(機動戦士ガンダム, Kidō Senshi Gandamu ) is a seminal 1979 anime series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and produced by Nippon Sunrise . It revolutionized the mecha genre by introducing "Real Robots"—mechanical weapons of war that required maintenance and ammo—moving away from the "superhero" style of previous giant robot shows. The franchise has since grown into a massive global phenomenon spanning dozens of sequels, spin-offs, movies, and a lucrative toy line known as Gunpla . Core Story and Themes
The original series is set in the year , where a war for independence breaks out between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon , a cluster of space colonies.
