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Sep 13, 2015 6:28 AM

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Jun 2009
4385
The legend begins! I'll state again the point being echoed in this thread that I can't believe it has taken me this long to watch Gundam. Great first episode. There were some cheesy/funny as hell things, like when those guys in/near the car got blown the fuck up and the "Gundam Manual" just flies, unscatched, towards Amuro. I fucking KNEW it would be a plot device before I found it was anything more than debris. Oh, and when Amuro slapped Fraw Bow was great too.

Jose07 said:
Does anyone know where I can watch this? I cannot find it.

I would prefer it to be English sub please


I'll message you.
Nov 2, 2015 4:43 PM

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Nov 2012
4704
Been wanting to watch Gundam (UC ones specifically) for the longest of time and finally got to!

Could make a long post about my thoughts on this episode but TripleSRank's post basically covered everything I wanted to say.

As many people have already stated before the OP/ED were indeed cheesy as hell.

And just to state and once again repeating what TripleSRank said it's interesting how little the "flaws" in this episode bothered me (it makes me all the more excited to see Zeta which I hear improves on the flaws of the original).
Dec 7, 2015 7:57 AM

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Nov 2011
7621
Yay! How nice to be able to review a gem many years ago, the beginning reminds me of other series of the brand, such as SEED, who took the same cue. Surely the thing that everyone will remember the series, is the iconic scene of raising the Gundam.
The scene of Amuro reading the manual of Gundam, is the only part that I was not very convinced, the script had better tell that part of the episode.
Mar 3, 2016 10:18 AM

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Feb 2012
4191
Rewatching one of the greats, and I'm surprised how well it holds up. This was a solid episode with good word creating and exciting combat.

Amuro Ray Kill Count:
2 Zaku's this episode
2 kills total
Apr 25, 2016 12:51 PM

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Jun 2013
6123
Definitely an interesting start.... excited to see more!
May 17, 2016 3:54 AM

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Jul 2008
10507
Hard to believe how old this is. Can't believe that I haven't watched the original until now, oh well time to sit back and enjoy.
Jul 3, 2016 8:57 AM

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May 2012
25827
Pretty solid start of this series I must say, the classic sci-fi anime touch is really perfect! As well as that classic OP/ED!

Looking forward to see what this franchise will has to offer!
Jul 12, 2016 11:42 PM

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May 2013
279
Honestly I felt like this was a really impressive first episode.
Jan 21, 2017 3:00 AM
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Mar 2015
93
BurntJelly said:
I laughed when he slapped the girl.


As she kind of tried run and slipped up the hill, I lost it.
Apr 30, 2017 10:49 AM

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Jun 2014
1540
galimx said:
The bitch slaps are real, lol.

They were so real the girl was unable to comprehend how to run, or even walk properly. And when she slipped from the cliff, it was amazing.
Jun 7, 2017 12:53 AM
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Aug 2010
207
Suyomizzle said:
I think the animation here is - no exaggeration intended - beautiful. Even jaw dropping. There's something arresting about the vivid colors of the RX-78, and I don't think a bit of expression is lost in the faces of these characters when compared to modern anime. I feel like the style is perfect.

I've seen this series from front to back prior to this watch I'm embarking on now, just never in chronological order, and just rewatching it I think there's a subject I want to address with both first time and long time watchers.

There's this famous quote floating around about how Tomino wasn't looking to make any type of commentary into war, or really even embed any artistic significance in the series whatsoever. That he was simply doing his job to create what amounts to making a commercial to sell model kits. But when examine the series we surely see a conflict with that. What's the point of crafting a series that so immediately deals with heavy emotional issues and death? I just think it's interesting that Tomino - however unintentionally - created a series so significant and enduring not just for its plot and animation but for its themes and character development. That sort of thing is totally unnecessary to sell model kits, yet here we are.


Where does that quote come from? Are you sure it's not some weird rumor? I can't for the life of me imagine this show NOT being made as a commentary on war.

Also, the storyboarding in episode 1 is particularly amazing. So many really purposeful shots that show off the scale of the mechs or even stuff as minor as the floatiness of outer space. For example, when the Zaku's bullet casings fall next to Amuro, it's a great shot that really highlights just how threatening and massive the robots are and how dangerous the situation is.
Jul 24, 2017 11:50 AM

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Jul 2016
393
I'm such a huge Gundam fan and the fact I have not completed this series is a sin. When the show premiered in 2001 on the Toonami block, the show stopped airing due to 9/11. Then tried to watch it on DVD a couple years back, but it was so edited that I could not enjoy it.

Anyway, great first episode and it's nice to see it with "older" eyes. Char was as awesome as I remember him.. and I think Amuro did indirectly kill his dad! Yikes. Looking forward to plow through this series.
Aug 3, 2017 3:11 PM
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Jul 2017
187
Excellent. I've seen the compilation movies for 0079 only, and that was sometime back. Great to see characters continuing from Origins, and events which after watching Gundam I know more about. Love. This. Show. I'll be interested to see differences between movies and the series.

Do I read it right too that this starts in the fall months of 0079? Could Origins


The slap was great. Colors as mentioned earlier for RX78 were great. Honestly loved the sound elements, especially of the Zakus moving around. 10/10
Sep 7, 2017 11:39 PM
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Jul 2011
414
@laughterjones, are you talking about The Origin manga or anime?
Till now in the anime there is very little about the One Year War but episode 5 will be about the battle of Loum and maybe episode 6 will have more information about the beginning of the war.
Sep 16, 2017 12:54 PM

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Sep 2015
6
blessofcurse said:
Seriously. That space colony didn't have a guard or something? So any tresspasser can enter easily.
They easily wiped out with only two robots. They didn't even fight back. Lel

This is the only thing that bugged me in this episode; I think it can be partially explained with the
introduced in episode 4, althought this still doesn't explain why their security level was so low, especially if you consider the importance of the prototypes built inside.
032Oct 4, 2017 4:07 AM
Mar 11, 2018 3:43 PM

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Nov 2016
31350
Decent start. I'm really interested in Aznable.

Since he was voiced by Ikeda Shuuichi he has alreeady gained bonus points.

One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron


Mar 14, 2018 1:39 PM

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Dec 2015
6449
@FMmatron Welcome to 0079 ! I hope it will catch your interest enough to check the third "compilation" movie (who is actually almost entirely re-made unlike the previous ones who recycle a lot and change only a few illogical points in the story) AND the manga The Origin, who is the closest to perfect refined version of the series and movies.

Where did you hear Ikeda prior to Gundam? (I love his voice, as much as Furuya's)
Rei_IIIMar 14, 2018 2:14 PM
Mar 14, 2018 2:11 PM

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Nov 2016
31350
@Rei366

It's getting better and better, I have high hopes that this won't be my last contact with Gundam,tho I was especially interested in War in the Pocket.

I also know him as Shanks from One Piece and Akai from Detective Conan.

One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron


May 22, 2018 5:38 PM

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Jun 2014
22470
I wasn't certain whether or not I'd be into this, but that was definitely an impressive first episode. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Mar 4, 2019 2:45 AM

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Feb 2017
2389
Amuro! Amuro! Amuro!
Mar 23, 2019 11:01 PM

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Dec 2017
193
Surprisingly good first episode, also weird having the pv before the ed, wonder when that changed?

Amuro already being impressive, wonder how he will do when the enemies get stronger suits
Objectivity? In my anime scoring? Of course not...
May 28, 2019 9:35 PM

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Sep 2013
3373
Really good. Not what I was expecting. I figured it would be more like Mazinger Z where there's just a new villain every episode and not continuity. I like that this looks like it will have a serialized storyline.


4/5

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Oct 15, 2019 6:39 AM

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May 2015
3008
Rewatched this episode after completing The Origin.
While I found it pretty good before, now I could appreciate it better and actually understand what's going on. Also, Amuro doesn't seem as annoying anymore, he still got lucky with typical MC power, but the impression is smoother now that I'm not thrown randomly into action as a viewer. Well, I kinda understand why the story was supposed to be started here, it's probably wrong that I'm already rooting for Char more than the MC. But oh well, the universe seems very interesting so far and I'm definitely hooked already.

The animation is so cute and the music is beyond nostalgic, this is so charming and enjoyable in its own way.
Jan 30, 2020 9:36 AM
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Dec 2019
1
So dumb question, but where can I find the show? I have looked on all the major streaming service, but I cant find the OG gundam.
Feb 19, 2020 7:08 AM

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May 2018
5880
Ahh, the nostalgia...

Back when everything was hand drawn
Jun 28, 2020 2:29 PM
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Sep 2010
1
Where can I find this anime subbed?
Jun 29, 2020 1:40 PM

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Jun 2009
4385
laah-mirch said:
Where can I find this anime subbed?


I sent you a message :)
Jul 27, 2020 7:44 AM

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Dec 2015
6449
laah-mirch said:
Where can I find this anime subbed?

Bandai is currently broadcasting for free the trilogy compilation that made Gundam famous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYunkmTxzH4&list=PLJV1h9xQ7Hx97xa4PuilJTJ3sgh3SnryT
It includes several languages as subtitles.
Aug 12, 2020 3:25 PM

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Aug 2017
10872
Well, it was a curious start. Amuro learning to pilot the Gundam a bit after reading the classified manual for a few seconds was quite funny lmao. Did he just killed his dad by accidentally launching him into space? lol. So far, the animation of a series from 40 years ago is not so bad except for a few rare moments. They told me to watch this first and not Origin but I can understand the context of the war thanks to Origin, regardless if 30% of it is fanservice for older Gundam fans (at least its not the Monogatari case).

Anyway, the episode was ok, I hope to see how the series develops as it has many episodes.

PD: The Hatte incident from the Origin OVA is briefly shown at the beginning of the episode. Nice.
All weebs creatures of the galaxy, hear this message. Those of you who listen will not be struck by western animation. You will no longer know hunger, nor pain. Your Anime have come to lead you now. Our strength shall serve as a luminous sun toward which all intelligence may blossom. And the impervious shelter beneath which you will prosper. However, for those who refuse our offer and cling to their western animation ways… For you, there will be great wrath.
Aug 14, 2020 9:23 PM

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Jul 2017
952
What an amazing opening to this show. I've played so many of the Gundam games and seen the movies, so I'm very familiar with the story. This was really well directed though with a slow burn of the fear of being a wartime civilian until Amuro pilots the Gundam without knowing enough.
Oct 2, 2020 8:02 AM

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Jun 2016
3391
I was thoroughly gripped through this episode. Something that was immediately sold was the sense of scale. The war between Zeon and the Earth Federation, a fight between fellow humans, has resulted in half of the population wiped out. We see groups of civilians slaughtered, buildings destroyed, the colony falling apart all because these 3 mech suits started to fire. The amount of destruction and human devastation on both sides, Fraw Bow losing her family, or one of the Zeon scouts fighting Amuro in a rage for killing their ally.

Further, Amuro feels just fallible enough to make me hang onto.his moves. He has a sense of courage and duty to get moving, but the death around him impacts him. Stifling his tears to get Fraw away, or his shaking when approached by the Zaku. It made Amuro feel like he could be a man of action but it would never be easy for him. He can shut up and move but it catches up to him.

And with that out of the way, the scene, Amuro versus the Zaku suits, felt great! The reversal of the situation where the rash Zeon scout pushed forward only to see the Federation's mobile suit's power as it tore off its mouthpiece and Amuro turned to the offensive. It felt like every move was crucial, for the pilots, and the civilians and that feeling of weight makes me eager to see further combat encounters. Going to watch more later today for sure!
Oct 26, 2020 8:44 PM

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Nov 2018
338
This is an amazing first episode. I've heard all those stories about how this may not have flopped but wasn't that much of a hit on the original run, I can't imagine how this didn't reach instant sucess from the audience, but well the rest is history. A based introduction as a whole.
Jul 7, 2021 3:52 PM

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Feb 2014
7604
Is long overdue that I should start watching this classic, time to rectify.
Jul 23, 2021 5:29 AM

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Oct 2012
668
I watched this series before, but I feel like I didn't quite focus on it enough. I kinda just watched it for the sake of completion. Definitely want to be more open minded about the show this time.

First episode was pretty well paced and went right into the action. Of course a bit tropey considering how the protagonist just randomly jumps into the Gundam and saves the day but I'm fine with it. I like how the show really portrays war in a negative way. Seeing Fraw's family just die from one second to the other is pretty shocking.
Oct 14, 2021 9:35 AM

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Nov 2019
939
I remember watching this anime as a little boy, but hardly remember anything. It’s time to watch it again with different eyes!
Jun 12, 2022 9:21 AM

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Nov 2018
1030
Imagine casually killing your father in the very first episode of kids anime
I hate everyone equally
Jun 25, 2022 6:06 PM

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May 2020
165
I've heard a lot about this show being "dated," but the hand drawn animation is beautiful. I think I'm more interested in the world building than I am with Amuro.
Jul 10, 2022 7:52 PM
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Mar 2021
32
Man, even better on rewatch.
This is a classic. I’ve seen this series as well as the compilation movies, and looking forward to watching through this again.
Oct 26, 2022 11:50 PM

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May 2019
789
Have really been meaning to watch this and get into it I was just never a huge mecha fan. Amuro reading the manual while there are explosions everywhere is silly. However, the world building and action really hooked me. I can tell this will have a pretty great story. Epic.
Feb 27, 2023 3:41 PM
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Jul 2022
27
Great first Episode. I really like the use of colors to accentuate an event like a explosion or a conflict, very 70s and 80s anime :).
Also typical 70s: How do you calm somebody just slap them, perfect. I don't why the MC has to be 15 years old and not 18 or 19 but it could be to create a connection with the vietnam war in which there were also child soldiers. The impact of war is also more dramatic if there are children involved but nonetheless I am hooked.
Mar 20, 2023 3:22 PM
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Feb 2021
507
Whata banger. Love the chunky 70s animation, it's usually much more inspired than modern animation probably because there's so much less of it. The fact that the characters were just living in like 70s Japan (but in space) makes the scene where the people catch strays much more impactful bc they were just random ass people.
Apr 29, 2023 9:46 AM

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Sep 2017
1899
for something that was done 40 years ago, it is pretty good. sasuga gundam

the irony lol


I like these still shots. i think berserk had em too. Nowadays not much of these


but the mid show theme and ed are too corny as hell


this scene damn. good coloring


due to amuro attack, lot of his own men were thrown outta the airlock tho. i want to see consequences for those, but admirable that amuro doesnt act recklessly and the consequences of war is shown as directly as possible, esp with poor amuro's love interest.

and we have char. the enemy should have just stuck to recon though. honestly military insubordination is not something u do lightly. u can get killed for disobeyin orders.

space city fights with mecha. atleast it is somehow established amuro has a background in workin with robotics or something similar.

i am just testin the waters at this point.

Without change,we end up becoming the very person we hate.


I was dead until the moment I met you. I was a powerless corpse pretending to be alive. Living without power, without the ability to change my course, was bound to lead me to a slow death.


Jul 6, 2023 3:28 AM

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Jan 2019
734
It's a very unique experience compared to 21st century anime. The tinny sound effects, the lackluster music and the voice actors screaming into 70s microphones...

But it somehow kinda works? I'm enjoying it anyway.

Jul 16, 2023 8:51 PM

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Jan 2011
9895
the sound effects, the music, this really felt so old

NGL im mostly here due to Char but gotta admit that Amuros pimp hand is strong 
Jul 24, 2023 6:08 AM

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Jul 2017
889
good for a first episode.
''Touch the darkness inside me''
Oct 20, 2023 1:07 AM
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Oct 2023
90
Once again the anime communities fascination with women being hit by men rears its head. That shit is why i stopped reading the To Aru Majutsu no Index episode discussions on Mal.

Anyway, i find it a bit funny that the dub cast call her Frau, because thats just the german word for woman. Now we just need a male charachter named Mann or a sientist named Wissen Schaftler. ^ ^

I cant imagine being invested enough to keep going at this point if i hadnt watched Origin first. Id probably have switched to the compilation movies at this point. But knowing the backstory makes everything more interesting and, most important of all, ten times more engaging. Once again watching things in chronological order paid off. Chronological Order >>>> Release Order, an immutable law of the universe.

Am very interested to see where its going.
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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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