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.-

MUST WATCH