The Most Forgettable Gundam Cast, EVER!My Summer of Gundam continues, and as it does, I decided to check out yet another of the "not often talked about" Gundam series with 0080. Basically, here's the rundown(SPOILERS AHOY):
1)It's short (OVA, only 6 episodes)
2)It's dry (not a whole lot of Gundam action)
3)The characters are badly named and often disposable.
Now, I'm not trying to hold the "short" part against it too much, since some of my favorite series are often short runs (Dominion/New Dominion Tank Police, Paranoia Agent, Gundam 0083). And I'm not going to hold the Gundam designs against it because they really aren't that bad for a series immediately following First Gundam timeline-wise. Indeed, when there is Gundam action, it's pretty awesome.
But then, there's the rest of the story. It's not a bad premise, actually, as it tries to be more humanistic in its approach to the One Year War. And it does tackle the effect of the war on the colonies in a decent way.
And man, is it dry.
The main thrust of the story is supposed to be the adventures of an angsty little brat known as Alfred and the "love story" between Bernie Wiseman (well, Bernard, but who goes by that name?) and Christina McKenzie. I'll get to Al in a minute, but first, this love story is so tepid it's sickening. I'm not sure how anybody could get all that heartbroken over it; by the time the story ends, Chris might as well be saying goodbye to any random good friend. And I'd like to get all weepy about how two people who kinda/sorta think the other is kinda cute end up fighting each other, but given that it's some higher up who forces this hand and the two never even realize it, it's kinda tame. I'm not gonna get emotional over people who interact for all of 10 minutes in a series. Also, who in the fuck even thinks for a second that you can take on a Gundam with a Zaku, especially after that Gundam just ripped apart a specialized MS in a matter of minutes?
"Gimme that camera...wait, don't I know you from Dominion Tank Police?"
1)It's short (OVA, only 6 episodes)
2)It's dry (not a whole lot of Gundam action)
3)The characters are badly named and often disposable.
Now, I'm not trying to hold the "short" part against it too much, since some of my favorite series are often short runs (Dominion/New Dominion Tank Police, Paranoia Agent, Gundam 0083). And I'm not going to hold the Gundam designs against it because they really aren't that bad for a series immediately following First Gundam timeline-wise. Indeed, when there is Gundam action, it's pretty awesome.
But then, there's the rest of the story. It's not a bad premise, actually, as it tries to be more humanistic in its approach to the One Year War. And it does tackle the effect of the war on the colonies in a decent way.
And man, is it dry.
The main thrust of the story is supposed to be the adventures of an angsty little brat known as Alfred and the "love story" between Bernie Wiseman (well, Bernard, but who goes by that name?) and Christina McKenzie. I'll get to Al in a minute, but first, this love story is so tepid it's sickening. I'm not sure how anybody could get all that heartbroken over it; by the time the story ends, Chris might as well be saying goodbye to any random good friend. And I'd like to get all weepy about how two people who kinda/sorta think the other is kinda cute end up fighting each other, but given that it's some higher up who forces this hand and the two never even realize it, it's kinda tame. I'm not gonna get emotional over people who interact for all of 10 minutes in a series. Also, who in the fuck even thinks for a second that you can take on a Gundam with a Zaku, especially after that Gundam just ripped apart a specialized MS in a matter of minutes?
"Gimme that camera...wait, don't I know you from Dominion Tank Police?"And that's where 0080 really falls apart - logic. Look, I get that the idea is supposed to be that Bernie went out fighting, but it's not like his gruesome death is a shocking result from some ninny who hasn't flown a mission yet and listens to a kid who knows less than his own stupid rookie ass. I have to assume that the last name of "Wiseman" is kind of like when they call 7' tall guys "Tiny". This guy makes Kou Uraki look like Jamil Neate. And of course, the kid ends up with irredeemable grief out of it. Why? Well, besides realizing Chris, his "big sister" figure, was in the Gundam when it went down in perfectly reparable fashion, Bernard was found to be in a condition described as "like hamburger". And against Gundam Alex, which was supposed to be Amuro's next suit. SHOCK! If you're in a Zaku and your name isn't Char Aznable, chances are you're fucked.
Wow, the suspense! I mean, which MS is going to step on the kid first?
The characters don't help much. They're fairly generic. Bernie's your typical, stupid rookie. Al's basically the little shit running around your local Wal-Mart and being a nuisance. Chris is the gentle, intelligent girl (and the only person whose fate I gave any care about after the series ended; she's like the good version of Flay Allster). And the brass of both sides, as usual, is filled with knuckleheads, but a special "Fucking really?!" goes to the Zeon side, who didn't seem to foresee the problems they would have with a man by the name of Colonel KILLING. I'm dead serious, that's his name. You know, I'm all for winning the war effort and everything, but if I'm serving under Rear Admiral Rapenpillage, I set up a court martial the instant he starts hinting at breaking the Antarctic Treaty. That little episode really doesn't help the case that Delaz was trying to make about the naughty Feddies making a nuclear Gundam in 0083. No wonder Zeon died off until Counterattack.
VERDICT: Skip this one. The love story is weak. There's two whole Gundam fight scenes. Everything's predictable. The fact that every game Chris and Bernie have appeared in puts them at a level usually reserved for Dan Hibiki should tell you how revered these two are. The moral is that war has real consequences. If you're going through the series chronologically, Ghiren Zabi should've driven that point into your skull by now, in the event that human history failed to do so.
Wow, the suspense! I mean, which MS is going to step on the kid first?The characters don't help much. They're fairly generic. Bernie's your typical, stupid rookie. Al's basically the little shit running around your local Wal-Mart and being a nuisance. Chris is the gentle, intelligent girl (and the only person whose fate I gave any care about after the series ended; she's like the good version of Flay Allster). And the brass of both sides, as usual, is filled with knuckleheads, but a special "Fucking really?!" goes to the Zeon side, who didn't seem to foresee the problems they would have with a man by the name of Colonel KILLING. I'm dead serious, that's his name. You know, I'm all for winning the war effort and everything, but if I'm serving under Rear Admiral Rapenpillage, I set up a court martial the instant he starts hinting at breaking the Antarctic Treaty. That little episode really doesn't help the case that Delaz was trying to make about the naughty Feddies making a nuclear Gundam in 0083. No wonder Zeon died off until Counterattack.
VERDICT: Skip this one. The love story is weak. There's two whole Gundam fight scenes. Everything's predictable. The fact that every game Chris and Bernie have appeared in puts them at a level usually reserved for Dan Hibiki should tell you how revered these two are. The moral is that war has real consequences. If you're going through the series chronologically, Ghiren Zabi should've driven that point into your skull by now, in the event that human history failed to do so.
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