Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
"Gundam Wing" was a greater success in North America, however, and is credited with single-handedly popularizing the "Gundam" franchise among Western audiences. Just over a week after its premiere on Cartoon Network on March 6, 2000, the series was the top rated program in all age groups. During the summer of 2000, it remained as the first or second top-rated show among kids and teens during its twelve airings per week on the Toonami block. "Gundam Wing" was ranked the 73rd best animated series by IGN, calling the series "so good that even those opposed to anime have to give the show its due credit".
History of anime
Alongside its super robot counterpart, the real robot genre was also declining during the 1990s. Though several "Gundam" shows were produced during this decade, very few of them were successful. The only "Gundam" shows in the 1990s which managed an average television rating over 4% in Japan were "Mobile Fighter G Gundam" (1994) and "New Mobile Report Gundam Wing" (1995). It wasn't until "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED" in 2002 that the real robot genre regained its popularity.