I won’t lie, I picked up this series before the original series. In retrospect I understand how absurd that is. Trust me, I am thoroughly embarrassed by having admitted that. But this was recommended to me, and I watched the first episode on a whim. Much to my surprise, by the time the episode finished I was not only in shock, but thoroughly confused. Not so much by the plot, but because of how erratic characters were from the start, specifically that Kamille kid. I thought this kid’s actions were so violent and over the top. “This kid had to have had trauma from an event in 0079, huh?” was my only rationalization for his behavior. I was also left wondering why this place called Side 3 was under attack for a hardly discernible reason. So I did my homework, watched the original MSG, and came back to Zeta. Confident that I’d be less confused. NOPE, Kamille’s nonsensical actions along with seeing the AEUG lauded as the protagonists of sorts still eluded me. Had I only known what was in store for me beyond that first episode. This series is often duped as the darkest Gundam series in the franchise. So why is such a dreary Gundam installment one of my all time favorite anime? Also to the people on MAL who said you can watch this without having seen the original series, stop putting out misinformation, or else…
The original Gundam had its share of moments with melodrama, dealing with death, deceiting your comrades, and judging others by what they appear to be rather than who they actually are. Zeta takes this concept and runs buckwild with. Death up the wazoo, killing your family, killing your romantic partner, killing your mom, killing your dad, killing your personality. Lots of killing. Don’t forget all the crying, fighting, and slapping. To say that this is a step in a more serious direction than 0079 is an understatement. That’s not to say that “edgier=better”, but there were situations in the original Gundam where the situations felt weightless. Or at the very least, like everything’s going to turn out okay. The same cannot be said for Zeta. You can never tell which characters will live or die, and from the get-go the situations have much more emotional baggage behind them. Within the first few episodes, Kamille is being blackmailed with his mother’s life on the line, and his father sides with the titans. If there’s one thing this show doesn’t do, it’s kid around.
One thing this show does do, is have excellent visuals. Unlike many I enjoyed 0079’s artstyle/animation, and still do. However it goes without saying that I preferred Zeta’s grittier, shadow heavy, battle hardened character designs. And its dark, ambiguous chic is visually impressive and pleasing to look at. I think of Zeta’s artstyle as the prime example of gritty, stouthearted mid 80s mecha anime. The dark atmosphere exacerbated by the show’s use of dirty pastel colors fills the show with a looming sense of dread and much like the characters, you never know what’s lurking beyond the shadows. It should also go without saying that the mobile suits have also gotten a huge visual upgrade since before. With much more attention to detail giving the suits steely and rugged designs. Minus Char’s and my favorite Suit, Haman Karn’s. Also known as the “AMX-004 Qubeley”. With its smooth and swift design, it nicely contrasts the other more rigid suits in the series. Appearing like a hybrid between a moth and an elegant knight. With white being its primary color, and touches of pink and purple throughout its troughs. Despite Zeta’s darker aesthetic, it still has a shimmery sheen of an optimistic light glossing over it, an accolade only mutually exclusive to Zeta, and Zeta alone.
Another mutually exclusive positive aspect of Zeta is the way its characters are written. If it’s not abundantly clear by this point, the characters can seem psychotic. In fact, I’ve heard many call the cast and their actions chaotic, schizophrenic, idiotic, and erratic. And those are all well deserved. That’s why Zeta’s writing and its characters are my favorite aspect of this show. More so than any anime I’ve seen thus far, Zeta perfectly articulates what it's like to act under pressure, acting on raw emotion over reasoning. Never have I ever seen a show present the panic and seemingly outrageous decisions most people would realistically make in times of war or under extreme amounts of pressure. This show demonstrates exactly why more anime shouldn’t include the MC’s internal thought process. It makes these situations more true to life, and unpredictable. You can only sit there and speculate what’s going to happen next, there’s hardly any rhyme or reason to the actions these characters do in the moment, just like in times of distress. Not many shows do that in the same way that Zeta does, which it excels at.
In fact, Kamille’s entire reason for joining the AEUG is because of his raw and visceral hatred towards the titans. Not for some noble cause, he just wants revenge. Kamille is an angsty, insecure teenager who acts on impulse and resorts to violence as soon as possible. Much like Kamille, the rest of the cast is just colorful and big in their personalities. My favorite being Char. Now with an even bigger appreciation for Earth, and even lower opinion of Zeon, decides to side with the AEUG. He takes on an older brother/mentor role towards Kamille. Don’t be fooled by me duping him as such, Char still struggles with opening up his emotions and being straight forward. Char tries his hardest to not only keep his cool, but to also look the part. But even Char himself is prone to emotional outburst. And that goes for all the characters in this show. No matter the faction, they are always at wits end and make little to no sense in their actions. Usually when people work together towards a shared goal there’s a sense of relief especially if everyone’s on the same page. Not with Zeta, in fact engaging with each other usually makes the situation they’re in worse than it needs to be. It’s also in Zeta that we’re introduced to cyber-newtypes who act as off putting and weird as the process required to create them. The only characters with a modicum of common sense and good moral judgment aboard the Argama are Cpt. Bright and Emma. The latter of which isn’t present much in the latter half of the series. Leaving Bright to once again take on the role of the Argama’s babysitter.
On the complete opposite spectrum of Bright and Emma you have Recoa. Like many, Recoa was one of my least favorite characters for some of her actions down the line. Though upon some research this may not be entirely a fault on the writer’s behalf. There’s a point where she begins to lament about how she’s never been treated like a woman. Feeling as if men use women and “humiliate” them. Many suspect that “humiliate” in this context is a rough translation of a japanese word/phrase that alludes to feeling shameful, particularly after being a victim of sexual assault. This makes her feel more comfortable in the arms of Scirocco (Axis leader/professional groomer) who, on the surface, treats her more like a woman, than Char who’s too cool for school. Despite their erratic nature, the characters and their relationships to one another are the heart and soul of this show. And trust me, I can write another essay detailing my favorite and least favorite aspects of each and every character, but I’ll spare you the pain…for now.
Instead I’d like to switch my attention to the show’s aural department. Firstly with that initial opening, I may hum “Anime Ja Nai '' more often to myself. But nothing got me more psyched for an episode than hearing “Toki wo Koete '' by Mami Ayukawa. Those epic drum tom hits and snare snaps sounding like a rocket is being shot, that begins to gradually increase in speed before turning into a lucid and cool upbeat space synth song is an audio experience second to none. Couple that with the visual flair of the opening. Where the mobile suit’s eyes illuminate through the shadows piercing through the viewer’s screen. And lastly, I must give props to Kamille’s, Amuro’s, Bright’s, Haman’s, and Char’s seiyuu. All of which did more than just bring their character’s to life, as their voices oozed through my ear canals with their distinct personalities. Especially when anybody, especially Shūichi Ikeda as Char, says either, “Haman Karn…” or “Amuro…”. Or anybody yelling Kamille’s name as he’s running off doing something he probably shouldn’t.
As hilarious as Kamille’s action can be, it’s truly devastating to imagine what the kid is going through mentally. So why is such a depressing installment of Gundam one of my all time favorite anime? Zeta Gundam is about as insane as you can make a story, while still retaining the ability to tell a brilliant, touching, and cohesive narrative. And though the character’s actions can be amusing to watch, this show is anything but a joke. It pulls no punches in presenting the chaos and heartbreak that war and an unchecked government brings. This show is groundbreaking for anime as a whole, not just gundam. This series was able to present an audaciously scary chronicle of events where the main antagonist is left up to interpretation, but with tension so thick that it’s almost tangible. To think Gundam started out as a toy commercial!
