Mobile Suit Gundam
Reviewed by Dan Peterson |
| Synopsis |
| Ladies and gentlemen, this is what started it all. It’s the late seventies, and a team from Japan decides to release an anime about a spaceship called White Base that flies around and battles thanks to its mobile suit Gundam unit piloted by Amuro Ray. Did they know back then that this show would pave the way for decades of sequels and additions to the Gundam universe? Probably not, but that just makes it more fun for a fan of Gundam Wing, G Gundam, or any of the other numerous Gundam spin-offs to watch as their legend is born. |
| PLOT: 85% |
| It’s the main premise of every Gundam series with the exception of G Gundam: Earth is at war with the space colonies. In this crazy world of constant battle and destruction, Amuro Ray and the crew of the White Base fight for the Earth Alliance while the Federation of Zeon with its captain Char hunt down the base and attempt to seize its prototype Gundam unit for themselves. The plot of the series moves pretty fast and is incredibly immersive. Definitely involving and engaging, though not to the extent of some of the later Gundam series. |
| CHARACTERS: 65% |
| Here, we see all the prototypes for characters in Gundam series to come. The villain wears a white mask to hide his identity, the hero is headstrong and inexplicably better able to pilot the Gundam better than almost anyone else despite the fact that he’s a civilian, and the love interest seems to care far too much about the hero than is good for her. These characters may set the tone for characters to come, so it’s enjoyable to see how they evolved, but as far as sheer characterization and character development go, they aren’t too much to speak of. |
| ART: 75% |
| This is a tough one. The art looks a bit awful to us, but it was a series that aired in 1979, before I or any of my friends in the Anime Club were born, about a quarter of a century ago. It’s not quite fair to hold animation from that long ago to today’s standards, and I imagine, given from the art in some other older anime I’ve seen, that it was pretty decent for it’s time, so I’ll try to grade it as fairly as I can. |
| SOUNDTRACK: 75% |
| Once again, older anime mean hokier music (and, in the case of Beet the Vandel Buster, some newer ones), but yet again I’ve heard worse. Therefore, I’ll grade its soundtrack as I graded its art. |
| CONCLUSION: 77% Overall |
| A good series and a good start for a series that would only grow greater with age. |
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