Being more of a fan of romantic comedies or epic fantasies in anime than mech-heavy space operas, I've found it very hard to get really interested in the Gundam universe - in spite of the vastness of the franchise and the scope of the story that is told. That said, though, I have found the first disc of Gundam 0083 to be surprisingly enjoyable - and easy to get into.The story is a surprisingly compelling one - in bringing a pair of prototype mechanized giant armors - Gundams - to a test base in Australia, the crew of the Albion finds one of their nuclear-equipped Gundams hijacked right from under their noses by the remnant of the rogue government that Earth defeated just four years before. Pursuing this stolen Gundam across Australia and Africa, this crew has to desperately try to stop Zeon - the rogue government - from using this Gundam as the lynchpin in rebuilding their forces.
Two things really struck me about this series. One was that it was really more about the interpersonal relationships between the characters than about the Gundams (although there's lots of tech and battle sequences for the die-hard Gundam fans as well). The other was that it's quite beautifully animated. The colors are surprisingly vibrant and the animation quality is impressively good for a series that dates to the late 80s/early 90s.
The video and audio quality seem quite good - at least to my rather archaic television. The extras were quite nice as well: the usual textless opening and ending as well as a miniatue Gundam encyclopedia full of Gundam and vehicle stats and - something especially useful for me and any others new to the series - a timeline in the DVD insert.
While this disc hasn't sold me on the entire Gundam franchise, it has sold me on the rest of this series. It balances action, romance, angst and fear in a very well-realized world. I recommend it as much for the anime fan not familiar with (or traditionally not interested in) Gundam as the die-hard fan. I will be awaiting the rest of this series with interest
[Review applies to the whole OVA series; some spoilers]This ambitious straight-to-video series appeared in 1990, but it is set in the fictional year UC 0083. That makes it function as a sequel to the original series Mobile Suit Gundam (1979 / UC 0079), but a "prequel" to the highly successful followup series Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985 / UC 0087).
(Zeta Gundam has not yet been broadcast in America. That's a shame. Many of the events and allusions in 0083 have more meaning if you know what happens "later" in Zeta. Cartoon Network said Zeta was coming to America in fall '03, but then they went back on their promise. This is the great failing of Bandai's handling of the Gundam franchise in America to date, for Zeta is truly the finest of the Gundam series. It is the _Empire Strikes Back_ of Gundam: dark, gritty, intelligent, character-driven, loaded with lethal duels and cool mecha. You have to watch a few episodes of Zeta before you get sucked in, but once you do, it's among the most memorable classics of sci-fi anime. But I digress.)
The best thing about 0083 is its impressive execution of a massive, overarching plot. The militant remnant of the Zeon space colonists, who lost their war against Earth in the original _Mobile Suit Gundam_, have been biding their time. They have come up with a massive strike against the Earth, and the 0083 story chronicles the unfolding of their plan. At the macro level, the story is well told. The events unfold with a grim necessity; it's almost like a disaster story with mecha battles thrown in. There's a school of thought that holds that the ending of 0083 is somehow botched or anticlimactic, but I have always found it quite satisfying.
Another strength is the fine detail of the Gundam world that gets displayed here. The Delaz Fleet's ramshackle, floating "Thorn Garden" shipyard. The sleek, corporate Anaheim Electronics facilities on the Moon and in space. The suggestive, almost coy cameo appearance by the young Haman Khan of Axis ("It's so cold here. How long must we wait?"). Haman is a slender, cold-blooded schemer who is a major villain in Zeta Gundam and the later series _Gundam ZZ_ (1986-87).
A final strength is 0083's animation, which is consistently sharp and attractive throughout. Oh yeah, I also like the opening theme for the first six episodes. Catchy. "I got a burning heart!" :)
Weaknesses: the characters just aren't as complex or memorable as in original Gundam or Zeta Gundam. Kou Uraki, the young Gundam pilot, is a bit of a drip. You develop some empathy for him as you go along, but you don't get involved the way you do with angst-ridden Amuro Rei from Gundam. Or Camille Vidan from Zeta Gundam -- he really showed a lot of character growth by series end. The whole subplot about Kou not liking carrots is trivial and childish, just like it sounds. It's a distraction from the surrounding war story.
Next, Zeon villain Anavel Gato is a typical brutal-but-noble anime samurai, impressive enough, but shallow when compared to Char Aznable, the mysterious villain ace of Gundam (who becomes a "hero" in Zeta Gundam).
Supposed love interest Nina Purpleton is a boring corporate blonde (nothing wrong with blondes! but still). Her supposed affection for the callow Kou makes no sense and isn't played convincingly. Besides, while she's presentable enough, Nina can't hold a candle to past Gundam hotties like:
* Christina Mackenzie (Gundam 0080 -- the red-haired girl next door)
* Four Murasame (Zeta Gundam -- Camille's star-crossed newtype lover)
* Emma Sheen (Zeta Gundam -- Camille's superior officer. Astute and morally upright, tough but humane, sexy without trying to be. One of the best-loved characters in all of Gundam ... do you begin to see why I'm ticked Bandai hasn't brought Zeta to the States?)
It's like that with all the 0083 characters. Ship captain Eiphar Synapse is noble and wise but a familiar anime type; grizzled veteran pilot South Burning does a creditable re-tread of the Roy Fokker role from Macross; and so on.
Nevertheless, there are some very well realized mecha battles in here, and the stylin' plot makes the series exciting even if the characters aren't. 0083 is worth watching for any Gundam fan.
Heck, I can forgive a lot of weaknesses for that great little plot twist at series' end. After the catastrophe inflicted by the Delaz Fleet, the Earth Federation creates a hard-core new special forces unit to crack down on the colonies: the Titans. In the final episode of 0083, we get a last shot of the crew of the Fed carrier Albion -- the heroes whom we've been following all this time -- trying on their spiffy new Titans uniforms.
Now, what the Japanese viewers all knew, but some American viewers won't, is that by the time Zeta Gundam rolls around (four fictional years later) the Titans will have emerged as vicious, jack-booted thugs who do things like nerve-gas entire colony populations as reprisals for unrest. They are the principal villains of Zeta Gundam; the heroes are a white-hat group of colonial rebels named AEUG.
Nice twist, eh?
So get these DVDs.
