Gundam Build Divers
Gundam Build Divers. often abbreviated as GBD. is a Japanese science fiction anime television series produced by Sunrise, a spiritual successor to the 2013 anime Gundam Build Fighters, based on the long-running Gundam franchise. It is directed by Shinya Watada and written by Noboru Kimura with character designs by Juri Toida. It was first teased in December 2017 under the title "Gundam Build Next Battle Project" until its official reveal in The Gundam Base Tokyo on February 2, 2018. It premiered on all TXN network stations in Japan on April 3, 2018. Unlike the previous series, which focuses on the Gundam model aspect of the franchise, Gundam Build Divers focuses on a virtual reality massively multiplayer online game in terms of themes and battles.
A sequel series, Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise, was announced on November 21, 2018, and was released in October 2019 as part of the 40th-anniversary celebration of the Gundam franchise. Shinya Watada is returning to direct the series at Sunrise Beyond, with Yasuyuki Muto as scriptwriter, Shuri Toida as character designer, and Hideakira Kimura as music composer.
A prologue original net animation was aired by Sunrise on February 2, 2018, while two sidestories began serialization in June 2018 on both Gundam Ace and Dengeki Hobby Magazine respectively.
Plot
In the near future, where the Gundam franchise is at its peak and the popularity of Gunpla is soaring to new heights, a new virtual reality massively multiplayer online game game called Gunpla Battle Nexus Online is made. In Gunpla Battle Nexus Online, players can upload themselves and their Gunpla online through the virtual space and battle with players from across the world. In the game itself, the player assumes the role of a Gunpla Diver, and each year a special tournament called "Gunpla Force Battle Tournament" is held to prove who is the best Gunpla Diver. The story revolves around Riku Mikami, a 14-year-old junior high school student and an admirer of famous Gunpla Diver Kyoya Kujo. He and his friends Yukio and Momoka love Gunpla and play GBN together. However, his own life changes as he meets a mysterious female Diver named Sarah as strange events take place in the GBN with the appearance of Mass-Divers. Now guided by his new allies, he forms their first Gunpla Diver group, embarking on epic adventures with his friends and to see who is the best fighter in the GBN world which would soon bring unforeseen forces to Gunpla.Characters
Build Divers
;Riku Mikami / Riku;Yukio Hidaka / Yukki
;Momoka Yashiro / Momo
;Sarah
;Koichi Nanase / KO-1
;Aya Fujisawa / Ayame
;Nanami Nanase / Nami
GBN Users
;Kyoya Kisugi / Kyoya Kujo;Rommel
;Magee
;Do-ji
;Hellfire Ogre
;Kotaro Ogami / Tigerwolf
;Ruck Arge / Shahryar
;Rose
Other characters
;Tsukasa Shiba;Kanari
;Game Master / Katsuragi
;Miss Tori
Production
The series was first teased after the airing of the 5th episode of Gundam Build Fighters: Battlogue in December 2017, with the working title "Gundam Build Next Battle Project" On the official press conference held in The Gundam Base Tokyo in Japan reveals the series after the prologue ONA is streamed. Though Gunpla battles is the main aspect of the series, virtual reality and massively multiplayer online game games with will be part of series's theme in terms of the series's storyline and also the theme surrounding Gunpla Battle Nexus Online. Alongside the reveal, several character designs were revealed for both the prologue ONA and the anime as well as the main mechas of the series. Staff members from Gundam Build Fighters also returned to produce the anime, with some of the mecha are designed by Kunio Okawara, Kanetake Ebikawa, Junya Ishigaki, Ippei Gyobu, Kenji Teraoka, Shinya Terashima, Takayuki Yanase, and Naohiro Washio. Mecha battles in the series are directed by Masami Obari alongside animators Shinya Kusumegi and Sakiko Uda.Media
Anime
The anime premiered on all TXN network stations in Japan on April 3, 2018, replacing Idol Time PriPara on its initial timeslot. The opening and ending themes from Episodes 1-13 are "Diver's High" is by Sky-Hi and "Ashita e" is by Iris in Japanese while the opening and ending themes from Episodes 14-25 are "Infinity" by SWANKY DANK and "Start Dash" by Spira Spica. The series' music is composed by Hideakira Kimura. A prologue ONA titled Gundam Build Divers Prologue was first streamed at The Gundam Base Tokyo on February 2, 2018, and later released on YouTube on the same date. The series is also streamed at Sunrise's "GundamInfo" channel on YouTube with subtitles in English, among other languages. In 2018, Sunrise had Bang Zoom Entertainment to produce an English dub for the series. The series was later streamed on Funimation's FunimationNow streaming service in North America on March 28, 2019.A sequel, titled Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise premiered in October 2019 on Sunrise's new "Gundam Channel" on YouTube. Most of the staff members returned to reprise their roles.