Zeta Gundam is a sad, sad series, following a civil war between the shady AEUG and the brutal Titans, considered by many to be the best the UC series have to offer.
Art and animation have taken a huge step forward from the days of first Gundam, and while of course there are rough patches, there is so much more detail work in some scenes that looks incredible, and characters are far more consistently on model. The new Mobile Suits are brilliant, and while I'm not really a fan of transforming MS, on the whole the new MS are all interesting and serve a bit more narrative purpose than before, as the new designs for both Titans and AEUG all have distinctly Zeonic designs, implying the former Zeon engineers were taken in by Anaheim. My favorites are the Gundam Mk.II and the Methuss.
The music is on another level. The new series composer, Saegusa creates the most foreboding pieces, that elevate the show and its drama beyond the average space mecha show, with exciting and iconic battle BGM, and incidental BMG that adds to the atmosphere of space, making the viewer feel small with loud brass that reverberates against the vacuum. Both OPs and EDs are brilliant, especially the 2nd OP.
The story is a heartbreaking tale of a child so disenfranchised no matter where he is, that he has to take comfort in fighting for a cause, and yet all it brings him is rage and sadness. Kamille, and the majority of the other characters are not likable most of the time, make many mistakes, say rude and hurtful things to each other, and cause everyone pain. But these characters are the series's absolute strength, showing them grow past their old flaws and grievances, and pick up new ones before they are plucked from the world before their time. A lot of these characters never wanted to be fighting another war, and never wanted to join AEUG or the Titans, because the ones who do want this war are monsters. The story is a pretty realistic continuation of first Gundam, and the decision to jump forward 7 years allows for the world and established characters to change meaningfully.
A highlight episode for me, one that encapsulates Zeta the best to me, is Episode 37: The Day of Dakar. Quattro's speech is just so impactful, and you can imagine how hard some of it is to hear for some of the Titans and Earth Federation. Seeing that a lot of the Titans don't really know what they're fighting for, the deconstruction of their propaganda, and the result of the speech leading to a shift in Federation support is a great moment to see unfold, it makes the viewer feel like they've just witnessed history, a major political event.
Zeta on the whole is a monumental series, that reflects the time, a history of civil unrest and freedom fighting, what defines things like brutality and terrorism, and the lives of ordinary people going through extraordinary circumstances. Zeta is a must watch, I can't say enough about it.
22.5 out of 23 users liked this review
