Kidou Senshi Gundam: Dai 08 MS Shoutai

Gundam, The 08th MS Team is a great side-series of the Gundam franchise. It happens during the events of MS Gundam (0079) and it one of the best short series of the UC for me with real mecha action and tactics and a good story and characters. Let me explain why.

Story: This series had me tricked in the beginning because it looks like something it is not. In the beginning, it looks kinda childish but it growths in perfect pacing to something much bigger. It is heavy based on guerrilla tactics, and war strategies that are extremely distinctive from the classical "all-out war" of the ... franchise. It is more focused on small groups, combat trickery and careful tactics than anything else. By far, this series has the most realistic mecha fights of the entire UC, truly carrying the "real mecha genre" in its back - perfect. It has a romance going on that does not get in the way of the plot at all, and it is quite satisfying! The plot is convincing and shows a different side of the war, focused on some events on Earth but with a heavy impact on what could have happened if not for the events described in this series. It is like watching something like "the silent heroes that no one knew". I liked the story a lot.

Art & Sound: The art is amazing for the time, something that Gundam always did good. The sound is well placed, and the OST is also convincing. My only complaint is that everything is well drawn but sometimes the characters take a classical "exaggerated anime expression", which is misplaced in this non-exaggerated setting and overall artwork.

Characters: With the exception of one secondary character and two of the main ones (Eledore and Michael) I loved all of them. Karen is probably the most badass female pilot in the history of Gundam. I don't think that they will ever make a better female pilot than her, a true soldier. With the exception of Michael and Eledore, all characters have great development and personalities that you want to know more. Sanders, Karen and the main protagonist, Shiro, are great. Shiro is also has a massive growth as both commander and pilot in this series, a fact that left me astonished since this is a 12 episode series. Even some of the antagonists, like Norris, are enjoyable to see. Norris is also one of the best pilots in the series.

Mechas: Unfortunately, this is the only aspect that doesn't stand out. They never really say but I suspect that all Gundam in this series is some lower budget versions of RX-178-2. They all look like regular Gundams. Of course, you have tons of Zakus and a mobile armor but nothing great. However, this series is heavy on the "real-mecha" display, so it is quite good to see all the mechanics and fights they provide, which makes this regular MS shine brighter than the most amazing ones.

Overall I heavily recommend this series for all Gundam fans, for all mecha fans, and for everyone else that has some affinity with this genre. For all that like Gundam and mechas, you will truly enjoy The 08th MS Team for its great story and mecha action.

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 ... assigned as the commander of a ground division at the Far East front. One of the series most important developments take place at the beginning: while traveling to Earth from the space colonies, Shiro has a fateful encounter with the beautiful Zeon soldier Aina Sahalin and spares her life. After arriving to Earth, Shiro receives a hostile welcome from his new teammates, formed by two tragic war veterans and two inexperienced youngsters. Their first team operations are pretty rough, suffering mostly due to the team´s initial lack of communication and distrust on Shiro´s abilities as a commander. After lots of infighting mostly to help character development, the team gets to face the series´biggest threat: the return of Aina now as a pilot of an extremely dangerous experimental armor that puts the Federation´s advantage on Earth territory on risk.

Shiro´s reunion with Aina on the battlefield sets an important change on both the pace and tone of the series, now advocating for peace, Shiro and the team try their best at stopping the weapon´s development while trying to reason with Zeon foes with non lethal tactics and attacks. Aina, initially indifferent to the morality of her side´s actions, starts to question her orders and rebels against her superior and older brother. While star-crossed lovers from different factions is an usual trope present in most Gundam series, Shiro and Aina are one of the most proactive couples, actively pursuing each other on the later half of the series regardless of the consequences. Although the romance aspect of the series is present from the first episode, the development of Aina´s and Shiro´s relationship is extremely rushed. Having just shared a few words and tender moments, both characters fall madly in love with each other, becoming brassy and reckless and enforcing their own vision of pacifism.

While Shiro´s teammates get their fair share of character development and are overall likeable and relatable characters, the characters present on the Zeon faction are, for the most part, cartoonishly evil and terribly one dimensional, failing to give a realistic look on the struggles of said faction. One of the series´most interesting aspects is the showcase of non aligned civilian guerrillas, their focus episodes displaying a realistic portrayal of war. Even so, this gets overshadowed by the borderline cliche writing of later episodes and the cheesy love story.

Mobile Suit battles are very present in this series, their detailed animation being some of the best in the franchise. The battles portrayed are extremely gritty, while not being gruesome, displaying the particularities of Mobile Suit combat on Earth and ground support from tanks and such. Tactics inspired by guerilla fighting are also portrayed frequently, giving a fresh approach in comparison to other Gundam series. The mobile armor and main threat on the series is similar to other armors seen before in the Gundam series, but its absurd power level seems extremely unrealistic for this specific series and its realistic approach to battles.

On the sound department, the 8th MS Team has wonderful OP and ED themes fitting with the mild optimistic tone of the series. Sound effects are very well done and the Japanese voice acting is very good, especially for the members of Shiro´s team and Aina.

Overall, the 8th MS Team is a decent watch, especially worth it for fans of mechanical animation and UC completionists (though you can always watch the fight compilations on Youtube). While the plot is not offensively bad, the romance could´ve been handled better, as seen in the more subtle Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket. For non Gundam fans, this series might be hit or miss depending on how high are your expectations.

I'm just going to get straight to the point, "This is, in my opinion, the best of the Gundam series' that are out there."

The reasons for saying such I will state without my personal opinion added. I have taken a poll of all of my friends, whom I have had sit down and watch the series, and tallied all of the different aspects that they believed added to their experience of watching this specific series.

The first thing I noticed on their papers that I had them fill out, all but one of them gave it a 10/10 on story. When I asked them why they ... put such they normally replied with, "I guess the reason why I like the story so much is because none of the characters are, 'special'. They're all typical soldiers with no special gifts, which makes it seem more like a real war." There were a few of them that enjoyed the romantic side of the story though.

Now when it came to art, all of those who I had watch the series + movie agreed that the art deserved a 10/10, mainly because of how the fact that, while the animation was smooth and well rounded, the mobile suits/gundams were done in a fashion that they believe beats out even Gundam Seed's style. When I look at the two series now, I can see why they said as such. The mobile suits are drawn in a much less blocky design yet still had a more mechanical feel to them.

Well that's all for the first part of my review on this series. I will post the last half after I get the last of the data off of the others.

As I said in my 0083 review, this entry from the 90s era Universal Century OVAs also did for the Gundam franchise what the X-Wing novels and later Rogue One would do for Star Wars: completely ignore the most entrenched dogma of the saga and just have normal characters driving the story. And it worked pretty damn well.

08th MS Team is set towards the end of the One Year War, primarily Earthside in the Southeast Asian theatre; comparisons to the Vietnam War are apparent but it also has a Romeo and Juliet subplot as well. The protagonist and rookie squad leader Shiro Amada ... is a naïve idealist; Karen Joshua a cynical chief and former surgeon; Terry Sanders a cursed combat vet; Eledore Massis an oblivious musician; and Michel Ninorich is a dear John letter waiting to be mailed.

On the Zeon side of the line we have Aina Sahalin, a test pilot who crosses Shiro's path en route to Earth; her brother Ginias, an increasingly unstable arms developer; and Norris Packard, the second most famous ace Gouf pilot in the franchise. Caught in the middle of the conflict are rebels led by Kiki Rosita. Plenty of other troops on both sides drive the story along at a very nice pace, so the short series never rushes itself.

The mecha designs are old school UC but eschew outlandish super robotism for mechanized infantry combat. Mostly revamped Zeon tech but some of the more memorable takes on the suits. And if you've never seen the showdown between the Ez-8 and the Gouf Custom, you've never watched a Gundam.

Another series which I get my binge cravings for, this is one every fan needs on their shelf.

"Even though we are divided into enemy and ally, there are good people on both sides. People who can understand each other. And me knowing that amidst the stupidity of this war is the one thing that gives me hope"

Gundam has a longstanding reputation for showing the unfiltered truth of a raging war that breeds hatred, destroys families and consumes resources at the consequence of entire civilizations. It is made emphatically clear time and time again with every (good) iteration of the franchise that no side is truly right in their convictions, and that even within the enemy organization are kind hearted people who seek ... a common resolution, only separated by a differing insignia and uniform design.

08th MS Team is arguably the best in the entire franchise at providing fleshed out character representation on both sides of the war (making it difficult to root for or against either side), and in portraying the pacifistic ideal of finding an ally in your worst enemy, because it's only through unity that peace can ever be achieved.

The star crossed relationship of Shiro (Federation) and Aina (Zeon) serves as the backbone of the entire narrative. Both have a million reasons to despise one another as a result of the senseless bloodshed between their opposing factions, and yet none of them take greater priority than mutual love. That this forbidden romance takes place with a war raging in the background provides a constant level of tension and suspense as to whether they'll be able to survive the war and live together peacefully. This question kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire run.

Shiro isn't particularly unique as a gundam pilot - a headstrong straight shooter eager to prove himself and make an impact in the war despite not being particularly talented to start, but his desire to protect his comrades and undying loyalty to all those that surround him is truly remarkable. Shiro is adored by his subordinates and it's easy to understand why over time; he is one of the best leaders to pilot a gundam in the franchise.

I appreciated how each character of the 08th team was given insecurities, interests and/or reasons to live. This made them feel like actual humans rather than bloodthirsty war machines, and with every near (or actual) death sends a shockwave to the viewers heart in dreadful anticipation of the seemingly inevitable. My favorite of such characters was Karen. Her fiery attitude, expertise as a pilot and impressive physical gifts (in more ways than one) were juxtaposed against her depression over losing her husband to war, and a crippling fear that she'd lose anyone else close to her. There is a similar level of depth to each and every character in that squad, and it's so much fun following them through missions and watching them bond through each others company. Comrade togetherness is one of the few positives of war.

It's difficult to explain why this anime isn't a ten, other than the fact that I don't consider it to be as high as my currently ranked 10/10 anime. I have zero issues with the anime from a narrative or production standpoint - beautifully animated and holds up very well to today, and the soundtrack is soon to be a staple on my commutes to and fro. If MAL offered partial ratings I'd give it a 9.5. Whether a fan of Gundam or not, this is a treasure of the franchise that anyone should be able to enjoy and appreciate its well communicated themes of togetherness and love even when the circumstances encourage the very opposite.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team Review. Somewhat underwhelming considering the popularity of Gundam.

This series contains some spoilers till Episode 6 (Roughly). Because thats how long it takes for the main plot to start back up again.

MS Team is about a group of soldiers and there commander Shiro (The MMC) and the enemy's commander's younger sister Aina (The FMC). They originally meet in the first episode and are nice to each other despite being on the opposite ends and trying to kill each other just moments earlier. Surprised at the humanity from each other they promise to meet again and stuff. Now with that ... interesting start out of the way we are now going to sharp left turn and develop characters no one is going to give a shit about. This series starts decently enough but we get this development on characters I don't like for like 4 episodes and this is a very downwards in quality. The rest of the series is quite good. but the 4 episodes bring it down a notch.

The romance is passable. I'm honestly pretty disappointed you have the main characters confessing there love for each other. But they met once. They didn't even like fall in love at first sight. They Just met and boom they wanna start a family. What the fuck, even shoujo romance isn't this lazy come on. I did like some of there intimacy but you would expect more. This does not pass the bar for minimum romance. Regardless I accept it.

The action in this series is a hit or miss. I don't like how slow the characters move sometimes. They use guns and its not as enjoyable to watch just these big mecha army just shooting machine guns. What is fun is when they are punching each other. Steel smashing Steel. This is why you watch a mecha series. Some of the gun fights were also good. There are some inconsistencies as well but thats not really an issue as long as it looks cool. Sometimes the can move fast but if that is the case why don't they do it all the time.

The series also starts in space so why does the rest of the anime set on earth. Really got upset over that. Feel like I got blue balled.

But the strongest part of this series is still the Music. The Music always hypes me up. Every time I'm like, I wanna do something else BABABABA. It just grabs me back in. The music just kills and its so entertaining when the music perfectly aligns up with the action on screen Emotional or otherwise.

Post episode 6 we also say the effects of war, death and Obessession and again this is the part where the series became enjoyable It just kinda sucks that it takes so long to get there. In a series that only has 12 episodes 3 episodes of bullshit is a lot.

Character wise, It has a red head tomboy because other type of Tomboy's don't exist in Japan. It has this pervert who is unlikable as many series do. It has a Naive dude who i'm not actually sure did anything in the series. Also I completely forget there was like an attempt of a love triangle that didn't go anywhere. Guess when that happened. The Boring episodes that when.

I do hope this isn't the best that Gundam has to offer. But I have seen many people refer to this as one of there favourite Gundam series which is more than a tad disappointing. In the end I like the series. The characters were actually the weakest part of a series I liked which is rare.

Overall Its nothing special but it is an enjoyable time Killer nonetheless. 6/10

Gundam fans all have the same conversation, "What if mobile suits were real and actually used in battle?" The best answer to that question presents itself in the form of "Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team". A series where warfare is treated with a logic and realism rather than the old adage of "whip out your Gundam's big beam sword and wipe out the cannon fodder that is the enemy!"

We are set towards the end of the ever-popular One Year War. Mass-produced Gundam models are now going into service. These are not the invincible white devils made famous by Amuro Ray, these are ... a simpler more conservative model that, while still exceeding most of the other MS types, are far from indestructible. The pilot skill is a big factor. And above all, teamwork and tactics (along with some luck) wins the day here.

The story is pretty basic. The characters are very cookie cutter. The art is above average for it's time. The sound effects are top notch. And for a 12-episode series it does pretty well to entertain. The mechs themselves, as previously stated, are good- but flawed. There is no trump card MS gonna show up and deliver a batch of that sweet, sweet, 'splosion porn. The greatest performance by a mech in this series (and perhaps the entire franchise) belongs to a Gouf. An A+ showing by a B+ suit.

The series would have been a 10/10 for me... spoiler, sorry... if it wasn't for the final episode, "Last Resort". Then came the Newtypes. And the storybook ending. It sugar-coated and brought down what I thought was a gritty but positive ending after episode 11. *sigh* guess you can't have everything... The draw is the realistic nature of battle in this show. Yes, it involves giant robots, but most of the fight scenes in this show are believable. It's a smart entry into a franchise with too much dumbed down action. Cheers!

While gundam may have been the forefront of the real robot genre as it brought giant fighting robots to a more real level with the inclusion of war. There’s only a certain extent that the show can go when it comes to being realistic while also being feasible, because the very fact of using giant robots to fight wars is just plain absurd. No matter how they play it, there’s no reasonable way that using giant bi-pedaled robots would come off as a good idea. There would be better alternatives that would be more economical and efficient that mobile suits would be obsolete. Of course ... mechs aren’t about efficiency, they're about aesthetics because nothing is cooler than giant robo battles. Nonetheless that hasn't stopped people from trying to create realistic depictions, or as realistic as they get of giant robot warfare. One of them being 08th ms team which by many accounts is the most realistic depiction in its franchise and maybe genre.

The story is one of relative unimportance. It’s the same war as in the original gundam show, but on a different frontline. There may be conflict between both sides but no matter the outcome, it won’t really shift the tide of the war. Naritivally wise it’s still a war drama that’s pretty straightforward as it follows the protagonist, shiro, the commander of the 08th mobile team as he leads his new team against a zeon occupied region. Each episode usually following some sort of mission that depending on the circumstances of the operation may turn out for the better or worst. Parallel to this is a romance subplot that crosses occasionally with the main plot as the love intrest happens to be a zeon pilot. Although rushed, the way it was handled was ok for the most part when weighing all its pieces. The overall pacing and structure is alright although there is the occasional lapse in consistency in the show, mostly in the latter half, that makes it feel that certain plot points have been omitted. The only real problem would be episode 12 which felt unnecessary and a waste of time as it did not add much of anything of significance to the overall show.

The characters of the show are ok as they aren’t that complex and don’t have much depth to them. They’re character traits are easily portrayed through their mannerisms and dialogue without feeling to forced for the most of it. Several of them do go through characters arcs although they don’t have that much substantial change to their characters. They’re not the most interesting characters, but i guess that’s the point since they are basically the minor ground soldiers in the whole war. Although more could have been done for the characters, they still remain a decent bunch to watch. The antagonist for the shows are probably the low point with the them being the main “heroines” genius older brother and some scummy federation officials. When it comes to the romance between the protagonist and love-interest, it comes off as a bit fickle but with earnest. it’s two characters who are able to find solace within one another and realizing that despite being enemies they have much in common that the fact they are fighting is not worth it. They become idealist despite the realities of the war which does make them endearing.

The art for the show is good-ish. The character designs feel very simplistic, but they are animated in a very fluid fashion. The background designs are also good from the military base, deep forested jungles, desert sands, and other locals.The mech designs are very well detailed, and not only the mech but most mechanical equipment from the tanks to the helicopters. The only thing i could do without was the gundam even though it’s a gundam show it would have been interesting with the GM models in the spotlight for once. Still the fights for the show look very nice and are probably the best during that point in the franchise with the only thing being close to it being war in the pocket. Not just in the way it is animated, but also how it’s presented and framed that gives them tension in excitement. Since most of the battles are very short, but it also makes the visceral and chaotic. The sound for the show is very standard gundam fare from the voice acting, soundtracks, and sound effects. Each one working well with the series at hand, but not enough to truly stand out.

08th MS team is an attempt at a realistic depiction, and it’s a commendable one at that. It may not be the most realistic, and there may be some descpenies in certain areas but that may just divulge into nitpicking. It’s a nice little side story from all the tiresome, long gundam epics.

Here is a quickie review if you want to find out if this is anime is Outstanding or Unwatchable.


Here is the one and only great 08th MS Team! This anime is awesome and leaves a satisfying ending! The story is great. It talks about a mobile suit pilot who is a captain of the 08th MS team! He then with his squad continues to jump to
missions to fight the Zeon menace. Pretty simple but it has a romance twist with the character liking another character from the opposing side. The sound is very good and no where near rubbish and the characters almost seems ... real with their personalities. It may be a bad condition for how they just suddenly like each other but that's no exception as it isn't too cheesy.

Overall, Great Anime and a great classic to watch. War in the Pocket is another classic. But that's ampther stpry!

This is my favorite Gundam.
While the plot may be a little bit basic (sci-fi Romeo and Juliet mixed with a good old fashioned big bad evil guy), the series goes above and beyond in terms of characters and realism.

The characters all have amazing chemistry with eachother. The way the soldiers interact remind me a lot of classic war movies such as Platoon (also kind of helps that they both have a Vietnam War setting). The series takes a very Cowboy Bebop like approach to charcter writing. The characters are energetic, quirky without being tropey, and just overall fun to be around. Every character gets ... development and a personal journey to go through. The series showcases an excellent use of subtlety. While one notable example would be that of Terry Sanders (I'll spare the details so as not to spoil), my favorite example is the backstory of Shiro, the protagonist. The entire backstory is done through a twenty second scene, in which you see a traumatized Shiro as he watches a bloody hand slide down his helmet. This twenty second scene is all you need to understand his charcter, his motivations, what drives him to fight in this war. It has depth but doesn't get carried away so that it take away from the main aspect of the story - war.

This has the most accurate portrayal of not only war, but what war would look like in a future where military robot suits would be common place. The Mobile Suits feel like Mobile Suits. They have weight, they break down and need repairing (sometimes even in the middle of battle). The pilots have to use actual tactics to win fights, as the soldiers are all equal and don't have weird and broken psychic powers. A great example of this would be the Ez-8 fighting the Gouf Custom. The choreography is so detailed that you can break the fight down frame by frame and analyze the strategy used (unlike the goofy looking ballerina moves used in later Gundams).

It may not blow your mind, but it is undoubtedly one of the most realistic mecha series ever made. That, coupled with the great yet subtle character writing, will give you a possibly unforgettable viewing experience.

8/10

Forenote: I've just completed this series in a single sitting so a few of the events are fresh in my mind. I'd say this is a generic mecha with a spark of Romeo & Juliet's love affair between MC and his female love interest Aina who happens to be the sister of a powerful Zeon official - The series maintains some interesting character connect overall and key events, I'll now go into detail. (Of course, this is a modern day review where I will be comparing the overall structure in terms of modern day equivalent titles I've watched)

Plot: The overall plot wasn't as unique ... as other mecha series as long as there's an enemy nation with similar military powers. However, I feel what this series did well in terms of plot is that it felt balanced overall, there were no unfair advantages in any of the events that occurred throughout the story. That being said, as mentioned earlier there wasn't much unique about this series and I'd suggest the high rating would be from MSG fanatics - I'd be rating the series a 5/10 in terms of plot but the ending 2 episodes were fairly interesting to me, if they'd go in detail with the kids backstories etc. that would have been interesting but for now, a 7/10 is suffice.


Art & Sound:
I'd understand that many new viewers would be discouraged by older style titles because they were hand-drawn but I really grew to enjoy this specific art style. The audio was exceptional also, despite being an older series there definitely are signs of aging for the art styles but the audio is most noticeable. Doesn't take much away from the overall aspect to story tell but an oldie is an oldie; I'll be rating this series a fair 6/10 in terms of Art & Sound.

Character:
This series did rather well to develop the main character palette, we aren't thrust with the overwhelming amount of main characters as soon as the first episode which allows the viewer to adapt to characters at a slower pace. In the first episode we are introduced to 3 main characters while mainly focusing on MC and his love interest which is a bold beginning since his love interest (Aina) grows to defy her twisted brother and the Zeons as the plot progresses. We are introduced to 2 other main characters as well as another female character who is part of the guirellas which help to develop MC in his journey to pursue Aina. Overall, in terms of character development this series did exceptionally well with introducing and maintaining development of main characters. As such, I will be rating this series a well deserved 8/10.

I think in this anime gundam makes it not look like a gundam series. To what I mean, you always have a very young protagonist, with deficiencies and for one thing or another they are dragged into war. Here we see a captain who is the ace of the unit, of all the protagonists that I saw in the saga I believe that this is the worst pilot. He was not leading his team, I find it very interesting how the series breaks the typical scheme. We also see a happy ending that there is practically never in the gundam universe that I liked.
The animation ... is decent for the time, it could be better but it doesn't bother your eyes. The soundtrack meets and the character design does too. There is nothing that stands out above average, but it is still an entertaining gundam series. I can not recommend it because there are many better things about gundam that you can see but hey, I'm seeing the whole saga.
En español:
Creo que en este anime gundam hace que no parezca una serie de gundam. A lo que me refiero siempre tenes protagonista muy jovenes, con carencias y por una u otra cosa se ven arrastrados a la guerra. Aca vemos a un capitan que es el as de la unidad, de todos los protaginsta que vie en la saga yo creo que este es el mas malo piloteando. No hacia liderando su equipo, me parece muy interesante como la serie rompe el esquema tipico. Tambien vemos un final feliz que practicamente nunca hay en el universo de gundam eso me gusto.
La animacion es decente para la epoca, podria ser mejor pero no te molesta a los ojos. La banda sonora cumple y el diseño de personajes tambien. No hay nada que destaca sobre encima de la media, pero sigue siendo una serie de gundam entretenida. No la puedo recoemndar porque hay muchas cosas mejores de gundam que podes ver pero bueno yo me estoy viendo toda la saga.

I come from Seed, Destiny and 00.

Too much melodrama, tropes everywhere, politics makes basically no sense. World War 1 trench warfare makes more sense in terms of strategy, except clearly there's some scenes and animation where they're copying Gulf War 1 footage, some Vietnam, and some Korea.

And then there's random bits where the Sieg Zeon stuff comes out, there's a human experimentation episode.

The show is a confusing mess of scenery, a lack of clarity and realism (sometimes they care about war crimes, and going AWOL, most of the time they don't), and the animation is either terrible or fantastic, depending on how the art ... director felt that day, I guess.

I would not have finished this show if the character designs for the women weren't so gersh darned passable. The action scenes that are good are rare, like once every 2 episodes, for about 6 minutes of action.

Man, the UC series are just _bad_ if you want military realism or any real commitment to anything.

A great Gundam show. Like the previous OVAs, this one is different in tone compared to main series. It follows a squadron in the midst of the One Year War, the same setting for the previous OVA series as well. It is unique in that it focuses more on the everyday actions of regular Federation soldiers without being focused on a Gundam pilot saving the world (though that changes somewhat in the last few episodes when we reach the climax and of course the heroes have to confront the villain). It's more gritty and down-to-earth than other series in Gundam, and the closest thing to ... it is the highly-acclaimed War in the Pocket. There's a strong emphasis on maintenance of the Gundams, and the battles seems much dirtier than normal. Also at the center of the plot is a Romeo and Juliet-type romance, with love triangles and unrequited love in the background. It's not very obnoxious, though. The initial romance is somewhat rushed, but after that its mostly smooth sailing.

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 ... against the Principality of Zeon and their mechs. A key difference from most other Gundam series which tend to be space based is that excluding the first episode, this series takes place exclusively on earth, offering a more grounded (pun intended) take on the beloved mecha series. Another factor is that the 8th MS Team places a higher emphasis on romance than most other mecha anime, with a key part of the plot being the relationship between the Gundam pilot Shiro and the Zeon noble Aina.

Starting with the positives, despite the fact that it was released in 1996 the animation and sound of the 8th MS Team has aged fantastically well. The animation, especially the fights between the mecha, is more the most part fluid and well done, especially the latter episodes. Something I enjoyed was the attention to detail, for example all three of the mobile suit mechs in the 8th MS Team have slight differences reflecting the personalities of their pilots. For example in one episode Karen's mobile suit gets damaged, and for the rest of the series her mech has a slightly different head piece than the rest. The music, including the opening and ending songs, was very good, although perhaps a little too upbeat for a series focusing on the sobering effects of war.

The 8th MS Team also boasts a great and endearing caste of characters. On the Feds/Mobile Suit side we have Shiro, the typical idealist protagonist, Michel the naive mechanic, Terry Sanders, a veteran soldier who feels the guilt of seeing too many of his comrades die, Karen the no-nonsense female member of the crew, Kiki, a villager who often helps them out, and Eledore, the soldier who would rather be a singer. The opposing Zeon side also had some good characters, such as Aina the love interest of Shiro who is also a bit of an idealist, Ginas her mad-scientist brother, and Norris their honorable guardian. I liked how even the more badass characters like Shiro, Terry, and Karen still had moments of weakness when they had to be rescued, and other more wimpy characters such as Michel still had their moments of strength. Compared to a lot of other mecha anime this one was much more character based and driven, and no matter what personality you have you're sure to find a character you can relate to.

Now for the negatives, something I feel the 8th MS Team really struggled with was pacing. Despite being only 12 episodes long, relatively short for a Gundam series, many of the episodes felt like filler because they would always end with the same status quo with which they started. It really only felt that towards the latter part of the series that there was any serious development plot wise. Also, Shiro and Aina's romantic relationship does make much sense; they're literally trying to kill each other and then they make eye contact for a couple seconds and Shiro acts nice towards Aina which results in both of them falling madly in love with one another.

Another issue I had with the show was the constant immature humor and fan-service in the show. For a series that tries to portray the brutality of war it really killed the mood when stupid anime trope of a guy innocently walks into a girl bathing and gets called a pervert, as happens in episode when for a good minuet Kiki gets naked to swim in the water fall as an excuse for her to shove her assets all in the viewer's and Shiro's face. That's the worst example, but their plenty of others, such as Eldore grouping Karen's breast or how despite being in the tundra they still managed to fit in a hot spring episode of Aina and Shiro bathing naked together.

Being a tad pedantic now, but I also felt the fights in the 8th MS Team were a bit inconsistent. There are times in the show when their mechs would take multiple shots from point-blank range and the protagonists would only have a few scratches and bruises, while there were other times just one hit would make the mechs blow up. In one particularly notable example two of the main characters fight for what seems like a long time, with both their mobile suits being severely damaged, but soon after another mech just shots a laser beam at a massive ship for a couple seconds and that's all it takes to make said ship completely explode.

Lastly the worst part of this series is the final episode. Episodes 10 & 11 are very much the climax and conclusion of the show, episode 12 begins with a pointless time-skip and introduction to meaningless side characters and consist of Kiki and Michel going around acting like idiots only to discover at the end what had already been established at the end of episode 11. The whole episode is incredibly boring and disposable in an otherwise action-packed show. This episode was one of the main reasons I dropped my rating for the 8th MS Team from what would've been a 9 or 8/10 to a solid 7/10.

In conclusion I think the 8th MS Team is a good show and a worthy addition to the Gundam franchise, but at the same time I feel the praise it gets is a bit overblown. Viewers of the anime will be treated to great animation and good character development, but personally I was bothered by the less stellar parts of the show, and if you are planning on watching this I highly recommend you skip the twelfth episode.

**SUMMARIZED REVIEW** go further down for in depth review

STORY [6/10 ]-All in All the story is fair, I don't see it as a masterpiece but it was good enough that it didn't take away from the show as a whole.

ART[7/10]-The Art style I feel is Good. The animation is crisp and clean especially for the time period.

SOUND [5/10]- The soundtrack is not bad by any means but I cannot find myself rating it any better than just average/mediocre, not memorable and not a selling point for the show in my opinion.

CHARACTER [7/10]- Some of the characters designs do come off as ... plain and it is clear that most of the time went into designing Aina and Shiro look really well together but overall there isn't much to complain about in this category.

ENJOYMENT [9/10]- personally this was one of the most enjoyable Gundam experiences that I've had in a long time, obviously not comparable to the original which I would give a ten out of ten. But honestly the unexpected path this story took was really nice and a break from the all out warfare and carnage that almost every Gundam show clearly focuses on

OVERALL [7/10]- Overall this was a great experience for me and I am so glad I found this gem
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FULL REVIEW

STORY [6/10] This is another example of the "star Crossed lovers" art trope. Its a tried and truth method of storytelling and this anime is no slouch in this department. While It is not your average Gundam story, It had enough of what I love about the series and It was also different enough that it felt fresh and new. The world building is great as its set during the one year war which is one of the most brutal parts of the UC timeline. The combat is visceral and real, these are soldiers, not Gundam Meisters and it shows. The setting is beautiful and is in stark contrast to the brutal and visceral combat of the Gundam series and it honestly gave me full metal jacket/ apocalypse now vibes. All in All the story is fair, I don't see it as a masterpiece but it was good enough that it didn't take away from the show as a whole.
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ART[7/10] - The Art style I feel is Good. The animation is crisp and clean especially for the time period. The explosions carried weight and the sight of energy sabre slicing through Zeon MS was a site to behold. I was engrossed in every combat scene, every vista and every conversation. The color was bright and vibrant and really showed some talent in its intricate details, I really could feel the love and passion that went into this show and I appreciated it immensely. Some of the characters designs do come off as plain and it is clear that most of the time went into designing Aina and Shiro look really well together but overall there isn't much to complain about in this category.
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SOUND [5/10]- The soundtrack wasn't extremely memorable to me and this all comes down to opinion. Sometimes there would be upbeat music playing after a enemy fighter was shot down, even if it was a close friend to Aina (shiros Zeon lover) or there would be out of place music playing during an intense fight scene...at least that's how it felt to me. The soundtrack is not bad by any means but I cannot find myself rating it any better than just average/mediocre, not memorable and not a selling point for the show in my opinion.
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CHARACTER [7/10]- This was a mixed bag for me, what is clear is that most if not all of the character development went into the two main characters Aina and Shiro. These two characters completely carry the show and it seems like the supporting cast had a lot that was left unexplored and they could have been fleshed out much better. I understand that in a short OVA they have to be careful not to take on to much but the truth is most of the supporting cast were an afterthought, it seemed the writers wanted to do something for all of the side characters but then kind of stopped with their development halfway through the show. The good news is I feel shiro and Aina really carry the show in this aspect. Some will find the characters Naivety annoying but I found their focus on Ideals and compassion very refreshing, especially considering when you look at other Gundam shows and its just 40 episodes of battle after battle with no in between and don't get me wrong, this is what got me into Gundam originally....but this change up to focus on more than just that was really refreshing to me and in the end I thought the characters were very good, while not fleshed out, they were loveable and very easy to root for.
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ENJOYMENT [9/10] personally this was one of the most enjoyable Gundam experiences that I've had in a long time, obviously not comparable to the original which I would give a ten out of ten. But honestly the unexpected path this story took was really nice and a break from the all out warfare and carnage that almost every Gundam show clearly focuses on to highlight the heartbreak and pain of war over time. This show was a gem for me and I binged it quickly, I can honestly say I am so glad I found this show and think every Gundam fan should give it a fair chance
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OVERALL [7/10] This is not your average Gundam experience and there is some depth to it. The story is different and good in a lot of ways, the art style is really great and fits the tone and setting perfectly. Its obv a little dated but still really good . For me the soundtrack is lacking but the voice acting is really good so it is a mixed bag in the department. The characters are loveable and its easy to understand their motivations and It was very easy for me to put myself in their shoes. Overall this was a great experience for me and I am so glad I found this gem

8th MS Team certainly stands as being one of my favorites of the Gundam franchise that I consider to be a great companion to War in the Pocket. It has the maturity to analyze the nature of conflict in a very sobering way, but didn't set out to emotionally wreck me - which is something that I can appreciate. No, instead this series stands to highlight a very hopeful message and really sell it in the context of the story, which has a very tragic narrative backdrop.

The animation is stellar. Fighting seems very grounded and realistic, by nature of the mechs being on the ground ... for the majority of the series and not in space. Each battle ends up being very destructive, with buildings and forestry crumbling beneath heavy gunfire and explosions.

The story is something that I can get behind. The writing takes great pains to humanize both sides of the central conflict which casts a moral greyness across everything that happens with the main cast. Extending from this, each of the main characters - while not anything groundbreaking - showcase enough depth and believability for me to want to root for them in their struggles.

This is one of the 'greats' when it comes to Gundam and should be essential viewing to any fan. Broader mecha fans will likely enjoy the robot designs and spectacle of the fight scenes - and anyone else can easily get wrapped up in the endearing cast and intrigue which casts itself across all the episodes.

It's idealism meets the brutal realities of war in this series, and surprisingly, it worked pretty well for me. What started off as a sort of star-crossed lovers story turned into an Earth-based battle between Zeon and the Federation with both sides featuring their share of dudes willing to do whatever it takes to come out on top. There's also a fair share of more honorable people on both sides, but they come in various shades of gray... at least at first. Yeah, there's not a lot of gray by the end - people largely fall on the light or dark sides of the coin, ... and there's not a lot of room in between. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean there's not a lot of depth to the moral conflict. There's more to the actual combat between these two sides, and given where this resides on the timeline, it's certainly a pivotal time in the war, so the desperation of both sides is palpable and the fight scenes are pretty brutal, showcasing wartime tactics and less than careful strategy in a lot of cases that feels more realistic. There's also no sense that there's a single person who is piloting a powerful mech that can turns the tides of the battles - it all feels very much like a group effort.

All this being said, while I liked how most of this series went, I can't say it stuck the landing for me. A little too happy of an ending given the circumstances, and while we get some background on some of these characters, there's missing pieces that would have been worth filling in. Still, the journey was a good one.

This show started with a great premise vietnam with giant robots and a romeo and juliet subplot but no the romance between the those characters is used in 3 episodes max. and the nam with giant robots amounts to 2 mechs just standing there shooting eachother but every 5 seconds lets show the pilots grunting (i get thats 90's mecha but still). the ending is bad. the side characters are underused. the op and ed is mid. and the fanservice is so out of place the show is like "look at that pinup in the corner BOOOOOOOOBIES" im just like idc i want gaint robots. ... is this worth watching no, at least not for me i'm not a gundam die hard (iv'e seen a couple of them) but the first 3 or 4 ish episodes are good at least like a 6/10 but the show it's self is like a 3/10. wow this is the only negative review.