Penguin Truth's Somewhat Incomplete Gundam Tier Chart Part 5: Tobe! Gundamu!

MY SOMEWHAT INCOMPLETE GUNDAM TIERS CHART. Tier Review: God Tier - High Tier - Mid Tier - Low Tier - Shit Tier GOD TIER This is the best of the best, cream of the crop, true blue (and yellow... and red) Gundam. You won't find anything to better represent what this franchise can accomplish than the material in this tier. They're all excellent and belong on any Gundam fan's favorites list and DVD shelves. There's no arguing with these assessments, people. I'm right, trust me. The show that started it all was the 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam. Strangely enough, the series bombed in the ratings in its first run, only to gain strength in repeats, enough to spark interest in feature films. It's really a pretty gripping show, and worth watching if you can get past some of the directional and artistic oddities. Art and animation flubs, color bleeding, and a monster-of-the-week approach to a lot of the new mobile suits over the run of the series are just some of the elements of that era's mecha anime, and while it detracts somewhat from the story-telling, the story itself is pretty engaging. There are a lot of unique, charismatic characters in the show, from both the protagonists and antagonists, and besides some of the more obvious examples of villiany, there is a lot to sympathize with on both sides. The show holds up less and less as time passes, but it's to be respected for the groundbreaking approach to mecha and the people who control them. A better version of the original story can be found in the movie trilogy, Mobile Suit Gundam I-III, produced after the popularity of the program was boosted by the repeats. This trilogy is a condensed, more polished version of the story in the television show, with greater emphasis on the "Newtype" phenomenon than the series and a lot less blatent toy selling. Tomino himself said "the most remarkable advantage of the film version is that its messages are easier to comprehend than they were in the TV series", and I agree wholeheartedly. Besides which, visually, it holds up better than the original because there's a lot of touch ups and even reanimation of several scenes. One could even replace the viewing of the television series easily with the movies, as they do seem to replace the original series when its referred to by the later entries into the canon (such as flashbacks to the Core Booster's use, rather than the G-parts), though I would reccomend watching the series as well to get everything you can out of the show. My favorite Gundam production is Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the 1985 sequel to the original series. It's tone is a lot darker and the scenario is pretty brutal, but it isn't just played for gratuitous angst. What I enjoy the most about this series, aside from its fun mechanical designs and subtle complexities is that the "good guys" lose their fair share of battles, and in fact, their victories don't look much like victories at all. This probably depicts war as it should be depicted: painful, desperate, and fatal. There aren't any easy answers and there isn't any real happy ending. Hearts are broken, dreams are crushed, people die, and though a glimmer of hope remains, its clear that sacrifices have to be made before a golden age can be reached. This probably isn't the best written program, and it tends to meander just a little with its repetitive dialogue and combat, but there is just something so unbelievably genuine about the emotions and thoughts conveyed throughout that I can't help but rank this here, and almost to the point where I'd create its own tier. It's a remarkable series that all Gundam fans have to watch at least once, and any anime fan who's seen the original should strongly consider viewing. There's no doubt in my mind, this is the best Gundam has to offer. Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack is an epic scale movie that, while somewhat falling just short of its reach, is another true classic of the Gundam franchise. There's high-stakes, large-scale warfare, and (then) shocking plot developments. This is a Gundam movie to end all Gundam movies. What it does end is the long-running rivalry between the characters Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, who had teamed up in Zeta Gundam to take on the fascist Titans, but are back at each other's throats over the fate of mankind. I've read a lot of protests over the "derailment" of Char's character in this movie, and how the Char from the end of Zeta Gundam wouldn't have done what he's doing here. To some degree I understand that, but there are also clues in Zeta Gundam which seem to forshadow his actions here, making it not such a big leap as some claim it is. A sizeable portion of the movie is taken up by the stories of Quess and Hathaway, who are less than fan favorites. What I like about them is that Tomino is obviously presenting the viewer, as he always does, the possibilities inherent in the next generation. As usual, Tomino has a little trouble with the follow-through, but the ride is still pretty exciting. Can one man change humanity? You might wish he can. This movie belongs here amongst the other greatest entries. I've been marathoning several Gundam anime since early November, as I do every year, while I continue to watch Gundam 00 weekly (and I look forward to the DVDs). Gundam is an experience that needs to be felt by fans of Japanese animation. It's my favorite anime franchise and I hold it in the same high regards of some of the less franchise-oriented masterpieces. My "favorite anime" list isn't entirely made of Gundam anime, but there's a number of Gundam anime on it. Someday, I hope to give a more complete perspective on the entries in this franchise. Until then, I'll believe in a sign of Zeta and Turn A Turn, because It's Only Love, Just Communication, and a Prototype for Human Touch. Star children, sky high! - Michael Fitz-Gibbon (Penguin Truth)