Correct Century

Characters, technology, and setting of the "Correct Century" timeline, where Turn A Gundam takes place

The Correct Century (aka Seireki) is the fictional timeline of the anime television series Turn A Gundam and its related projects.

Seireki is the theoretical result of a merging of the other timelines seen in Gundam prior to Turn A. Set in an indeterminate number of years into the far-flung future, the Seireki (True History) is a universe in which all technology on Earth and human civilizations in space, except for the Moon, were destroyed – the culmination of mankind's "Black History." As a result, the technological level on Earth in this timeline is comparable to that of the Real World in the early 1900s.

In stark contrast to the backwards nature of Earthlings is the almost Utopia society of the Moonrace – a futuristic society which has changed the barren landscape of the moon into a paradise. The Moonrace is the only group which has advanced to the point of having their own Mobile Suits: the people of Earth only find Mobile Suits as relics of the far-flung past in archaeological digs, such as the MS-06 Zaku II (referred to as MS-06 Borjarnon by the Luzianna Militia) and the titular machine of Turn A Gundam, referred to by the characters as the White Doll.

Seireki hints several times at the fact its past is the culmination of events from every previous Gundam series; however, the full truth is sealed away in the chronicles of the Black History, which is hidden on the moon – with confirmation in the form of footage of pivotal battles from the previous Gundam series. An attempt to recreate the Black History by Gym Ghingham becomes the focus of Turn A Gundam's plot when it nears its climax.

Overview

∀ Gundam takes place in the year Correct Century 2345 (正暦2345年, Seireki 2345, or CC 2345), in a different calendar system than the previous Gundam projects. Seireki is a wordplay on the Japanese term for the Common Era (C.E.) Western calendar system (西暦; also pronounced Seireki). The English acronym CC is Correct Century (コレクトセンチュリー?) in the official Japanese ∀ guide book, and "Correct Century" in English in the 2001 Correct Century: A Bibliographical Study of "Black History," as the black-paged introduction of Gundam Officials.[1]

After the end of Victory Gundam in early 1994, Yoshiyuki Tomino took a five-year hiatus from Gundam anime (although he created the story for the Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam manga during that time). In 1999, he returned to the Gundam franchise with the 50-episode series ∀ Gundam (read as "Turn A Gundam") as part of Sunrise's "Gundam Big Bang" 20th Anniversary celebration. Set in Correct Century (CC) 2345, this series tells the story of a war between space colonists calling themselves "the Moonrace," who wish to colonize Earth, and the Militia forces, which use the ancient ∀ Gundam to retaliate.

∀ Gundam is a dramatic departure from the franchise in many ways. Instead of being set in an era of high technology, it is set in a future that has regressed to the early 20th century. Also, the unorthodox design of the title suit comes courtesy of American designer Syd Mead, best known for his work on the film Blade Runner. The series also features the musical talents of Yoko Kanno, who previously worked on Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop, and Tomino's own series Brain Power'd.

The series finished its run in early 2000, and in 2002, Tomino directed two compilation films, entitled Earth Light and Moonlight Butterfly. Both the TV series and the movies are now available on DVD in Japan. Part one of the TV series was released in the U.S. in June 2015, and Part 2 was released in August 2015. The movie collection followed soon after, in November 2015.

Cast & Crew

• Loran Cehack/Laura Rolla - Romi Park (朴璐美)
• Dianna Soreil, Kihel Heim - Rieko Takahashi (高橋理恵子)
• Sochie Heim - Akino Murata (村田秋乃)
• Harry Ord - Tetsu Inada (稲田徹)
• Guin Sard Lineford - Tsuyoshi Aobane (青羽剛)
• Keith Laijie - Jun Fukuyama (福山潤)
• Gym Ghingham - Takehito Koyasu (子安武人)
• Merrybell Gadget - Rio Natsuki (夏樹リオ)
• Gavane Goonny - Yoshitada Ōtsuka (大塚芳忠)
• Meme Midgard - Ryuji Mizuno (水野龍司)
• Sid Munzer - Akio Nojima (野島昭生)
• Muron Muron - Fumihiko Tachiki (立木文彦)
• Yanny Oviess - Takuya Kirimoto (桐本琢也)
• Joseph Yaht - Setsuji Satō (佐藤せつじ)
• Corin Nander - Yasuhiko Kawazu (川津泰彦)
• Cancer Kafka - Urara Takano (高乃麗)
• Niven Horace - Hirohiko Kakegawa (掛川裕彦)
• Phil Ackman - Tsuyoshi Koyama (小山剛志)
• Teteth Halleh, Linda Halleh - Yumi Tōma (冬馬由美)
• Fran Doll - Kumiko Watanabe (渡辺久美子)
• Poe Aijee - Yumiko Nakanishi (中西裕美子)
• Bruno - Kazunari Tanaka (田中一成)
• Sam, Jacop - Hidenari Ugaki (宇垣秀成)
• Lily Borjarno - Ai Kobayashi (小林愛)
• Will Game - Kenichi Sakaguchi

Staff

• Director - Yoshiyuki Tomino
• Character Designer - Akira Yasuda, Yoshihito Hishinuma
• Art Director - Shigemi Ikeda
• Mecha Design - Atsushi Shigeta, Kunio Okawara, Syd Mead, Takumi Sakura
• Sound Director - Yota Tsuruoka
• Music - Toshiaki Ohta, Yoko Kanno
• Producers - Hideyuki Tomioka, Takayuki Yoshii, Yoshihiro Suzuki

CC (Seireki) Projects

• Turn A Gundam (Anime)
• ∀ Gundam: Wind of the Moon (Manga)
• Turn A Gundam (Manga) (Manga)
• Turn A Gundam (Manga) (Tokita) (Manga)
• Turn A Gundam I: Earth Light (1st Compilation Movie)
• Turn A Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly (2nd Compilation Movie)
• ∀ Gundam (Novel) (Novel)
• ∀ Gundam (Novel 2) (Fukui) (Novel)
• ∀ Gundam: Episodes (Novel)

Chronology

8,000 pre-C.C.

Anno Domini ends, and the Universal Century begins.

c. 5,000 pre-C.C.

The Universal Century ends. Much of the Earth is devastated due to constant warfare.

X00 pre-C.C.

The Black History begins. A war between the peoples of the Earth and space occurs that lasts for centuries and causes immeasurable devastation.

0 C.C.

The Black History is brought to an end. With the Turn X Gundam defeated, the Turn A Gundam uses its Moonlight Butterfly ability to obliterate all advanced technology and return the Earth and human civilization to a pre-industrial state.

1640 C.C.

On Earth, technology has returned to the point that sailing ships dominate trade and warfare on the oceans.

2045 C.C.

Dianna Soreil first proposes resettling the Moonrace on Earth, but Agrippa Maintainer opposes her plans.

2225 C.C.

Will Game born.

2245 C.C.

Dianna Soreil goes to Earth, where she meets Will Game. She is forced to return to the Moon and enter suspended animation before Will can return from an expedition and propose to her. Around this time, the Moonrace sends a test group of colonists called Red Team to Earth, and brings a number of willing Earth families to the Moon.

2270 C.C.

Syd Munzer born.

2310 C.C.

Michael Gern born.

2317 C.C.

Yanny Oviess born.

2319 C.C.

Will Game III born.

2320 C.C.

Phil Ackerman born.

2322 C.C.

Joseph Yaht born.

2325 C.C.

Poe Aijee born.

2326 C.C.

Guin Sard Lineford born.

2327 C.C.

Harry Ord and Miashei Kune born.

2328 C.C.

Loran Cehack, Fran Doll, Keith Laijie and Kihel Heim born.

2329 C.C.

Lily Borjarno born.

2330 C.C.

Sochie Heim born.

2343 C.C.

Loran Cehack, Fran Doll and Keith Laijie are sent to Earth by the Moonrace as observers. They take up residence in Vicinity Town and Nocis City. Moonrace officials also contact Guin Sard Lineford via radio to negotiate in preparation for the Moonrace's Return.

2345 C.C.

The Moonrace begins the Return, and Dianna Counter forces land outside Nocis City. The “White Doll” (WD-M01 System ∀-99 ∀ Gundam) is reactivated during the Coming Of Age ceremony, and the Moonrace and Amerians go to war. Dianna Soreil is reawakened from suspended animation, her biological age only 19, and journeys to Earth aboard the Soleil.

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