The reprinting of the novel version of Mobile Suit Gundam (First Gundam), the first work in the popular Gundam anime series, has become a hot topic. The novel was written by director Yoshiyuki Tomino himself when the TV anime was being broadcast, and the first volume was released by Sonorama Bunko (Asahi Sonorama) in 1979. The novel published about 46 years ago has once again attracted attention, in large part due to the influence of the latest work in the series, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuX.
◇One of the reasons for the popularity of the "Green Man"
The novel version was originally planned to be only the first volume, but as the First Gundam boomed, it was made into a three-volume series. The Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko (KADOKAWA) version was released in 1987. It is also called "Another First Gundam" because the story develops differently from the TV anime and the three-part movie series.
Ahead of the broadcast of the TV anime series, the theatrical advance version of "GQuuuuuX", a reconstruction of some episodes, "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuX -Beginning-" began screening on January 17th. The theatrical advance version was released without revealing any "spoilers", but after its release, it was revealed that the work is set in the Universal Century and will feature the "Red Comet" Char Aznable and Sharia Bull, who are also familiar characters from the First Gundam, which aired from 1979 to 1980, which caused quite a stir.
Among them, Sharia Bull has been gaining popularity on social media, where he has been nicknamed "Green Uncle." Sharia Bull is a character who only appears in one episode, "Newtype, Sharia Bull," episode 39 of the First Gundam TV anime, and does not appear in the movie trilogy. The novel version depicts his exploits differently from those in the anime, and it seems that he has been attracting attention again. The popularity of "Green Uncle" is likely one of the reasons for the reprint.
◇An unexpected development that is different from the anime
The novel version has a different setting than the anime. For example, the main character Amuro Ray is a civilian in the anime, but in the novel version he appears as a pilot candidate, i.e. a soldier. There are some developments that will surprise those who have only seen the anime, such as the romance between Amuro and Sayla Mass and Char's exploits that are different from those in the anime. I won't go into details to avoid spoilers, but Amuro's ending is also very different from the anime.
The novel version of First Gundam is also Director Tomino's first novel. He has also written novels such as "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack Belt Torchika's Children," "Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash," and "Mobile Suit V Gundam," all of which have different plots from the anime. It is said that "GQuuuuuuX" has prompted young people who had never seen First Gundam to start watching the TV anime series and the three-part movie series, but we hope that they will also take another look at "novelist Yoshiyuki Tomino."
