At New York Comic Con Bandai Entertainment’s Robert Napton announced the acquisition of the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 anime, the most recent series in the long-running Gundam franchise and the only one that is set in an era defined by the Gregorian calendar (in AD 2307-2312).  Like all the previous Gundam series, Gundam 00 was produced by Sunrise.  Seiji (Fullmetal Alchemist, Oh! Edo Rocket) Mizushima directed the 25-episode first season, which was written by Yosuke Koroda, and which appeared on Japanese TV from October 2006 to March of 2008.  A second 25-episode Gundam 00 series is slated to debut on Japanese in October.

The Gundam 00 series is set on an Earth where all fossil fuels have been exhausted and the world is divided into three warring factions, each of which has access to an energy elevator that connects to a vast solar array in space.  The Gundam 00 anime follows the adventures of four Gundam Meisters, who are attempting to eradicate war and unite humanity.

Since Bandai has released all the Gundam series that have been made available here in North America, the Gundam 00 announcement was not nearly as dramatic as Bandai’s acquisition of the rights to Gurren Lagann (see “Bandai Gets Gurren Lagann”). With its ecologically-driven plotline and a potential TV deal (negotiations are on-going), Gundam 00 could well become one of the most significant series in franchise history here in the U.S., where Gundam has never come close to matching its popularity in Japan.  One thing is clear—Setsuna Seiei’s GN-001 Gundam Exia is sure to become a favorite with Gundam model makers as soon as it becomes widely available here.