SD Gundam

SD Gundam is a media franchise that spawned from the Gundam franchise. SD Gundam takes the mecha from Gundam and expresses them in a super deformed and anthropomorphic style.

Overview

SD Gundam began when a student designer, Koji Yokoi, submitted super-deformed Gundam illustrations to Bandai’s in-house hobby magazine Mokei Jōhō. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Satoshi Katō, invited Yokoi to serialize SD 4-panel comics, and through the editor’s introduction Yokoi met Bandai’s capsule-toy staff, an encounter that catalyzed the “super deformed” product concept and early SD character designs.
The super-deformed format proved ideal for capsule toys: in 1985 Bandai launched the PVC capsule-figure line Gashapon Senshi Series: SD Gundam World. Contemporary official guides describe the line’s one-color PVC figures, of which consumers can obtain typically one or two per ¥100 capsule, an ideal price point for the school-age target, and the pencil-mounting leg holes that made them easy to play with. These features helped drive a late-’80s boom sometimes said to rival the “mainline” Gundam brand in popularity. The SD banner then expanded rapidly across model kits, manga, Carddass trading cards, anime, and video games.
By the early 1990s SD had also spun off distinct sub-series with their own settings: SD Sengokuden with a Sengoku motif, SD Gundam Gaiden in a fantasy milieu, and SD Command Chronicles with modern-military styling.

Animated works

Animated works based on SD Gundam are generally adapted from existing toy lines or manga and are animated by Sunrise.Mobile Suit SD Gundam Doozy Bots SD Gundam Mushaparaku ~Shin Musha Tanjō~ Superior Defender Gundam Force Gundam Evolve SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors SD Gundam World Sangoku Soketsuden '
A sequel to Sangoku Soketsuden with additional characters. It incorporates historical and fictional elements from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, RoboCop/''SD Command Chronicles, Journey to the West, King Kong, Arsène Lupin, the King Arthur mythos and Robin Hood/Knight Gundam, Sanada Ten Braves, the Golden Age of Piracy, Japan's Sengoku period/Musha Gundam'' and the reign of Cleopatra VII Philopator.

Manga works

Musha Gundam series

Musha Gundam are Gundam units modelled after samurai, ninja, or other forms of feudal Japanese warriors. Musha Gundam first appeared in "Plamo-Kyoshiro"<プラモ狂四郎>. In the story, the SD Gundam is an original Gundam created by Kyoshiro for a showdown with Shigeru. The original design of the SD form Musha Gundam is credited to Koichi Yamato, and Yasui Hisashi. The story of Musha Gundam, SD Sengokuden, originated from the manga "Seven Gundams" of the "Comic World" series by MARSHI. The Musha Gundam series is the longest running SD Gundam series, since the series is set in the Warring States period the use of katakana is avoided, and kanji is used heavily.

English name	Japanese name	Author	Volumes	Reference
Chou Musha Gundam Bushin Kirahagane	超SD戦国伝武神輝羅鋼	Masahiro Kanda
Chou Musha Gundam Touba Daishougun		Masahiro Kanda
Musha Banchō Fūunroku	SDガンダム武者番長風雲録	Masato Ichishiki
SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden Bukabuka Hen	SDガンダムフォース絵巻武者烈伝武化舞可編	Masato Ichishiki
SD Gundam Force Emaki Musharetsuden Zero		Susumu Imaishi
SD Gundam Musha Generation	SDガンダムムシャジェネレーション	Masahiro Kanda
SD Gundam Mushamaruden	SD頑駄無武者○伝	Masato Ichishiki
SD Gundam Mushamaruden 2	SD頑駄無武者○伝	Masato Ichishiki
SD Gundam Mushamaruden 3	SD頑駄無武者○伝	Masato Ichishiki
SD Gundam Sangokuden Eiyuu Gekitotsu Hen	BB戦士三国伝	Kentarō Yano
SD Gundam Sangokuden Fuuun Gouketsu Hen	BB戦士三国伝	Tokita Koichi
SD Musha Gundam Fuunroku		Masahiro Kanda
SD Sengokuden Fuurinkazan Hen	SD戦国伝風林火山編	Masahiro Kanda
SD Sengokuden Musha Shichinin Shuu Hen	SD戦国伝武者七人衆編	Masahiro Kanda
SD Sengokuden Tenka Touitsu Hen	SD戦国伝天下統一編	Masahiro Kanda
Shin Musha Gundam Chou Kidou Daishougun	新SD戦国伝超機動大将軍	Masahiro Kanda
Shin Musha Gundam Musha Senki Hakari no Hengen Hen	ムシャ戦記　光の変幻編	Masahiro Kanda
Shin Musha Gundam Shichinin no Choushougun		Masahiro Kanda
Shin SD Sengokuden Densetsu no Daishougun Hen	新SD戦国伝伝説の大将軍編	Masahiro Kanda
Shin SD Sengokuden Tensei Shichinin Shuu		Masahiro Kanda
SD Gundam World Sangoku Sōketsuden: Enkotan		Takuya Yamanaka
SD Gundam World Sangoku Sōketsuden: Sōshōki		Takuya Yamanaka

Knight Gundam series

Knight Gundam is part of the SD Gundam franchise, a sub-franchise of the popular Gundam anime. In Knight Gundam, Gundam mecha and characters are reimagined as knights, sorcerers and other fantasy and medieval European character types. Knight Gundam is a series that took elements from Japanese role playing games, such as the Dragon Quest series, into SD Gundam. The knight style SD Gundam designs are devised by Koji Yokoi and soon Knight Gundam became an independent series like Musha Gundam.
The series first started on Carddas trading cards with the story set in the "Saddarc World". Soon after it expanded to Gashapons, plastic models, manga and games. The Gundams in the Knight Gundam series are portrayed as living beings just like in the Musha Gundam series. But later on in the series giant robots known as "Kihei" were introduced thus creating a weird picture of a Gundam piloting a Gundam. Also different from Musha Gundam, Knight Gundam has important human characters like Knight Amuro and Princess Frau throughout the whole series.

English name	Japanese name	Author	Volumes	Reference
SD Gundam Gaiden Knight Gundam Monogatari		Ryuuichi Hoshino
SD Gundam Gaiden Knight Gundam Monogatari Special		Ryuuichi Hoshino
Knight Gundam Kikoushin Densetsu		Ryuuichi Hoshino
Knight Gundam Maryuu Zero no Kishiden		Ryuuichi Hoshino
Knight Gundam Gold Saga		Ryuuichi Hoshino
Knight Gundam Gaitoushin Senki		Ryuuichi Hoshino
Knight Gundam Seiden		Ryuuichi Hoshino
SD Gundam Eiyuden		Kōichi Tokita

Others

SD Gundam Daibokan G Vehicle
SD Gundam Fullcolor Gekijou by Azuma Yuki <あずま勇輝>

Game works

In the past most of the SD Gundam games are turn-based strategy video games and brawling-type games with shooting. However, the recent SD Gundam games started appearing in other genres.
Below is a rough list of game works, a more accurate and complete list is available at the Japanese wiki entry.SD Gundam Gachapon Senshi seriesSD Sengokuden seriesSD Gundam Side Story seriesSD Gundam Eiyūden seriesSD Gundam Arcade seriesSD Gundam G Generation seriesSD Gundam ForceSD Gundam Force: Showdown!SD Gundam Dimension War - a turn-based strategy game for the Virtual Boy. It is one of the console's rarest games. Along with Virtual Bowling this game was the last video game officially released for the Virtual Boy in Japan. Dimension War is notable for the video game debut of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.
Through not treated as a title from the SD Gundam series, the RPG Gundam True Odyssey also used super-deformed graphics for the mobile weapons that were found in the game.
The SD Gundam designs were also used throughout the earlier Super Robot Wars games, as can be seen by the pupils present in the eyes of the various Mobile Suits that appeared. From SRW Alpha and beyond, however, the eyes of Mobile Suits remain blank, though the robots themselves are still super-deformed. The only exceptions are in Shin Super Robot Wars and the Scramble Commander series, where all series featured in these games used real-sized designs instead of the traditional SD-sized ones.
A real-sized Musha Gundam has been placed as a hidden, unlockable unit in Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series. Particular SD Gundams that has been converted to normal sizes are confirmed to participate in the Gundam War trading card game.

Model kits

While regular Gundam model lines strive for realism by introducing High Grade, Master Grade, and Perfect Grade models, SD Gundam models are designed for the customization crowd. Many SD Gundam models are designed such that variations of the stock models, as seen by SD Gundam comics, can be made by using parts from other SD Gundam kits. Modifying SD models is very popular in Japan, more so than the full-sized counterparts. In addition to made-up robots contributed to SD Gundam comics, Bandai also held monthly contests for custom Gundam models.
The model kit series is called SD Gundam BB Senshi. The "BB" in the title comes from the fact that, initially, BB Senshi models came with airguns that shot BB gun pellets. Due to product liability and safety regulations, the feature was soon removed. 2007 saw the release of the 300th kit in the series. Forming the bulk of the series are Musha Gundam kits; the Musha kits have standard gimmicks like detachable armour and others, such as combination and compatibility of parts between kits. In recent years the G Generation kits have introduced a new proportion and enhanced poseability.
Scale is often inconsistent, especially in older kits where many characters from the same storyline are out of scale with one another. However, as the line continued these issues have mostly been addressed and sometimes been intentional. Dai-Shogun characters have often seen their final form released as a much larger figure.
Another model kit series called Ganzo SD Gundam, though discontinued in the 1990s, covered all the SD Gundam series but mainly focus on Knight Gundam kits. These kits are made from more durable plastic and are bigger than the BB Senshi kits. They can currently be found at auction sites, usually with high prices.
Century number releases are often marked as special occasions. 2007 saw the release of the 300th BB Senshi kit in official numbering. However, the previous kit had been BB 295. Bandai retroactively filled in the missing five kits alongside releases of kits with the 300+ numbering. These retroactive kits were of units from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, many being recolors of existing kits. Additionally, popular SD Gundam kits have been re-released in waves at around the same time as new kits. These re-releases are broken down by series. The popularity of these older kits is such that many have been included in later re-release waves.
A limited subline titled Chi-Bi Senshi consisted of thirteen kits based on Super G-ARMS, Knight Gundam, Gundlaner and Musha. The kits were smaller and less complex than full BB Senshi, built on a five-point skeleton block which allowed for parts swapping between the kits. This gimmick was also utilized with some of the Knight kits to allow them to combine with larger BB Senshi versions of the 'Kihei' mobile weapons they piloted. Additionally, nine of the Chi-Bi Senshi were released in three triple boxsets, depicting them in widely different transparent colours. The Comic World chapters included with these sets referred to these 'Crystal' versions as doppelgangers made from sentient alien crystals who had chosen to copy the real Gundams.
A related line of merchandise has included the designs from SD Gundam works presented as 'real type' versions, lacking the deformed proportions. This concept has seen a resurgence in recent years, with Bandai issuing a Master Grade model kit of Hajime Katoki's Shin Musha Gundam and Banpresto releasing toys and mini-statues based on 'real type' versions of Musha and Knight characters.

SDX

Starting in 2008, the SDX line is a collector aimed series of action figures based on SD Gundam characters. The first figure released, Knight Gundam, was based on a scratch-built model of the character made by Hobby Japan for his appearance in Musha Retsuden Zero. Following this was a release of 'Full Armor Knight Gundam', with figures of Satan Gundam and Command Gundam announced for later in 2009.
Being a collector aimed line, the series focuses on high detail, option parts and updating popular SD Gundam characters who are only otherwise represented by decades old model kits and toys. For example, Knight Gundam was released with a display base, alternate facial expressions and armor pieces produced from metal.

SD Ex-Standard

This is the most recent model kit series which aims for styled proportions, weapon customization, budget friendliness, and connecting every single SD Gundam Kit, and possibly even make kits from other grades that doesn't have SD versions of it; one example is the Try Burning Gundam, which currently has a HG version of it, and unlike its past counterpart, the Build Burning Gundam has its own BB Senshi counterpart. So far, this kit series has ten sets, which contains RX-78-2, Aile Strike Gundam, Gundam Exia, Wing Gundam Zero EW, Gundam Unicorn, Strike Freedom Gundam, Astray Red Frame, OO Gundam, Destiny Gundam, Gundam Barbatos, Try Burning Gundam, Gundam Deathscythe Hell EW, Sinanju, and Gundam Barbatos Lupus. This kit series is really similar to the BB Senshi sets, but this kit series is a lot smaller than the BB sets or any other SD kit series.

Official sites

Information sites

- detailed information on all SD Gundam comics ever published
- information on all SD Gundam timelines
- Detailed collection of all SD Gundam BB Senshi Model Kits