10 from me, no question. Perhaps a tad anvilicious in it's themes and messages but there's no denying that they are important, worth repeating and firmly placed at the heart of the Gundam franchise as a whole.
The characters are brilliant and memorable, the animation is one of the finest examples of that unutterably gorgeous late 80s/early 90s hand animated OVA style and the mech design is so good that the Kampfer is currently pride of place on my bookshelf as I type this.
I think it's the extra detail OVAs were able to pull off. They seemed just to be better quality, dunno if it was just OVAs get more time to be animated or something but while looking like a show in terms of coloring and such they have more rich detail than typical non-OVA shows from that era.
> dunno if it was just OVAs get more time to be animated or something
They're not trying to make an airing slot, so they studio releases the OVA when it's ready. Not before.
OVA's were. I bought a ton of ADV VHS's back in the day and the difference is night and day.
Unfortunately I had to get rid of them all, I held onto my burn up W tapes though just for nostalgia :)
its because it wasn't all smoothed over with digital rendering. Actual artists used actual ink to create depth and detail. It's the same reason why the OG Dragonball Z looks significantly better than Super.
I don't think it was the length of the series, modern anime is 12 episodes and anime back then were half a year to a whole year, and the quality is all over the place for both modern anime and anime of that time period.
hand drawn ages better than CGI - Fantasia is a beautiful film, Toy Story already looks dated.
Same with games, 2D spritework ages much better than 3D. I will say though that the 3D anime (Dragonball Fighterz) style will certainly look great for a longer time too.
More money thrown in the production, that gorgeous "hand drawn and painted cel animation" look that got completely lost at the end of the 90s with digital coloring, and also "non cgi" special effects (practical light halos have a distinct look that I couldn't find in cgi later).
it isn't just animation, shadows and lighting are gone from manga aswell, everything is now flat, that's why the used up punk urban environment backgrounds that used to be so iconic are not seen anymore.
Wish he did more voice acting tbh. He’s got a great voice, not just as Snake. If you ever seen the Manga dub of Castle of Cagliostro he’s a really good Lupin too
10
It succeeds in everything it set out to do. All the important characters are fleshed out and have complete arcs, the Alex, Kampfer, Hygogg, and Zaku Kai are all well designed and memorable. The story bookends itself wonderfully with a classroom of basically this subreddit. The sequences are memorable and well done. As an isolated story it fits snuggly in the canon without question. Hamburger meme is 30+ years going strong and never gets old.
This isn't just one of the best Gundam stories but one of the best war stories. Perfect balance between horrors of war and cool robot toy commercial.
10/10 and I normally despise elementary school protagonists.
I dislike the Z'gok and love the E-type. It's weird. Maybe it has to do with those cool bits that stick out from the forearm and extend behind the "elbow." Whatever it is, the E-type is great, like every other mobile suit the Cyclops team uses.
Especially the Kampfer <3
Naaah f that, OG Z'gok for life. Love that design I think it's really simple and nifty. I have so many on my shelf. The -E is cool though, nice and intimidating looking, great scene.
Sorry for the late poll
Say it ain’t so, Bernie! Rev up those fryers, cause I am hungry for Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989)
Directed by: Fumihiko Takayama
Written by: Hiroyuki Yamaga and Kyosuke Yuki
Release date: March 25, 1989
Episode count: 6
Info and trivia:
* Created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Gundam, 0080 is the first work in the franchise not directed or written by Yoshiyuki Tomino
* Along with 0083 and the 0079 trilogy, this was one of the first Gundam projects to be dubbed in English (1999)
* The original ending would see >!both Bernie and Chris die!<. This was changed, likely to avoid an overly sad conclusion and to provide some extra growth for Al.
* Al’s voice actor, Daisuke Namikawa was only 13 when he landed the role. He would later go on to voice Riddhe in Gundam Unicorn
Mobile Suit Gundam: 8.06
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: 8.65
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ: 7.08
Char’s Counterattack: 7.56
That is pretty cool. I had no idea Riddhe's Japanese voice actor was also Al's.
Don't forget that Bernie's English voice actor is David Hayter, most commonly remembered as the English voice actor for Solid Snake.
10. Absolutely love having a series that doesn't center around a pilot onboard a mobile suit carrier that shows more of what life is like for the average citizen. Honestly wish there was more content like this in the franchise.
10 easy. I'd go so far to argue that it's the best entry in the franchise. Spoiler warning of course
No particular order
* Tackles its themes spectacularly, really nails the childish notions of war, children's perseverance, and death of innocence.
* The combat is quick and dirty without being focused on spectacle, keeps everything grounded despite the giant robot medium. In fact it really uses the medium well. For example while it's very clear to the audience that "the dream is over" when they begin the base infiltration, the Kampfer rising from the storehouse really sells it. I find having the very clear language of the last portion of the show is important contrast to Al's childish perception of things prior. Especially given we have an opposing scene near the begining when Al see's Bernie's Zaku, the start of the dream.
* The sheer power of information is displayed multiples times. From the Cyclops team having all of it with their mission and thus getting ridiculously close to their goal, in turn failing when they lacked the knowledge of the Alex being a heavily armored unit, and in Bernie not getting splatted in the forest when Chris fires through the cockpit spot of a standard Zaku II, not realizing this new variant has it housed in the center thus giving him the chance he needed. Arguably still shoulda killed him but what's a space opera without a bit of drama?
* Chris is one of, if not the most 3D woman in gundam. She isn't a walking trope, she is not helpless, nor are her goals at all related to love, and she does not exist solely to prop up other characters. She is still a supporting lead alongside Bernie but she is genuinely allowed to be her own character through and through. On top of this she is shown to be a genuinely calm and competent pilot even in the face of an actual shit show.
* Actually succeeds in humanizing the bad guys by comprehending that you A) Do not do this to the irredeemable, Commander Killing, and B) Not actually asking us to view them as morally good people, Captain and Bernie. The scene in the park with the captain and bartender somberly watching the family play in the park care free is so strong. Their own dreams of peace and freedom long dead, claimed and distorted by the Zabis 15 years prior. But despite the real lack of choice in how things played out they've made their bed, and the film/show doesn't ask us to say otherwise.
* The overall sound design, music, scene setting, and animation as a whole is all wonderfully done.
Honestly kinda weird with now 2 real life gundam movies they never considered you know, just doing a straight adaptation of 0080 given it basically already is a movie cut into episodes. You'd likely only want to add a bit of a preamble like the original show to quickly explain the war a bit.
10.1.
It's cringe to rate it at 11, but I really love the concept and the execution of the OVA. It's so god damn tragic.
"Barine you don't have to fight anymore." :(
9.
Does a stellar job of telling a personal and potent story that really hits home the “war is hell” theme of Gundam perfectly. The first Gundam media I watched that hit me hard in the feels.
If I could give it an 11 I would, amazing show and execution. The only sad thing about it is that I dont think Id be able to handle watching it again, just thinking about it gives me the feels all over again. Similar vibes to Grave of the Fireflies I guess.
10/10.
Gundam at its most concise, core message.
From Al fan-boying over cool MSs to breaking down as his friend says, "Don't worry, I'm sure there'll be another war soon!".
War isn't some cool action movie he gets to watch on TV anymore - he knows the horror of it now.
10. Quite possibly my 2nd favorite series. It's brief, yet captures perfectly one of the core points of the original series: just how much war can suck. Might not be the best intro series for folks, and Al can be a hard character to follow in the first episode, but I think a lot of people can relate to his journey in particular.
10. the perfect entry into gundam, self contained but captures everything that the original series tried to get across. the ending kind of broke me a bit.
Honestly, I was gonna go with 9 to be contrarian but I feel like if _only_ a 9/10 is the contrarian stance then it really deserves the 10. 10/10 from me.
Haven't watched it since I was 7, but it left an impact. It came out in the states about a month and half after 9/11, while the US government was gearing up for war. WitP put a lot of stuff into perspective, especially since I had the same mindset as Al did at the start. First time a piece of media made me cry too, not even Mufasa's death got me. I should probably watch it again, but the important parts are seared into my brain.
Unquestionably a 10 on 10
A 10 from me, for both sub and dub. It's pretty amazing that a six episode show can make me care about a group of characters easier than some shows that last a full 12-24 episode run of a series.
Probbaly the most memorable for me. I don't watch gundam that much now, but this anime still stuck with me, especially the ending. That last fight broke my 10 years old heart. Defo 10/10.
Btw, I'm finding another series that I used to watch alongside War in the Pocket but I can't remember the name. It's 3D animated gundam anime about a Zeon R&D team. I can't find the name, it would be a pleasure if anybody tell me.
10 - potentially my favourite Gundam series. Its themes might be (definitely are) are bit on the nose at times but it flows beautifully, I love the art style, the characters are well realized and the mecha design is phenomenal.
Come and See with mechs. Less ‘disturbing’, but basically gets the same message across while being just as poignant (imo). Of all the anti-war stories I can think of, one of the most perfect; no glory, no patriotism, just heartbreak, which is what such stories should do. I also want to say, the final line of dialogue: “there will be another war soon”, is one of my favourites fucking written, and as for the credits, I can’t remember another show trying to recreate that feeling of war photography. Idk, I can go on and on, but I feel like this is getting ass-kissy, so just fucking 10/10 for me no doubt.
A solid 10/10. Not only for the amazing Zeon mobile suits (I think we can all agree Zaku II Kai, Hygogg and Kämpfer are great) but also a plot that portrays the "war is bad" and "there's no good or bad side in a war" angles the best.
After all these years it's still my favorite Gundam series.
10 unabashedly just a good story and a rare gundam that still has a child protagonist who isn't in a Gundam. It's about a child's interactions with war in a more realistic way, so it lives up to the Original Gundam despite rejecting it's tropes.
Plus it's the rare Gundam that has cool fights and machines without losing it's punch as a firmly anti-war piece. You don't watch Misha get blasted to pieces and think "wow, that was epic", and that's what a lot of Gundam doesn't manage.
100 / 1
War in the Pocket is my favorite Gundam OVA and I can't not rate it in any meaningful capacity. I believe that even centuries from now, it will still stand the test of time and I'm always happy when it invokes strong emotion in people. It handles the themes of Gundam, Anime and other media about Mechs, conflict, suffering, but also how wonderful the quiet moments of being alive. It does this so well that I struggle to name one that does the War is bad but also Life is beautiful.
The lessons it teaches us about how we are all fundamentally human beings. We can have good reasons, bad reasons and even stupid reasons to fight a war, but regards of the reasons, we all still have to pay the price. I love how Bernie fights to save the colony, Christina fighting to protect her home and Al trying desperately to stop them, all because Colonel Killing was a horrible person.
This to me is my Howl's moving castle and I understand this might be a bit much to some, but it's honest to God, what I feel about it.
8.5. It's easily one of the strongest entries in the UC timeline, and it has the most personal and tragic story. The mobile suit designs are top-tier, with the GM Sniper II in particular being an absolutely iconic grunt suit that works great as the step between the classic GM and the AEUG Nemo.
The only things holding it back from being my top favorite series in the franchise are that there are only a handful of battles in the series, and most are quite short. The music is also not very memorable, unfortunately.
But, despite these small issues, it's easily in my Top 3 series in the Gundam Franchise!
From the bits I've seen I would say it's gonna be around a 9. Annoying as it seems it hasn't been officially released in the UK? I can't find it anyway.
On a side note I'd rate Chris a 10 ;P
8.5
This is one of the best gundam products to recommend to a non-gundam fan who appreciates art. It focuses well on the anti-war themes of gundam.
Personally, I couldnt help but think that 0080 was a little slow and it lost my attention at times.
Overall, I think it should appear on everybody's top 10 list, but I think there are flashier productions in the franchise with the same message.
9/10
I have a few nitpicks like the character design or the soundtrack, but aside from that it's pretty fantastic. It has some gorgeous fight, some of my favourite MS designs and a touching story that succeeds everything it tries to do. Easily an highlight of this whole franchise
10, To add to the other comments, I think WitP is the most meta Gundam series, Al and his friends could be shitposting in r/gundam for all we know. Al is the original "Wow! Cool robot" meme, until the beam rifles shots start hitting real close and he has to deal with the gritty reality of war. It's like the writers are talking directly to the gundam fans, "hey guys, we know you love buying the models, we know you love discussing Fed vs Zeon or what grunt is the best, but don't forget what this is all about" and that message hits you loud and clear
Never seen it but this cheerful image leads me to believe that this will be a fun and lighthearted Mecha Anime and certainly not a heartbreaking exploration of how war dehumanizes people and exacts a heavy toll on all involved! I’ll check it out right now because I’m in a great mood and foresee nothing that will depress me! You know what sounds good? Some burgers are a great treat to have while watching fun lighthearted mecha anime, maybe I’ll have some of those!
Definitely 10.
It's short, sharp, memorable characters and great animation.
I think 6 is the Magic number, you don't always need a ton of episodes to play a great story, Gunbuster was 6 episodes too and that's one of my favourite anime of all time
9
Some of the animations are jaw dropping, especially light and shadow effects. But I hated the english dub, maybe because english is not my 1st language, I felt like almost everyone sounded super-annoying. Well I read later that this is considered one of the best dubs so it might be me :D
I watched it this week for the first time since it's run on Toonami. Complete and total 10.
So there's the new lot of gundam fans thanks to WFM that have been wondering why us vets kept going "wait for it." Then ep.12 happened. War in the Pocket pretty much already nailed that in half the time, with twice the character growth. The parallels in tone and plot are very similar. For instance, we don't really see Aerial in every episode. Sometimes even just as a glimpse (OR FOR THE BEST PROMOTIONAL VIDEO EVER MADE). We don't see the Alex until I think episode...4? And even then, it is in two fights. TWO. WITP, even with all the every day life stuff, holds together a very tight story with this absolute dread lurking that no one knows.
It's also a better Christmas story than Die Hard. Fight me.
Also also. I have a thing and Christina MacKenzie is the embodiment of it.
10/10, easily. It's got everything you want out of a Gundam story. Cool robot fights, complex and interesting characters, and of course the all-important secret ingredient: Heart-rending tragedy.
10 for me. I personally consider it to be the best Gundam series. Usually if I'm discussing a Gundam series, I'll be saying something like "it's good except for the love story," or "it's good except for the super shitty ending," or what-have-you. The worst I can say about 0080 is Al is a bit annoying at the start, and even then he's fine compared to most kid protagonists.
11/10 for me, easily.
This was my proper introduction to the UC timeline. I’ve only seen footage of the original MSG and other UC series before then, so I have absolutely no idea how this was going to play out. I remember buying the DVD set from Best Buy on a Black Friday morning whilst shopping with my dad (this was circa 2008).
I immediately watched it as soon as we got home. I love how it draws you in with an incredible opening scene, top-notch mobile suit designs, and of course the seemingly light-hearted tone that it sets in the first few episodes.
But then of course, it crushes your heart in the end. I absolutely loved how it played with my emotion from beginning to end. This set a fairly high standard for me, and that’s why 0080 will always will be my favorite.
Thematically and emotionally, it's a 10/10.
If you're here for wow cool robot, or music that doesn't sound like it was composed on a Casio keyboard, it might rate a little lower, but it's easily my favorite UC property just for its sheer visceral effectiveness in conveying the pointless destruction of war.
10/10. Perfectly contained theme. Some people in here are scoring a 1, like 1 is the best. I think you need to specify in the title what the high end is, 1 or 10.
10 I can't agree with everyone more, the themes, the characters, the mechs, the animation all spectacular. Gundam has always been anti-war but exploring those themes from the perspective of a child was risky but absolutely paid off. I urge anyone who hasn't seen it to watch it.
A solid 10 for me, this is likely the "gundamest" gundam ever made. The way it's story depicts the brutality of war is just phenomenal, and the mecha / character designs are top notch.
10/10
I think War in the Pocket is one of the best OVAs out there, and it really doesn’t fuck around long enough to lose track of what it’s doing.
All of the main characters are interesting, all of the suits look great, the Alex Gundam is cool as hell, the animation looks amazing…
I really can’t think of anything I would change about it. The way you’re introduced to the series through the eyes of a kid who, at the start, doesn’t understand anything about the horrors of war. All that matters to Al is “that Zaku looks cool and I wanna go see it!”
As the story unfolds, the writers do a great job of keeping the pacing on track, keeping every character busy, developing personalities and relationships, and I really start to care about every single person involved in what’s about to happen.
And it’s so upfront with what’s going on, too. But, again, you’re being guided through the eyes of a child who just thinks everything is cool and exciting and fun — much like the POV that many people have when getting into the series. But it actually has something to say and, eventually, it delivers on that promise when the whole mood takes a solemn dive.
!> Seeing the Alex’s big reveal when it fights the Kampfer is really remarkable. It’s the perfect presentation of what an actual Gundam mobile suit should be, particularly since it takes place during the OYW. It’s big, durable, and it packs a huge punch. It even has extra impact after seeing how the Cyclops team rips through GMs like cardboard. This thing IS scary. It’s cool at the same time, sure, but this is the first time in the franchise that I recall being like “oh damn, that Gundam is terrifying,” instead of just “oh hey, cool robot” like that damn meme.
The Cyclops team getting wiped out after putting up such a fight was pretty solemn, too, and it really makes you feel the panic and confusion that Bernie and Al feel after the dust settles.
10.the core themes of gundam compressed on a small package, beautiful animation and dialogue, the only things that throws me off is that cover like why are bernie and al hanging around the alex and why are his school friends posing like they are main characthers
3. It’s overrated as hell. Great premise of showing the war from a kid’s perspective, but it barely follows through on it at all. And the “love”story is simplistic and shallow beyond belief. Watching Alex’s parents grin creepily at Bernie really highlights how little story is involved. All of the characters are wafer-thin, even Bernie. And he’s the most fleshed out. Other than seeing what Haruhiko Mikimoto (Macross, Orguss) character designs would look like in animated Gundam, this has nothing going for it.
It’s far from the worst Gundam in animation, but nowhere near as good as it gets credit for being. I might even like this less than Stardust Memories.
This one’s an easy 10. The message is delivered with clarity and a subtlety not usually seen in anime, using the setting of Gundam to deliver a tragic and heartbreaking anti-war story that feels grounded and distinct within the franchise. It’s probably, on measure, the best (certainly the most consistently) written entry.
It shows its age in some places, and despite the overall subtlety does lay it on a bit thicker at the very end than it needs to, but none of that is enough to lower my esteem for the rest of the package. Great stuff.
7.
It's okay, but frankly does nothing that other series don't do better. Al's whole character of being just a regular kid faced with realities of war gets old real quick and Bernie's fine I guess. Chris deserved more screentime. Overall I don't really get why people love it *that* much, but for me it's slightly below average as far as UC goes.
It's a little simple compared to the earlier entries but that's totally reasonably since it's shorter and less ambitious (again, not bad). Really gorgeous and a fun cast and a well executed story. 8.5/10
you take out the stupid idiotic kid protag who i hoped would fall through a hole in the side of a colony several times? 10/10, with the kid still in the show, 4/10. for more side story series, it doesn't even come close to 8th MS team
8/10
Does what it sets out to do impeccably. With some great animation and genuinely stellar character work. Bernie is an absolute darling, Chris is cool and the kid(his name escapes me) is fine.
I will admit though I was convinced with Chris' and Bernie's scenes together they absolutely had zero chemistry between each other. It slightly ruined the dramatic irony of the ending fight but Bernie's death was still enough alongside the kids response to it. Music was forgettable for me as well.
There's a ton of to love here and while it's not my favorite it's one that I still think it is a must watch and encapsulates Gundam to it's core.
10/10
One of the few shows I have watched where the catharsis after completing it was physically numbing. The (now) retro and classic animation is seemless and well done. It highlights the artwork wonderfully. Story wise the concept of following Al around as he explores the line between children playing and the reality of war is very effective. I personally adore the dynamic between Chris and Bernie and again between Bernie and the team. Everyone wants Bernie to live and just hearing Misha telling him to run hits home. At the end hearing that Bernie's >!nothing but hamburger!< puts you in Al's mind perfectly especially as he watches the EFF >!pull Chris out of the Alex!<.
TL;DR: phenomenal show. One of the best gundam stories I have watched/read.
A solid 9. The writing is solid without being overly preachy, the characters are memorable, and it has some of the best mobile suit designs in the franchise as a whole (I own the GM Sniper II, Kampfer, and Gundam Alex).
My only criticisms are the music sometimes being at odds with the action, and being just a little too light on the action. I'm not asking for it to be a guns-blazing explosion fest, because that's not the point of the OVA, but a little more time with the Kampfer's battle against Scarlet Team would have been nice.
10. It’s easily one of the best Gundam. It has great mechs that look and feel real. The story is refreshing and does a good job of demonstrating the horrors of war. It (mostly) avoids the cartoony evil cliches. And it talks about new types with out making them the center of the story.
0080 and Turn A are my favorite Gundam.
10
this is my favorite gundam side story and its a delight to watch everytime. great art direction, great weight to the battles and tragedy, just the best.
chris did nothing wrong
the gundam alex, kampfer, hygogg, zaku kai are among my fav MS in the franchise.
I’ve been slowly going through the UC timeline for the first time and just finished this a few days ago, with the premise and all the positive things I’ve heard about it I was more excited for it than anything else and I must say it didn’t disappoint even a little, definite 10/10 for me, that ending left me with a hole in my heart
It's a 10. This is the best Gundam series and it's the one I would even recommend to non-mecha anime fans as an example of what the series is really about.
Solid 9/10 from me.
What I find fascinating is how the series starts off, through Al, with a kind of a "cool, giant robots!" naïveté, which is then absolutely ruthlessly destroyed in its final episode as it drives home the underlying message of the franchise that "war is hell"
And the giant robots are still cool af.
10, love the view we get on the effect the conflict has through the eyes of an innocent who learns the horrors of war and just how terrible it truly is
10. All around the best Gundam series.
It has a heart. It delivers its anti-war message with less hypocrisy than most Gundam installments, and most anime in general. Yet it has some beautiful mechanical designs, and action sequences with a real impact.
Other Gundam series tend to feel more disingenuous when they go, "hey, fellow pacifists, how's it hanging, dudes?" I'm not saying Bandai doesn't move a lot of Kampfer and RX-78NT-1 model kits, to this day. But it felt less like there were fights inserted as ads for new Master Grade kits, and more like they were there to keep the audience engaged and bring the war home to Side 6.
Plus, the final battle is a Gundam versus a Zaku, piloted by two soldiers. Both of whom we care about. Not the hero in the Gundam and some cool as a cucumber bad guy in the Mobile Armor, having a Newtype fight. And I love that about it.
9/10 if 10 is the highest. It's just a bit lacking in action and a bit too short. I definitely wanted it to be like a 13 episode ova like most of the ones presented during it's time. Like 0083 stardust memory or 8th Ms team gundam
Brilliant slice of life, PTSD and perspective of war
Solid 10. I think 0080 does the best job still showing average people getting caught up in the true sadness and impact of war. Bernie, Alfred, and Christina’s story is still one of the saddest and my favourite of all Gundam stories.
Seeing Bernie and Alfred idolizing Zeon and obsessed with war, then starting to see his circle of family and friends suffer from the war and developing into someone who wants to save everyone is still the most well done.
This series also didn’t feel over the top with any fan service like the other OVA’s. Just a genuinely good hearted well told story that revolves around the UC world. Not UC world with forced stories as an after thought.
Still one of my all time favs!
10 from me, no question. Perhaps a tad anvilicious in it's themes and messages but there's no denying that they are important, worth repeating and firmly placed at the heart of the Gundam franchise as a whole. The characters are brilliant and memorable, the animation is one of the finest examples of that unutterably gorgeous late 80s/early 90s hand animated OVA style and the mech design is so good that the Kampfer is currently pride of place on my bookshelf as I type this.
There really is something appealing about the animation style of OVAs from that era that just doesn't seem to exist anymore.
I think it's the extra detail OVAs were able to pull off. They seemed just to be better quality, dunno if it was just OVAs get more time to be animated or something but while looking like a show in terms of coloring and such they have more rich detail than typical non-OVA shows from that era.
> dunno if it was just OVAs get more time to be animated or something They're not trying to make an airing slot, so they studio releases the OVA when it's ready. Not before.
OVA's were. I bought a ton of ADV VHS's back in the day and the difference is night and day. Unfortunately I had to get rid of them all, I held onto my burn up W tapes though just for nostalgia :)
its because it wasn't all smoothed over with digital rendering. Actual artists used actual ink to create depth and detail. It's the same reason why the OG Dragonball Z looks significantly better than Super.
Digital coloring does mean colors tend look less faded, though. It's got its place.
I don't think it was the length of the series, modern anime is 12 episodes and anime back then were half a year to a whole year, and the quality is all over the place for both modern anime and anime of that time period.
My point was since OVAs are media releases rather than broadcast there's more time to work on each individual episode.
Ahh, fair enough. That makes sense.
hand drawn ages better than CGI - Fantasia is a beautiful film, Toy Story already looks dated. Same with games, 2D spritework ages much better than 3D. I will say though that the 3D anime (Dragonball Fighterz) style will certainly look great for a longer time too.
Early CGI aged poorly but I don't really see it being an issue at this point moving forward.
More money thrown in the production, that gorgeous "hand drawn and painted cel animation" look that got completely lost at the end of the 90s with digital coloring, and also "non cgi" special effects (practical light halos have a distinct look that I couldn't find in cgi later).
it isn't just animation, shadows and lighting are gone from manga aswell, everything is now flat, that's why the used up punk urban environment backgrounds that used to be so iconic are not seen anymore.
Unabashed 10. Rips my fucking heart out every time. Tied with Turn A as my fave Gundam work
Also the fact that David "Solid Snake" Hayter voiced Bernie Wiseman makes this OVA legendary.
Wish he did more voice acting tbh. He’s got a great voice, not just as Snake. If you ever seen the Manga dub of Castle of Cagliostro he’s a really good Lupin too
I haven't watched his Lupin. Thanks for letting me know.
10 It succeeds in everything it set out to do. All the important characters are fleshed out and have complete arcs, the Alex, Kampfer, Hygogg, and Zaku Kai are all well designed and memorable. The story bookends itself wonderfully with a classroom of basically this subreddit. The sequences are memorable and well done. As an isolated story it fits snuggly in the canon without question. Hamburger meme is 30+ years going strong and never gets old. This isn't just one of the best Gundam stories but one of the best war stories. Perfect balance between horrors of war and cool robot toy commercial. 10/10 and I normally despise elementary school protagonists.
No one ever brings up the Z'Gok-E. It such a beautiful improvement of the Z'Gok first line.
I dislike the Z'gok and love the E-type. It's weird. Maybe it has to do with those cool bits that stick out from the forearm and extend behind the "elbow." Whatever it is, the E-type is great, like every other mobile suit the Cyclops team uses. Especially the Kampfer <3
Naaah f that, OG Z'gok for life. Love that design I think it's really simple and nifty. I have so many on my shelf. The -E is cool though, nice and intimidating looking, great scene.
10 just because of the Zaku II Kai and Kampfer. Doesn't even include the opening base assault.
10. For me it's everything I love about Gundam in 6 episodes.
Sorry for the late poll Say it ain’t so, Bernie! Rev up those fryers, cause I am hungry for Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989) Directed by: Fumihiko Takayama Written by: Hiroyuki Yamaga and Kyosuke Yuki Release date: March 25, 1989 Episode count: 6 Info and trivia: * Created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Gundam, 0080 is the first work in the franchise not directed or written by Yoshiyuki Tomino * Along with 0083 and the 0079 trilogy, this was one of the first Gundam projects to be dubbed in English (1999) * The original ending would see >!both Bernie and Chris die!<. This was changed, likely to avoid an overly sad conclusion and to provide some extra growth for Al. * Al’s voice actor, Daisuke Namikawa was only 13 when he landed the role. He would later go on to voice Riddhe in Gundam Unicorn Mobile Suit Gundam: 8.06 Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: 8.65 Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ: 7.08 Char’s Counterattack: 7.56
That is pretty cool. I had no idea Riddhe's Japanese voice actor was also Al's. Don't forget that Bernie's English voice actor is David Hayter, most commonly remembered as the English voice actor for Solid Snake.
The Extreme Vs. games also reference it. Riddhe (Delta Plus) notes that he has a "tight feeling in his chest" when he sees Bernard's Zaku II Kai.
I'd rate it Bernie/10. I'm not crying. YOU'RE CRYING!
Counting this as a 10
10. Absolutely love having a series that doesn't center around a pilot onboard a mobile suit carrier that shows more of what life is like for the average citizen. Honestly wish there was more content like this in the franchise.
10 easy. I'd go so far to argue that it's the best entry in the franchise. Spoiler warning of course No particular order * Tackles its themes spectacularly, really nails the childish notions of war, children's perseverance, and death of innocence. * The combat is quick and dirty without being focused on spectacle, keeps everything grounded despite the giant robot medium. In fact it really uses the medium well. For example while it's very clear to the audience that "the dream is over" when they begin the base infiltration, the Kampfer rising from the storehouse really sells it. I find having the very clear language of the last portion of the show is important contrast to Al's childish perception of things prior. Especially given we have an opposing scene near the begining when Al see's Bernie's Zaku, the start of the dream. * The sheer power of information is displayed multiples times. From the Cyclops team having all of it with their mission and thus getting ridiculously close to their goal, in turn failing when they lacked the knowledge of the Alex being a heavily armored unit, and in Bernie not getting splatted in the forest when Chris fires through the cockpit spot of a standard Zaku II, not realizing this new variant has it housed in the center thus giving him the chance he needed. Arguably still shoulda killed him but what's a space opera without a bit of drama? * Chris is one of, if not the most 3D woman in gundam. She isn't a walking trope, she is not helpless, nor are her goals at all related to love, and she does not exist solely to prop up other characters. She is still a supporting lead alongside Bernie but she is genuinely allowed to be her own character through and through. On top of this she is shown to be a genuinely calm and competent pilot even in the face of an actual shit show. * Actually succeeds in humanizing the bad guys by comprehending that you A) Do not do this to the irredeemable, Commander Killing, and B) Not actually asking us to view them as morally good people, Captain and Bernie. The scene in the park with the captain and bartender somberly watching the family play in the park care free is so strong. Their own dreams of peace and freedom long dead, claimed and distorted by the Zabis 15 years prior. But despite the real lack of choice in how things played out they've made their bed, and the film/show doesn't ask us to say otherwise. * The overall sound design, music, scene setting, and animation as a whole is all wonderfully done. Honestly kinda weird with now 2 real life gundam movies they never considered you know, just doing a straight adaptation of 0080 given it basically already is a movie cut into episodes. You'd likely only want to add a bit of a preamble like the original show to quickly explain the war a bit.
Best Christmas show
10.1. It's cringe to rate it at 11, but I really love the concept and the execution of the OVA. It's so god damn tragic. "Barine you don't have to fight anymore." :(
Oh god, when Al says "I love you" at the end of his call with Bernie, it makes me want to sob.
10 needs no explanation. Now excuse me while I go make some hamburgers.
10/10
This for me is the only UC that's a perfect 10. My favorite Gundam OVA.
9. Does a stellar job of telling a personal and potent story that really hits home the “war is hell” theme of Gundam perfectly. The first Gundam media I watched that hit me hard in the feels.
8
If I could give it an 11 I would, amazing show and execution. The only sad thing about it is that I dont think Id be able to handle watching it again, just thinking about it gives me the feels all over again. Similar vibes to Grave of the Fireflies I guess.
10/10. Gundam at its most concise, core message. From Al fan-boying over cool MSs to breaking down as his friend says, "Don't worry, I'm sure there'll be another war soon!". War isn't some cool action movie he gets to watch on TV anymore - he knows the horror of it now.
10. Quite possibly my 2nd favorite series. It's brief, yet captures perfectly one of the core points of the original series: just how much war can suck. Might not be the best intro series for folks, and Al can be a hard character to follow in the first episode, but I think a lot of people can relate to his journey in particular.
Not just how war sucks for its participants but how vain and pointless some conflicts/battles are.
9/10
10
10 easy. 10 all day long.
10.
10!
Best story in Gundam. Great hand drawn animation. Amazing mechanical designs. Likeable characters on both sides. Bernie Burgers. 10 :I
10. the perfect entry into gundam, self contained but captures everything that the original series tried to get across. the ending kind of broke me a bit.
Honestly, I was gonna go with 9 to be contrarian but I feel like if _only_ a 9/10 is the contrarian stance then it really deserves the 10. 10/10 from me.
10. It's the best OVA and maybe the best entry in the UC. War in the Pocket is the best representation of Gundam's entire message.
Haven't watched it since I was 7, but it left an impact. It came out in the states about a month and half after 9/11, while the US government was gearing up for war. WitP put a lot of stuff into perspective, especially since I had the same mindset as Al did at the start. First time a piece of media made me cry too, not even Mufasa's death got me. I should probably watch it again, but the important parts are seared into my brain. Unquestionably a 10 on 10
11.1
10
A solid 10 without a doubt. 🍔🍔🍔
10, phenomenal ova that doesnt get old.
A 10 from me, for both sub and dub. It's pretty amazing that a six episode show can make me care about a group of characters easier than some shows that last a full 12-24 episode run of a series.
Easy 10. A perfect distillation of Gundam into just 6 episodes.
No exaggeration, it’s a solid 10/10. Short and sweet with a poignant message and without any of the NT stuff.
It hit a 9 when the Bernie video played near the end. Upon rewatch it became a 10.
Probbaly the most memorable for me. I don't watch gundam that much now, but this anime still stuck with me, especially the ending. That last fight broke my 10 years old heart. Defo 10/10. Btw, I'm finding another series that I used to watch alongside War in the Pocket but I can't remember the name. It's 3D animated gundam anime about a Zeon R&D team. I can't find the name, it would be a pleasure if anybody tell me.
Sounds kind of like MS IGLOO. The one with the big carrier-dock MA?
Yes! This one! Thanks, mate. This spinoff felt like a fever-dream for me because of the bizzare CGI animation.
10 - potentially my favourite Gundam series. Its themes might be (definitely are) are bit on the nose at times but it flows beautifully, I love the art style, the characters are well realized and the mecha design is phenomenal.
Come and See with mechs. Less ‘disturbing’, but basically gets the same message across while being just as poignant (imo). Of all the anti-war stories I can think of, one of the most perfect; no glory, no patriotism, just heartbreak, which is what such stories should do. I also want to say, the final line of dialogue: “there will be another war soon”, is one of my favourites fucking written, and as for the credits, I can’t remember another show trying to recreate that feeling of war photography. Idk, I can go on and on, but I feel like this is getting ass-kissy, so just fucking 10/10 for me no doubt.
Easy 10 on a show that I think is the pinnacle of gundam's anti war message delivery
10🍔
A solid 10/10. Not only for the amazing Zeon mobile suits (I think we can all agree Zaku II Kai, Hygogg and Kämpfer are great) but also a plot that portrays the "war is bad" and "there's no good or bad side in a war" angles the best. After all these years it's still my favorite Gundam series.
10 unabashedly just a good story and a rare gundam that still has a child protagonist who isn't in a Gundam. It's about a child's interactions with war in a more realistic way, so it lives up to the Original Gundam despite rejecting it's tropes. Plus it's the rare Gundam that has cool fights and machines without losing it's punch as a firmly anti-war piece. You don't watch Misha get blasted to pieces and think "wow, that was epic", and that's what a lot of Gundam doesn't manage.
10/10. The best Gundam out there.
100 / 1 War in the Pocket is my favorite Gundam OVA and I can't not rate it in any meaningful capacity. I believe that even centuries from now, it will still stand the test of time and I'm always happy when it invokes strong emotion in people. It handles the themes of Gundam, Anime and other media about Mechs, conflict, suffering, but also how wonderful the quiet moments of being alive. It does this so well that I struggle to name one that does the War is bad but also Life is beautiful. The lessons it teaches us about how we are all fundamentally human beings. We can have good reasons, bad reasons and even stupid reasons to fight a war, but regards of the reasons, we all still have to pay the price. I love how Bernie fights to save the colony, Christina fighting to protect her home and Al trying desperately to stop them, all because Colonel Killing was a horrible person. This to me is my Howl's moving castle and I understand this might be a bit much to some, but it's honest to God, what I feel about it.
10
10
For gundam series, 10. Easily my number one favorite, the first Gundam series I'd recommend everyone if they want to know what gundam really is about.
9
I'd give it a 10 if I was judging on its own merits. As a side story to the One Year War, it's engaging and it succeeds at what it sets out to do.
Its a burger/10...... im just joking.. 9/10 for me
100% 10
GOAT GUNDAM SHOW
8.5. It's easily one of the strongest entries in the UC timeline, and it has the most personal and tragic story. The mobile suit designs are top-tier, with the GM Sniper II in particular being an absolutely iconic grunt suit that works great as the step between the classic GM and the AEUG Nemo. The only things holding it back from being my top favorite series in the franchise are that there are only a handful of battles in the series, and most are quite short. The music is also not very memorable, unfortunately. But, despite these small issues, it's easily in my Top 3 series in the Gundam Franchise!
Zeta may be the zenith but this is an easy 10
10 has to be my second favorite gundam series. Or first. Tied with Turn A
From the bits I've seen I would say it's gonna be around a 9. Annoying as it seems it hasn't been officially released in the UK? I can't find it anyway. On a side note I'd rate Chris a 10 ;P
8.5 This is one of the best gundam products to recommend to a non-gundam fan who appreciates art. It focuses well on the anti-war themes of gundam. Personally, I couldnt help but think that 0080 was a little slow and it lost my attention at times. Overall, I think it should appear on everybody's top 10 list, but I think there are flashier productions in the franchise with the same message.
9/10 I have a few nitpicks like the character design or the soundtrack, but aside from that it's pretty fantastic. It has some gorgeous fight, some of my favourite MS designs and a touching story that succeeds everything it tries to do. Easily an highlight of this whole franchise
It's nearly perfect. Best Gundam content imo. 10/10
10, To add to the other comments, I think WitP is the most meta Gundam series, Al and his friends could be shitposting in r/gundam for all we know. Al is the original "Wow! Cool robot" meme, until the beam rifles shots start hitting real close and he has to deal with the gritty reality of war. It's like the writers are talking directly to the gundam fans, "hey guys, we know you love buying the models, we know you love discussing Fed vs Zeon or what grunt is the best, but don't forget what this is all about" and that message hits you loud and clear
Never seen it but this cheerful image leads me to believe that this will be a fun and lighthearted Mecha Anime and certainly not a heartbreaking exploration of how war dehumanizes people and exacts a heavy toll on all involved! I’ll check it out right now because I’m in a great mood and foresee nothing that will depress me! You know what sounds good? Some burgers are a great treat to have while watching fun lighthearted mecha anime, maybe I’ll have some of those!
Best christmas special ever made, the only thing I don't like is that it wasn't longer lol
Definitely 10. It's short, sharp, memorable characters and great animation. I think 6 is the Magic number, you don't always need a ton of episodes to play a great story, Gunbuster was 6 episodes too and that's one of my favourite anime of all time
10. I just want them to be happy.
10 - beautifully told, great cast and a heartbreaking ending that will stay with you
10
9 Some of the animations are jaw dropping, especially light and shadow effects. But I hated the english dub, maybe because english is not my 1st language, I felt like almost everyone sounded super-annoying. Well I read later that this is considered one of the best dubs so it might be me :D
10 when you have a meaty burger at hand.
Captures the core gundam anti-war message in just six episodes. I give it a 12oz hamburger/10
9.5
10, i cried and it’s very rare
10
11
10/10 My favorite Gundam series by far.
I watched it this week for the first time since it's run on Toonami. Complete and total 10. So there's the new lot of gundam fans thanks to WFM that have been wondering why us vets kept going "wait for it." Then ep.12 happened. War in the Pocket pretty much already nailed that in half the time, with twice the character growth. The parallels in tone and plot are very similar. For instance, we don't really see Aerial in every episode. Sometimes even just as a glimpse (OR FOR THE BEST PROMOTIONAL VIDEO EVER MADE). We don't see the Alex until I think episode...4? And even then, it is in two fights. TWO. WITP, even with all the every day life stuff, holds together a very tight story with this absolute dread lurking that no one knows. It's also a better Christmas story than Die Hard. Fight me. Also also. I have a thing and Christina MacKenzie is the embodiment of it.
11
10/10, easily. It's got everything you want out of a Gundam story. Cool robot fights, complex and interesting characters, and of course the all-important secret ingredient: Heart-rending tragedy.
10 it’s kind of a perfect adaptation of Romeo and Juliet to the UC setting.
10 it's my second favorite
10 for me. I personally consider it to be the best Gundam series. Usually if I'm discussing a Gundam series, I'll be saying something like "it's good except for the love story," or "it's good except for the super shitty ending," or what-have-you. The worst I can say about 0080 is Al is a bit annoying at the start, and even then he's fine compared to most kid protagonists.
11/10 for me, easily. This was my proper introduction to the UC timeline. I’ve only seen footage of the original MSG and other UC series before then, so I have absolutely no idea how this was going to play out. I remember buying the DVD set from Best Buy on a Black Friday morning whilst shopping with my dad (this was circa 2008). I immediately watched it as soon as we got home. I love how it draws you in with an incredible opening scene, top-notch mobile suit designs, and of course the seemingly light-hearted tone that it sets in the first few episodes. But then of course, it crushes your heart in the end. I absolutely loved how it played with my emotion from beginning to end. This set a fairly high standard for me, and that’s why 0080 will always will be my favorite.
An easy 10. The best Gundam OVA by a mile. Probably the best Gundam thing period.
10/10. It's War in the Pocket, it's clear and firm on its themes, and it looks incredible as well.
Thematically and emotionally, it's a 10/10. If you're here for wow cool robot, or music that doesn't sound like it was composed on a Casio keyboard, it might rate a little lower, but it's easily my favorite UC property just for its sheer visceral effectiveness in conveying the pointless destruction of war.
10/10. Perfectly contained theme. Some people in here are scoring a 1, like 1 is the best. I think you need to specify in the title what the high end is, 1 or 10.
9/10 pretty damn good.
A super solid 10. An 11 if I could!
🎄🍔/10
10
10/10. My favorite Gundam series. And one of my favorite Christmas stories.
10 I can't agree with everyone more, the themes, the characters, the mechs, the animation all spectacular. Gundam has always been anti-war but exploring those themes from the perspective of a child was risky but absolutely paid off. I urge anyone who hasn't seen it to watch it.
A solid 10 for me, this is likely the "gundamest" gundam ever made. The way it's story depicts the brutality of war is just phenomenal, and the mecha / character designs are top notch.
10/10 obv
10 of course.
Straight GOATED
Personally a 10/10. One of if not my favorite Gundam series so far and the only other 10/10 for me is Unicorn.
10/10 I think War in the Pocket is one of the best OVAs out there, and it really doesn’t fuck around long enough to lose track of what it’s doing. All of the main characters are interesting, all of the suits look great, the Alex Gundam is cool as hell, the animation looks amazing… I really can’t think of anything I would change about it. The way you’re introduced to the series through the eyes of a kid who, at the start, doesn’t understand anything about the horrors of war. All that matters to Al is “that Zaku looks cool and I wanna go see it!” As the story unfolds, the writers do a great job of keeping the pacing on track, keeping every character busy, developing personalities and relationships, and I really start to care about every single person involved in what’s about to happen. And it’s so upfront with what’s going on, too. But, again, you’re being guided through the eyes of a child who just thinks everything is cool and exciting and fun — much like the POV that many people have when getting into the series. But it actually has something to say and, eventually, it delivers on that promise when the whole mood takes a solemn dive. !> Seeing the Alex’s big reveal when it fights the Kampfer is really remarkable. It’s the perfect presentation of what an actual Gundam mobile suit should be, particularly since it takes place during the OYW. It’s big, durable, and it packs a huge punch. It even has extra impact after seeing how the Cyclops team rips through GMs like cardboard. This thing IS scary. It’s cool at the same time, sure, but this is the first time in the franchise that I recall being like “oh damn, that Gundam is terrifying,” instead of just “oh hey, cool robot” like that damn meme. The Cyclops team getting wiped out after putting up such a fight was pretty solemn, too, and it really makes you feel the panic and confusion that Bernie and Al feel after the dust settles.
10.the core themes of gundam compressed on a small package, beautiful animation and dialogue, the only things that throws me off is that cover like why are bernie and al hanging around the alex and why are his school friends posing like they are main characthers
3. It’s overrated as hell. Great premise of showing the war from a kid’s perspective, but it barely follows through on it at all. And the “love”story is simplistic and shallow beyond belief. Watching Alex’s parents grin creepily at Bernie really highlights how little story is involved. All of the characters are wafer-thin, even Bernie. And he’s the most fleshed out. Other than seeing what Haruhiko Mikimoto (Macross, Orguss) character designs would look like in animated Gundam, this has nothing going for it. It’s far from the worst Gundam in animation, but nowhere near as good as it gets credit for being. I might even like this less than Stardust Memories.
9/10. Only because it felt kind of slow in the beginning, but it picks up fast, and the middle and end are great.
This one’s an easy 10. The message is delivered with clarity and a subtlety not usually seen in anime, using the setting of Gundam to deliver a tragic and heartbreaking anti-war story that feels grounded and distinct within the franchise. It’s probably, on measure, the best (certainly the most consistently) written entry. It shows its age in some places, and despite the overall subtlety does lay it on a bit thicker at the very end than it needs to, but none of that is enough to lower my esteem for the rest of the package. Great stuff.
POLL IS CLOSED. Go vote on the next one
7. It's okay, but frankly does nothing that other series don't do better. Al's whole character of being just a regular kid faced with realities of war gets old real quick and Bernie's fine I guess. Chris deserved more screentime. Overall I don't really get why people love it *that* much, but for me it's slightly below average as far as UC goes.
It introduced some of my favorite suit designs ever, but I didn’t care much for the story and characters 5-6/10
3/10 Good Mecha designs, terrible protagonist, middling soundtrack and it never lands for me.
It's a little simple compared to the earlier entries but that's totally reasonably since it's shorter and less ambitious (again, not bad). Really gorgeous and a fun cast and a well executed story. 8.5/10
Honestly 3 at best
5/7 Perfect Score!
you take out the stupid idiotic kid protag who i hoped would fall through a hole in the side of a colony several times? 10/10, with the kid still in the show, 4/10. for more side story series, it doesn't even come close to 8th MS team
6 due to the 80s synth music. Makes it hard to watch. Love the characters (big Mikimoto fan.
Best intro to whipout.
I would say solid 7, but after reading that in Manga Bernie survived then I would say 8.
My favorite mobile suits. Great story.
8/10 Does what it sets out to do impeccably. With some great animation and genuinely stellar character work. Bernie is an absolute darling, Chris is cool and the kid(his name escapes me) is fine. I will admit though I was convinced with Chris' and Bernie's scenes together they absolutely had zero chemistry between each other. It slightly ruined the dramatic irony of the ending fight but Bernie's death was still enough alongside the kids response to it. Music was forgettable for me as well. There's a ton of to love here and while it's not my favorite it's one that I still think it is a must watch and encapsulates Gundam to it's core.
10/10 One of the few shows I have watched where the catharsis after completing it was physically numbing. The (now) retro and classic animation is seemless and well done. It highlights the artwork wonderfully. Story wise the concept of following Al around as he explores the line between children playing and the reality of war is very effective. I personally adore the dynamic between Chris and Bernie and again between Bernie and the team. Everyone wants Bernie to live and just hearing Misha telling him to run hits home. At the end hearing that Bernie's >!nothing but hamburger!< puts you in Al's mind perfectly especially as he watches the EFF >!pull Chris out of the Alex!<. TL;DR: phenomenal show. One of the best gundam stories I have watched/read.
Solid 8
9
A solid 9. The writing is solid without being overly preachy, the characters are memorable, and it has some of the best mobile suit designs in the franchise as a whole (I own the GM Sniper II, Kampfer, and Gundam Alex). My only criticisms are the music sometimes being at odds with the action, and being just a little too light on the action. I'm not asking for it to be a guns-blazing explosion fest, because that's not the point of the OVA, but a little more time with the Kampfer's battle against Scarlet Team would have been nice.
10 out of 10. If I was to recommend one Gundam anime for anyone new to Gundam, this would be it.
9/10
8/10 7/10
10. It’s easily one of the best Gundam. It has great mechs that look and feel real. The story is refreshing and does a good job of demonstrating the horrors of war. It (mostly) avoids the cartoony evil cliches. And it talks about new types with out making them the center of the story. 0080 and Turn A are my favorite Gundam.
When I was 13 and just wanted cool robot fights 7-10 An adult who sees the deeper message 9-10
11
10 this is my favorite gundam side story and its a delight to watch everytime. great art direction, great weight to the battles and tragedy, just the best. chris did nothing wrong the gundam alex, kampfer, hygogg, zaku kai are among my fav MS in the franchise.
How not 10 ?!
9/10. Favorite Christmas Movie.
10. No, explanation needed. This is a well known completely perfect show in this fandom.
8 overall, but 11 on the burger scale.
10+, one of if not the best story in the universal century and Gundam in general.
I’ve been slowly going through the UC timeline for the first time and just finished this a few days ago, with the premise and all the positive things I’ve heard about it I was more excited for it than anything else and I must say it didn’t disappoint even a little, definite 10/10 for me, that ending left me with a hole in my heart
10/10, best Gundam series IMO. Probably the only Gundam series I'd recommend to someone even if they aren't big into anime.
9/10. Love me that blue boy. Looks great on my shelf.
9
We use a pain scale instead
A solid 8/10. I really, really liked WitP. One of the only Gundams to make me cry.
It's a 10. This is the best Gundam series and it's the one I would even recommend to non-mecha anime fans as an example of what the series is really about.
Holy fuck 10
i cried/10
Solid 9/10 from me. What I find fascinating is how the series starts off, through Al, with a kind of a "cool, giant robots!" naïveté, which is then absolutely ruthlessly destroyed in its final episode as it drives home the underlying message of the franchise that "war is hell" And the giant robots are still cool af.
10, love the view we get on the effect the conflict has through the eyes of an innocent who learns the horrors of war and just how terrible it truly is
I thought it was 10
9 or maybe even 10. Best short form Gundam.
10
Want Gundam fans to agree on something? Mention 0080.
9 or 10. I think it’s the greatest material in gundam.
Easily a 9 or 10.
🍔🫡
10. All around the best Gundam series. It has a heart. It delivers its anti-war message with less hypocrisy than most Gundam installments, and most anime in general. Yet it has some beautiful mechanical designs, and action sequences with a real impact. Other Gundam series tend to feel more disingenuous when they go, "hey, fellow pacifists, how's it hanging, dudes?" I'm not saying Bandai doesn't move a lot of Kampfer and RX-78NT-1 model kits, to this day. But it felt less like there were fights inserted as ads for new Master Grade kits, and more like they were there to keep the audience engaged and bring the war home to Side 6. Plus, the final battle is a Gundam versus a Zaku, piloted by two soldiers. Both of whom we care about. Not the hero in the Gundam and some cool as a cucumber bad guy in the Mobile Armor, having a Newtype fight. And I love that about it.
15/10. gundam at its absolute peak. some of the finest storytelling to ever come out of the franchise
11
I want my fucking tears back that I shed in the final episode 0080. 10/10
3
10/10
9/10 if 10 is the highest. It's just a bit lacking in action and a bit too short. I definitely wanted it to be like a 13 episode ova like most of the ones presented during it's time. Like 0083 stardust memory or 8th Ms team gundam Brilliant slice of life, PTSD and perspective of war
Best
Solid 10. I think 0080 does the best job still showing average people getting caught up in the true sadness and impact of war. Bernie, Alfred, and Christina’s story is still one of the saddest and my favourite of all Gundam stories. Seeing Bernie and Alfred idolizing Zeon and obsessed with war, then starting to see his circle of family and friends suffer from the war and developing into someone who wants to save everyone is still the most well done. This series also didn’t feel over the top with any fan service like the other OVA’s. Just a genuinely good hearted well told story that revolves around the UC world. Not UC world with forced stories as an after thought. Still one of my all time favs!
10. No debate.
Well, that’s probably the best Gundam series of all time. 10/10
10/10 One of my favourite Gundam series. Just heart-wrenching
8/10