OBSOLETE
OBSOLETE is a real-robot mecha media franchise created by acclaimed writer Gen Urobuchi and animated by studio BUEMON. Set in an alternate history where alien 'Peddlers' trade hyper-advanced EXOFRAME mecha in exchange for Earth's raw limestone, the series explores how cheap alien technology shatters global military, political, and economic power structures.
Cronologia
Panoramica
Created by acclaimed writer Gen Urobuchi (Nitroplus) and animated by studio BUEMON, OBSOLETE is a real-robot mecha media franchise that debuted in December 2019.
The central production is a 12-episode 3D CG Original Net Animation (ONA) released in two parts on YouTube between 2019 and 2020.
Set in an alternate history spanning from 2014 to 2023, the franchise features direction by Hiroki Yamada and Seiichi Shirato, with mecha design guidance from Ryosuke Takahashi, creator of Armored Trooper VOTOMS. The IP extends beyond animation into a spin-off manga (OBSOLETE: Hanabusa Report), a crossover appearance in the mobile game Super Robot Wars X-Ω, home video releases, and an extensive line of 1/35-scale plastic model kits produced by Good Smile Company under its MODEROID brand.
Origini
The concept of OBSOLETE originated from Gen Urobuchi's exploration of how human society and warfare would collapse and rebuild if advanced technology became trivially easy to acquire.
In the alternate timeline of OBSOLETE, extra-terrestrial beings known as 'Peddlers' contact Earth in 2014 to offer 2.55-meter tall, neurally operated mecha called EXOFRAMEs in exchange for raw limestone.
Because limestone is abundant worldwide, EXOFRAMEs quickly proliferate among developing nations, non-state combatants, and military forces, instantly rendering traditional military hardware, infrastructure, and economic power structures obsolete. Produced by studio BUEMON with character designs by Akihiko Yoshida, the web series premiered on YouTube's BANDAI NAMCO Arts Channel on December 3, 2019, featuring an opening theme composed by Skrillex and Nik Roos.
Collezionismo
For mecha model builders and action figure collectors, OBSOLETE offers a dedicated physical merchandise line created by Good Smile Company under its MODEROID brand. The core collecting line consists of 1/35-scale plastic model kits featuring 28 points of articulation. Each kit utilizes a universal inner 'Peddler' EXOFRAME base, allowing collectors to swap custom armor plates and weapons across different units just as in the anime lore.
Key releases in the MODEROID line include the USMC AREX-03 Toad, PMC Cerberus EXOFRAME, Outcast EXOFRAME, Improvised Armed EXOFRAME Set, and Military Armed EXOFRAME. A sought-after grail for crossover collectors is the 1/35 VOTOMS x OBSOLETE RSC Armored Trooper EXOFRAME released in 2021. Additionally, Hobby Japan published the OBSOLETE Modeling Manual mook in May 2021, which included an exclusive 1/35 MODEROID Exoframe Clear Blue Version plastic kit.
An official animated tribute short recreated the opening sequence of Armored Trooper VOTOMS using OBSOLETE mechs and 3D CG visuals.
