Unbored Anime reviews: Gundam
23/02/2010 Comments (7)
So to commemorate the release of their new series Gundam Unicorn, they’ve released a load of the Mobile Suit Gundam series for free online at CrunchyRoll and AnimeNewsNetwork. You can read Stephen Doyle’s Very extensive review of the franchise. And you can go and check it out for yourself free of charge and free of guilt.
Of course, being anime, there are a shit-ton of different series, all of which seem to have names designed to deliberately confuse you. So here are some quick pointers to seeing what all the fuss is about.
This is where it all started back in the seventies. As a series, this one is incredibly simple compared to the others because the franchise became an arms race to top each previous one with more and more ornate and powerful robots. If you were generous you would say that the artwork hasn’t aged gracefully… But I’m not generous, and the graphics are terrible. And the less said about the writing and voice acting the better. Characters seem to be awkwardly narrating the action as it unfolds, explaining the plot every step of the way… it’s hideous… but I’m still watching it fifteen episodes in! Why? I don’t know. Is it because the plot manages to be simple but interesting, is it because it actually shows the horrors of war even when giant robots are flying around? Is it because the story unfolds as an intelligent battle of wits between the protagonist and the heroic antagonist, resorting to increasingly dirty military tactics rather than being the one that screams loudest in their cockpit.
Whatever it is, there are better ways to try the series on for size, both in quality and in the amount of time required. But if you like Gundam, you may well enjoy this.
This is the first direct sequel to the series. Avoid this one if you haven’t watched the first because you’ll just be confused. And the first episode is nowhere near as interesting as the original series.
The first episode starts so promisingly with child soldiers running for their lives from giant robots in a war-torn city during a holy war. But suddenly everything is made magically better by four stupidly overpowered robots. As soon as the leader of the four robots declared that they were a mercenary group devoted to stopping war, I literally shouted at my monitor and closed the video. This is pointless saccharine fantasy and it is not worth your time when there are better shows available.
An interesting start to the series, with extremely good visuals and a few nice touches here and there. But it took way too long to get started, the protagonist doesn’t set foot in a giant robot until the end of the first episode, and I can’t even remember his name. It may pick up later, but for some reason I’m actually choosing the first series over this.
War In the Pocket and The 8th MS Team:
I was told that these would be available as well. But I haven’t been able to find them yet, which is a damn shame because they’re the two best things to ever emerge from the franchise. The 8th MS Team follows a group of soldiers fighting in a jungle environment similar to Vietnam, where the hero, Shiro Amada meets the love of his life… Problem is she’s on the other side. What follows is a very nicely told Romeo and Juliet story with interesting characters on both sides and excellently animated action sequences in only twelve episodes.
But that’s nothing compared to War in the Pocket. Which follows the 11 year old Alfred Izuhara. He lives on a neutrally aligned colony in the middle of war and is desperate to see some of the soldiers he’s heard of and idolises, he gets his wish when he catches a team of spies who were sent to steal information on the secret weapons being built there. The youngest of the spies is ordered to humour Alf in order to avoid having to kill him, because when a child disappears, people come looking. While they bond and learn from one another, things get progressively worse. The series is only six episodes long and it’s one of the most heart rending, poignant pieces of cinema I have ever had the privilege of seeing. If there is anything with Gundam in the title you should watch, it’s this!
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7 Responses to “Unbored Anime reviews: Gundam
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When Jack's not running the site, he's writing articles and reviews for your enjoyment. He studied English and Creative Writing at Portsmouth University. 
Where is Gundam Wing?
This deal is only for the ‘Universal Century’ which is fancy talk for the main continuity they had before they had to start new series from scratch to not confuse people. Wing was a new continuity, so it’s not up there… yet.
If this deal takes off, we may get even more free, legal anime coming up there.
One of the things I’ve heard about Gundam Seed is that it was pitched as an alternate universe re-telling of the original series – the plot follows a broadly similar journey (starts in space, goes to earth and across it’s surface, and then back into space by the end), but of course, as it was made in the late 90’s, the arms race effect (good description!) sets in, and the mobile suits get increasingly more powerful, which, as I also agree with you in relation to 00, makes it somewhat tedious.
I prefer (in terms of the mech-related content at least) the style of the original series, War in the Pocket and 08th MS Team, where the robots break down, get hit and damaged, overheat, and run out of ammo – because then it’s more about the pilots’ smarts, cunning, skill, and support from his (or her) friends and allies, and makes things more interesting.
As a note – the series you disliked, 00 and Seed are from the Alternate Universes of Gundam, and the ones you liked – 0079 (or ‘First Gundam’), War in the Pocket and 08th MS Team are all from the Universal Century. I’d suggest sticking to them in the future.
The Universal Century, I mean, not just those three series :P
I’d be happy with a new continuity if it had the basic grounding in reality that the Universal Century had as you said. In fact I hope they do that because the UC isn’t without its faults either.
For one thing, I’d like to see one series where we didn’t have a rip-off of Char. He was quite cool in the first series, but the fans have practically Deified him to the point that even if you go to a different universe there’s still some sneering blonde twat in a mask to deal with… Maybe that’s why I loved those last two so much.
Well, that’s more of a trademark of Gundam – if you don’t like Char-like characters, you’re better off looking at a different series, than hoping for a TV series without one.
He was one of the most liked things about the original series, which is why there’s several similar characters the longer shows.
All the OAV series don’t have a Char-clone in though, you’re right.
It’s not the series fault, it’s the fans fault for demanding they copy the character over and over again rather than come up with new ones.
It’s why the OAV’s have been so much better. They told their own stories in the Gundam universe rather than following the trademark.
Maybe it’s because I feel that Char’s just a massive dick, and that it’s the Sephiroth effect at work. He was a good villain, but he should stay in the original series where he belongs.