GUNxSWORD
A 2005 release directed by Goro Taniguchi, GUNxSWORD draws its cues as much from old-school westerns and crime dramas as old-school mecha anime. It follows Van, a man in a black swallowtail suit who drifts from place to place in pursuit of a mysterious man with a giant cybernetic claw who murdered Van's bride and nearly murdered Van himself on Van's wedding day. He's joined on the path by Wendy Garrett, a young woman looking for her missing brother Michael Garrett.
GUNxSWORD
On the world of Endless Illusion, a prison planet established by mysterious ancients, Van pursues revenge for the woman he loved. Over the course of his pursuit, he gains allies who have their own issues with the mysterious man with the claw that Van chases or the entourage the clawed man has gathered. But is Van's satisfaction truly what's best for the world?
Integration Notes
Overview
- GUNxSWORD is one of our early-arriving themes from the Astragius Galaxy. Appable characters' paths took them from Terra, the "Endless Illusion," to the Neo Britannia space colony. Neo Britannia has made its return to the Earth Sphere through Zuvorg space with many hop-ons, including the cast of Expelled from Paradise and several Armored Trooper VOTOMs characters in addition to the major players of GUNxSWORD.
- The reason for Neo Britannia's return to Earth Sphere space have to do with the man with the claw and his pursuit of the "Time of Happiness;" many Neo-Britannian military officers have joined up with the organization supporting the man with the claw, and their arrival has seen that in turn lead to integration with the Gaia Sabers organization.
- Due to returning through a mixture of Fold and Astragian Warp technology, Neo Britannia -- and by extension GUNxSWORD's cast -- passed through Zuvorg space en route. This saw them pick up yet more allies in the form of the cast of Heavy Metal L-Gaim.
- The point at which GUNxSWORD leaves the 'canon rails' is nebulously in the middle, due to Expelled from Paradise and Armored Trooper VOTOMs crashing headlong into it.
World
- Much of the action of the film took place on Terra, a planet extremely suspiciously similar to our Earth but distinct therefrom. Significant swaths of Terra are ruined; an applicant for the man with the claw will be made aware of some additional details about Terra. This Earth is recognizably similar to all parties involved, but less ruined than the Terra they know.
- As a rough outline, themes integrated on Terra in their recognizable states in ways that would have been visible to these characters include Regild Century Gundam, Overman King Gainer and MS Saga: A New Dawn.
- Most Astragian humans have the "Astragian" species tag.
- The man with the claw has the "Ancient Human (Overman)" species tag, as does William Will Woo.
Organizations
- The man with the claw's organization has effectively fully integrated itself into the Neo-Britannian military, or perhaps vice versa. Those following the man with the claw maintain the Gaia Sabers group designation.
- Van and friends have generally taken up with the Yaman Rebellion and its associates.
- Ray remains an independent actor. What a jerk.
Technology and Phenomena
- The Original Seven armors and their satellites are equipped with heretofore unseen levels of warp technology. Unfortunately, all this means is they maintain geosynchronous orbit with wherever an Armor Rider's Armor is.
- The reliance of Original Seven Armors on the pilot's neuroelectricity places them in the Mental unit group.
- Other Armors occupy a similar role on Terra to "super robots" on Earth, and with the exception of those produced by the organization supporting the man with the claw, tend to be one-offs; as a result, they are almost always Manual or Crewed units.
- Terran characters are generally familiar with mobile suits, and indeed many designs from the One Year War up through the Gryps Conflict will be familiar faces!