TBF, Mags, you have been doing a lot of the heavylifting for the quest, so this will be in good hands.
To be clear to everyone, this is just me burning out on imagination of the quest, since my muse has been hitting me over the head a lot with so many different ideas that I just can't find myself too interested in this.
I'll still hang out here, though, since this still does have a sepcial place in my heart.
I'd like to thank you all for making this a wonderful experience while it lasted.
I'd also like to thank @Magoose, @Fluffy_serpent, and @Martin Noctis for doing so much to help prepare and write this quest. I couldn't have done it without you all.
Sure, I'm willing to close the floodgates. The only thing though is that maybe new release omakes could still be considered allowed so that we could have updates on things our company releases.
Aside from that, I'm alright with pitches being on hold for a while.
Sure, I'm willing to close the floodgates. The only thing though is that maybe new release omakes could still be considered allowed so that we could have updates on things our company releases.
Aside from that, I'm alright with pitches being on hold for a while.
Mobile Suit Gundam Created By: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Directed By: Yoshiyuki Tomino and Don Bluth
Stuidio: Dreamworks
Distribution: Paramount Television Service
Original Release: September 1978-July 1979
Gundam:
Quality: D100 + 300 => 380
Gundam in Japan
Audience:D100 + 50 => 150
Critic:D100 + 50 => 129
America:
Audience: D100 + 100 => 194
Critics: D100 => 41+100=141
Amuro Ray: Mark Hamill/Toru Furuya Char Aznable: Michael Kospa/Shuici Ikeda Sayla Mass: Jodie Foster/Yo Inoue Bright Noa: Chris Kalhoon/Hirotaka Suzuoki Mirai Yashima: Janet Waldo/Fuyumi Shiraishi Fraw Baw: Sherry Alberoni/Rumiko Ukai Ryu Jose: Jerry Houser/Shozo Iizuka Kai Shiden: Casey Kasem/Toshio Furukawa Hayato Kobyashi: Tony Oliver/Kiyonobu Suzuki Martin Webber: Keith David/Akira Kamiya Sleggar Law: Dan Woren/Tessho Genda
Merchendising: $430,413,360 Lucasfilms Cut: $215,206,680 Lucasfilms Ad Revenue: $53,164,245
Oh. My. God. Yoshiyuki Tomino made one of the greatest television shows of all time with Mobile Suit Gundam. It was by far the definitive greatest cartoon, or should you more properly say anime in history. It was also now yours and George's favorite tv show. For the past two years America had been begging for another Star Wars along with a direct sequel. All of the studios tried and failed, and along came Dreamworks with its second animated show that captured everything that made Star Wars great while cementing itself as a unique and separate work, in some cases performing greater than Star Wars in certain aspects where it was weak or lacking. It took both America and Japan by storm, and you had a feeling that by the end of the decade it could stand in the same tier of cultural prowess as Star Wars with Newtypes and Mobile Suits being in the same league as Jedi and Starfighters.
Before the show or its success could be talked about however, first the story would need to properly begin with an exploration into Paramount Televsion Service. The much hyped "Fourth Network", PTVS had been born in the aftermath of Star Wars with one purpose in mind, to act as the station for Star Trek Phase II. The original plan had called for PTVS to only show new programming on Saturday which would just be Star Trek Phase II for the first year and from there the only other content on the station would be Paramount reruns on Saturdays and 30 movies from Sunday to Friday. A very bold strategy which even if Phase II was the greatest show on the air would lead to a a large risk of failure.
Unfortunately for Paramount, Phase II was proving to be the most troublesome production since MASH season 1, though thankfully they at least had some scripts every episode and from what you heard no one was at least in danger of dying in a fire. There was a constant clash of egos on set, Gene Roddenberry was micromanaging the production crew, scripts were delayed in issuing, there was a hellish contract battle with Leonard Nimoy, sets were breaking down, it was a mess that brought you PTSD flasbacks of MASH Season 1 whenever you heard mentions. Making matters worse was that Paramount wanted to have its cake and eat it with a Star Trek movie series also with the original cast which would run concurrently, which again brought contract hell. Phase II was set for release sometime in the summer or fall of 1979, a whole year behind schedule when it was supposed to be released in April of '78.
This in and of itself would be bad, but Barry Diller was facing growing pressure from his bosses of Gulf Western by the day who were annoyed at the continued money sink of PTVS with no results. Unfortunately for Paramount, while they did have two of the biggest shows on TV with Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley, both were contract locked by ABC who was refusing to let go their two biggest ratings pools. Apparently Barry Diller was inches away from the chopping block, and then along came a Japanese angel in Yoshiyuki Tomino who promised Paramount that they would have a Star Wars cartoon with giant robots.
Tomino had been sent there by Mike to lend a helping hand to his old boss with Gundam as Diller's lifeline and to build connections with Paramount after Mike managed to build a triumvirate with Disney and Columbia. The word "Star Wars cartoon" helped to cool down tensions immensely, even if it wasn't a Star Wars proper, and thus Mobile Suit Gundam accidentally became the flagship of PTVS. Gundam would have a primetime slot of 7 p.m on Saturdays with Robin's breakout show Mork and Mindy to immediately follow so the too Sci-Fi shows could play well off of each other. At 8 it would be Taxi and Grandpa Goes to Washington. It was a whole lot of trust placed upon you and fortunately Gundam would deliver and go beyond Paramount's wildest dreams.
To start off with the story was an amazing space opera and war show. It was like a combination of the epicness and fantasy of Star Wars with the humanity and war introspective of MASH. Whereas Star Wars was WWII in space painted over a serial adventure, Gundam was a World War II anime in space mixed in with elements of Homer's Odyssey and the magic of Star Wars. The show was set in the far future of Universal Century 0079, where a deadly war was waged between the Earth Federation and the rebellious Principality of Zeon, the former a corrupt one world democracy and the later a colonial populist Fascist dictatorship. Through Zeon's usage of the mobile suit, they have been dominating the war but the Federation has been building a secret weapon in its first mobile suit, the RX-78-2 Gundam. To stop the Federation, Zeon deploys one of its elite aces Char Aznable, the Red Comet to Side 7 to destroy it. In the process the Gundam gets in the hands of teenager Amuro Ray, taking him on an epic journey across the solar system with the White Base in a mission to stop Zeon and end the war once and for all.
It was borderline ridiculous that Tomino insisted that he was a total amateur compared to George Lucas when he was roughly equal to George in writing talent. Tomino made what was perhaps the most ambitious show in history with a complex narrative that wanted to show the horrors of war, critique Fascism and impeiralism, do an introspective on the morality of warfare, deal with trauma of soldiers and civilians, show how soldiers adapted to grief and loss, give a lesson on the cyclical nature of history, explore power and government authority, and touch deep philosophy of the human condition and the potential of peace through common understanding. Somehow Tomino was able to weave all of these complex themes together into a plot that spoke and resonated deeply with the viewer while still making it a relatively fun, exciting and nerve-wracking experience accessible to all ages. Gundam may have been a cartoon, but it was one of the most mature, nuanced, deep and impactful tales of both science fiction and war that resonated with almost everyone who watched. Disney's War of the Worlds was a damn good movie in its own right, but it was but a pale shadow of how Gundam paid homage to Star Wars and became a beautiful work of art on its own.
Partnered with Tomino's masterful script was perhaps some of the most beautiful animation you had ever seen in your life. The most common description most gave of Gundam was "Cinematic", but in a way it was almost an insult for nothing Disney made could come close to Gundam. You continously called Akira Kurosawa's cinematography as painting like, but in Gundam's case it was literally true with each frame belonging in a museum. Don Bluth has certainly cemented himself as a living legend and perhaps the greatest artist in the industry. He managed to make a beautiful and iconic style that was an awesome fusion of classic Disney and Japanese anime with a signature Don Bluth touched. Aided by George's computers, and the quality of Gundam looked to be years ahead of its time. Further helping the animation was distinct designs created by a talented quartet of Yushikazu Yasuhiko, Kunio Okawara, Noburo Ishiguro and Ralph McQuarrie himself which was Star Wars' near equal in art direction.
For the entire series, the three main strengths of Gundam could be said to be its action, scale and character designs. Somehow despite being a man whose previous portfolio was layout for lesser tv shows and making his directorial debut, Don Bluth had all the talent of a seasoned veteran and really ensured that Gundam was above all else a war anime. The awesome power of the mobile suits was felt in every scene, the White Base was a beast that moved and acted like a Star Destroyer in the shape of a pegasus. The battles from the greatest of campaigns to the up close and personal were raw and exciting with some of the best pacing. Don and Tomino really knew how to show the proper scale of World War II in space, really going for that grand campaign feel that George so desperately wanted with Star Wars and somehow all keeping the focus on the character and having high detail in each frame in the background and forefront in masterful balance. The character designs and animation were all pretty innovative, really showing the strengths of animation with the characters displaying fantastic emotions which weren't physically possible and yet having the quality and detail that made them feel heavily realistic and relatable.
Of course, what good are characters and story without proper voices, and here the voice cast was almost as amazing as that of Star Wars, giving equal if not greater quality to most live action actors. From what you saw first of the Japanese Dub there was a regal theater-like quality to the voice cast that kept you and those not fluent in Japanese gripped, supposedly voiced by some of Japan's best voice actors. Then there is the American cast which is an interesting mix of Hanna-Barbera veterans, unknowns and a few famous stars mixed in. Most surprising was the casting of Mark Hamill as Amuro Ray, with Mark's lead billing really helping Gundam to get a large audience from the start. You were shocked considering Mark had once told you that he wanted to do his best to avoid being typecasted as Luke, but apparently Tomino was a really charismatic and persuasive guy who helped Mark to fall in love with the story in the same way he did after reading Star Wars' final draft. Additionally, he really wanted to break out into voice acting but was unable to get hired for War of the Worlds and found all the other animation projects to be poor copycats whereas Gundam was high quality. A decent pay check and being able to work a 9 to 5 and come home to his fiancé didn't hurt as well. While Mark made some sense, you couldn't have fathomed your future Batgirl and Taxi Driver alumnus Jodie Foster being the female protagonist of Sayla Mass. During lunch break while filming Batman, Jodie explained that she had done some previous voice work with the animated Addams Family and the Chan Clan. She enjoyed both roles and as a soon to be woman, wanted to break out into voice acting to have some career security when she could no longer be used for child roles. That and she blushingly admitted she had become a huge fan of Lucasfilms as a studio and wanted to be in as many productions as she could, even if it was through Dreamworks.
Everyone in the cast brought the script and characters to life perfectly, giving you many a scene that on its own beat out some of film's most iconic moments. Mark and Jodie were the two clear stars of the show, both giving their absolute best and proving their worth as the leads with their sheer talent shining through in each line of dialogue which was helped by the artistic character animation. Honestly, Mark was starting to scare you somewhat as his performance as Amuro was near equal to his role as Luke and in your opinion outperformed most of your roles with Mark really capturing Amuro's character growth as a teen thrust into war beautifully. You had a feeling that several careers were going to be launched high or born from Gundam, two prominent cases being Casey Keesum who finally got to break his stoner doofus typecasting and Michael Kospa who in spite of being just a simple radio DJ transformed Char Aznable into a peer of Darth Vader and one of the best villains of all time, dominating his scenes with charisma and playing beautifully off of Mark as the hero, capturing you with his smooth and suave voice that was laced with villainy and a cool edge.
With all of these factors combined making a great work of art, it was no wonder Gundam was successful. In Japan, Gundam was THE number one show and was dominant on the airwaves with an average of 40 million viewers with Japanese of all ages watching. Gundamania was insanely strong based off of the Japanese newspapers you read and the word of Toho and Sunrise, making it pretty much a repeat of when Star Wars the islands' obsession the year prior, though in some ways Gundam fever was higher due to the fact that it was a weekly 52 episode show and it was a co-production of a native animation studio with Sunrise overnight becoming hailed as the kings of anime much to the jealousy of their peers.
Gundam would keep up a similar performance in America, though the public wasn't quite as obsessed as Japan was, but it was still the talk of Sundays and a hotspot for Saturday night TV. Gundam would consistently perform in the Top 10 of the Nielsen ratings, an incredible feat for a animated show which not even the Flintsones, Jetsons or Scooby-Doo could pull off. Overall it would wind up in 8th place for the Nielsen of 25.3, coming just below MASH with Robin's show of Mork and Mindy astonishingly performing higher in 3rd place, a fact that he liked to jokingly brag about whenever you talked. Gundam and Mork and Mindy helped to really establish PTVS as a proper fourth network with tens of millions of families subscribing and with its prime time slot, Gundam was the first show that many households gathered together on Saturday night, even gaining some fans from those who wanted to watch Mork and Mindy and Taxi. It was just amazing to see so many people take an animated show with proper respect from all ages. With this and War of the Worlds, maybe animation would soon have the respect it deserved.
Culturally while not as close as Star Wars thanks to so many people just refusing to watch a "Cartoon" in the first place, Gundam was making its waves across entertainment and American culture. Gundam was competing with Star Wars merch in stores. According to Joely and Tricia it was all the talk of the schools even if some parents didn't want their kids watching such a violent show. Adults at work would talk about Gundam by the water cooler. Overnight Disney Animation, Blue Sky Studios and Hanna-Barbera got fat checks from investors to go wild and make the next Gundam, giant robots and space or not. Amuro, Char, Bright, Sayla and many of the shows characters were becoming household names. And weirdly enough a lot of kids and young adults had...massive crushes on a good chunk of the main cast? Char was insanely popular with teenage girls and young women, boys fought over whether Sayla or Fraw Baw was better for Amuro while men praised Mirai. Bright and Sleggar were two sides of the dreamboat coin. Sure you had childhood crushes but this was on a whole different level. What the hell was shipping, waifus and husbandos? You were also becoming very worried for Carrie when she constantly needed you to act as translator to some pillow manufacturers in Japan and spent many nights designing Char bodypillows.
Perhaps most profoundly was the reaction you received from the many veterans of the O'Reiley Foundation, American and Vietnamese. As Gundam continued to air, your fan mail box was incredibly stuffed to an equal level of Star Wars with as many vets writing to you as your final season of MASH. Apparently in spite of its fantastical setting as a work of science fiction, the story of Gundam which didn't shy away from the horrors of war and the experiences of soldiers and civilians of all sides deeply struck a chord with veterans in a way that only MASH compared. While MASH focused on the suffering and misery after the battle, Gundam focused on the human element of those directly in combat. While it wasn't completely realistic, the emotions it produced were with lots of vets cheering White Base in its mission til the end. Gundam seemed to resonate incredibly with South Vietnamese and World War II vets, and in the latter you even received some thanks from Marines and sailors from the Pacific where watching such a show made by a Japanese man helped to heal some of the lingering scars of the war.
For once the critics got it right and anyone who wasn't already biased to see animation as a children's medium and that such mature topics shouldn't be covered was in high praise of Mobile Suit Gundam. There was no contest that Gundam was the best animation show that ever existed, so from that point there were two main questions. Was Gundam better than War of the Worlds as the GOAT of animation and was Gundam superior to all current forms of live action? The former was a hugely debated topic that will likely last for many years to come and be sure to give Disney great headaches going forward. The latter was an interesting conversation as there was a huge debate within the Academy on if Gundam was worthy of being nominated for categories beyond animation, if not a contender for awards such as Outstanding Drama Series. You doubted with all the old farts who made up the electorate that Gundam would sweep, but if Gundam were to be nominated for a plethora of non-animation categories alongside many of the live action greats, that was sure to be a shakeup for Hollywood.
Lastly of note for performance was the profits. While Mike started out the month in a bit of a funk from Hardcore's performance, he was absolutely ecstatic at the revenue that Dreamworks got from Gundam. Over 50 million dollars in ad revenue with a Gundam commercial said to be in the hundreds of thousands. Over 200 million dollars from merch and the only reason why the merch sales weren't greater was because Bandai had almost no capcity to keep up with the insane demands. Even with the recent factory expansions for Star Wars merch orders, they were only able to keep up with a fraction of the demand thanks to an artisan production line and the greater time that went into its quality-focused lineup. Additionally, Bandai had no idea that Gundam would be so popular in America which left them completely stumped on exports. Currently there was talks between Bandai and Kenner for some sort of joint venture to handle Star Wars and Gundam with Bandai for now licensing the brand to Kenner for non-toy items such as shirts, lunchboxes and other novelty merch. Whenever a Bandai Gundam shipment hit the shelves, it was fast to be sold out and you could foresee many fights over Christmas. Interestingly, instead of action figures, Bandai's main line of merch was non-playable "Figurines" of the characters and model kits of the mobile suits called Gunpla. Bandai sent you a Master Grade Gundam and Zaku, and you looked forward to building them over the winter, and perhaps you could start a hobby to share with Mary when she was older.
Now Gundam has been released and you have a second Star Wars. What now? For the near future, Mike has made it his mission to export Gundam to every non-authoritarian country with a tv. He already managed to secure a broadcasting deal with Canada; apparently Amuro was Canadian and Canada was excited to have their very own Luke Skywalker. Mike hoped that by early next year he could get the British isles, Australia and New Zealand, and from there move onto Europe, Latin America and Hong Kong. Mike became very giddy when Tomino revealed that not only did he have plans of a franchise with at least three more shows, but that he was open to Gundam movies and mini-series, even other Gundam "Timelines" separate from the Universal Century on whole new stories. Everyone at Dreamworks was eager to make their own Gundam, but Tomino was adamant that for a proper sequel that the studio wait a while so they could make some proper movies and shows. Besides, apparently Ishiguro's assistant had an idea for a galactic Gundam called Macross?
When you founded Dreamworks, Hollywood had treated it with disdain, laughing at it as a joke, a bi-national studio of misfit toys and exiles lead by a Japanese man who was barely fluent in English. They had believed animation to be a dying medium, children's stories whose heyday went the way of the Disney and Warner Brothers. With Gundam you expanded upon what War of the Worlds had laid down, that animation could tell stories just as powerful as anything in live action, if not better. You made one of the best shows on TV, and the scary part to tinsel town was that Dreamworks hadn't even made its first movie, and it was being Directed by the guy who lead Gundam's animation.
Plenty of people within Lucasfilms had given you funny looks when you announced that Tomino would be head of Dreamworks, and now all of that doubt was completely erased as everyone within the company knew the man was a genius storyteller who helped to resurrect animation. You also think, as you watch the usually stoic Tomino cry and hug George after he just told the man that Gundam was his favorite TV show, that you probably helped the man in ways you never could understand.
But more seriously, this is going to change everything! Gundam premiering in both America and Japan, Paramount a legitimate 4th network, perhaps a greater appreciation for the Anime genre (and I would love it if we could bring Getter Robo to the States), and a semi-confirmation that we got the creator of Macross with us! (Fucking Hell Yes! Here's hoping the movie gets a cinematic release!).
I have to admit, I did not expect many of the names for the Voice Actors, though I should have in retrospect, but the entire saga seems to be one that surpasses the original, and will be rewatched for generations to come.
Mike is irght in being extatic at the knowledge that he has a Franchise that can be milked for so many more sequels, shows, movies, etc.
He already managed to secure a broadcasting deal with Canada; apparently Amuro was Canadian and Canada was excited to have their very own Luke Skywalker
But more seriously, this is going to change everything! Gundam premiering in both America and Japan, Paramount a legitimate 4th network, perhaps a greater appreciation for the Anime genre (and I would love it if we could bring Getter Robo to the States), and a semi-confirmation that we got the creator of Macross with us! (Fucking Hell Yes! Here's hoping the movie gets a cinematic release!).
This is awesome Kaiser Chris! I haven't watched hardcore personally, but I've read and tried to find as much information about the movie. Enough to know that at the very least the worst of the worst was able to be patched up. The idea that it's become the "Ugly Duckling" of Lucasfilms (but we love it anyways!) is hilarious, specially since we can clearly see that it was a success with the amount of money we received.
I do wonder about the poor reception internationally though. Usually it would be the other way around, even more so since Europe would be more relaxed with its norms than America.
Looking forward to what Gundma will be like, I'm sure it's going to be amazing!
It's less that Hardcore is a genuine failure and more that its underperformance in comparison to the rest of the Lucasfilms catalog is something that a spiteful media that was just flicked off by Bruce is gleefully running as some sort of disaster to make it look like Lucasfilms had a disaster when really they just had a normal box office run. The problem is that Lucasfilms is partially a victim of its own success where if anything makes less than 50 million then it's seen as a failure even if it's very profitable. For comparison the next lowest grossing film is Taxi Driver with a budget of 1.9 million and gross of 53 million. It also didn't help that Hardcore is seen as the "Porn film" which to many make it the worst by default.
Although in the end even Lucasfilms' "worst movies" of Five Dates and Hardcore are leagues above most of their competitor's best in terms of money and financial performance so use that what you will.
As for its shit international performance, I got absolutely no clue. Nothing was really playing at this time besides Animal House being out for a month OTL, so maybe Universal just made some damn good original films.
Alright, I've been working on and off on this pitch since the Luke Cage one. Unlike the previous one there hasn't been that much change, mostly because I feel that the Daredevil TV Show's First season was perfection incarnate...save for perhaps Madame Gao and adding the entire plot of the Hand without doing anything with it, save perhaps just saying "They Exist" and then forget about it for so long until they finally needed it. Unlike them, I made sure to limit and only hint at The Hand until the end, where we see what they are and then make use of it for the next show to be shown...that one is going to be my Everest more than likely.
I also disliked how they used the character of Stick. I'm not saying they should have made him a loving, caring part of Matt's past. but neither did they have to make him an unredeemable asshole who just doesn't give a shit about Matt nor anything about his life. I really liked the Frank Miller's adaptation of Stick where he is more of a stoic man, always pushing Matt forward, giving advice, and though he leaves Matt without anything so much as a goodbye, there's nonetheless hints that he did care for him in some level.
Well then, I give you:
TV Pitch: Daredevil GENRE: Action/Legal Drama
SUBGENRE: Science Fiction/Crime
FORMAT: TV Show (1 Season)
Set Up: Based on the Marvel Comics Character created by Stan Lee. It follows the early days of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer-by-day who fights crime as a masked vigilante by night, juxtaposed with the rise of Wilson Fisk, a crime lord who plans to take over the city, both in the criminal sphere and the more lawful one as well. Matt must uncover the sinister conspiracy before Fisk's plans come to fruition, all the while hiding his secret identity, deal with the dichotomy of being a lawyer and a vigilante, as well as keeping his friends safe as they dive deep into the corruption of the city to save Karen Page's life.
Showrunner: Stephen J. Cannel and Frank Lupo Composer: Garry Schyman
Episodes: 13 Episode Length: 47 to 55 Minutes.
During the story, there will be flashbacks showing the past of both Matt and the Kingpin's when thematically appropriate or to the scenes of the show.
Matt Murdock is a blind lawyer who teams up with his college friend, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, in establishing their own firm in Hell's Kitchen after being fired. Unknown to Foggy however, Matt is a vigilante going by the name of "Daredevil" who stalks the night on the lookout for criminals, as well as those who the law cannot reach because of corruption. It is during one of his patrols that Matt discovers an ongoing conspiracy to take over organized crime in the city, while as Matt Murdock he's presented a case by Resident Hector Ayala, who needs help as his building and all the tenants in are on the verge of being evicted with little to no previous warning.
Matt and Foggy soon find themselves embroiled in another conspiracy, but one seemingly related to the one already being investigated by Matt, as he finds the connection between the mastermind behind organized crime and the one behind the eviction of Hector and the tenants is one and the same. The link found thanks to one of their new client, Karen Page, who is being framed for killing a Co-Worker, due to knowing too much about their company's dealings with the mastermind. Matt agree to give her protection as she works with them it uncover more of the conspiracy, soon reaching deeper into the governmental and police departments as they start harassing the young Firm, while also attempting to kill Karen.
The Mastermind, known as Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin, is keeping in the shadows as he has his underling, James Wesley, to deal with the lawyers and the witness. Meanwhile he makes deals with a member from the Yakuza, Nobu Yoshioka, to deal with the vigilante that's been bringing their operation to light. Fisk tries to keep a low profile in order to not be involved in any criminal activities in his bid to take over the city. He meets Vanessa Mariana, an Art dealer, and forms a deep bond with her, which she reciprocates, aiding him in his endeavors.
As Matt delves deeper into the criminal underground he manages to capture one of Fisk's underlings and tries to get him to talk, but is soon ambushed by Nobu Yoshioka, who manages to keep up with him and has no sense of pain. Daredevil manages to defeat him, seemingly killing him, but the underling is deadly wounded, he will soon die unless he gets medical attention. The police soon arrives, tipped off by Fisk, and is manipulated into trying to kill Daredevil. The underling, realizing that he'll die either way, tells Matt about the Kingpin's information network and about Leland Owlsley, who has all info on him, before helping him escape in spite.
Karen and Foggy have been working on the legal side, soon getting the id of Ben Urich, a reporter who's been looking into this for a long time, but is stymied by his own boss, who is in the Kingpin's pockets. Their investigation leads them to the mother of Fisk, now an old dementia ridden woman, who nonetheless manages to let slip one of the Kingpin's secrets; He killed his father when he was child.
The Kingpin decides to go public on the advice of Vanessa, no longer hiding and taking away much from everyone's investigation to get him to jail. Foggy manages to discover Matt's double identity one night when he call him for help after escaping the ambush. Foggy feels betrayed, even as he aids Matt, and tells him that while he can understand why he feels he needs to do this, he cannot agree to the disregard of the law. Their friendship is damaged as Foggy tells him he will be leaving after the current case for Karen is over.
The search for Owlsley is fraught with danger, as Karen nearly dies at Wesley's hands before turning the tables on him and killing him in return. Owlsley betrays Fisk (after trying to poison Vanessa) when he believes he's no longer fit to lead, being killed by him in return. Fisk tries to find all information and men who worked with him, but Matt saves one of them and has him turn himself in to the police. With the evidence of the Kingpins' criminal actions in the hands of the police, Fisk is arrested and taken to prison, but not before nearly escaping thanks to his hidden assets, before Matt appears in his costume and once more apprehends him.
Foggy leaves the firm as he told Matt, returning to his previous position at their old work. Karen remains with Matt, working as his secretary. Urich quits his job, taking an offer from a newspaper "The Daily Bugle". And Matt continues taking on the mantle of Daredevil as he protects the city.
In the night, inside the sewers, the form of Nobu Yoshioka can be seen. His body has many wounds that should have killed him, yet he remains standing. Some of them seem to be healing on their own as well. As he walks through the tunnels he's challenged by a man hidden in shadows, who demands to know what "The Hand" is planning. Nobu is still confident, as he taunts the figure, who does not answer in words, but with a sudden glow that emanates from his fist.
Matt Murdock/Daredevil: He is a man who was blinded in a car accident as a child, which heightened his other senses. After the death of his father he was approached by the elderly and blind Stick, who trained to hone his senses so he can 'see' using them, as well as learning martial arts. Murdock became a lawyer later on, as well as using his skills at night to fight the criminals and those who managed to escape the law as Daredevil. Though sometimes brutal when fighting, he refuses to take a life, and is a man who always strives to save and protect others.
Played by: Mickey Rourke Alternate: Malcolm McDowell
Franklin Percy "Foggy" Nelson: Nelson is witty, fun-loving, and sociable, yet intelligent and professional when the situation demands it. Friends with Matt since College, he appreciates Matt seeing him as an equal and hearing about the beautiful women entangled in his love life. Both were determined to start their own law firm and make a difference, yet Foggy is the more pragmatic of the duo and thinks that they should take cases that actually pays the bills while Murdock wants to take cases that defend only the innocent.
Played by: Jim Belushi Alternate: Albert Brooks
Karen Page: She is a cunning, optimistic woman with a humorous nature and an unshakable loyalty and love for the people closest to her. A former employee of "Union Allied", she discovered its corruption and was framed for murder. She joined Murdock and Nelson when they agreed to aid and represent her, working with them and reporter Ben Urich to expose Fisk afterwards to expose the corruption within. Karens' dive into the investigation aided in finding Fisk's secret which finally put him in jail.
Played by: Sharon Stone Alternate: Geena Davis
Ben Urich: An investigative journalist at the New York Bulletin who specialized in writing exposes on the criminal empires, leading to the arrests of many high-ranking gangsters. A cynical and heavily determined man, he is not a fame or attention-seeker, and is motivated by a high sense of justice towards crime. His work and passion had dimmed due to him taking care of his ailing wife (as well as the blocks put by his boss) until Karen came to him for help in exposing the Kingpin. His investigative knowhow aided greatly in the investigation.
Played by: Mark Linn-Baker Alternate: Eric Roberts
Vanessa Mariana: She is an art dealer who met and became enamored with Fisk. She remained loyal to Fisk even after learning of his criminal empire and vowed to stay with him in the wake of her being poisoned by Leland Owlsley, in his attempt to refocus Fisk's attention away from her. Inquisitive, smart, wide-eyed, humorous, and with strength of character, she is crucial in Fisk nearly getting away and taking over the city, being sent away in the end in order to protect her from the fallout of his incarceration.
Played by: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio Alternate: Terry Farrell
James Wesley: He is the right-hand man and confidant of Wilson Fisk who oversaw the day-by-day activities of his criminal empire. He was tasked with controlling all interests in Fisk's empire, and crossing off anyone who posed a risk, a job he took great pleasure in. Though viewed by others as his subordinate or servant, James Wesley viewed Wilson Fisk as his friend. Wesley looked out for Fisk's well-being not only in business but also in personal and health matters. He dies as he was trying to kill Karen after she finds out too much, only for her to reverse the roles.
Played by: Kris Kristofferson Alternate: Rex Smith
Leland Owlsley: He is a ruthless financier and associate of Wilson Fisk who played a part in Fisk's crusade to take over the city, controlling Fisk's money flow and ensuring that his large profits were almost impossible to trace. He eventually lost faith in Fisk's leadership and attempted to assassinate Fisk's lover Vanessa Marianna in order to refocus him. When Fisk learned of this, he got revenge by killing him. He can be best summed up as a sardonic pragmatist, skeptical and weary of both enemies and allies.
Played by: Roy Scheider
Alternate: Bob Hoskins
Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin: He is a powerful businessman and crime lord with an interest with controlling New York City. Though Shy and introverted by nature, he is nonetheless capable of being extremely persuasive and charismatic when he needs to be. He has a keen understanding of psychology and social dynamics, which allows him to almost effortlessly manipulate people around him and exploit their psychological and emotional weaknesses. His biggest secret is that, when he was a child, he killed his father because he was beating his mother.
Played by: Ray Winstone Alternate: Oliver Reed
Jack Murdock: He was a boxer and the father of Matt Murdock. In an attempt to gain the respect of his son, he refused to throw a boxing match and allowed Matt to claim the winnings from his bet. But this action cost Murdock his life as he was murdered by Roscoe Sweeney and his men. He was a deeply devoted father and wanted his son to have everything that he didn't have while growing up. Jack was a simple man, he didn't have much luck in school which is why he wanted his son to "hit nothing but books" and end up with a good career, unlike himself.
Played by: James Caan
Alternate: Sylvester Stallone
Paul Lantom: He is a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York in New York City who offers up moral guidance and confession to those who come to him, including Matt Murdock, whose identity as Daredevil Lantom identifies and keeps secret. Lantom continues to offer assistance to Murdock throughout his vigilante missions, despite also trying to push him away from them. A man of humor, savvy, and one who has not closed himself to the world but instead embraces it.
Played by: Adam West
Alternate: Lee Van Cleef
Brett Mahoney: He is an officer with the New York City Police Department who assist Nelson and Murdock with their law cases, which eventually leads to an investigation of Wilson Fisk. Being an honest police officer at Hell's Kitchen, Mahoney got into an uneasy alliance with Daredevil. He's usually blocked by detectives Blake and Hoffman, who are in the payroll of the Kingpin, until Hoffman is saved by Daredevil and confesses to everything about his employer.
Played by: Tom Berenger
Alternate: Lance Henriksen
Anatoly Ranskahov: He is a leader of the Russian Mafia in New York City, alongside his brother Vladimir. Seeking to forge a name for themselves in the criminal underworld, the Ranskahovs allied with Wilson Fisk to work on distribution of a new kind of drug. As their operations were at risk because of Daredevil, Anatoly yearned for a closer cooperation with Fisk, although Vladimir opposed the idea. However, Anatoly accidentally embarrassed Fisk in front of Vanessa Marianna, which prompted Fisk to murder him and use his death to destroy the Russian Mafia.
Played by: Eric Allan Kramer
Alternate: Arnold Vosloo
Vladimir Ranskahov: He is a leader of the Russian Mafia, together with his brother Anatoly. Although the Ranskahovs found success moving supplies of heroin for the Yakuza who employed Nobu, when Anatoly was murdered by Wilson Fisk, Vladimir went on a one-man war against him. Matt, knowing he had information on Fisk, went after him and managed to subdue him, only for Nobu to ambush them both. After briefly teaming up with Daredevil, Ranskahov accepted his fate and was gunned down in a final shootout after giving him the information on Owlsley.
Played by: Dolph Lundgren
Alternate: James Remar
Nobu Yoshioka: He is a high-ranking member of the "Yakuza" who worked with Wilson Fisk, sharing in the profits of their criminal activities. While Fisk's criminal empire was threatened by Daredevil, Yoshioka had taken it upon himself to kill the vigilante. During his battle with Daredevil, Yoshioka almost had victory against his enemy, before he was outwitted and burned alive. A calm and confident man, Nobu is revealed at the end to have survived and to be no worse for wear, before being confronted by a mysterious man whose hand glowed.
Played by: Ken Watanabe
Alternate: Sho Kosugi
Hector Ayala: A Hispanic man who was being threatened, along with his neighbors and son, to be evicted. He goes to Nelson and Murdock for aid, giving them the impetus to investigate more once they discover the corruption on United Allied.
Played by: Danny Trejo
Turk Barrett: Small time crook who sells guns to criminals, managed to escape from Luke Cage and find employment under the Ranskahov brothers, before being captured by Daredevil.
Played by: Richard Pryor
Mitchell Ellison: Ben Urich's Boss and the Editor-In-Chief of the New York Bulletin. He was under the Kingpin's employ and squashed any story that may implicate him, he even let them know about Urich's work.
Played by: Harry Dean Stanton
Melvin Potter: An awkward and shy man. Melvin has problems speaking to others and relating to people, preferring to work in his workshop. he helps Daredevil after he saves his one friend, and makes him a suit he wears by the end of the series that serves as both costume and armor.
Played by: Bronson Pinchot
Stick: Matt's blind mentor. Stoic, relentless, always pushing him to improve. Stick helped Matt move forward from his parent's death, and disappeared from his life as mysteriously as he arrived in it.
Played by: Kirk Douglas
A.N.: So, I had the final part hint at Iron Fist being the next TV Show to be made. I kind of want that to be the way to link the shows together, showing first one, then hinting at the next character so they know what to see next, while also making each show their own adventure that does not need previous watching to enjoy, though it would enhance it if you did. I'm guessing that by Season two this will either succeed or will have to be rethinked, but for now it's good enough. As it is, I'll leave it like this for now, and focus on something different for my next pitch.
But more seriously, this is going to change everything! Gundam premiering in both America and Japan, Paramount a legitimate 4th network, perhaps a greater appreciation for the Anime genre (and I would love it if we could bring Getter Robo to the States), and a semi-confirmation that we got the creator of Macross with us! (Fucking Hell Yes! Here's hoping the movie gets a cinematic release!).
I have to admit, I did not expect many of the names for the Voice Actors, though I should have in retrospect, but the entire saga seems to be one that surpasses the original, and will be rewatched for generations to come.
Mike is irght in being extatic at the knowledge that he has a Franchise that can be milked for so many more sequels, shows, movies, etc.
Well technically we've already created the Otakus and Weaboos through our Toho releases, we just got the public hooked on anime, lol. Really hoping to capitalize on this in the near future cause we got Galaxy Express 999 and Lupin III coming out in the near future. But yeah, Tonami probably won't need to exist because a lot of channels are going to be airing anime in the 80s and 90s.
Also if Carrie wasn't already a billionaire by now, her bodypillow empire will definitely make her one by 1980.
Yep, Gundam is definitely going to be one of the most important shows of all time and has cemented itself as the equal of War of the Worlds and Snow White, real damn shame Walt couldn't live to see this ITTL. I think it's safe to say that Gundam will rise to become a multi-billion dollar franchise with rough staying power equal to Star Wars and Star Trek.
PTVS is definitely going to be an interesting competitor, especially once they finally manage to release Phase II. Interestingly in the media world, with PTVS being a thing Viacom doesn't need to purchase CBS anymore so my guess is that once Columbia gets its finances back in order, it's going to buyout CBS and have the station return home to its former parent company.
I'm pretty sure Magoose promised you that Shoji Kawamori is going to work in Lucasfilms, and since he turned 18 this year he likely just moved to LA in the summer and is now working fulltime as Tomino's assistant. So all that's left is to have a pitch.
Finding the voice actors was a tough ordeal and I had to spend over an hour and a half of looking because most current VAs are literal children or haven't been born yet. Magoose promised me that Mark was recruited to become Amuro, so this is a very interesting debut where Mark plays off of his traditional strengths instead of becoming Joker. I got reccomended Jodie Foster by Cyberphilosopher, and at first I thought it was weird but apparently Jodie Foster is a legit VA with previous Hanna-Barbera work. Reading her bio, Jodie seems a very chill and humble person who always took pride in her work no matter how big or small and relished the opportunity to try something new. She was completely free of commitments during this time and I think she would have been intrigued by Mark working on it or the fact that it was Star Wars like and made by Lucasfilms to hop on board.
Gundam is definitely leagues above OTL's show in the same way that Star Wars here is the definitive GOAT in comparison to OTL being simple one of the best. As a reminder, Gundam currently has the second highest quality roll out of the quest, so it literally is better than most movies with only Star Wars and Napoleon being definitively superior.
Gundam definitely has a lot of potential as a franchise. The beauty of Gundam is that the Timelines format means that you can make Gundam shows without Tomino or even set in UC and so long as the main suit is similar in appearence to the RX-78-2 and its setting is Earth and its colonies in the solar system than you can make a Gundam story. Don't know if we're going to hop immediately on board with non-UC projects, but I'm so hyped to make G Gundam and Gundam X.
Well, with this much money (and whatever we get from Conan), we are going to have so much money to reinvest in Lucasfilms... Maybe even buying a few small studios to have a decently sized library of content.
And this has probably eliminated Mike´s fears for the TV studio and channel.
. Overnight Disney Animation, Blue Sky Studios and Hanna-Barbera got fat checks from investors to go wild and make the next Gundam, giant robots and space or not.
Fortunately we have the real deal, and besidesGundam sequels we can always go for Macross, Star Blazers and (once the novels are published in the 80s) Legend of the Galactic Heroes...
Do I tempt fate like every time I possibly roll the dice like what the hell!
Mary gains the trait: Attractive: You have inherited much of the same beauty that made your mother so captivating to the world of cinima. Though you do not know it yet, as you are still a baby. You are incredibly cute though.
Fortunately we have the real deal, and besidesGundam sequels we can always go for Macross, Star Blazers and (once the novels are published in the 80s) Legend of the Galactic Heroes...
