Gundam’s Most Controversial ’90s Anime Finally Returns for 30th Anniversary

Released in the early 1990s, Mobile Fighter G Gundam was the first alternate universe entry in its franchise — and, as the first Gundam anime series set outside the Universal Century timeline, one of the most contentious. Now, it’s being celebrated decades later with a release that’s certain to have fans “flying in the sky.”

The Mobile Fighter G Gundam ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION is the first of its kind, with the intention being that other major anime in the franchise will receive the same treatment. Featuring multiple discs of music, this collection even features art from one of the franchise’s chief designers. There’s also a special bonus for those who buy not one but all three of the new Gundam soundtracks, giving them something extra to put their “shining finger” on.

The East is Burning Red with the Newest Gundam 1990s Nostalgia Release

Gundam’s Most Controversial ’90s Anime Finally Returns for 30th Anniversary — The sample soundtrack art for the Mobile Fighter G Gundam ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION.

Released courtesy of Bandai Namco, the Mobile Fighter G Gundam ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION contains five CDs worth of music. These include the tracks associated with the anime — namely, Kohei Tanaka’s background score for the various episodes. There’s also the iconic theme song “Flying in the Sky,” as well as the outro music and various character inset themes.

It all comes in a first-press LP-sized jacket, with the image of the Shining Gundam (the main mobile suit in the series) a brand-new piece of art drawn by mech designer Hidetaka Tenjin. Costing around US$72 on websites such as Amazon Japan, it’s just one of three similar soundtrack releases based on the three alternate-universe Gundam anime from the 1990s.

Besides this first example, Bandai Namco is also releasing soundtrack collections for New Mobile Report Gundam Wing and After War Gundam X. The former will have a seven-disc collection, while Gundam X will be the smallest with three discs. They’ll also be released sequentially, with Gundam X‘s soundtrack coming out a few months after the others.

Those who purchase all three soundtracks will receive acrylic blocks based on each of Temjin’s new artworks for the franchise. Retailers such as Rakuten are also offering their own exclusive items, including acrylic keychains based on the art. The Gundam Wing soundtrack comes in at almost US$100, whereas the Gundam X soundtrack will be around US$42.

Released in 1994, Mobile Fighter G Gundam was the first “main” Gundam anime to be set outside the classic Universal Century timeline. It was also incredibly controversial due to its nature as a Super Robot anime instead of the franchise’s more grounded Real Robot status quo.

This saw the usual military scope replaced with a Gundam fighting tournament, turning it into something far closer to shonen anime such as Dragon Ball Z. Nevertheless, it proved iconic in the West due to its over-the-top nature, and it paved the way for even bigger success such as New Mobile Report Gundam Wing — the first entry to be officially broadcast in the West.