Kidou Senshi Gundam: Gyakushuu no Char

Well, I personally felt that this movie was conclusive, but felt more like a conclusion or some extension to the original series, and not really that well connected to Zeta and Double Zeta. Then again, this was the intention but I felt this movie could have used some of the main characters from that series or give us an update on Camille, Fa, and Judau, though there are other materials out there exclusive to Japan on what happened to them. Since the movie really has no direct connection to Zeta or Double Zeta, I don’t feel it’s really required that you watch those series, but ... I recommended you watch the Mobile Suit Gundam trilogy to understand the foundation of the rivalry between Char and Amuro. Resuming characters that play a significant part are of course Captain Bright, his son Hathaway, Bright’s wife’s former fiancé Cameron also plays a part as well. New additions for this movie are Nanai Miguel, Char’s right hand woman and Quess Paraya, the daughter of a Federation politician who has teenage issues and has erratic newtype abilities. The movie is reasonably paced and the characters all have their use. Granted the new characters do stand out, I just don’t think they were worth sacrificing some other characters over.

In addition to this movie going back to its roots with the Char and Amuro rivalry, the style and design of the mobile suits, specifically the Nu Gundam, Nu being N-U gives that impression as well. The current Gundam’s style goes back to its roots with the more blocky design rather than the aerodynamic frames that were present in Zeta and isn’t really as heavy packed as the Double Zeta. A notable difference is that it breaks the tradition of the red, white, and blue color scheme to a black and white one. With the Nu Gundam comes a new kind of material that is meant to go with the newtype abilities called the Psycho Frame and the addition of funnels also gives Amuro the chance to use those abilities at their fullest potential as well.

The suit Char has this time is the Sazabi, also reverting back to his iconic red scheme. The Sazabi is more cylinder like and kind of goes back to the bulkier and bloated design of the Zakus. The battles are more intense than ever with the heavy fire power and the potential of nuclear weapons being deployed by the Neo Zeon. There is more of a risk factor to the fights that make it more realistic and reasonably paced, but yet exciting. The character designs for the most part are still in tradition and faithful to the original, but presented in a new quality of resolution that really compliment the updated costume designs. Char’s design is quite unique. He’s more muscular looking and he’s more dignified, but yet still recognizable.

Well, the roles of Amuro, Char, and Bright are still respectively reprised by their respective seiyuus throughout the lifespan of the franchise and still pull off their roles as if they never aged a day. Anything I had to say about their roles in previous installments can be said here as well. For the dub, this came out before Zeta got licensed in America so some of the roles are reprised by the dub actors from the TV series as well such as Brad Swaile is still Amuro. I personally thought the dub was excellent in its own right.

The music is constantly intense. Not really as militaristic as Gundam soundtracks, but enough to pull you into the battlefield of space. The ending theme Beyond the Time also truly reflects the nature of the ending of the movie.

I wouldn’t call the movie fan service, but is truly meant for fans of Gundam because it’s really what I may call the symbolic ending to the original Gundam series. I wasn’t really that disappointed with Char’s character, but I think they could have built things up much better. But I guess I have to find other material that is either in manga or game form to get what I’m looking for. For what it’s worth, I do feel delighted this movie does pay homage to the original Gundam in its own right, but I felt they could have done some other things with it to make it more complete and balanced with the other series, but I guess they really wanted to make this movie distinctive with the newer cast.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, by the well-known Gundam creator and director Tomino Yoshiyuki, is the first movie to enter the Gundam franchise. Watching this definitely requires the viewer to have at least seen Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, because otherwise you will simply not get the full enjoyment out of it. With that being said, the film has some great aspects and memorable moments, but there are a couple disappointing flaws that weigh down its score.

The biggest flaw lies in the story. And not in the plot, but in the back story. The plot is a fairly basic tale in the ... UC Gundam universe that pits long-time rivals Amuro Ray and Char Aznable against one another again, but the background is a little foggy. Char is now the leader of the new Zeon army, and Amuro is back in action alongside Bright Noa, just like old times. This is all great and it sets up a nice story, but we get absolutely no explanation as to how these things came to be. Between Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, the predecessor to this film, and CCA, there is no telling of how Char, who went missing after Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, climbed the latter to become the Zeon big dog. Likewise, there is no telling of how Amuro, who was also last seen in Zeta, became a star fighter of the Federation again.
But aside from the poor lack of background, the story that we witness in the movie is fairly good and nicely played out. It has a decent mix of saddening situations and epic moments, as expected of Tomino and the Gundam franchise.

Now the art and animation, when taken into account dates back to 1988, is something truly stunning. The mecha designs look so much more detailed and the battles have wonderfully animated choreography, resulting in some pretty impressive action. Adding to the action's intensity is the well apt music, which has the classic space opera vice to it, once again suiting the atmosphere very well.

The quality of character is a little debatable. Mainly because there were some new supporting characters that made appearances that were a little unnecessary. The attraction and large amount of screen time to these small co-stars took away some of the focus on the fierce rivalry of Amuro and Char. And really, these two adversaries are who we want to see the most out of here. These two men are prominent stars of the Gundam metaseries, and we want to see them in all their glory. They deserve all the screen time is the point I'm basically trying to get at, and unfortunately these small fry that are introduced in this film steal the spotlight just a bit too much.

In the end though, this is still a thoroughly enjoyable watch for any Gundam fan. The rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable is truly unforgettable and one of the best in all of anime, and watching this undoubtedly caters to those who want to see more of it, even if they get a tad sidetracked along the way as I've explained above. Overall, this is a pretty solid movie and it deserves its place in the Gundam franchise.

*Spoilers for Char’s Counterattack*

A harrowing tale of love, betrayal, grudges, death, and faith, an epic battle to save the world, and a final battle to settle one of fiction’s greatest rivalries and conclude an epic saga that has spanned an entire decade. This is final chapter! This is Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack!

Much like Char’s plans themselves, this movie didn't quite pan out as intended. Instead of the gripping and somber finale to an iconic rivalry, the film is more of an exhibition of how stupid people can be and how a lack of foresight can damage a saga, film, and finale. The epic conclusion ... to this legendary and awkwardly managed saga somehow doesn't utilize the saga's canon very well, resulting in a misfire as tragic as its characters' fates. Let's find out how, shall we?

0093 Universal Century Calendar. A plan has been initiated to drop Axis onto Earth by none other than Char himself. Why Char is doing this is beyond me thanks to the fact that not only was he never remotely like this, but there was no progression from any Gundam series to this point. Either way, this has gotten the Earth Federation panicking, especially since whenever they try treaties, he backstabs the hell out of them and blows whatever forces are near him to kingdom come. None take it worse than Amuro Ray, the ultimate rival of Char, and thus, the rivalry begins again. Sounds like an interesting premise, don't it? If you made it so that Char’s plan is in line with his typical actions and how he is as a person (since they aren't), this would be totally kickass. That said, you'd also have to give a good justification for why he went back to being an awful person considering how he was in Zeta Gundam. On top of that, you'd need to justify why these two would butt heads again, and the film's attempts at this aren't very compelling. Already, this film fundamentally fails.

Speaking of reasons this film fundamentally fails, we get the introduction of 3 characters: Gyunei, Hathaway, and Quess. I'll talk about how fucking retarded these pieces of shit are later, but let’s just say that their stupidity and actions are very...intrusive, to put it kindly. Two of them are the subject of bad heel turns and all of them have terrible romantic aspiration subplots that start up for no legitimate reason, and the amount of time spent on them simply bogs down the movie. They're not the only ones with romance subplots however since not only has Astionage gotten himself a girlfriend named Kayra, and Amuro and Chan have banter before sharing a kiss in the middle of the movie. Both go nowhere but I have to ask: did something happen between Amuro and Beltorika? They aren't in ZZ, and we never see that they split in either this or Zeta Gundam, so what happened between them that Amuro is now single and ready to kiss a girl? This movie doesn't say anything, making this subplot rather badly written in terms of implications. For Astionage and Kayra, he wants to cook her a pasta but in battle she dies, causing her to mourn over her corpse about the pasta he earned to make for her. Honestly, it would've been more impactful if we see him making pasta before the news got to him. Regardless, let's move on.

Even with all that, there aren't many plot holes or many other inconsistencies in the film, but then we get the Axis drop and Amuro’s attempt to stop it...along with a team of mobile suits from the Federation’s 88th fleet outta nowhere just to try and make a deus ex machina, which initially seems to fail but then, out of nowhere, Amuro’s Nu Gundam starts shooting our green particles after a morality sparring match with Char and this is enough to get Axis off course and deflect it entirely, with the fate of our two rivals left unknown, and then the movie abruptly ends after this deus ex machina. I don't need to explain how bad this writing is, right? I mean, it doesn't kill the movie, hell, the plot wasn't all that great to begin with thanks to bad character subplots and decisions but this was just the final nail in the coffin. At least, it would be, but the final nail actually turned out to be how this film doesn't have any stable chronology with the previous installments, as nothing built up to this. To be fair, given how not much left over from Zeta properly carried over to ZZ, it's no surprise the same happened here. What is surprising is that where ZZ resorted to retcons, this one is disconnected from ZZ almost entirely. The only thing connecting them together is a throwaway line about the failures of the main antagonist from ZZ who made her debut in the final stretch of Zeta Gundam. As if this film needed more reasons why it just doesn't work on a basic level.

For the returning case, luckily Noa and Amuro are basically kept intact, even despite how agitated they are in this crazy new crisis. Char meanwhile...let’s say that his biggest flaw is the extremes of this new plan since this is basically the product of progression that we never got to see since he was never remotely thinking of this kind of action in Zeta or the original Gundam, so what happened that made him truly hate humanity so much? Aside from that and how decidedly uncharismatic he is now given his main antagonist status, he’s kept intact as well. We never cared about Astionage, and Mirai is barely even present throughout this movie.

Now to what really tanked here: the new characters. Let's start with one of the most hated characters in Gundam history, Quess! Aside from being an emotionally manipulative bitch, she, for no reason, tries to stake claim for both Amuro and Char and hated people close to them for “getting in her way” and really shows what a spoiled brat she is. The fact that she becomes to willing to kill anyone and everyone makes it worse since she’s already a flip-flop character, an inconsistent pancake that just flips and flops all the time because she’s a selfish and manipulative whore that has nothing else concrete about her! Gyunei initially to want to study her as a way of improving himself as a Cyber Newtype but then, out of nowhere, he falls head over heels for her and is ready to do whatever it takes to destroy Char to win her over. Why he would fall for a 13-year-old when he is seemingly a lot older is beyond me by it just happens abruptly without any reason as to why. The jackass doesn't even get to die properly because we never actually see him die outside of his mech getting blown up. You'd think for such a notable character for the film they'd at least show him in the process of dying.

I'm aware that Hathaway isn't actually exclusive to CCA, but like Katz, we only get to see him do things and have a personality that affects a narrative in his somewhat grown-up appearance, which is here in this case. For the most part, he seems like a decent kid, even though he falls for Quess. However, late into the movie, he loves her so much (for no real reason other than they went on a date, we don't even see him having a crush on her beforehand) that after Chan kills her to save his life, he outright blasts her to death. Is the main message of the movie supposed to be that love makes you stupid? If so, there are better ways and settings to show that message without having such badly written as intrusive characters on display, and all of these guys have ample screen time and relevance to major scenes in the movie, just to make matters worse. Anyone else in this film is one-dimensional and basically worthless to the narrative other than Nanai (who is only really notable to me for delivering a deliciously satisfying slap to that bitch Quess) that I'm not gonna waste any more time dissecting this overall pretty terrible cast of characters.

Studio Sunrise and Studio Hirabi to make this film, and if nothing else, the film looks gorgeous. The action and mech animation shows off the best of what the 80’s were capable of, with such crisp and smooth animation and detail with every bit of action and movement, making the battles brilliant to look at. The Nu Gundam and the Sazabi have particularly great mobile suit designs and all of the other new mechs look pretty neat too. The almost angel dust-like sparks coming from every shot fired from a blaster rifle and every explosion make this film just majestic to bask in when it comes to seeing the fight scenes, and the character animations and designs look great as ever. The only gripe I have is in one of the colonies having egregiously dated CGI that also fucks over its frame rate. I never knew that was possible in the 80’s and it was a disconcerting experience to be sure, though it hardly takes anything away from the glorious visuals of the film. Honestly, the visuals are so good that some viewers might just be able to brush the writing aside and enjoy it as an action spectacle. That's all this film is good for, honestly.

Sadly, almost none of the tracks in this film are memorable, which is a real disappointment, especially considering how good Zeta's soundtrack was. There is only one track from one of the earlier scenes that sounds pretty good and I wish there were more pieces here that sounded actually cinematic and memorable. None of it is bad music but nothing sticks, not even the ED. It's not the worst soundtrack in this timeline, but not one of the better ones. The dub is also rather meh, barring Brad Swaile’s great returning performance as Amuro and Michael Kopsa as Char Aznable, who despite a few weak moments, sounds pretty good and has a really booming political speech at the midway point. Everyone else is rather so-so, some being worse than others but even then, the dub never sounds overall bad, but these two basically saved the dub from absolute mediocrity.

Like with some of the worst anime Gundam installments out there, good mech action isn't enough to make a good Gundam series. If an action show or movie wants to have a story as its focus, the story it tries to tell actually has to make sense and the drama has to work without being an intrusion on the product and our enjoyment of it. Unfortunately, Char's Counterattack fails at all of this, so you either enjoy it as a spectacle, or you get a headache out of frustration. Despite trying to cap off one of the most monumental sagas and rivalries in the industry, the film can't justify its own existence. The more Studio Sunrise uses this film's events as a lynchpin for dodgy future titles, the more headache-inducing these failures become. There's a reason I say this timeline dies with the end of Zeta Gundam.

The movie is mediocre.

On the side of the plot, there is no previous set up for the events, leaving the background like a big black hole gap behind. Plus, the antagonist's motivations are so stupid that is a pitiful to see: 'we must save thi planet of the human vermins and pollution so let's dump a massive amount of spacial trash and nukes to make then leave'. True is that even in aeug times the objetive was pull out humans... right into space, but it was a ecologist organization too, protecting earth by destroying it is well... bullshit.

The characterization is a real piece of fiasco. ... No more than a collection of 'already seen characters' 'The kid that was brought with the sole purpose of staging something REALLY stupid' 'the cyborg new type idiot ludicrous woman' and so on, there is no a single bit of intelligence nor endearing or originality in the original cast.

Not satisfied with a mediocre original cast, plus, the Char's characterization is preposterous, representing an involution in all respects. Not only in his motivations but personality too, demised to not much more than an upstart brat playing around with heavy weaponry. Leaving us with a pale reflex of old good times, when a mature epic veteran in 80's fashioned sunglasses still was there. At least Amuro was really fine and matched quite well.

In the trash box we can pick up some edible rice grains in the form of some nasty good pieces of battle stage music/sounds. Not really impressive though (well, may be by the time). Included with a really joyfull pace rhythm and the enjoy of something gundam like are the only reasons for save the score of total fall off the cliff.

Char's Counterattack should not exist.

This movie was a slap in the face to those who enjoyed Zeta Gundam and Char Aznable. I'm shocked to see many users here giving this movie such a high score when it really doesn't deserve it. Spoilers ahead, You've been warned.

Let's start off with the plot, with no reason given nor hints during the entirety of Zeta Gundam and it's sequel ZZ (which Char never appeared in), we see that Char Aznable, the man who gave that great speech to ward off the titans from Earth, is now the leader of Neo-Zeon. Char's goal is to wipe all life ... on Earth by dropping an asteroid on it. Yes, the same Char who refused to join with Haman Karn in Zeta who also had a similar ambition (dropping colonies in ZZ) is now trying to kill all of Earth's inhabitants. Why and how did this happen? We saw that Char got over the death of Lalah in Zeta, yet here he is in this film complaining to Amuro that Lalah could've been his mother. It's almost like that "MARTHA" meme from Batman v Superman. Does this movie at least take the time to explain why he's doing this? Barely. His motive for doing all this is to get back at Amuro for killing Lalah, when he actually teamed up with him during Zeta without even a hint of a grudge against him. Again this all doesn't make any sense.

Do you see a pattern in this review? It's like Yoshiyuki Tomino and his writers wanted to undo Zeta Gundam's story when it's actually one of the best stories from the U.C.

Another gripe I had with this film was the characters, there was barely enough time to get to see characters like Amuro and Char. Instead screen time is given to characters like Quess and Hathaway, and let me just say, if you thought Reccoa was a bitch, wait till you see Quess. Within the first 20 minutes of the film, you'll come to wish Bright came out early to slap the shit outta her. I was actually cheering for Chen when she killed Quess but that turned into disappointment with Hathaway acting even worse than Kamille or Amuro's tantrums by killing Chen. I almost felt bad for her but then I realized it was Chen's fault that one of the key crew members from the Argama, Astonaige dies due to her recklessness. A pointless death that wasn't given any mourning or impact. Just a quick boom, he's dead. Just like how Tomino cared for Zeta when he wrote this movie.

I wanted to see some of the characters like Astonaige and Bright react to Char's sudden change of character, but instead we're given a sappy side love triangle/square between Quess, Gyunei, Hathaway and Char. What for? At least 3 of these characters end up dead anyway. Another thing that I would've love to see are characters like Sayla and Kamille show up. Remember that crappy ending with the Newtype Psychic wave that covered the Earth? I would've loved to see Kamille and Sayla sense and feel that wave. What did we get instead? An old grandma and some animals reacting to this wave. Not even a cameo from those two. I guess Kamille and Sayla missed out on this shitfest. I think the movie would've been slightly better if we had them show up in some way to remind viewers that those characters still exist. I would've loved to see Kamille and Sayla just try and ask why Char is doing all this exactly like I was when I saw this movie.

The ending was a WTF moment too, did Amuro and Char die? Did they just disappear out of thin air? The last thing we hear from Amuro is a "aughh". We didn't even see the cockpit explode or the asteroid explode either. It just moves away from the Earth. I guess I'll have to watch Unicorn to find out. I'm getting a lot of mixed messages on this ending.

I read some background information on this film and found that Tomino actually based this film on a novel he did. So basically this movie was all just a cash grab to get his novel to sell but most of the stuff he writes turn outs to be the exact opposite of what actually happens in the anime so I guess this time we didn't get so lucky. (He originally wanted Amuro dead in the original series and in Zeta, he wanted Kamille to commit suicide after killing Scirocco.) I think we should be glad that someone is forcing him to change these endings around but I guess since he was allowed the reigns to do as he pleases in this film, we got such a sad and pathetic sequel.

Trust me, I wanted to like this film, this was hyped up among the Gundam fandom for being the thrilling conclusion between Amuro and Char's rivalry, but instead I left disappointed. This was as much as a negative whiplash to me as Tenchi Muyo's OVA 3 was. Both this film and Tenchi OVA 4 required reading outside source material that never left outside of Japan, leaving viewers like me just confused on this whole film. This film probably would've been a lot better if it was another TV series instead of a movie, that way we might understand these new characters better. For now, this movie really blows. 4/10

Another of the UC Gundam seires is in review. When I was first introduced to Gundam I saw this movie right after the Oringinal Gundam series. Of course this is another sequal to the Char verses Amuro saga, and the last. The great fighting duo make their last stand in this movie and it's all that it should be.

UC 0093, and the AEUG has defeated the Neo Zeon's leader Haman Karn. A new person comes and takes place of the Zeon movement, and it's none other than Char Aznable, the real son of the Zeon Zum Deikun. Also Amuro returns to the broken Federation forces, ... and is transfered to the Londo Bell team. Now they both fight for honor and a place in this world.

Char wants to complete his fathers dream by bring both spacenoids and the people of the earth together. But Char has a theory that all the souls of Man are weighed down by gravity and the only way to unite them with spacenoids is for them to feel the power of space. What Char means by that is by droping an asteriod on earth and creating a nuclear winter. Amuro will do anything to stop Char now, and this is his last chance to settle the score.

Like many of Tomino's work, it does not ceases to amaze me. If you are a fan of either Char or Amuro this is the movie to see. The end to the great Zeta War.

TL;DR: A well animated very bad written movie that doesn't deserve to exist.

Now, let's see where we are, shall we?
We've seen Gundam 0079, an interesting show that suffered due to budget constraints and a comittee that did not understand what kind of show Tomino and his team wanted to make. However, things changed for good. After the succesful run of the compilation movies everyone and their mom went crazy for Gundam, so Tomino pretty much had a way bigger budget and a green light to do with the next show as he pleased.
So, he made Zeta Gundam, an amazing anime with impactful stories and characters, ... truly one of the best shows in all of Gundam history. He used both the original and new characters to develop meaningful emotions and grow his cast with a not common complexity in anime.
...Then everything went downhill. ZZ Gundam happened, and god knows we don't talk about ZZ Gundam.

So, let's recap, the original show introduced us to the Amuro/Char rivalry. These characters went from enemies to comrades to even some sort of friends in Zeta Gundam. The last thing we knew about Char was how he blew up fighting alongside the AEUG crew against Haman Karn and Neo Zeon, trying to save the earth against plans of mass destruction. So, it totally makes sense that when we meet Char again in this movie suddenly he thinks genocide isn't so bad, he somehow became the leader of Neo Zeon and is 100% ready to drop massive things onto earth like a previous baddie he fought did. *cough Haman Karn cough*

If you think this doesn't make sense, well that's the entire movie, my friend.
The story is total nonsense, there's no character development for any of the old characters or even the new characters, It's not consistent for previously established events or straight up doesn't care. The pacing is horrible. This is the movie for you: There's a space battle at the beginning, then characters talk for a bit. Then there's a new space battle, then characters talk for a bit. And then there's another new space battle and suddenly the movie ends.
That's not the worst part, pacing issues would only be trouble to a certain extent, making the movie mediocre at worst. But no, there are many things more. They only needed to show us the final showdown between Amuro and Char, and what led to it. But instead we got this 30%-40% screentime dedicated to Quess Paraya and the other idiots in this "love" triangle. Hathaway and that other imbecile whose name I already forgot. They serve no purpose to the plot, they serve no purpose to the thematic elements, they serve no purpose to anyone's character development. They just waste precious runtime in a movie that's already way too long and needed more time to flesh out other way more interesting aspects, like Mirai's struggle trying to survive in earth, which just as it is doesn't add anything to the movie and is totally wasted.

Then there's the ending. Oh god what an awful ending. At first i thought it was going to be a nice ending that the movie did not deserve, as I'm someone that enjoys melodramatic events that may not make sense or seem chessy but help drive an emotional message to the viewer, and I thought Amuro dying pushing away Axis with the help of other units was a good end to the character and a fitting message of hope and sacrifice that the film was not worthy of. But then he just sparkles the shit out of everyone and the meteor, we have a brief montage of people on the earth reacting and suddenly the movie ends. There's no actual end to the conflict. Neo Zeon still exists, they just ruined the plan they had in mind. There's no aftermath or closure to talk about. It just stops dead.

This movie does not deserve to exist. It serves no purpose other than being the first Gundam film. Nothing leads to the events of this film. We gain nothing. We've met so many characters thru the first 2 shows. But seems like nobody in the production team cared about them. Char's sister Sayla? She's nowhere to be found. Kamille? No. Apparently all the relationship they developed together during Zeta was not worthy of even being mentioned. So much for being his mentor and father figure I guess. But Quess throwing tantrums about having a crush both on Amuro and Char really deserved the screentime I guess.
I'm starting to think Tomino is just a bad writer/director who just got lucky when making Zeta.

But hey, at least the mechs are cool.

I am Japanese.
Here, I describe a background of an anime film which is not known in a foreign country.

--------------------

Ⅰ-Until Char's Counterattack is made

Tomino Yoshiyuki creates a social phenomenon by Gundam and Ideon through
Mushi Productions era, Triton and Zanbot3.
Gundam is the anime which followed the Science fiction.
... We should watch the fact that the televising day of Gundam[4/7/1979] is after half a year since Japanese release of Star Wars[7/1/1978].
Star Wars is the masterpiece with which the imagination of Hard SF and the dramaturgy of entertainment were united.
The Eastern anime director absorbed the latest movie technique in the world
by George Lucas. And, he added Robot design, War movie, Violence and a social satire to his work.
By chance, This situation resembles the relation between Tezuka Osamu and Disney.

The 80s were the Tomino Yoshiyuki era.
By his strong influence, A lot of SF-anime and new drawing technique and various
dramaturgy was made. moreover, the market of new media such as Original Video Animation and new plastic model culture was established.
He made economy of rising generation anime. Tomino Yoshiyuki announced one work after another. Xabungle, L-Gaim,Dunbine, Z Gundam, ZZ Gundam...

But, he was solitude.
because, The makers of First Gundam were independent each and have left from him, and people did not evaluate him.
He was going to overcome himself further. Nevertheless, he was angry to the fact that he can't get excellent creator.

Ⅱ-A revolution called "Char's Counterattack"

Char's Counterattack is the best masterpiece in Tomino Yoshiyuki's work and Japanese movie history.
This anime is like documentary. Two Characters which exist inside him fight. and, his very destructive political awareness is reflected in this anime.

In this story, a hero is Char Aznable. He is a military man of the enemy who was a rival of Amuro in the first series. He mustered the remnants of Zeon army and commands the Neo-Zeon army. He does declaration of war to the Federal Government. For reasons of political corruption, he decrees human race purge and global cooling. then, he dropped the asteroid in Tibet. The independent unit "Rond Bell" in which Amuro belongs battles them. but, a little before, Neo Zeon captures meteorite city "Axis" by political negotiation.
Char challenges the last battle with the government and Amuro now.

Apparently, The composition of this movie is justice vs. evil. Neo Zeon of the evil which ruins the earth vs. Rond Bell of the justice which stops a meteorite. but, the actual story is very complicated.
This movie is explanation insufficiency and unkind. Especially, I can't value the hint of "Phycho frame" of second half.
You couldn't understand this movie if you saw for the first time. because, even the Gundam fan can't understand.
I watched to this movie 50 times. Still, can't understand completely.

but, I can make you understand at once. why is this movie unclear? I found that reason.
The character of this movie was telling the lie, it's Char !!
Usually, an anime character does not tell a lie. An anime character speaks about having thought honestly. it is such staging method. but, All the anime changed staging method by this movie.

Char despises the subordinate of one's own army and never real intention. He agonized. His true character is not known by himself. He cries for real intention in front of Amuro which killed own sweetheart. We recognize him to be a realistic human being.
He was in despair, though he finished the revenge to Zabi family. He has a complicated thought to the dead sweetheart, Amuro, and human being. He is a hero and is a lonely man. it's two silhouettes overlapping.
He is a life-size character which tells a lie, has a sexual desire and cannot arrange own idea.

A supporting role and minor characters are also the same. In a battlefield, a superman does not exist. Everyone is moving about desperately.
The special feature of the Tomino work always has important point in a civilian's existence. Tomino designs a complicated battlefield. For example, the problem which arises between the Federal Government and Neo-Zeon is whether Neo-Zeon possesses weapons of mass destruction. Neo-Zeon gets "Axis" from the Federal Government on condition that surrender. And, by surprise attack, Neo-Zeon is gaining total control in the military base of the Federal Government.

By comparison, watch also at the scene of Rond Bell. The scene of the strategy meeting in "Ra-Cailum", all the member's age and a race and cloths are different.
This situation shows what kind of unit the Rond Bell is.
A superman does not exist there. Even Amuro is a simple soldier.

The last scene is symbolic.
"ν-Gundam" which pushes a meteorite "Axis" is nothing but a ordinary human and one machine. However, when a lot of ordinary human beings collect, "Axis" which is a symbol of the Char's idea is pushed back.

I said first that this movie was Tomino's documentary.
Tomino repeats the same theme with the past work. In this movie, two silhouette with idea of despair and ordinary human does fight. Tomino continues shooting one's own conflict dispassionately.

Tomino showed the realism of anime and meta-fiction of self-expression. The movie challenged about the ability of the animation to show a serious theme.
Figuratively speaking, it is "Apocalypse Now" of future war.

Ⅲ-What inherits Tomino's will. -Char's counterattack and the 90s.-

But! this movie was not evaluated!
The misfortunes of this movie are that it is anime and a sequel to the Gundam series. Anime is strong in the optimistic impression. So, it has evolved as a children-oriented advertisement. Moreover, Gundam tends to be regarded as the genre for a robot fan. Nobody thought this anime to be a war movie.
Although Tomino releases a masterpiece also after this, he is treated coldly.
At last, Tomino's health broke down from mental damage.

However, in fact, only one person had the man who understood "Char's counterattack".
The name is "Anno Hideaki".
He made one fanzine in the previous year when "Evangelion" is made.

The name is "Char's counterattack Users Group".
In this fanzine, he encourages anime directors.

Much original anime of the 90s started from "Char's counterattack".
Life-size character which tells a lie, has a sexual desire and cannot arrange own idea, and meta-fiction gave influence strong for the important anime of much 90s.
For example, "Evangelion", "Revolutionary Girl Utena", "Escaflowne", "Clamp's work", "Oshii Mamoru's work", These are the representatives.

I can see those animes like the reply to Tomino's anime.

-----------------------------------

My anime comment blog; http://animemagi02.blogspot.com/

Continues to Evangelion link "Now, I am writing".
Continues to Utena link "Now, I am writing".

After viewing Mobile Suit Gundam and Zeta Gundam I figured I finish off Char and Amuro’s story in UC. I’ll admit I was quite disappointed by MSG and Zeta however, Char’s Counterattack did not disappoint me as the previous UC Gundam titles.

Char's Counterattack throws us right in the middle of a major conflict between the newly reformed Zeon and the earth federation. Char, who was missing since the events of Zeta Gundam has resurfaced and is the head/founder of Neo Zeon.

First the bad....

What was the point of introducing the 13 year old Quess? She serves no real purpose ... and only detracts from what the viewers really want, Char and Amuro. Even worst is that she is an annoying and immature brat. Due to such immaturity she is unable to comprehend her actions in the battlefield and believes its all a game. Amuro said it best when he sensed an enemy that was more playful than hostile. Hathaway was similar in respect to Quess but didn't have as much screen time. You would think after the events in Gundam 0079 and Zeta Gundam that pilots that aren't mature enough shouldn't be send out into the battle.

Where the background!? Char's Counterattack threw is right in the middle of a major conflict without telling us how they got there from the previous Gundam titles. Thus, Char's Counterattack requires you to have seen the pervious Universal Century Gundam titles to understand the characters. While it does spend time developing the story, it spend way too much time on the new characters and not enough as to how Char and Amuro got to where they are now. Apparently in Gundam ZZ Char or Amuro didn't even show up.

Now the good....

With Char's Counterattack, Gundam finally focuses on one of the most interesting and longest rivalry in UC, Char Aznable and Amuro Ray. Their final battle is easily the most intense and memorable battle in UC. Not only that but the other battles were also well done. I’m not really into giant robots however, I made an exception for the Nu Gundam that Amuro pilots. The way he pilots the Nu Gundam is simply awe inspiring. In general, they were some of the most well choreographed action scenes I've seen in a long time. These battles are also heighten by the strong personal involvement of the combatants. Unlike the pervious titles, I feel that Char's Counterattack finally gets balance of battles and characters right.

The BGM is also quite nice and very fitting. This is how "space opera" music should sound like. In addition, it isn’t too in your face as in Zeta nor very 80’s as in MSG.

Of course how can I forget about Amuro and Char? Char's Counterattack has an unfair advantage since they feature establish and well known characters. To get full enjoyment one must watch MSG and Zeta to fully understand these character and get full enjoyment out of this movie.

Char's Counterattack, focuses on one of the most interesting and longest rivalry in UC, Char Aznable and Amuro Ray. The mecha battles are well choreographed and intense, thanks to a combination of characters, music and animation. Too bad Char's Counterattack looses too much focus due to unnecessary secondary characters. Not only that, some of the secondary characters are simply annoying and unlikable. Also, they don't spend enough time showing the back story. There is simply too much of a gap between previous Gundam titles and this one. To those that have seen MSG and Zeta this is a must watch. There are some flaws, like lack of focus but, it is made up by the final climactic battle between Char and Amuro.

Have you ever hated someone with your very existence yet at the same time, respected them as an equal? The Gundam Franchise is a lot of things: a treatise on war, an epic about human inability to truly connect to someone else, and, most importantly, is Kamille a man’s name? But at its core, Gundam is about a rivalry between two men, Char Aznable of the Principality of Zeon and Amuro Ray, of the Earth Federation. A battle of ideals, of clashing wills and a battle for love. This epic rivalry has spanned the decades and has become a defining part of anime culture as ... a whole. Char’s Counterattack is a film where the decade-long grudge between Char and Amuro reach a conclusion. Now is this finale worthy of ending the decade-long rivalry between two of the most iconic characters in anime history?

Char’s Counterattack takes place several years after the Gryps conflict in both Zeta and Double Zeta Gundam. Char Aznable uses his immense political influence garnered in Zeta to take control of the Neo-Zeon movement but make it more in line with his father, Zeon Rem Daikun, ideological vision. In order to counter this insurgency, the Earth Federation creates a task force called Londo Bell with pilot Amuro Ray and former commander of the White Base, Bright Noa, at the helm. The iconic rivalry is sparked once again as Amuro and Char fight for the fate of the Earth.

Unfortunately, the grandiosity of the premise is lost in this two-hour long movie. There are so many problems with the writing, more specifically the pacing. We are introduced to characters at a breakneck speed, not being able to truly learn about their personality and their motivations. Moments that are supposed to be emotionally impactful are merely glossed over as the film callously transitions to the next scene. The editing of this movie is very poor, to say the least. Every scene transitions at something of a frantic pace where it becomes very easy to lose track of events occurring.

A large portion of the movie is dedicated to exposition. I would estimate around 40 to 50 percent of the film is just characters recounting events. As opposed to showing us what happened to Char during his five-year retreat, we are told what happens to him. Anime is a visual medium first and foremost. As opposed to a character telling us what happened, we should be able to see what happens in the form of flashbacks or some imagery associated with the dialogue. The lack of visuals during these sometimes emotional exposition scenes creates an emotional disconnect with the events that preceded the film. This, in turn, makes any changes that the characters go through due to those events lacking gravitas.

The only thing that saves this film from being a total disappoint, has to be the last 20-30 minutes of the film. In typical Tomino fashion, the finale is packed with emotional resonance, drama, tension, and despair. The fight scenes are well choreographed, the music suiting each scene. The finale is arguably the clearest and concise part of the movie. It felt as though it is the only part of the movie that Tomino really got to convey all the themes of Gundam in a grandiose yet poignant conclusion. It is a shame that this level of talent was displayed in the other portions of the film. In the end, this felt like a movie of compromises as opposed to someone’s unfiltered artistic vision.
The animation is beautiful and still holds up remarkably well even today. There were no reused scenes like in most Gundam series and it maintains a very crisp look. I appreciate the character designs even more when compared to how goofy some anime characters look today. The battle scenes were phenomenal and truly captured the chaos of the battlefield.

I would argue that the worst part of this film has to be the inclusion of new characters. None of them are remotely interesting and represent the worst of the archetypes scene in Gundam. Quess being the most flagrant offender in all of this. Her character seems so erratic that everything she does isn’t based on any logic and is rather done on a whim. She has no strong convictions and when the film tries to proclaim she does, it comes off as shallow. She has no moral framework for any of her actions and behaves with reckless abandon for everything and everyone around her. There isn’t enough time for the film to establish her character so she becomes a bland and more revolting outline of Reccoa from Zeta Gundam. A character who, without an in-depth look into her personality would have been the ultimate dramatic contrivance. Quess succumbs to that fate. Gyunei is basically Kamille with all the interesting contradictions and personality removed. He adds nothing to the film and is just a stand in for Kamille.

Some people take issue with how Char has been characterized in this film. Frankly, I think his character is the glue that holds this film together. Nothing Char does is out of character when you look at his past behavior in other series. Char has always been selfish and manipulative. What he does in this film is nothing different from the norm. There are moments in this film where we are able to look closer into Char’s mind than ever before. We get to learn his true feelings on Amuro, Lalah, the war and his responsibility to maintain his father’s legacy and how it weighs down on him. All the series combine and result in the complex layering of Char’s character that is present in this film. It is a shame we do not get enough time with the product of all this development and characterization. I can understand why people have an issue with Char’s seemingly radical change in character. It is because we do not see what led up to him rekindling this conflict. This disconnect is what makes people think that Char’s character was defiled in some way. The tragedy of this is, if there was a build up to him establishing Neo-Zeon there would not have been an issue.

This film is a major disappointment. This is not a worthy send-off to the most iconic rivalry in anime. The only thing saving this film from utter disaster is the finale and even that cannot erase the entirety of this film. If you are a fan of the Gundam Series, more specifically the Universal Century line, you will be immensely disappointed. However, I would still recommend this film so there can be some semblance of closure.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack was created to serve as the finale in the ongoing rivalry between notable Universal Century mecha pilots Char Aznable and Amuro Ray, as the former now leads the remnants of the Neo-Zeon faction and plots to launch a meteor into the Earth to trigger an ice age on the planet in defiance of the Earth Federation. This being said, I strongly recommend viewers watch up on the older Gundam titles before watching this movie as it is made in mind for viewers who have watched through Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, and even Gundam ZZ.

For the most part, Char’s Counterattack ... does a great job at getting into the heads of Char and Amuro as the final events leading up to their climactic battle play out. The radical motives that Char has planned for Earth may seem sudden compared to earlier depictions of his character. But considering the Gundam franchise has depicted the Earth Federation being just as corrupt as the Zeons in certain facets and the ignorance that those on Earth have to the prejudice faced by Spacenoids, it’s kind of hard not to blame Char for taking on a more jaded and cynical outlook to the ongoing conflict between Earth’s citizens and Spacenoids. The film explores the conflict between Federation and Neo-Zeon factions from both Amuro and Char’s perspective, with both clearly being weary and hostile toward one another due to their differing ideologies on the situation and being justifiable in whatever actions they choose to pursue against one another. This makes the final fight between the two all the more satisfying as it mirrors how their final fight in the original Gundam series played out and with the film being directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, what results from the finale is very fitting after things are said and done.

While the conflict between Char and Amuro is nice to see unfold, it does carry one major issue in the form of new character Quess Paraya. Her character appeared to be an attempt by the film to show how a child could be impacted by the perils of war. However rather than come across as a sympathetic victim, Quess comes off seeming more as a selfish, self-absorbed, and sociopathic little brat who is too obsessed with seeking romantic affections from either Amuro or Char, going so far as to try killing those who get in the way of trying to earn her affections for one of the two mecha pilots. Regrettably, her situation gets a decent amount of focus throughout the film as it takes screen time away from focusing on the main storyline of Amuro and Char’s conflict. The later release

The visuals to Char's Counterattack amazingly still hold up rather well today for a 1980s anime film, featuring plenty of clean, smooth details and subdued color tones in creating the settings of the movie from the inside of space colonies to the intricate details inside a space battleship. This same effort also went into the designs of the Mobile Suits used among both Neo-Zeon and Londo Bell forces who engage in plenty of fluid and intense battle scenes with one another throughout this film. This is also the first title in the Gundam franchise to make use of CG animation in a brief shot of the Neo-Zeon's Sweetwater space colony. Character designs appear to be adapted from the style in which they were made from the original Gundam series yet they are better polished for this movie. The music for Char's Counterattack does its part to enhance the fierce battles taking place onscreen, as well as highlighting tense moments between characters.

While the film does have its occasional hiccups in quality thanks to the presence of Quess, Char’s Counterattack still makes for a fitting end to the story of Char and Amuro’s rivalry within the Universal Century timeline with the film’s focus on exploring how both respond to the final conflict between Federation and Neo-Zeon forces. It’s not the best entry in the Gundam franchise, but is still worth watching if you have watched any of the older Universal Century Gundam titles.

(TLDR at the bottom, thanks for reading.)

If I had to sum up char's counterattack in three words it would be “potential for humanity” because what this film is a celebration of what can be achieved when humanity works as one.
Char's counterattack faces quite the challenge, it has to sum up the conflict of ideals between the federation and Zeon, but on a more personal note it has to sum up the conflict between Amuro and Char. All this while taking the themes of understanding and the cycle of war explored though the use of newtypes.

And it only has 2 hours to do this, all ... while being an enjoyable film.

Luckily, it achieves this.

I've touched on this idea before but to reiterate while newtypes may seem like space magic it can all be summed up in one word “understanding” what gundam is saying is that war springs up from a lack of understanding and what newtypes are is being who can understand other properly. Not understanding words or thoughts, but feelings and ideals. This is what's meant by “newtypes will be the future of humanity” because it is humanity that perpetuates this war. It started in gundam, it continued in zeta gundam and this will be the end of it. This is what the axis shock is. In humanities final hours, Londo bell and Zeon forces come together to push back against the asteroid because they finally understand what is going to happen. This is what gundam is about, not just the horrors of war but how understanding can stop a war, and that's what the final half of this film represents.

Notice how I said this is what the final half represents because the first half is a lot worse when compared to the second half. There is a need for backstory and set up but char's counterattack takes this too far, a lot of the film focuses on two characters Quees and Hathaway (mainly Quees though) and the issue is that they are just not important to the story. Quees's addition into the story is to act as almost a Zeonic civilian and to show why Zeon are rebelling. You can also see this is how the federation forces talk about the Zeonic rebels with such distrain. That's great and all, but they achieve their role in the story fairly early and just stay. Quees in particular is present in way to many scenes of the film, accompanying Char's where ever he goes. And the pay-off for all this character build up is almost non-existent. This is a film about Char and Amuro with Quees jumping into too many scenes, while she is removed from the story midway through the and makes the slower first half a bit worse. There also is the fact that the federation sold Char the axis asteroid base, even though he has already tried to drop one before. You could say this is actually a good thing because it shows how the top brass of the federation are oligarchs only looking out for their own profits than the good of the people, lending credence to Char's rebellion. But you could also argue that this is ridiculous that they would sell it to Char directly and not use a middleman. But these two issue are the only main problems with the film and while the former can dampen the experience, the latter is a minor nitpick that probably won't influence your opinion, whether you like this film or not. I have also heard of criticism of the fact that Char and Amuro are allies again despite almost seeming to be on the same side in zeta, and how that could feel like the film is retreading old ground, while I don't personally agree with this I thought it would be important to bring up.

On the audiovisual side of things this film is spectacular, it contains one of the first uses of CG in anime and the first in gundam, and the 2D cel-animation is spectacular, all the character and mecha designs look great (mostly), the action is fluid and well choreographed, the soundtrack is on point and overall if you are just looking for some well-made this is some of the best you'll get. This film is a culmination of the talent that has been made through sunrises long history of mecha anime, and it shows.

TLDR: Char's counterattack is the perfect thematic ending to UC gundam, if you're just here for great mecha fights it has that but if you are just here for a good story it has that to. There is something for everybody.

Quick and simple: The characters other than Amuro and Char are annoying and pointless. The introduction of new characters especially the new girl drove me crazy. There simply wasn't a need for them and, in the end, no one cares about them. The story doesn't flow well but that plauged the original gundam as well and by the end it all makes sense so I guess I can say it works in a way. The most important part of the movie is the conclusion between Amuro and Char. It delivers and is worth it completely. If you are into there rivalry between them there is ... no doubt that you need to watch this movie. I believe it could have been far more epic if they focused more on Amuro and Char but when it did it was great. Oh yeah, also the ending is satisfying so no worries there. Watch it!

Char's Counterattack is the 4th Gundam animation production. It's a 2 hours long movie, not a series. This movie focuses more on wrapping things up for Amuro and Char.

Story: 8
Story is good, it manages to do so much in just 2 hours time, though sometimes it felt a little rushed. Story is simple, Char finally got fed up with people whose souls are being tied down by Earth's gravity, and decided to make Earth inhabitable to force humanity to move to space, therefore promoting human evolution into Newtypes. The only thing that stands in his way Londo Bell, an Earth Fedration's special forces. It still ... shows some conflicts, and some political issues, like how Gundam series has always been, though not very much because it's only 2 hours long. Now some people said that there's a lack of back story here, we don't get any explanations on how things get the away it is. Well actually many of the back story is implied throughout the movies or in the previous series, you only need to watch carefully. All in all, the ending is the best possible conclusion to end Amuro and Char's rivalry, Tomino does a great job here.

Art: 8
The animation here is done well. As usual, still loses to recent works, but still done well. Mecha design is very good. Units like Nu, Sazabi, and even the grunts like Jegan and Geara Doga are nice designs. This movie has many funnel type units, like Nu, Sazabi, and the 2 Jagd Dogas. Expect a lot of funnel actions in this movie. Character design is still good, as usual. Characters from previous series can still be recognized even if they got older.

Sound: 9
One word for the soundtracks: Epic. Really, most of the soundtracks are very epic songs. It's quite different from the previous series. I even cried when listening to the song played at the last scene. (Hell, I even almost cried when writing this and remembered the scene.) Not much differences in the SFX thouh, still the same old Gundam SFX.

Character: 8
Characters are mostly good, though some side characters doesn't get enough attention, but overall it's still good. As usual, characters here is pretty much driven only by their own ideals. Which is a good thing, I like seeing characters with good ideals like Char. Tomino really made a good cast of characters. I find myself getting emotional feelings towards many characters here, whether it's like or hate. Sign of a good anime is that the characters can draw many emotional feelings from the viewers, which is what this movie did well.

Enjoyment: 9
An enjoyable movie for me. Though if you want to enjoy this you need to be a Gundam fan who have watched the previous series before this. Story progression is enjoyable, I can't explain much since it will just give spoilers. Mecha battle is typical UC battles: Great battles. Nu vs Sazabi is pretty much one of the most reckless battles I've ever seen. Recent Gundam works are too weapon dependent, while here they even use fists and kicks, they don't care when their weapons got destroyed, as long as the unit can still move, they'll fight. This makes a very interesting battle.

Overall: 9
A good conclusion to Amuro and Char's rivalry, this a very good watch for any UC Gundam fans out there. Highly recommended to watch if you have watched the previous series.

Well admired director and creator of Mobile Suit Gundam, with Bandai, Tomino brings the first Gundam film, Char’s Counterattack. If going into this without seeing the previous installments: Mobile Suit Gundam and Zeta Gundam, this movie is still good, but the full enjoyment will not be there. Now, if the viewer has seen the previous Gundams, Char’s Counterattack is the best Gundam ever.

Pacing and story are all set up well. As in with most anime movies, a proper backstory in between the past to the “present” is lacking, such as where Char has been up until now. All other characters, new and old, play important ... roles to the overall plot, so there is no wasted air time. Basically, this goes back to its roots with Char vs Armuro, Red mobile suit vs Gundam taking place 14 years after the original one year war. Character and costume designs are updated to make all the old characters seem more mature. For example, Char is given a more dignified muscular look.

All art and music is top notch for 1988. It is not all militaristic as it has been in the past, but gears more towards a classic space opera type that really sets the mood across each battle. Battle scenes are choreographed amazingly well, and really match up with the music perfectly. There is never a sense of disorientation in space compared to past space mech battle seen in Votoms for example. All the mech designs maintain that gritty moving gears appeal as well.

For the actual story, Char is an angry old war veteran who has come to the conclusion that the people in space, aka “spacenoids” will carry humanity on while the “parasites” on Earth must be rid of. His plan is to coordinate a giant meteor to crash into Earth causing all life on Earth to be “reset.” What actually happens at the end is up for interpretation.

In the end, this is The total Gundam anime. It has everything a person wants in a mech anime except a series.

[Edit] This marks the end of the original UC plot. Thus, I recommend you to see MS Gundam and Zeta (do not see ZZ, for more, see my review) before you see Char's Counterattack (CCA). I`ve given a lot of thought before I wrote this review because I had mixed feelings with this OVA, despite liking it. See my thoughts below and take your own conclusions.

Story: After the monumental disgrace that is ZZ Gundam, you are treated with a fine Gundam story with CCA. The shows come back full force in this OVA, with political intrigue, character development, a little dark tone to the ... background and the definitive end of the original UC arc. Overall I think that the story is satisfactory. By now you are familiar with the main protagonists such as Char, Amuro, and Bright - hence finally seem them in action in their decisive battle. Although the idea of the plot is interesting, with Char finally taking control of Neo Zeon and making his final attack on Earth by trying to cause a new Ice Age and making all humans go to space (don't worry that's not a spoiler, you know this by the first 10 min), I felt that something was off. By what exactly? Everything seems to fit in the background and Char's motivations are fine, same for Amuro. After thinking I discovered what was off. Part of the core of this OVA, and by core I mean "major plot instigator" is the story of Quess. And Quess side story is lame. Quess is the rotten apple in this OVA. She introduces a sort of stupid romantic subplot, together with weird motivations that are completely out of the essential element of CCA. This is the final fight between Amuro and Char, and you have this annoying girl coming from nowhere, with ridiculous motives and pathetic script and she kinda drags the story down. I have no problems with romantic subplots when done right, and I`ve mentione some I like in my review of Gundam Unicorn, but this one is just terrible and out-of-place. Finally, I think that the ending could be like...A LOT better. It is cool, but nowhere near what it should be. You will surely enjoy, but there are some bumps here and there.

Art & Sound: Art is amazing, better than Zeta, but the OST lacks in variety and it has no "memorable" music for the final fight or major events. For something important to the UC as CCA, they should have worked on the OST.

Character: Char, as always, steal the scene. Amuro, this time, steals as well. He shows a brilliant maturity for his character. That made me so happy because you follow Amuro since the beginning, and in here you see him as basically a grown man, focused and dedicated to his cause. The interaction between Amuro and Char are perfect. You can see these two characters have a long history together and want to close this conflict once and for all. However, in parallel with this brilliant and awesome writing, you have to deal with Quess. An immature, uninteresting, lame, obnoxious, irritating and spoiled girl. Why? Why was she needed? I could totally see the story without her. Amuro and Char didn't need a new spark to fight, they have enough baggage to fight each other. Quess is a drag to see and a drag to the story. Aside from her, all secondary characters are good too. Forget Quess and everything else is on point.

Mechas: As a lover of mechas and Gunplas, I am always trying to get more of the mechas. This time you have the Nu Gundam, that kind looks similar to Gundam RX-78 MK II from Zeta - which was kind of a letdown, but his gunpla showed me otherwise. Man, the mechanical aspects of Nu Gundam are awesome. Char gets the Sazabi, with a cool design that is similar to the Zakus, but more elegant. Jagd Doga, piloted by Gyunei is extremely lame. Looks like a bird Gundam. I was disappointed with the MS in CCA because I had higher expectations for the MS which would fight in the final clash but there is nothing wrong with them.

Overall: A great closure to the original UC arc. Seen the interaction between Amuro and Char is worthy enough to see CCA because is perfect. The story is compelling, but they could had worked on a more epic fight and a better ending. Quess is a terrible addition but ignore her and you should be fine. Don't miss seeing this OVA because is very good.

For any other series but Gundam, an ending this inconclusive would have frustrated me. The plot focuses on a rivalry that we've seen nothing of for the last 60 episodes, to the detriment (especially in screentime) of nearly every other character the show has introduced over its previous installments. The animation, voice acting, etc were all phenomenal as usual, but the movie felt rushed, almost unfinished, and my immediate feeling after it ended was disappointment, because this ending wasn't what I imagined at all. Somehow though, I didn't hate it, and I couldn't figure out why.

As with all things, it just took time. Change ... comes slow, after all. The more I analyzed the film, the more I loved it, but I also understood more and more why people are confused or dissatisfied with it, because so much of the merit of the film is in its incredible amount of buried subtext, which is is so understated it's almost frustrating. Why would you write something this genius and shoot yourself in the foot by making it so subtle??

Char's Counterattack is not a perfect movie, but the more I reflect on it, the more I realize what an insane masterwork of writing it is, and how perfectly it fits into the overall series. In CCA, Tomino has managed to distill all the themes of Gundam into two characters, and it feels like he's always meant to do it. If Zeta was a well-oiled machine, this is futuristic technology, because this is storytelling at a staggeringly efficient level. And the thing that gets me is it's still not perfect. There's still some wasted lines, some unwanted plot threads, some untapped potential. It gives me hope for writing as a whole, because if something this amazing is also so obviously flawed, then what other greatness will be written in the future? Obviously art isn't a competition, but its endless cycle of people doing their best to express themselves and hoping others will understand, and taking inspiration from the work of those that came before them... well, it's fitting that this movie made me think of it, because it's nearly the exact theme of the movie. It's a love letter to art, and to humanity.

Tomino himself has always been one of the most interesting aspects of Gundam to me, in the way that the series is clearly inseparable from him and his beliefs. His writing style is bizarre, but in a way that I can't get enough of, and I can't imagine anyone else being able to make a series like this with the unique charm he did. With a series I was so hyped about, I had begun to create my own vision of what the ending should look like, and when it didn't match with the reality, it felt like something had gone wrong. But Tomino was never going to cater to me, and I'm glad he didn’t. Every major plot and thematic thread, whether obviously or not, was brought to a close in this movie, and it is, in my opinion, the perfect send-off to this glorious series, in the most Gundam way possible.

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

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

The two main leads Amuro and Char are back and it's great seeing them duke it out again. Captain Bright Noa takes a supporting role and it's great seeing him back. New characters include Chan, mechanic and Amuro's girlfriend; Nanai, Char's second in command; Hathaway Noa, Bright's son who's caught up in the action; last and least, Quess, a green-haired Zeon pilot. I felt that for some reason the movie wants us to focus on Hathaway and Quess for some reason. both came off as boring than interesting. Hathaway comes off as naive and irritating at times. As for Quess, she takes annoying to a whole new level. Constantly going on and on about how awesome Char is (he sure is!), she just felt unnecessary. Honestly, it would have been better if we got more Amuro and Char screen time than this.

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


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

Recipe to finish a great rivalry:

1. Focus on the two rivals at hand.
2. Raise the stakes for each rival higher than ever before.
3. When the conflict is over, make sure the rivalry has a clear END.

Is there a rivalry in Anime more storied and legendary than that of Amuro Ray and Char Aznable? A rivalry so big it could only end in a feature film. Rare thing for Anime. "Char's Counterattack" is the culmination of everything a Gundam fan could want in this story. The Earth in peril. Favorite characters (and new ones) in a fight for the ages. Both sides with legitimate arguments to ... support their cause.

The story itself is fairly basic. Antagonist from space wants to attack and destroy the World... (Insert Raul Julia "OF COURSE!" here) The protagonists want to save the Earth and the countless lives on it. They do battle in space with mobile suits, etc. But it's the chess pieces on the board that make this generic story special. Amuro Ray, Bright Noah, and the Earth Federation vs. Char Aznable and Zeon. Don't get much better than that for a Gundam fan.

The mechs themselves are pretty awesome. Nu Gundam is a superior piece of hardware with it's technological superiority and classic all-white look, it is the perfect suit for Amuro Ray. Char Aznable counters with the intimidating and (of course) all-red Sazabi, that just screams "The Red Comet". The rest of the mechs do well and we all get lots of that sweet, sweet, 'splosion porn.

Sub vs. Dub is a big win for the Sub. Char and Amuro's final act can only be played out by the two who have been doing it the longest, Shuuichi Ikeda and Toru Furuya. Both actors deliver the finest performances of their careers as these characters. Art is very good for it's time and the sound effects still hold up well even today.

As a massive Mobile Suit Gundam fan, I wasn't able to catch my breath much. And by the end credits, I was literally in tears. If there was a better ending possible for this rivalry, I certainly couldn't think of it. Gundam fans- you have to watch this (after the original and Zeta, of course). I wanted to end this review with something catchy like, "Parting is such sweet sorrow" or "Revenge is a dish best served cold" but honestly, just watch the film for yourself.

"There is a responsibility for us creators to create practical logical common-sense material to upload that’s socially responsible. If I could add one more thing, when I say 'common-sense' it could be taken to mean the opposite stance to populism." -- Tomino Yoshiyuki in an NYC convention

If I could summarize the message of ZETA and ZZ especially, it would be Tomino's plea to the kids watching his show that's something of the lines of "Adults convince each other to do evil things like destroy our planet and massacare each other. You, the new generation, counter this with thinking with your heart" (which I personally both ... don't believe is antithetical to populism, and is a deeply flawed message for Tomino to give and encourages ignoring the times when mass violence as a means to an end has radically changed societies for the better, but I digress).

Char's Counterattack stays close to that line of viewing things. Populism, as Tomino would have defined in the above quote, is seen in Char riding off the coattails of the decades of resentment sprung up by earthlings' blatant disregard for the people who left for space and just how much they have outpaced those whose souls still chained by the gravitational pull of earth.

If I can think of the closest contemporary equivalent to this mindset, I would say sometime around 2020 when the belief that covid would radically wake up society in its path of destruction was at its peak. Positive environmental impacts were happening the first time for so long due to how seriously everyone was taking the lockdowns, and boomers, those whose souls are most chained by the gravitational pull of the past, were the ones dying at the fastest pace. This was also at the detriment of the poor and disabled, but just like in Neo-Zeon's collective consciousness, this was collateral to the naive and misguided optimism for how impactful this wake up call was.

Amuro's response to char is a post ideological "all revolutions end in mediocrity and leave only a path of destruction in their wake" framing of things.

Both the naive hope for destruction as an end in itself being the wake up call the future needs and the "common sense" resistance against any radical political ideal given by Tomino's voice of reason (not to say the federation government Amuro fights for isn't obviously corrupt or even that adult Amuro is portrayed as always in the right, just that the way Tomino typically presents morals in the Gundam universe and the fact that this is a recurring theme makes me reasonably certain that this is what he believes) are harmful in their own ways, but no side being completely morally correct is what makes gundam fun.

Forgot to talk about the robot fights: they were pretty.