Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Review

Synopsis:
Almost two decades after the end of the One Year War, the deadly conflict between the Earth Federation and the remaining Zeon Remnants continues. A mysterious object known as Laplace's Box, held for nearly a century by the shadowy Vist Foundation, is brought out of hiding - its opening could mean either salvation or doom for the Earth Sphere's inhabitants. At the center of the chase for the box are Banagher Links, a disjointed but good-natured student, and Audrey Burne, a young woman whose infamous family lineage weighs heavily on her shoulders. Banagher is entrusted with piloting the bleeding-edge prototype RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, the key to Laplace's Box, even as various forces, including a new Neo Zeon army led by a familiarly charismatic man known as Full Frontal, threaten to tear the Earth Federation and Colonies apart once and for all. 

The original Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn OVA series was later recut into a 22-episode TV series titled Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE: 0096. The latter features unique opening and ending title sequences, as well as some very minor reanimations, but is otherwise identical content-wise. The OVA's are generally more definitive, as the cuts necessitated by changing a 7-episode OVA series into a 22-episode TV series hurt the pacing and action. 

Release Date:
2010-2014 (OVA's)
2017 (TV Series)

Episodes: 
7 (OVA's)
22 (TV Series)

Timeline: 
UC 0096

My Grade:
A+


Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE: 0096 was the first Gundam series my wife and I watched after I got into gunpla (so, aside from the shows that aired on Toonami years ago). We thought it was great at the time, but so much of it was over our heads due to the decades of backstory that we were missing out on. We decided to go back and commit to watching the entire Universal Century timeline in chronological order, which is what led to me cataloging my thoughts in these Anime Reviews. Having since watched every UC series, film, and OVA up to this point in the chronology, I can now confidently say that Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn stands tall above all other series in the UC, as a phenomenal and fitting capstone to this epic storyline that's been playing out since 1979. 

The plot is a complex tapestry that weaves in and out of themes both new and carried forward from previous Gundam series. The framing of the story as a century-long series of events, starting with the founding of the Universal Century, lends an epic, generations-spanning gravitas to everything, making Unicorn feel like it's truly the culmination of the UC saga. 

Philosophically, Unicorn touches on some genuinely interesting ideas, notably summed up in the series' most famous quote: "Humanity alone possesses a God. The power to transcend the now...the inner God called 'Possibility'." This is a compelling concept and one which aligned with some psychological reading I was doing at the time, so it was particularly meaningful to me. I'll let other more qualified people dig into this stuff in greater detail, but my personal experience with Unicorn was that it was a lot "deeper" than your typical anime. 

Banagher Links, the main character, is a little bit grating initially (he's a Gundam protagonist, after all). He's mopey and bored with his existence and subsequently clings to the newly introduced Audrey Burne to give his life meaning. Fortunately, Banagher quickly grows out of these Shinji Ikari-esque beginnings and manages to find his own identity and voice. His advancement feels natural and "earned," unlike many other Gundam characters who came before him. By the end of the series, I found myself completely sold on Banagher's motives, actions, and thoughts in a way that I didn't feel with any other prior Gundam protagonist. 

Audrey Burne (which is of course not her real name), meanwhile, has her own compelling story that plays out over the events of the series. She's a bit more confident and a lot more focused than Banagher, so her development feels less introspective and more about tangibly achieving her goals, herculean as that process is, in no small part due to the stigma that her family legacy carries. She's the target of many conflicting forces and has to chart her own course despite all the noise. It's great stuff, especially how she and Banagher's journeys intertwine - neither could get where they end up without the other. 

"Catch me, Banagher."

Secondary characters are all treated respectfully and with a lot of care and attention. Whether that's in Marida's struggle to overcome her mental conditioning, Zinnerman's loneliness from the loss of his family, or Ensign Riddhe's slow descent into madness (and subsequent redemption), they're all given time to shine and receive detailed arcs with satisfying payoffs. Even "villains" like Alberto and Martha are relatively sympathetic and relatable (especially the former), making their less-than-wholesome actions seem understandable, if not agreeable. 

Full Frontal, the main antagonist, is another example of layered storytelling. As the so-called "second coming of Char," Frontal has his own legacy and expectations that he feels he must live up to, though ultimately he proves himself his own man. Unlike many power-hungry mustache-twirling villains, Frontal's "evil scheme" is arguably quite reasonable and something the characters debate at length, with interesting results. He makes for an extremely compelling and dangerous foil for Banagher, and I found myself engrossed every moment he was on-screen. 

On second viewing, I was surprised and delighted by how many details from Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ were referenced here, from the forgotten Ple clones to the Nahel Argama warship. Most surprising was when we put two and two together and realized that the new character Angelo Sauper is in fact a spiritual successor to Mashymre Cello, the silver-haired goofball Zeon officer who was constantly spouting bad poetry and obsessing over his leader in the form of a rose she gave him. It was interesting to see some of these same character traits reimagined in Angelo's much darker persona. 

Amazing how THIS guy...

...is subtly called back to with this guy. 

The main attraction, robot-wise, is of course the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, which, since its launch in 2010, has been the overall face of the modern Gundam franchise. While many gunpla hobbyists are understandably sick of the repeated emphasis on this particular mobile suit in product releases, for a newer fan/hobbyist like myself it's an absolutely amazing concept. In the huge 67-page instruction manual for the MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver. Ka kit, there's a great interview with Hajime Katoki, legendary Gundam designer and creator of the Unicorn. He notes that the design was not originally planned for media or model kits, so he didn't let practicality influence the concept. This led to some major hurdles when it was later decided to do those very things, and it's a testament to Katoki and everyone who worked on the anime and products to get the model right. 

I love the look of the suit in both its stark all-white Unicorn mode and the transformed glowing red Destroy mode (or green Awakened mode). Its powers and abilities feel truly special, and are appropriately explained in the context of the story, unlike many "main character" Gundam suits before it. Its all-black sister mobile suit, the Banshee, is intimidating in its own right and makes for a great foil to the Unicorn. 

As you can see from some of these GIFs, the visuals here are absolutely stunning, on par with most high-budget anime films. Action scenes featuring the various mobile suits use a mixture of traditional and CG animation, with gorgeous effect. Little "above-and-beyond" details make everything feel completely polished, for instance the sense of inertia when a massive mobile suit like the Kshatriya fires its thrusters but takes a moment to speed up. Combined with the excellent musical score, many of the battles had me quite literally on the edge of my seat. 

Speaking of the Kshatriya, I have to mention that it's my favorite mobile suit of all time. I love the bulky design with its unique quad "wing" binders and remote funnel system. It's like a Zaku on steroids and the opening scene of it battling several Federation mobile suits grabbed me instantly. 

1/100 when??

I must mention some of the other mobile suits that appear in Unicorn, notably Full Frontal's Sinanju. This sleek, hot rod-red design, which is a favorite among gunpla enthusiasts, feels like the ultimate in Zaku evolution - a far future interpretation of Char's original custom Zaku II. When the Sinanju appears in battle everyone rightfully freezes in terror - between Full Frontal's masterful piloting skills and the mobile suit's own advanced specs, it's a sight to behold when Frontal cuts his way through his enemies. 

I'm also a really big fan of Angelo Sauper's two mobile suits, the custom Geara Zulu and Rozen Zulu. Both feature Angelo's trademark purple color scheme, and the latter especially has some wicked tricks up its clawed sleeves. 

Final thoughts: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is a phenomenal anime series that serves as the bow tying together the entire Universal Century package. It pays respectful tribute and then builds on everything that came before it, including in the stunning finale which finalizes the ongoing Amuro/Char story, but ultimately leaves the future in Banagher and Audrey's youthful and hopeful hands. Other UC Gundam stories, like Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, take place after Unicorn, but I prefer to imagine that this is the definitive end of the UC timeline. It's a stunning and satisfying conclusion to decades of storytelling and, though I can't recommend it for Gundam first-timers due to the massive backstory, Unicorn is a shining example of the Gundam franchise (and anime in general) at its absolute finest. 

"Everyone who is listening to this broadcast, please discern the truth with your own eyes. And then, just as people did a century ago, I'd like you to usher in the next century with goodwill in your hearts, believing in the God called 'possibility' that lies dormant within us all."