SD Gundam

Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
20 mins per episode
Year
2003

SD Gundam Force V. 2 to 4

By David Rasmussen
1st Jan 05

Company - BANDAI
Rated - Age 7 and up.
English Dialogue only
Optional Extras? - ...what the... there's no optional extras?!?
Time - 75 minutes per DVD
Subtitles - n/a
Planned by SUNRISE
Original "Gundam" creators - Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino
Directed by Yuichi Abe
Co-directed by Nobuhiro Kondo
CG Director - Yoshinobu Inano
CG producer - Yoshishige Matsuno
CG Technical Director - Kenichi Suzuki
CG Models Supervisor - Tadao Odaka
A production of TV Tokyo, Sotsu Agency and SUNRISE

Before We Begin...
Some series you look at in awe and wonder how they created such a thing.
Some series you look at in mute admiration and wonder if you'll ever be able to do something as genius as this series you respect so much.
And there are some series you look at with a "deer caught in headlights" look and wonder what the heck were they thinking when they made it.
This is one of those series that falls into the final of those three categories.

So, then, before we begin we have to ask ourselves one thing. What is SD?
Ok. If you look at the box then SD means Superior Defender... right?
Not exactly. SD Gundam ACTUALLY means "Super Deformed".

What is Super Deformed? It's the artform shown in the series. Super Deformed, or SD, describes the way all the Gundams are drawn. Exactly like their originals but shorter... smaller... chibi-fied (cuter as heck and then some) versions of the big Gundams. Easy enough to remember, right? SD = Super Deformed which is basically miniature (cute) versions of the originals.

If you're familiar with the work of Mr. Ben Dunn? Then you might have seen Super Deformed stuff before (he did it from time to time). It's also sometimes in Anime/Manga but this is the first time I have seen a series that is 100% SD characters (though I suppose there are other series out there like this).

However if I had to? I couldn't name a single series past this one with 100% useage of SD characters in it. It's just something that I'm not too familiar with.

And, if I remember right, this particular series was the inspiration for a creator I interviewed several years ago (when I had my own newsletter). The creator in question, Ed Hill, created his small press imprints and SD characters from inspiration of this series (SD Gundam). If I ever find that interview again I'll post it here. OK. Now, SD GundamForce.

The first thing you'll probably notice is that the series is a who's who of Gundams.
Super Deformed they may be, but if you're a Gundam fanatic then you probably recognize quite a few of the designs in this series. Me? I'm only a passing layman in Gundam so I can only probably identify about a 1/3rd of the designs, and still get it wrong probably.

The second thing you'll probably notice is that if you've come here for a Gundam level sci-fi epic? You're way out of luck. No way. Not going to happen. No, no, no.
SD Gundam is probably the lightest fare on the Gundam trilogy of series, and it's meant to be that way so don't think they're dubbing it wrong or anything, it's supposed to be light.
Basically it's a Gundam un-wind from a marathon of playing Gundam games on the PS2 or XBox, or watching Gundam SEED (Japanese sub).

Mind you, however, this might not be your cup of grade alpha gear oil but it's light so take it easy watching it. As always if there is doubt then rent it before buying it.
I figure this is Gundam for the wee kiddies since I can't see serious Gundam fans watching this.

Volume 2
Episode 4 - Attack the Enemy Musai
Well, it looks like the one Gundam from the start of the series has become two (Captain Gundam and Zero) and the big boss of the bad guys (the Dark Axis) are NOT too happy.
As for the bad guys? The main bad guys (they look familiar but I can't place where I've seen them) however don't seem to be getting along well. The last battle they were in didn't exactly end very well.
In fact it wasn't a good day for them, not a good day at all.

So, what happens when they finally capture the good guys? Apparently Zero and Captain aren't working well together as a team today (bickering about as badly as the bad guys) and that left them open for these two bad techs to actually win... even if they win by ending up getting caught in their own sticky weapon. Yeah. Can you say "loser"? Sure you can.

Good thing for them they have somebody to act as back-up, in a human with tech experience named Shute.
Ok. He's not at Radical Ed level tech experience... but then again Radical Ed is scary when she's in her element so it's just as well.

Looks like the gang is going to end up being dragged to the Dark Axis' big gun ship, the Musai (from Mobile Suit Gundam if I remember right) and we'll find out that Zero has a bit of a backstory to tell while he's "stuck" hanging around with Captain waiting to be rescued -- by who? Shute (duh).

Even if he does get them free it's going to take quite a bit of work to escape from them and back through the dimensional transport gate they were taken through in the first place to get out of enemy hands (maybe if Shute asks the gate nicely it'll open up again -- then again maybe not...)

Some Gundam‘s going to take the long drop off the Musai‘s deck. Something is going to be blown up badly. Oh, and yes the good guys will get away in the end. Yeah, in these kinds of stories you already know things are going to turn out for the best so it's not like the ending was going to be in doubt here.

Episode 5 - Gundam Force, Team Up!
Looks like that trip to the Musai has proven to be quite useful after all (besides an excuse for learning Zero's origin and a nice change of locale). You see, upon returning through the dimensional transport gate Captain Gundam and Shute find themselves at SD Gundam HQ. Zero? He took off at the end of last episode. Apparently being a loner he decided not to hang around to see SD Gundam HQ (deciding to hitchhike on a passing airship for a ride out of SD Gundam HQ airspace).

As for Shute? Looks like he's about to become part of the SD Gundam team (assigned to Captain‘s team), which is good timing since it looks like the Dark Axis is up to no good again. However it's bad news for the two bad guys as it is for the Gundams because the big boss has assigned them a troublesome "ally" in one Destroyer Dom (looks like Espyon from Gundam Wing)... yeah, not good news for anyone (especially the bad guys) since Dom has been known to fry "allies" as well as enemies.

Worse, it looks like their interdimensional transport gate is having "problems". It's passage seems to be... clogged... so, past those problems what is the Dark Axis' target this time? They're raiding a secret SD Gundam lab area holding an dimensional transport device which would make it easier to bring the fight right to the Dark Axis' base... but it's all an accident. Apparently the device in question (big device) is the one causing problems with the Dark Axis' gate and the gate shuttled them right to it!

So they have to stop the assault team and protect the device. Not too bad, except the bad guys brought a natural born "wrecking machine" with them in Destroyer Dom.
Destroys enemies. Destroys allies. Speaks funny. Eck. Destroyer Dom smash.
However the tides quickly turn with the return of Zero, and a new unexpected ally in... Master Asia's Gundam from G Gundam (only smaller)?

Yup. Everyone's happy it showed up... well, almost everybody. Let's just say something is going to be turned into the largest pile of scrap metal before this is over. Yeah. There's five years of somebody's work down the drain. Way to go.

Episode 6 - The Blazing Samurai Comes to Neotopia
Ah. This time out I can tell you abit more about the episode since we're not talking series like Witch Hunter Robin or (dot)hack//SIGN here, think you can know a bit about what's going on without it ruining it for you. Not that there is much to ruin here but let's go onward.

OK. So now what? After last episode it looks like SD GundamForce has a new member in this Gundam that, in regular Gundam universe, would be the Gundam of Master Asia from G Gundam (if I remember right from my review of G Gundam sometime ago).

As the title suggests? The new Gundam has come to Neotopia (the city where SD Gundam HQ is located, not the birthplace of Neopets), and he's not fitting in very well. He's walking around in public waving his blades at just about anybody, acting hyperactive and raging about like mad... yeah, he's not going to fit in well in this peaceful place.

Good thing Zero is there to keep the peace with this guy, especially after he takes up "Don Quixote" style "windmill" tilting (though in this case it's a ferris wheel, not a windmill), and chasing Zero around in an awful fit. Oh, that's when the mayor of Neotopia (blonde, female, tall ego since she made a giant ferris wheel attached to a giant mecha version of herself) pops in for a cameo appearance.

Oh, the ferris wheel? It's filled with Zaku and the bad duo who turn the mecha connected to said ferris wheel into a device of evil. Yeah, the new Gundam's "windmill" tilting wasn't so misplaced after all.
But when it has a choice to stop the rampaging giant mecha statue, or catch the bad guy? It makes the wrong choice by chasing the bad guy when it had a chance to shut down the giant mecha! So who will stop the giant evil mecha version of the mayor? You'll find out if you watch (but I think you can guess if you think about it, right? Right.)

Volume 3 - Heroes United
Episode 7 - Go! Gunbike!
Looks like the whole team needs a bit of a refresher course in working as a team from their newest team member... oh-kay, so how can the new guy be teaching them anything? Can if new member happens to be Captain‘s old instructor Gunbike.

Just as well that he showed up now, because it looks like a new assignment is about to come up in the form of a strange "Runaway Train" mission may be the one that gets their teamwork locked and loaded -- or not. Because while the good guys seem to be falling apart on teamwork it looks like the usually klutzy bad guys have their game faces on and are on the ball for a change... what a surprise, they CAN actually have a "good" day once in awhile! Pinch me... no, stop looking at me like that, that's not what I meant. Behave.
If they can manage to pull things together, and not botch it, they may keep the train from being taken through a dimensional gateway, let alone becoming the instrument of a very large explosion as, even if they‘re successful in halting the train-jacking, they have to stop the train from colliding with a very large industrial area with tons of flammable gas... and as you know, large explosions have been proven by nine out of ten Gundam mechanics to be hazardous to your health... so avoid it at all cost.

Episode 8 - A Princess, A Cake, and the Winged Knight
Eh? Zakozako Iron Chef style? Zero getting ready to bake up some Axis hardshells? Destroyer Dom armed with all the power of a mega-sized trick party cake? Looks like there'll be a baking subtheme to this one, and no sign of Iron Chef Sakai anywhere! We don't even have Iron Chef Kobe to fall back on for support!

But the real plot of this whole thing is focused around Zero, and who would have thought he had a bit of a "Link/Zelda" thing going on with him in his past? Yeah. He's "Link", but who's the "Zelda" to his "Link"? Seems before he got taken away from his world he had a princess to protect, and he couldn't succeed. But now that he has another "princess" to save, can he do it this time and not fail? Even when the Dark Axis unleashes their technology that turns things to stone? Oh... wait. She's fine. It's only flour.

Oh, the bad guys may be having a hard time being evil since they're kinda short on weapons (you'll see why when you watch this) but Zero manages to be serious about this... except the bad dialogue moments he spews from time to time... but don't blame the guy, he's still getting over his previous failings concerning the princess of his homeworld...so he's got a major issue about that sort of thing, it bugs him.
Oh, and in meanwhile Bakunetsumaru is starting to get on that kid's back... the one who built that dimensional device that was destroyed by Baku back in Episode 5... Because he wants it repaired.
And he'll be back on the kid's back next episode which may turn into a "Lethal Weapon / Rush Hour" team-up but you're about to see that for yourself.

Episode 9 - Bakunetsumaru's Struggle
Looks like Bakunetsumaru is having abit of a hard time convincing that guy who built that dimensional device that brought him to Neotopia to fix said device. Wait. He's having no luck with him, and right now he's majorly desperate. He wants to get back home to fight the Dark Axis, but said guy who LOST his device in the first place thanks to Bakunetsumaru isn't budging -- oh, wait, looks like that'll have to be tabled. The Dark Axis has once again shown up to cause trouble, which will only distract Bakunetsumaru from his task to get that dimensional device repaired.

Time for a little Rush Hour mis-matched partnership between Baku and that tech dude to stop that bomb... that is, if they actually head out considering techie is completely against... oh, wait, he's being kidnapped by Baku‘s Gundam horse. That works for me. Onwards to the rescue thing.
Oh, yes, and once again always remember -- even in buddy-buddy team up episodes it's safe to say that large explosions are hazardous to your health -- so if they knew what was good for them that techie would disarm that bomb before it's too late.

Volume 4
Episode 10 - Gundam Force Triple Attack!
Ah. For once trouble that doesn't mean the imminent destruction of wide swaths of property.
Looks like Shuto is having a bit of difficulties with his homework, which (last I checked) is not hazardous to your overall health. It's no good for your grades, but it's not going to cause you bodily harm.
And wouldn't you know it! It's an... essay! Evil essay! Curse you, you paperwork assignment you! Quick! Get me the holy water to banish this evil essay from my sight! Begone essay! Begone!

And it happens to be an essay on... Friendship? Too bad Shuto's friend Captain doesn't know what Friendship is... and if Shuto knew what Friendship was he wouldn't need the help in this stupid assignment.
And wouldn't you know it, everyone else in the team has their OWN opinion about Friendship.
Shuto's grades are so screwed. Don't you know that one of the things you shouldn't do by committee is your homework... the other thing is the decision about saving the world! Doesn't work! No sir!

Meanwhile it looks like the lackluster bad guys of the Dark Axis are having a refresher course on their work ethics since they can't seem to complete any job in some form of success. So, then, what to do!

Looks like the guys are about to try the whole "teamwork" thing to become victorious. Yeah. Sure it's easy to kick around badly acting Zakozako who can't even pretend to be the GundamForce guys... but how does this new "teamwork" thing work when it's put to the actual test of a real fight!
Not well I'm suspecting since the theme today is Friendship, and that'll probably mean something when the actual fighting begins... maybe.

Episode 11 & 12 - The Mystery of Locroa Part 1 and 2
What is Lacroa? That would be the place Zero came from.

Looks like that Dimensional Transporter which was broken back in Episode 5 is working again...
However, during the test runs on insuring the machine is working properly Bakunetsumaru goes nutsy and... eh? Voices are coming from the machine? Oh, and while Bakunetsumaru and Zero are tangling Baku is thrown into the equipment and it causes a new rift to be ripped into the sky which takes the entire team on a long journey through space to a strange petrified world.

The voices? Shute notes that the voices sound like they're saying something Zero would say... which is pretty much right on the money because they've just arrived on Zero's homeworld of Lacroa.
Worse, it looks like an all new Gundam is waiting for them there... a dark Gundam... Tallgeese? Damn. Haven't seen that Gundam type in a long while.

And it looks like he's packing an army of SD Leo Gundams which aren't much better than the Zakozako, expect they have a little Predator style cloaking trick up their sleeve.
As for this homecoming? It's just not a good thing to come back to after being gone a dozen or so episodes.
His whole world has been turned to stone. Total bummer for Zero. And he came back home WITHOUT a means to fix all this... so what can he do now that he's home again? Can he do anything?

He may be able to do something. Looks like not everyone was turned into stone, and a small (and I do mean "small") resistance... um... organization... group... society... whatever... remains to hold the one thing that may save Lacroa. If they can throw out the endless enemy "freeloaders", beat down the powerful Tallgeese AND the gigantic bug mech that led the work to turn the planet to stone, and take back the planet that is. So, anyone got the number of some reinforcements? They could use them.

Region One Optional Extras
"Zakozako hour" - Well -- you have to take your optional extras where you can with this release. It appears at the end of each episode, and it is the only extra to be counted but it's a bit informative so it's not that bad.

Booklets - The only other extra that you can count on... this is just so vacant on extras!

SD Gundam Force Breakdown the 2nd to 4th
What's Hot? - What do you know. It's a Gundam series that people might actually NOT be clammering to see ported over to Region 2!!

Ok. It's not Gundam Wing... or Mobile Suit Gundam... or G Gundam... or even Gundam Seed!
Then again this is for the little ones so it has it's merits. After all, sometimes a little lighter fare for the old collection isn't so bad, eh? And it's not like Yoshiyuki Tomino is losing sleep over people not trying this out... or people trying this out depending on your opinion of the show.

Ok. Straight up. Mind you if you're a die-hard serious Gundam fanatic you probably might be turned off by this... odds are you WILL be turned off by this no questions asked.
The episodes are not very interesting, and drag abit if you think about it. And, yes, it is most definitely NOT serious Gundam material we're talking about here.

However for the younger Gundam set this might not be such a bad thing.
As a serious title it's no good... but as a lighter fare for the younger crowd it does fine.
Pretty much it's "Gundam lite" so it deserves some attention.

What's Not? - Like I said it's "Gundam Lite", and that might not be your thing.
In fact I can't even say if it'll ever go to Region 2. But if it does? Rent it if you think someone you know of a younger age might be interested in this.

Moments to Remember? - There's some good memorable stuff in here. So that's covered just fine.

What to Ignore? - And there are times this show should be ignored.
Episode 8's occasional bouts with bad dialogue. No good.
Oh, and the start of each episode... what with that Gundam and the kid? Sheesh.
Oh, and Episode 10 sports so bad dialogue moments too that it should be immediately forgotten. Very bad dialogue moments. Bad dialogue! Bad!
Oh, and Zero goes into long ranting speeches like nobody's business in Episode 11-12.
Ignore that. In fact, while you're at it, ignore Bakunetsumaru's stereotyped tough guy except where ghosts are concerned fears... he just chews up the scenery (Episode 12)!

Overall? I said it before and I'll say it again. It's Gundam lite. Might not be your cup of high grade motor oil but it's light viewing. Kids might dig it though.

-- David Rasmussen 1st Jan 05

SD Gundam Images