'Iron-Blooded Orphans' Producer Teases New Gundam Project

Keeping track of everything Gundam is basically a full-time job. Even the most dedicated fans have [...]

By Megan Peters

Keeping track of everything Gundam is basically a full-time job. Even the most dedicated fans have troubling keeping up with the franchise, but the task has become easier with social media. Checking in with anime staffers on Gundam projects is as simple as heading to Twitter, but Masakazu Ogawa got fans a bit flustered this year.

After all, the producer has got the Gundam fandom going to war over his teaser-ish tweets.

If you head to Ogawa's page on Twitter, the producer has posted about his work on Iron-Blooded Orphans a few times since the New Year. He has posted a key frame from the two-season anime which fans had never seen before, and his messages following the upload got fans a bit suspicious.

IBO Producer says new info on the mysterious Gundam frame from New Years day will be released in the near future. from r/Gundam

As you can see above, Ogawa posted a key frame of an uncolored Gundam to hype fans. In a later post, the producer told his followers that new information about the special frame will be released in the near future.

"It has been more than one month since the New Year's picture tweet," the producer wrote. "I'll be ready soon."

The promise piqued the curiosity of fans, and that interest was raised even higher this month. A different producer posted yet another key frame from Iron-Blooded Orphans after Valentine's Day, and many are convinced the co-workers are teasing some sort of Gundam announcement.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans may not be the franchise's top series, but it is a cherished one in the west. The anime debuted in 2015 before it wrapped its second season in April 2017. The series was set well after the 'Calamity War' and followed a group of child soldiers who uprise against the colonists suppressing them. Things go poorly for the children until an orphan named Mikazuki Augus repairs a salvaged mobile suit known as Gundam Barbatos and help the child soldiers overtake the corrupt higher-ups. However, that first mission is just one of many the group must undergo.

The anime's second season had a solid ending which wrapped up most questions fans had. A handful of fan-favorite characters were also killed in the finale, leaving fans to wonder how a third season could be made if that is what these Gundam producers are teasing. Other fans are hoping the creators are simply alluding to their work on a brand-new anime. In the wake of Iron-Blooded Orphans, a slew of new shows were added to the franchise, and 2018 plans to debut Gundam Build Drivers. However, there's nothing keeping Sunrise from debuting two series in one year if it wants.

Do you think another Gundam anime could be brewing behind the scenes? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!

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