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Every time we see the federations stupid ship a different one of the zaku pilots looks at me like "put me in coach" and i have to pretend that he isnt about to get ripped in half by an enemy soldier who's clearly having a panic attack over comms

#gallant char #char aznable #gundam 79 #gundam origin #chars counterattack

At the touch of your hand

At the sound of your voice

At the moment your eyes meet mine

Watching Origin and like the “Char is so cool and good at everything” thing is really funny for a lot of reasons but I’m thinking about the fencing thing specifically. Like apparently Char is an AMAZING fencer. This makes her tying (losing, arguably) to a 16 year old who had never held a sword before retroactively hilarious.

#did Lalah dying remove all of her swordsmanship?#kamille you have to believe me char would have totally won at a baoa qu she was just having an off day #the rat speaks #char aznable #gundam #uc gundam #gundam origin #I’m generally enjoying it a lot but I’m afraid it’s unnaware that char is not cool a lame actually

yankee go home in the anti earth federation protests...everyone say thank you yaz 🙏

#gundam uc #mobile suit gundam #gundam 79 #gundam 0079 #gundam origin #mobile suit gundam: the origin #manga #yoshikazu yasuhiko #zeon #principality of zeon #earth federation

Gundam Slaps

It's a lovely tradition

#mobile suit gundam #gundam #witch from mercury #gundam wfm #zeta gundam #gundam origin #cw blood

How to get into Gundam

Because fuck it, I was gonna do one of these sooner or later anyway.

So you want to know what this Gundam thing’s about, maybe you like the mecha design, maybe you caught part of an episode one time and want to catch up, or maybe you saw a nice piece of Chamuro fanart and want to go to the source.

But there’s so many shows and timelines that it can be quite daunting on first look, so this guide is intended to give a rough overview.

I would however like to stress two four things beforehand however:

This guide is not intended as “The One True Way” or anything. There’s no harm it coming into it a different way, and these are only my own opinions.

There’s nothing stopping you from just watching one show and leaving it there. You don’t have to watch every single show going, even I’ve only seen most of these, not all. Gundam typically has variations on similar themes - it’s very nice watching multiple shows because they complement one another, but it’s not necessarily required.

I am very much an insider looking out here, so let me know if there’s any details I’ve missed.

I’m not gonna recommend these on a “if you like X, then watch Y basis”, mostly because I don’t personally find genre recommendations helpful, so I’d recommend picking based on promotional material (vibes, if you will).

I’ll be using this chart, supplied by the excellent@l-crimson-l, to illustrate everything.

Gundam as a whole can principally be divided into three sections: Universal Century (or UC), the Alternate Universes (AU’s) and the Build Series.

The AU’s are below the light blue line, near the bottom of the Chart, the Build Series is within the bright green line at the top-right corner of the chart and UC is the big line in the middle. We’ll talk about each of them individually.

The AU’s

The Alternate Universes were conceived as a way to get away from the continuity-heavy nature of Universal Century and provide an easy jumping-on point for new fans. The AU’s are standalone and require no prior knowledge, and are thus an excellent place to start. Honestly, I’d recommend quickly searching some promotional materials (like posters) and just going with the one you find most appealing based on that. They are (in production order):

Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994)

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (1995)

After War Gundam X (1996)

Turn A Gundam (1999)

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002)

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007)

Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2011)

Gundam: Reconguista in G (2014)

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans (2015)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (2022)

There’s side series and movies and other things besides, but these are the mainline shows, if you will. I have specific notes on a few of them:

Witch From Mercury - It’s of a shorter length than is usual for mainline shows, so consequently it’s a much smaller time investment than the others.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam - While undeniably rad as hell, I would recommend watching another AU first. G Gundam differs from its stablemates in a few key areas, and I find it helps to have a contrast to fully appreciate those differences.

Gundam AGE - is probably the only one I wouldn’t recommend. I didn’t like the art style and the technical explanations just got on my nerves, so I stopped watching.

Turn A and G-Reconguista are technically part of UC as well, but it’s not really crucial information so don’t feel like you have to watch UC first (I’m only including this detail for completionism).

I’ve found all the AU’s I’ve seen to be pretty good, so I’d say that which one you start with really just comes down to personal taste.

The Build Series

Is just kind of doing its own thing. The Build series is basically Buy Our Toys: the series. It’s got a far lighter tone, and I’ve had cause to compare it to pokemon prior. It’s also chock full of references and in-jokes to the other series.

Build Fighters and Build Fighters Try are the ones I’d recommend - they’ve got actual stakes and the fight scenes are really good.

Build Divers and Build Divers Re:rise I can’t recommend - I just find Build Divers aggressively boring. Build Divers Re:Rise is just okay - neither standout good or particularly bad. Its main flaw is that it’s a sequel to Build Divers.

The OVA’s are pretty much bad across the board - I’d particularly recommend avoiding Gundam Build Metaverse.

Universal Century

Universal Century is the big main timeline of Gundam, and is the timeline the original Mobile Suit Gundam from 1979 takes place in. There’s a tendency among certain fans to place UC as the one-above-all of Gundam, but I wouldn’t really go that far. It’s all pretty good, but I wouldnt really say one timeline is better than another (save personal preference, anyway).

Because UC is so big, it can be subdivided a couple times. The primary division is “Mainline” UC versus everything else. Basically there’s four-five shows in Universal Century from which everything else flows. As long as you know roughly what happens in these shows, then you can watch basically anything else in UC and have a good idea of what’s going on. These are (in order):

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) - sometimes called Mobile Suit Gundam 0079.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985)

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986)

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack (1988)

With Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (2010) as a nominal fifth (honestly I feel like you could argue either way).

The rest of the shows are:

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989 Three-Episode OVA)

Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991 Movie)

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991 Thirteen-episode OVA)

Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (1993)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (1999 Twelve-episode OVA)

G-Saviour (2000 Live Action Movie) - nobody ever talks about or acknowledges this one, it’s just here for completionism.

Mobile Suit Gundam MS Igloo (2004-2009 Three OVA’s with three Episodes each)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (2015 Six-Episode OVA, adapted from the Manga of the same name)

Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt (2015 Eight-Episode Series, adapted from the Manga of the same name)

Mobile Suit Gundam: Twilight Axis (2017 episode, adapted from a light novel of the same name. Later rereleased as Gundam Twilight Axis Red Trace, with additional footage)

Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (2018 sequel movie to Gundam Unicorn)

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (2021 ongoing movie series, very much adapted from the novel Hathaway’s Flash)

Most of the other series relate to events in the aforementioned “mainline” shows in some way, but a lot of the sidestories set during the One Year War require very little introduction (Thunderbolt, 0080 and 08th MS Team). Similarly, works set in “Late UC” (F91 and Victory Gundam) carry on from the other series thematically but don’t have any plot connections, so they can all be watched without any background knowledge of the rest of the Universal Century.

Compilation Movies

Just a quick note here - many of the Gundam series have compilation movies, where either a whole series or part of one are compressed down into a movie. While each movie compares differently, they usually boil down to this: Compilation Movies usually have worse pacing, but really nice animation.

One of the great things about Gundam is that different shows offer variations on themes, so seeing how different characters react to similar situations, or how different settings change their approaches can make it incredibly rewarding.

I haven’t seen enough of SD Gundam to make any sort of recommendations there, and Manga is something I might touch on another day.

EDIT: Oh hey also: You can watch a good chunk of these on YouTube, for free, officially. The Official Gundam.Info YouTube channel rotates the series shown on its channel periodically. I think it’s got F91 and SEED on there currently? But it’s had Wing, 00 and Witch From Mercury before. Also all of the Build Fighters series are there.

So yeah, that’s a thing.

I’d love to hear your take on Char with a very affectionate (maybe Yandere?) reader (GN). I’m thinking back to your original post and how he likes to have his partner sit on his lap. I wonder what it would take to coax him into doing something like laying his head on his partner’s lap or something similarly vulnerable.

He’s such an interesting character with high walls. It’s fun to think about him with a reader who is earnest, whether purposefully or not, on tearing them down. It’s up to you if either him and/or reader are Yanderes. Thank you so much for all your hard work!

a/n: hi! Thank you so much for the char request! I’m having so much fun writing for him! I split this ask into subsections because I had a lot to say, and I think it might be easier to read this way!

Also, I wrote char as yandere because I love yandere content and also because I think the all encompassing obsession a yandere feels for their darling might actually make him more willing to be vulnerable than standard char, somehow.

Yandere Char Aznable with affectionate darling-

Yandere char, like most yanderes, would be glad to have an affectionate darling. He is pleasantly surprised with how quickly you warm up to him, how eagerly you accept his company, and how willingly you tolerate his more concerning ways of expressing affection.

Char is good at reading people, so it’s almost guaranteed that he knows whether you mean what you say or not. Faking affection for him is a bad idea, and an almost certain way to lose his trust in you and never regain it. If you fake feelings for him, your life with him becomes much more difficult. But he also is confident enough in his ability to read you to know if you do mean what you say- he has no doubts in his mind that you care for him, that with every passing day you're falling in love with him.

Char wants you near him as often as possible, and really only relents on this if his darling would be in danger with him or if they resist too much; making a scene. So with an affectionate darling who likes to be near him, it’s very likely char and his darling are almost always seen side by side. Char is somewhat ok with public displays of affection- nothing too overwhelming, and certainly nothing vulnerable on his part, but he does prefer to always be touching you; a hand on your back, an arm around you, your hand in his. Anything really to keep you close and let everyone around you know that you belong to him.

he’s possessive of you, and you being so accepting of his affections helps reassure that part of him.Char has no reason to worry about whether or not you love him truly or who could steal you away when you make it so clear to him that you have eyes only for him.

in a lot of ways, this works in your favor. Char normally keeps most of his thoughts and feelings away from his darling, knowing that the level of devotion he feels is unacceptable. But with an openly affectionate darling, he is slightly more open. Sometimes he even pushes the boundaries just to see how you’ll respond. You’re so accepting of his love, so willing to stay by his side, it makes him curious as to where your line is drawn. How much could he tell you before you start to worry? How would you respond if you knew the wretched feelings in his heart that had become all consuming?

his voice is careless, as if it was a thoughtless comment, when he says “sometimes I can’t stand knowing other people get to look at you.” behind the lenses of his goggles, his eyes watch you for any reactions to his words. It’s certainly not extreme at all in comparison to all of the feelings he has for you, in fact, it’s as toned down as the truth can be. Because Char hates every single person who looks at you. He hates knowing people look at you in all your beauty and that they think about you and that they get to hear the sound of your voice. Those things should be for him only. But this little comment is the start of the truth, and he’s eager to see how you respond. When you seem unconcerned- maybe even flattered- he can’t believe how perfect you are. Of course you understand, of course- because you’re his and you’re perfect.

-after that, little comments like that become more common. “I can’t stand you being apart from me,” “I want to be the only thing you think about,” “I'd never let you go.” all little things he says in such a light way, such a romantic tone that maybe you don’t consider the full weight of what he says.

or maybe you do. Maybe by now you know exactly what Char is- a man obsessed- and you find that you don’t mind. You’ve come to know him well enough to know that you can rely on him, that he cares for you above anyone else, and that you can trust him. Despite all the secrecy around Char Aznable you know for certain that his feelings for you are true. You love him, for all he is. Even the dark part of his mind that always needs you closer, that wants to own you, that would never ever let you go, that would do anything- no matter how terrible- to keep you with him. It’s frightening, but it’s also romantic, in a strange way. You may never know all that goes on his char’s mind, but you know that you’d love him regardless. And he knows this as well.

When you are alone with Char, he holds you close and whispers terrible things to you.

Yandere Char Aznable with a yandere darling-

Char would be best with a yandere darling who is devoted and obsessed but not overly violent or manipulative. It’s not so much that he minds these traits, but he’ll almost certainly be able to out pace you. In terms of violence, char has very few people he cares for, so using violence against his loved ones would be almost impossible. And trying to threaten or physically harm char is a sure way to lose his trust and end up locked up somewhere where no one will ever find you but him. He won’t let you go, he can’t now that he’s fallen for you- but if you can’t be trusted he’ll have to take measures to insure that you’ll not cause problems. And if you try to manipulate him, he’ll almost certainly be able to see through your attempts. There’s the possibility he’ll play along, but mostly for his own amusement at watching your attempts. It’s cute really, but it won’t get you anywhere.

The best kind of yandere for char is simply obsessive and devoted to him, wanting to be near him and spend time with him. He has very few people in his life that he cares for, besides you, so he doesn’t mind when you demand to take up all of his free time. Of course he always has his obligations as a mobile suit pilot, but he doesn’t mind if all of his life outside of the suit is taken up by you. In fact, he prefers it that way. He is perfectly content to know that all of his life is yours and that all of your life is his. He has social obligations as well, so he can’t hide away from the world- you could never keep char locked up or isolated- but as a compromise, he’ll let you go anywhere he goes. Though, calling it a compromise is a bit of a lie, because this is his preference anyways. Still, if what makes him happy makes you happy as well, even better.

All in all, char is fine with a yandere darling so long as you do not try to control him or interfere with his plans and ambitions. If your yandere tendencies are in the form of affection- obsessive thoughts, endless time together, even stalkerish tendencies- he’s fine with that. Char is adaptable, and he can work with anything you throw at him. Afterall, he is a yandere himself, so he’s determined to make things work between the two of you at all costs.

And now that he can tell you have the same darkness in you; he'll never let you go.

Yandere Char Aznable showing vulnerability with his darling-

It’s hard to make char show vulnerability. It doesn't come naturally to him and it never has. Even as a child he hadn't cried at his fathers death, hadn’t wavered when his whole life was taken away from him, hadn't broken down when his mother had died. Char has lived his entire life with his emotions closed off to the world, any feelings he might have felt kept close to his chest. For a while in his early life, he wondered if maybe he didn't feel at all. All the emotions that the people around him seemed to be weighed down by never seemed to reach him, as if he was above those things. It allowed him to press endlessly forward towards his goals.

Throughout your relationship with char, it’s unlikely for you to see him break down at all, and even more unlikely that you’d ever see him cry. You don’t know if he doesn't feel these things or he simply hides them well, but it makes you all the more aware that Char Aznable is different from other people.

More likely than for him to show weakness such as crying or breaking down, Char is willing to show he loves you. He tells you often, both with his words; anything from a simple “i love you,” to the little smile in his voice when he says your name, to the way he whispers his feelings for you when you're asleep, musing over how amazed he is that someone like you exists. Despite being such a smooth talker, Charfinds it a bit hard to be honest about his feelings- it makes him weak, to need you as much as he does. With his touch; a simple hand on the small of your back, his hand over yours, the way he holds you both tightly and gently. He’s often got a hand on you, never wanting you to stray further than his arms reach. And with his actions: char is exceedingly committed to his goal of making your life better with him in it, determined to eliminate all threats to you and keep you safe. He wants you to feel safe with him, despite all the lives he's taken and all the lies he’s told. The things he does for you he does with honesty. With char, he comes off as remarkably relaxed; but is anything but. He’s calculated in all that he does and his interactions with you are the same. He has a carefully constructed version of himself that he wants you to see- the better side of him. He doesn't want you to see any part of him that isn't perfect.

Char is more likely to be vulnerable with you in a moment of strength and success than a moment of failure or insecurity. It's after a particularly difficult battle, one that had taken all of his skill and wit to navigate, but he'd returned victorious nonetheless. He was praised endlessly for his skill and valor by his superiors, but none of it came close to the feeling of being praised by you. Whether you were in the battle too or not, Char can hardly wait to get back to you.

In the privacy of your shared room, Char sighs contentedly, easily relaxing beside you on the sofa. His helmet and gloves, along with his boots, have been discarded- leaving you able to see his face more clearly. He catches you looking and gives a little smirk. “You weren't worried about me, were you?” He teases. Regardless of your answer, he’s happy. He reclines onto the couch, throwing his legs up on the cushions and letting his head rest on your lap; he looks up at you with a certain look of quiet acknowledgement that you're the only one he'd be so vulnerable with, the only one he'd ever allow to see him relaxed and calm in the post-battle lull that has settled over both of you.