It's been 45 years since the Mobile Suit Gundam anime television series first debuted. This month, fans can celebrate the milestone anniversary with a special theatrical screening of the anime OVA series Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin.
Announced on Gundam.info, all six episodes of the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin OVA have been re-edited for theatrical screening by director Yasuhiko Yoshikazu. The OVA has been split into a "Movie Edition" trilogy with the three films beginning screening in Japan on September 13 at the Shinjuku Piccadilly in Tokyo. They'll arrive at the Shimane Cinema Onozawa on September 22 followed by a somewhat larger release in 18 theaters across Japan on October 25. Showtimes and theaters can be seen here.
The first movie, titled "Char/Sayla Arc" edits "Episode 1: Blue Eyed Casval" and "Episode 2: Artesia's Sorrow" of the OVA. The episodes have been edited to a 110-minute runtime. The second movie, "Char/Sayla Arc" (The Outbreak of War Arc), edits "Episode 3: Dawn of Rebellion" and "Episode 4: Eve of Destiny" and will run for 120 minutes. The third film, Loum Arc, is the longest of the trilogy at 147 minutes and edits the final two OVAs, "Episode 5: Clash at Loum" and "Episode 6: Rise of the Red Comet".
It's specifically noted that the movie edition is a re-edit of the six OVA episodes and will not feature any new cuts or footage.
Produced by Sunrise, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is an adaptation of the Mobile Suit Gundam manga by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. It focuses on the stories of Casval Rem Deikun and his sister Artesia. Sunrise announced that the adaptation was in production in June 2011.
The six Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin OVAs premiered in theaters across Japan from February 2015 to May 2018. A 13-episode recompilation of the series was released on television from April 29 to August 12, 2019. An English dub of The Origin TV recompilation eventually made its way to North America where it premiered on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block in July 2019.
For those interested in watching Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, all six OVAs can be streamed on Crunchyroll. They are available to watch with English dubs and subs.
As of right now, the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin edited theatrical screenings have only been announced for Japan. There's been no announcement when or if they will make their way to theaters in America.
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