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Gundam Twilight AXIS Anime's Promo Video Reveals Cast, June 23 Launch

The official website for the net anime adaptation of Ark Performance and Koujirou Nakamura's Mobile Suit Gundam Twilight AXIS novel began streaming a second promotional video for the anime on Thursday. The video reveals the anime's cast, additional staff, and June 23 debut date. The site also revealed a new visual. (Note: The video in the above link is region-locked to Japan)

The anime will have six episodes — five three-minute episodes, and the final eight-minute episode. The first episode will debut for free on June 23 on the Gundam Fan Club, the Gundam.info website, the Yatate Bunko imprint's website, the Bandai Channel service, and the YouTube service. The later episodes will stream exclusively with the Gundam Fan Club every other week.

The novel's story takes place in Universal Century 0096, a few months after the events of Mobile Suit Gundam UC. Arlette Armaju (below left), a former weapons developer for the Principality of Zeon, and Danton Haireg (below right), a former test pilot for the Principality of Zeon, join a research team sent to investigate the shattered Axis asteroid base outside the Earth's orbit.

The cast includes (Note: Character name romanizations are not official):

Risa Shimizu as Arlette Armaju, a Zeon mobile weapons engineer during the One Year War. After the Battle of A Baoa Qu, she transferred to Axis, and participated in mobile suit development. She went into hiding along with Danton and lived in Side 6 after the Second Neo Zeon War, but when the "Mastima" special operations unit sought her help, she returns to Axis.

Shuuhei Sakaguchi as Danton Haileg, a former test pilot based out of Axis, serving under the Principality of Zeon, and later the Neo Zeon. He piloted mobile suits to collect data. He went into hiding along with Arlette and lived in Side 6 after the Second Neo Zeon War. There, he ran a laundry shop. When Mehmet pays him a visit, he takes the opportunity to be able to return to Axis. In Axis, an unknown enemy attacks his team, and he must confront his own past.

Daisuke Ono as Mehmet Merka, a member of the "Cabinet Department 6" intelligence unit of the Earth Federation, a first lieutenant, and commanding officer of the Earth Federation's "Mastima" spec-ops unit. He leads a mission inside Axis in an effort to confirm the existence of supposed Psycoframe research laboratory, and to recover any intelligence if present. He takes on Arlette and Danton as his guides to Axis, as well as for protection.

Toshiki Masuda as Quentin Fermo, an augmented human who works for the mysterious "Barnum" paramilitary group, and attacks the "Mastima" unit investigating Axis. He is thought to originate from the Earth Federation's Augusta Newtype Research Base, where he might have been the subject of various experiments. His current background and reason for revealing himself in Axis remain unknown.

The mobile suits appearing in the anime include:

AMX-011S Zaku III-Kai, a refitted version of the AMX-011 Zaku III, which was developed in Axis. Painted red for unit commanders, and outfitted with better armor and improved maneuverability. When Danton ends up in trouble in Axis, he ends up piloting this unit.

RX-78AN-01 Gundam AN-01 "Tristan," a mysterious Gundam-type mobile suit that attacks the Mastima unit that Mehmet leads. The design appears to be heavily based on the Gundam NT-1 "Alex," but how it was developed and acquired remains unknown.

RGM-89 Jegan (Barnum Unit), the mobile suit used by the unit that Quentin commands to attack the Mastima force. It is the well-known mass-produced frontline mobile suit of the Earth Federation, but it remains a mystery how the Barnum forces acquired them and added modifications.

RX-160G Byarlant Isolde, one of the mobile suits that attacks Mehmet's Mastima force. Quentin's brother Varta Fermo pilots the unit. It appears to be heavily based on the Titans' Byarlant mobile suit, but the details of how Barnum acquired and modified a unit remain unknown.

AMX-104 R-Jarja, a Neo Zeon-developed mobile suit designed for close-quarters combat, and descended from the Zeon-designed YMS-15 Gyan mobile suit. A unit remains docked at Axis. Arlette once worked closely on the unit.

Bandai will offer the HGUC 1/144 Gundam AN-01 Tristan and the HGUC 1/144 Zaku III Kai (Twilight AXIS Ver.) kits in June.

Se Jun Kim (Mobile Suit Gundam UC assistant director, Gundam Build Fighters animation director) is making his directorial debut in the anime and is also credited for character and mechanical designs as well as technical animation direction alongside Shingo Abe (Star Driver, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. Kim is also penning the scripts. First Gundam designer Kunio Okawara is credited for the original mechanical design.

Hideki Nakamura (Gundam Thunderbolt, Code Geass: Akito the Exiled) is the art director. Nagisa Abe (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096) is the color designer. Atsushi Iwasaki (Re:ZERO, Macross Delta) is the director of photography, and Kazuhiro Nii (Aikatsu Stars!, Ghost In The Shell: The New Movie) is the editor. Sadayoshi Fujino (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny) is the sound director, and Takashi Ohmama (Castle Town Dandelion, Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation) is composing the music. Ark Performance is credited for story and concept design.

Ark Performance (Arpeggio of Blue Steel) and Nakamura (Mobile Suit Gundam Climax U.C. - Tsumugareshi Kizuna manga, Arpeggio of Blue Steel - Ars Nova anime scripts) launched the novel in Yatate Bunko — Sunrise's new light novel imprint — in November. The Yatate Bunko site published the second part of the fourth chapter on February 27.

Ark Performance launched the ongoing Arpeggio of Blue Steel manga in Shonengahosha's Young King Ours magazine in 2009. Seven Seas Entertainment is publishing the manga in print in North America, and Crunchyroll is publishing the manga online. The manga inspired a television anime, which Crunchyroll streamed as it aired in Japan in 2013, and two anime films.

In addition to Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Ark Performance is writing the Mobile Suit Gundam MSV-R Johnny Ridden no Kikan (Johnny Ridden's Return) manga for Gundam Ace magazine. Ark Performance also previously worked on the Mobile Suit Gundam Kōbō no A Baoa Qu (A Baoa Qu of the Beam of Light), and Mobile Suit Gundam Gihren Ansatsu Keikaku) (Gihren Assassination Plan) manga.

Sunrise launched its Yatate Bunko imprint at the end of September.

Thanks to Dennis R for the embedded video.

Source: Animate Times