Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Review

A Beast of Possibility.

 The Universal Century is revisited after many Gundam shows with various timelines. Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is an anime adaptaion of the novel of the same name. This time, it's a conclusion to the long-going conflict between Earth Federation and Zeon. Now that the introductions are out of the way, it's time to review this beast of possibility!

STORY-  U.C. 096, three years have past since the events of Char's Counterattack, the Earth Federation and Zeon are fighting over Laplace's Box, an object said to have the power to change the outcome of the war. The story follows colony Industrial 7 resident, Banagher Links, who stumbles upon a white mobile suit called the Unicorn Gundam. He must help a runaway princess, Mineva Lao Zabi, find Lapce's Box and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. What's the truth behind Laplace's Box? Who is this "Second coming of Char Aznable"? I found the story in Unicorn to be pretty engaging. Like the majority of the Gundam shows, it also delves into some philosophical themes which I found to be interesting. 

Find out the truth behind the Laplace box.

CHARACTERS- Banagher is your typical teen protagonist whom like the pilots before him, stumbles upon the a Gundam and gets caught up in the Federation-Zeon war. Throughout the episodes, he struggles and adapts to the cold reality of war and by the end we see him grow into a more developed and interesting character. Mineva Lao Zabi, heiress to the Zabi family, may start off as cold, but like Banagher, gets a chunk of character development and by the end, she's just as interesting as him. However, the leader of Neo-Zeon, Full Frontal, also known as the "Second coming of Char Aznable", has a lot of mystery behind him, which I won't spoil. 

 Supporting characters such as Riddhe Marcenas, Marida Cruz, and Captain Zinnerman are a great additions and have interesting stories to tell. Returning characters ones such as Bright Noa and Kai Shiden make a return. However, some characters aren't so interesting. I found Banagher's friends and the crew of the Nahel Argama to be boring since don't get much development, which sucks since they're in a lot of scenes. Nevertheless, the story is still enjoyable.

Some familiar faces make a return.

PRESENTATION- First of all, studio Sunrise did a stellar of job handling the presentation. The visuals are crisp and vibrant, as evident by how stunning the Unicorn Gundam looks. Additionally, the character designs and backgrounds are filled with detail. Unicorn does a great job of using CG, which shows during battles featuring the mobile suits. The audio is also great. Either dubbed or subbed, the performances are great. The soundtrack is possibly among the best in the Gundam franchise. Composer Hiroyuki Sawano did a fine job with the soundtrack. The orchestral tracks that plays during battles are a treat to listen to. Also, each episode's ending theme were also nice to listen to and I've found "Broken Mirror" to one of my favorites.

The presentation is simply excellent.

OVERALL- Mobile Suit Unicorn is among the best shows in the Gundam franchise and a nice conclusion to long-lasting war between the Earth Federation and Zeon. The story and characters kept me hooked and I loved the presentation. It's a must watch for U.C. fans and newcomers should find some enjoyment in it, though it's best to watch the previous Gundams to better understand the plot. 

- Unicorn features blood and violence. Recommended for audiences ages 13 and above.-

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Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988) Review

The Thrilling Showdown.

 The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise gets its first ever movie in the form of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattck. Released back in 1988, it was directed by franchise creator, Yoshiyuki Tomino. The movie sees the return of One Year War veterans Char Aznable and Amuro Ray back in action. If you're interested in watching it, I recommend watching Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam-- even Gundam ZZ, if possible-- first to get a better understanding of the plot and characters. Anyway, let's get into the review.

STORY- U.C. 093, six years after the events of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Char Aznable emerges from hiding. This time, he wages war against the Earth Federation with his Neo-Zeon army. Of course, Earth Federation retaliates and rival pilot and One Year War veteran, Amuro Ray, is looking to settle the score with Char for good. The story is well-told and kept me interested. However, it doesn't really explain much about what happened to Char and Amuro after Zeta Gundam and how did they get the positions that they're in. Also, it would have been nice to see characters from Zeta and ZZ such as Kamille and Judau make some form of an appearance. Nevertheless, the story is engaging and kept me hooked.

Char and Amuro are at it again.

CHARACTERS- Here, it's a mixed bag. The two main leads Amuro and Char are back and it's great seeing them duke it out again. Captain Bright Noa takes a supporting role and it's great seeing him back. New characters include Chan, mechanic and Amuro's girlfriend; Nanai, Char's second in command; Hathaway Noa, Bright's son who's caught up in the action; last and least, Quess, a green-haired Zeon pilot. 

Despite some unnecessary characters, Amuro and Char get some good screen time. 

 I felt that for some reason the movie wants us to focus on Hathaway and Quess for some reason. both came off as boring than interesting. Hathaway comes off as naive and irritating at times. As for Quess, she takes annoying to a whole new level. Constantly going on and on about how awesome Char is (he sure is!), she just felt unesseary. Honestly, it would have been better if we got more Amuro and Char screen time than this.

PRESENTATION- For a late 80's film, the production values hold-up well. The animation and designs are fits the style of the Gundam universe. Additionally, The show's main mobile suits, Amuro's Nu Gundam and Char's Sazabi are both well-detailed and are looking good. I've watched the dubbed version of the movie and I have to say, it was alright. If I recall correctly, Char's Counterattck was dubbed before Zeta Gundam, so it's natural if the voice cast sound different. The soundtrack is spot-on. A lot of the tracks fit the tension and action sequences and was a nice to listen to. 

Even nearly 30 year after release, CCA still looks stunning.

OVERALL- I have been anticipating to watch Char's Counterattck for a while, and after watching it, it didn't disappoint. Despite some lack of backstory for some characters, I still found the story to be engaging. The fights were thrilling to watch and it was great seeing Amuro and Char back in action. The presentation is nice and still holds up well by today's standards. Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack is a must-watch for fans of the U.C. Gundam timeline. 

- CCA features sme violence and language. Recommended for ages 13 and up.-

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Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Review

ZZZ...

 Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, the third Mobile Suit Gundam show in the franchise, has a reputation of being polarizing. Mainly, it was a departure from the dark melodrama that its predecessor (and my favorite show in the franchise), Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, had introduced. The show takes a kid-friendly approach in its first half, which I found to be unbearable. However, the dark drama that Zeta packed is still here and it's thrilling. There's a lot to talk about ZZ, so let's get started.

STORY- The story immediately takes place after Zeta Gundam. The Titans have been defeated and the Axis Zeon threat arises. The Argama and its crew are in bad shape after the battle so they drop by a nearby colony, Shangra-La, for repairs. The story follows junk collectors, Judau Ashta, and his friends. Together, they plan on boarding the Aragama and capture the Zeta Gundam in hopes of selling it to make a living. I found the first few episodes to be unbearably campy since it's targeted at children. However, during the second half, things get very climactic and interesting. Without spoiling much of the plot, ZZ get's better later during it's run.  

The story gets interesting and more serious as the show progresses.

CHARACTERS- Most of Zeta Gundam's cast make a return. Captain Bright, Kamille, Fa, and even Axis leader Haman make a return. Similar to Amuro and Kamille, Judau may start as a jerk at first, but gets well-developed as the show progresses. He's a good pilot with noble intentions and I took a linking to him in the end. We also get to learn more about Haman Karn and her objectives. As for Judau's pack of friends, they're alright. I liked Rou, Puru, Lino, and Elle. While some of them such as Mondo and Beecha tend to be extremely annoying at first, they were OK in the end. 

PRESENTATION- Much of the presentation remains intact compared to Zeta. The visuals are the same, however, I noticed that they take a dip in quality here and there. In terms of mobile suits, the Mk. II, Zeta, and Hyaku-Shiki make a return and they're still looking good. However, it's the ZZ Gundam that steals the show with it's sheer power and awesome look. The audio is subbed, but the voice cast does a great job of portraying the characters. The soundtrack is just as neat as Zeta's. Tracks such as "Anime Ja Nai" fits the kid-oriented tone of the fist half while "Silent Voice" fits the more serious tone of the second half. 

Despite it's age, the presentation still holds up pretty well.

OVERALL- Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ is a polarizing show that takes time to get used to. The comedic fist half falls flat, but the second is more dark and developed, which I found to be awesome. I was tolerant of it during the first 20 episodes and by the time the show reached its end, I ended up liking it. Nevertheless, if you can get past some of it's shortcomings, you'll end-up having a good time. 

- While meant for kids early on, the show has some language and crude humor. Mainly targeted at teens and older.-

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