The Gundam series is one of the most important mecha anime series of all time, and every modern mecha series owes a bit of its legacy to this franchise. Starting in 1979 with Mobile Suit Gundam, the franchise has grown to feature several different stories across several alternate timelines.
One such timeline is the Correct Century, a timeline that is used primarily by the Turn A Gundam series. Known as Seireki in Japanese, the Correct Century is a very interesting timeline with some very interesting tidbits Gundam fans might not be aware of. Here are some facts about the timeline every mecha fan should know.
10 Seireki Is A Play On The Japanese Term For CE
Seireki is the Japanese term for Correct Century, but it is also the Japanese term for Common Era, which is the most commonly used calendar era system. Common Era is interchangeable with the Anno Domini system (in other words, 2022 CE is the same year as AD 2022).
This commonality is not a coincidence, as the fact that the two eras are named similarly suggests that the world of Turn A Gundam is not all that different from the real world that we live in.
9 Territories On Earth Are Based Loosely On Real Counterparts
The majority of the series takes place in North America, a large collection of allied territories. The main character, Loran Cehack, becomes a citizen of Inglessa, while Luzianna is a faction that shows up later as a somewhat untrustworthy ally.
These territories are based on locations in the real world. North America is obviously based on North America but is meant as an alternate version of the United States. Inglessa and Luzianna are a bit more subtle, but they are based on New England and the American South, respectively.
8 Correct Century Is The Merging Of All Gundam Timelines
Many of the Gundam timelines are generally treated as separate from each other. The Universal Century is the most complex in terms of connectivity between series, but it is generally considered separate from timelines like After Colony and Future Century.
Correct Century flips this assumption on its end, as it is meant to unite all existing Gundam timelines according to series creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. Correct Century is supposed to take place millenia after all Gundam timelines and essentially serves as an epilogue to all of those series.
7 The Black History Ended With The Destruction Of All Humanity
There is a period of time during the Correct Century called the Black History, during which a horrific war occurred that wiped out nearly all civilization from Earth. In addition, much of the earth's surface became uninhabitable, making it difficult for the planet to support life.
The Black History is suggested to be a culmination of the events that occurred in each different Gundam series, with this catastrophe being the final result. Thankfully, since the time of the Black History, the Earth has recovered enough to support human life again.
6 The Surviving Humans Headed To The Moon
Most of humanity was killed during the Black History, but some survivors yet remained. These survivors created a colony on the moon, and using advanced technology, decided to stay on the moon until the Earth became habitable again.
These people would eventually come to be known as the Moonrace. From time to time, Moonrace would be sent down to oversee the Earth, so not all Moonrace were born on the moon. While the Moonrace are descended from humans, they generally seem to consider themselves different and superior to those born on Earth, even other Moonrace.
5 Despite Being In The Far Future, Earth's Technology Is Not Advanced
The Correct Century is thousands of years in the future, and the current year, CC 2345, is centuries ahead of our current time. However, the technology of the people of North America does not seem to reflect this, as they use machinery and tools that are in line with 19th-century technology.
This puts the people of Earth at a disadvantage, as the Moonrace are incredibly advanced, having maintained and developed the knowledge that was supposedly lost during the Black History. While excavations and defections allow them to catch up, they still do not have the technical knowledge needed to be on par with the Moonrace.
4 Not All Moonrace Want To Return To The Earth
The great goal of the Moonrace is to eventually return to Earth, their ancestral home. Despite not being friendly to the Earthlings that have lived their lives on Earth, the Moonrace led by Dianna Soriel wishes to return to the Earth and make a home for their people there.
However, not all Moonrace feel this way. Those under Agrippa Maintainer believe that returning to Earth from the Moon would be a bad idea, and this difference in opinions becomes a source of conflict between the two factions.
3 Mobile Suits And Technology Can Be Found Deep Underground
While much of civilization was destroyed during the Black History, some of it survived by being deep underground. The event that allowed the Earthlings to stand on par with the returning Moonrace was the serendipitous discovery of the Turn A Gundam found under a stone statue believed to be the White Doll.
A big part of the Earthlings' strategy early on was to excavate near where the White Doll was found to see if more mobile suits could be found. Luckily, they were correct, and the conflict between the Earthlings and the Moonrace began to equalize.
2 Some Mobile Suits Are Based On Legacy Suits
As part of the assertion that the Correct Century occurs long after any other Gundam series, some of the mobile suits discovered as remnants of the Black History appear very similar to mobile suits that have appeared in the previous series.
One important example is the Borjanon, which is virtually identical to the classic Zaku from the original Mobile Suit Gundam. Other suits, like the Kapool, are also based on suits featured in the previous series. While Turn A Gundam has many original mecha designs, these cameos and callbacks are a strong hint as to when the Correct Century takes place.
1 The Turn A Gundam Was Responsible For Ending The Black History
As the titular mech of the series, the Turn A Gundam and its pilot Loran Cehack naturally play a major role in the story. However, for much of the series, much about this incredible robot is shrouded in mystery, including its true name. However, the reaction of the Moonrace makes it clear that they see it as an enemy.
The Turn A Gundam was eventually revealed to be the one responsible for the destruction of all advanced technology, thanks to the robot's ability to control powerful nanomachines that can create a variety of effects.