Advance of Zeta: The Flag of Titans

Advance of Zeta: The Flag of Titans (Also abbreviated as "AoZ") is an original story based on the Mobile Suit Gundam series, and serialized in the monthly publications Dengeki Hobby Magazine and Dengeki Daioh. The Dengeki Hobby serial takes the form of a photonovel accompanied by mechanical designs, technical information, and model photographs, while the Dengeki Daioh serial is in manga format. The two serials cover many of the same story events, but some characters and events are depicted only in the photonovel or only in the manga.

Summary
Advance of Zeta is a collaborative project between the staff of Dengeki Hobby Magazine, and the Sunrise animation studio which created Mobile Suit Gundam. The story is by Bin Konno, the mechanical designs by Kenki Fujioka, and the character designs by Takuya Saito. The manga adaptation is by Tatsu Mizuki. The Advance of Zeta sidestory has proven to be a popular and long-running installment to the Universal Century storyline. Numerous model kits and figures have been released, and the serialized material has been published in several collected volumes.

Plot Synopsis
The story follows the Titans Test Team, Black Otter Team, on their mission to test new mobile suits for the Titans. It begins with Eliard Hunter, an Earth Federation mobile suit pilot being assigned to the Titans and transferring to the Aswan, an Alexandria class carrier. There he meets Carl Matsubara, another new Titans recruit, Audrey April a skilled pilot and chief of test operations and data gathering, and Wes Murphy, a veteran of the One Year War and the Delaz Conflict. The Black Otter team doesn’t just carry out test runs, it also participates in real combat missions against Zeon Remnants and later, against AEUG.

Titans Test Team (T3)

 * Eliard Hunter: Hero of the story, He test-pilots most of the featured unit.He has a strong sense of justice.
 * Carl Matsubara: Rival of Eliard Hunter.He is Half-Japanese.
 * Wes Murphy: Captain of the T3.
 * Audrey April: Heroine of the story, although beautiful and intelligent, she is also a capable soldier.
 * Otto Pedersen: Commander of the T3 and the Aswan.
 * Hendrik: The Aswan's maintenance chief.
 * Pete Shelton: Hendrik's assistant mechanic.
 * Kate Ross: Operator onboard the Aswan, appears in Manga only.

Zeon Remnants

 * Gabriel Zola: Former captain of Zeon, joins the AEUG.

Mobile Weapons

 * NRX-044 Prototype Asshimar TR-3 [Kehaar]
 * NRX-044[R] Prototype Asshimar TR-3 [Kehaar]
 * ORX-005 Gaplant
 * ORX-005 Gaplant TR-5
 * ORX-005 Gaplant TR-5 [Fiver]
 * ORX-005 Gaplant TR-5 [Hrairoo]
 * ORX-005 Gaplant TR-5 [Advanced Hrairoo]
 * RGM-79CR GM Kai High Mobility Type
 * RGM-79EW EWAC GM
 * RGM-79Q GM Quel
 * RGM-79Q GM Quel Konpeitoh Army Specification
 * RGM-79Q Hazel Reserve Unit
 * RGM-79SR GM Sniper III
 * RGM-79SR GM Sniper III Cannon Pack Test Type
 * RGM-79SR GM Sniper III High Mobility Type
 * RMS-106C Hizack Cannon w/Armor Unit
 * RMS-117 Galbaldy β High Mobility Type
 * RMS-154 Barzam
 * RMS-179/RGM-79R GM II
 * RX-107 Rosette
 * RX-107 Rosette Enhanced Land Battle Form Prototype
 * RX-107 Rosette Enhanced Land Battle Form
 * RX-107 TR-4 [Dandelion]
 * RX-121 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel]
 * RX-121 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel] Full Armor Form
 * RX-121 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel] High Mobility Form
 * RX-121-1 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom]
 * RX-121-1 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] w/Icarus Unit
 * RX-121-1 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] w/Sniper Unit
 * RX-121-1 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Custom] w/Sub Arm Unit
 * RX-121-1+FF-X29A Gundam TR-1 [Hazel-Rah]
 * RX-121-1+FF-X29A Gundam TR-1 [Hazel-Rah] Second Form
 * RX-121-1+FF-X29A Gundam TR-1 [Hazel-Rah] Second Form w/Booster
 * RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel II] Early Type
 * RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel II]
 * RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Owsla]
 * RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel Owsla] w/Gigantic Arm Unit
 * RX-121-2A Gundam TR-1 [Advanced Hazel]
 * RX-121-3C Gundam TR-1 [Hyzenthlay]
 * RX-124 TR-6 [Dandelion II]
 * RX-124 TR-6 [Fiver II]
 * RX-124 TR-6 [Inle]
 * RX-124 TR-6 [Kehaar II]
 * RX-124 TR-6 [Woundwort]
 * RX-124 TR-6 [Woundwort] High-Speed Fighter Form
 * RX-124 TR-6 [Woundwort] High-Speed Fighter Form Advanced Version
 * YRMS-106 Hizack Pre-Production Type
 * YRMS-106+BL-85X Bizack TR-2 [Bigwig]

Mobile Weapons

 * MS-06F Zaku II [Stutzer]
 * MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai
 * MS-06F2 Zaku II Type F2
 * MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom
 * MS-07H8 Gouf Flight Type
 * MS-09R Rick Dom [Stutzer]
 * MS-14A Gelgoog
 * MS-14A Gelgoog [Stutzer]
 * MS-14B Gelgoog High Mobility Type
 * MS-14F Gelgoog Marine

Trivia

 * Because team leader Wes Murphy is fond of rabbits, all the TR Series machines assigned to the Titans Test Team are given nicknames derived from Watership Down, a novel by Richard Adams which recounts the adventures of a group of rabbits, Hazel, Bigwig, Dandelion, and Fiver are the names of heroic rabbits, Kehaar is a friendly bird who helps them, and Woundwort is a rabbit general who becomes their adversary. Some variants of the TR Series, such as the Gundam TR-1 Hazel-Rah, the Hazel Owsla, and the Gaplant TR-5 Hrairoo, also have nicknames derived from the story. The support vehicle which combines with the Hazel to form the Hazel-Rah is named Hrdudu, which means “machine” in Watership Down’s rabbit language.


 * The story’s flagship mobile suit, the Gundam TR-1 Hazel, can be glimpsed in one scene from the movie “Zeta Gundam III: Love is the Pulse of the Stars.”

Editions

 * First book ISBN: 978-4-8402-4229-5;DENGEKI HOBBY BOOKS
 * Second volume ISBN: 978-4-8402-4230-1;DENGEKI HOBBY BOOKS