CodeBlazeFate

In the hellfires of the battlefield, people are predestined to die. The tragedy of this reality doesn’t impact the dead, or usually even the survivors, but instead, the families of those who lost their lives. Seeing war firsthand can be as traumatizing as losing someone in it. In fiction, we often take for granted the sheer levels of brutality on display in shows like this, as we relish in the spectacle of the fights and the possible charm of the combatants, at least until one we care about dies. Gundam has nearly always embodied this as a franchise, but nowhere has the franchise been more poignant in regards to this than in 0080, where the effects are at its most tangible. Putting this into perspective, there have since been anime that showcase scenes of soldiers scrambling in terror in vain attempts at survival, soul-crushing amputations and deaths, and the most heart-breaking rendition of the infamous colony drop from the One-Year War. For 0080 to be more emotionally resonant than this is a testament to this show’s quality, as two decades later it stands the test of time. There are a myriad of reasons as to why, but the most important is that it feels so real. Its characters are so lifelike that you can’t help but get attached. It makes a far greater case for getting attached to each of the people involved in 6 episodes than most other installments do in 4 or 8 times that amount. It is very apparent that the those involved -particularly screenplay writer Hiroyuki Yamaga- truly understand people. Only with such understanding can such realistic portrayals be crafted. Most immediately, Alfred Izuruha, the protagonist of this harrowing tale, stands out as a wonderfully real depiction of a child in his elementary school days. Him and the other kids bickering about things only children would constantly tease and fight over, and succumbing to propaganda as they demonize one side and apotheosize the other. Just like a myriad of other children, he gets into trouble about homework and test scores, and he plays video games whenever he sees fit. My, what simpler times, but a child has to grow up someday. An integral part of growth is having to see the world for its darkest aspects. What more horrifying way to do that than to become part of an operation and witness the carnage firsthand? Seeing him change and mature due to interactions with those around him in this war is heart-wrenching, especially towards the end after a painful reminder that even with his growth, he is still a child, and therefore, will react like one in the face of lies and destruction. The people he interacts with are exactly as stated: people. Bernard -Bernie, if you will- stands out especially as the most complicated person of the lot. A beleaguered Zeon rookie stuck playing the role of a brother to Alfred as they are swept up in an operation of war. Seeing the two bond as brothers -as false as the relationship is- is nothing short of heartwarming. The relationship the two have with nextdoor neighbor, Federation member, and sweetheart Christina is as classically real as it gets, most especially on Bernie’s end. This makes the reality of the situation all the more soul-rending, as the dramatic irony obliterates us as we brace for the impact of whenever these three cross pass...only for it to go in a more more poignant and real way than anticipated. The finale for these three is honestly beautiful, mournful as well, but above all else, it is peaceful. The other Zeon soldiers the two boys are tied to are entertaining as well. We get to know little about them, but each have a moment in the spotlight, such as Ramirez’s concern for those who he outranks, to Steiner sitting on a bench with a friend, discussing the finality and futility of their situation. We feel more for the deaths of some of these men than we do for several of the caricatures that infest a myriad of lesser installments. The profound effect they have on Alfred is the most beautiful part about these endearing soldiers in this tragedy of war. The brutal manner their operation plays out is bone-chilling, and the aftereffects are soul-crushing in magnificent ways. There are of course, oversights and conveniences for the sake of creating or escaping drama, as rare as they are. However, they detract little from the beauty and craft at work, both in writing and creating these people, and displaying the carnage in beautifully dreadful detail. The music that plays compliments the situations, and the ending theme deals the final blow to the fragile heart in its final rendition. The devastation feels so real...and yet, it feels so wonderful.

Pockeyramune919

__This review contains spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket__ img520(https://ghostlightning.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/gundam-0080-al-boy-meets-zaku-pilot-bernie.jpg) Since its debut in 1979, one of the things that Gundam as a series has been ([generally](https://anilist.co/anime/19319/Gundam-Build-Fighters/)) committed to is showing the [horrors of war](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarIsHell). Time and time again, we see child-soldiers thrust into powerful war machines, the weight of the world crushing their shoulders. Through their tribulations, they are often robbed of their childhood as they’re forced to take more and more lives, see more and more carnage. This commitment to showcasing the gravity of armed conflict can be seen in the name of the titular mobile suit itself: "Gundam," a portmanteau of "gun" and "freedom." The "gun" tells viewers exactly what this mobile suit is, a weapon: a tool to carry out acts of violence in order to achieve a particular goal. The goal in question is protecting and/or obtaining "freedom." It's an important ideal, thus suggesting, in an ends-justify-the-means fashion, that only an important cause calls for drastic measures. If one were to trivialize "Gundam," than its components would be trivialized and taken for granted as well: viewers might become desensitized towards violence and take freedom for granted. One might think that, for this reason, Gundam is careful to not glorify war, but quite the contrary is true, it's no stranger to it. While Gundam doesn't generally depict the main character as enjoying fighting (unless the fighting isn't depicted as [dire](https://anilist.co/anime/101036/Gundam-Build-Divers/)) war and battles are made appealing through less overt methods. It can be as simple as color: to appeal to a younger audience, Sunrise made Tomino change the Gundam to look less militaristic and sport the vibrant colors it is famous for. The battles themselves are enticing and absolutely an exercise in spectacle. It's hard to get audiences to see the battles as horrific when they're often [depicted as being so awesome to look at](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DoNotDoThisCoolThing). However, more than anything, I'd say the main reason why war is often glorified in Gundam is due to Gunpla. Collecting, assembling, and displaying your favorite Gunpla seems to ask fans to divorce themselves from the bloody contexts surrounding the Gunpla. After all, you can appreciate how cool the suits look without thinking about how many people it murdered. For these reasons, Gundam, more than some other mecha I've watched, often struggles to achieve a truly dark tone. While certain shows such as _Iron-Blooded Orphans_ and _Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam_ codify their bleakness in their grim endings, MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam and ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex are ultimately some of my favorite suits simply because they're damn cool. I'd say, out of all the Gundam shows, the brutal, gut-wrenchingly dismal _Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket_ is the most effective in showing the horrors of war. It is also the most effective in mitigating its glorification. Given that I gushed to a friend about how cool the MS-18E Kämpfer and RX-78NT-1 Gundam "Alex" were, it's safe to say that _War in the Pocket_ isn't completely devoid of elements that make violence seem cool. However, _War in the Pocket_ is still a great Gundam entry that shows the ugliness of war. img520(https://pm1.narvii.com/6444/6dedc9acfeba4341ff6de0e3374a376e37b31efa_hq.jpg) One of the ways that _War in the Pocket_ effectively shows the horrors of war is through its main character, Alfred Izuruha. While most Gundam protagonists are pretty young, Alfred takes the cake at being a mere eleven. This exceptionally young age is effective in showing how everyone is roped into war, no matter the age. Alfred being a pilot would be kind of ridiculous, but, as _war in the Pocket_ is committed to a higher caliber of realism than most Gundam entries, Alfred is somewhat of a bystander. This helps make Alfred a perfect protagonist for this deconstruction of Gundam. Remember how I stated earlier that many Gundam fans can feel conditioned to glorify its wars? Alfred is an embodiment of this: him and his friends perceive war as "cool" and they can't wait to see it in action. It's to the point where they seem to scoff at interactions that aren't violent. There's a very striking scene in which Alfred is being lectured by his mother while he's playing a video game. Alfred dismissively drones "Yes, mom," on and on while intentionally losing the video game by shooting at buildings instead of protecting them. Here we see how dismissive Alfred is towards someone who cares about him; caring not about improving himself, for all his efforts are put into his fantasies of war. Thanks to the somewhat glorified nature of war in Gundam, viewers are able to draw parallels between Gundam fans and Alfred. Alfred not being a pilot allows him to be a viewer, a bystander; someone who (for the majority of the show) has very little stake in the progression of the war, who's investment comes from a reason as shallow as "it looks cool." The very title and the corresponding eyecatch, _War in the Pocket_ is indicative of Al's initial role. War is a mere game to Al, its tools can fit in his pocket; they're toys, mere instruments of entertainment. The beauty of _War in the Pocket_, then, is deconstructing this view and showing war as the beast it is. Toys are simple. Toys often aren't realistic. Toys don't hurt you. img520(https://i1.wp.com/bigglasgowcomic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/gundam-0080-eyecatch-2.jpg) The OVA's realism is shown in part through Bernard "Bernie" Wiseman, the main character to Al's protagonist. It is mostly through Bernie that the events of the OVA are seemingly put into motion. Like Al, Bernie gets some character development which is impressive given the short runtime. Bernie's role makes the plot more complex and realistic, for he's a Zeon soldier. All Gundam entries prior paint Zeon in a nigh-entirely villainous light. It's fitting that the show that attempts to turn Gundam on its head is one in which Zeon is shown in a nuanced light. Yes, _Cyclops Team_ is a black ops terrorist cell ([doing it six years before it was cool](https://anilist.co/anime/90/Mobile-Suit-Gundam-Wing/)), though Bernie is a legitimately good person who ends up sacrificing his life for the greater good. It's also interesting that Bernie may also be somewhat of a reflection of viewer ideas. At the beginning of the OVA, Bernie is simply a nobody who talks big to Al. He's barely seen combat, yet he brags to Al that he's one more kill away from being promoted. Like some viewers, he has grandiose, romantic visions of war, imagining himself as a hero. Bernie, Al, and the viewer have the same progression of seeing war for the ugliness that it is, and like some viewers, he has an aversion to it, having an extremely pessimistic view towards death "all dying means is that you got unlucky." When he decides to take up the fight, it's for altruistic reasons, and only because he has no other option. And of course, when he _does_ fight, the result isn't pretty. All in all, Bernie isn't the typical Gundam hero and it goes a long way in making the show distinct, brutally realistic, and meta in its depiction of war. img520(https://66.media.tumblr.com/4c6f89ebd0537176ba1e01bb304b9fa6/tumblr_p2mtlv1oKf1wbfl3po1_1280.png) I find it pretty ingenious how the setting makes the fighting more realistic, thus making the limitation feel organic. _War in the Pocket_ takes place in a space colony, so due to the risk of tearing a hole clean through the colony, there is nary a beam weapon in sight. Instead, the mobile suits must rely on more traditional rounds. As they are more similar to the weapons used in actual, modern-day war, making it harder to divorce the mecha action from actual combat. There's something horrifying about seeing a mobile suit riddled with machine gun rounds, the pilot seat painted with blood. I'm not sure the same effect would have been achieved via a beam gatling gun. Speaking of setting, as I write this, I realize how brilliant it is that the show takes place during Christmas. Even a time of merriment isn't out of war's reach, showing that battle and tragedy can break out at any time. Events such as the [Christmas Truce](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce) are the exception, not the rule. img520(https://i.imgur.com/uzwCoXb.gif?noredirect) The show is realistic in other ways that I appreciate. There aren't newtypes (Except for a possible vision by Al that's quite chilling) and romance between people of different sides in a war is fledgling and tragic, unlike how its more glamorous depiction in other Gundam media. The production quality is great. It's an OVA so we're treated to quality animation. Battles are a lot more detailed and visceral; get used to a bit more blood than you're used to in your Gundam show. Given how the show pushes "War is Hell," your milleage may vary as to whether or not the fights being cool is a good thing. For what it's worth, they're so brutal that even if it doesn't help the message completely, it still pushes it. It helps that the Kampfer and Gundam Alex showcase destruction that is absolutely brutal and visceral. With Zeonic protagonists, we see a Gundam for the monster that it can be; this is helped by the fact that, when the Gundam first appears, its covered in armor which makes it look more menacing. img520(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/gundam/images/7/7c/Gundam0080ep4g.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130427030647) The music isn't phenomenal. It has good songs, but nothing too memorable, in my opinion. The dub's voice acting is hit or miss. Characters such as Bernie, Chris, and Al sound find but some minor characters sound a bit rough. Oh, and it should be noted that if the characters speak fast, you may be watching a sped up version of the show. Each episode should be about 30 minutes long, not the standard ~23 minutes. The ending is absolutely great and gut-wrenching. Irony is abound as viewers know that no matter if Bernie defeats the Gundam or not, the colony will still be nuked. There is a glimmer of hope when we discover that the man in charge of the nuclear detonation has been apprehended, thus sparing the colony. The irony and tragedy returns as Bernie wages battle with the formidable Alex, still under the impression that if he does not, the colony will be destroyed. His heroic, yet ignorant actions lead to his gruesome demise. With this, Al's transformation is complete and we see just how broken he has become. He appreciates interpersonal connections more (as shown by his more warm reception of his parents), though at a dire cost. Al has seen war for what it is and he can't help but break down crying. His friends, having no such development, are oblivious. "Kids just being kids," is now made horrifying, as they exclaim, "Don't cry, Al. Soon there'll be an even bigger war with even cooler mobile suits!" It is clear now that this is the viewer desensitized to war. There will always be another Gundam, there will always be more mobile suits. There will always be the war that somewhat trivialized simply because it's featured in a Gundam show. We return to etymology of "gundam": "gun" and "freedom." The show tragically reaffirms these parts of a whole. It doesn't really need to be stated how it goes about showing how the mobile suits are weapons. In the final battle, they rendered Bernie as naught but hamburger. But what about freedom? Is it ultimately rendered unimportant because the freedom Bernie found himself dying for was ultimately pointless? I think it's a lot more nuanced than that. Freedom is not important because it's a physical state of being, but because it's an ideal, a metaphysical state of mind. Everyone wants to fight for freedom, but as it's an ideal, it means something else to every person. In a way, this makes freedom even more beautiful and worthy of protection. On the other hand, it makes it tragic and unattainable, making war seem even more pointless. img520(https://66.media.tumblr.com/f35da1200cd577d7c9d53c1cc3ceda33/tumblr_p0gfb2R0ra1wbfl3po2_500.gifv) I've been gushing about _War in the Pocket_ this entire time, so why, then, does it does it not have a perfect score? To be honest, it's probably its length. Yes, it does a wonderful job of developing characters in such a short timeframe, but it can only do so much. While this is by far more dismal than Zeta, and thus does a better job of showcasing the horror of war, I ultimately cared more about the characters in Zeta and it impacted me more when bad things happened to them. Again, this show is really sad, but it's more sad that it happened in general and not so much that it happened to Al or Bernie. Not to mention, we get very little of Christine. This doesn't detract from the show much, for me, but it's why it doesn't net a perfect score for me. img520(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/gundam/images/5/56/Gundam0080ep6h.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20130428035330) But this show is still very well done. It's one of the best Gundam shows I've seen and is more effective in its particular theme than any Gundam show before or after it, and for that, I recommend giving it a watch. 9.2/10 A-

ChillLaChill

I was way too young to appreciate War in the Pocket. In fact, I was only one year older than the main protagonist of the series when I did. My main reason for disliking this show was because it lacked giant over-the-top fights with pilots screaming at each other. After rewatching this at a more mature age, I'm so glad it's not that. I finally realize how well presented this Gundam OVA is, and how it expertly goes about its message. It's very down-to-earth in its presentation. The characters are grounded enough for the world to feel real and even relatable. Sure majority of the cast are all young kids of varying ages, but it's necessary to portray their naivete. The character pieces work so well here, playing up a lot of the common behaviours of a clueless young child with fixed ideas of war. War in the Pocket is short and sweet without overstaying its welcome. It manages to maintain a somber tone throughout the entire thing. There's nothing holding back this series' emotional punches, and the main two protagonists receive great development throughout to give it that. This is one of the best-animated war critiques I have watched in the Gundam UC Saga, that's got a lot of relevance outside of its medium. It's hard not to deny those times when young boys would play war in the playground, or vicariously living the epic battles through other Gundam series, myself included. Then it hits you with the cold reality by just showing violence as it is, pointless, and without getting as preachy as Kira Yamato at a Sunday Mass. This is a war that's being fought between two sides, and there's no good or bad guys (well except for the Zabis), just people. War in the Pocket is something young viewers won't respect as the focus isn't on the fights. Ironically, much like the kid, I was sort of naive myself; I was a huge fan of witnessing Gundam Wing's hooah approach to conflict resolution if that's any indication. I had a clear disdain for this particular OVA when I was 12, which is to say that this is not a Gundam for kids. Not because of it's of its subject matter, but because the anti-war nuances will be lost on young minds who simply want to see explosions and not a thought-provoking piece of anime. It really isn't a happy-go-lucky story, although many Gundam fans can attest to the bittersweet, borderline depressing storytelling. Really the only problem with War in the Pocket is that it's just not the Gundam many fans will be used to, as it places the emphasis on the message over being strictly media-entertainment. Personally, this is all for the better as it cements itself as a timeless anime with so much heart. I'm so glad I was able to re-evaluate War in the Pocket because I would've continued to harbour sour feelings about it, all of which were rooted within the same kind of perspective on life that this kid used to have. The kid continually obsessing over the Zeon's being cooler reminded me of the days I used to think about how cool Nazi Germany looked before I had ever stepped into a WW2 history class. There are a lot of specific merits of this show that you have to keep in mind while going into this, which is why it has plenty of rewatch value. This Gundam series is so tonally different from the rest that I highly recommend that you binge this, even if you're unfamiliar with Universal Century history. War in the Pocket won't get your blood pumping with adrenaline, but I can guarantee you that it will kick you in the gut emotionally.

evanz25

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket. Al principio de la OVA se nos muestra el asedio a una base de la Federación, cosa que terminan mal, porque al final matan a algunos de los soldados de Zeon. Este fragmento es necesario para darnos la introducción al conflicto de las dos naciones y las muertes que estas pueden provocar, también funciona para presentarnos a algunos de personajes que van a estar apareciendo dentro de la obra: Steiner, Kaminsky y Garcia. Lo demás dentro del primer capítulo sirven para mostrar la mentalidad de los niños ante la guerra, ya sea a favor de esta o en contra, y su opinión como meros individuos influenciados por la sociedad. Se nos exhibe también uno de los personajes más importantes de esta serie de OVA's: Chris, la cual se nos expone como una chica amable y dulce que ayuda a nuestro protagonista, Al, el cual es un chico curioso que ve el conflicto bélico actual como algo divertido. Y ya para el final de la OVA aparece Bernie, un soldado de Zeon que con una pistola atenta con la vida de Al. Al principio de la siguiente OVA hay una pequeña interacción entre Bernie y Al, la cual termina con Bernie dándole un parche de Zeon a Al. Después de esto se nos expresa los estragos que la batalla ha dejado y cómo los niños se sienten intrigados por lo sucedido. Lo que sigue es la presentación del plan que tienen que cometer que vimos al principio de la obra, el cual es destruir al Gundam que tienen en la Side 6, junto a uno de nuestros protagonistas, Bernie. Cabe resaltar que estos dudan de la veracidad de la misión, ya que Bernie es un soldado de la clase más baja y no es alguien con la experiencia que pidió Steiner. Lo demás es la infiltración a la Side 6 y cómo Al se reencuentra con quien al aparecer es Bernie, el cual se disfrazó de camionero junto a sus demás compañeros. La tercera OVA empieza con Al encontrando el depósito en donde llevaron los Mobile Suits que querían meter en la Side 6, termina así la escena con Al fingiendo que llora para despistar a los policías, esto hace que se vea involucrado con los soldados y estos tengan que hacer algo al respecto con el chico. En estos momentos podemos ver la ignorancia de Al acerca de quien es el “bueno” y el “malo”. Cuando Bernie se dispone de llevar a Al a su casa, este termina implicado en un malentendido con Chris, en donde termina con este mintiéndole a la familia de Chris de que él es el hermano de Al. Lo que sigue es la infiltración y confirmación de la posición del Gundam por parte de Al y Bernie, el cual termina con un Cliffhanger. Lo más destacable de la primera parte de la cuarta OVA es ver que ya el plan está a un punto de concretarse, y algunas interacciones entre Bernie y Chris, lo cual me hace pensar: ¿Si estos dos no fueran enemigos, podrían haber sido una buena pareja?, porque justo cuando se despiden ellos dos, podemos ver a los padres de Chris viendo a Bernie desde la ventana con una cara bastante amena, signo de que por lo menos el chico les cayó bien. Más adelante vemos que le cuentan a Al la posición de la Side 6 en torno a la guerra, y este lo niega en varias ocasiones, con algunas frases como: “¡Zeon es genial!”, “¡los Zakus son poderosos y los Gundam apestan!” y los pensamientos de los otros niños los cuales fueron influenciados por las opiniones de sus padres. En la segunda mitad empieza a accionarse el plan de destruir el Gundam enemigo, situación en la que mueren todos los soldados de Zeon menos Bernie, Al se percata de que esto no es un juego, las implicaciones que tiene un conflicto de esta escala y sus consecuencias. Al final de todo este desenfreno sucede algo muy interesante, Bernie le vuelve a apuntar a Al para matarle, viendo así en las acciones que debe hacer un soldado y las atrocidades que se comente. La quinta probablemente sea la mejor de la obra, ya que se pueden ver varios puntos de inflexión, tanto para Al, como para Barnie. Los dos se pelean de si deben volver para destruir el Gundam o no, haciendo que Bernie se vaya de la Side 6, algo muy importante es la interacción que tienen Chris y Al, porque podemos ver la forma de pensar de Chris sobre la convicción y el valor para luchar por los demás y por uno mismo, en la recta final del episodio Bernie termina cediendo y no escapa, sino que llama a Al y le dice que lo ayude. Lo más destacable de la última OVA empieza a la mitad de este, en la batalla entre Chris y Bernie, en la que concluye con la muerte de Bernie y el descubrimiento de Al de que la piloto del Gundam era Chris. Ya después se le anuncia a Chris que tiene que volver a la tierra y al final estos dos se terminan despidiendo. La OVA concluye con Al llorando por la muerte de su amigo. En conclusión: Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket es una muy buena obra que nos presenta las consecuencias e infortunios que nos puede dejar la guerra desde el punto de los civiles.

ohohohohohoho

In my timeline journey through the Universal Century, I've decided to take a detour after Mobile Suit Gundam through the OVA sequels and sidestories, before jumping into Zeta. First stop is War in the Pocket (though 08th MS Team seems an equally reasonable choice, since it focuses on operation Odessa from MSG, while War in the Pocket takes place sometime later or possibly after the events of MSG, but has little direct relation to any of the main series' plot). Something that's clear about War in the Pocket right away is that it's for Gundam fans. Not to say that you won't be able to enjoy or follow it if it's your first foray into the series (I think you certainly still will), but there are places where the narrative assumes our knowledge about the series for its subtle introduction of expository details. For example, before we KNOW Chris is a Feddie because she tells us, there's a shot of her taking her uniform out of her suitcase and placing it on her bed. This lets us know that as Gundam fans going into this series, we are in a privileged position when it comes to knowledge about the characters and world, and potentially that there are elements of the drama that are aimed specifically toward us. The latter part proves to be true as we come to understand that the kids at the heart of the story are huge fans of giant robots themselves, which surely countless Gundam fans can relate to. Knowing as we do that Zeon is no longer fighting the righteous war for independence it initially set out to, Alfred's fascination with the Zaku in particular immediately plants a seed of worry in the heart of the viewer. Does this kid know what he may be getting himself into if he takes his obsession too far? And just how far is too far? When is a fan blinded to the ethical implications of a drama by their enthusiasm for its aesthetics? Before I get into the spoiler-filled summary and analysis, I'll tell you just how good the series is. There really isn't an aspect of the series to find much fault with. Other than that Chris' character is a bit underutilized, the characters are distinct, interesting and sympathetic. The art, direction and animation are amazing, especially having come off of just watching the original Mobile Suit Gundam. It's a great pleasure to be able to see the action, which was naturally a bit stiff in the original, depicted so beautifully and with such tremendous detail. As far as action goes, it's not loaded with it, but there's a good balance between how much time is devoted to the story and how much is devoted to robots blowing things up. The story and characters are the focus here, and the styling and direction of the action sequences actually further the tone and message of the narrative. The story takes place on Side 6, which we know from Mobile Suit Gundam is a neutral territory where abetting either side of the conflict is prohibited, and whether Zeon or Feddie, carrying out any form of attack, combat, training, or building, testing, stockpiling of weapons breaks the Antarctic Treaty. The bright pallet chosen to render the scenery and characters immediately stood out to me when compared to art I've seen of the other in-between MSG and Zeta OVAs. This pallet suits and emphasizes the innocence of the main characters, and the (deluded) feeling citizens of Side 6 seem to have that they live in a sort of safehaven or Eden. The first taste of action we get is the battle that introduces Bernie and proves to the children that the Feddies do, in fact, have mobile suits. The way the action is shot, primarily from street level, with lots of upward facing, and wide shots, showcases the preternatural, menacing immensity of mobile suits. They are shown towering over citizens and buildings like. While the GMs and Zakus are going at each other, their battle is simultaneously framed as if they are teamed up in a clumsy attack on the city itself. The citizens' delusion about the safety of Side 6, their distance from the front lines, is torn down as massive mobile suit arms and legs crush cars and crumble buildings like unwieldy wrecking balls. Notice that when the mobile suits' bodies are shown in full, when the focus is on their combat against one another, the movement is smooth and dynamic. When the focus is on the mobile suits' mutual destruction of the city, their limbs move with tremendous slow, lumbering weight. Just some examples of how the series masterfully uses visuals to tell its story! I won't tell you War in the Pocket is one of the best anime of all time, perhaps it's too soon to even say it's one of the best Gundam series (I suppose I'll find out), but it's definitely a more than solid installment that bears the essence of what a Gundam series is supposed to be in every sense. Spoilers to follow. Showing the havoc the meaningless tragedy of war wreaks on innocence and innocent lives is the penchant of the Gundam series, or at least those offshoots that remain aligned with the spirit of the original. War in the Pocket is a moving, concise story that gets that point across in a special way. I already have the feeling that it is going to stand out as a stop on the timeline I'm going to be drifting along from now until I run out of U.C. Gundam to watch. Chris as a character is a little underdeveloped, but Alfred's relationships with Bernie, and to a lesser extent with Chris, are touching. He admires them both, but he learns what difficulty that entails when the figures he admires are fighting on two opposite sides of a war, fighting battles with real consequences and real lives at stake. Alfred's enthusiasm and innocence resonate with Bernie, who probably was much like Alfred himself not too long ago, and Bernie knows exactly what to say to Alfred to get him fired up and paint himself as a hero to his young, naive companion. Alfred thinks of war as a dramatic, exciting story, and now Bernie is his main character. Bernie keeps the fantasy of war alive, both to relish in Alfred's admiration and companionship, but perhaps also to protect Alfred from learning the truth for as long as he can. Then ultimately, he does have the chance to be Alfred's hero and save side 6 from the ruthless machinations of Zeon itself. But it's a lose/lose situation. We as the viewers know what the characters don't: Chris is the Gundam pilot. And as it turns out, neither side had to die, because Zeon's plot was discovered, while Bernie was in the process of carrying out his one man operation to destroy the Gundam. When all's said and done Alfred truly has a glimpse of what war is about, how a soldier's hopes and good intentions can become twisted and stifled, and to the extent that they're carried out, they're never worth the lives they cost. He can no longer really relate to his school friends who fetishize the artifacts of power that makeup warfare, like bullet shells, military insignias, and giant robots. Even though his home is saved and his family and friends don't die, in a sense he is trapped and isolated with his new, troubling, burdensome experiences, and his grief over his friend the unknown, unsung Zeon soldier. Bernie tries to be the hero in Alfred's war fantasy narrative, but he fails; the hero dies, apparently for no reason, and so Alfred's innocent fantasy dies with him. He loses all that, and a friend and surrogate brother in Bernie.

wilkaoo

[This text is also in PT-BR after the English version] The events of Gundam War In The Pocket occur one year after the events of the first Gundam anime and follow a major espionage and sabotage mission ordered by Zeon's military, whose goal is to obtain information about the development of Federation-made Gundams to be piloted by NewTypes, probably the same gundams we see used by the Titans in Gundam Zeta. This operation manages to work due to the presence of our protagonist Alfred Izuruha, a boy so fond of video games and toys that he ends up getting bad results in school tests. His games and toys are something very important. img220(https://pernostico.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/0.png) Alfred's favorite games are about Mobile Suits facing threats to a fictitious colony and a generic shooter using a plastic rifle. As time goes by, he becomes somewhat bored of his games, after all, they have become dull after he has been able to see Mobile Suits in action in person. Alfred ends up contributing to the Zeon soldiers' operation because he believes he will see Mobile Suits in action again and get another exciting experience that he could never get from his games and toys. img220(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5iheV3lj6zw/T9wn07h-UXI/AAAAAAAABhI/1L--OwU3Y5Q/s1600/gundam-0080-al-zaku.jpg) Therefore, the sale of products that use war as a mere aesthetics, such as toy weapons and electronic games, have trivialized what war means to the population, making Alfred unable to comprehend how horrible the consequences his actions would have. I believe it is redundant to say that a Gundam directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino is an anti-war work of art, but War in the Pocket recognizes and wants you, the viewer, to remember that previous Gundam animes were anti-war. For, by depicting part of our history in a storyline, we direct some emotion of our own into this storyline. Tomino did this with the original Gundam where regardless of what fantasy elements were found in the world he created, his hatred of war and its consequences especially on the childhood of children and teenagers was unmistakable. img220(https://neet.blog.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ms06fz_p05.jpg) But unfortunately the influence of his work ended up becoming fundamental to the great Boom of anime, manga, and diverse cultural products that trivialize war by using it only as an artifice to have big explosions, fictitious weapons, and mechas. img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ZXP+F5uLS._AC_SY741_.jpg) That is why the subtitle of this anime is specifically War in The Pocket and not something like War in a Nutshell. It is no longer a story about the evils of war, but rather a story about how we should not forget what a war actually is, a story about how we should respect each incident and its victims. I don't know which specific works bothered Tomino, or if it was just a discomfort with the products stemming from his own series, but Gundam War in The Pocket hates all of this and demonstrates it brilliantly. ////// Os acontecimentos de Gundam War In The Pocket ocorrem um ano após os eventos do primeiro anime de Gundam e abordam uma grande missão de espionagem e sabotagem ordenada por militares de Zeon, cujo objetivo é obter informações sobre o desenvolvimento de Gundams feitos pela Federação para serem pilotados por NewTypes, provavelmente os mesmos gundams que vemos utilizados pelos Titans em Gundam Zeta. Essa operação consegue funcionar devido a presença de nosso protagonista Alfred Izuruha, um garoto tão aficionado em video games e brinquedos que acaba obtendo resultados ruins em avaliações escolares. Seus jogos e brinquedos são algo muito revelantes. Os jogos favoritos de Alfred são de Mobile Suits que enfrentam ameaças a uma colônia fictícia e um shooter genérico que utiliza um fuzil de plástico. Com o passar do tempo ele passa a ficar um tanto entediado sobre seus jogos, afinal esses ficaram sem graça após ele ter sido capaz de ver Mobile Suits em ação pessoalmente. Alfred acaba contribuindo com a operação dos soldados de Zeon porque ele acredita que assim verá Mobile Suits em ação novamente e conseguirá ter mais uma experiência excitante que jamais conseguiria em seus jogos e brinquedos. Portanto, o comércio de produtos que utilizam a guerra como meio, tais como armas de brinquedos e jogos eletrônicos, banalizaram o que a guerra significa pra população, fazendo Alfred incapaz de compreender as consequências que suas ações teriam, as quais foram horríveis. Acredito ser redundante ao afirmar que um Gundam dirigido por Yoshiyuki Tomino é uma obra de arte anti guerra, mas War in the Pocket reconhece e quer que você telespectador lembre que os animes de Gundam anteriores eram anti guerra. Pois, ao representarmos parte de nossa história em um enredo, nós direcionamos alguma emoção nossa neste enredo, Tomino fez isso com o Gundam original onde independente de quais elementos fantasiosos se encontrassem no mundo que ele criou, o seu ódio direcionado a guerra e suas consequências sobretudo na infância de crianças e adolescentes era inconfundível. Porém, infelizmente a influência de seu trabalho acabou se tornando fundamental para o grande Boom de animes, mangás e produtos culturais diversos que banalizam a guerra ao utilizá-la apenas como artifício para ter grandes explosões, armas fictícias e mechas. É por isso que o subtítulo deste anime é especificamente War in The Pocket e não algo como War in a Nutshell. Não é mais uma história sobre os males da guerra, e sim uma história sobre como não devemos esquecer o que é uma guerra de fato, uma história sobre como devemos respeitar cada incidente e suas vítimas. Não sei quais obras específicas incomodaram o Tomino, ou se foi apenas um incômodo com os produtos oriundos de sua própria série, mas Gundam War in The Pocket odeia tudo isso e demonstra de forma brilhante.

Juliko25

I'm not into anime about wars or giant robots. But recently I got into _Gundam X_, and it totally blew my mind, and other people I know absolutely love _Gundam 0080: War In The Pocket_. Good news: you don't need to be a Gundam fan or know much about the Gundam series in order to really enjoy it. But this one's a real oddity, as this is only six episodes long. But like another six episode anime, FLCL (aka Fooly Cooly), everyone praises it and loves it, hailing it to be one of the best Gundam series ever. And as of now, I agree with them. Besides, nobody said that short series were all bad. In fact, some anime can really benefit from being short if the right staff worked on it. The story is about Alfred "Al" Izuruha, a young boy living on a neutral space colony during a war. His colony so far is safe from the evils of war, but it's actually home to a secret Federation base that is currently in the process of hosting a secret weapon, a Gundam named Alex. A Zeon team is deployed to destroy the Alex, but Alfred befriends one of its cadets, Bernard "Bernie" Wiseman, a young pilot who was just recently recruited into the ranks. Because Al is so young, he and his friends idealize war through toys, fake badges, video games, etc., and he's going to learn very quickly that war and death aren't fun and games, especially when he makes himself part of Bernie's team to destroy the Alex. For an anime made in 1989, the animation is surprisingly good. Then again, it was made during an era where people could actually afford to put in as much money into animation as they could to make it look as good as possible. Movement is smooth and fluid, the character designs are all distinct and very detailed, the mechas are all well designed and look really cool, and the anime makes really good use of characters' facial expressions. Nothing important is said, but you can tell the characters have a lot going on in their minds and are still very expressive, making the drama very subtle and understated, which works really well here. It's because of this that the series never delves into cheese or melodrama, a very common pitfall that many mecha shows, Gundam included, tend to fall into, because they tend to let angst completely take over the storytelling when it really shouldn't. The show is much more focused on empathizing small details rather than overblown battle sequences, and everything from the characters to the animation feels genuine, and you never feel like anything happens solely because of the writers' wishes. But I do feel like sometimes the amount of details tend to be a little too much. At one point, Al winds up having three sclera in his eyes, which can look really jarring. Because of my lack of familiarity with mecha shows and the tropes they tend to use, anything I say about the characters is solely based on what I saw in the show itself, though I have heard that Gundam tends to overuse a lot of tropes and beat dead horses, such as an ambitious rookie character who ignores orders on occasion. Now, six episodes isn't nearly enough to develop a huge cast, but again, the show offers a lot of subtle details about the various characters that show us what they're like rather than shoving it in our faces. Plus, the two central characters, Al and Bernie, along with Chris, Al's next door neighbor, absolutely steal the show and receive all the time they need to shine. Bernie is a young ambitious man who wants to play a more active role in his job, always treated like a rookie by his superiors (Which makes sense, because he is one) but he's still competent and likeable, and any decisions he makes, good or bad, still make sense according to the show's logic and story progression. I hear a lot of people really don't like Al because he's a little kid and feel he should have been cut out of the show, but I personally thought Al was perfectly well written and a realistically portrayed child who was never too bratty, and even when he acted so, his actions still made sense. Furthermore, the show relies heavily on the idea that Al and his classmates see war as a fun game, glorified and commercialized by the public, and making a point to illustrate that, well, it really isn't. Even the side characters, who aren't nearly as fleshed out and well rounded as Al and Bernie are, are nowhere near bad. The fact that War In The Pocket is technically told from the perspective of members of the Principality of Zeon, who are considered the bad guys in Gundam's universe, makes this one of the most morally ambiguous series out there, and it does a stellar job in showing that no side of a war is truly good or bad, and that both sides have decent people just trying to live their lives. War In The Pocket is a character study first and foremost, and seriously, there's a ton of anime that could really stand to learn a thing or two from this. (Oh, and can I just say how much I absolutely adore Chris? She's an awesome lady, and she deserves more love!) Honestly, in terms of flaws, I could really only find two, both relating to audio. One, I do feel the soundtrack is rather dated. It's not bad, but some pieces of background music could stand to be a little less poppy at times. The opening and ending songs were nice, but the English grammar in the opening wasn't very good. The second one is more of a nitpick, but I couldn't help but notice it. In episode 3, there's a scene where Al and Bernie are in a space simulation while infiltrating a base, and at one point when Bernie is scolding Al for his stupidity, the scene randomly goes silent for a few seconds, even though Bernie's mouth is shown to be moving. At first I thought this was a massive oversight by the English dubbers, that they may have forgotten to record a line of dialogue, or that maybe the file I saw was bad and I could find a better copy elsewhere. Unfortunately, it was the same in every place I found it, and I eventually found out that, no, that random bout of silence in the episode wasn't an error. It's in the Japanese version as well. I don't know why the creators thought to have that part be silent, but I personally found it really jarring, and it really took me out of the immersion. To understand what I mean, it'd be like, say, watching an English dub of an anime and having random lines be completely silent and undubbed. I know the video game Atelier Ayesha had this problem, and I didn't play that until long after I watched War In The Pocket. That's how jarring it was to me personally. But again, that's more a personal preference than anything. In case you're wondering, while War In The Pocket is technically considered a distant sequel to the original series that aired in 1979, you don't need to have seen the latter to enjoy the former. Any references to the original Gundam show are mostly just aesthetic in nature, along with name dropping White Base and implying the existence of Newtypes, but that's really it. Also, should you decide to watch War In The Pocket, I should warn you now: It doesn't have a happy ending. I honestly thought the ending was great, further wonderfully illustrating the utter pointlessness of war and remaining true to the show's messages, but I know others who may not agree. Even so, this show is utterly fantastic and I can totally see why fans of Gundam hold this particular OVA in such high regard. If you want to watch a great short anime that cares about its story, characters, and messages, give War In The Pocket a try. I did, and I don't regret it one bit.

SkFelipe

# ~~~__War in the Pocket: O não tão Promissor Futuro Espacial__~~~ __ *Atenção: Este Review contém pequenos spoiles, mas nada que comprometa sua experiência com a série __ É fato que o avanço científico levou vários intelectuais ao imaginário de como nossa civilização seria durante o próximo passo da expansão do nosso habitat, inclusive, muito se diz sobre como o inevitável esgotamento de recursos levaria a vida a uma condição insustentável de vida no planeta, o que importa nisso é que, por mais que essa questão tenha grande peso para a sociedade, é apenas parte de um problema bastante complexo. Com base nas especulações do físico Gerald O'neill, o enredo de Mobile Suit Gundam: War in the Pocket se desenvolve em uma ambientação colonial futurista, economicamente sustentável e com a característica de ser politicamente independente que, por acabar de abrigar um Mobile Suit de um dos grupos rivais, acabam por se envolver em uma guerra. Os familiarizados com a franquia sabem que, nesse momento da história, a humanidade está dividida em duas facções, uma que alega ser representante dos remanescentes terrestres e outra que afirma lutar pelos interesses dos que habitam no espaço. Com o decorrer da história vemos que o conceito de herói e vilão ganha complexidade e o enfoque principal se torna a vida dos cidadãos e a trama das batalhas, com focos também nas questões de honra e dignidade da vida. Temos o desenrolar das mesmas situações políticas que vemos na vida terrestre que, contrapõe os cientistas do ativismo espacial e seus sonhos de um futuro brilhante da exploração que levaria a liberdade, a economias sustentáveis e uso de recursos infinitos com uma infinita produção de de energia sustentável. War in the Pocket mostra a permanência do estado das coisas dos já familiares jogos políticos, crises humanitárias causadas pela guerra, ameaças terroristas e o uso da tecnologia para fins de mortes incontáveis. Estas ideias centrais já teriam mostrado, assim como no anime de 1979 do Yoshiyuki Tomino, que a guerra não age pelo valor de ninguém ou presa pela conexão pessoal, que a violência habita no que há de pior do lado do homem e que nossas ações afetam diretamente a vida dos outros ("Se lutarmos, pessoas irão morrer; se não lutarmos, pessoas também irão morrer" como é dito ao decorrer dos episódios), as afetações e a dor da perca marca o enredo desta série de uma maneira extremamente realista, mostrando os conflitos internos dos personagens e como eles evoluem, como o protagonista Alberto, que evolui o que ele entende por guerra. A série Mobile Suit Gundam, como um grande ícone da ficção científica, nos tira do cientificismo especulatório e coloca nossos pés no... solo terrestre, onde nos faz olhar para problemas sociais reais envolvendo nossos conflitos, a desenvolver o diálogo em polaridades de opiniões, na garantia da segurança e na criação de mecanismos para superar nossas crises. Fica a cargo nosso aprender qual é o modo mais eficiente de cuidar de nossa própria casa, com um constante empenho de esforços para preservar o que temos.

Africanime

What is War from the perspective of a child who has only ever known peace? Nothing more than a game, an exciting interruption to their every day, a new adventure full of wonderful people and cool new things. Or perhaps its the moment that the world ceases to become rosy and exchanges its shimmer for a bit of grey. Kidou Senshi Gundam 0080: Pocket no Naka no Sensou (War in the Pocket), explores this idea in a way that I cannot describe any other way but fascinating. Yes the animation and musical score are all there, as well as the strong English and Japanese voice talent but that aside, it captures emotion and perspective so well. When ten-year-old Al finds Bernie, a would-be enemy pilot crashed in the forest, he offers to join him on his new covert mission out of entertainment. Only for him to realize that war is not a game and that people are not your enemies, but rather doing what they hope is right, out of pride, love and a sense of duty. Throughout my journey into the Universal Century (UC) timeline, it's been pretty obvious how the moral alignment of the War has gone. Feddies are the (almost idiotically) flawed good guys and Zeon are the (somewhat) sympathetic villains. This has shown itself throughout the various series while doing a phenomenal job of humanizing Zeon forces and making our hearts ache for their loss and want to cheer for their success even if they may be on the wrong side, for various reasons. (Shoutout to Ramba Ral and Harmon and also now Bernie... my heart breaks forever). It shows the human stories in the midst of the insanity of war and does justice to Zeon soldier's humanity so much better than anything else I've seen so far, barring Gundam Origin. Again shoutout to Ramba Ral and Harmon, still my favorite characters. What war in the Pocket does slightly differently is that it makes the war almost secondary to the events of the plot. Sure, the war is the reason why the story even happens, but it's Al's relationship with Bernie, Chris and his friends that really makes this story so beautiful and painful. The fact that in another life, another situation, there would be no war, perhaps Al and Bernie would become good friends even brothers as they had become in the series. Perhaps Chris and Bernie could have had a chance together. Perhaps, perhaps perhaps. War does that, it steals the happy maybes and replaces them with the unfair reality. Gundam is so freaking good at making us know the tragic end, yet keeping us in our seats hoping that it may be another way. It shows us that War is not fair and people are truly pawns of a game so much larger than them. Not good or evil for participating, but just trying to navigate the cards they are given according to the compass they have within, one that frequently leads down a path of inevitable pain they did not overtly choose to walk, but chose to stay on. To a child, it's new, exciting honorable, but as they grow, they realize how painful it truly is. There's a chilling scene at the end of the series, where Al's friends try to console him, thinking that his sadness is because the war is over and not because of the unnecessary event that had transpired an undisclosed amount of days before. They tell him not to cry because there will definitely be another war, then they'll get to see more "cool stuff" like live munitions and more mobile suits. It's weird, frustrating, and annoying but also endearing. For them, ignorant of what Al has gone through, this was just a highlight of their year. Something that only hit the peripheries of their lives. It's seen in how kids pick between pretending to be Zeon or Federation in games and classes, arguing about whether the Zaku or GM is better. Even after their school is destroyed and some of them lose parents and teachers, it's barely real to them, but for others like Al it's changed his life forever. Even the ED has scenes of children jumping off half-sunk Zaku's into the water and taking photos with federation soldiers. It feels unreal, the danger is right there, but they don't see it, the mines, the bullets, despite the occasional body found in the street, the chance of finding a mine or live-wire, to them it's not even a thought. Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket does a phenomenal job of carrying on the Gundam tradition of humanizing war in ways we never thought about. Making the civilian experience, exciting, terrifying, and uncertain, the soldier's resolve honorable but ultimately hollow and unnecessary, bittersweet that we have found characters we love only to know that which we love them for, will be why we'll lose them. Finally, it made the child's view true and innocent, maturing with us and walking with us to the end, before gently dropping our hand and walking away, wishing us all the best in our new life. It hurts, but also leaves me warm inside, as if I want to smile but know it'll only bring me tears, a deep sense of _Mono no Aware_. War is hell, and only the eyes of a child can find light in the darkest days. But what happens when the child becomes aware of the darkness? Does the light fade, or only become more beautiful because we choose to see it? I don't know, and the series may not answer that for you. But perhaps if you give it a watch, you may find your own unsatisfied answer. As for me, the UC continues. To more heartbreak, removed satisfaction and pure adoration. Later Days. Africanime

KrenZane

It’s Christmas season and harmony is what it’s all about. The jolly holidays pull away the wreckage sites orchestrated by the vices of war to give more notice to the child-like air, playful despite the mischief. ___War in the Pocket___ took many steps away from the endless show of carnage of ___0079___ to bond with other avenues covered during war times. A refreshing change of pace in aesthetics, setting, character motivations, and musical motif exposed the creativity contained within the ___Gundam___ universe. I can imagine that at that time, the ___Gundam___ fad had reached significant heights considering how undeniably awesome the very idea and look of mecha is, especially back then in the relatively early phases of its conception. Plenty of mobile suit designs should have been materialized into merchandise figurines. It would not be surprising to assume that the flashy fights and cool-ass robots and futuristic technology had its anti-war nature flow away over many people’s heads (and at the very least, the first season didn’t take as much liberties to place consistent spotlights on the disastrous effects of full-blown feuds). In comes this 6-episode OVA having kids glorify war, perhaps a consequence to the peace of Side 6, the 10-year-old half of the dual protagonists cast directly, actively, _willingly_ participating on excursions for Zeon’s cause due to its being the peak of entertainment and nothing else (a dream come true for a boy playing shooting games). Why, it must be play at its finest for children! The show retains Al’s engaged positive spirits by intentionally detracting away from the aftereffects of death until the very last episodes, merely reducing casualties into plain numbers, while merry and lighthearts blanket snuggly. The townspeople carry on about their days and it seems like unrest was non-existent at the infliction of the neutral Side’s battle scars. OP and ED work in tandem to grip the watcher within smothering leisure. And yes, it does not serve to be against the show’s quality. Rather, it builds to the conviction towards a state of life untouched by ruin. While it does that, it is cheeky in presenting the misguided views of people towards the golden sheen of steel. The subdued yet warm flames within the hearth that is ___War in the Pocket___ manifests as a call to foster such environments and denounce the zero-sum game adults forced everyone to play. Staging characters of opposing factions become obliviously attracted to one another simply because of human nature activating was brilliant to prove the point. In the end, authorities dictate the flow of conflict, and underlings can’t help but go against people they could have had amiable relationships with, fighting each other to the death just to survive. Running away and fighting head-on both incur casualties, Chris said. Therein lies a woeful struggle in this sort of societal conflict. The hammer to the nail was the ending when Chris and Bernie no longer had to fight in order to protect their loved ones. Result: the admired unknowingly killed her admirer, bereaving her neighbor who must have been too young to even properly process what has happened. Now Al knows how devastating war must be, and how it is a different kind of game adults play like every human life is but a chess piece and every weapon is a toy, something his close friends still have not been made to understand. A crying Al does not need a continuation of spectacles and buried treasures. What he needs is the nightmare of children his age: the mundane, ordinary life. A rather short piece, yet a satisfying one within the ___Gundam___ universe. ___War in the Pocket___ is a most relevant story which has energized my interest in the franchise, sat me beside the simplicity of media wonderfully, and blessed me with ✨ 80s anime vibes ✨. Indeed, an enjoyable show.

Scheveningen

War in the Pocket is a concise story that excellently captures the tragedy of war, especially through the eyes of a child. Unlike the more traditional Gundam fare that takes the perspective of soldiers, or at least a protagonist that is thrust into combat, War in the Pocket follows characters with significantly less agency. As a short story set near the conclusion of the One Year War, it tells a much more intimate story focusing much more on its characters than the action. In fact, it would be possible to take out a vast majority of the Gundam elements and the action scenes and still have it be a compelling and moving war story. No small feat or praise for its writer and director. War in the Pocket contrast the child-like wonder at all things military with the stark reality of how cruel warfare can be. This is done by having one of the primary point of view characters being Alfred, a young boy. Alfred is written as a highly intelligent child, able to manipulate situations when he needs to and think critically about problems he is presented with. Yet this never comes off as someone with an adult's intelligence or perspective being shoehorned into a young character. Like many young boys, he is fascinated with military hardware and playing soldier without truly grasping its implications or the danger that comes with it. He has little understanding of why the war is being fought or any ideological loyalty to any side. Like any kid playing soldier, he simply wants to be involved in the action and do what he perceives as cool or meaningful. His enthusiasm and naivety make him both incredibly believable as a character and highly relatable. Who among us did not think the same way at his age or have seen that reflected in others. War in the Pocket precisely captures how someone his age thinks and acts, endearing Alfred to the viewers. What is so sobering about his character is when he finally comes to see the horrors of war and how he reacts and changes. It is an experience he can never return from, made all the more hard-hitting when it is contrasted with how his friends still view war as childish fantasies. Similarly, Bernie is the archetypical young soldier, not quite a full adult yet who is still looking to prove himself. In a way, he is an older, more mature reflection of Alfred. Like Alfred's desire to be accepted by his friends and later the authority figures he finds in the soldiers, Bernie wants to be recognised as a competent full-fledged member of the military. While he has a much clearer understanding of the war, he has still yet to see it in its full brutality. Though better equipped than Alfred to handle the stress and anguish that comes with his role in the conflict, he is not immune to its effects. Unlike a paragon character that would embody the ideal soldier, he gets scared and is shaken by the combat he goes through. His character arc of eventually rising to meet them makes War in the Pocket so moving as a character drama but also so tragic. He gives a much more human perspective to a soldier at war. Like most people, he is ultimately motivated by his personal connections rather than any abstract ideals like heroism or loyalty to the Zeon cause. This is contrasted heavily against Chris, who is both a far more accomplished and able solider in subversion of initial expectations. His growth never outmatches her as a soldier. Still, his character is far more compelling since, unlike Chris, he has to face very personal elements of war while she still ends it with some emotional distance intact as a pilot. It is a little disappointing that there is never much exploration into Chris's perspective or how the events of War in the Pocket change her outlook on soldiering, but that would have required more screentime and scenes earlier on that might bloat the narrative. And it would also undermine a core part of the tragedy in the show's plot to have her too involved in what is mainly Alfred and Bernie's story. In any other show, the scenario of Bernie growing into an older brother figure for Alfred and his budding relationship with Chris would be a classic tale of boy-meets-girl. Tragically, war is not merely a backdrop to this story and is an integral theme it addresses. With its excellently written protagonists, War in the Pocket is a profoundly moving story about how ordinary people react to war. Alfred is a child that is involved way in over his head, and Bernie is a low-ranking pilot, both of them have little agency to shape events. Events outside of their control are thrust upon them, and how they react is the core focus of the narrative. It is tragic how little of an effect they have on the eventual outcome of events, but that is also the show's point. It makes the viewer empathise with them as trying to stand against an impossible current and emphasises the intimate nature of War in the Pocket. The politics and grandstanding of the One Year War are left almost entirely by the wayside as we take the perspective of people forced to bear the consequences of that. Any greater context we get to the events on the Side 6 colony are just snippets into the brutality of both sides. The Federation effectively uses the civilians of the colony as camouflage for their military operations, bringing them into harm's way and Zeon engages in indiscriminate attacks to neutralise that military presence. In a cerebral sense, Side 6 is a legitimate military target. But that lack of discussion or acknowledgement around the legal complexities of war serves to underscore that it matters little to the people directly involved. In this, War in the Pocket addresses a significant point of tension, or even contradiction, in Gundam and other media about war. Military hardware, giant mechs in particular, are cool. They are entertaining to watch, and the spectacle of combat is exhilarating. Yet the context for this is almost always a war. The consequences of which are always severe and bloody. The action and battles are always starkly contrasted by the almost picturesque or mundane scenes of life in Side 6. Or they are more soberingly followed up with the characters confronting the aftermath of the action. While there is a decent amount of mobile suit combat, it is hardly the central attraction of War in the Pocket. The scenes of conflict are used sparingly at only critical moments in the plot, ensuring that they do not detract from the show's themes or tone. The music is quintessential eighties pop that would be almost better suited to a serial about high school drama, only heightening the contrast. It all serves to reinforce how tragic the events are and how scarring war can be when it is brought upon an unsuspecting populace. War in the Pocket's conclusion is then made so much more tragic, not just in its climactic conflict but also in how the show closes with those not directly affected by war finding it so much easier to move on or make light of it. It leaves a gnawing sadness at how impactful the events are for our characters, but how in the larger scheme of things, it scarcely matters, even to those closest to them. Overall, War in the Pocket is not just an excellent Gundam story, but a war story in general. It captures a child's perspective so viscerally that it is almost impossible not to feel for Alfred as he tries to prove himself to the soldiers and as the effects of war reach him. There is not a moment wasted in this short series that can be effectively watched as a 2-hour movie. It is well worth the time for any viewer with no large context needed from other Gundam media. War in the Pocket is deserving of that 10 out of 10, for how it can tell such a profound, personal and tragic story while being so concise. It is something other shows never achieve or take far longer to reach, a sign of how well War in the Pocket is constructed.

RossFrost

𝙿𝚁𝙴𝙵𝙰𝙲𝙴

      I want to say that I typically don't do reviews since I don't really have much of an opinion on many shows. I am somewhat familiar with the Gundam universe, and I have built multiple over 50 Gunpla. I really don't have strong opinions on Gundam media since I really only seen Seed, Witch from Mercury, parts of MS-08 Team, and including this show. Lastly, I did watch this show dubbed and I do have some thoughts on that.

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𝙱𝙾𝙳𝚈

      I didn't really have any expectations going into this OVA despite already being well acquainted with the Gundam formula at this point. If you know the Gundam formula, then this show basically is a condensed version of that. Although Gundam is well-known for their mecha fights and teenage melodrama, this short Gundam OVA hardly features mobile suits, or at least not to the degree expected in a Gundam show. And honestly, that actually works in its favor.       The show centers around essentially 3 characters: Alfred Izuruha, a young boy who lives on a space colony; Bernard Wiseman, a Zeon Zaku pilot; and Christina Mackenzie, an Earth Federation test(?) pilot. Honestly, despite being such a small cast for a Gundam show, they are all very compelling. Throughout the short OVA, you'll get to see a lot of character development, especially with Alfred. I started the show hating him because of his apparent ignorance, but as Bernie and Alfred started bonding, I realized that his ignorance was what the show was pivoting around, with Chris being the vessel that ultimately pushes Bernie to do the "right thing" (the irony has not been lost of me).       Throughout the story, the One Year War has always been in the backdrop, with several references to other events in-universe. However, the greater conflict was more of a setting than a plot. In my opinion, the real plot was a boy (Alfred) slowing learning the complexities of life (more on that later). I'm so happy that they didn't make the greater conflict the main focus because then you get into that "revenge loop" pissing match (re: Seed), and never really getting to explore a more nuanced perspective.       Last thing I want to touch on, I normally don't talk about visuals since you can chalk most of analyses up to taste, but I think I vastly prefer a mecha slow dance than the ADHD hyper-glow shonen streaks. The action is very easy to follow, albeit very stiff. If you expecting crazy mecha fights, you won't find it here. Still, even if the fighting is "lackluster", the emotional drama supersedes whatever qualms the audience might have. They are all hand drawn and all stunning, as one expects from Sunrise.

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𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜

      ⚠ SPOILER WARNING ⚠ I really love this show. I think this is perhaps the most compelling Gundam story I have seen. The cruel irony of Bernie dying at the hands of Chris, and subsequently leaving... with Alfred blissful ignorance witnessing the death of Bernie dying in the cockpit of the very thing he loves. I don't think this show is explicitly anti-war in my opinion. If it was, then there would have been more cynical takes on the military leadership or have Bernie and Chris teaming up to fight a "greater evil". I suppose this story more aligns with themes of Romeo & Juliet than Apocalypse Now.       The last act was protecting the colony from the nuclear weapon by destroying the Gundam, however, the space vessel carrying the nuclear weapon was intercepted, but Bernie never knew that as he engaged in combat with Chris. I think the ultimate theme is fulfilling one's duty. Although the ideas of "we all just humans humaning" or what not, I think the last act in addition to Chris's comments in the 5th episode really cements this idea. It is somewhat refreshing then a "war is bad" take, as it is so easy to do nowadays. I don't think it glorifies war, but it doesn't seem to condone it either. I suppose whoever watches this show will drawn different conclusions.

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𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗

      Is this show worth a watch? Yes. Even if one isn't familiar with Gundam franchise? Answer is still yes. I think this perhaps one of the best short animes I have seen. It's easy to watch in one sitting and I highly recommend it. Even if you aren't into mechs, it is still has something for you. The drams of the youth, and hopelessly in love young warriors. I didn't really wanted to dive into all the details, as I still want to leave even ambiguity for undecided viewers to get the gist, but now grant the enough motivation to watch it. The dub was also fantastic. Something I didn't expect enjoying, and I hope y'all enjoy, too.

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𝙴𝚡𝚝𝚛𝚊 𝙱𝚒𝚝𝚜

      Ok so apparently in the dub the randomly hired an ESL speaker. I thought he sounded weird, and the only information that I could find is that they might have attended Texas Tech? I don't know, I find it hilarious that they casted an ESL speaker that voiced a role with the last name Garcia. I think the gave the rest of the Zeon crew a stereotypical Russian accent, I don't know. Old dubs are a funny business I suppose. And yes, the studio who did Trigun and Cowboy Bepop also did this dub too, if my half-assed Wikipedia search serves me right.

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