Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
The series aired in Japan on the terrestrial TV Asahi network. It ran for 49 episodes; beginning on April 7, 1995 and ending on March 29, 1996. It received multiple manga adaptations, as well as video games. Four original video animation (OVA) episodes were produced including a retelling of the series, "Operation Meteor", and a direct sequel, "". In 2010, Sumizawa started writing the novel "", another sequel to the series. While the series fared modestly well in Japan, it found greater success in the United States and popularized the "Gundam" franchise in the West.
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
The making of "Gundam Wing" was influenced by "Mobile Fighter G Gundam" with the idea of having five main characters. Originally, the series was meant to be titled "Gundam Meteor" after "Operation Meteor." Bandai suggested having a Gundam with the ability of transforming into a plane-like form. The writers worked together for one week conceptualizing the characters, mobile suits and first 40 episodes. Director Masashi Ikeda reacted to their work comparing it to the first "Gundam" series, "Zeta" and "G" all at once. The series was more focused on drama than mecha, which the staff credits as one of the reasons for the show's popularity within the female demographic.