Ranked #1145

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

This is the story that sets out to bridge the gap between the original Gundam series, and Zeta Gundam. Does it do a great job of that? Personally, yes and no. Yes, because you learn about what happened to the Federation to where it become in Zeta Gundam, and no, because you don’t really get to see what happens to the majority of the original cast from the series such as Amuro and Char, and mostly concentrates on the cast created exclusively for this saga. There are some other previous Gundam characters that will have brief cameos, but if you want to know, watch and find out. But I say for what it does in an overall sense, it works out pretty well.

Kou and Anavel do have good chemistry as rivals, but isn’t really that epic in comparison to that of Char and Amuro. Not saying it’s a bad thing, but you really can’t top that. The cast does ok in standing out, but I just don’t feel they have the kind of impact that an Amuro, Captain Bright, or another cast member from the original Gundam can have. But both Kou and Gato are likeable characters in their own right and you can see things in their points of view. Kou just has something to prove to himself and to his peers, while Gato is doing it for duty and patriotism to his nation.

The only thing that bothered me was the Nina and Kou story arc. I felt it was thrown in there too much for convenience and I felt for the sake of giving it an all around story by adding in that element, which I felt was unnecessary. Yes, I will admit that Nina and Kou do have a good chemistry as well, but I just felt it was really useless and doesn’t really advance anything and felt the twist to that relationship was anti-climatic. But anyway, the development is basic and the pace is moderate.

I think the art design is really excellent for its time. It represents a certain transition era of how anime is done today to how it was done back then. Like if you’re familiar with my other reviews, I always talk about how in the 1980s, anime was more circular and in the 1990s and now, it’s more angular. Well, this anime was done in the early 1990s and you get a balanced mixed of those styles and they mesh excellently. I say Kou’s circular design really represents he’s still a kid, and Gato’s more angular look shows more dignity and maturity and higher status to him. So I really like that use of those art styles to contrast those two in my personal opinion.

The mobile suit designs I think are my 2nd favorite of all time. After all, the great Shoji Kawamori himself does the mechanical designs; you can’t deny his presence and credit. I like how detailed and articulate they are. Though the mobile suits tend to look more packed and bulky, the skills of the pilots that are portrayed justify their agile mobility and fast speeds. The action is explosive, fast paced, and electrifying. Plus, the GP02A like some other Gundams sort of breaks the tradition with the head design of being more rectangular and not having the grilled mouth, which I thought was cool and looked intimidating. I really loved the features all the mobile suits have and you get overall variety.

OK, I will state that I have no familiarity with the dub with this anime so I can only comment and score on the Japanese. Forgive me for not mentioning the dub since I have never seen it. I was shocked to learn that Horikawa Ryo, the voice of Vejita from Dragon Ball Z, happens to voice Kou Uraki! In comparison to Vejita with this role, he’s more humble, childish, and developing. I thought he did excellent in portraying such a character. And I also enjoyed Ohtsuka Akio’s performance as Gato. He also voices in Solid Snake in the Japanese Metal Gear Solid and is also famous for playing Batou in the Ghost in the Shell installments. He brings a unique kind of appropriate charisma to the character where you can also feel the passion he his motivations.

The majority of the music is also highly energetic and suits the high-octane atmosphere of this series. The opening theme, The Winner is highly addictive and goes along with how I just described the soundtrack and atmosphere in an overall sense. And the first ending theme, Magic, is a unique George Michaels esque love song that is sung in perfect English. It’s about wanting that moment with that girl now and forever and want to always make it special. Gundam 0083 does have some romance, so I felt it was an interesting touch.

I say 0083 is more for the dedicated and hardcore Gundam fan. Those not familiar with the Gundam franchise will probably not understand some of the basic concepts such as who Giren and Kycilia are who are briefly mentioned in the intro to the first episode, and about why Sydney is under water. But if you want to watch it for the action, then you’ve come to the right series. Also, if you want to watch cool looking robots, then you still came to the right series. The plot isn’t necessarily the best, but I don’t think it’s flawed enough to be considered bad or below average. Granted some things about it do get annoying, but in the end everything works out. Once again, I still say those who are familiar with the original Gundam, and especially Zeta Gundam are going to understand the story best considering the purpose of this anime. read more

With its masterful balance of action-packed battles, intense drama and a touch of romance, Gundam 0083 is required viewing for any anime fan.

Story

Gundam 0083 gets started with a bang in the very first episode and the momentum carries through all the way to its dramatic end. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked and waiting for what's to come. Both drama and action are given equal screen time and presented with equal intensity.

Art

For an OVA from 1991, the animation quality in this series is simply amazing. In fact, Gundam 0083 still shines by today's standards. The design of the artwork itself is also a highlight with great detail being put into backgrounds and things such as uniforms.

Sound

There is quite a bit of the typical background music you'd expect to hear in a war story. However, also included are some well-composed atmospheric pieces that set the mood for certain dramatic scenes. The opening themes are upbeat and catchy, with the second in particular being a highlight with it's brilliant guitarwork. Both endings are slower ballad type numbers. The contrast works well here as it fits with the anime's ability to balance dynamics. In terms of voice acting, the main vocal cast cast does a great job conveying the emotions of their characters. The English dub is also surprisingly well done and on par with the original.

Characters

We are the shown the perspective of both the Zeon and Earth Federation with the main focus being on Anavel Gato and Kou Uraki, respectively. The characters of Gundam 0083 are all adult which makes this series stand out from most other Gundam stories. Don't take that mean there ins't as much room for character development though, as plenty of growth occurs during the course of the OVA.

Enjoyment

As the series progressed, I was drawn in more and more by the characters and found myself torn between the two warring sides. Every episode left me in anticipation of the next.

Overall

As someone who isn't extremely fond of mecha series in general, Gundam 0083 was able to keep me entertained and make me wish there were more shows like it.

9.5 out of 10 read more

Set three years after the events of the One Year War, Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is a mixed bag. While it boasts strong visuals and action, its mediocre plot and the lackluster characters ultimately prevents 0083 from the full extent of its potential.

The premise 0083's story is very promising at first glance. The valiant and desperate attempt of the Zeon remnants to pave a road for the future of its beliefs and its people makes them commendable antagonists, and the thus viewers are able to sympathize with both sides in the struggle between Federation and Zeon. However, upon closer inspection, one finds the story riddled with the juvenile rivalry between Uraki and Monsha, as well as the thoroughly uninteresting romance between Uraki and Nina, which derails the focus from the promising overarching conflict to rather petty squabbles. When the story of 0083 is in high gear, it is quite rewarding, rife with exciting battles and unexpected twists. The problem is, like an aged car, 0083 often finds itself stuck on its low gears in terms of storytelling.

Much of the faults concerning the plot of 0083 can be blamed on the main characters themselves. Uraki is a painfully generic mecha protagonist without much, if any, redeemable qualities. Angsty and lacking confidence, the story does not provide much room in which the view can sympathize with him, even considering the challenges Uraki faces over the course of the story. Nina's role as Uraki's love interest only manages to evoke either terrible boredom or the gag reflex; it is bland and devoid of any trance of genuine emotion. Gato, though certainly better than the aforementioned pair, also gets somewhat tedious from his own over-zealousness -- he is a character who seems to gobble up the very propaganda he spews, which in turn makes it more difficult to hold respect for the character.

Fortunately, 0083 excels in the animation department. Each and every fight is smoothly animated with hand-drawn frames, be it a small training skirmish or a grand space battle. This OVA series features detailed and technical background art and some of the most exciting action scenes from the gundam franchise to date, especially those of the last battle, which can only described as epic in proportion. 0083 also features superb mecha designs not only in the form of the gundams themselves, but also the various grunt suits used by both factions. Even after seventeen years, the visuals of 0083 are still more than enough to lure the gaze of any mecha fan.

The sounds of 0083 are standard fare. Typical gundam sound effects are to be expected here, which is just fine, as they serve their purpose well. The catchy opening theme "Men of Destiny" is full of that nostalgic 90's feel -- it gets the viewer in the mood for some giant robot action.

In the end, the flaws of 0083's plot and characters limit the enjoyment of the OVA series exclusively to fans of the mecha genre. However, mecha fans will be able to find plenty of what they love: superb sci-fi action, and mobile suit battles they'll remember for a long time to come, provided they can manage to endure through the other aspects of 0083, which may feel agonizingly long and difficult. read more

Stardust Memory is mecha pornography, and I am a total mecha pervert. If you ever got a little hot when you watched Gurren Lagann's combination, aroused by the scent of a Gundam model, or felt flushed after watching Macross Zero's THRUST VECTORING, then you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, you'll probably be able to enjoy it, albeit on a different level. The best thing about Stardust is that the creators know that there is a segment of the human population that are raving mechaphiles (why else would their cheaply made plastic models sell so well...and be so damned enticing...), and the brunt of the episodes (or at least the most that you'll take out of it) are composed of well-animated fight sequences in space, and a clever land battle. The OVA has all of the charm of old-school Gundams and Gundam fight scenes with the sophistication of 80's OVA animation: the mobile suits are dingy and get pockmarked with bullets and shrapnel, and most of the fights are determined by the pilots' skill and wits, rather than a magic Deus Ex Gundam. The space battles are orgasmic, with thrusters flaring about as the characters dodge beam rifle shots over lavishly-rendered backgrounds. All of the fights have a kind of heft and plausibility that some of the newer series just don't have. They are a blast to watch, and I can only imagine how good it'll look in the Blu-Ray release.

The other thing you'll take away from it...is how poorly written some of the characters and scenarios are. Nothing really stands out: Nina's a bitch, Gato is manly and a fantatic, Cima wears too much makeup, Burning is Burning, and Kou hates carrots. Nobody's really worth mentioning, and whenever there aren't beautiful mobile suits on the screen, you want to skip past the aimless dialouge and watch some more giant robot matches. There's talk of conspiracy, and the ineptitude of the Federation's bureaucracy is a lot more apparent here than it was in first. The OVA ties into Zeta Gundam, but the references, and its place in the Universal Century timeline aren't too obvious the first time around, and feel a bit out of place. It's the same kind of problem that the Star Wars prequels suffered from: everything looks shiny and new compared to the older material, and a little bit of text at the end of the OVA keeps it from messing with the continuity. All of that aside, it fleshes out our understanding of the Gundam universe a little bit more, an gives us lots of cool-looking mecha to play around with. And most importantly, more cool-looking mecha to buy as plastic models. read more

The peace between the Earth Federation and the Zeon Space Forces have come to an abrupt halt. Rogue zeon forces have stolen one of two top secret mobile suit and intend to use it as part of a milatary operation called stardust.Kou Uraki an enthusiastic rookie becomes the pilot of the remaining gundam called 'unit one', and along with the crew of the Albion federation battle ship persue the rogue's in order to retrieve the mobile suit and uncover the plans behind operation stardust.

Firstly may I start by saying the animation in this ova puts ninety percent of the animation that we get in todays anime to shame.The detail by which each character is drawn is simply phenominal.You dont see eyes that cover three quarters of the face , ears that are crudely drawn or triangular pointed chins.The animators ensured that every wrinkle is seen,every character has their unique physique and dont simply look like cardboard cutouts.the background whether earth or space is well done and not overdone with unrealistically bright colours.

The music is ok,nothing special but I did like the closeing theme,its a real soothing love song that goes well with the love aspect of the ova.

Now character wise this ova pales in comparison to the likes of gundam 08th Ms Team,their not bad just not memorable.Kou Uraki is the enthusiastic young pilot with a passion for everything gundam.He is quite naive with a childlike attitude.Nina Purpleton Is a engineer who life revolves around her work with little time for anything else.The action sequences are also good though not the best.

Overall a good ova thats worth a watch.

read more

As I fall more and more in love with the UC universe, 0083 sits well with the whole timeline - it serves as a real link between 0079 and Zeta and tells its own story at the same time. It does however fall short of perfection for one very silly reason.

The 8th MS team is the best UC OVA in my opinion but 0083 had a real chance of sitting on that throne if only the director hadn't switched half way through, the second half of the show (as enjoyable as it is) is told clumsily, the plot twists come across weakly and you can't help but feel something integral is missing from the show. The first half episodes 1-7 are perfect and deserve a 10 rating on their own.

The Characters are all fairly typical but they work well together, gato the nightmare of solomon especially, who I find to be cooler than char (just my own opinion). Nina and Ensign Uragi have a bumpy romance. As far as development goes Uragi is the only one who really changes but then in a 13 ep series its difficult to focus on developing the whole cast.

The story is well told until episode 7 and afterwards bad directing aside the plot is multilayered, I won't say anything else because I don't want to spoil anything for anybody. I would reccomend this to any fan of UC gundam, not as an introductory series though.

I love the art, we all know modern mecha can't compare to the classics, the handdrawn backgrounds bring the whole show to life. I want to give this show a 9 but for reasons I've already stated its getting an 8 =[. read more

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Overall 0083 is a pretty descent. It acts as a bridge for Zeta and the original series. In 0083 a team of ragtag Zeon fleets that honestly act more like terrorists than soldiers to try and topple the Federation. They do use many Gundam cliches though, i.e. a colony drop. However, it is still terrifying and the way Operation Stardust unfolds is brilliant.
The art is everything you've come to expect from Sunrise, in the last two decades anyway. The mechanical designs will blow you away and their fluent movement is positively gorgeous. Takashi Imanishi really knew what he was doing.
The characters really aren't anything different, except the protagonist Kou. He is considerably less emo than Amuro or Kamille. All the other Gundam stereotypes fit. Gato is the ace Zeon pilot who strikes fear in the heart of Feddie soldiers (Char). Synapse is the calm collected captain of the Albion (Bright).
Overall despite the many cliches 0083 is very enjoyable, I recommend it to any Gundam or mech fan. I ecspecially recommend it to fans of Gundam Zeta. read more

I only watched "Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory" because someone gave the bootleg DVD's to me for free. And since those DVD's only had Chinese subtitles, I had to watch it in dub as my Chinese reading skills kinda suck these days due to lack of use. This may have resulted in lessening my enjoyment of the show, as it doesn't exactly have the best dubs I've heard... but at least they're not the worst either.

From what I can gather, "Gundam 0083" is a continuation of a chain of earlier Gundam series which eventually can be traced back to the original Gundam series, "Mobile Suit Gundam: 0079". The original Gundam series is supposed to be pretty good, but it needs to be a lot better than "Gundam 0083" in order to live up to that kind of praise, because "Gundam 0083" is a bit lame. I may not know how good the series sound in Japanese, but given the uninspiring script, I doubt even a bunch of highly skilled voice actors would be able to make it sound good.

It may be because I hadn't watched the previous series, but I found the story in "Gundam 0083" to be somewhat confusing. "Gundam 0083" fails as a standalone series, as it doesn't really provide any background on the seeds of conflict that has obviously been sewn previous to this installment. I don't know who this Zeon group is, I don't know where they've recruited this psycho woman from... I don't even know why they're fighting. They're sacrificing their lives for what ideals again??

At the heart of the "Gundam 0083", there are lots of paper thin characters. Knowing full well they're pretty poor, the producers then sacrificed realism and rationality in order to make them "interesting". As a result we end up with lots of strange twists in the storyline where people make bizarre decisions to try and spice up the predictable plot. The ending is terrible too. If, by some miracle, it managed to resolve anything, I must have missed it.

Having said all this, most of this series was still enjoyable to some extent. The development of the relationship between Nina and Kou is quite pleasant to watch, even though it is a bit predictable. Visually, "Gundam 0083" has some nice and distinguishable character designs, and the battles scenes are competently done, if not exactly memorable. There is one thing that is memorable about "Gundam 0083", however, and that's the second opening theme "Men of Destiny". It's a very cheesey 80's kind of song... and I love it! Its grand and energetic feel means that it works nicely as the theme to a Gundam series. A pity the anime itself isn't nearly as good.

Interestingly, I found my viewing experience of "Gundam 0083" to be opposite to that of "Gundam Seed Destiny". With the latter, I sometimes found it an effort to watch even though I acknowledge the quality of the anime. With "Gundam 0083", even though I knew what I was watching isn't particularly good, I just couldn't seem to stop watching it! Still, I guess I should count that as a positive trait. read more

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 is a highly underrated work in the Gundam series.
I feel this is because people have the wrong sorts of expectations going into the show, but since I watched this with no preconceived notions, I feel like I was able to enjoy it for what it was.

The story is set in 0083, just four years after the One Year War and the events of the original trilogy. While some of the events are related to bridging a gap in the UC timeline between Zeta Gundam and the original, the story is its own self-contained entity with a lot to offer.

The romance angle may not have anything on MS 08th Gundam team, but it is still solid. Moreover, its rather ordinary, when put up against the canvas of a major civil disturbance and War. This creates a sense of the people and situations being real. The interaction between the soldiers themselves feature some good old fashioned ribs, and petty jealousy, making the whole thing FEEL like a military base.

Often times, these fairly petty personal issues will crop up in battle. For instance, the pilots relationship with their commander, Lt.Burning is pulled off rather well and Burning himself is a badass. Another character whose compelling personal story is Kelly Layzner, a former Zeon pilot that Ko meets towards the middle of the story. These simple, but effective relationships makes the battles meaningful and interesting to watch. This tapestry of interpersonal relationships also taps into the overall plot going on in the background, featuring series setpieces like Anaheim electronics, the Zeon remnants, and ending with the Formation of the TITANS at the very end.

OVerall, the story is an interesting Gundam sidestory, much like MS 08th Gundam Team and I found it highly enjoyable. Just don't go in expecting to find out what Char was up to and youll be fine. read more

Ah another mediocre Gundam series.

It started off great with a good story, interesting characters, good music, and mobile suit design, and amazing animation. Sadly it spiraled out of control quickly. I think they tried to do to much in just 13 episodes. They should have expanded it to 24 or 26. First off they add to many characters, which made the story get convoluted, and the end revelations meant nothing since there was no back story leading to it. The ending seemed hurried and boring. The only really good think about this seres is the animation. The series was made nearly 20 years ago in 1990, and they animation is better than some anime that come out today. I'm not sure who did the animation, but they did a great job. The music was done really well, but that's it. read more

Stardust Memories (SM) is the second side story Tomino made before tarnishing the UC continuity after Char’s Counterattack with pointless sequels. Assuming you are aware of how the timeline of the show goes and have read my review of the original show, so I won’t have to repeat myself, this is how it goes. SM takes place between the first and second seasons and even attempts to bridge them together by explaining how those assholes the Titans got to power. Other than that, the whole show is a cheesefest.

A major problem with the show is that it involves a major battle that could have changed the course of history, yet none of the major pilots from the first series appears or is even mentioned. In a similar fashion many pilots in this series are considered to be elites but are also never mentioned in the main storyline later on. So as a side story it is thrown in the main events in a very sloppy way. This was not a problem with the previous side story, War In the Pocket, because none of its characters were major players in the war, and all the events that took place there were just an unimportant scrimmage that went unnoticed.

Aside from that, even the overall story feels like a dumbed down rehash of the original show. The evil dudes steal a super mecha, the idealist protagonist steals an equally super mecha to stop them, and then you get the usual battles in each episode. There is a sort of a plot twist towards the end regarding a major treason and a second secret weapon of mass destruction but not even that managed to affect the showdown in any significant way.

Even the characters feel too simplistic to care. Despite being elites and military higher ups, they barely have much of a backdrop or are fleshed out much. The protagonist in particular is a complete shounen cardboard, with absolutely nothing to remember him about. Also, there is so much action in this show that it ends up overshadowing character appeal for shallow entertainment.

As far as action goes, it is great for the time it was made and if you are watching it just for that you will love it. The production values are very good, although I found the character designs to be typical and some robot designs too bulky and impractical.

In all, this side story took the exact opposite route of War In The Pocket. You are going to watch it for the cool action and not for its characters or the story. And since we are already getting lots of good action in the main storyline, not even those save face after awhile. I mean the pacing is ok and the characters are rather colorful but nothing stands out enough to matter. Thus I recommend it only for mecha maniacs and Gundam completists. Those of you who are not deep into the franchise can skip it altogether.

And now for some excused scorings.
ART SECTION: 9/10
Analysis: General Artwork 2/2, Character Figures 1/2, Backgrounds 2/2, Animation 2/2, Visual Effects 2/2

SOUND SECTION: 7/10
Analysis: Voice Acting 2/3, Music Themes 3/4, Sound Effects 2/3

STORY SECTION: 5/10
Analysis: Premise 1/2, Pacing 1/2, Complexity 1/2, Plausibility 1/2, Conclusion 1/2

CHARACTER SECTION: 5/10
Analysis: Presence 1/2, Personality 1/2, Backdrop 1/2, Development 1/2, Catharsis 1/2

VALUE SECTION: 4/10
Analysis: Historical Value 1/3, Rewatchability 1/3, Memorability 2/4

ENJOYMENT SECTION: 3/10
Analysis: Art 1/1, Sound 1/2, Story 1/3, Characters 0/4

VERDICT: 5.5/10 read more

Okay to summerize more or less why this is a must watch "especially for those of you who have seen (Zeta Gundam) and the (Gundam 0079).. This takes off in between where fighting is still going between the last reminents of Zeon and the Earth Federation... This story is a must see because it connects and explains how the Earth Federation and the military branch (Titans) where formed and all of Earth federations Tech. Does top notch quality and after you see this it makes you go "SO THATS WHY IN ZETA GUNDAM THEY HAVE!!!"

Taking place storyline-wise between the original Gundam series and Zeta Gundam, Gundam 0083's purpose in the Universal Century continuity is to reveal how the Titans would come to be when they become the antagonist faction for Zeta. The events seen throughout 0083 mostly serve to feature the buildup of these events through the perspectives of Federation Ensign Kou Uraki and influential Zeon soldier Anavel Gato. For the most part, Gundam 0083 is solid in its plot buildup as more details concerning the motives of Gato and the Zeons come to light and Kou's skills as a mobile suit pilot improve throughout the course of the series as he pilots a Gundam. A number of prominent characters among both sides, besides Kou, also get their focus and depth to show that those affiliated with both Federation and Zeon forces have their redeemable and not so honorable traits. In terms of visuals, 0083 is above average in quality for the time period it was made having well-detailed designs of scenery, mecha and characters with fluid and well-animated action scenes.

Beyond my praises though, Gundam 0083 does have a number of issues that hurt its quality quite a bit for me. A number of 0083's prominent characters are rather underdeveloped compared to others, making them either rather shallow in personality or having you question the reasons for their actions during certain points of the series. To a degree, this issue takes effect in the rather sloppy and anticlimactic finale to the series as characters betray one another for no known purpose and leave you wondering why they did what they did. Towards the middle of 0083, the series also tossed in an unconvincing love triangle involving Nina and Kou which comes across as flat due to the lack of proper buildup and chemistry between the two in terms of developing such an aspect to their relationship. And while I'm not too hard pressed about it, there may be Gundam fans disappointed to know that none of the major UC Gundam characters from Gundam or Zeta Gundam appear at all in this series outside of cameo appearances by a few supporting characters from both titles.

Overall, I found this chapter of the Universal Century continuity of the Gundam franchise to be a bit of a mixed bag. While a decent addition to the franchise to show what led to the creation of the Titans and having well-animated mecha fights, the sloppy finale, limited depth to certain major characters and unconvincing romances hurt its overall quality quite a bit. I would say watch it so you knew what led to the events of Zeta Gundam, but wouldn't recommend watching it more than once. read more