Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Review

Synopsis:
Seven years after the conclusion of the brutal One Year War (and the original Mobile Suit Gundam series), a dangerous organization called the Titans has gradually attained power within the Earth Federation. In a fateful event, teenager Kamille Bidan is thrown into the hands of the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG), a movement formed to resist the Titans' increasingly fascist actions. Kamille chooses to fight for the AEUG's cause, becoming a key player in the conflict which escalates into a full-on civil war involving the Earth Federation, the Titans, the AEUG, and a shadowy, revitalized Zeon force.

To celebrate the Gundam franchise's 25th anniversary in 2005, the original Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam TV series was recut, remastered, and (in many scenes) completely reanimated as three feature films collectively titled Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation. 

Release Date:
1985-1986 (TV)
2005-2006 (Films)

Episodes:
50 (TV)
3 (Films)

Timeline:
UC 0087-0088

My Grade:
B

Review:
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is often touted as one of - if not THE - best in the Gundam franchise. I went in with high expectations and was ultimately let down a bit. While there is a lot to love about Zeta, the bloated length, occasionally bizarre character writing, meandering story, hit-or-miss animation, and poorly laid out plot threads make for a mixed viewing experience. 

"More is more" is the name of the game here. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam offers a similar story and experience to the original series, but with all the dials turned up. More action, more characters, more mobile suits, more sub-plots, more factions, etc. It certainly is an attention-getting strategy, but one which also makes for a jumbled series. Much of the narrative mirrors that of Mobile Suit Gundam, i.e. the main character is a naturally gifted teenage boy whose parents work on secret military projects, and who is thrust into a larger conflict by making a fateful decision to pilot a Gundam when he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unlike Amuro Rey, who pilots the Gundam to save his home from invading Zeon forces, our Zeta protagonist Kamille Bidan does so to exact petty revenge against a mall cop who arrested him. Why was he locked up in the first place? Because he violently assaulted a Titans officer who mildly mocked his name. Yes, Kamille is initially portrayed as something of a psychopath, though he does mellow out over the course of the series. 

Jumping security and punching a military officer - what could possibly go wrong?

While Kamille is all over the place emotionally, I can't argue that he's not an entertaining protagonist, and I thoroughly enjoyed his journey from "rebel without a cause" to "hero with a cause," even if he at times wavers between thoroughly endearing and totally unlikable. Other characters are more stable in their roles, notably Quattro Bajeena, who plays the cool, experienced older brother to Kamille aptly, and is one of the standouts from the whole series. Though as of this writing it's been 35 years since Zeta aired, I won't say more here out of a sense of preserving spoilers. Emma Sheen and Reccoa Londe are pretty great too, though Reccoa's big decision toward the end of the series is mind-bogglingly silly. Others like Fa and Katz are a bit grating (more than a bit in many cases if I'm being honest). 

Nobody will recognize me behind these sunglasses!

For better or worse, some of the most interesting parts of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam occur at about the one-third mark when much of the original series cast is reintroduced, some with reasonably large roles and others with just a moment of screen time. The nostalgia of these already-established characters is a welcome shot in the arm for Zeta after the chaotic and at times confusing opening arc. They fade from the story eventually, which I think is a good thing, as it allows the newer Zeta characters to remain the main attraction in their own series. 

If I have one major gripe with this series, it's that I felt it didn't develop compelling antagonists. While painted as a major threat, Paptimus Scirocco is far too distant to feel like he has any direct weight in Kamille's story - I believe the two don't even meet until the end of the series. Haman Karn is introduced late in the game, and while she's a standout character, she mainly serves in Zeta as a foil to Quattro. Meanwhile, Jerid Mesa, who is seemingly set up early on as Kamille's on-the-ground rival, disappears repeatedly for long stretches of the story. He's a nothing character who, after his initial weighty actions, never really does anything but lose (somehow being promoted each time) and lament as his more competent and interesting love interests are killed off. His final confrontation with Kamille is ultimately a flash in the pan, begging the question, "What was the point?" Even Kamille seems to think their rivalry was meaningless. 

I haven't yet mentioned the production itself. In short, the animation is serviceable and, while demonstrably higher quality and more detailed that its predecessor, should be considered "of its time," just like the original series. There are a ton of new mobile suit designs here, some of which are great, like the refined Gundam Mk. II, and some...less so, like Jerid and Rosamia's Baund Doc or the Asshimar (or as I called it, "the pumpkin mobile armor").

Death to non-gourds!

Speaking honestly, I didn't care for the titular Zeta Gundam itself, which is introduced about halfway through as a mobile suit Kamille personally designs. It's a cool way to show that Kamille is basically a savant, but there aren't any story implications at all. He just hands in a design and they make it. There's apparently nothing special about the Zeta in terms of its mechanics or abilities versus any other mobile suit until the very end when it suddenly has magical powers. I wish they had added a line earlier on in which Kamille might have said, "I don't totally understand the design itself - it just came to me." This could have foreshadowed the later synchronization with Kamille's Newtype powers. As for the design itself, this is where things get a lot more sci-fi and lose the military look that the earlier Gundams all utilized. For me, this feels more Transformers and less Gundam.

Autobots, transform and roll out!

Special mention must be made of this being the Series of Slaps. SO MANY SLAPS. Everyone is slapping each other all the time! We've all seen the Bright Noa slapping memes, but it's not just him - it's everyone! We laughed a lot as we watched slap after slap. I admit it wasn't quite as funny in the cases where slaps gave way to full-on cold-cocked sucker punches...

Slap!

Slap!

So many slaps!

Sla-oh...uh...wow. Yikes.

This is also the series of "why isn't there more security in the hanger bay???" We lost track of the number of times a crew member (or sometimes even a character with presumably no security clearance at all) would just waltz into the hanger bay and launch in a mobile suit without authorization! Is there no security? Are there no launch codes? Sometimes it happens twice in the same episode! Why are children able to successfully board mobile suits without anyone noticing??? Get your act together, Argama crew! 

Jokes aside, I want to address a more serious question now - is Kamille autistic? In Episode 9: "A New Bond," Kamille states, "I'm nobody special. I'm an autistic child." The larger context here is that Kamille has just been beaten up by Mr. Wong, the AEUG's financier, who decides to teach Kamille a harsh lesson about being late for important meetings, questioning Kamille's dedication to the AEUG's cause and his responsibilities first and foremost as a pilot. Kamille is understandably upset about having his butt kicked, angrily saying that "violence is wrong." Afterward, he's reprimanded by Lieutenants Emma and Quattro who essentially state, "toughen up, this is war - in war, many things are unfair." Kamille reacts defensively, throwing a tantrum and stating that the AEUG's success thus far has been due to his skill, incurring a slap (this is the Series of Slaps after all) for his behavior. Emma says that Kamille's arrogance could cost him his life, which is why Wong beat him (in a very questionable way, Wong was attempting to save Kamille by chastening him). Emma goes on to say that Wong's goal is to save the earth's people and fix its problems - he sees promise in Kamille and wants him to survive. This is when Kamille retorts, "I'm nobody special. I'm an autistic child," to which Emma fires back, "Don't try to classify adult and child on your own terms!" 

So again - is Kamille autistic? In my opinion, no. While some have pointed out that Kamille's sometimes extreme behavior, specifically his difficulty connecting emotionally with others, is consistent with many on the autism spectrum, it seems more likely to me that this is a symptom of A) being an angsty teen with absentee parents, and B) his early inability to adjust to military life. As the series progresses, he overcomes these problems, and is in fact able to connect quite deeply with many characters. Moreover, as other analysts have observed, it seems unlikely that Kamille would say this only once, and only in the context of a heated argument. His statement feels more like a petulant expression of sarcasm or facetiousness rather than a declaration of being on the autism spectrum. Lastly, I would note that this series aired in 1985. While autism was first diagnosed long before this date, the understanding and awareness of the condition in 1985 was far less than what it is today and I doubt that the use of the word in this context was intended with the same impact with which we would use it in a contemporary story. None of that is to take away from people who do believe that Kamille is autistic and identify with him - everyone is entitled to interpret art in their own way. These were simply my thoughts as I watched the series, knowing that this is a popular point of discussion.


Final thoughts? Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is a bloated, at times messy production that has a lot going both for and against it. The story is a meandering, with some sub-plots seemingly back-burnered for long stretches or vanishing completely. Despite its lengthy run-time, the end still feels rushed (much like the original series), with a LOT happening in just a few episodes. Characters range from great to occasionally insufferable (ugh, Katz...) and not everyone's behavior is always consistent or understandable. Still, despite these flaws, I couldn't help but be drawn in to the dramatic events and strange relationships, wanting to see what would happen next. The action is well-crafted (for its time) and obviously a lot of care and effort went into the mecha designs and the series itself, imperfect as it is. Is it the best Gundam series? I don't think so, but it's a flawed classic that's not to be missed.