Anime review: Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt

In similar vein to Gundam OVAs 0080: War in the Pocket and 08th MS Team, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt presents a small scaled conflict that is but a sample of a widespread war. It spends ample time detailing the life and struggles facing both Federation and Zeon soldiers, with the former hoping that a prototype Gundam and one hotshot, self-absorbed pilot will grant them victory over a ravaged sector of space marked by the debris of abandoned space colonies. The main Zeon forces, meanwhile, stand out from the pack as being almost exclusively amputees, with their main pilot out to prove his worth in beating back the Federation forces, while also looking out for his friends and comrades-in-arms.

Gundam Thunderbolt is a very short watch. Four episodes clock in at less than twenty-five minutes a piece. But the series does not lack polish – following in the footsteps of Unicorn and The Origin, the digital animation nears movie quality, with a decidedly darker atmosphere to many environments, further playing up the desperate measures taken during the One Year War. This visual style is strikingly appropriate, given that Thunderbolt explores the motivations of the two lead pilots in great detail, as well as explores the horrible atrocities both factions carried out in hopes of securing their victory over what is essentially a mole hill compared to the ‘mountains’ of Zeon strongholds like Solomon and A Baoa Qu. If there was ever any doubt that both the Federation and the Zeons could be responsible for some morally questionable, unsettling tactics, you need look no further than Gundam Thunderbolt.

And that’s a large part of what makes Thunderbolt such a worthwhile watch; it packs a hard punch, with mature themes and few real ‘heroes’ in the mix. It also boasts an incredibly catchy, upbeat soundtrack that samples jazz, funk, and love ballads, all of which presents an eerie, yet wonderful contrast to the narrative themes at play. If nothing else, Thunderbolt is worth giving a shot for its Cowboy Bebop-flavored tunes, and worth sticking around for the escalation of power and subsequent devolution of humanity.

My rating: 8 (out of 10)

Anime review: Knights of Sidonia

A thousand years after humanity encountered the shape-shifting parasitic force known as the Gauna, the Solar System has long-since been destroyed and mankind finds itself adrift amongst the stars in the giant city-ship Sidonia. While historical records indicate that Sidonia did, at one point, have contact with other ships harboring their own large populaces, it’s been more than one hundred years since the last recorded contact, and to the knowledge of all those living on Sidonia, they may very well be the last surviving remnants of the human race. This theme of being somewhere between the end of days and in search of a new horizon perpetuates a unique atmosphere for the twelve-episode anime. While Sidonia has gone without a Gauna encounter for quite some time, this peace is interrupted by the foe’s re-emergence, and Sidonia’s nature as a military fortress is made clear within the first couple of episodes. Young cadets board mass-produced and somewhat outdated mechs called Gardes, armed with spears of a particular material known to instantly kill a Gauna if pierced through the correct part of their amoebic body.

The theme of a stranger in a strange land is not uncommon to limited run science fiction works such as Knights of Sidonia, and main character Nagate Tanikaze finds he must venture forth from the seclusion of the undercity in order to find food following his grandfather’s passing. Wholly unaware of the lives led by those in the burgeoning vertical city of Sidonia, Nagate’s introductions to his young pilot peers and Sidonia’s chain of command are jarring, to say the least. In the time mankind has been away from Earth, some bold scientific advancements have been made – some resulting from evolutionary processes, others self-induced. To accommodate for the large population on a ship such as Sidonia, its citizens have undergone cellular alteration that allows them to photosynthesize for nutrition, only needing to eat actual food once per week. Meanwhile, a third androgynous gender has emerged, one that does not take on the attributes of either the male or female sex until such an individual has become romantically paired to a partner.

While Knights of Sidonia received its TV-MA rating primarily for its degree of bloodshed and brief sequences of borderline-nudity, more carefully plotted and interesting additions to the world that is being crafted within the series provide viewers with a more concrete idea of how Sidonia’s people behave on a daily basis. One such gender-neutral individual is Izana Shinatose, who early on becomes friends with Nagate, and the interactions Izana has with his/her peers are sometimes very casual and relaxed, while at other times, he/she is judged as strange and even lesser because of his/her physical differences. It’s great to see contemporary themes worked into a setting so far-removed from the modern day, and pairing Nagate and Izana together helps them to grow as characters, and the story to become both more complex and engaging.

A group of their classmates/fellow pilots in-training are all clones of one another, a group of sisters who rarely travel without one another’s company. While Nagate and Izana appear to be in their late teens, the veteran pilots who are touted as being the best of the best look only ten years their senior, due in large part to the generally low life expectancy of Garde pilots. After his first couple of outings in an older but seemingly special Garde unit dubbed Tsugumori, Nagate finds he is the talk of the town, so to speak, as many of the veteran Garde pilots are impressed not only by his ability to handle the mech with such precision, but also his triumph over the first Gauna he encounters. Not everyone is impressed with Nagate’s performance, however, as rival Norio Kunato believes it is his rightful position to be the ace pilot and hero of Sidonia.

As Nagate’s streak of success continues, the people of Sidonia and his fellow Garde pilots become simultaneously more comfortable in their constant routine of winning battles, and more critical of Nagate’s performance. Should one of his squad members become injured or even killed in action, the immediate response from some of Nagate’s peers is to point the finger at him for not doing enough to protect them, regardless of how insurmountable the odds may have been. And while Nagate certainly finds himself at a crossroads of frustration and personal confusion, voicing his concerns to his superiors, he continues to grow as a stronger person through this series of physical, mental, and emotional stressors and traumas.

Knights of Sidonia employs a visual style not uncommon with contemporary anime, placing 3D cel-shaded character and mech models in more traditionally-drawn environments. The gold glow of Sidonia’s industrial center is a stark contrast to the dark blue depths of its artificial ocean, while the bleakness of space is interrupted by icy mining sites and the massive size of the space-faring Gauna. These foes are able to absorb various life forms and take on both physical and behavioral qualities, resulting in some horrifying and twisted mockeries of human forms facing down the Garde pilots. The Gauna’s primary means of attack may be to lash out with whip-like tentacles, but should they bear the faces or even voices of fallen comrades, the psychological impact it has on pilots is abundant in their hesitation and fear as they attempt to defend their home ship.

The Garde mecha bear design points sleek and modern, as well as some boxy and obtuse, lending a unique look that makes them stand out more noticeably in what is often an over-saturated genre. Oddly enough, the character models do not display as smooth of motions as either the Garde units or the Gauna. Nagate, Izana, and the rest of the people living on Sidonia are characterized by frequently jerky motions, whether under the constraints of gravity or freely floating in zero-g. Their facial expressions are highly animated, but only do so much to distract from this setback in production value. While the writing is generally pretty solid, there are a handful of moments that reduce the degree of immersion significantly, such as when everyone on board Sidonia is asked to brace for evasive maneuvers and apparently all they have to strap themselves in with are thin cables attached to their belts that they are expected to clamp onto the nearest piece of railing or pipe. Even if Sidonia is something of a relic given the hundreds of years since it set course for the stars, it's a bit hard to believe that the engineers of such a massive ship intended to support a metropolis-worth of people would not have the means to strap down boxes and supplies, let alone its local populace.

On the whole, though, Knights of Sidonia is handled quite well. It knows just how much time to allot to each plot point, even if the relevance of each of these is not abundantly clear at the point of their initial presentation. The characters are limited to a select group of major players, a few of whom do fall into the tropes of absent-minded scientist and jealous girl seeking affection of a popular guy. The supporting cast, meanwhile, is developed just enough to be decently interesting and open potential subplots for future seasons, but are not given so much time in the spotlight that the series detracts from its primary focus in weaving the story of Nagate as Sidonia’s new hero, its knight. Knights of Sidonia also does well in not stretching its multiple plotlines too thin, having a proper endgame in mind for each and every major one by the time it reaches its conclusion, though some of the less prominent story elements may linger to set the stage for another season.

My rating: 8.25 (out of 10)

Anime review: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn

The first full-blown U.C. Gundam series to be released in more than a decade, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is a bold undertaking for many reasons. Of course there is the fact that, aside from the MS IGLOO side stories, the Universal Century timeline had remained dormant since the mid 1990s, while alternate universe storylines took precedence, and rekindling viewers’ interest in the context-heavy legacy of the U.C. side of Gundam would require some finesse in plotting out events. Unicorn Gundam was subject to a significantly higher production value than most of its predecessors, building off the animation style of the Zeta Gundam film trilogy and effectively turning each episode of its seven-part release into a mini-movie. But what is perhaps most telling about the advances in the production and distribution of anime both in Japan and stateside is the fact that Unicorn Gundam saw simultaneous release in those two regions, with original Japanese voice work and an English dub accompanying the initial blu-ray releases.

In fact, that release structure would remain true even as Bandai of America shut its doors and handed the U.S. release of Unicorn Gundam over to Sunrise. While there are plenty of new faces in the fiction of Unicorn Gundam, there are more than a few familiar voices, with veteran voice actors returning to reprise their roles as some of the most iconic faces in Gundam history. Unicorn Gundam is a curious attempt at catering to both veterans of the franchise and newcomers alike, one that pays off in spades. While many other Gundam OVAs have been scripted with a singular story in mind, there was typically some degree of implication that viewers would already be familiarized with the major events of the One Year War from the original Mobile Suit Gundam, the major players in the Gryps conflict from Zeta, and so forth. Unicorn Gundam does refocus the story on the mysteries surrounding the newtypes, as presented through the eyes of young protagonist and hero of circumstance Banagher Links, as well as lead antagonist and revolutionary ideologist Full Frontal, a man shrouded in mystery, but who bears an uncanny resemblance to Char Aznable.

Unicorn Gundam begins with a flashback to the beginning of the Universal Century calendar system, as representatives from the Earth and her colonies gather to take part in a treaty signing and declaration of their vision for the future. However, things quickly go awry as a small group of insurgents tinker with the rotation of the space station where this event is being held, altering its rotation, and leading to the deaths of many of the VIPs and civilians on board. The focus then jumps back to present day to introduce the Vist Foundation, one family’s legacy to help influence the course of progress for spacenoids, though in a less violent or direct manner than the major players of the Principality of Zeon or even Axis had previously done. While the full motives of the Vist Foundation’s influence are not made clear from their first minutes on screen, it is apparent that their interests are more in the development and future potential of mobile suits and related technologies.

Meanwhile, Banagher Links jumpstart into the brewing conflict is not unlike the introduction Amuro Ray and Kamille Bidan received years before him, as Banagher finds his everyday routine of life on a colony thrown upside down with the arrival of the Sleeves, one of the last remaining Neo-Zeon organizations. Within the first two episodes, Banagher crosses paths with many important players in a tangled web, and each juncture will be explored in significant detail by tale’s end. Unicorn Gundam balances its characters in a way that few other Gundam series attempt – while Banagher, young VIP Audrey Burne, ace Sleeves pliot Marida Cruz, and resident anti-villain Full Frontal frequently take center stage, each of the hour-long episodes rounds out the involvement of the Londo Bell forces, the crew of the Nahel Argama, the high-ranking staff members of Anaheim Electronics, families long-since affected by the tragedies of the One Year War, and the scrapped-together remnants of Zeon lying in wait on Earth.

While offshoots and remnants of the Principality of Zeon have long been spotlighted in Gundam OVAs and side stories, few have proved as compelling an organization as the Sleeves. As Full Frontal directly addresses Banagher, he informs him of a greater vision he has in mind for spacenoids, and even goes so far as to reveal his face from behind his symbolic silver mask. Full Frontal understands that he has a legacy to live up to – the legacy of Char Anzable – and yet, the way he intends to go about reaching the ultimate end goal of Laplace’s Box and championing it to his cause puts things in a somewhat different perspective than what longtime fans might expect from the Red Comet. Full Frontal is a complex individual, one who constantly reveals more and more about his personal values, but always leaves his enemies (as well as viewers) wishing to know more. Full Frontal holds a great degree of respect and trust in his followers, which in turn leads to their having a greater degree of faith in their own plans and skill on the battlefield – they are strong-willed and determined, but rarely bull-headed or ruthless.

At its most basic of framework, Unicorn Gundam is about a race between Banagher Links and Full Frontal to reach Laplace’s Box and discover what the truth of its contents mean for the future of mankind; spacenoids and Earth-dwellers alike. But with so many parties keeping close watch on the events that unfold as they anxiously await how this endgame reveal might affect their lives and the conflict at hand, it’s hard to ignore just how masterfully crafted the story of each individual is. While many of the biggest reveals lay in the later episodes, it is hard not to find some degree of entertainment and empathy within nearly every major character. It’s a wonderful return to that special spark that made Mobile Suit Gundam a standout anime more than thirty years ago, while taking into account contemporary methods for handling both character and story progression. Unicorn Gundam offers plenty of cleverly-timed homages to older entries in the franchise, but at the same time, it weaves a story that is more than capable of standing on its own for those not familiar with the larger Gundam lore.

While there were some large gaps in the release time between individual episodes, the time and care put into each bend of a mobile suit’s limb, each beam round fired through the blackness of space, each tense expression on a pilot’s face during an escalating combat scenario proves well worth the wait times. Unicorn Gundam is, without question, the most visually polished entry in the long-running series. The soundtrack is similarly impeccable – percussion-heavy battle tunes harken back to the march-style music that frequently accompanied tense moments in the older series, while softer melodies offer a mesmerizing pairing to the dark glows of colony interiors and the crest of the Earth’s rotation as ships leave its orbit. A rare breed, indeed, Unicorn Gundam is not only a major step forward for the franchise that helped shape what mecha anime is today, but a modern masterpiece that simultaneously breaks from what many fans have come to expect of such a specialized genre while catering to series veterans via guest appearances and hinting at connections that might be.

My rating: 10 (out of 10)

Anime review: MS Igloo 2: The Gravity of the Battlefront

Intended to be a follow-up to the original MS Igloo stories, MS Igloo 2: The Gravity of the Battlefront (or the more simply stated, The Gravity Front, depending on your interpretation) opts to focus on the everyman within the Federation soldiers on Earth. This leads to a distinctly different storytelling method than the original MS Igloo’s focus on experimental technologies that the Zeon forces dabbled in over the course of the One Year War. In fact, MS Igloo 2 seems to teeter back and forth between weaving a tale of individuals wrapped up in ragtag units ala 08th Ms Team and adopting a sort of military journal format.

Each episode focuses on a different protagonist, but the routine is the same – there is always a character who has some bad reputation for carrying death in their wake, and by the end of each episode, there will be plenty of death and destruction. The problem with this approach is that by the end of the first episode, you already know how the other two will play out. The beginning, middle, and end of these stories are practically identical, despite the fact that they zoom in on pilots of different Federation vehicles.

The greatest offense MS Igloo 2 commits, however, is that it incorporates a literal ghost, a female phantom who is the physical manifestation and/or cause of all these characters’ bad luck. In the end, you more or less come to forget about what battles the characters were involved in because the heavy reliance on this hokey horror element is so out-of-place within the Gundam franchise. Sure, Sanders was rumored to be cursed in episodes of 08th MS Team, but that resulted in a presentation that was purely his own stress and self-doubt. There was never a spook following him around, and that is because spirits and specters don’t work well at all within the mecha genre, let alone one with such longstanding traditions as Gundam.

If there is one Gundam series that feels the result of a blatantly half-assed effort, it is MS Igloo 2. There is barely any reason to care about the characters or story, and the ‘creative elements' are just plain stupid. The quality of the CGI may be notably higher than the previous entries in the MS Igloo OVA series, and the motions of both humans and mobile suits are more fluid and lifelike. You can polish a turd all you want, but it doesn’t make it any less of a turd.

My rating: 4.75 (out of 10)

Top 5 ‘What the hell were these characters doing?’ in Gundam

#5 - Wang Liu Mei (Gundam 00): Wang Liu Mei and her bodyguard/brother Hong Long are introduced early on in the first season of Gundam 00 with the implication that they will be important to the grander plot. They seem to be something of investors in the idea that Celestial Being can in fact succeed with their goal of eradicating war from the world. Which, admirable an ideal as it is, is in fact not the only deck Wang Liu Mei has her money bet on. As we find out in season two, she’s investing in the Innovators as well, presumably because she’s just that greedy and has a desire to come out of this conflict a winner. Except, apparently she didn’t make much of a plan for the event that she might not live to the end of the whole ordeal to actually see a return on her investments. Considering that Wang Liu Mei and her brother come from a rich and influential family line, one would assume they’d have put precautions in place in the event that things went belly-up. And when they do meet their untimely ends, it has zero impact on either Celestial Being or the Innovators.

#4 - Lupe Cineau (Victory Gundam) – Lupe Cineau has a few appearances over the course of Victory Gundam, and is shown to be a capable fighter in close quarters as well as in the cockpit of one of the Zansacre Empire’s robot-riding-inside-of-a-giant-tire Gedlav mobile suits. Around the midway point of the series, she manages to capture Uso with the help of Katejina Loos. And how does Cineau opt to interrogate the League Militaire’s ace pilot? By stripping down and taking a bath with the teenage boy. Granted, she intends to torture him by dunking him under and nearly drowning him, but why bother having both of them naked? There’s some very strange sexual tension brought on by this, while Uso is both confused and opposed to the situation. While I understand Cineau’s desire to keep Uso alive in order to try and pry information from him, this seems like the most half-baked torture method she could have devised, and considering how much her men seem to be incredibly loyal and intimidated by her, one would think she might seek out a plan that better expressed her finesse and power during the decent chunks of time where she is absent.

#3 - The other Zabi brother (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin) – The Zabi family served as the main antagonists in the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and helped fuel Char’s convictions and ideals as son of Zeon Zum Deikun. They are gradually taken out one by one as the Federation forces gain a foothold in colony space and Char goes about exacting his revenge upon those who twisted the vision of spacenoid independence his father had in mind. Garma, Gihren, Dozle, and Kycilia all carry out important roles in the One Year War, and go out in (generally) spectacular fashion. But there is one Zabi family member who never showed up in the original series. Cicero Zabi (otherwise known as Sasro) was a sibling of the other, more well-recognized Zabi children, but died before the One Year War even began. The cause of his death? Assassination at the hands of loyalists to the ideals of Zeon Zum Deikun, many of whom believed Deikun’s death was caused by Cicero’s father. Apparently Cicero was so unmemorable (even to his own family members) that he was never mentioned again, only seeing a brief inclusion in the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin manga.

#2 - Lord Djibril (SEED Destiny) – Opposite to Durandal, Lord Djibril is in charge of all the operations carried out by Logos. He appears to indulge in a rich and lavish lifestyle, owning a mansion and sipping red wines while watching over the mobile suit battles he helped to orchestrate from his high-tech bunker full of monitors. And… that’s basically it. Whereas Durandal is shown travelling from place to place, meeting with ZAFT’s mobile suit pilots, and helping to boost his own political image to gain support from the masses, Djibril just sits in his comfy chair for nearly the entirety of the series like Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget until he is eventually killed.

#1 - Wufei (Gundam Wing) – Only a handful of Gundam series over the years have dared try and divvy up the spotlight between multiple lead protagonists, and while some might roll their eyes at Gundam Wing’s reliance on five pretty boys to try and boost the show’s viewership, one of my biggest problems with it lies in the fact that not all of the lead pilots see equal screen time. Wufei receives the least by far, and frankly I wonder if the writers had much of a story in mind for him due to how uninvolved he is for the vast majority of the anime. Sure, Heero and Duo receive lots of screen time early on, and Quatre sees a decent degree of character exploration. But Trowa probably received the second least screen time behind Wufei, and he managed to temporarily lose his memory, join the circus, and team up with Heero to infiltrate the ranks of Oz. Wufei, on the other hand, spent his days meditating with Shenlong by a waterfall, and had one sword fight with Treize before receiving one of the antagonist’s many famous monologues, leading Wufei to yell in frustration. He does show up conveniently at the end of the series and plays a notably more important role in Endless Waltz. But really, if you’re going to write in five characters to share the lead role, you ought to have a game plan in mind for all of them and not forget one until the series is practically over.

Anime review: IGPX (season one)

One of the most fresh and interesting spins on the mecha anime genre from the 2000s is IGPX, a series that pits teams of three racers in giant bots travelling at mach speeds down a twisting, careening course. The mechs travel with graceful motions, alternating between a flat vehicular mode and an upright stance where their metal bodies seemingly skate down the track. While the primary focus of the race is to see one team cross the finish line before their competition, there are also fight segments that add an extra level of entertainment and danger to the competition, thus requiring teams be as fast as they are furious. Most important, though, is that teams be organized and strategic – an element that proves the largest focal points for this first season, as Team Satomi’s young up-and-comers are as ambitious as they can be reckless.

The three lead characters are Takeshi, Liz, and Amy, and they could not have more different personalities – a factor that often leads to them beating heads and occasional falters in their strategies on the raceway. Takeshi is the team’s lead who is in it to win it and wants nothing more than to prove himself against the likes of longtime hotshots such as rival Team Velshtein’s poster boy pilot Cunningham. While he generally carries a positive attitude, Takeshi can be blissfully unaware of the greater challenges he and his teammates need to overcome at times, which – coupled with Liz’s brash demeanor and short temper and Amy’s soft-spoken personality – leads to their first season being filled with many important learning experiences.

IGPX is a rare breed for its genre, as there is as much (if not more) time spent exploring the characters, the tech, and the culture of the series off the track as there is in the midst of the pulse-pounding raceway action. Each character gets ample time to develop, and the tendency the genre has to pull as ‘character of the week’ routine by featuring one character prominently for an episode and then sweeping them off to the side for the better part of the remainder of the season is avoided. Team Satomi’s crew proves as prominent as the racers, receiving nearly as much screen time. Even the rival team members are explored to a decent extent, offering viewers with case studies on what makes them tick to better set the stage and amp up the tense atmosphere of the races. Team Velshtein is well-known as the favored veterans, Team Skylark consists of three lethal beauties, and Team Sledge Mamma is notorious for their rough and tough tactics.

The artistic direction in IGPX is akin to that of Blue Submarine No. 6, albeit much more colorful. While everything is digitally animated, the character models are drawn in 2D while the mechs and the raceway and rendered in 3D models. However, due to a higher level of detail in the character designs and environments, better lighting/shading effects, and a light layer of cel-shaping over all the 3D assets, IGPX manages to pull off this look significantly better than Blue Submarine No. 6 – as it should, considering the two shows aired more than half a decade apart. Interesting camera angles increase the fun factor for this ‘F-Zero with robots’ creation, further aiding in the show’s noteworthy degree of visual immersion. The soundtrack is comprised of a surprising variety of tunes, many of which are in keeping with the unique brand of techno that has long graced the promo segments and returns from commercial breaks on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block. Some songs are funky in a Jet Set Radio fashion, others mellow with emphasis on piano to help cultivate a scene focused on Takeshi’s personal struggles outside of the cockpit. Of course, the most interesting listens are the fast-paced, mildly repetitive tunes that accompany the action on the track, be it Liz’s mech bashing into a rival racer’s, or Takeshi’s mech experiencing technical troubles due to suspected sabotage.

As mentioned above, IGPX’s first season is largely focused on Team Satomi learning to work together and overcome their individual weaknesses to better their strategies and relationships. This leads to a methodical somewhat predictable formula, as every time Takeshi gets himself into a pickle, it will take another episode for someone to talk some sense into him and for Takeshi to subsequently draw whatever lesson he needs to from that exchange. Nonetheless, the races are a blast to watch, and the series is a bold and successful journey into territory outside of the traditional (and stale) super-powered combat mecha formula.

My rating: 8.25 (out of 10)

Anime review: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Gurren Lagann is effectively one giant satire on the mecha anime genre. Delightfully cheesy catchphrases like “Mine is the drill that shall pierce the heavens!” as well as the combination of two Gunmen to form the series’ titular mech harken back to the mecha boom of the 1980s. Meanwhile, the wastelands that team Dai Gurren traverse, the eventual foray into space, and the focus on character development ring closer to more modern takes on the genre.

The series is split into two story arcs, with the first being slightly longer and of a slower pacing in order to familiarize viewers with the main cast and the desolate world in which they live. This arc, known as the Beastmen War, places the spotlight on Kamina, Simon, and Yoko as they fight the human-animal hybrids known as the Beastmen and rally allies as they forge a path toward the enemy’s capital city. Simon, having spent the majority of his life digging tunnels in his home city, is excited about the opportunity to venture into the wild expanses of the surface world, but is frequently uncertain of his own potential. Kamina prefers to dive headfirst into a battle, and while he might not always have a plan in mind, he constantly provides Simon with words of encouragement. Yoko, lacking a Gunman of her own to pilot, provides support with her powerful sniper rifle and seems to be the most gathered of the three. While Yoko sometimes finds herself frustrated with Kamina’s brash nature, it is quite obvious that she has a romantic interest in him after just a few episodes.

The supporting cast is surprisingly large, especially for a series of this nature. Due to the action-heavy nature of Gurren Lagann it would be easy for the writers to use many of them purely as cannon-fodder and write them off as quickly as they are introduced, but this proves not the case. It’s true that not every character makes it to the finale, but the show does a solid job of rounding out each member of Team Dai Gurren enough to give you reason to care for them as well as tugging at your heartstrings a bit when one of them meets an early end. Granted, few of the supporting cast outside of flamboyant mechanic Leeron, hotshot pilot Kittan, and soft-spoken Rossiu do more than pilot their own Gunmen, but it’s an admirable effort to make viewers sympathize with the cast in a manner that seems neither forced nor distracts the focus of any given episode.

The animation is gorgeous throughout – perhaps even more so during the second story arc, due to the fact that the wasteland environments have been discarded in favor of a futuristic city setting filled with production model Gurren Lagann mechs as well as a journey across the Milky Way and beyond. Bright colors like the red and yellow that decorate Gurren Lagann itself pop on screen, while the dark and dusty interior of the old underground human cities create a mysterious, almost sinister atmosphere. The Gunmen perform many dynamic (and often ridiculous) actions as they combine with one another, dash up mountainsides, fly through the air, and exchange blows with their opponents. It’s hard not to find yourself cheering inside as Kamina and Simon perform one of their silly signature attacks, whether it’s a set of giant sunglasses being flung like a boomerang or the Giga Drill Break tearing an enemy to shreds.

Gurren Lagann does not spend much time explain its backstory. Rather, it opts to show the audience just what sort of a world the characters live in and how the Gunmen operate as a faction. There are a few episodes that are dialogue-heavy and spend a decent amount of time exploring how the world came to be in the position it is now, but by and large Gurren Lagann is a series that knows just what its fans want to see – borderline-ludicrous fighting robot action.

In fact, most of the ‘story exploration’ occurs during the latter episodes of the first story arc and the first half of the second story arc. This lends to the second story arc feeling a bit less action-heavy at first, but ultimately the payoff is nothing short of superb. For a show that follows so many of the conventions Gainax has set forth in their anime over the years, the finale – thankfully – avoids the ‘Gainax ending’ syndrome so many in the anime community have come to hate.

Above all else, Gurren Lagann is just plain fun to watch. While perhaps not the most mind-blowing anime to be released by Gainax, the combination of colorful characters and way over-the-top action makes for one of the most genuinely entertaining viewing experiences I’ve had with an anime in a long while. Its pacing, atmosphere, and themes are consistent throughout, so don’t expect any transitions to dark territory in the style of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Instead, strap in for some intense mecha action, good laughs, and positive vibes (and don’t feel bad if you find yourself marathoning episodes because you are unable to put it down).

My rating: 8.5 (out of 10)

Anime review: Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo

Warning: This review includes some spoiler content for anyone who has not viewed Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance, and includes some minor spoilers regarding the plot of the beginning of Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo. While I generally try my best to avoid including any spoiler content in my reviews, the nature of the Evangelion films makes this difficult. Evangelion 3.0 is especially tricky to review in a manner that does the film justice, due to how different a direction it travels in comparison to the previous films or the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series.

Fourteen years have passed since Shinji Ikari initiated Third Impact and Kaworu Nagisa subsequently intervened with his own Evangelion Mk 06, halting the process. Evangelion 3.0 opens with Asuka and Mari piloting their own Evas in pursuit of Shinji and Unit 01, who are in orbit above Earth and headed planetside in a cross-shaped container. After one very exciting open scene, the group descends through the atmosphere as Kaworu watches on. Shortly thereafter, Shinji awakens onboard the Wunder, the flagship of an anti-NERV organization known as Wille. After Wille engages and defeats some enemy forces, Shinji comes face-to-face with Asuka. Glad that she is alive, Shinji asks her what has happened to Rei. Asuka, who is less-than-ecstatic to see Shinji, informs him that she does not know where Ayanami is, which Misato follows up by implying that Rei is dead. Convinced that he was successful in rescuing her during the Third Impact, Shinji begs for someone to explain what exactly is going on, but his time with these familiar faces is cut short, as Evangelion Unit 00 attacks the Wunder with the goal of retrieving Shinji. Though Misato orders Shinji to remain on board the Wunder, going so far as to threaten his life, Shinji leaves with Ayanami and the forces of Wille are ordered not to pursue.

Shinji's story in Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo is very much one of a stranger in a strange land. At times, it carries a similar tone as Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone or even the early episodes of the original anime series, wherein Shinji was scared and confused about what all these foreign pressures being thrust upon him meant and why he was chosen to be a protector of all mankind. But in Evangelion 3.0, Shinji's confusion arises from his fourteen-year absence. The moment he returns to the world, he is caught up in a power struggle, and there is little time for anyone to explain to him just what is going on. Asuka and Misato blame him for the current state of the world, while Rei seems to have completely forgotten the dynamic of her relationship with Shinji. Gendo appears before Shinji only briefly to inform him of NERV's plan to build a new Evangelion, and thus Shinji finds Kaworu the only person he can confide in.

Evangelion 3.0 spends less time showing off spectacular battle sequences than the previous installment, in favor of character and plot development. Asuka, Shinji, and Kaworu are easily the three most prominent cast members this time around, though Rei's unfamiliarity with people and habits is of relative significance to Shinji's wrestling with his inner self. The film does well to answer some major questions left lingering from You Can (Not) Advance. A couple of subplots from the original series are revisited and reworked to fit the Rebuild of Evangelion storyline. Religious tones are more specific, with themes of penance for sins and coping with loss taking center stage. Evangelion 3.0 is a much darker film than the two that preceded it, and its second half treads a path that echoes End of Evangelion in certain respects.

When the Evas do enter combat, they look even better than during their last outing, and it is really impressive how the animation team manages to work in so much detail to every scene while keeping everything so clean and visually captivating. The design of Mari's Evangelion Unit 08, the Wunder, and even some of the updated character designs are quite adventurous. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is intense and carries a different feel from those used in the previous films. It is largely comprised of brand new songs, all of which fit the mood of the film very well, from scenes where Shinji and Kaworu are playing the piano to segments where events prior to the film are explained. And of course, the classic Eva battle themes see a few new renditions, with the occasional inclusion of a heavy electric guitar part.

Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo zooms in on a very specific place and time in the storyline of this new film series. Whereas Evangelion 1.0 and 2.0 consolidated events most Evangelion fans were familiar with, 3.0 has to slow down and bridge gaps. While it may not answer every burning question fans have about this new film series' story, it does well to set in motion an endgame. By the film's conclusion, viewers should get a sense that there a clear goal in mind for the fourth film's plot, even if we don't know exactly how Hideaki Anno and his team intend to let it play out.

My rating: 9 (out of 10)

25 Days of Anime - #1: Neon Genesis Evangelion

From the outset of my compiling this list, I knew that the top two ranked anime would be neck-in-neck. Both of them are phenomenal and rank among the best series (anime or otherwise) that I have ever indulged in. When it gets right down to it, my decision for which series would be ranked number two and number one was by the smallest of margins, but ultimately Neon Genesis Evangelion won the day.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most complex and intelligently written series I've ever watched. To this day, it is one of the most highly-contested anime of all time, with fans discussing the different endings and underlying religious themes. It's a series that spends as much time exploring the inner workings of the characters' minds as it does toying with those of the viewers. In keeping with many of the anime on this list, it maintains a balance between the action and the thought-provoking moments. Except that in the case of Evangelion, it makes you think actively more and more as the show progresses. Rewatching the series a second and a third time, I picked up on discrepancies that I did not during my initial viewing, and it's pretty crazy to think just how much attention to detail Hideaki Anno and his creative staff paid when crafting this story.

There are many viewers who would say that Shinji Ikari is a boring, whiny and annoying lead character. Personally, I think his presentation is perfect. He, Rei, and Asuka are all fourteen years old and learning to cope with a number of changes within themselves, let alone the ever-present threat of the Angels. Asuka wants nothing more than to display her skills as an Eva pilot to everyone, while Rei was created for the specific purpose of being an Eva pilot. Meanwhile, Shinji originally doesn't want to go into battle, largely because of his rocky relationship with his father. At the end of the series, he still doesn't want to pilot Eva Unit 01, because people he cares about continue to get hurt. But if he doesn't pilot it, even more people will end up hurt, and so there is a constant inner struggle piled on top of his lack of understanding of girls, his unresolved daddy issues, and his fear of closeness that both results from and perpetuates all of these problems.

What Mobile Suit Gundam did in defining the standards of mecha anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion does in breaking all of those conventions and then redefining them. It's a wildly experimental anime for its day - one that dared to push the boundaries of the familiar and turn many staples of science fiction on their heads. It's an incredible mixture of mecha action, religious symbolism, teenage angst, and Freudian psychology - one that I feel is unparalleled to this day. What begins as a somewhat unorthodox series of teens thrust into saving the planet from monstrous angels breaks down the ideas of just what it means to be human, with the best plot points emerging from the darkest of scenarios.

25 Days of Anime - #5: Mobile Suit Gundam: 08th MS Team

On quite the opposite end of the spectrum as the hopeful and adventure-oriented Turn A Gundam is the gritty and extremely realistic vision of mobile suit combat as presented through Mobile Suit Gundam: 08th MS Team. This OVA follows Shiro Adama and his ragtag group of Gundam pilots as they combat Zeon forces in the jungles of Asia. Because they are using production model ground-type Gundams, their offensive measures are nowhere near as dynamic as the capabilities presented to Kamille Bidan in his transformable Zeta Gundam or even Amuro Ray in his original Gundam RX-78-2. The armor used on the ground-type Gundams is nowhere near as durable as that of its more famous counterpart, and as a result the combat scenarios become far more tactical and interesting.

Every mission is carefully planned by Shiro, and he relies on his teammates to bond as a unit (even if that process is gradual and they don't feel any real reason to respect him on his first day planetside). Shiro interacts with local villagers, and through this the series does a great job of painting a very vivid picture of a small, contained environment, whereas some other Gundam series tend to aim for a grander scale. The storytelling is arguably where 08th MS Team makes the strongest divergence from traditions of the Gundam franchise. Not only is the Earth Federation's perspective presented through Shiro, his squadmates, and a handful of superior officers, but members of Zeon get a fair share of time in the spotlight as well. Aina and Gineas Sahalin are members of one of Zeon's noble families, and Aina looks after her brother whose illness and stress over research projects meant to act as trump cards of the Federation forces cause him a great deal of stress. Before she even arrives on Earth, Aina has a chance encounter with Shiro, and the two eventually find themselves caught up in a difficult romance scenario.

What follows is a gradual mounting of attacks from one faction against the other. Zeon continues research and development of the mega-powerful mobile armor Apsalus, while the Federation forces constantly target key Zeon bases in an effort to push back their enemies. Shiro and Aina both question the morality of what they are fighting for, and as a result Shiro is brought before a Federation council for interrogation on his true allegiances, while Aina tries to convince her brother Gineas that the Apsalus project is not worth risking both his physical and mental well-being for. The combination of a classic Romeo and Juliet love story barred by a larger conflict plays out interestingly in this Gundam setting, and makes for one of the best Gundam series ever made due largely to the fact that it is driven by quality storytelling that knows exactly where it is going from the outset and does not find itself bogged down by unnecessary subplots.

25 Days of Anime - #6: Turn A Gundam

There's a reason why I don't watch much in the way of contemporary mecha anime - far too often, creative teams get caught up in the clichés of ridiculous action scenarios. They would rather their creations look cool and have them pull off incredible feats than worry about decent plot and character development. Meanwhile, those that do plan a series with better intentions frequently end up imitating the giants of the genre, and to that end I feel like there have been few mecha series outside of Gundam and Evangelion post-2000 that merit much recognition.

That said, I would very much love to see a new anime try to adopt a formula as bold and unexpected as Turn A Gundam did in 1999. To me, this is one of the most creative mecha series ever conceived - perhaps second only to Neon Genesis Evangelion, which predates it by four years. The combination of World War One-era technology with giant mobile suits makes for a world that could more or less be considered steampunk long before steampunk was recognized as a genre or a subculture. The time and place of the story reflects quite noticeably on the characters. From the outset, it is made clear that people live their lives day-to-day, relying on the transportation methods of trucks, biplanes, and zeppelins, while their cities are illuminated by streetlights and early neon signs. When they first discover the huge mobile suits, some of the elders share what they know of the Black History - records of days gone by, when man was capable of travelling into space and mobile suits were commonplace.

At the same time, a faction of humans living on the moon has been plotting a return to Earth. These Moonrace have been in talks with a select group of individuals about where they hope to settle, but since they are unable to come to an agreement, the Moonrace land on schedule with no real plan other than to seize a small plot of land for temporary use until further negotiations are to occur. There are some early skirmishes between the Earth military's trucks and planes and the Moonrace's gargantuan mobile suits (the WaDoms being big even by traditional Gundam standards). And while these flames of war are quickly doused, a tense atmosphere remains as everyone waits for Dianna Soriel, queen of the Moonrace, to make her next move.

Lead protagonist Loran Cehack was sent to Earth years ago to scout out the possibility of a return for the Moonrace. After his task was completed, he was free to do whatever he wished, which - prior to Queen Dianna's arrival - was acting as an assistant to the Heim family. But when the factions of Earth and the Moon are at odds, Loran must decide where his true allegiances lie. As the series progresses, Loran becomes aware of events going on behind the scenes with either faction, and frankly has one of the most interesting and genuinely human developments out of any lead pilot in the Gundam franchise.

The mecha designs range from curiously unique to wild and outlandish. Turn A Gundam is the first and only series to have its mecha designs come from an American artist, Syd Mead, and as a result it draws heavy inspiration from other particular Gundam stories, in certain cases. At the same time, the more strange and unusual a mecha design, the more fresh and interesting it is to look at, and an aspect as simple as this makes the viewing experience all the less predictable (also lending to this element of presentation are the giant pendulum-like device that allows Loran and company to travel to the Moon late in the series and the presentation of the lunar cityscape). The soundtrack, courtesy of the ever-talented Yoko Kanno, is simply gorgeous, and coupled with the colorful presentation of a largely natural and untamed world, allows the beauty of nature to shine through as much as the awesome designs of the series' signature giant robots.

25 Days of Anime - #19: Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

An oldie-but-a-goodie, Zeta Gundam is effectively to the original Mobile Suit Gundam what The Empire Strikes Back was to Star Wars: A New Hope. It retains many of the same core characters from the original, while further expanding the Gundam universe. With the forces of Zeon long-since routed, the Earth Federation has been reworked to accommodate for a sort of elite peacekeeping force known as the Titans. The problem is, the Titans and their superiors control the Earth and its colonies through fear, which eventually gives rise to the rebel group known as the AEUG.

The AEUG is unique to the Gundam franchise, as it is comprised of forces from both the former Zeon and Earth Federation forces, as well as a few new faces. The spotlight is given to young Kamille Bidan, whose distaste with the Titans leads him to steal one of their Gundam Mk IIs and ally himself with Lt. Quattro Bajeena and the AEUG. While famed pilot of the original Gundam Amuro Ray sort of takes a backseat to this new protagonist, he does spend time wrestling with ghosts of yesteryear. It's a very unusual method of passing the torch on to a new generation of pilots and political activists, but one that allows for a great balance of new and old.

Zeta Gundam is host to a number of cheesy plot devices not uncommon to series from the 1980s. But it takes on a far more serious tone than that of its predecessor, and is generally considered one of the darker Gundam series in the Universal Century timeline. Kamille bears witness to many horrors unleashed by the Titans and experiences a few personal losses, which lend him to reinforce his own values and outlook on the conflict. The dynamic he shares with Lt. Quattro is one of the most unusual and interesting in the entire Gundam metaseries.

Though I'm generally not a fan of compilation films, the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation trilogy does a surprisingly good job of retaining the spirit of the original series and brings out its best moments in stellar new animated sequences. This is due in part to the nature of many of the battles in the original anime going back-and-forth over the course of whole episodes (or multiple episodes, in some cases). It's not as striking an offender as, say, DBZ, and I'm still partial to the original fifty-episode run. But A New Translation is a solid representation of the Zeta Gundam story, too.

25 Days of Anime - #25: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

This year's twenty-five days of Christmas special is one that I have wanted to do for quite a while now - a list of my twenty-five all-time favorite anime. However, prior to this year, I felt I lacked sufficient viewing experiences with many classic anime. And while I cannot say that I have yet viewed every anime that I feel I ought to or even those I just plain want to, I think my experiences have included a wide range of genres as well as anime from both present day and yesteryear. With all that out of the way, let's kick things off with number twenty-five on my list...

What happens when you combine mecha action with socio-political pressures stemming from an alternate world where one super-nation holds most of the world in its grasp? You get Code Geass, a series that, despite what the brief summary above might suggest, is one of the most fresh and entertaining mecha anime of the 2000s. A large part of this comes from the fact that the story is presented through the eyes of Lelouch, one of the heirs to the throne of Britannia who was long forgotten by his family members. Having lived among the Japanese people in Area 11 for most of his life, Lelouch has witnessed the iron-fisted rule that the Britannians enact, and sees it as cause to launch a counteroffensive. What begins as a small uprising soon snowballs into full-scale conflict for Area 11's indepence.

Though Lelouch is ever-passionate toward his cause, he realizes his role as a former Britannian prince makes him an easy target for either side. While he makes a few missteps early on, he uses his Geass power to ensure that individuals do what he wants and even has them forget him entirely. The series presents a curious combination of a sci-fi world with fantasy elements, though the rules concerning Lelouch's Geass as well as his alter ego Zero ground the series and force him to plan each phase of his rebellion carefully.

Though there are many interesting and entertaining characters in Code Geass, Lelouch is by far the most intriguing. Because he is fighting for something so significant, he recognizes that certain sacrifices will have to be made. He is willing to destroy and kill his enemies if it means a better world for his sister Nunally and the Japanese people. Lelouch walks a fine line between anti-hero and anti-villain, hoping to reach his ultimate goal through methods that are not exactly virtuous, but still holding true to his intentions. As the series progresses and Lelouch learns more about his powers, there is a sort of spiraling that occurs - the more time he spends using his Geass and manipulating people, the more he has a tendency to behave in a darker manner.

3DS eShop review: Liberation Maiden

One hundred years in the future, the entirety of mainland Japan has been transformed into a mechanical dystopia. The humans who resist the antagonistic Dominion forces have set up an aerial base from which they plan to launch the Liberator Kamui - their flying mech suit - and take the fight to the Dominion in order to restore Japan's natural plant life. However, they need a pilot, and so they vote to determine the next president of New Japan. After all the votes have been tallied, the responsibility of being Japan's savior falls upon the shoulders of Shoko Ozora, a young woman who perfectly fits the bill of the heavily anime-inspired plot and artistic direction realized in Liberation Maiden.

The gameplay requires you to stay alert and mobile at all times. There are many enemies scattered about any given level, and they increase in both numbers and strength as the game progresses. The touch screen is used to move the lock-on cursor about the top screen, and releasing it fires missiles from the Kamui. Chaining more attacks in a single strike grants you a higher score. Should you wish to zero in on a specific area or a handful of targets, you can enter a strafing mode by simply holding down the left trigger button. Boss encounters against giant pillars take on a similar format, with Shoko and the Kamui moving left, right, up and down, but not having the ability to free-roam as in the majority of the levels leading up to these.

Enemies are nicely varied, with some tank-like vehicles having very limited range, ships having the capability to launch long-range lock-on missiles, and tall dish-shaped towers that can fire lasers. Attacking multiple targets is simple, though some are capable of taking a much greater beating than others. Should you wish to quickly dispatch all the enemies in the immediate vicinity, chaining enough kills will allot you momentary use of a projectile sword, which will impact with the ground and send out a powerful shockwave. However, when it comes to boss fights, the best strategy is still learning their behavioral patterns/weaknesses before proceeding to spam them with the Kamui's arsenal.

The soundtrack is comprised of a few techno and rock tracks that range from a grungy industrial style to exciting, upbeat, and borderline-J-pop. Graphically, the game might not be the prettiest that the 3DS has to offer, but it certainly looks the part of a traditional mecha title. Exaggerated lighting effects, weather, and environment designs do well to cultivate an atmosphere that combines traditional representation of Japan with hyper-futuristic elements. Shoko's Kamui is sleek, whereas the Dominion forces are blocky and explicitly mechanical in design. Character models are wonderfully drawn for the few brief anime cutscenes they appear in. Completing any stage unlocks it for a challenge mode, and satisfying specific requirements in-game unlocks artwork, cutscenes, and an expanded backstory to the events of Liberation Maiden. The game is short but sweet, requiring only a few hours to complete the story mode. That said, Liberation Maiden is easily one of the most original titles on the 3DS eShop to date.

My rating: 8 (out of 10)

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron launch trailer

Only three days left before Transformers: Fall of Cybertron hits store shelves! In case you were not already aware, I'm pretty darn excited to play it. Here is the launch trailer to tide you fellow Transformers fans over through the weekend.

Top 5 Alternate Universe Gundam series

As I'm sure many of you are well aware, I am a huge fan of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. I began watching 08th MS Team and G Gundam during Toonami's heyday, and jumped back in with 0083: Stardust Memory when I resumed watching anime on a regular basis a few years ago. Generally speaking, I am partial to the Universal Century series. I've found that - while not all are created equal - they do tend to trump the alternate universe series in terms of consistent plot development and likeable characters. However, I have viewed all of the alternate universe anime, save for Gundam AGE, and found a few series that really stood out to me as being impeccably well done and especially entertaining.

#5 - Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz: I should preface this by stating that I do not care much for the Gundam Wing series. The characters were so bland and one-dimensional and the plot ran in circles for nearly the entire run. Endless Waltz managed to turn all of that around to create a follow-up story that was not just stomachable, it was downright awesome. I find it curious that one hour and a half film did more to make me feel for and care about a small cast of characters than an entire forty-nine episode series did, and I wonder how much different Gundam Wing would have been had they cut out all the monologuing, emo Heero moments, and declarations of "it's a Gundam!" to focus instead on balancing the action and fun factor as well as Endless Waltz managed to.

#4 - Gundam 00: The second-most recent alternate universe series, Gundam 00 break from the military strategies so prominent in the Universal Century, but does not force ridiculous mobile suit designs on viewers. Instead, Gundam 00 presents a perfect balance between the stylized and realistic sensibilities, and is host to some of the most creative yet practical mobile suit designs to date. Giant robots aside, the concept of a unified world that is so frequently visited between the two seasons is very probable, considering the chronology of the series. While each season has its up and downs, the element of mystery surrounding the Gundam Meisters, Veda, and the Innovators keeps the experience interesting, and the fact that the plot allows characters to develop through both successes and failures adds a human level to the story.

#3 - After War Gundam X: To be completely honest, the execution of Gundam 00's story is probably done with fewer flaws. But Gundam X is such a bold and different Gundam series that I can't help but place it near the top of the stack. The ravaged Earth that resulted from a series of colony drops presents an incredibly cool setting that shapes the characters, forcing them to adapt to a wasteland of a planet. Garrod Ran is not only one of the youngest lead pilots to date, he's also one of the funniest. His relationship with Tifa Adil makes for one of the cutest and endearing romantic subplots in all of Gundam. Gundam X presents a perfect balance of fun action scenes and serious plot, with a younger cast trying to learn from the mistakes of the previous generation.

#2 - Gundam SEED Stargazer: A spinoff that deserves recognition as its own sequel series in the Gundam SEED storyline, this three episode OVA accomplishes so much in so little time. It chronicles the events that follow the Break the World Incident from SEED Destiny. Earth is subjected to both social and environmental chaos, and the DSSD races against time to complete their deep-space exploration Gundam, the Stargazer, before the forces of Phantom Pain find and destroy it. It's a unique series in the SEED universe, not only because of its notably darker tone, but because neither side is explicitly stated to be 'good' or 'bad'. The events that unfold are left entirely up to viewer discretion.

#1 - Turn A Gundam: The most daring Gundam series of them all, Turn A takes place in a retro-future where technology has reverted to roughly the same level as it was during World War I. Biplanes fly alongside mobile suits as the Moonrace humans return to Earth in hopes of claiming a territory for their own settlement. Unfortunately, not all of the Moonrace believe in the same strategy, and it quickly becomes apparent that a number of individuals share a stake in how this landmark meeting of Moonrace and Earth dwellers will ultimately play out. The rich culture cultivated in the anime, combined with the multiple layers that drive the primary conflict makes for a genuinely excellent story. But what really tops it all off is the brilliant cast of incredibly diverse characters - lead pilot Loran Cehack among the best of the best. Loran wishes that the Moonrace and Earth dwellers could all live in peace, but he also realizes that sometimes difficult decisions must be made in order to come to a peaceful resolution. He is perhaps the most believably human lead character in any Gundam series to date, and - gorgeous animation and breathtaking soundtrack aside - makes the entire experience of viewing Turn A Gundam so wondrous and memorable.

Anime review: Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

As the "Empire Strikes Back" to the original Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam takes place seven years after the end of the One Year War. In the wake of their victory over Zeon, the Earth Federation has reorganized into a much stricter infrastructure. Elite pilots join the Titans force in order to keep the colonies in order by use of excessive force and fear tactics. However, the Anti-Earth Union Group (commonly referred to as the AEUG) is mounting an opposition to the Titans. While the first few episodes detail teen Kamille Bidan's own personal views toward the Titans-AEUG conflict, his theft of the Gundam Mk. II draws him into the battle alongside Lt. Quattro Bajeena and Captain Bright Noa.

The setup is a very interesting contrast to the original Mobile Suit Gundam, as the story is told largely through Kamille and Lt. Quattro. Kamille is aware of the Titans' violent nature and is even more opposed to due them to his father's allegiance to the Titans. Kamille does not take to combat as naively as other lead protagonists in the Gundam metaseries, due to his familiarity with them. However, Kamille does tend to try and reason with pilots, most notably the Cyber-Newtypes Four Murasame and Rosamia. His attempts to reach a common understanding with the enemy often result in tragedy. However, Kamille recognizes certain characters as distinctly villainous, and does not hesitate to attack them, understanding it as necessary for the greater good.

Lt. Quattro is a veteran pilot aboard the flagship Argama, and frequently offers Kamille advice early on. Quattro recognizes Kamille's potential as a Newtype, but doesn't want to rush him into any difficult scenarios before he's prepared to face them. Despite his protective nature, Quattro does not come across as any sort of sage old man brimming with wisdom; rather, he is something of an older brother/father figure to Kamille. His advice stems from his own experiences with Newtypes during the One Year War. Though no one aboard the Argama wants to go out of their way to question Quattro, considering his unwavering loyalty to their cause, his own personal aims and history do not take center stage until after Kamille's role has been properly addressed.

There are a number of familiar faces that show up over the course of the series. Pilot of the original Gundam, Amuro Ray has a story arc that deals with his Newtype abilities post-One Year War, and the fact that he is constantly under surveillance by the Titans. Katz, now old enough to choose his path in the war, aids Amuro in escaping Titan observation and ultimately becomes a pilot among the Argama's crew. Hayato Kobayashi and Bright Noa both play significant roles as commanding figures on the Earth side and space side of the conflict respectively. Even Kai Shiden makes a few brief appearances, offering the AEUG with crucial intel.

In roles that are generally more prominent are the series' newcomers. Fa Yuiry is Kamille's childhood friend and is dragged into the conflict due to his actions. Eventually she joins the fight while having the dual responsibility of looking after orphans Shinta and Qum. Lt. Emma Sheen defected from the Titans, and is among the most serious characters, as well as the most skilled pilots the AEUG has to offer.

On the Titans' roster, Jerid Messa acts as a sort of rival to Kamille early on, but his repeated failures turn him into something of a goofball past the halfway point of the series. Paptimus Scirocco is the series' main villain, and it is clear from his earliest appearances that he is not content with his current role. However, he is shown to be equally patient and calculating. Though Scirocco does not come into the spotlight until the second half of Zeta Gundam, it presents a significant shift in the series' focus, and adds another engaging layer to the storytelling. Similarly, Haman Karn, leader of the Axis forces, does not strike up a prominent role until after the halfway point, but her story follows something of a similar pattern. While Scirocco is interested in his own personal gains, Haman Karn hopes to align as many sympathizers to her cause as possible, using the last heir to the Zabi family, Princess Mineva, as a sort of puppet. Haman Karn displays particular interest in Lt. Quattro, one small part of the larger story that unfolds in a most intriguing way.

Two characters that hit home more closely with Kamille are the Cyber-Newtypes Four Murasame and Rosamia. Four is the pilot of the gigantic Psycho Gundam, and acts as Kamille's main love interest, despite being on the opposite side of the conflict. As part of her transformation into a Cyber-Newtype, the Titans tampered with her memories, leading her to have terrible fits of outrage. The same goes for Rosamia, except her memories seem to have been altered. She believes Kamille is her brother, and ends up doing as much damage to herself as she does to her enemies.

Though there are many characters that are explored over the course of the series, each feels quite rounded out thanks to the fifty episodes allotted. There are a few major characters, most notably Ensign Reccoa Londe, Jerid Messa, and Rosamia who come across as rather flat in comparison to the rest. There are even entire episodes that see their inclusion for seemingly no discernable reason. Meanwhile, the likes of Amuro and Hayato only show up when necessary to the plot and their inclusions, however infrequent they may be, are far more welcome.

The pacing for the series as a whole is quite strong, and the direction the main narrative takes is well planned and quite entertaining. Every story arc sees fitting conclusion, though some take longer to finish than others. Certain events occur regularly, like Katz's childish defiance of orders and Shinta and Qum getting themselves into trouble, to the point where they become easily predictable. Though the final episode sort of just wraps up and ends, the four or so episodes that precede it do well to indicate that the series is nearing its conclusion.

This is an nineteen-eighties series, and as such it does fall victim to clichés of the era. The melodrama frequented in older anime series prevails in a number of episodes, such as when Katz fall for Titans pilot Sarah Zabiarov and Reccoa Londe's feelings toward Quattro. Still, it isn't as obnoxious as with many other anime. There are goofy instances that really don't make a whole lot of sense. For example, the fact that Katz repeatedly defies orders and takes off into battle without permission, but is never once reprimanded for his actions. Or the fact that Jerid's missions constantly end with him getting his butt handed to him by Kamille and the Zeta Gundam, yet somehow every superior officer in the Titans force thinks so highly of him as a pilot. It's little things like this that stack on top of one another enough to stick out like a sore thumb.

Zeta Gundam is pretty action-packed, as is only befitting any mecha anime. From transforming mobile suits, to the gargantuan Psycho Gundam, to the psychic-driven battles that come into play late in the series, there's plenty of variation to keep things interesting. Aside from the traditional mobile suit combat, there are a few treacherous tricks the Titans try and pull, prompting the AEUG to respond in hopes of saving innocent civilians. A few battles even feature shootouts in zero gravity, testing characters beyond their piloting skills.

The soundtrack is not particularly outstanding, as it plays host to a number of tunes that fit the typical eighties sci-fi fanfare. That said, there's enough variety presented to keep if from getting too repetitive. The action-oriented tunes are among the best of the bunch, as they do well to convey the tense, uncertain atmosphere of battle. The animation, on the other hand, is pretty outstanding for its time. It's all hand-drawn and there are a very few weird animation slip-ups. But for the duration of the series, characters display dynamic and highly animated forms while environments are as highly detailed as they are varied and colorful. The animation quality only increases as the series progresses, with the final few episodes containing segments that could pass as having been drawn for stand-alone films. Some of the mobile suit designs look a tad more ridiculous than others, but by and large they prove fitting successors to those most prominent in the original Mobile Suit Gundam, as Hi-Zacks replace the Zeon grunt Zakus while the Gundam Mk II and Zeta Gundam both branch off from the RX-78-2 Gundam.

Zeta Gundam is the second oldest series in Sunrise and Bandai's long-running franchise, and a viewing of just a few episodes signifies just how far Gundam has come since. Zeta Gundam falls victim to a number of clichés and logical gaps that simply aren't always as common in its contemporaries. But it is also a series from the eighties and with that in mind, these sorts of instances are common to shows from that era. Taking all of that into account, Zeta Gundam certainly isn't the worst offender out there, and really is plenty enjoyable to watch. The dynamic that Kamille Bidan and Lt. Quattro Bajeena present is certainly unique in the metaseries, and the two are among the most likeable and entertaining leads in any Gundam series to date. To put it bluntly, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is an oldie-but-a-goodie.

My rating: 8.75 (out of 10)