What would you do if you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a war? Teenager Amuro Ray sees his
life shattered when war comes to his home. During the chaos, Amuro finds himself inside the mobile
suit Gundam, the Earth Federation's new secret weapon, and he somehow gets it to work. Amuro and the
other refugees flee their homeland on the warship White Base. This group of children and inexperienced
soldiers will change the outcome of the war.
(Source: Sunrise)
Warning this review may contain spoilers. First impression, so being a fan of the grandma franchise in general I decided to check the Gundam that started it all and to see what some of the old school fans where talking about. Story, 7/10 Far into the descent future, Mankind as developed the technology that can allows people to live in space colony's Known as sides, As one of these colony's desire independence from the earth federation And so comes the birth of the principality of Zeon who decides to launch a brutal war of independence ageist the earth federation, With the help of there humanoid robots known as mobile suits, Nine months pass and the earth federation has developed there own mobile suit called a gundam, when the zeon forces launch an attck on the colony where the gundam is held, are Main character amuro Ray a young youth is forced into action as he becomes the pilot for the gundam which throws him into a conflict that's takes him all across space and earth with the crew of the battle ship (white base), While gaining an arch rival from the zeon forces called char aznable. Now you're probably thinking that's sounds kind of boring, What's the big deal about this exactly, Well I am glad you asked, Because when gundam first come out it pretty much revolutionized the mechca Genre and pretty much set the ground work for many of the tropes and cliches that have been a staple in quite a few mechca titles and there are a lot of shows today's that can draw a lot of parallels that started with gundam, It also introduces politics and other elements that where that weren't used that much when it first came out, Because a lot of mechca shows around that time where mostly doing this episodic super robot vs monster of the week formla, While gundam decided let's have plot continuity, let's have human vs humans conflicts, let's add politics and while we are at it let's add people who can gain psychic like powers called new types. But in retrospect when you strip away its historical importance, gundam (0076) is pretty much this simple and smooth decent war drama that is talking about little bears and bones of what happens when soliders fight or die, It's pretty much a critic on war. I like it for its simplicity and the fact it never try's to over complicate everything, But the problem is that's it's to broad to have a really overall focus, And it's has quite a few things that really hold it back, Like it gets a little to much at times with its human Drama element, But it's kind of justified that these people are involved in war and that can be very stressful, but I do believe at times they really did overblow it, Another thing I found that the story can be very dry and boring at times, But on the plus side it's takes itself seriously enough especially with the subject matter it's topic at hand, And has some pretty good pacing. Characters, 7/10 The Main character amuro Ray, He is this very chill kind of guy that's kind of good with technology, He kind of like someone who grew up in the boomies or something along those lines, As he starts getting more involved in this war and loose more of his frends, He starts to go through some development, Because he starts to develop some psychological issues and after some soul searching he starts to mature and realizes that's he may not what to do this but has to in order to protect what important to him. We also have a very wide supporting cast of characters for both sides of the conflict, Like for example bright Noa or char aznable, Which make it a lot more interesting and morality Gray. So it's not always about fighting cartoony evil bad guys just because most of the characters for the most are quite two dimensional, They all have a good reason for doing what there doing, Some of them go though some development and fleshing out, But the negative is that quite a lot of them i can't really remember who they are or what there propose was, And also the fact that most of these characters are done in a very dry way, But over all the characters where likable and I didn't find any of them bad per say. Art,5/10 The animation is very dated and hasn't really aged that, Which isn't that shocking when the show is about 30 years old, But I guess should be expected since Japan didn't have much money around that time, The backgrounds are very gritty, The artwork has this old school 50 scientist fiction style to it which was quite nice, The characters designs where quite fresh for me especially because I am used to the more modern style of character designs, But probably when they came they were probably the norm, I also really like the mechca designs as well, They kind of remind me of the old 80s cartoon with that had robots or something along those lines I used to watch as a child. Sound, 5/10 The opening and ending song was pretty much a product of its time, And that doesn't make it bad, but sadly I am not really into the old school 70s op per day, But I found both of them nice to hear, It's just not my thing. The ost was on point most of the time, It's just I didn't really like any of what that where playing. Enjoyment, 6/10 I found gundam a very interesting and honest show that covers all the basics of what war can do do to a person or people, So in that regard I really did enjoy it, But sadly what really held back my enjoyment is the fact everything is so fucking dry, It's like sand paper dry. Overall, 7/10 If your looking for a good war drama or a mecha title that's takes itself very seriously then gundam is for you, But if your into shows that look nicer or shows that aren't dry then probably look for something else, Because gundam by today's standards looks pretty ugly and the whole show just comes of dry.
Mobile Suit Gundam, also known as Gundam 0079, is the first entry into the legendary Gundam franchise. As someone who has watched a limited number of other Gundam series before this, I'd have to say that it definitely shows. While later shows in the franchise took the themes and visuals of 0079 and improved upon them, 0079 presents them in their barest, rawest forms. To some degrees, that isn't really an issue, but in others, it does end up taking away from the series. The first thing that I want to tackle on the series, and, inevitably, something that might bother some viewers, is how it almost feels misogynsitic to a degree. While not entirely flagrant or blatant, it feels like the female characters are mistreated for the most part. There is an entire episode that's basically dedicated to showing why women shouldn't be pilots, with a line straight up saying something akin to that without any shame behind it. The female characters clearly play a very secondary role in the story's narrative, a lot of them feeling like tools or vehicles for the plot rather than actual characters within the story. While this was pretty much par for the course in the 70s, it could definitely be an aspect that a modern viewer would perceive as offputting. That aside, the cast is fairly varied and is overall pretty colourful. Each character is pretty visually distinct, such that they're easily identifiable at a glance. This felt like a breath of fresh air considering that there is a certain degree of "sameness" in modern anime, with certain designs being rather generic and discernable only by the unique touches of the studio producing it rather than through any uniqueness of the character themselves. While some characters started out fairly weak, they all grew on me by the end and I had at least some form of appreciation for most, if not all of them, including ones I blatantly disliked at first. While Gundam 0079 really comes into itself in its later parts, the first quarter or so of the show does feel like a drag. It's rather weak and feels much more episodic than anything else. The show really finds itself when it starts to develop and show off its overarching plot, but that in and of itself isn't very present during the beginning parts of the series. However, the payoff is definitely worth sticking with it if you're struggling to get through the early segments. Surprisingly, despite the limitations of the tech back then, Gundam 0079 has its fair share of awesome and adequately hype moments. There was a certain moment somewhere in the 30s where I found myself jumping in excitement at something that happened. It caught me completely off guard, as I wasn't expecting something to be so competently hype based on what I'd seen of the series thus far. It ended up becoming my favourite moment of the entire series, and it, in combination with both some of the good earlier parts and epic later parts, showed me that the series DOES have a lot to offer for modern mecha fans. Overall, I'd have to say that Gundam 0079 does get a pass. While I couldn't really recommend it for everyone, I'd say it's definitely a good idea to check out for anyone who is a mecha fan that is also interested in some of the history of the genre. The art style does have a certain charm to it, and it's interesting to watch through it and see where some of the things in later installments of the franchise came from.
The White Base steadily approaches its destination point. What the crew doesn't know, is that there's a trap laid down by the forces of Zeon right around the corner of the mountain. A sudden hit to the starboard puts everyone back on their feet. Bright quickly yells orders as Mirai turns the main ship towards the enemy. Sayla quickly informs Amuro, Kai, and Hayato and asks them to get into their respective machines and launch. As soon as they get out they're barraged by the enemy mobile suits. And so begins another battle, another day on board the White Base, and another episode of a legend, that is Mobile Suit Gundam. __1. Teenage struggles portrayed through war experience__ Mobile Suit Gundam is a tale of a bunch of survivors from a space colony that incidentally held a new ship and a new machine that were created by the scientists of the Earth Federation. In the first episode, the colony gets attacked by the forces of the Principality of Zeon. Amuro Ray, one of the main scientists' son, attempts to escape amidst the death and chaos that the Zeon soldiers created using their machines. He finds the very first Federation mobile suit - Gundam - and takes it upon himself to drive away the opposing forces. He's forced to retreat and escape his home alongside a few of his peers and some adults inside the White Base, a new, technologically advanced spaceship, with a plan to find help and safety. The main theme for more than a half of the show is that those kids aren't real soldiers, they are inexperienced escapees, who have to learn how to properly adapt to their new roles while escaping from danger that follows them wherever they go. A few of them have military training, but most find themselves in a situation they've never been in before. As so, Noa Bright, the most experienced out of all the survivors, takes command of White Base and assigns people to certain roles: Sayla Mass communicates with the crew on the ship through the communication system, Mirai Yashima steers the spaceship, and so on. The most important role ends up being given to Amuro, who will pilot the Gundam, as he is the only one with any resemblance of experience in that regard. On the ship itself, we also find out that the White Base was storing two other mobile suits: The Guntank, which can be piloted by two people at once, and the Guncannon. They end up being piloted by Hayato Kobayashi, Ryu Jose, and Kai Shiden respectively. Out of those four pilots, the only adult one is Ryu, while the others are teenagers that didn't have the chance to overcome their rebellious phases in the peace and comfort of their daily lives, like most of us did. A sudden and drastic change appears to have sped up the process, as both Kai and Amuro initially act like pompous brats that haven't experienced life before, but they aren't the only ones to act immaturely. Despite their age, most of the people aboard the White Base are pretty bad at what they're doing. I'm not saying that they aren't smart, far from it, but they have troubles utilizing their strengths and most importantly, can't quite overcome the obstacle of sudden adaptation to their new reality. The further away they get from home, they begin to grow as both individuals and as companions. Despite numerous quarrels and severe casualties, the White Base is able to overcome each trap laid down by the Zeon forces, as well as their own negative mentalities. Bright, who starts off as a loud and thoughtless leader, becomes acquainted with the ways to handle his crew. Kai finds the strive to fight despite always being the most reluctant and skeptic towards the idea. Sayla comes to terms with her past and her future as she collects all the pieces that end up creating her true self. With each character and the cast as whole overcoming different phases to uncover their true purpose, you can easily compare them to a teen who's undergoing puberty. The characterization is obviously skewed in a certain direction to properly underline that comparison, and the structure of the plot itself feels like it was put together with that thought in mind. The episodic nature of the show allows for a much clearer, short and direct messages, like "trust in your own abilities", "uncover the things that you're good at", "let people see your true talent", "don't hide your true thoughts", and many other moral lessons that could prove useful someone with a teenage-like mentality. Another thing that's worth remembering, is that the cast is in a constant state of danger, right in the middle of an ongoing war. They are quite literally, at the turning point of history. They hold the strongest weapons of the Federation, their most talented, skilled and experienced mobile suit pilots, and they travel in the most innovative and powerful spaceship out there. It's not easy being in a center of attention of your allies, but it's the enemies that actually disrupt your sleep, and you can see that weight being put on them as time goes on. Those people don't have time to rest, not with the constant array of death that they have to face. You could almost say that Death travels alongside them at all times, just so it won't have to move too far to collect each soul that they will unavoidably provide to it sooner or later. So not only have they been thrust into a new reality without any warning, but they never have the time to properly collect themselves in the midst of what's been going on. They can't adapt appropriately to their current situation and each other's personalities. That's the thing that creates the chaos aboard the ship and the huge amount of misunderstandings and conflict among them, however, after all the fighting and madness, they're able to develop a bond and a stable relationship with each other, becoming a proper team, where everyone's considered a worthy comrade. But why is all that actually important? I'll tell you: because it creates a stable connection between the viewer and the cast despite massive barriers that divide them. If you look at the world of Mobile Suit Gundam, you'll realize that it is nothing like ours. Technological advancement far beyond our reach, political systems that we can't imagine coming back, and the sheer idea of traveling in space would normally create a huge disconnect between our world and the one that is presented to the viewer, but thanks to the show's ability to portray problems that all of us went through, without breaking the immersion or turning any characters into obvious mouthpieces, it's able to make the cast seem believable, realistic and worth following. This is definitely one of the biggest strengths of original Gundam, but what's more, it is able to perfectly represent those ideals through its main character. __2. Amuro Ray is a perfect Gundam protagonist__ Take all the ideas that I've presented before and mix them up into one person, and you will inevitably end up with Amuro Ray, and if you couldn't tell, that is really damn good. Amuro, at the start, is an indecisive, impulsive, egoistic brat that perfectly represents the stereotypical puberty stage. Not to say that he's not smart, far from it, he is quite capable when it comes to robotics, Gundam repairs and adapting to the battlefield, so his biggest enemies often end up being his own rebellious side, as seen when he's arguing with Bright; his tendency to undervalue others, especially noticeable when he's monologuing to himself about how a woman gives him orders or how he thinks Bright is an idiot; and sexual frustration, which you can spot on numerous occasions when he gets to be around mature women like Mirai or Matlida. All of it cumulates and explodes when he decides to leave the ship along with Gundam, eventually returning and deciding to fight out of his own volition. He decided on it after meeting a true man, Ramba Ral, and noticing his desire to become manlier and stronger. And he does, as the series progresses, we see Amuro turn into a true warrior, who, instead of blindly charging into the battle blinded by the need for violence, calmly dissects each battle and trusts in his abilities to carry him to victory. He becomes more comfortable and each life experience appears to make him stronger and more reliable, which resonates with the rest of the crew as they begin to respect and value him. Amuro's progress teaches the viewer, which I assume was intended to be around 15 while watching it, that simply working hard and not complaining will turn you into a great, respectable man. It's a tale that we all know but done well enough to not feel boring, especially since we see it being presented in such a manly setting. War is a place where true heroes and true men arise to present themselves onto the pages of history, and the show is all about it. Not to mention that there are some truly beautiful women around Amuro. All around, you can really see how a teenager like him could end up with his hormones almost bursting out. *Ekhm* Moving on. But that's not the end of his story. Amuro is actually so much more than just a skilled teenager. He's actually a staple of the next generation of humanity, and in a way, you might not expect. __3. The new era of humanity__ Normally, when someone writes about the idea of a "new generation of humanity" in fiction, they try to simplify it as just one generation going away, and a new one stepping in to change the flow things. Not to say that there's anything wrong with that, especially in something as grounded as, let's say, Legend of The Galactic Heroes, but watching Mobile Suit Gundam really opened up my eyes to possibilities of just going for that extra step, pushing the suspension of disbelief further to include a certain thing that would easily help the viewer with both the understanding of the topic and with the entertainment factor: evolution. In the last arc of Mobile Suit Gundam, we find out that Amuro, as well as his main rival Char and a bunch of other people, are Newtypes. Newtypes are people that evolved an ability to adapt to living in space, which comes with higher mental awareness, as well as better perception, which naturally comes with better military potential. Now, you may say that such a turn completely undervalues the effort that all the characters underwent throughout the series, but I don't think that's true. Despite the problems that the crew that worked behind Gundam had to face with the last episodes, I feel like they did a good enough job at setting down their stance on the topic. Despite having the same advantage, Amuro is better than Char at piloting Mobile Suits, despite Char's clear technological advantage. That's purely because Amuro is better at utilizing his potential, coming to terms with it and building off of it. Char has problems with coming to terms whether or not he is a Newtype and whether he has the same potential as others, while Amuro never cared about that. He just pushed on, learned in a lot of different ways and evolved not only as a human but also as an individual. It's important to really understand how well crafted this storyline is, or perhaps how well thought out would be the better term, because the execution turned out to be very minimal due to the production issues. The idea that even if we can get on some sort of a higher plane of humanity, people who will worry about it will never catch up to people who continue striving even further to better themselves. It honestly boils down to "no matter how far we go, the humanity's problem will remain the same", which can also be said about the war that's been going on in the Gundam universe, but it's done within an already thematically complete show, as Amuro's story almost came to a halt at the point of introducing it. Not to mention how filled to the brim with awesome action scenes the show is, making it so that it rarely gets boring. Speaking of not being boring... __4. Old but gold: Gundam's visuals and music__ You may be surprised when I say it, but one of Mobile Suit Gundam's strongest advantage are the visuals. The character designs are great, very distinguishable and surprisingly detailed with their faces, especially for the time. They all feel different due to their postures, face shapes or hair. There's clearly a lot of effort put into this area. Same goes for the Mobile Suits, which have become a staple for one of the most expensive and popular toys, especially in Japan. Such a nationwide phenomenon couldn't be achieved if not for their brilliant designs. The Gundam is white and easily reminiscent of a hero when stepping on the gloomy battlefield, the darker designs of the Zeon mobile suits that just scream "that's an enemy" from the first moment we see them, and those are only a few examples. They really get creative with some of them. Another asset that it has in this area are the fights. The show has possibly some of the most systematically high-quality fight scripts in all of anime. There's a fight in pretty much every episode, but each one is truly different, the pilots pull off different moves and even if there are some reused shots, there's always a lot of variety that makes them fresh. Of course, a lot of it goes to the setup, where there are different enemies to fight and different terrain, but there are long stretches of time where those don't change, and yet the show can still feel refined in that area. It's a huge achievement that really won over my heart while watching. That's not to say that the animation doesn't have its fair share of problems. I already mentioned the reused shots, which during fights can just be seen as using the same move again and that being somewhat of a trademark of the show, same can't be said about others that take place on board the White Base, most notably Bright picking up his phone which is ingrained in my mind ever since I finished it. Even worse are the clearly repeated backgrounds. Imagine if backgrounds in anime were just an image on a conveyor belt, which restarted whenever the picture was shown in its entirety. It's really silly and embarrassing, but even that can't take out from the rest of the show's visual strengths. As for the music, there's almost nothing more to say than that it's a classic. The wide range of emotions throughout the show is perfectly embodied in the variety of the tracks on the soundtrack. From the ambient, creepy ones, to the grandiose and louder ones, it keeps being consistent with the militaristic feel, the usage of trumpets and drums that are used in military bands bring it out especially well. While the soundtrack isn't large, it doesn't have to be. It makes it so each track becomes more recognizable and specific. You can understand what scene's about to go down when you hear it, like "Oh, it's time for Char to strike!", or "finally, the battle is over". With that, the repetition proves to be an asset, especially when the show is pretty episodic and it has a somewhat consistent outline. I don't believe I need to mention how amazing the opening "Tobe! Gundam" is, or how majestic the ending "Eien Ni Amuro" is, but I'm just going to leave it here. All in all, Mobile Suit Gundam, despite not aging particularly well, works because of the effort put into it even back then. There were some cut corners occasionally, but you can't dispute the sheer magic of watching Gundam. There are really very few things that can rival it in some of its areas even to this day. __5. The impact of Gundam__ Last but not least, I feel it's only fair to talk about the impact that Gundam had on the industry, even though it was mostly the movies that truly got the ball rolling. Mobile Suit Gundam is easily one of the most influential works for all of anime. It's considered to be a "father" of the "true mecha genre", without which we would never see the birth of shows such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, Escaflowne or Code Geass. It is also one of the first anime ever to humanize villains, giving them a clear sense of morality, Char being the prime example of that. It was also innovative for its use of "Minovsky Physics", which rationalized the normally completely fictional systems of a world, helping it become even more grounded than it already was and creating a world that truly felt like it was just our future, where a next big step in technology occurred. It's something that series such as Legend of the Galactic Heroes used later to a similar effect. In Japan, it spawned multiple sequels and sold thousands of toys, it became engraved in Japanese culture so much that there are numerous statues and other tributes to the show all around the country. As for some trivia to see how much the people in Japan care about the show, the Japanese military's code name for their underdevelopment advanced personal combat equipment is "Gundam", the series’ robot designer Kunio Okawara has begun designing real-world electric cars, and there's even a project to build a real-life, functional Gundam with the budget being around a billion dollars, funded by the government. I think that last fact alone is enough to make people understand, but what I said here is just the bare-bones of all that it did, and if you're interested, you can surely find more if you do your own research. __6. Overall thoughts__ Mobile Suit Gundam is a true classic, a must-watch for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the history of anime, but also a damn good watch as a piece of media. Perhaps on the outside, it didn't stand the test of the time as much as some would've liked, but on the inside, it can still be influential and its themes can be applied to any era of humanity. As we evolved and changed, as we fought and died, as we tried to understand everything around us and the passage of time only made it harder, humanity always remained the same on the outside. That's what Mobile Suit Gundam exemplifies, and does so through a really cool, action-packed, relatable, animated TV series. If you want to learn more, I can only implore you to check it out for yourself, be that either through this TV series or the movie trilogy. I know that after this I became a serious Gundam fan, and I will surely be checking out more, more of this legendary series that, to me, lived up to the status that it holds. All that it has done has been done better by the time I'm writing this review, it's storyline ends up becoming pretty basic and the forcefully rushed last stretch is easily visible, there's nothing that I can say to refute that. However, I wholeheartedly believe that any viewer will be able to look past that and truly enjoy it to the fullest if they truly want to, and an ability to make the viewer overlook mistakes is not something to be undervalued. So if you haven't checked out the original Gundam yet, you should. I'll leave it at that.
Going into this series I was a complete Gundam novice with no experience in the franchise and knowing pretty much nothing about it beyond it’s overall impact on the mecha genre and anime as a whole. A lot of reception I read about the 0079 show (not the movie trilogy) was very measured and average, with some saying it to be just a decent villain of the week mecha show. Going in not sure what to expect, I have found my self loving this show and I want to explain why I think 0079 specifically deserves a better reputation and to possibly draw in some people to watch the show in it’s entirety. Starting off with what many see as one of the show’s main drawbacks, especially to newcomers, is the show’s visual style and general animation. One problem that specifically irked me was the frequent use of re-used shots throughout the series. Occasionally these limitations were used well, for example the re-use of the Gundam preparing and ultimately lifting off helped hype me up for upcoming fight (as well as these specific shots having an in-universe reason to look the same). But many other examples were just jarring and took me out of the show’s atmosphere, one shot in particular of Amuro violently swaying back and forth after an attack is used very regularly early in the series and quickly becomes a tiring sight to see, as well as a couple of examples where the shot was used in times where it didn’t seem that the attack was heavy enough to cause Amuro to do that. On a positive note regarding the show’s visuals, some of the scene-setting shots that give us a wide view of a space station or planet can look gorgeous, with drawings seeming incredibly intricate and making the world of Gundam feel incredibly large. The show’s use of colour is also fantastic, explosions and metal clashes pop off the screen and feel incredibly vibrant, some of the best moments coming with a dramatic thought or reveal in which the colour of a character’s gear and face change to a primary colour and really get across the drama and shock of a new turn to the story or change in a character’s motivation. It is true that the visuals of Gundam are very outdated, and even by the standards of the time some of the animation can feel quite stilted, but overall I think the direction and passion from the animators that you can feel in the visceral and sharp ways each scene is drawn help negate these drawbacks. The plots and sub-plots of the show are typically very good, with character progression feeling natural and earned as well as emotionally resonant in certain scenes. The amount of time you spend with the crew on the White Base and the focus each major character gets really helps draw you in as a viewer, and makes you have very strong-held opinions on the major crew-members. This focus of building up a progressing sense of familiarity also greatly helps with the show's worldbuilding, with the world and it's factions/ideologies feeling more real when these characters express their views on the world and make it feel dynamic with multiple opposing viewpoints on the same conflict.The only exception with the show's focus on characterization1. being Hayato, who never gets any real focus in any episodes leaving him without a character arc and with much weaker characterization than the rest of the cast. There are other downsides to the character writing in occasional sub-plots that miss the mark whether it be due to the age of the show or just confusing writing. I found this to be most prevalent in the character of Sleggar Law, who the show seemed to centre as a moral core in his plotline despite the questionable way he interacted with the crew members. As said previously it was hard to tell whether my values were different because of me being born much after the show’s release or if this sub-plot was always morally confusing. Gundam’s character design is absolutely excellent, the designs and gear of Char, Amuro and Bright have become iconic in their own right, especially Char’s clothes and mask/helmet. But the way in which Gundam’s character designs excel is not in its main characters, but rather in its background characters. Pretty much every background character in Gundam has their own unique character design that is unlike any other in the series, and this care that is given to all these obscure characters helps accentuate the main theme of Gundam, as it's easy to imagine a bunch random no-names being mercilessly killed in a war, but knowing their names and faces reminds you that every life is unique and precious. This is again helped by the way Gundam handles its background or one-episode characters in the narrative. Many of these characters will be specifically named and have a shallow but established dynamic with a comrade or two, and occasionally even a major character. Despite the fact that many of these characters die off in one episode, they are given these elements of characterization to show that many on both sides of the war are just typical soldiers trying to get through a war, giving the viewer a small amount of empathy for their fate, similar to Amuro’s own feelings when in combat. These small touches help establish that there is a wider world beyond the confines of Amuro Ray and the White Base, and that these characters all lead lives of their own outside our view. Without giving away too many spoilers, the climax of the show is excellent and also very thematically impactful. The show does take a hard turn into a new plotline about three quarters into the show that could leave some viewers feeling surprised and confused at this new development, but said development has enough foreshadowing and thought put into it for it to feel justified and important. The surreal turn and strange places the show head towards really cement the empathetic themes of Gundam, as opposing views are challenged and painfully fought over in some incredibly well animated/directed scenes. I wanted to write this review because I see 0079 presented by anime fans as an important series in starting a massive franchise but being average in terms of the quality of the show, with many complaints surrounding the show’s age and animation. Obviously, I very much disagree with this viewpoint, I really believe that a fan of modern anime could begin and easily start to enjoy it. Some others label the show as nothing more than an advertisement for toys, although what eventually became of Gundam the franchise is inexplicably linked with the Gunpla craze, it is disengenoius to label the show as a mere toy ad when 95% of anime are "advertisements" for Manga/Light Novels/Visual Novels. This claim also takes away from the passion, effort and genuine feelings that the staff would have put into the series. In conclusion, although it is true 0079 has much importance as a historical series, I think it’s value goes much beyond that as a genuine classic people should watch not because of it’s historicity, but because it’s just an overall great series that is worth your time.
pros: 1) for a show made in the late 70s, a lot of it's fight scenes are pretty decent. Better than most of the shit that indian animators put out, even by today's standards. 2) The background music was more than fine, I had no complaints in that section. 3) The character dev of Amuro was hands down the best part of the anime, his internal struggle with the fact that he was just a boy that was forced to participate in a war that he had no interest in being in, was displayed almost perfectly in the first half of the anime whenever he interacted with the people around him. His reluctance to participate and not your run of the mill shounen characteristics (in the first half) was perfect to the T. And the way the crew banked on him, put additional pressure on him, that entire section of the anime at the very beginning was an entertaining watch in terms of friction between the members of the crew that had no option other than to depend on each other and reach their destination asap. 4) The antagonist: Char aznable and the forces of zeon were also somewhat well written (not as well as the protag’s side... but there is enough meat on that bone when it comes to their character development).There were a few secondary characters on the side of the zeon forces that had their fair share of memorable moments especially within the first 22 eps, after which it kinda plateaud for a while before getting better again. 5) The supporting characters that fought alongside amuro might be the second best thing about the show when it comes to character dev. There were close to 6-8 characters that played a somewhat crucial role in shaping amuro, and their interactions with as well as their own mini arcs where they got the spotlight temporarily, were handled expertly. That alone made the slog worth it. 6) There were some slice of life elements as well as drama mixed in together which I feel made the show better in their own way. 7) Last but not the least... the absolute horror of war was very well portrayed in the first half. Especially the casualties of war i.e the civilians. There were some moments that were just GREAT, I would say that the humanity of the soldiers on both sides were somewhat well portrayed. It wasnt your average bad soldier do bad thing, heck once you take the prequel into consideration along with the OG MSG anime, it kinda shows how neither side of the conflict was completely right or wrong, although it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge that the og anime alone kinda plays down the ambiguity of who is good and bad with their shitty design when it came to the enemy's mecha..... but one has to keep in mind that the show was made for kids in the late 70s, so while it had mature elements, it isnt far off from a kid's show. It has enough amount of drama and political intrigue to keep the average adult hooked too (but eh this is somewhat dependant on the taste of said adult and their tolerance level for the kiddie elements) ------ Cons: 1) They made gundam along with white base (ship where gundam and amuro reside in) toooooooooooooo OP. Both of the aforementioned entities at first sliced through their opponents like they were made out of butter, then as more eps went by, the opponent's difficulty level increased basically and even though the gundam might not have had an easy time, there was no fucking damage whatsoever. And the first time it sustained some damage, it was cosmetic in nature and it did not hamper the functionality of the gundam . I mean ffs even white base was Op but it still got damaged to the extent that it had to wait for supplies and assistance from the EFF (Earth Federation Forces) before it proceeded to reach it's destination. This basically gave the gundam an air of superiority and the sense of danger and unpredictability was basically thanos snapped out of existence, despite taking a fuck ton of hits, not once was I in a situation where I was actually worried about the gundam and/or amuro (for the first 30 or so eps at least) 2) Yeah.... mecha fights can get tiresome, very rarely does a unique move or 2 come up, for the most part it was ctrl c+ ctrl v....felt like I was mining copper in valheim... was going through the motions. The few time where I was actually somewhat hooked to a mecha fight, there were military tactics and maneuvering involved, but that happens for half of the fights, maybe lil more than half. I got burnt out after the first 14 eps or so,but luckily, the show started approaching one of its peaks as far as story telling is concerned, 6-7 eps later, with those eps serving as a build up. 3) There was no balance when it came to character dev and plot progression, when one would have the spotlight on it, the other would get almost completely ignored or ignored to the extent that it would not even matter to the viewer, only towards the last few eps or so is there some semblance of balance between the two... The first half was very character dev centric while the second half was plot driven. 4) The design of the enemy ships and mobile suits, especially the mobile suits, were ridiculously villainous, in a cartoonish way. I dk if this is due to the era having such a design in general or this was due to meh designers... either way, it was kekworthy. 5) There were some abrupt ends to the arcs of some characters that were relatively interesting. A couple of characters with a lotta potential were kinda shoe horned right at the end. And the tone of the anime itself shifted in the last 8 eps or so... with some whacky elements getting added. While they intrigue me, I cant ignore plot armour when I see it, and a healthy amount at that.. (that is keeping aside the major one in the form of amuro's gundam). 6) There were 5-8 episodes too many... some events were either necessary or dragged on longer than they should have been. ------ Conclusion: While it was an entertaining watch for the most part, it felt a bit longer than it should have been. Is it a good show? yep, is it worth a watch? if you are semi interested in mecha and you are patient as heck, yes. Is it a 'throw everything aside and watch this only rn' kinda recc? I wouldnt say so. That being said, I would still continue walking down this path, just to see the way they build upon the story which ended in 0079 as well as the fate of the different characters in the series. If I had to drop a rating, I'd say around 8/10 seems good enough.
When people talk about Mobile Suit Gundam having inspired science fiction in the decades since, it's for real. This was a show that was restrained by its era and by what used to sell, but managed to send out a proper story about the realities of war anyway. From the first episode alone the main characters, mostly civilians, are suddenly removed from their somewhat peaceful life and thrown into hell to experience death and a fiery baptism. The overwhelming grief has to be shaken off for the sake of survival, and the White Base's crew manages to perform outstandingly (which can be a double-edge sword considering the constant abuse by an overwhelmed Earth Federation in the war against the Principality of Zeon). I can only imagine what this was like for its time, specially for the younger audiences. Debates about child soldiers, unspeakable war crimes, nationalistic dictatorships, civilians being disregarded by their own governments to wage wars, cutthroat politics, WMDs and all the gray situations where you can't really hate a character for acting the way they do given the circumstances, or what they must do to protect those they care about in a solar system hell bent on self-extinction. This show has all the right elements to make it a good sci-fi war drama, perhaps to the same level of the Re-Imagined Battlestar Galactica, but the frequent and unfortunate executive meddling over worries about the show's ratings, the demands of toy companies and its impact on youth managed to taint Yoshiyuki Tomino's vision of mechas as weapons of war. Either way, if you're able to turn off the comedic effect some of these issues can be (that funky next-episode preview playing right after a depressing final scene, for one), you can easily see what was *really* intended at each episode. When it comes to sound design, it is about what you expect from a show from the late 1970's: it can be a bit silly for us nowadays, but it sure wasn't back then. The same can be said about the show's OP and ED sequences, it can grow on you after a while, but it will hardly make you take the show's serious tones seriously at first. The aesthetics are great, specially when it comes to the depiction of the space habitats around the solar system, but it can be a real eyesore when it comes to spaceships. Tomino always insisted on the mobile suits and warships being painted in realistic militaristic colors of gray, black or white, yet had to settle with the rainbow parade of colors for the sake of toy companies. It may be really iconic for Gundam and the White Base now, but the moment you see red and purple Zeon warships that are supposed to be some of the most powerful enemy vehicles, you can only laugh. Although some of the members of the White Base can lack in backstory and a good portion of character development (specially considering the show was supposed to have 49 episodes), you grow really fond of them and recognize them all, and you WILL be worried about losing them. And in terms of the lore, we don't get much of the political events that started the current conflict (a narrator explains the most basic points for context), but the show won't shy away from telling you about the context of some of the backstage in Zeon, or how gravity and centrifugal force works in a O'Neill cylinder. It was pretty detailed for its time, which made me really appreciate it. Overall, it is highly enjoyable. If you can go in with the right mindset, you'll not only have fun, but you'll leave with that warm feeling of having being told a good story.
Mobile Suit Gundam presents a futuristic tale that is disturbingly fitting for our own future as a human race. War is an inseparable part of mankind. Peace is, and can only be, temporary. Tomino teaches us that the most violent era in human history is yet to come. In his own words, he sees the ultimate fate of mankind as self-destruction. This series is the embodiment of those words. The amount of chaos and death within these 43 episodes is of such grand scale it can feel overwhelming as it only gets more and more intense the farther it goes on. Also of important note, this is beyond just a battle between a so called good side and a so called bad side. War is indiscriminate of which side one is on as the internal politics causes betrayal, revenge, change of loyalty, ambitions, and goals within one's own ranks. The story follows a young crew of inexperienced soldiers that had to struggle out of necessity to survive. Among them is Amuro, a young soldier who becomes the pilot of the Gundam: a new mobile suit of grand potential. However, it isn't as easy as it sounds a Amuro has to deal with a ocean of conflicted feelings as he has found himself thrown into a war for the first time and is horrified of what he is seeing and what he has become. The most notable character of iconic design is Char Aznable. He is a man with an unclear past. As part of the Zeon forces, he takes on the Federation. Oddly enough, he has his own agenda that ties into other unlikely characters. Part of the wonder of Gundam is the mystery behind this character and what he is really up to. Music wise, the soundtrack sounds funky overall, and yet can do well to add tension and to elevate the battles. Sometimes an insert song can be added for great effect. I don't think the soundtrack is that impressive though it has at least a few iconic songs. The animation is brutal and wonderful in how detailed it is in portraying death and destruction. Even by today's standards it is impressive how it looks. The occasional production issue will result in slide shows and shots that look off at times, however. As humanity continues to help wipe itself off from existence, the viewers can't help but see the desperation in the characters of this series. Despite the hopelessness and pain they have to go through, they do all they can to will themselves by sheer force. Fleet after fleet battle, the crew of the white base try their best to grow not just as soldiers, but as people as well through all their internal conflicts. Watching this, it is clear from people who watch other similar works just how influential this series has been. For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes show a lot of influence from this series. The only part that felt strange about this series despite that it's the best part of it are the last few episodes. There is a sort of supernatural element introduced that adds a lot of bizarreness and surrealism to it. I think by the end I was able to get used it and understand it a little better. Despite all this, this series is a masterpiece and yet another important historical document of the greatness the medium can achieve. Mobile Suit Gundam reminds us that humanity will never stop doing horrifying things to itself. In this brutal depiction, the world feels like it has ended. Despite that, sometimes it appears there is a glimmer of hope and peace that can be achieved. Tragically, and like stated before, peace is, and can only be, temporary.
A lot of people who have not seen First Gundam probably perceive it as an important show that redefined mecha anime and influenced storytelling in anime as a whole, but not a show that's too terribly entertaining to watch on its own merits. Dated. Well, I'm here to say that even removed from the context of the massive impact it left on the anime industry, this is a phenomenal, engaging, evocative show well worth watching. Now it's not without its flaws. The designs of the vehicles, ships and mechs in First Gundam lack severely in cohesiveness if you ask me, with many of them feeling out of place in their own show. The last stretch of episodes, due to several factors, rush the plot a long just a little bit and feature less polished animation. And of course there is the infamous Doan's Island episode that was outsourced to Korean animators. But those just feel like nitpicks when put against the pure visual and emotional power this anime channels. In terms of narrative and thematic strength there is not a single episode I would remove from First Gundam's runtime. There are only a couple that do not serve to directly progress the plot, but even then they are purposeful and offer further insight into the war being fought and the people fighting in it. It is in fact the little details, small, throwaway pieces of dialogue that make a world of difference in fleshing out the universe of Gundam. First Gundam's reputation is firmly built on it being a realistic, harrowing depiction of the evil and inhumanity that characterize war, with many of the show's staff having grown up during and after World War II. And that is absolutely one of the show's strongest aspects. How behind the cold exterior of every mobile suit there is a human being with hopes, dreams, aspirations and a family, and how those lives are snuffed out so quickly and so easily in the face of advanced weaponry. But what makes the show so special for me is the brief moments of humanity in between these despairing fights. The foot soldiers who scheme to destroy the Gundam not for glory or fame but for a promotion that will bring them back home and away from the battlefield. The weary and dejected faces of the White Base crew at the end of an exhausting battle. The brief moments of understanding between soldiers on opposite sides when they're not entangled in life-or-death situations. These are what make Gundam special, and elevate it from being just a gritty war drama. And these brief moments take center stage at the show's climax, where the concept of Newtypes is introduced. As a form of telepathy, the characters of the series can only see it as a new tool of war brought forth by humanity's evolution in the presence of more bitter and violent warfare. It is only in the finale that Amuro sees it as something that can help humanity, and uses his powers to guide his comrades safely out of the warzone. Now obviously there will be more wars not too soon later in Gundam's universe, but in this brief moment it feels as if the cycle can be broken and humanity can learn to evolve past its barbarism. And it's that little sliver of hope in the face of such abject despair that makes Gundam special, and allows it to endure to this day.
All due respect is given to this revolutionary title without second thought. One would basically be living under a rock were they unknowing of the breadth and depth of its success. No matter what I say here, it wouldn't ever touch its reputation. These are merely ramblings of a random person who thinks the very origin of the franchise feels inadequate in and of itself (final opinion should never be cemented in individual seasons comprising a whole, and it should never be taken too seriously when someone finds faults predominant in a certain part; practicing giving the benefit of the doubt while acknowledging the current state of affairs is the way to go), and I would be hard-pressed to believe otherwise when things are only getting started in the grand scheme of things, at least I hope it is. ___Mobile Suit Gundam___'s length and its neverending series of battles actually finds strong defense against people who find it dragging and repetitive: it shares to the viewers the weariness of the White Base crew. As a type of war which has seen skyrocketing casualties in the span of around nine months, the first of it already having cut the global population in half, it is an essential step to dedicate time in staying put in the battlefield. Especially effective is the fatigue felt when our crew is filled with teenagers, unseasoned soldiers, regular civilians, or a mixture of the three, who have little idea on what they are doing. Not to mention that their victories rewarded them with more work. It was something else feeling like the episodes were a drag and yet being aware that this is but a drop of the exhaustion the main cast has been undergoing through. What I perceived it has done, however, in focusing on the wasting of human lives instantaneously like a flicker, is neglect the worlds under and above the surface of human life itself. Although it fulfilled its job of presenting the aftereffects of a world war: in causing the death of loved ones (Frau Bow's); providing vision to a widow's emotions; displaying the complete eradication of natural habitats; showing the existence of refugee camps; soldiers blinded by pursuit of valor and forsaking morality; generating loss and separation (Kai, Mirai, and Ryu); conflicting the relationship of once innocent people (Char and Sayla); sourcing the desire to retire and repay one's debts (Cucuruz Doan); the despondence of a mother upon witnessing her son participating in the cold war (Amuro and his mother); perpetuating the cycle of hatred (Amuro and Icelina); among few more things, it fails to hammer me with the hopelessness, the unkindness, the utter evil of human nature that it implied was the universal impression from the replayed recitations summarizing Universal Century 0079. img(https://i.imgur.com/n3mWpGT.png) Zeon's condescension is an appropriate response to the burgeoning population as the antagonistic faction, yes. At the very least their ideology foils, making it thematically relevant. But I am yet to be convinced of their fervor to enact domination and superseding this model of mankind for superior ones without any reason for it--a "just-is" action cannot work for me here. A promising premise turns empty without support. By that same logic, the presentations I mentioned on the above paragraph lack profound substance if not used to install weight upon the gravity of the global crisis. After fleeing Side 7 after its devastation, I understand that the people were suspended in tension enough to go through the first battles. However, it seemed so disturbing that Frau Bow did not so much as exhibit reactions one would be forced to show in response to such grievous loss. She lost her family, but she, an ordinary human being, seemed just fine after all of it, save the short instance of paralysis? She had the children and Amuro to cope up with the loss, but even then, it felt psychologically impairing were I to be in her shoes. What was the purpose of Kai having his own little arc if he still remained the same as before? More eagerness to bring down Zeon shown in his better combat performance? The effect seemed minute and insubstantial that it can just be traced to his common behavior before the ordeal, rather than a concrete reason for some sort of development. The same holds true with Amuro after he left his mother on Earth. What were the consequences of that event? His mother was not even mentioned after that, and there were more than a half of the anime left. One would have thought something so depressing as that would have left its mark to be frequently remembered, but Amuro was as coarse, as inept to sensibility like always. Pity when the imagery during the farewell was verily striking. I insert that episode on Cucuruz Doan's island where they talked about the beauty of transience in the midst of an era where the world is a graveyard. Keen notice of ephemera is indeed a movement to sit upon; such a beautiful inclusion!...until it's left to dust like the others. It's like the team felt that they have done their job to impact the audience and did not find the need to re-acknowledge it by layering it with more substance thereafter. img(https://i.imgur.com/84CtLsL.png) External elements away from the White Base crew, including the widow, the destruction of habitats, the refugee camp, the retired soldier, lacked a jarring element as a stimuli to elicit dread. Pieces were placed on the puzzle, but it felt so little in comparison to the magnification of metal battles. Through ___Gundam___'s establishment of 0079's state of humankind as something at the pits of favorability due to the massive scale of the war, it is a must to fortify the claim by making it so abundantly evident that people really are suffering. As it is, it lacked the emotional manipulation which would have made it believable. Maybe the foremost intent is the showcasing of choreographic mecha battles--I'm sold on that, for sure. I'm just left to want something more. Moving outside the confines of battle once again, we find drama strutting through the grounds. How wonky everything regarding Mirai was. I thought her and Bright had a thing together. Then in a beat she was smitten by the lieutenant? Nothing short of cheesy was the four-way romance centering Mirai, and I really wished they didn't include that at all, or at least took the lieutenant from the equation. Speaking of Bright, there were hints that he likes Sayla after all. Really, what was him and Mirai all about? In relation to abrupt surprises we have Lala risking her life for Char for reasons that he was her savior...But how did he save her, is the question that was never answered at all. A gaping hole precludes the holistic formation of her character, which is sad because she indeed was the most intriguing addition to the story as a newtype. Ah, yes, newtypes. It's a perfect segue to discuss about it. I'm actually quite invested in this major turning plot point because it explains Amuro's miraculous stand-off against Char in his first battle. We were led to believe it was all the Gundam's computer doing all the work, elevating its innovation to the highest highs when it could even carry an amateur fighting against one of the best pilots, and it was great in order to concentrate on mecha as an evolved weapon, as well as its connection to the pilots deploying it (the age old sentiment being man is humanity's best tool). And it turns out, Amuro had the potential to be superhuman from the beginning. Char, too, but his awakening is more delayed. Not much detail is published on newtypes. The first season properly built up on it though despite announcing it on the final stretches. It achieved a level of excitement for ___Zeta___. Indeed I little qualms at its addition. Lack of foreshadowing was an issue. The first Gihren speech was wrought with pretense of Zeon being the "good" nation in painting the Earth Federation as an oppressor. The second and final one, in raising morale before the siege against A Baoa Qu, exclaimed his true goal to the public: to only retain the superior breed of mankind. I don't think it helps the Zabi sovereignty when Gihren switches standing like that, from it being a justified war against evil to straight-up sweeping the planets off unwanted species. As such, that really wasn't a smart thing to do, but in the end the soldiers were all in for it for some reason. Of course the civilians never had their time to be in the spotlight. These were the problems I've been riddled with in my watching experience. There is a lot to want; I haven't even touched Casval and Artesia's siblinghood. As for the positives, I actually have enjoyed both music and visuals. I did not feel production was an issue when the anime didn't play itself as so deficient in those departments given the era of its creation. Most noteworthy is that one image of Amuro's fierce face infused by the waves of Lala's influence, with her on the center. Such creative presentation which would have made me an instant faithful apostle of the franchise were I to see it in times prior to this version of how I look media, and were I not already hooked by the mobile suit fights. Those episodes were fitting of its cosmic setting, having reach throughout the edges of its scope. ___Mobile Suit Gundam___ would have been remiss to forego involvement of good ol' fate and destiny in the spiritual conversation between Amuro and Lala. Enough said, I was all in for it, and I will most certainly carry this sentiment as I continue through this dense franchise. img(https://i.imgur.com/pBmajrY.png)
~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/gpPqsvU.png) Holy fucking shit this is awesome, not to sound like a deranged six year old but if you like planet sized robots with guns, bazookas, lightsabers, canons, jet packs, lasers, that can also fight in hand to hand combat then screw this review and pick this up. Forget the fact that it’s made in 1979, because this cinematic masterpiece holds up to this day. This has it all: mecha, love, characters, weird acid trips, family drama, Char, and military tactics that anyone could desire in a Gundam show. I’m talking scenes filled with so much war and space jargon that you’ll be fluent in the language of Spacenoid by the end of it. But is this series all sunshine and roses? Ahem, time for a most dubious synopsis. In short, we begin with an expedition dump saying how Earth has split in two. One half is the Earth Federation that wants to preserve life on Earth as we explore the new frontier(space) and the Zeon who want independence from the Earth Federation, and later want to eliminate all Earth’s inhabitants, believing that they, the Zeon, are superior. The two sides have been at a stalemate for awhile, until one dumbass decides that he can neuter one of the EF’s best assets (an area called slide 7) on his own. Which ends up destroying a military base and killing thousands of innocent civilians. It’s here we follow our protagonist Amuro as he accidentally stumbles into a Gundam, a giant humanoid battle mech. And from here our story between good and evil (with a moral gray area) begins. And that’s the briefest synopsis I can give about the story. More about what I found most intrinsically enjoyable about the story and the writing later on, for now I’d want to turn my attention to the visual spectacle of it all. For a series that was made in 1979, I must say that the action sequences hold up extremely well. I don’t understand this ongoing contingency that it’s too outdated or sluggish for modern viewing. As someone who watched this for the first time in the year 2022, I was jawstricken by the sheer magnitude of both the battles themselves and the scope of the narrative. Between this and the fights in LOGH, both convinced me that space war isn’t much different than real war, and also getting your ship blasted by a laser offers anything but a quick and easy death. No, as if the explosions weren’t enough to demonstrate how violent these battles are, it’s only increased tenfold when a Gundam uses its saber-beam to slice or impale the cockpit. This is where the pilot lies, and you are explicitly shown the horror the pilot faces as the cockpit has been obliterated. img220(https://i.imgur.com/n4YB7hq.gif) Not to linger on the action much longer, but each movement of the mechs have real weight to them. Same goes for any movement that occurs in a spot with zero gravity. Where even the faintest of flicks on a forehead can send someone flying in the other direction. There may not be much blood, or any instance of gore that I can immediately recall, but this is by no means a non-violent show. The only aspect that might be more grotesque than the violence is all the drama and romance. Because by god, is this show filled to the brim with it. Throughout this huge war, the war over who gets Amuro’s heart wages on in the background. Which is a component of this show that I initially scoffed off, but I’ve grown more fond of it in retrospect. I recall initially thinking that the romance was a waste of Amuro’s energy, since throughout the series it’s shown that Amuro struggles to keep it in his pants, and that despite his loyal to a fault like nature, his stints with being romantic towards others felt like unnecessary bumps in the road that deviated from his main mission. However after revisiting this series after watching subsequent gundam shows, I must say that I ended up admiring the emphasis this show in particular puts on romance, intimacy, and relationships in general. Because honestly, how can you make a compelling space-war saga without love playing a crucial role? I now enjoy that it’s this series that introduces us to a “love-triangle” of sorts that ends up putting the fate of humanity on Earth at stake at some point in the future. It also humanizes all players involved in this conflict despite its huge scope, and that just makes each casualty of war felt that just more. img220(https://i.imgur.com/eTMdJM9.gif) Whether that be through a spy pretending to love a soldier to squander information out of them, love interests changing over the course of war, or two-players caught in a love triangle trying to pin whether they love the girl as a girlfriend or as like a mother, this Gundam is not only the catalyst for establishing romance as a crucial aspect to this series, but also cementing that in order to have lost, you had to have loved. And this series does not let up on snipping away the emotional strings you have to certain characters throughout the story. No matter the era, when it comes to story-telling, genres such as romance are timeless. However, an aspect of a story that can age closer to that of milk than of wine are its visuals. Which is a crucial component when it comes to animation, especially that of which from a series that came out in 1979. So how does this series stand up visually? Aside from some animation errors and stiltyness, I honestly did not see much wrong with how the series looked, contrary to everything I’ve heard up till finally watching this for myself. Sure it can be a little stiff and the characters can make odd faces at times, not to mention the movements of the Gundam itself can be quite frozen at times, but otherwise it’s phenomenal in the visual department and has its own unique charm and whimsy. We’re also constantly given a variety of settings, since we’re traveling across the globe and galaxy that is. The show does a wonderful job capturing the distinct aura each location emits. From more desert heavy lands, to a panicking space shuttle, the swampy boonies, this show doesn’t let down on its immersion. img220(https://i.imgur.com/5S90zz8.gif) Speaking of immersion, (see what I did there?) the immersion I have into the Gundam universe is only bolstered by its soundtrack. Feeling grand and epic during a battle, and building tension during moments of suspense. However there’s a moment in Slide 6, where Amuro is on his way to meet his dad and in the background it’s playing this incredibly jammy funk song. And that’s the way I’d describe the soundtrack, it’s this space-opera orchestral masterpiece with blurbs of random funk and synth songs that not only throw you for a loop but also manage to stick with you. The dialogue and banter between characters are both fun to watch play out and immersive. I am always captivated by Char’s raw charisma and charming demeanor each time he’s on screen, and I found Amuro’s growth and struggles throughout the series to be harrowing and thought provoking. In that, I’d often ask myself if I’d rise up to the situation in a similar way he does in a situation. Whether that be seeing his loved ones meet a miserable fate, avenging his comrades, or developing a relationship with a being who possesses other-worldly powers, I can confidently say that Amuro is the most-level headed Gundam protagonist of the UC trilogy and comes across as the most human. That being said, he’s not my favorite, but I appreciate him much more now than I had in the past. img220(https://i.imgur.com/ssmOpAm.gif) Much like how humane Amuro is in comparison to future gundam protagonists, he also works solidly as his own character but also not being too extreme of personality that he’s able to not lose the ability to act as an audience surrogate. And much like war, Amuro isn’t perfect and not everything is sunshine and roses, but is that the case with this series as a whole? Does this series hold up today? Gundam: 0079 is a series that I cherish with all my heart. It’s a series that started out as a mere toy-commercial that became an outstanding commentary on politics and war that sadly still holds up to this day. However, it’s with this series and its successors that we can apply its morals and messages to our own lives and truly make the change that series wants us to make in our society. Only truly then, can I say that I’m as cool as Char Aznable. img220(https://i.imgur.com/M5DPotI.gif)~~~