With the first episode of Gundam: The Origin getting a two week screening starting on February 28th, 2015, Bandai Visual has set an April 24th, 2015 release date in Japan for the DVD and Blu-ray release. Of course, the release is being sold to those who attend the theatrical screening, so copies will be out there to be had in some form. But for those that wait, the details are finally out there. The DVD release will be priced at 5,800 yen while the Blu-ray is priced at 6,800 yen. Neither release is listing English subtitles or dub like we got with Gundam Unicorn. The release is planned to come with a 32 page manga piece and a twelve page booklet. On disc extras so far include just a staff and cast commentary track.

Gundam: The Origin is coming in 2015 as a four part OVA series. This is the adaptation of the lengthy manga series that went back and re-adapted the original TV series with a lot of expansion and detail. The manga, done by well respected mangaka and character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko (who was the character designer on the original series), retells the One Year War storyline from the original anime series. It’s not the first time an anime gets a manga which then gets adapted back into anime. While the original anime series ran back in 1979, the manga adaptation of it in this form didn’t happen until 2001 and it ended in 2011 after the full twenty-three volumes. Viz Media had released some volumes of this before but Vertical started releasing it in 2013.

Plot Concept: It is the year Universal Century 0079, in a space colony the Earth Federation is storing and testing a new piloted robot for use in the battle against the Principality of Zeon. The experimental RX-78 Gundam mobile suit is scheduled to be transported to Federation command in Jaburo, deep within the Brazilian jungles. Unfortunatley, before the transporter would arrive, the Federation would come under attack from Zeon. With few resources available against the Zeon’s most mobile mechs, Federation forces strike back using their new weapon, the mobile suit Gundam.

Caught in the crossfire is a young teen named Amuro Ray. Not willing to see innocent people die like this, Amuro crawls into the cockpit of the closest machine around him. Whether it be a tank, jeep or jet, he was going to use it to help stop this slaughter. And what he happened to slide into was another Gundam. Having never operated a machine like this, what are the chances he can do anything to repel an experienced squad of mech-piloting invaders?