In short, we begin with an expedition dump saying how Earth has split in two. One half is the Earth Federation that wants to preserve life on Earth as we explore the new frontier(space) and the Zeon who want independence from the Earth Federation, and later want to eliminate all Earth’s inhabitants, believing that they, the Zeon, are superior. The two sides have been at a stalemate for awhile, until one dumbass decides that he can neuter one of the EF’s best assets (an area called slide 7) on his own. Which ends up destroying a military base and killing thousands of innocent civilians. It’s here we follow our protagonist Amuro as he accidentally stumbles into a Gundam, a giant humanoid battle mech. And from here our story between good and evil (with a moral gray area) begins.
And that’s the briefest synopsis I can give about the story. More about what I found most intrinsically enjoyable about the story and the writing later on, for now I’d want to turn my attention to the visual spectacle of it all. For a series that was made in 1979, I must say that the action sequences hold up extremely well. I don’t understand this ongoing contingency that it’s too outdated or sluggish for modern viewing. As someone who watched this for the first time in the year 2022, I was jawstricken by the sheer magnitude of both the battles themselves and the scope of the narrative. Between this and the fights in LOGH, both convinced me that space war isn’t much different than real war, and also getting your ship blasted by a laser offers anything but a quick and easy death. No, as if the explosions weren’t enough to demonstrate how violent these battles are, it’s only increased tenfold when a Gundam uses its saber-beam to slice or impale the cockpit. This is where the pilot lies, and you are explicitly shown the horror the pilot faces as the cockpit has been obliterated.
Not to linger on the action much longer, but each movement of the mechs have real weight to them. Same goes for any movement that occurs in a spot with zero gravity. Where even the faintest of flicks on a forehead can send someone flying in the other direction. There may not be much blood, or any instance of gore that I can immediately recall, but this is by no means a non-violent show. The only aspect that might be more grotesque than the violence is all the drama and romance. Because by god, is this show filled to the brim with it.
Throughout this huge war, the war over who gets Amuro’s heart wages on in the background. Which is a component of this show that I initially scoffed off, but I’ve grown more fond of it in retrospect. I recall initially thinking that the romance was a waste of Amuro’s energy, since throughout the series it’s shown that Amuro struggles to keep it in his pants, and that despite his loyal to a fault like nature, his stints with being romantic towards others felt like unnecessary bumps in the road that deviated from his main mission. However after revisiting this series after watching subsequent gundam shows, I must say that I ended up admiring the emphasis this show in particular puts on romance, intimacy, and relationships in general. Because honestly, how can you make a compelling space-war saga without love playing a crucial role? I now enjoy that it’s this series that introduces us to a “love-triangle” of sorts that ends up putting the fate of humanity on Earth at stake at some point in the future. It also humanizes all players involved in this conflict despite its huge scope, and that just makes each casualty of war felt that just more.
Whether that be through a spy pretending to love a soldier to squander information out of them, love interests changing over the course of war, or two-players caught in a love triangle trying to pin whether they love the girl as a girlfriend or as like a mother, this Gundam is not only the catalyst for establishing romance as a crucial aspect to this series, but also cementing that in order to have lost, you had to have loved. And this series does not let up on snipping away the emotional strings you have to certain characters throughout the story.
No matter the era, when it comes to story-telling, genres such as romance are timeless. However, an aspect of a story that can age closer to that of milk than of wine are its visuals. Which is a crucial component when it comes to animation, especially that of which from a series that came out in 1979. So how does this series stand up visually? Aside from some animation errors and stiltyness, I honestly did not see much wrong with how the series looked, contrary to everything I’ve heard up till finally watching this for myself. Sure it can be a little stiff and the characters can make odd faces at times, not to mention the movements of the Gundam itself can be quite frozen at times, but otherwise it’s phenomenal in the visual department and has its own unique charm and whimsy. We’re also constantly given a variety of settings, since we’re traveling across the globe and galaxy that is. The show does a wonderful job capturing the distinct aura each location emits. From more desert heavy lands, to a panicking space shuttle, the swampy boonies, this show doesn’t let down on its immersion.
Speaking of immersion, (see what I did there?) the immersion I have into the Gundam universe is only bolstered by its soundtrack. Feeling grand and epic during a battle, and building tension during moments of suspense. However there’s a moment in Slide 6, where Amuro is on his way to meet his dad and in the background it’s playing this incredibly jammy funk song. And that’s the way I’d describe the soundtrack, it’s this space-opera orchestral masterpiece with blurbs of random funk and synth songs that not only throw you for a loop but also manage to stick with you.
The dialogue and banter between characters are both fun to watch play out and immersive. I am always captivated by Char’s raw charisma and charming demeanor each time he’s on screen, and I found Amuro’s growth and struggles throughout the series to be harrowing and thought provoking. In that, I’d often ask myself if I’d rise up to the situation in a similar way he does in a situation. Whether that be seeing his loved ones meet a miserable fate, avenging his comrades, or developing a relationship with a being who possesses other-worldly powers, I can confidently say that Amuro is the most-level headed Gundam protagonist of the UC trilogy and comes across as the most human. That being said, he’s not my favorite, but I appreciate him much more now than I had in the past.
Much like how humane Amuro is in comparison to future gundam protagonists, he also works solidly as his own character but also not being too extreme of personality that he’s able to not lose the ability to act as an audience surrogate. And much like war, Amuro isn’t perfect and not everything is sunshine and roses, but is that the case with this series as a whole? Does this series hold up today? Gundam: 0079 is a series that I cherish with all my heart. It’s a series that started out as a mere toy-commercial that became an outstanding commentary on politics and war that sadly still holds up to this day. However, it’s with this series and its successors that we can apply its morals and messages to our own lives and truly make the change that series wants us to make in our society. Only truly then, can I say that I’m as cool as Char Aznable.
