Gundam SEED Just Released an Amazing Surprise for Fans (But There’s a Catch)

SEED fans keep on winning.

December 16, 2024, 4:19pm

Bandai Namco Filmworks

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED‘s lasting popularity in Japan continues to grace the country with new merchandise that will no doubt get any Gundam fan salivating at the chance to own. The most recent SEED product is probably one of the more exciting things to be released recently, but sadly, it is Japanese-exclusive. The Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Series Complete Encyclopedia launched in Japan on December 16th, gifting fans a prestige guidebook covering the Cosmic Era of the Gundam series, which includes SEED, SEED Destiny, SEED Freedom, and several spin-offs with the SEED name. This new complete Encyclopedia includes exclusive interviews with the staff, a handwritten message from the voice cast, and new illustrations.

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The fresh interviews are with Director Mutsuo Fukuda, Mechanical Animation Director Satoshi Shigeta, and CG Director Mitsuhiro Sato, all key players who helped shape SEED into the phenomena it is now. The Encyclopedia clocks in around 200 pages and incorporates an in-depth analysis of all the major characters and mecha designs. The book also goes over the storylines in the series, giving particular attention to the recent box office hit SEED Freedom. This new book will make the perfect holiday gift for any Gundam fan if you live in Japan, although fan demand could always spark hope for a translated edition.

Can You Get Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Series Complete Encyclopedia Outside Japan?

Gundam has plenty of exclusive merchandise in Japan. Some Japanese-exclusive merchandise does get ported to other countries, usually through the Premium Bandai website. However, Premium Bandai isn’t available in most other countries, leaving fans very few options if they wish to get the tantalizing Japanese-exclusive swag. The Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Series Complete Encyclopedia is also only in Japanese, with the odds of being officially translated being slim.

If Bandai chooses to release a translated version of the novel, it could take up to years for the translated book to be released in other territories. Fans can purchase the book from third-party sellers, but most sellers will sell merchandise from Japan at a higher price point. International shipping from Japan is also notoriously expensive in most English-speaking parts of the world, especially in the United States. The Complete Encyclopedia launched as a celebration of the Cosmic Era, commemorating SEED Freedom’s release earlier in the year.

The Cosmic Era is one of the many different timelines within the Gundam series, beginning in 2002 with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. While alternate-timeline Gundam shows typically last for a 50-episodes and some minor spin-offs, SEED was a monstrous success within and outside of Japan and earned the rare reward of a sequel. It’s one of the few Gundam series to have its own sub-franchise that continues to go strong 20 years later, something the Encyclopedia covers. SEED Destiny is often viewed as one of the worst shows in the Gundam franchise but was still a ratings success in Japan. The promise of a third series to end the franchise has been on fans’ minds since the end of Destiny. The fabled third entry of the Cosmic Era finally launched with SEED Freedom, a sequel film that closed out the stories that began with the original SEED.