There’s a badass weasel in the next Gundam Build series

I hope he’s the show’s main rival

It looks 2018 will bring us more Gundam Build shows. So why am I leaving the “Fighters” part out of the title?  Well, it turns out that the next anime about Gunpla battles shall be known as Gundam Build Divers. Based on its prologue episode on GundamInfo, the fights take place in virtual reality.

With this new setting, we get treated to a group of characters fighting a team lead by a manly weasel who resembles a high-ranking Zeon soldier. Compare to the previous Build Fighters stuff, Gundam AGE got some love in Build Diver’s prologue as we see a custom variant of the AGE II called Gundam AGE II Magnum. Interestingly, the unit will make an appearance in New Gundam Breaker, which serves as a second way to promote the kit.

If the series turns out to be good, then AGE’s cool units will get redeemed. Gundam Build Diver premieres this Spring and the show’s protagonist, Riku, uses a kit called Gundam 00 Diver. As we wait for it to air, you can check out the 15-minute episode below, along with the information on the staff and voice actors. 

Gundam Build Divers Staff and Cast

• Planning: Sunrise (Escaflowne’s Production, Cowboy Bebop’s Animation Production)
• Director: Shinya Watada (Gundam Build Fighters Try’s Director, Gundam Thunderbolt episode 3’s Episode Director)
• Series Composition: Noboru Kimura (Nyaruko: Crawling with Love’s Series Composition, Solty Rei’s Script)
• Character Design: Shuri Toida (Gundam Build Fighters Try Island Wars and Madoka Magica episode 2’s Key Animation)
• Action Director: Masami Obari (Gundam Build Fighters: Battlogue and Gravion’sDirector)
• Chief Mecha Animator: Shinya Kusumegi (Gundam 00’s Second Key Animation, Turn A Gundam: Moon Butterfly’s In-Between Animation), Sakiko Uda (Code Geass R2’s In-Between Animation and Gintama’s Key Animation)
• Mechanical Design: Kunio Okawara (Gundam Wing and GaoGaiGar Final’s Mechanical Designs), Kanetake Ebikawa (Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory and Gundam 00’s Mechanical Designs), Jyunichi Akutsu (Code Geass and Cross Ange’sMecha Design), Jyunya Ishigaki (Xenogears and Xenosaga trilogy’s Mechanical Design), Ippei Gyobu (Gundam Reconguista in G and Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphan’s Mechanical Design), Kenji Teraoka (Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals and Yu Yu Hakusho’s Key Animation), Shinya Terashima (The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky OVA and Steins;Gate anime’s Finish Animation), Takayuki Yanase (Xenoblade Chronicles X and Metal Gear Solid 4’s Mecha Designer), Naohiro Washio (Bodacious Space Pirates and Fafner’s Mechanical Design)
• Music: Hideakira Kimura (Cerberus and Lance N’ Masque’s Music)
• Art: Studio Naya
• Planning Cooperation: Bandai Hobby Division (Gundam Reconguista in G and Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphan’s Cooperation)
• Production Cooperation: ADK (One Piece’s Production and Gundam Build Fighters’ Production Cooperation)
• Production: TV Tokyo (Gurren Lagann’s Broadcaster, Tenchi Universe’sProduction), Sunrise, Sotsu (G-Gundam’s Co-Production, Outlaw Star’s Production)
• Riku Mikami: Yusuke Kobayashi (Food Wars’ Zenji, Re:Zero’s Subaru)
• Yukio Hidaka: Natsumi Fujiwara (Fire Emblem Heroes’ Clarisse and Raigh)
• Momoka Yashiro: Nene Hieda 
• Sera: Haruka Terui (Super Robot Wars V’s Charlotte, Croixleur Sigma’s Katarina)
• Kyoya Kujo: Jun Kasama 
• Rommel: Sho Hayami (Macross’ Maximillian Jenius, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures: Stardust Crusaders’ Vanilla Ice)

Overall, the staff for Build Divers looks great and we should be getting some great Mobile Suit designs as well. My only concern is that its quality might be equal to Build Fighters Try since its director is back. Not that it was a bad show, but it wasn’t as good as the original Build Fighters series. If anything, I’ll look forward to seeing more of Rommel the weasel’s performance this Spring.

“Gundam Build Divers” TV Anime Dives into Battle in Spring of 2018 [Crunchyroll]