Today, 1979’s Mobile Suit Gundam represents robot anime’s biggest hit, a success to the point where it has become a genre unto its own. Although it debuted in 1979, it wasn’t until the following year that the plastic models based on the series became hits, or until the release of the three-part theatrical edition in 1981 that the series itself achieved truly massive success. For this reason, this report treats Gundam as an Eighties phenomenon.
I’ve never watched an episode of Gundam, yet I feel like I know the characters well, I guess that just speaks to how popular and famous the Gundam series is. I’m curious about what made it so legendary.