by Eugene Ipavec, 3 may 2005
Last modified: 2006-01-21 by marc pasquin
Keywords: gundam |
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The 1995 anime series "Gundam Wing"(Shin Kidou Senki Gundam W, literally
'New Mobile War Report Gundam W') is an alternate-universe spinoff of
the long-running Gundam saga, which means it shares a name and some
basic thematic elements with other Gundam shows, but has a different
setting, characters and timeline.
The plot is rather byzantine, which accounts for the
considerable proliferation of vex objects for one TV series, but as with
all Gundam series the underlying theme is one of conflict between space
colonists living in enormous habitats in lunar orbit and the succession
of increasingly heavy-handed and obnoxious political entities that
govern them from Earth. The first of the latter is the United
Earth-Sphere Alliance (UESA), the military regime that is in power at
the series’ outset. It is described as having been formed in order to
end a protracted period of international strife.
Eugene Ipavec, 19 january 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 3 may 2005
In the 1998 sequel 'Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz,' set one year after the
series, the war is over and a democratic, demilitarized Earth-Sphere
Unified Nation has been jointly established by Earth and the space
colonies. The ESUN flag: a dark red field with a wreath-enclosed golden
disc, containing two concentric circles bisected by an x—-a symbolic
representation of the Earth as viewed from above one of the poles, I
believe, and kind of a novel idea, in my humble opinion. The flag can be seen behind the podium at the Christmas observances at MO-3, at the very beginning of episode 1 of Endless Waltz, and again
at the end of ep. 3.
Eugene Ipavec, 3 may 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 3 may 2005
One year after the end of the war some diehard ex-OZ loyalists try to
stage a putsch and install the late Treize Khushrenada’s illegitimate
daughter Marimeia as their figurehead ruler of the ESUN. The Marimeia
Army’s flag can be seen in the opening
minutes of episode 3 while she delivers the titular "History is like
an endless waltz: the three measures of war, peace and revolution
continue on forever" speech. It's rather flashy: a dark blue eagle over
a maroon 'M' over a dark-blue flourish, all on a magenta field. I
suppose armed coups have little need of subtlety.
Eugene Ipavec, 3 may 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 3 may 2005
The Marimeia Army is opposed, ineffectually, by the ESUN's security
agency Preventer. Its banner, vertical and blue, with a gold/bronze
"P" logo in the upper center and a golden fringe, is visible in Lady
Une's office in episode 2.
Eugene Ipavec, 3 may 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 30 april 2005
The chief sponsor, financier and arms supplier to the UESA is the
Romefeller Foundation, equal parts industrial conglomerate, secret
society, country club and massive global-domination conspiracy. Its
members are largely of the opinion that the hoi polloi are incapable of
governing themselves competently and that their social betters should
step in and do so for them. It funds the UESA to maintain law and order,
but when its leadership proposes a policy of disarmament and peace talks
with colonial rebels, the Foundation decides the Alliance has outlived
its usefulness.
The Foundation is headquartered in Bremen and counts among its
membership the planet's wealthy and aristocratic elites. Its flag
is a traditional banner-of-arms; a very good
likeness can be made of it as it can frequently appears in the
Foundation’s headquarters. I will now hazard a blazon:
"Parted per pale; I Bleu Celeste, a celtic cross argent; II Argent, gules bend sinister, bordured or and crowned with chapeau purpure banded or. Supporters dexter and sinister twin unicorns argent rampant. In the compartment below the shield, a band or bearing unknown motto."
OZ is the private army of the Romefeller Foundation, originally one of
its munitions-making subsidiaries that eventually morphs into a secret
society and is sent to infiltrates the UESA military as the Specials
Corp. 'OZ' nominally stands for 'Order of the Zodiac,' though only the
acronym is ever used.
Eugene Ipavec, 1 may 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 1 may 2005
One of its flags, can be seen in OZ leader
Treize Khushrenada's office in ep 7. It is a vertical banner,
dark-navy-blue with a thin black border, with a rather smug-looking
golden lion's head. This is likely only the flag of the OZ Terrestrial
Forces, whose frequently-seen symbol is a lion's head.
Eugene Ipavec, 1 may 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 1 may 2005
The symbol of the
OZ Space Force's is an armored knight's helm; its corresponding flag
shows up in someone's office at the OZ lunar base at some point.
Eugene Ipavec, 1 may 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 28 april 2005
A flag for the Alliance appears in
ep.14 as a war trophy at a Romefeller Foundation victory party. It
looks like a rather strange twist on the winged-Earth-and-ribbon design
that serves as the UESA's coat of arms.
Eugene Ipavec, 28 april 2005
uesa.gif)
by Eugene Ipavec, 28 april 2005
The UESA's coat of arms (a winged-Earth-and-ribbon design) ,
is featured quite unmistakably in ep.3 (on the side of a
*blimp*, no less).
Eugene Ipavec, 28 april 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 30 april 2005
The elite 'Specials' branch of the UESA military has both a flag and a
pennant that serves as as its colors in battle. They both appear in a
montage in episode 7. The Specials flag, enclosed as fic^spec.gif, is
fairly similar to the regular Alliance flag, only with a red border and
a more fully-rendered symbol.
Eugene Ipavec, 30 april 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 1 may 2005
The pennant (fic^spcp.gif) can be seen
being wielded on a battlefield by Alliance mobile suits-—giant military
robots--and is therefore scaled accordingly: I estimate the dimensions
at no less than 5-6 m high and ~17-20 m long.
The symbol of the special branche is a version of the Alliance arms: some kind of
raptor with a globe above it, clutching a ribbon, here with the caption
SPEZIALI (the branches of the UESA military are named in Italian. The
series as a whole has a old-fashioned Continental feel to it--the plot
was allegedly partially lifted from the Napoleonic Wars, though I
personally don't quite see the resemblance--I'd say the 1848 revolutions
instead, if anything.)
Eugene Ipavec, 1 may 2005
by Eugene Ipavec, 1 may 2005
Early in the TV series the Foundation has OZ launch a coup-d'état from
within the UESA military, causing the Alliance to disintegrate. After
all the international disputes that the Alliance had been keeping
supressed for decades resurface, the Foundation bullies the nations of
the world into accepting its security guarantees, and subsequently
abolishes all national borders and declares the establishment of a
puppet World State.
With all enemies vanquished, moderates within the Foundation seize the
upper hand and start pushing for disarmament and reconciliation, only to
be caught by suprise as the space colonists--having been passed around
like a football by the various powers during all of this and thouroughly
exploited in the proces--finally have enough and revolt. I'm not sure
whether the 'White Fang' colonial militia has an official flag, but
improvised flags made of white sheets with the hand-scrawled slogan
"Peace & Freedom" are in use at one point.
Eugene Ipavec, 1 may 2005