Reviews

The original Mobile Suit Gundam (MSG) was something of a sleeper hit, having failed to garner a lot of attention during its initial airing. The successful merchandising of gunpla, reruns, and other factors helped it reach a wider audience by the mid-80s. A sequel seemed inevitable. Yoshiyuki Tomino returned as the director, the legendary Kunio Okawara was once again the mechanical designer, and even Yoshikazu Yasuhiko pushed the project forward with his striking character design. The result is a confident sequel that retains the creativity of its predecessor while throwing in more than a few tricks of its own. The original MSG has been derided for its stiff animation, a shortcoming that Zeta dodges thanks to its fluidity and art style. My favorite part of the visuals is the character design, which pops on the screen with variety. You need to look no further than the second opening of the show to see it in action, with its villain in bright white and heroes in darker hues. The mobile suit design is sleeker and arguably less blocky, with a lot more color variation. The Dijeh and The O stand out in particular.

The story of Zeta Gundam is a brilliant inversion of the preceding entry, and the returning characters are vital in demonstrating that the Universal Century has changed for the worse. The protagonist Kamille Bidan is a young man who has been shaped by cruel times, and his journey on screen is a slow but rewarding one. Supporting characters have narrative arcs that get nurtured and developed throughout the show alongside the main character, which I found interesting if not occasionally dull (50 episodes is a lot). In particular, I enjoyed the character of Katz, who serves as an excellent foil to the new and old characters alike. Every episode has a sortie, but the danger and events differ wildly with each one. As I watched I learned that every fight would pose a question: who is fighting who? Who are the dreamers, the cynics, the bastards? Zeta uses every scene as an opportunity to build its characters and world, but only rewards those who pay close attention. It's closer to a character drama than an adventure show, which will understandably throw many off: but if you stick with it, you'll find it's an outstanding tale.

Zeta Gundam is a great franchise entry and consistently ranked as one of the best for good reason. If you are interested in anime and have patience for deep plots and quirky characters, Zeta is a must-watch.