I've been thinking about reviewing this one for a while now. I believe that given the current context, it's as good of a time as ever. This anime is one of those works that don't leave anyone indifferent, regardless of what their opinion about “those toys for children” is. In fact, I think it was precisely because the Gundam series had become such a powerful commercial and cultural phenomenon within the 10 years since its invention that this series was made. So as to not forget about the real meaning of the series.

War in the Pocket.

Because yeah, those figs, they're cool, their technology is impressive, and seeing them fight on the screen certainly can make one's blood boil with enthusiasm and stir what they like to call the 男のロマン, but they're still weapons of war. A gun's purpose is to kill. A rifle's aim is bloodshed. A bazooka's goal is destruction. And behind all of this destruction, one needs to remember about the lives who got lost, the meaning for those they leave behind, and the possibilities lost forever. As I write this, I can think of quite a few people on Earth who should understand those things. Or maybe they do but they don't care, which is even worse.

WitP is a stunning display of narrative chiaroscuro and contradictions, served with some of the most beautiful artwork in Japanese animated history, and with flawless animation and voiceacting. I've seen people say that it is one of the most beautiful OVAs ever made and I must say it is absolutely true. Released at the end of the 80s, the soil was fertile enough for making beauty bloom with the technological improvements and the use of some amazing talents, especially Mikimoto Haruhiko with his easily recognizable and beautifully crafted character designs, Mitsuo Iso's powerful realistic animation or Izubuchi Yutaka's detailed machinery. I also have a very soft spot for the heartwrenchingly melancholic ED (which is saying a lot given that I almost never watch EDs) with its made-up "pictures" of civilians posing with symbols/weapons of war, almost as if to both highlight the incongruity of such a pairing, as well as the triumph of life over war.

While WitP talks about war, it only focuses on the smaller scale, true to its name. While it wants to be about war, it makes us dread the inevitable fighting. And while it absolutely is about war, ultimately, none of the events of the OVA even mattered in the grand scheme of things. The operation was a failure, the nuclear destruction wouldn't have happened no matter the fate of the Gundam robot, the war would have ended the same way regardless of the outcome.

As we watch this OVA, we wish that Hardie, Gabriel and Mikhail would just keep smoking, drinking and laughing together. And yet, they meet their doom in some of the most « beautiful » show of « restrained display » that I know of.
We wish that Al would just never lose that spark of innocent joy and keep laughing with his friends. Wish that Bernie would find the chance to invite Chris for a drink and maybe be happy together. And yet, by the most tragic twist of fate worthy of a Greek tragedy, it is by her hand that Bernie would meet his doom, fighting a pointless battle.

And Al's presence and actions never even left an impact. How could they, war is too big, too complex, too cruel of a thing for children to play a part in, when those massive robots flatten entire schools and houses just by fighting nearby. All that matters to Al is that he lost his dear friend, and now 'his' world will never be the same again.

We're in 1989, the world is stirring, trying to free itself from the shadows of old. In a few months, the Wall of Berlin would fall. Within two years, the Cold War would end. And Gundam delivered its best and most poignant anti-war story.

Belated Merry Christmas.