NOTICE: This is a mirrored and slightly code-edited copy of the timeline originally found at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/8934/Timeline.html, as that file no longer exists. As such, this page uses code that was backed up at Archive.org, specifically this capture. As such, this page may differ from other, later captures, or the copy of the page as it existed before Geocities ceased operations.



Kishiro's Timeline
From the Gunnm Reissue, vol. 2

First draft finished!!!


What follow are some comments on and translations from the glossary notes of the reissue of Gunnm, volume 2 (of 6). Boy ain't that a mouthful! Nothing compared to the agony of translating those first couple timeline entries though, More on that later.

First a few notes from the mailing list...

However, the Japanese publishing company is going to
>reprint the Gunnm tankoubons into 6 books (instead of the 9 they are
>now). Apparently, Kishiro didn't just make the one page per GN of
>tech-notes that we know about. He had written up hundreds of pages
>before even starting the comic. The Japanese company (Young Jump for those keeping track) is splitting the
>completed tech notes into five parts, to be put at the end of the first
>five of the new tankoubons.

Indeed. These additional tech notes are now entitled Gunnm Works I managed to get hold of volumes 2 and 3 of the reissue during mim-March. At a hefty 2500 yen plus tax, it is only a little smaller than one of the weekly phone books called Shonen Jump. Which is to say, the Gunnm reissue is printed in the original size, not the mini-tankoubon that we usually see. A major benefit of this is that those of us with poor kanji skills can actually read the kanji and kana! None of this micro-script like I see in my Rurouni Kenshin tankoubon.

To get on: Volume two contains Kishiro's timeline of events, a number of character sketches and Panzer Kunst techniques. As the timeline covers pre-history as well as the entire line of Gunnm events, there may be a few

* * * S P O I L E R S * * *

below if you haven't devoured all your tankoubon or GNs. Consider yourself warned. As the following notes are mostly off a quick read-through with limited kanji, and I don't have my tankoubon or GNs with me in Japan, I may make a few errors. Most entries will be incomplete, but at least point in the right area.


Those letters stand for Before Koyomi and Anno Koyomi, by the way.

Without further ado,

G U N N M   W O R K S (PART 2).

GUNNM TIMELINE

Before current calendar Before current calendar - The roots for the future artificial intelligence computer Melchizedik are laid in North America; A geocatastrophy strikes the Earth. There is a pole shift, a shift/change in the Earth's crust (*1), a rise in sea level and several other big disasters.
(*1) this was a heck of a difficult passage to translate. One or two of the kanji weren't in my Kodansha dictionary (usually an excellent source), while for the crust change I found all the parts but not the 4-sum kanji. It's not earthquake; I suspect he means major tectonic activity. -Ed.
BK 440 Melchidezik's plan for the revival/reconstruction of humanity begins
In part of North America, a second civilization begins to flower..
BK 370 Orbital and moon colonies constructed.
BK 345 Orbital ring, elevator system "Jacob's ladder" constructed.
BK 340 Helium3 nuclear dusion rocket realized.
BK 330 Mars colony constructed.
BK 315 Venus orbital space colony constructed.
Terraforming of Venus begun.
BK 300 Jupiter's Galileo satellite colony constructed.
Hereafter the skills for complete cyborg replacement are developed.
BK 290 Mars' "Machine First Technique" (Panzer Kunst?) originated.
BK 260 Jupiter-Galileo Federation, Toposhpere construction begun.
BK 230 Melchizedik - orbital elevator reorganization / reconstruction "Ieeru," "Zalem" constructed.
BK 220 Melchizedek "Star Period" (eh? Sic) ship construction begins.
At same time, sun low orbit (?)
BK 195 Factory system begins operation.
Oppression causes the oral tradition of "Machine Klatsch" to die out.
BK 180 Village(s) spawned on the outskirts of the Factory.
BK 170 Village population increases.
Kuzutetsu-machi (Scrap Iron City) is instructed to grow.
? ? ? (note: is hailed/accosted in order to grow)
BK 160 Factory Deckmen and public peace and order system introduced in Kuzutetsu-machi (Scrap Iron City).
BK 150 The business of combat begins on Earth. Literally, it translates as "the enterprise of hand to hand combat." I interpret this as the beginning of the combat circuits and coliseums.
BK 130 First Motorball Circuit established in the Western ward of Scrap Iron City.
BK 50 "Hydro Wall" is developed/constructed in the area surrounding Scrap Iron City.
BK 16 Dr. Nova flees Zalem (Salem as it is printed in the reissue - I think most of us know that by now, though.)
BK 15 Yugo is born.
BK 14 Kaos is born.
BK 7 Ido exiled from Zalem
BK 5 Jashugan and Esdoc crash (big accident) while rolling through a crowded area (course or stands not specified)
Dr. Nova conducts brain reconstruction on Jashugan allowing him to become Motorball Champion.
Also, Yugo's brother dies courtesy of Clive.
BK 3 Nova gives Makaku his worm body.
Yugo, Vector meet; Yugo finds his brother's hand.
BK 1 Biggott's TUNED plan - A thousand TR-55 models are prepared, released upon the Earth.
AK Initial Year Ido pulls Youko out of the Scrapheap, names her Gally.
Koyomi is born (of course!).
Gally becomes a Hunter-Warrior, defeats Makaku.
AK 2 Gally and Yugo fall in love.
Yugo is scattered to the sky.
Gally joins Motorball, fights Jashugan.
Gally collects bounty on Zapan. (I'll recheck this one.)
AK 3 Bar "New Kansas" opens for business
AK 4 Zapan obtains beserker body
AK 9 Barjack, Radio Kaos (begin?)
AK 11 Buick hooks up with Barjack
AK 12 Barjack to Farm 21, Ido... I'm not quite sure what to make of this entry without some work in my kanji dictionary.
AK 14 Gally, Fogira meet; Koyomi joins Barjack; Gally finds Ido
AK 16 Bar "Kansas 4" opens for business
AK 19 Lou, Kaos marry

Since I'm running on memory, a few of the above might need correction; I'm especially foggy about the events around AK 14. The last several GNs inclusive, to be honest.
Corrections are of course welcome.

-------------------------------

CHARACTER SKETCHES

Some of the characters might have looked quite diferent than they do. Many, especially the Motorballers, have only one well-detailed sketch. A couple notes from the sketches:

Den runs about 10-11 meters tall

One development sketch for Vector looks strikingly like Dr. Nova - hair, spectacles (as such)....

Kimji incarnations include an owl, a chipmunk, and a koala-eared mouse with a tuft of fur at the end of its tail.

Also included are sketches of various monsters and opponents in the PSX "Gunnm: Memory of Mars" game.

Kishiro also has three pages showing different Panzer Kunst techniques. As he would have little need to draw them for the manga, I suspect these were for the benefit of the game programmers.

----------------------------

Well, that's about it. I make no promises on a full and more accurate translation. That depends on my mood and how studious I'm feeling over the next two weeks. Hope this has proved worth your while. Personally, I rather enjoyed seeing Kimji as a rodent. (^.^)


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