(Parts 1, 2 and 3 of a full translation of the fanzine I purchased from M. Before reading, understand that some information presented in this fanzine supports information that would later be changed in the original broadcast as many of the references were not actually confirmed at the time of their publishing. This text is one of the earliest of Gundam fanzines, created by high school students, who actively charted events. Some information is actively inconsistent. For coverage on this text in summary, feel free to visit this link.)
"The Principality of Zeon and it's background. As a solution to the global population growth crisis, the Earth Federation government built a huge space city and used it as an extraterrestrial settlement (also known as a space colony). The Principality of Zeon is an independent country that arose in the third city, known as Side 3, and has a population of 1 billion. Under the guidance of Zeon Zum, it follows the path of becoming a principality, but the Earth Federation has no intention of allowing this to happen as all influence is centralized on Earth. They do not chant or acknowledge their independence.
After Zeon Zum's death, Degwin Zabi sought to put the founder's ideals into practice. In other words, adjusting them to meet a population that was too large. As for Zeon's control of the Federation...
First, Degwin Zabi strengthened the military dictatorship of the Zabi family and prepared for war. Then, in one fell swoop, the first wave and then the second wave (battles) erupted into an all-out war.
The Principality of Zeon's organization chart:
Prince Degwin Sodo Zabi (62 years old, male)
Commander Gihren Zabi (32 years old, male)
Space Attack Force Order:
Lieutenant General Dozle Zabi (28 years old, male)
Major Char Aznable (20 years old, male)
Lieutenant Dren
Major General Kycilia Zabi (24 years old, female. Commander of the Mobile Assault Army.)
Colonel Garma Zabi (20 years old, male.)"
"A list of Principality of Zeon Main and Side Characters
Major Char Aznable (20 years old) Voice: Shuichi Ikeda. It seems that he has a grudge against the Zabi family. He's inside of the fold of the family's dictatorship. His rank of Major is said to be based on his combat prowess, though because he and Garma were close friends in highschool, one could say that its because of Garma's influence that he became a major. "
Major Char Aznable (20 years old) Voice: Shuichi Ikeda. It seems that he has a grudge against the Zabi family. He's inside of the fold of the family's dictatorship. His rank of Major is said to be based on his combat prowess, though because he and Garma were close friends in highschool, one could say that its because of Garma's influence that he became a major. "
"Char fights using a crimson mobile suit. He's known as the Red Comet and is feared. He has a younger sister who was separated from him when he was 10 years old and is 3 years older than her. Her name is Artesia. Whether or not she is alive or dead is unknown. His father is dead. Furthermore, Char suspects that a girl he met on the frontlines (Sayla Mass) may be his long lost sister."
"Prince Degwin Sodo Zabi (62 years old, male.) Voice: Ichiro Nagai. Practicing the philosophy of Zeon Zum, he is a person who enforced a clan-based system. He was once a dictator with a strong desire for self expression, but has currently simmered down."
"Commander Gihren Zabi (35 years old, male) Voice: Tanaka Takashi (Banjo Ginga). The prince's eldest son. He has a substantial sense of authority with an IQ of 240. An idealist who advocates for survival, he is a self righteous person who discards incompetent people. His insistence on selecting a capable species is based on ruthless rational science. He's a frightening person."
"Lieutenant General Dozle Zabi (28 years old, male) Voice: Shozo Iizuka. The third son of the prince (Degwin). He leads the Space Attack Force. As you can see from his physique, he's a hot-blooded person and has an extremely high fighting ability based on instinct. However, he has a weakness for women."
"Lieutenant Dren. Voice: Ichiro Nagai. A Lieutenant under Major Char Aznable. He is a subordinate aboard Char's vessel and seems to have personally pledged allegiance to him."
Interview Corner - Sunrise's Studio II
For the first interview corner, we spoke with a member of Sunrise's Studio II, who is in charge of part of Gundam's animation.
First of all, when was the studio founded?
S2 - We were formally established when Zambot 3 was released, so a little while ago. The first job we did was the opening for Voltes V, so it's been a little over two years.
So what have you all done so far?
S2- So far, all we've done was the opening for Voltes V and Gaislugger (Glacier Warrior Gaislugger). For Sunrise, its been Zambot 3, Daitarn 3 and Gundam. Because there are so many people who are doing well individually, it doesn't feel as if we are a company, but a group of individuals working together. Its like I'm personally able to do what I want to do, so there's a lot of detailed work going on here and there. I really don't understand how its possible. So, most of our serious work has been Sunrise related with a little bit of Yamato (Space Battleship Yamato) sprinkled in.
What's it like working on Gundam?
S2- It's a very heavy burden. To be honest, Mr. Tomino wanted it to be as realistic as possible, but he wanted it to also feel plausible, so I had to think about a lot of things and it became very exhausting.
So you're trying to make it more realistic... is that really the best thing to do?
S2- Making it more realistic is fine, but up until now when all you've done is Daitarn 3, which was kind of a mess, and then it suddenly changed, and in that sense, there are times when the images are difficult to understand. Until recently, I had been doing it (animating) casually, but I have made some changes, so this time around it's much better.
So you had a lot of fun with Daitarn. Are you going to do something like that with Gundam in the future?
S2- Not with Gundam. Tomino said he'd kill me if I did that ever again. I'm not allowed to do anything too flashy (with animation).
S2- Not with Gundam. Tomino said he'd kill me if I did that ever again. I'm not allowed to do anything too flashy (with animation).
Gundam has a lot of characters, what do you think about that?
S2- Well, not all of them have appeared yet. Right now, there are 26 of them in the main universe, so that's a lot. We try to avoid having them all appear at once, and if they only appear for a moment or two, we cut them out. If there's someone who looks like they might become the main character, we'll leave them there. But there's also the issue of our production budget. If we hire a voice actor just for one line, that's going to cost a lot of money, so there's a hidden notion to that.
What do you think about this current anime boom?
S2- Well, it's a world that hasn't really been in the limelight up until now. It's nice that it's in the limelight, but to put it in a bad way, it's a bit like being a part of a fad. There's so much more of that now. Like, people who just want to see flashy characters, that sort of thing.
Is there any character that you like in a fangirl aspect?
S2 - Well, my favorite character isn't even Japanese. What I like is the one over there (in America) is called Lord of the Rings. For me, animation is interesting because it moves, and I like interesting movements. It's different from being a so-called anime fan (Otaku). In that case, you end up saying you like that character or that story in a different way.
I guess I understand what you mean. Thanks so much for taking the time to meet with me.
Club Mate Room
(Accounts from the White Base Editing Room's readership as recounted upon from the flagship volume. The authors are named in part, some under pseudonyms, and its possible that these accounts are either recorded from fan mail or group meetings.)
Correspondence from SHIDA (SHIDA's correspondence was partially omitted by the editor due to the length of their letter.)
I started watching Gundam from episode 2. That's the only thing I regret!!! Well, if you haven't seen episode 1, you won't really understand it. Even so, when I first watched it, there were a lot of characters, and many of the names were unfamiliar to me. Like the names of the Cans (ships), and the names of the mecha... (But they all fit the objects perfectly, and on top of that, they have a really deep feel to them, which is great!) "Char's Musai" even though people say that, I don't understand what's going on.
I know it's a bit late, but to sum up my thoughts on "White Base No. 1", I really liked it! It's been a while since it started airing, but you've done so much! Amazing! I especially like the fold-out pin-ups! Also, the character setting information for each character is great! Also, the introductions for episodes 1 to 4 are very interesting (previews, famous quotes, guest appearances, etc.)
I really like it! Anyway, it's great that there's so much information!! Well, since it's the first issue, they can't include other members' opinions, so there's a lot of information, that's true, but... I'd like you to continue to provide as much information as possible from now on!!!
I started watching Gundam from episode 2. That's the only thing I regret!!! Well, if you haven't seen episode 1, you won't really understand it. Even so, when I first watched it, there were a lot of characters, and many of the names were unfamiliar to me. Like the names of the Cans (ships), and the names of the mecha... (But they all fit the objects perfectly, and on top of that, they have a really deep feel to them, which is great!) "Char's Musai" even though people say that, I don't understand what's going on.
The story progresses briskly, and on top of that I'm so moved, I was just stunned and before I knew it it was over...that's how it felt. It's hard not to have seen the first episode. (Please hold a screening...!!!) but when I saw the opening of episode 2, I was moved!!!!!! It felt like an emotion ran through my whole body, and more than anything, I was so happy with the beauty of the pictures!!!
There are so many scenes in the opening that I like. (I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this too!! What do you like about the opening?) Of course, the ending too...especially Amuro's face is great! So, I was amazed by the beauty of the pictures, and at first, I feel like I was only looking at the pictures.
But that was when Yasuhiko was the animation director, and when someone else was the animation director, why does the animation change so much? Are Mr. Yasuhiko's characters that hard to draw? I like Mr. Yasuhiko's characters!
So lately, I've been paying more attention to the sounds of the background music and other sound effects. Of course, in addition to those things, I also try my best to pay close attention to the things like the story and the psychological depictions! There are so many lines and things that touch my heart right away, and I can really feel the feelings of the characters. I feel like I'm left to search very deeply within myself.
---
Correspondence from Ryuji Taikoto
Since Mazinger Z, Mobile Suit Gundam has appeared at a time when I was getting sick and tired of the pattern of fighting enemy robots every single time. I thought it was going to be another slapstick fight with enemy robots every episode like in the past, but I was glad to see that wasn't the case. Robots, or rather, these mobile suits are treated as just weapons with a uniform number to some extent, and the fact that they are used with the same military philosophy as tanks and airplanes is a novelty that hasn't ever really existed before.
I have been shown differently. Also, among the many fascinating elements such as the realistic movements and seriousness of the story, Mr. Yasuhiko's character design was the most pleasing to me. In particular, these so-called unremarkable characters add to the realism and sense of genuine plausibility to the story, and although its not uncommon for a setting in which there are only a few adult combatants and a group of boys and girls who overcome a crisis, this is the case in which it is extraordinary. For someone like me who loves immersive stories, that's not really an issue.
I tried to write down what I was thinking, albeit just a little bit. Mobile Suit Gundam is a work that we can look forward to in the future, and its something that I truly want to see.
---
Correspondence from Jinbo Ryohei
I like Gundam. My reason? There is no such thing. There's no logic to what you like. Isn't that so? If you're an anime fan, or even if you're not an anime fan, you can't beat Gundam's devilish charm. First of all, it doesn't look like a real mechanical machine. There's no static movement on the screen, which is common with Giant Robot movies.
Its also interesting to see the variety of characters. The individuality of each person is well expressed, and above all, the careful depiction of the (animation) cuts is wonderful. Whether it's Amuro or Sayla, ordinary civilian boys and girls are caught up in the war. Among them, there are people who try and discover the life of a human being, the life of a man, and the many battles that in turn take place. I fell in love with such people.
---
Correspondence from Firefly
When I read "White Base" Vol.1, I thought it was a very solid fan club. There's no playing around. However, there was a lot of material and the characters were introduced very well. The writing was clean and easy to read. I like fan clubs where there is lively interaction between members, and it's easy and fun. Its no fun when it's all one-sided enjoyment.
I'm an anime girl who grew up with Astro Boy, but I started to realize that I was a major anime fan when I was in junior high school, watching Gaiking and reruns of Yamato .I especially like science fiction anime, robot anime, and classic comedy movies like Moomin.
---
Correspondence from Kou Umiya
Gundam is different from previous robot anime. I really like how they all look human in some way. (In this case, its not just one thing I like, but 13 different thoughts.) Will there be an exchange of opinions? I'm looking forward to it.