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LTTP: Mobile Suit Gundam 0078

Tschumi

Member
I haven't watched as much anime as, well, anyone ever I'm sure. I watched Adam Savage build a Perfect Grade Gundam model on youtube last week though and my interest in getting such a model for myself has fueled an interest in this show.

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Full disclosure I tried to get into this very series a year or two ago, but failed to do so as I couldn't handle the old school exposition and was very distracted at the time. I'm more receptive now. I'll be trying to watch a few episodes a day to bolster my usual Japanese learning.

My impressions...

- Did this dude sing all the OPs? "Gundamu Gundamu" theme song must be famous among all fans, well I'd like you to know - though surely u already do - that he also did the OP for 999: Galaxy Express... If he didn't then his voice-twin did. Very oldschool. I like it, it'll grow on me, but I very much prefer the 999 OPs and EDs. Compared to the theme tune to my favourite recent anime series it feels like a pretty risible folly. I'm not one to take much pleasure in hindsight though. I'm glad this dude didn't do the DBZ OPs.

- There's an interesting flavour to proceedings here that I didn't pick on last time. There's a cool, collaborative, fish-out-of-water martial aspect that kind of reminds me of Luke joining up with Han in A New Hope or, if I may draw a strained comparison, Starship Troopers. It's a trope that's been done many times since (and before?) but I'm enjoying it. This time around I'm seeing why people liked it, enough new stuff happens in the mix to make it unique - the bedridden captain, the 18 year old stand-in... All that.

- I've yet to get a comprehensive handle on Amuro's chops as a Gundam pilot but I think the idea is he's a bit of a savant and I can get behind that.

- Character design is pretty rough, but after watching 999 I find it easy to understand and forgive this. They did some cool slight-of-hand tricks to spice up what was still, seemingly, a pretty simplistic animation process that I appreciate. The space craft crashing into a city in the intro sequence is particularly cool.

- I didn't like Evangelion because of the way the jettisoned all romance/human interest threads during the final few episodes - it has shades of MGS5 fading away in the final act - I have a feeling I'll somewhat prefer Gundam.

- I hear that the next series - ZETA - is considered the 'best', and someone recommended Char's Counter-Attack to me a month or two ago, so I'm looking forward to getting through those at least. There's also one from the 00s (I think?) set amongst ground forces, I think it was called 08th MS Team? Sounds like some crew who went up the amazon looking for ideas for Windows Vista 2... I like the look of that, too.

- I'll be honest, I'm rather gritting my teeth through this series, trying to learn some Japanese, track the plot, hoping for the visuals to sharpen up in Zeta or beyond. I've got a bit of a bad taste in the back of my mouth that the more modern series - with more slick visuals - are apparently less good (thinking of Seed, for example)

I'll try to develop more comprehensive opinions as I go along, thanks for ur time :)

EDIT: It's 0079 not 0078, sorry! Mods, could you help me out?
 
Last edited:

manfestival

Member
I was going to bring up the blasphemy of calling it 0078 but I saw your edit. I would recommend watching Origin since it really adds to the backstory of Char. The rest of the stuff is worth watching for sure. Most of the spinoffs are worth watching and they provide different themes. You will eventually owe it to yourself to check out Thunderbolt. May as well watch it now since it is a show that is probably the best product among all of the Gundam properties. No spoiling any of that, just go watch it.
 
I suggest you watch the 3 movies instead of tv series for 0079. It has better pacing and new updated animation (for the most part). Futhermore, Tomino removed lots of cheesy stuff like the G Fighter which was meant to sell toys.

The general rule is to watch 0079, Zeta, then Char's counterattack, because there are other series in the same universe, such as Unicorn, referenced them quite a bit and they expect you to have watch them already.
 

NecrosaroIII

Ultimate DQ Fan
Re: How could Amuro pilot it? They allude that the Gundam has an AI. He leans on it heavily in the beginning but eventually he is able to react faster than the system can.
 
Watched the series over a decade ago. Dunno if I will again. Zeta is great, ZZ isn't good, CCA is great.

Anything outside of 0080 that isn't by Tomino for the UC isn't good. You've been warned. 08th Team isn't as good as people make out but it has a nice enough ending, feels like a completely different series.
 

NecrosaroIII

Ultimate DQ Fan
Watched the series over a decade ago. Dunno if I will again. Zeta is great, ZZ isn't good, CCA is great.

Anything outside of 0080 that isn't by Tomino for the UC isn't good. You've been warned. 08th Team isn't as good as people make out but it has a nice enough ending, feels like a completely different series.
Generally I'll agree with this. I love 0079 though. 0083 is dumb (but pretty). Gundam Unicorn is great but kind of navel gazey.

Would you consider Hathaway as written by Tomino?
 
make sure to check out 0080 War In The Pocket. a lot of people sleep on it because it has less fighting and it's more focus on the small scale so to speak, but it's actually good.
 

Ballthyrm

Member
Like newtypepilot newtypepilot said, you can watch "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin" movies 1-> 6 instead of 0079, even if 79 is really good still
Then the Char’s Counterattack movie
0080 is really quick watch with only 6 episode and has a ton of character development like Robot Carnival Robot Carnival said
My Favorite Gundam anime is The 08th MS Team , purely on its ability to make you feel the size and weight of the Gundams and the tight screenplay.

Then you can watch the visual delights that are Thunderbolt and 0083 Stardust Memory, probably the best animated of the bunch.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
I've never watched the show, but I love building the plastic models and have since long before any of the anime had been released in English.
 
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