Gundam: 08th MS Team.
Those words in themselves hold a special place in my heart. Being one of the first Gundam series I've ever watched as well as one of the first anime series I've ever watched. Having seen a few black and white episodes of those old giant robo type anime, I couldn't get into them. It wasn't believeable to my little mind. However, early mornings before school, catching this on the television did something to me. I'd draw Gundam heads in my notebook at school. It took the whole Mecha genre and made what was fantasy and ubsurd into something tangible and real. I could see it as a possibility that one day, there would be Gundams.
Anyway, after 10 or so years I decided to rewatch it. Does it still have that something that enamored me so during my childhood? Yes. I think so.
Animation - Even though it is dated, it is hand drawn and still looks great
The animation in 08th MS Team is fantastic. The Gundams look great. During battles, the damage they receive looks realistic and soley on animation alone, without the connection you get with the characters. It gets you on the edge of your seat. The battles look nice and they are well choreographed. You could really believe that there are these massive mecha's moving around. You can see the weight shift as they walk or recoil from an attack.
The character interactions, not getting into development, are great. Their movements and reactions to explosions are believeable and create a sense of concern for their well being. There are a few fist fight scenes and the punches look like real film punches. The way the body reacts and the face contorts, the bruising afterwards.
The backgrounds are wonderfully detailed and have a nice pastel coloring to them at times. Everything works well together and you really get a sense that these mecha and people are really interacting with the environments around them. I didn't feel at all that these were layered cell paintings. Which the coloration and quality of those in themselves was great.
Sound - Great, along with most everything else
I don't recall the dubs, as I was only 11 or so when I watched them on TV, however watching this now, the japanese cast does a wonderful job with their respective characters. Maybe I am being a little biased, but I never thought about the actors standing in booths around a microphone. I really felt that these characters were alive and I was watching a film, albeit an animated one.
The OP is nice, along with the ED. It was very fitting and very catchy. As for the background music, that was nice too. You really notice it when there is something wrong and you don't when it is doing something right. This must have been doing a fantastic job because I didn't think about the background music or sound effects at all. I cannot recall a moment where I thought something didn't fit. The beam rifles sounded nice as well with the gun shots from both the Mechas, pistols and vulcan cannons mounted on the hover trucks. Even the vehicle sounds sounded right.
Story - Not much going on really, but it sure sucks you in
On paper, there really isn't much of a story aside from a regular gundam series. Zeon versus the Federation, each side has its supporting fans, each side has their reasons for battle. It is the characters that really make it interesting, you can really connect with Shiro and his unit, Kiki and the guerillas, Aina and the Zeon.
The story is about Shiro and how he comes to earth to command the 08th Unit of the Gundam Ground Force. His budding connections with a friend he made on the journey down, to a pilot that he saved, or the preconcieved notions that the other units have about him. How he encouters Aina and assists her and eventually falling for her, how a budding romance fares in the midst of war, especially when the lovers are on opposite factions.
There are twists and turns, ups and downs. Moments where you are happy and are rooting for Shiro and Aina, moments where you are angry at the stupidity of the war and how each side invisions the other and treats them. Going so far as to think of Shiro as a spy and traitor just because he loves a woman on the enemy side.
Character Development - The meat of the show
This is the really the best part of the show. Sure the sound is nice and the animation looks good and the story reminds you of Romeo and Juliet. It is the characters and their resulting developments that really grab you by the balls and shake you around until you don't know if you are a man or a woman. (Sorry, had to quote Vice City :P )
I got a little into the developments in the story section.
Shiro is the new commander of the 08th MS Team. He falls in love with Aina.
Aina is the sister of a Zeonist Scientist that creates a doozy of a weapon and she is the one that does the test flights. She is saved by Shiro a few times as well as saves him. She also loves him.
Karen is the teams hardassed veteran. She is strict but cares about her unit.
Michel is in love with a girl named B.B. and writes her letters. He serves as support along with Eledore.
Eledore is the support for the 08th Team and loves women. He openly likes Karen and protects her when he can.
Sanders is the pilot saved by Shiro in the first episode. He is loyal to Shiro and the unit.
Kiki is the daughter of the guerillas leader. She has a crush on Shiro and together with him they form a truce between the Federation and the Guerillas.
There are the main characters out of the way and a little about them.
The way they interact and grow to like one another really helps you to connect with them. You want to protect them when they are in danger, you get angry when they are in trouble or do something stupid. There will be of course, characters that you will like more than the others but the whole cast comes together wonderfully to make this a very believeable series.
New Addition
One thing, for me, that makes this series stand out against the other Gundam series; besides the more believable story line, the series is fairly realistic. Common problems with vehicles such as break downs and sand plugging up filters happen in this series. The mobile suits aren't as durable as other series, one example is a village of guerillas taking down 3 zakus with nothing more than RPGs and assault rifles. Another aspect that I like is that the only Ace pilot, Norris, is regarded as such. He single handedly takes out the 08th MS team and it is only by team work and sheer balls that he is taken down, but not before inflicting massive damage. The inexperience of the pilots also plays a part, aim is horrible and some times completely miss their targets. Which isn't an unheard of thing in combat with newbies. Damage is realistic and even the mere act of falling down causes damage to the mobile suits, which is almost unheard of in other series.
Lastly, I like the psychological aspect of this series. The things Shiro and the 08th Team go through, the things they face and their resulting thought processes really play a part to help connect you with the characters. The discussion of tactics and using the surroundings as cover, flanking the enemy and even hesitating to engage the enemy on a one to one basis.
Value and Enjoyment - I loved this series, as I am sure any fan of the Gundam franchise will too
I highly recommend this one to fans of the mecha genre. Even more so if you like previous Gundam titles. I don't know if I was able to correcly convey how this has a special place in my heart, but even if you are a jaded cynical viewer that has seen a fair share of mecha titles. I am 99.9% certain that you will still love this series. Maybe not as much as a 9 or a 10 in rating like myself, but surely more than a 6 or 7. Although I'd like to say that if you don't, you just don't "get" this little series... but difference in taste accounts for something.
Value wise, I don't know how important it is to the overall Gundam metaseries, but I know it is certainly an enjoyable one.
