Mobile Suit Gundam takes place far into the future, where humanity now lives in space colonies scattered across the galaxy. An opposing government, The Principality of Zeon, has declared war on the Earth Federation in a battle for superiority. During an eight-month break from the war, a young man named Amuro Ray stumbles upon a secret Earth Federation project named, “Gundam,” which is meant to turn the tide of war. In a cruel twist of fate, Amuro pilots the Gundam and lives him, and his friends become embroiled in the decade-long argument which cost the lives of millions.
First and foremost, Mobile Suit Gundam is an anti-war show. Although it does tend to glamorize war with the epic bouts between giant robots, giant robots and laser swords, the anime focuses on how war effects those involved. It doesn’t necessarily takes a psychological approach, but it does touch upon how war impacts both sides. Zeon, nor the Federation, is painted as good or evil. The show adds a broad stroke of ambiguity. There are despicable characters on both sides of the war, but they hardly represent the entirety of either movement. What I appreciate is the show never has to regurgitate trite lines like, “War is hell.” Or “War is bad” or something to that effect. It would much rather show how much destruction it brings to everything in its path. That works to its advantage.
Mobile Suit Gundam also has some layers of complexity to it as it delves into politics now and again. The most attractive side, have to be Zeon and its Monarchal structure. The show expands upon how the Zabi family came into power, who is involved, what roles do the family members serve in government and the corruption that comes along such as system. The show never dedicates a substantial amount of time to politics, but it always plays a role in every major plot occurrence.
I was surprised that the animation wasn’t that bad as I thought. Yes, it is ancient when you compare it to more recent anime, but I can see why people were amazed when it first aired. And, to my surprise, there weren’t that many reused battle scenes that I noticed(unlike Gundam SEED).
What I dislike about Gundam is how the episode structure becomes repetitive after a while. Most episodes have a strict formula: White base runs from Char, White base stops someone, they talk to locals, and then white base gets attacked. Not every episode is essential to moving the plot forward, nor does it necessarily develop or characterize the cast. At least, ten episodes amount to filler. Another issue I have is the introduction of a new story element near the end of the show. It comes from left field and to me, it feels as though it undermines individual characters. As opposed to being skilled through talent or experience, characters are skilled do to an almost supernatural ability. It doesn’t exactly ruin the show, but it did put a damper on my enjoyment.
The cast is nothing fantastic, but it does have a few characters that I did like. Amuro is a well-developed protagonist. Almost every combat experience added to his character in some way. Some events cause him to a breakdown in tears while others serve to strengthen his resolve. He also transitions from a whiny brat to an independent adult. His nemesis Char is an iconic character for a reason. He is suave, charismatic, witty and downright lovable. There aren’t many episodes dedicated to Char’s character, which is a shame. But nonetheless, I was enamored with him. The supporting cast is nothing to speak in-depth. Most of them remain static throughout the show
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Mobile Suit Gundam is a series that spawned an innumerable amount of spin-offs, games, and other merchandise. It has become one of the most cultural important anime of all time. While by no stretch would I call it a masterpiece, it is an enjoyable experience.
