Gephyrophillia | Watch This Space #98

Originally Posted on 01/22/2004 by Jeff Harris

Yesterday, I stated the obvious fact that Gundam SEED, perhaps the biggest Gundam series since Gundam Wing in Japan, is coming to Cartoon Network this April. Maybe. I also stated that it'll be airing on either the Saturday block or on Toonami.

Of course, you can't trust internet news about where the series will end up being a part of. News is so disarrayed that one exaggeration could ruin something before it even began. Remember ToyFare's erronious announcement that Zeta Gundam would air on both Adult Swim and Toonami? Or how about the announcement that Giant Robot Week would be Gundam and Transformers Armada? It's kind of like the whispering game back in elementary school where you say one thing in somebody's ear only to have the end message totally different than the original message, which has been muddled up to the point of not even resembling of what was said. That's where we got to when the initial announcements and news reports of Gundam SEED's arrival on Cartoon Network.

Yes, it's supposedly coming to Cartoon Network, although Cartoon Network hasn't announced it officially, but it's pretty much a given that it won't be seen on Anime Unleashed or Jetix. The Gundam brand is pretty much cemented as a Sunrise/Bandai property that airs exclusively on Cartoon Network. Almost every high-profile Gundam production from Gundam Wing to MSG to 08th MS Team to G Gundam to Char's Counterattack to the current SD Gundam has aired on the checkerboard network. Since Gundam SEED is currently the biggest Gundam series since Gundam Wing, it only seems natural for Bandai to bring it Stateside.

You want to know what I think? Honestly, I don't have any idea what's going on. Ever since Bandai stated that Gundam SEED will be coming to the States in 2004, everybody correctly assumed that it would be airing on Cartoon Network, either in the spring or in the fall on the network. Of course, the Cartoon Network of 2004 is nothing like the Cartoon Network of 1999 when the network acquired rights to Gundam Wing for spring 2000. Afterall, there are three major action franchises on the network now all wanting the latest and greatest to air. Gundam SEED could have easily been one of those series that could have aired on any of the three.

So, which action franchise will it be on? There are plenty of arguments for and against the two that it'll likely plant itself in. Toonami craves it a little more because the franchise is in dire need of a franchise series. That's not to say that Rave Master won't become popular (believe me, I have a feeling that it will). I'm just saying that a marquee Gundam franchise like SEED needs to be on the block that brought the franchise to cable television, Toonami. Still, this growing love of the Saturday block within me feels that Gundam SEED would fit perfectly in primetime. It'll definitely be a great lead-in show for the revamped Adult Swim Anime (nee: Action) block, which is returning on April 17. If paired with Toonami veteran Rurouni Kenshin, Gundam SEED could make the 10 - 11 PM hour a little more desirable to the AS fanboys.

The drawback for it being on Toonami is that fans won't see the original opening for the series. Of course the original opening won't be seen on Saturdays either because like what Bandai did for Brain Powered (which also had its share of nudity in the original Japanese opening), they'll air an opening that's in accordance to American viewers. If the series aired exclusively on Toonami, we'd get through with the 50+ episode series quicker. If SEED aired exclusively on Saturdays, it could take an entire year to watch the series with no repeats. If you like to wait for a whole series to air, perhaps you feel that Saturdays would the best place to watch Gundam SEED. If you want to watch a series on a regular basis without waiting a year to see how it fleshes out, maybe Toonami is the ticket.

It all depends on your poison of pleasure. I've learned to appreciate both kinds of airings. Obviously, Cartoon Network has some kind of plan on how to present Gundam SEED, but they're not talking yet. They haven't exactly confirmed nor denied the news reports that have trickled out over the weeks. Maybe they're monitoring the boards to see fans' reaction before they make a final decision. Either that or they're just sitting on their hands. Regardless, by first looks, Gundam SEED will be one of the biggest titles to come out in 2004, and wherever it ends up, it'll draw a lot of viewers.

*end transmission*

Jeff Harris,
The X Bridge Creator/Webmaster
January 22, 2004