A lot of Gundam fans will probably tell you this is definitely either the best Gundam series, or at least a top 5 one. Hell, maybe even one of the best animes of all time. Allow me to explain why many including myself feel this way which this review is of course for. Despite being a short oav series, it has a descent amount of character on both the Zeon and Federation’s side where they all stand out and get their chance to shine, and develop as a result of it. Every character has their own ambition and dreams out side of the war. Such
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as Eladore, the sound specialist wants to be a musician, and Michel, who is timid and cowardly, wants to go back home and be with his girlfriend. And there are some characters who have personal issues such as Terry Sanders who is called the reaper because he’s the only surviving member of his previous units, and Karen just doesn’t think Shiro has what it takes to be a commander. However, Shiro is the all around character who has this mysterious and unorthodox kind of charisma, who is trying to not only develop his own leadership skills, but to find his role in this conflict and to find his way to confess his love to Aina despite being an enemy soldier. Even though he is a rookie, he is still strict and very dedicated to completing his mission and truly values loyalty.
On the Zeon side, we have Aina herself. She is very formal and obedient to her brother, Ginias, who is a straight out psycho-path. And there’s the bad ass Norris, who is their ace pilot , and is a father figure to Aina. So once again, this Gundam series delivers an all around cast with a well paced story that revolves around solving their issues and developing the characters which was how I viewed it. The Romeo and Juliet thing is a bit cliché’, but not really over the top. It’s used effectively and reasonably, and it also helps the development of Shiro and Aina as well. I will further elaborate on what I feel on what I think the themes are.
The art is just fantastic. The character designs are very diverse and distinctive, and the environments are well detailed thanks to the work of Kawamoto Toshihiro, who has also served as a staff member in other duties such as on Votoms, Full Metal Alchemist, Gundam 0083, and Patlabor. I really like the expressions the faces have in the battles as well as the angles and postures. I will elaborate on how I feel about the battles later, so time to talk about the mechanical designs. The mobile suits are of course still in complimentary of the original Gundam designs, except the pack more heavy fire power and have more of a bulky look to it which suits the nature of the battles which I will now talk about. In comparison to your traditional Gundam where it’s all about space battles, we are now reduced to watching guerrilla jungle warfare, so strategy and tactics play a big part into this series like how it did in the final battle of War in the Pocket. So it brings a different sense of intensity, anticipation, and excitement which helps makes this series stand out in comparison to other Gundams because the characters aren’t of course newtypes where they got crazy reflexes. And you have to watch this anime until the end. The 2nd to last battle is most certainly a top 5 in Gundam battles or fights in general of all time. Due to all of these combined great features I can’t say anything bad on.
The voice acting in both English and Japanese are excellent and top quality. Both languages have actors that equally represent their characters. Even though Steve Cannon was very terrible as Ippo in the English version of Hajime no Ippo, he was great as Shiro. He played someone who was new to his role, but really took it seriously. I thought his higher pitched voice was well more suited to the nature of his character, but the Japanese voice actor, Hiyama Nobuyuki brought a different kind of maturity to the character, but wasn’t really as spirited which I felt was part of Shiro’s character. All-round veterans such as Kikuko Inoue plays the role of Aina, who is dead accurate as someone who looks meek, but is very strong willed on the outside. And believe me, I give this anime one of the best performances ever. I say it’s superior to that of Cowboy Bebop’s.
The music is also well suited to the nature of this show. The background music gives a more traditional military style to really represent the way I described the action with its different sense of intensity and excitement as a result of anticipation. And the opening theme Arashi no Naka de Kagayaite is highly energetic, and the ending theme 10 years after really represents a more campy nature that represents the unity of the team.
Well, I’ll conclude this review with two notes. First of all, I feel the only negative this anime has is its ending. Not really saying it’s a bad ending, but it didn’t really live up to what I was expecting and you’re free to disagree with that. But then again, who said endings had to be happy? I felt the Cartoon Network ending leaves things too inconclusive because the true ending they couldn’t show due to the portrayal of kids in war, which I thought, was a totally ludicrous reason. I felt the true ending was too much out of convenience and really felt out of place, and a majority of the cast was really absent. Maybe that’s because the original director died during the releasing of this oav. I don’t know. But my 2nd note is how I love this movie is about loyalty and trust. It’s a consistent theme throughout this show and it portrays it in a sensible way in the scenario presented in this anime. Even though Shiro is the leader and despite his age, I like how he treats everybody equally and he makes sure everybody lives up to his number one rule, that everybody comes back alive.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Kidou Senshi Gundam: Dai 08 MS Shotai
Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダム 第08MS小隊
More titlesInformation
Type:
OVA
Episodes:
12
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Jan 25, 1996 to Jul 25, 1999
Producers:
Atelier Musa
Studios:
Sunrise
Source:
Original
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#6652
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#2370
Members:
87,736
Favorites:
1,142
Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 40 / 42
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Your Feelings Categories Oct 11, 2008
A lot of Gundam fans will probably tell you this is definitely either the best Gundam series, or at least a top 5 one. Hell, maybe even one of the best animes of all time. Allow me to explain why many including myself feel this way which this review is of course for. Despite being a short oav series, it has a descent amount of character on both the Zeon and Federation’s side where they all stand out and get their chance to shine, and develop as a result of it. Every character has their own ambition and dreams out side of the war. Such
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Dec 19, 2008
Where to start. Well, maybe I am crazy, as I am the only negatize reveiw so far, but to be frank this is my least favourite Gundam to date, regardless of the fact it is an OVA. It was not horrible, indeed it was alright, but thats it - alright. Personally I expected more, especially from Gundam.
STORY This is one aspect that as stated earlier was mediocre. It had so more potential and I beleive if it had been a series, not an OVA, it could have been developed far better. Without divulging to much, the basic premise is that it is a side story ... Mar 20, 2008
This gundam series differed completely from any other gundams I've watched. This is more of a lighthearted soldier's perception on the battlefield rather than the whole political and philosophical thinking that goes on in the other series. It really has a practical and direct style unlike the other gundams and takes a more lighter tone with a commander just trying to accomplish his missions with the help of his squad on an episode to episode basis. And you know what? Thats good. This show pulls it off with the enjoyment level. Shiro and his crew make
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Feb 11, 2007
Hello!! It's me, Otakufreakmk2, with another Gundam Review!! YAAAYY!!! Knowing not many of you are fans of Gundam, I'm taking the privilage of introducing you to some of the best in Gundam!
Okay, when Gundam first came out in the US we were introduced to Gundam Wing and it's pretty boys. Well after that Cartoon Network soon showed the Original Gundam Series, then following up with it's side stories. One of these Side Stories was Mobile Suit Gundam 08th MS Team. Unlike many of the Gundam series, this series showed much praise from it's loyal fans. It's uniqe way at approaching the story line was very ... Jul 7, 2015
For a superlative series that claims to be the most realistic Gundam entry, it more than lives up to that title. This series delivers as a compelling self-contained story that offers a unique interesting take on the franchise without rehashing past elements.
The story for the most part offers an interesting of the conflict. Rather than focus on a single hero and his special superpowered giant robot, the emphasis is on average grunts fighting on front line. This emphasis offers a unique insight on the soldiers that are often overlooked as worthless cannon fodder. Plus, it makes the action scenes more impressive. Rather than rely on ... Mar 12, 2021
With this being one of the highest-rated Mobile Suit Gundam instalments, I must be missing something. Unfortunately, I strongly dislike this OVA. Watching it lead me to the point of putting on hold all MS Gundam-related anime.
Firstly, a bit of background. My Gundam journey started in an unusual way - with Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War In The Pocket. I was absolutely stunned by the skilful storytelling and the full-blooded characters whose naivete made me truly feel how terrible war is. After completing Mobile Suit Gundam 0079, I was absolutely hooked, so I decided to move on by following the recommended watch order, eventually reaching Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th ... Aug 10, 2016
I really love the gundam series so when i saw this show i was hyped. In the end i feel like this show is ok the story was ok the sound was great but the one thing that sucked was the charecters. They were so paper thin the main charecters were so boring they introduced the reaper giving him a scary back story they gave him like 1-2 episodes to explain his back story than they kinda left him in the dust.his whole existence was thrown out the window its like the show completly forgot about him after explaining his charecter and this isn't the
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Feb 4, 2021
I've talked about the Gundam franchise a few times. 00, Wing & Iron-Blooded Orphans. This time around we're looking at a shorter Gundam series, the 08th MS Team. This one aired starting in '96 and finished in '99. It went on for so long because the original director, Kanda Takeyuki, was tragically killed in a car accident and it took them a while to find a replacement. Let's take a look at the twelve episode OVA.
Story: The narrative takes place after the original Gundam series. The Federation and Zeon forces are battling over Earth. Amada Shiro comes from space to lead the 08th MS Team, ... Oct 31, 2008
This is by far the most realistic of the Gundam series. Well, as realistic as giant robots fighting in outer space can be. Rather than focus on the pilots of intense, immensely powerful gundam units like Wing or Seed, 08th MS Team focuses on the grunts, the guerrilla soldiers, the front line troops fighting in the war. Battles are far more realistic, and while not as flashy as Gundam Wing's, just as intense. Damage is real, and when a Gundam's arm is blown off, it's not repaired the next episode for the point of having it back. People get really
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Oct 30, 2007
The best Gundam anime series I've seen. It has many differences with all the other Gundam series out there. First there is the great story that only focuses on two main characters and five or six secondary characters, and the story is far reaching, taking place in one place through out the series. The second thing that separates this series from the rest of the Gundam series are the characters. There are only two main characters in Aina Sahalin and Shiro Amada and about six supporting characters. Other Gundam Series have five or six main characters and
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Dec 29, 2022
I’m not a huge Gundam dan in general. I thought ironblooded orphans was fantastic but some of the older series seem to lose their purpose on me. Despite that I really enjoyed 08th team despite its flaws.
Where the anime goes right. I great action packed high quality animated Gundam with plenty of fun action. The fights have a sense of grounding to them which makes them very enjoyable and they are all animated superbly especially for the age of the anime. While the style will show this anime’s age the animation it’s self does not. Following a ragtag squad of pilots going about their missions ... Nov 26, 2020
Recently, I've been getting into Gundam by watching the series in rough release order. The 08th MS Team was one of the series that I was most looking forward to, considering that most of the fandom (as well as non-Gundam fans) seems to hold it in high regard, as well as its reputation for being the "muh realism" Gundam, or "space Vietnam", both of which were enticing concepts to me. Much to my surprise and dismay, as I watched 08th I quickly found my preconceptions about the show to be horribly misleading.
Firstly, though, we can talk about the Art and Sound design, which I'll bundle ... Mar 15, 2015
The 08th MS team provides the viewer with a ground view of the One Year War and every moment it spends in the grime with front line troops it excels.
From the early skirmishes to the legendary battle with a Gouf, the series supplies almost unmatched, realistic style for the 0079 era of Gundam. Engaging in self-masturbatory or gratifying review of this series wouldn't accomplish much, so suffice to say if you're a fan of the original Gundam series and would like to see what a great animation budget can accomplish read no further and watch. My major gripe with the 08th is the Romeo and Juliet story ... Jan 4, 2024
The show Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (here after to be referred to as "The 8th MS Team") has received critical and fan praise and is oftentimes referred to as one of the better if not the best of the Gundam series. At the time of writing this series has a average score on MAL of 8.01 and is bested only by Gundam 00 and Iron-Blooded-Orphans among the Gundam series. But does the 8th MS Team deserve such praise?
Taking place during the universal century timeline, like most other Gundam shows this deals with the conflict between the Earth Federation and their Mobile Suits ... May 22, 2012
Its always a great shame when awesome animes remain enigmas while overrated trash gets praise.This is without a doubt one of the best animes i have ever seen.Unlike previous gundam tittles that show the well documented earth vs colonies conflict this anime is different as it only show you the war from the perspective of a small group called the 08th Ms team.What make this anime so great is without a doubt the characters,they are varied in their personalities while at the same time being truly authentic in representing real human behaviour.Unlike most anime today where the characters are either strange,overly cutesy or pretentious in
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Jan 2, 2019
If there's a Gundam series that i think would best characterize the Mech scene as a whole, I think of 08th MS team.
The short series best lays out a team of whats basically the infantry of Gundam. Forget the over powered and god-like Gundams with their super human pilots, and think grit and WWII dog fighting. There isn't much to dislike - there isn't good or bad guys at the ground level - just the common man suffering for the ambition of those in charge of them. The leadership of Zeon harks back to the "at-all-costs" mentality of Japanese leaders during WWII. The soundtrack now is ... Apr 4, 2019
TL;DR: Part of the Trinity of masterpiece pre-2000's Gundam. (Zeta, War In the Pocket, and This. If you were curious.) Watch it. Just that.
War In The Pocket used to be my favorite U.C. Gundam show. Now after watching the 08th MS Team I'm not so sure. I love when Gundam goes to a small scale to show us it's stories. The general plot of 08th MS Team is very simple. A group of soldiers has to find and destroy the prototype of a weapon in the middle of the south-east Asia jungle. That's it. No grand plan to throw another colony onto Earth like happens in almost ... May 23, 2023
The 8th MS Team is one of the most popular UC Gundam spinoff series, particularly due to its fluidly animated Mobile Suit battle sequences. And while the animation is definitely worth the praise, the 8th MS Team might not be as good as some diehard fans might regard it.
Compared to other UC spinoffs (War in the Pocket, Gundam Thunderbolt), this series has a longer runtime of twelve episodes and takes place mostly in Earth during the final months of the One Year War. The protagonist Shiro Amada, unlike the teen protagonists of the main UC series, is a fairly experienced Earth Federation ensign who is ... Jun 19, 2010
In the aftermath of the original "Mobile Suit Gundam" which would first tell of the One Year War, an epic conflict between the Earth Federation Space Forces and the Principality of Zeon, a number of new perspectives on the One Year War would appear including one notable gem "08th MS Team". Set almost entirely on Earth, "08th MS Team" is a grittier perspective of the One Year War from the eyes of the leader of a squad of Mobile Suit pilots at the bottom of the chain of the Earth Federation. Thanks to time, "08th MS Team" has the glory of receiving an updated appearance
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Nov 9, 2016
MDG The 08th ms team is a good anime no doubt about it. It is one of the best anime for depicting characters who are attatched to a millitary unit. Following orders and using ranks to adress each other, intersperesed with sci-fi mecha action.
The hand drawn animation is great for the time and it does a good job of presenting the Universal century machines in a more realistic way. The main cast are all likeable characters, and like most Gundam series I've seen the villains aren't presented as 1 dimensional villains with no humanity. The Gundam shown in 08th ms aren't flashy and spiky ... |