The final results of the "Worldwide 'Gundam' General Election 2025," a voting project for the popular anime "Gundam" series, have been announced, and the fact that Wing Gundam Zero from "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz" ranked 2nd in the worldwide rankings has become a hot topic. The number one spot in the worldwide rankings went to ν Gundam from "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack," but Wing Gundam Zero performed exceptionally well, topping the English and Traditional Chinese (Taiwan) rankings, and its popularity overseas was particularly outstanding. Why is it so popular, surpassing the main mobile suits of the Universal Century and the latest models from recent years?
◇The impact of first contact
The "Worldwide 'Gundam' General Election 2025" was a project where people voted for their "favorite Gundam," and included Gundam-type mobile suits from the Universal Century series and Alternative series, as well as any mobile suit bearing the Gundam name. It was the first "Gundam" series project to support 10 languages. To commemorate the renewal of the portal site "Gundam Info" as "GUNDAM Official Website," votes were accepted from October 10 to December 25, 2025, with one vote per person per day, and the final number of valid votes exceeded 1.33 million.
"Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz" is a sequel to "Mobile Mobile Suit Gundam Wing," which aired in Japan from 1995 to 1996 as the second installment of the "Alternative Series." It was produced as an OVA (Original Video Animation) in 1997, consisting of three episodes. "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" is particularly popular overseas, a fact deeply intertwined with the history of the "Gundam" series in the United States.
"Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" was the first Gundam series to be broadcast extensively in the United States, beginning its run on Cartoon Network in March 2000. Bandai America began selling Gunpla (Gundam plastic model kits) in October 1999 as a test marketing effort, and officially launched full-scale sales after the TV broadcast began. It garnered enthusiastic support, particularly among teenagers. As a result, many fans in the United States consider "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" their "first Gundam," and the impact of this "first contact" seems to have been significant.
◇The foundation of globalization
Back then, it wasn't the era where you could enjoy Japanese anime worldwide without time lag through streaming services like we can today. When you talk to American anime fans about the 1990s, there were some avid fans who watched Japanese anime, including the "Gundam" series, on rental videos, but it seems that the broadcast of "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" was the catalyst for a massive increase in fans.
The children who watched "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" are now in their 30s and 40s, and have grown into a core fan base. Furthermore, its appeal has spread to younger generations through social media and streaming services, which likely contributed to its surge in popularity in this year's general election.
The globalization of the Gundam series is accelerating, with "GUNDAM REQUIEM FOR VENGEANCE," which was distributed as "Gundam for the world," and the Hollywood live-action film adaptation that has been announced. However, the foundation for this was likely laid by "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing," which crossed the ocean about 26 years ago. (Man Animai/MANTANWEB)
