All due respect is given to this revolutionary title without second thought. One would basically be living under a rock were they unknowing of the breadth and depth of its success. No matter what I say here, it wouldn't ever touch its reputation. These are merely ramblings of a random person who thinks the very origin of the franchise feels inadequate in and of itself (final opinion should never be cemented in individual seasons comprising a whole, and it should never be taken too seriously when someone finds faults predominant in a certain part; practicing giving the benefit of the doubt while acknowledging the current state of affairs is the way to go), and I would be hard-pressed to believe otherwise when things are only getting started in the grand scheme of things, at least I hope it is.
Mobile Suit Gundam's length and its neverending series of battles actually finds strong defense against people who find it dragging and repetitive: it shares to the viewers the weariness of the White Base crew. As a type of war which has seen skyrocketing casualties in the span of around nine months, the first of it already having cut the global population in half, it is an essential step to dedicate time in staying put in the battlefield. Especially effective is the fatigue felt when our crew is filled with teenagers, unseasoned soldiers, regular civilians, or a mixture of the three, who have little idea on what they are doing. Not to mention that their victories rewarded them with more work. It was something else feeling like the episodes were a drag and yet being aware that this is but a drop of the exhaustion the main cast has been undergoing through.
What I perceived it has done, however, in focusing on the wasting of human lives instantaneously like a flicker, is neglect the worlds under and above the surface of human life itself.
Although it fulfilled its job of presenting the aftereffects of a world war: in causing the death of loved ones (Frau Bow's); providing vision to a widow's emotions; displaying the complete eradication of natural habitats; showing the existence of refugee camps; soldiers blinded by pursuit of valor and forsaking morality; generating loss and separation (Kai, Mirai, and Ryu); conflicting the relationship of once innocent people (Char and Sayla); sourcing the desire to retire and repay one's debts (Cucuruz Doan); the despondence of a mother upon witnessing her son participating in the cold war (Amuro and his mother); perpetuating the cycle of hatred (Amuro and Icelina); among few more things, it fails to hammer me with the hopelessness, the unkindness, the utter evil of human nature that it implied was the universal impression from the replayed recitations summarizing Universal Century 0079.
Zeon's condescension is an appropriate response to the burgeoning population as the antagonistic faction, yes. At the very least their ideology foils, making it thematically relevant. But I am yet to be convinced of their fervor to enact domination and superseding this model of mankind for superior ones without any reason for it--a "just-is" action cannot work for me here. A promising premise turns empty without support. By that same logic, the presentations I mentioned on the above paragraph lack profound substance if not used to install weight upon the gravity of the global crisis.
After fleeing Side 7 after its devastation, I understand that the people were suspended in tension enough to go through the first battles. However, it seemed so disturbing that Frau Bow did not so much as exhibit reactions one would be forced to show in response to such grievous loss. She lost her family, but she, an ordinary human being, seemed just fine after all of it, save the short instance of paralysis? She had the children and Amuro to cope up with the loss, but even then, it felt psychologically impairing were I to be in her shoes.
What was the purpose of Kai having his own little arc if he still remained the same as before? More eagerness to bring down Zeon shown in his better combat performance? The effect seemed minute and insubstantial that it can just be traced to his common behavior before the ordeal, rather than a concrete reason for some sort of development.
The same holds true with Amuro after he left his mother on Earth. What were the consequences of that event? His mother was not even mentioned after that, and there were more than a half of the anime left. One would have thought something so depressing as that would have left its mark to be frequently remembered, but Amuro was as coarse, as inept to sensibility like always. Pity when the imagery during the farewell was verily striking. I insert that episode on Cucuruz Doan's island where they talked about the beauty of transience in the midst of an era where the world is a graveyard. Keen notice of ephemera is indeed a movement to sit upon; such a beautiful inclusion!...until it's left to dust like the others. It's like the team felt that they have done their job to impact the audience and did not find the need to re-acknowledge it by layering it with more substance thereafter.
External elements away from the White Base crew, including the widow, the destruction of habitats, the refugee camp, the retired soldier, lacked a jarring element as a stimuli to elicit dread. Pieces were placed on the puzzle, but it felt so little in comparison to the magnification of metal battles. Through Gundam's establishment of 0079's state of humankind as something at the pits of favorability due to the massive scale of the war, it is a must to fortify the claim by making it so abundantly evident that people really are suffering. As it is, it lacked the emotional manipulation which would have made it believable. Maybe the foremost intent is the showcasing of choreographic mecha battles--I'm sold on that, for sure. I'm just left to want something more.
Moving outside the confines of battle once again, we find drama strutting through the grounds. How wonky everything regarding Mirai was. I thought her and Bright had a thing together. Then in a beat she was smitten by the lieutenant? Nothing short of cheesy was the four-way romance centering Mirai, and I really wished they didn't include that at all, or at least took the lieutenant from the equation.
Speaking of Bright, there were hints that he likes Sayla after all. Really, what was him and Mirai all about?
In relation to abrupt surprises we have Lala risking her life for Char for reasons that he was her savior...But how did he save her, is the question that was never answered at all. A gaping hole precludes the holistic formation of her character, which is sad because she indeed was the most intriguing addition to the story as a newtype.
Ah, yes, newtypes. It's a perfect segue to discuss about it. I'm actually quite invested in this major turning plot point because it explains Amuro's miraculous stand-off against Char in his first battle. We were led to believe it was all the Gundam's computer doing all the work, elevating its innovation to the highest highs when it could even carry an amateur fighting against one of the best pilots, and it was great in order to concentrate on mecha as an evolved weapon, as well as its connection to the pilots deploying it (the age old sentiment being man is humanity's best tool). And it turns out, Amuro had the potential to be superhuman from the beginning. Char, too, but his awakening is more delayed.
Not much detail is published on newtypes. The first season properly built up on it though despite announcing it on the final stretches. It achieved a level of excitement for Zeta. Indeed I little qualms at its addition. Lack of foreshadowing was an issue. The first Gihren speech was wrought with pretense of Zeon being the "good" nation in painting the Earth Federation as an oppressor. The second and final one, in raising morale before the siege against A Baoa Qu, exclaimed his true goal to the public: to only retain the superior breed of mankind. I don't think it helps the Zabi sovereignty when Gihren switches standing like that, from it being a justified war against evil to straight-up sweeping the planets off unwanted species. As such, that really wasn't a smart thing to do, but in the end the soldiers were all in for it for some reason. Of course the civilians never had their time to be in the spotlight.
These were the problems I've been riddled with in my watching experience. There is a lot to want; I haven't even touched Casval and Artesia's siblinghood. As for the positives, I actually have enjoyed both music and visuals. I did not feel production was an issue when the anime didn't play itself as so deficient in those departments given the era of its creation. Most noteworthy is that one image of Amuro's fierce face infused by the waves of Lala's influence, with her on the center. Such creative presentation which would have made me an instant faithful apostle of the franchise were I to see it in times prior to this version of how I look media, and were I not already hooked by the mobile suit fights. Those episodes were fitting of its cosmic setting, having reach throughout the edges of its scope. Mobile Suit Gundam would have been remiss to forego involvement of good ol' fate and destiny in the spiritual conversation between Amuro and Lala. Enough said, I was all in for it, and I will most certainly carry this sentiment as I continue through this dense franchise.
