Where Can You Watch The Original Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island Episode?
Looking back on the history of anime, there are few franchises so long-lasting that they outlive legends like "Dragon Ball." However, one such anime series is "Mobile Suit Gundam," a franchise that heralds all the way back to 1979. "Mobile Suit Gundam" has spawned an insane amount of video games, anime series, and films along the way.
Set in an alternate history to our own, the "Mobile Suit Gundam" series sees an epic war occurring between a space colony and the peoples of Earth. As powerful sets of battle armor called Gundams are invented, some of the most spectacular yet destructive battles in human history are being waged on both sides of the conflict.
Now, with the latest film in the series, "Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island" making its way to the U.K., the United States, and Canada at last, fans might find themselves wondering where they can watch the original episode of "Mobile Suit Gundam" that the film is based on.
The Gundam creator made it very hard to watch the episode
"Mobile Suit Gundam" Season 1, Episode 15 ("Cucuruz Doan's Island") first aired in Japan back on July 14, 1979. However, the episode has been very difficult for fans to watch since its first airing. Series creator Yoshiyuki Tomino requested that the episode be pulled from all subsequent releases — including most sets of the anime series that are available for fans to purchase.
The reason why Tomino asked that the episode be pulled has been deliberately vague, with the creator suggesting that he couldn't say anything when the subject was broached (via Anime Jump!). "There's a reason, but since the staff is still alive, I can't talk about it," he said cryptically. However, most seem to think that it's due to the low-quality of the animation in the "Mobile Suit Gundam" episode — a theory that certainly lines up with Tomino's comment (via Crunchyroll).
Though there is a set of the original series in Blu-ray format which includes the episode with English subtitles, it currently sits on Amazon for the fairly high price tag of roughly $125 (via Amazon). Sadly, with no streaming sites seeming to have access to the "Cucuruz Doan's Island" episode of "Mobile Suit Gundam," this appears to be the only legal option for fans who want to see the original story that inspired the new film.