Build Divers Re-rise: Gundam

Beyond the Game: Trauma, Creation, and the Reconstruction of Self in Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE

ANME 320: Postmodern Mecha Narratives Date: [Current Date] Gundam Build Divers Re-Rise

The Build sub-franchise of Gundam traditionally operates as a “toyetic” paradise: conflicts are settled via safe, virtual Gunpla battles, and the horrors of real war are absent. Gundam Build Divers (2018) epitomized this, presenting a colorful VR world where friendship conquers all. However, its sequel, Re:RISE , begins with a radical fissure. The protagonist, Hiroto, is not a plucky child but a silent, hyper-competent solo player haunted by a dead friend. The cheerful AI partner (Magee) is replaced by a cold, tactical one (May). This paper posits that Re:RISE uses the familiar skin of a kid’s show to perform a genre-infidelity, transforming into a war drama about survivors’ guilt and the illusion of control. Beyond the Game: Trauma, Creation, and the Reconstruction