norms, and the initially planned 75-episode broadcast was truncated to 49 episodes.[42] Bandai also cancelled the Master Grade kit lines for the AGE-3 and AGE-FX, signaling weak consumer demand, although later High Grade reissues in 2019 suggested a modest collector afterlife for the designs.[43]
Retrospective appraisals have nevertheless singled out the middle "Asemu" arc, along with its re-edit in the compilation OVA Memory of Eden, as revealing the show’s core strengths once the material is tightened. In a global review, Forbes noted that one of AGE's most distinctive ideas was the bold three-generation structure, and that the OVA’s attempt to condense that vision both clarifies character work and exposes where the original ambition outpaced execution.[44]
Across Japanese and international commentary, a common throughline is that AGE was an ambitious, if uneven, experiment in both generational storytelling and audience expansion. Toyo Keizai frames the show as a cautionary example of how aiming at "diverse generations" can depress engagement if the creative signals split the audience,[45] while Forbes underscores that the multi-generational concept remained the work’s most compelling and risky swing, one that later entries would approach with cleaner audience segmentation (for example, the Gunpla-centric Gundam Build line) or a firmer, single-cohort dramatic focus (for example, Iron-Blooded Orphans).[46]
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References
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