don’t get me wrong, it’s a fabulous show, but the animation is almost unarguably shoddy at times (maybe animation is not the best word). moving directly from msg to zeta, the zero-g environments in particular seem not-very-zero-g in MSG relative to zeta, though both “cheat” a lot and let people stand around (is there a canon explanation for this? magnetic boots?) apparently the film trilogy tightens some of the animation up, adds a few scenes and some dialogue (while obviously removing a ton of other stuff, entire episodes in some cases), and removes the modular gundam stuff
that’s not to say the design isn’t great, and of course the OP is gorgeous
On ships yes, supposedly magnets and velcro. And the Argama at least does have those gravity blocks, though it doesn’t have them out all the time. How lunar cities get 1G when it’s still low G outside has never been addressed AFAIK.
I watched a Gundam show for the first time last night, the first of the three movies that are a repackaging of the original show. (It’s the cleaned-up Blu-ray version.)
It’s good, and I would have loved it as a kid if I’d had access to it.
One nice thing about older anime shows is the lack of obvious computer graphics clashing with the hand-drawn art. (I guess newer shows don’t have that problem because it’s more seamlessly integrated.)
As I understand it, the next thing to see if I want to continue is Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, but in that case consensus seems to be that the normal episodes are preferable to the condensed movies.
Yes, the “new translation” movies are not as well constructed as the original Gundam theatrical trilogy and also have new post-digital animation that really clashes awkwardly with the older stuff.
(I’m also the sort who thinks the series is absolutely the way to go for First Gundam, too, but many people disagree with me and I suppose I have to admit that 43 episodes of 1979 TV animation isn’t for everyone)
If you want a change of pace, watching the 6-episode 0080 War in the Pocket after the movies isn’t a bad way to go. It’s a side story with none of the same characters set at the end of the conflict depicted in Gundam (and it’s my favorite Gundam series outside of the OG). Overall, production-chronological is best, but this fits in pretty well as a disruption.
haven’t seen the movies, but this is how i went too and i very much enjoyed all of it. the pacing isn’t perfect and there’s a lot of filler scenes and even filler episodes and stuff but it’s still a great story and i wanted all i could get
Yeah. I like the movies well enough, but they’re a little too action-heavy and move too fast and you don’t get to know the characters well enough, imo.
I tried to pare down an “essential episode” list when I was working on my Gundam thesis for a proposed Gundam-centric class, but I found it very hard to find episodes that didn’t add something essential to the series–not just in terms of incremental plot developments, but really unfolding the narrative and themes. There’s some stuff that’s not amazing in the middle and maybe a couple episodes I straight up don’t care for.
Uh, I guess I just put together a list of my favorite Gundam series (that I’ve watched;movies omitted) in order from favorite to least favorite.
Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 War in the Pocket
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Turn A Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
After War Gundam X
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
Gundam Reconguista in G
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (half)
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
I only watched half of Wing. I struggled with whether to swap IBO and The Origin’s placements.
