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.
