Gundam Seed Freedom Zero Novel Set for January 19 Release
Liu Goto returns to write the adaptation, with illustrations by Tomofumi Ogasawara.
Kadokawa lists a novel adaptation of Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM ZERO for January 19. The prequel film opens January 15 in Japan and February 2027 in North America.
Kadokawa’s listing schedules the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM ZERO novel for January 19. The book adapts the anime film prequel to Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM.
Amazon Japan also lists the novel. Liu Goto, who wrote FREEDOM’s screenplay and novel adaptation, is writing the new book.
Goto’s novelization credits include:
- Mobile Suit Gundam Seed
- Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny
- Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM
Tomofumi Ogasawara, who illustrated the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed novelization, is drawing the illustrations for the novels. The FREEDOM novel adaptation concluded with its second volume, which shipped in March 2024.
The FREEDOM ZERO film opens in Japanese theaters on January 15, followed by North American theaters in February 2027.
A teaser announced the prequel in November 2024 during FREEDOM’s second round of special edition screenings in Japanese theaters.
Three guests appeared at a stage greeting during the first screening announcing the prequel:
- Director Mitsuo Fukuda
- Producer Hisakazu Naka
- Sōichirō Hoshi, the voice of Kira Yamato
They revealed that screenwriters Chiaki Morosawa and Shigeru Morita wrote the prequel’s scenario while planning FREEDOM itself. Fukuda said the FREEDOM ZERO script had been completed 20 years earlier.
The prequel’s storyboards were nearly halfway finished, with the oldest predating FREEDOM’s storyboards. Dialogue recording had also been completed.
Fukuda added that staff originally planned FREEDOM ZERO as an original video anime (OVA) 20 years earlier. At the time of those remarks, they had yet to decide how to present it.
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM opened in Japan in January 2024 and debuted at #1 at the Japanese box office.
It sold 634,182 tickets and earned 1,065,983,130 yen (about US$7.20 million) in its first three days. That marked the Gundam franchise’s highest three-day opening by box office earnings.
FREEDOM is also the highest-earning Gundam film ever in Japan.
Bandai Namco Filmworks and Fathom Events screened the film in the United States and Canada in May 2024. Netflix is streaming it.
