New Gundam Series Announced: Gundam Age (updated)

This is it, the biggest possible announcement from Bandai since 00 was announced in 2007. Looking at the silhouette of this gundam i am not impressed. Looks like a cross from exia and 0 gundam?? Is Bandai running out of ideas?

 Looking at this scan from the corocoro magazine i cannot be more disappointed. Corocoro magazine is a kids magazine and from the 3 protagonists featured here it is apparent that Bandai is looking at a younger demographic.

Looking at 2 more scans, the one on top shows the gundam Age-1 and its 2 different forms. That is something similar to the aile strike in gundam seed. But looking at the blue and red forms ( named sparrow and titus respectively) , they look like cheap toy robots. Maybe that was a bit too harsh, but the red one in particular looks downright kiddish in my opinion.
Also, the blue sparrow form is called the speed type, while the red bulky one is the power type. The choice of simple generic/ formulaic names given to the gundam and its 2 forms really shows that the target audience is the young generation. I mean, compare gundam AGE-1 speed form to say gundam exia or even the names like strike freedom, we can see that kids will be happier with simpler names that sound cool.

As if trying to drive the final nail in the coffin, the game developer Level 5 is working on the series. And above is the kind of game that Level 5 develops and yes, it is obviously for kids . I understand that Bandai wants to target the younger market to go into a new direction, but a whole new entire series of gundam dedicated to that? I thought that was already gunpla builders? They could have expanded that. And the younger ones already had sangokden?

Pic from gundam wikia.

Tracing back to 1979, Yoshiyuki tomino wanted a realistic series unlike other super robot shows that generally combines science, complex characters and the theme of war and understanding. Indeed some series like gundam G did not exactly follow this. But from the character designs.....

I think the digimon tamers look more mature and less generic.....

However, not all hope is lost just by judging from magazine scans. It is still gundam after all and we may be in for a pleasant surprise such as with the case of 00 where it far exceeded my expectations when it aired. The plot of gundam age, it seems, is rather solid. The 3 boys in the magazine scans are actually 3 generations- grandfather, father, son. Age-1 is the inital gundam used and its AGE system evolves with time. Unfortunately, they are fight against an unknown enemy (aliens? or humans?) in a One Hundred Year war. The AGE system seems like a cheap excuse to make games where the gundam AGE-1 starts out at level one and then through fighting monsters, gains EXP. Which i figured means they are going to make 3 RPGs for the 3 generations? And 10 year old kids piloting Mobile suits? Only 10 year old kids will buy that. It is already far-fetched for 10 year old kids to be pokemon trainers or digimon tamers and travel around the world. And now, 10 year-olds are entrusted with machines that have enough firepower to obliterate entire nations. I bet some they cannot even spell mobile suit...

Of course, Model kits will be another main focus. But just when i had mentioned that there might still be hope for the plot, it seems that Bandai had decided to go a different direction with the model kits as well...  They have said that modelling tools will not be needed to build the models. Simple snap-together in five minute toys? All the tools i showed in the tools for gunpla page will become obsolete? No more MGs, HGs, PGs? Is Bandai going to collaborate with fast food restaurants next to package gundam action figures with the happy meals?

                         Yes, power rangers robots are made by Bandai as well. 4 year-olds buy these....

So Far so Bad it seems for me... Maybe i complained too much, but we may have gundam 00 as our last epic series until who knows when. I do still hope Bandai do not end up losing their niche market of the older generation who prefers a more serious tone in gundam series.

Update:
A promotional video for the new series!

Video from gundaminfo. Yeah i am pleased with the quality of the anime. But that is to be expected since 00 is in HD. My major complain is the characters design look awfully generic.

The doctor and the plump kid beside him reminds me of certain anime like metabots or duel masters....
And Model kits to be rolled out!

Hg and MG of the AGE-1 will be released soon.
And there is a new grade call 1/100 GB ( Gage-ing builder)? Maybe this is the new grade that Bandai says will not be needing any tools? Anyway i am glad they did not do away with the usual HGs and MGs.

Bandai has also announced the storyline. Info below from gundamguy.blogspot. All credits go to him.

New official info

Is been several hundred years since mankind had migrated into space, living inside space colonies. Wars on earth had long ended, and the world seems to be in a peaceful era.  But this peace is about to crumble.

A.G. (Advanced Generation) Year 101

An UE (Unknown Enemy) suddently appears, they attack and destroyed the space colonly [Angel].  This disaster is known as the 'Sunset of the Angel', and the peace on earth was replaced with war & despairs.

AG Year 108

As the war with UE rages on, the once peaceful space colony [Ovan] was invaded by these unknown enemies.  Frit Asuno (7 yrs old boy) lives on this colony with his mother.  When the aliens invaded, his mother was killed.  Before she die, she uploaded her memory onto the AGE Device and gave it to her son.  And with this device, Frit will be able to pilot the ancient mobile suit Gundam.

A.G. Year 115

Frit is now 14 years old, living in the space colony [Nora], stationed in the Earth Federal Military Base [Arinsuton].  Seven years had passed since he inherited the Gundam, and through years of research, he was able to engineer & completes the revolutionary AGE system for the Gundam (Gundam AGE-1), which is able to self evolved thru combat experience. 

The time had finally came when the UE attacks [Nora], and now the 14 yrs old Frit will fight them with the Gundam.. can he overcome such a formidable adversary?

Oh no... Aliens invasion? Which means no more politics/ clash of ideologies?? We can only wait and see..

Update again!: A website about the new GB line
http://gage-ing.com/top.html
The GB ( gage-ing line) seems to be a figure  ( more like the power ranger than gundam) than model kits. It seems that there are some chips in the figure for kids to take to shops to fight it out. I guess people outside japan like me should just stick with the good old Hgs and Mgs...

This page will be updated for any newer news about the series....