Super Dimension Century Orguss (超時空世紀オーガス) is an anime science fiction series. It inspired an OVA sequel series called Orguss 02. Orguss was the second part of The Super Dimension trilogy from Big West, preceded by The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and followed by The Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross. Orguss was the second "Super Dimension" series (after Macross and before Southern Cross), but other than the descriptive name, these three series are not sequels, prequels, or even in the same story universe as one another. Their only connection is the "Super Dimension" moniker in their titles presented by Big West. Despite rumors to the contrary, Orguss was never selected to be part of Robotech. Of the Orguss' 35 episodes, only 17 were available in English. They were available in dub-only format in the early 1990s on video tape from U.S. Renditions, before the majority of the company's shows (excluding Orguss) were bought up by Manga Entertainment. Manga Entertainment released Orguss 02 on both video tape and DVD. On April 16, 2007, ImaginAsian announced that they would broadcast Super Dimension Century Orguss on ImaginAsian TV, and would thereafter give the series its first complete North American DVD release. The first 17 episodes would also have the old U.S. rendition dub, but due to lack of sales, the program was discontinued. Discotek Media has since licensed the series for a DVD re-release in 2015. Discotek released Orguss on DVD on September 29, 2015, including the dub episodes. On September 28, 2021, Discotek released the complete 35-episode TV series on Blu-ray in North America. In August 2024, TMS started to release the series on their official Youtube Channel.

Basic synopsis

The year is 2062, and the world is at war. The two superpowers clash over the space elevator. Far more dangerous than atomic, biological, or chemical weapons are dimensional weapons, such as the Space/Time Oscillation Bomb. Despite the tremendous power of this bomb, it must be armed on-site by a team of engineers. Desperately, the Freedom Space Corps launch an offensive to plant a Space/Time Oscillation Bomb and destroy the space elevator. During this attack, the engineers are forced to abort the mission and destroy the bomb before it can be properly armed. Enraged at the decision to abort and feeling that his comrades have died in vain, brash fighter pilot Kei Katsuragi haphazardly arms the bomb with severe repercussions. A dimensional explosion transports Kei and his Bronco II variable fighter to a severely damaged future. There he is pursued for unknown reasons by the militaristic Chilam and aided by the Emaan, nomadic traders. Both sides have some unknown interest in Kei, referring to as a Tokuiten (特異点). Originally translated by US Renditions as "Differentiated Idioblast", it is more properly translated as "Singularity". In the ImaginAsian version, it has been translated as an "Idiosyncratic Point". After Kei's Bronco II is damaged during a fight the Emaan modify it into the Orguss, the eponymous mecha from the series, which was later adopted and mass-produced as the Orguss II.

Characters

Crew of the Glomar

The Chirams

Other characters

Production

Episode list

Orguss 02

Orguss 02 (オーガス 02) is a 6-episode anime OVA released in 1993 as a sequel to the Orguss TV series. It was released on DVD in the US and UK by Manga Entertainment. Taking place 200 years after the story of Orguss, the OVA deals with an early industrial society finding advanced mecha weapons called Armors (referred to in Manga's translation as "Decimators") and how they are now used as tools of war. The story focuses on the question of why these mecha are present in this world, where they came from and the history surrounding them.

Main characters

Decimators

OVA episode list

Video games

A shoot 'em up game based on the original TV series was released in 1984 for the Sega SG-1000 game console in Japan and Europe. This series is also included in the PlayStation 2 game Super Robot Wars Z released in 2008. In this game the plot of Orguss plays a central role, as it is the detonation of the Space-Time Oscillation Bomb (an event dubbed "Break the World") that unites the heroes, villains, and locales from the various anime featured in the game. Kei and Athena return in the game's sequel, Z2. The dimensional phenomena stemming from the Space-Time Oscillation Bomb were eventually resolved in the final game of Z series, using three "Singularities" (Kei, Orson, and Xine, an original character that was also present at the detonation of the Space-Time Oscillation Bomb). This resulted in the various dimensions returning to their proper places. Kei also got the honor of saying the last voiced line of the Super Robot War Z series: "This will end everything,...! And, it is the beginning of multiple new worlds!!" This series also appears in the 2010 videogame Another Century's Episode: R for the PlayStation 3.

Macross cameo

A mecha from the Orguss series can be seen fighting alongside other Macross Destroids in front of the bridge of the SDF-1 Macross in the last episode of Television version of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross. The mecha in question was Kei's Orguss which was shown holding a shield and a rifle in the other arm for a moment before being shattered by incoming enemy fire. In episode 2 of Orguss, several Macross characters make appearances. Minmay, Shammy, and Vanessa are shown at 15:16 as the main character recalls past girlfriends. Misa Hayase briefly appears on the monitor of the alien fighter as it turns on at 20:28 among other images of apparent static. The image of Misa on the monitor is shown to not be wearing clothes. In episode 18, there is a storage crate on the Guruma merchant ship marked “Valkyrie VF-1J”. In episode 34, the SDF-1 in attack mode appears in a battle scene at the space elevator.