How to watch Gundam?

JWFokker

Years ago I saw the series Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team and it was awesome. Lately, I've had a desire to see more militaristic giant robot combat, so I looked into the other Gundam series. After the original Mobile Suit Gundam and then MSG Zeta, where do I go from there? It looks like there are alternate universes and also spinoffs that didn't go anywhere, like F91.

Is there a generally accepted order in which to view these shows? And are the rest of the series as good as The 08th MS Team, or should I be looking elsewhere for my pseudorealistic mech combat needs? I liked the 08th MS Team because it was like Band of Brothers with giant robots. Gritty, not too much joking around, etc. It was a serious show. I understand Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz, while popular, aren't anything like that however. Any recommendations for what would be in a similar vein to The 08th MS Team?

Raynaga

For what its worth 8th MS Team was the only one I found that I actually liked. It seemed to be the most straightforward take.

For myself, at least, all the other Gundam series seemed to abandon the war-movie-with-gundams feel of 8th MS Team and plug in everything I hated about most other mecha series excluding Rahxephon and one or two others.

In other words I was never able to find any other Gundam shows with the 8th MS style as opposed to the Gundamn Wing one. Maybe there was one I missed somewhere, but I don't think so.

Khavall

G Gundam is pretty much the most hilarious and over-the-top Japanese way of going about the idea of Gundams.


Like, the American gundam is a boxer and its pilot is named "Chibodee Cricket", the most American name ever. Also, Hollands gundams plan was to pretend to be a windmill until the two best gundams kicked the shit out of each other and then give the final blow to the winning, beaten up gundam.

It is amazing.

Jubeh

I really only like the universal century stuff, so the ones you mentioned are the best in my opinion. Everything else either goes off in a totally different direction (Like G), or tries way too hard to be the original gundams.

8th ms team is really one of a kind, unfortunately. It's as realistic as you can really get in the gundam universe. Even if it has one of the shittiest romance subplots of all time.

Note that with wing and all the shows afterwards, the characters seemed designed to attract to fangirls or something. That was a huge turn off for me. I don't really know why, but I always though Amuro was pretty humble with this jew fro.

JWFokker

Okay, so if The 08th MS Team is as realistic as Gundam gets, what other anime movies or series are closer to war movies with mecha?

Chen

Jubeh wrote: »

Even if it has one of the shittiest romance subplots of all time.

As mentioned, if you want another version of 08th MS Team, prepare to be disappointed. Most of the instalments, even the original Gundam, are aimed at (pre-)teens. They're action packed and full of plot holes. That doesn't mean they're terrible. It's just a different form of entertainment.

If you're looking for gritty military action, then you might want to check out Black Lagoon.

edit: While not mecha, Planetes and Flag can be described as realistic depictions of war and conquest.

HadjiQuest

Yeah, the UC series are pretty much it. The original Gundam movies, then Zeta, then Char's. 0080 and 0083 are both really good side-stories, and 0080 may be worth checking out as it's probably the closest realism that the franchise gets. A little boy befriends some pilots, and then witnesses the cost of war first hand.

0083 I really enjoyed, but it gets super silly sometimes, and it carries all the standard Gundam tropes.

Raynaga

JWFokker wrote: »

Okay, so if The 08th MS Team is as realistic as Gundam gets, what other anime movies or series are closer to war movies with mecha?

Armored Trooper Votoms
Gasaraki
FLAG

Gasaraki is probably your best bet, but those are the only realistic/gritty takes I know of. Rahxephon is good, but not what you're looking for.

Black Lagoon is a good series, but I don't recall it being mecha.

Dog

G Gundam was the best one though at the end of the day

Raynaga

Not at all what the OP is looking for though in terms of style from what I remember when I tried it out.

Jubeh

Yeah G Gundam is awesome because it is really nothing like the other Gundam series.

JWFokker

I looked into Armored Trooper Votoms, but it doesn't look like the show is available on DVD anymore. I could get the full set on Ebay for $65, but that's more than I really want to spend on a show I've never seen before.

I'll look into Gasarki and FLAG though.

Raynaga

Yeah its age makes it rather hard to track down; Gasaraki is considerably easier to find and benefits from more modern animation to boot.

FyreWulff

8th MS Team is the best one.

G Gundam and the original are tied for the worst.

I mean come on G Gundam's ending:

The last fucking gundam boss fight, the big gundam GROWS AN ANGEL WING OUT OF NOWHERE.

And then the hero RIDES AWAY WITH THE GIRL ON A GUNDAM HORSE

HadjiQuest

Gasaraki is very dry and has a lot of supernatural overtones that are dealt with separately from the show's political intrigue. Just kind of a prior warning there. It should also be noted that VOTOMs, Gasaraki, and FLAG were all created by the same guy, and that all three are currently out of print in the US (Particularly VOTOMs, which has a large cult following that inflates the DVD prices, and Gasaraki, which has been out of print for around 5 years now).

Patlabor would also probably be a good recommendation, but it suffers the same misfortune of being completely out of print in the US, and it also has a number of different series and movies with some being lighthearted and others being dead serious.

Dog

FyreWulff wrote: »

8th MS Team is the best one.

G Gundam and the original are tied for the worst.

I mean come on G Gundam's ending:

The last fucking gundam boss fight, the big gundam GROWS AN ANGEL WING OUT OF NOWHERE.

And then the hero RIDES AWAY WITH THE GIRL ON A GUNDAM HORSE

What you just described was a moment of pure awesome.


What about Gundam Seed though for the OP?

DragonPup

I enjoyed FLAG greatly. It's style is unique, story solid, and I thought the ending was very powerful. It is one of those shows that not enough people will ever watch.

Raynaga

HadjiQuest wrote: »

Gasaraki is very dry and has a lot of supernatural overtones that are dealt with separately from the show's political intrigue. Just kind of a prior warning there. It should also be noted that VOTOMs, Gasaraki, and FLAG were all created by the same guy, and that all three are currently out of print in the US (Particularly VOTOMs, which has a large cult following that inflates the DVD prices, and Gasaraki, which has been out of print for around 5 years now).

Patlabor would also probably be a good recommendation, but it suffers the same misfortune of being completely out of print in the US, and it also has a number of different series and movies with some being lighthearted and others being dead serious.

I forgot about Patlabor, also a decent option.

Peff

robothero wrote: »

FyreWulff wrote: »

8th MS Team is the best one.

G Gundam and the original are tied for the worst.

I mean come on G Gundam's ending:

The last fucking gundam boss fight, the big gundam GROWS AN ANGEL WING OUT OF NOWHERE.

And then the hero RIDES AWAY WITH THE GIRL ON A GUNDAM HORSE

What you just described was a moment of pure awesome.


What about Gundam Seed though for the OP?

SEED...maybe. It's falls into the "tries to be First Gundam" category.

00 is ok-ish for the military-esque standpoint and it tries hard to use "real" science. Its also good from the "this is AD timeline" thing.

Definitely watch Zeta and everything else in UC.

Comahawk

I recommend 00.

It is concentrated awesome with a twist damn near every episode.

Shadowfire

Comahawk wrote: »

I recommend 00.

It is concentrated awesome with a twist damn near every episode.

00 is alright. 08th MS Team is really an anomaly in the Gundam universe, though. I loved Gundam Wing, particularly for the politics going on during the series, but 08th MS is just... so different than all of the other Gundam series.

In a good way.

JWFokker

I'm sort of getting the impression that the 08th MS Team is an anomaly in anime as a whole. It's as if the Japanese simply don't have any interest in that kind of show. Like their nearly uniform RPG style, all anime series' need to have chibi sequences, ridiculous romance subplots and children as the main characters (among other tropes) to be truly successful. Most of my favorite anime series haven't been that successful in Japan, like Cowboy Bebop, Berserk and of course, the 08th MS Team.

Virgil_Leads_You

Pick up Ring of Red (ps2 strategy game). It will satisfy all your gritty war mecha needs.

Kazaka

JWFokker wrote: »

I'm sort of getting the impression that the 08th MS Team is an anomaly in anime as a whole. It's as if the Japanese simply don't have any interest in that kind of show. Like their nearly uniform RPG style, all anime series' need to have chibi sequences, ridiculous romance subplots and children as the main characters (among other tropes) to be truly successful. Most of my favorite anime series haven't been that successful in Japan, like Cowboy Bebop, Berserk and of course, the 08th MS Team.

I'm feeling this dude

I think the genre we're seeking is called seinen which is manga directed toward men as opposed to shounen for boys. So to elaborate I guess seinen mecha series is what we're hunting for here?