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Best Gundam Manga?




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master-zaku



Joined: 21 Aug 2005
Posts: 6
Location: The boring state of South Dakota
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 12:33 am Reply with quote
Confused:OK. I've read all the Gundam manga that i could get my hands on, but i have seem to come up short. My problem is I dont buy online much and there aren't many good book stores around. So I'm trying to ask you guys what is the best and get your opinion on all the others. Oh, just to let u know this whole forums thing is new to me so if you can let my know if I'm doing anything wrong you'd have my thanks. Question [/quote]
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Nagisa
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Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 6128
Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:17 am Reply with quote
Hm...Gundam manga...

To be honest, there are really only two Gundam manga I've read that I've actually been impressed with: Char's Deleted Affair and the Astray series. Char's Deleted Affair provides a rather intriguing look into just what Char was up to between Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and also shows the origins of his connection to Haman Khan (which is only hinted at in Zeta). The artwork's nice (the young Haman is particularly easy on the eyes, I must say Wink ), and the story is a major plus for anyone interested in the early Gundam series and/or the characters of Char & Haman. I believe later volumes also expand upon the fan-favourite background pilots Roberto & Apolly, but don't hold me to that.

The Astray series (collectively Astray, Astray R, the Astray B photo novel, X Astray, & Destiny Astray) are basically a look at what's going on behind the scenes during the two Gundam SEED series, and basically get everything right that SEED and especially Destiny got wrong. No Fukuda or Morosawa influence, no Hirai character designs, and a competently constructed story revolving around some very interesting characters. It also gets points for not taking itself too seriously, and helping the SEED anime along by playing a bit of cleanup in places (like explaining how spoiler[Kira survived the Aegis Gundam's self-detonation]). And the thing is, it just gets better as it goes along; X Astray & Destiny Astray are the best of the lot, I'd say, as the character and story development just keeps getting more and more refined. The mechanical designs aren't too shabby either; I'd take the Astray Blue Frame (specifically the 2nd L configuration), Gold Frame Amatu Mina Custom, and Sword Calamity over about 90% of what's offered up in either SEED series. And even though I am saying much of this as a SEED fan (SEED...Destiny not so much), I do know plenty of anti-SEED folk that were drawn in by Astray, so I'd venture to say it has a pretty solid draw across the Gundam fanbase. So even if SEED isn't quite your thing, it's still probably worth picking up a volume or two of Astray.

I'm also intently interested in reading Crossbone, but alas it has eluded me thus far.
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master-zaku



Joined: 21 Aug 2005
Posts: 6
Location: The boring state of South Dakota
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:41 pm Reply with quote
What is Crossbone? It sounds so familar, its not from Formula 91 is it?
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Nagisa
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Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 6128
Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:07 pm Reply with quote
If I remember correctly, it was the original plan for an animated followup to Char's Counterattack. Originally, there was going to be a 52-episode Crossbone Gundam TV series, with the events of F91 making up roughly the first cour of that series. Unfortunately, things didn't quite pan out, so the F91 movie was made, and the Crossbone portion of the story told through a manga with the script penned by Yoshiyuki Tomino himself, and the artwork done up by Yuichi Hasegawa.
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joel_s95387



Joined: 29 Jun 2005
Posts: 1804
Location: California... The Village Hidden In The Porn
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 2:40 am Reply with quote
I have to agree with Gundam Astray I've read the first 3 mangas and im currently trying to complete Astray R i dont believe Astray B, X Astray, and Destiny Atray have been released in the US and if they have please tell me ill definatly look for them. About the char manga that sounds interesting and same question is it out yet? Gundam Astray are the only gundam mangas i have read.
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Nagisa
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Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 6128
Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:55 am Reply with quote
Astray B unfortunately has only a small chance of getting released locally, as it's a photo novel and not a manga (shame, too, as it's all about Serpent Tail's exploits). X Astray & Destiny Astray aren't available locally yet, but odds are X Astray will begin once Astray R's completed. As for Char's Deleted Affair, it's currently not available, and I'm unsure about its chances of a release in the future. UC Gundam's not exactly a big hit locally, especially in manga format. But then, if Ecole du Ciel can get licensed, I suppose it has a chance.
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Craeyst Raygal



Joined: 30 Apr 2002
Posts: 1383
Location: In the garage, beneath a 1970 MGB GT.
PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 5:58 pm Reply with quote
Actually, I'm fairly partial to the Sentinel Side Stories even though they're little more than glorified mechaporn.

But damned if Hajime Katoki's Sentinel mech designs aren't the best mechaporn for robot fans in the Gundam universe.

Also, I have a soft spot for Kazuhisa Kondo's manga retelling of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series "Gundam 0079".
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Nagisa
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Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 6128
Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh
PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 8:33 pm Reply with quote
Craeyst Raygal wrote:
Actually, I'm fairly partial to the Sentinel Side Stories even though they're little more than glorified mechaporn.


I thought Sentinel was just a photonovel, though. Or a collection of them.
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