Franchise history'Gundam' franchise: A brief overviewThe Gundam franchise is one of the most popular anime series in history, having significantly popularized the mecha subgenre. Set in the Universal Century, it follows a future where humanity lives in space and conflict erupts between Earth and its colonies. The conflict is fought by pilots using giant fighting robots called mobile suits. The original Mobile Suit Gundam series was released in 1979 and has since spawned 83 animated shows and films, along with a $600 million merchandising business.