Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Review

Synopsis: 

A prequel story set in the Universal Century (UC) timeline depicting the rise of infamous Zeon ace pilot Char Aznable. Originally released as an OVA series and later re-cut for TV broadcast as the retitled Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin - Advent of the Red Comet. 

Release Date: 

2015-2018 (OVA's)

2019 (TV)

Episodes: 

6 (OVA's)

13 (TV)

Timeline: 

UC 0068-0079

My Grade: 

A-

Review: 

Prior to discovering gunpla as a hobby, I was generally aware of the overall Gundam franchise due to my interest in anime and manga. However, the only series I had watched at length was Gundam Wing - like many Americans, this (along with a few assorted episodes of other series) was my first major exposure to Gundam back when it aired on Toonami in 2000. After rekindling my interest in the franchise when I picked up gunpla in 2018, I decided to view some of the many anime series to see just what it was I was building the model kits around. 

My wife Leah (who is also a huge anime fan) and I decided to start with one of the flashier, more recent series, Gundam Unicorn. While we thoroughly enjoyed it, we felt totally lost since it takes place much later in the Universal Century timeline and was heavily reliant on viewers' understanding of prior events. 

From there, we decided to stick with the UC timeline (being the main Gundam narrative), but this time went back to the very beginning - chronologically at least. 

First released to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the Gundam franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin showcases the backstory of Char Aznable, arguably the greatest character to appear in the entire franchise, and inarguably the most famous. I think it's fair to say that Gundam occupies a similar cultural niche in Japan as Star Wars does in the west, with Char being roughly comparable to Darth Vader and the Zaku Mobile Suits to Storm Troopers. 

As relative newbies to Gundam, we both loved this series. The animation is lovely, if not top-notch, with fantastic mobile suit combat sequences throughout. Character designs are a little bit more exaggerated/cartoonish than some other Gundam installments, but still well done overall. The tone of the series is somewhat varied, ranging from mildly comedic to deadly serious, with plenty of typical anime gravitas and fanfare. Characters are fleshed-out and well-realized - indeed, this is the main appeal of this particular story, as it showcases many characters who appear throughout the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam series. 

Though it was great to see the story from its earliest chronological point, the series is definitely designed to reward veteran viewers. While everything makes sense as its own cohesive story, as we watched the reveals and actions of many characters, we knew there were things we couldn't appreciate quite as much. That said, it was fascinating to watch the rise of characters like Char, Sayla, Garma, and the rest of the Zabi family, as well as to see the events which led to the start of the horrific One Year War. 

Some strict adherents may not appreciate the backstory changes to their favorite long-established characters - for instance Char, shown as being much more sympathetic in the original Gundam 0079 series, is portrayed here as an unambiguous sociopath who displays no compunctions about committing cold-blooded murder if it advances his lofty goals. 

Overall, we found the series to be a great combination of entertaining storytelling, high-quality animation, and well-rounded characters - a must-watch for any fans of Gundam or anime in general.