Every time you make a typo, someone in Zeta Gundam gets smacked

In Gundam, ‘war sucks,’ ¹ only we can’t have enough of watching more of it. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is the darkest of the shows in the franchise that I’ve seen so far. I’ve seen the compilation movies a year ago and I’m currently watching the TV series.

In Zeta, it isn’t just war that sucks. People do. War seems almost an inevitability given how humans – with their pseudo-ethnicities: Earthnoids, Spacenoids, Oldtypes, Newtypes… all behave in self-serving ways, and that interested factions and participating individuals have access to not only mobile weapons, but also organized violence. War is too easy an option, because the people in this world, Tomino’s Universal Century circa 0087 are just spoiling for pain.

I found this video via lalahsghost (drmata1 is the original maker and I’m glad the video is back up; great work!) that shows exactly how people are likely to treat each other in Zeta:

Tomino is not the only person who sees humanity is such a dismal light. In the present, we can find quite bleak views on human beings. Crusader writes,

Then there are the mild misanthropes like me who consider the entire concept of innocent civilian to be a farce, it’s not so much that the civilian label is disagreeable but the notion that humans are in any way innocent is something I for one consider blatantly disingenuous. In Gundam and most series dealing with war there are plenty innocent civilians to be killed by the forces of evil they are little more that objects to be killed and then mourned for so that the forces of evil can be made all the more abhorrent and ultimately easier to kill while remaining “noble” and “just.” Truth is in war civilians will screw each other over to get what they need, crime doesn’t stop, theft goes up during duress, misdemeanors are committed, felonies continue, and for the most part a declaration of war does not put an end to the petty squabbles and crimes of non-combatants. Profiteering also occurs, […] Given the complexity of the civilian label and the general treatment of most civilians as innocent civilians, most shows dumb it down any anti-war message is already compromised.

I am very much inclined to agree, hence I intend to use the term ‘noncombatant’ whenever I would use ‘innocent civilian.’ Further discussion would lead to philosophical (or even religious) wrestling with the nature of innocence, culpability, sin, and guilt. However, I wanted to write about robots.

But this is just the thing! This is exactly the thing! Waiving the scruples of intentional fallacy, I would say that Gundam is concerned about robots in a very serious, but quite superficial way: that is,

  1. Robots entertain
  2. Toys entertain
  3. Make toys of robots
  4. Sell toys of robots
  5. ????NewtypeH4XX????
  6. PROFIT!!!!1111ONEONEELEVENONE

I am not indicting this. I subscribe to this – I am a capitalist after all, and I enjoy a good product with ambitious and successful marketing.

So what else is Gundam concerned about? It’s concerned about people. It’s concerned about people doing evil and heroic things. Not all of its characters are well-drawn and compelling (Tomino’s female characters are painful to watch, unless they’re evil; the non-Tomino ouevre does significantly better I think), but the characters in Gundam are what gives its stories verve and power.

The ‘war sucks’ rhetoric is carried mostly by the lead characters. Whenever Gundam tries to show set-piece atrocities towards noncombatants, it often calls too much attention to itself and loses much of its power to inspire genuine horror. Gundam does its best in War in the Pocket, where a boy didn’t quite ‘come of age’ as much as he was robbed of his youthful naivete; and a young man arrives at something like ‘coming of age’, but in doing so arrives at something else altogether. War in this case catalyzed their individual stories. I have a very strong desire to make heroes of these characters, despite having probably the least heroic of exploits among the lead characters in the franchise.

gundam-z-quattro-kamille-amuro-four-headshots

So back to Zeta. It is filled with characters that have self-sacrificing actions define them and yet one feels these actions are outliers from the set of their mostly selfish behavior (Kamille Bidan, Amuro Ray, Four Murasame). It also has on the other hand characters who do or are prepared to do utterly horrible things out of a core that is quite selfless (Char Aznable, though this won’t be fully expressed until Char’s Counterattack).

gundam-char-aznable-hi-res-artbookI liked him before I knew him

Physical violence isn’t new to Zeta; after all, the famous BRIGHTSLAP happened in the original series. What’s interesting, considering the video above, is that the military organizations have made such informal attacks institutional. They have a term for it: “correction.” What’s even more interesting is how ineffective it is. Amuro did not necessarily man up after Bright smacked him twice, doing what Amuro’s own father wouldn’t do even once. Amuro’s maturity did begin in the original series, but I think it only came to fruition by the time of Char’s Counterattack. Kamille got smacked lots and lots of times, even by Bright himself, but the severity and the persistence of the violence yielded diminishing returns. His path to maturity isn’t opened for him by the strikes of those who’d think to ‘correct’ him.

What is Gundam saying through and about this casual, well-intended violence? People suck, they need to get smacked to set them right. Making a reckless logical leap, I say here that this thesis is what’s behind the ideology and actions of these factions and pseudo-ethnicities:

BRIGHTSLAP : Amuro Ray : Colony/Asteroid Drop : Human Race

The human race is immature and bound by the Earth’s gravity. We Spacenoids/Newtypes are the maturity of the race. To bring this up to speed, let’s smack the Earthnoids/Oldtypes with a colony/asteroid drop. The outright ease with how people can inflict physical harm on each other in the text makes it unsurprising how organized and systematic violence is inflicted on such large scale.

But even so, I’m not reducing Gundam into this thesis. Throughout the narrative I do hear a call, not without some desperation in its tone, for a way out. This became louder and overt in latter Gundam series², which makes it less effective I believe. I’d rather dig a message buried deep in the text than be clobbered on the head with it.

People don’t have to suck, there’s a way from within themselves to become free of the pull of the gravity of their nature. Perhaps then, war will happen much less.

From the OP’s refrain, a line of interesting engrish:

I wanna have a pure time

Everyone’s a noble mind

Zeta wants to believe in people. Perhaps that’s what the “Sign of Zeta” is, and why Gundam wants us to believe in it, despite all its efforts in showing how much they suck.

¹ The theme is commented on by The Animanachronism, Crusader, and Iniksbane. All three are very interesting reads with quite involving discussions, starting off from the Gundam franchise and ending up in all sorts of curious tangents.

² Gundam 00 in particular. I think it did good things with the story it told, and interesting things with its homages to the continuity (I’m quite a fan of this). However it’s overt fighting about fighting isn’t the most interesting of things about it.

Haven’t seen any Gundam at all? Don’t know where to start? Find your Gateway Gundam!

About ghostlightning

I entered the anime blogging sphere as a lurker around Spring 2008. We Remember Love is my first anime blog. Click here if this is your first time to visit WRL.
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51 Responses to Every time you make a typo, someone in Zeta Gundam gets smacked

  1. adaywithoutme says:

    You should check out Victory Gundam – its pretty much one long party. I believe on the box in Japan Tomino was quoted as pretty much telling people that it was bad and that they shouldn’t watch it (I seem to recall that Tomino was suffering from intense depression when he directed it). I think it even outdoes Zeta on the despair front.

    • ghostlightning says:

      I’ll watch V Gundam sooner or later. Our good Mechafetish holds it as his favorite Gundam show. I’ve read about the controversies around Tomino and his issues about it, but I didn’t know about this tidbit of yours re the (DVD?) box. Awesome stuff.

  2. mechafetish says:

    You make a very interesting point, if not for the fact that Spacenoids/Newtypes turn out to be just as or even more twisted than normal humans.

    But maybe that’s it, maybe the paternalism that you see in the later Neo-Zeon movements (its arguable if Ghiren and the Zabi’s really believed their own propaganda) is just a macro version of the paternalism that flawed people like Bright and Wong exercise on Kamille every time they beat him up.

    Thing is, in the same way that it doesn’t work on Kamille or Amuro the way they want, the continuous “bright slaps” on the human race throughout the Universal Century never seem to work. In the next series, humanity is just as petty and shortsighted as they were before. This is the case even in Turn-A where (before the start of the series) humanity is bright slapped all the way back to its infancy.

    But, as you pointed out, these character do in fact grow as humans, just at their own pace. And perhaps, (after wallowing in his own personal problems and overcoming them) Tomino finally decided that humanity itself can grow the same way, a theme that found its voice in the end of Turn-A.

    • ghostlightning says:

      I’m enjoying how this is all playing out throughout the metaverse. The emerging theme I gather from our discussion is:

      “Who corrects the correctors?”

      The key thing I think that we should look at is the urgency that these factions are driven by. What would humanity’s development at their own pace look like? What would Amuro’s or Kimille’s development at their own pace look like?

      Contrast this with Char, who doesn’t seem to need correction. His development, towards his own world view seems to be entirely at his own pace. He’s one of the most deliberate of the characters, deliberate even in his ‘figuring things out’ while acting as Quattro at the beginning of the Gryps conflict.

      • Turambar says:

        “Who corrects the correctors?” sounds like a line out of Plato’s Republic, though given the paternalistic (or fascist depending on who you ask) nature of the book through today’s eyes, rather fitting.

        • ghostlightning says:

          Gihren Zabi, more of a maverick among the ruling Zeon family, actually styled himself as Adolf Hitler. His actions complicated the ideological impetus of the One Year War.

          He definitely ‘colored’ the conflict as an ideological struggle with a clear ‘master race’ agitprop.

      • mechafetish says:

        Well if you take a look, the “correctors” in these cases always have a real incentive to undertake such correction in the form of some benefit to themselves:

        1. Spacenoids: The “development” of humanity (escape from gravity) carries with it real social, political and economic consequences. The initial struggle of the spacenoids has everything to do with the political and economic domination enjoyed by the earth federation. Only later on, during Char’s Neo-Zeon movement, does this struggle take on a more abstract ideological flavor.

        2. Bright/Wong: The “development” of their young talented pilots will render them more pliant and tractable increasing their efficiency.

        In both cases the drive for change is very real and urgent for the “correctors”. They cannot wait for either to develop at their own pace.

        On your other point, Char is not himself immune from the need for correction. I forget who it is exactly that “tells him off” (effectively a bright slap), but one of the things he has to struggle with during the latter parts of Zeta is the acceptance of his own significance in the geopolitics of the age. To reconcile Char, Quattro and Casval into a single integrated identity, he must move beyond being a mere pilot and accept his new role as a statesman, a change he is very reluctant to make.

        • ghostlightning says:

          Well, I think its obvious that they’d have incentives. But it’s good that you clearly delineated the initial conflict source behind the OYW.

          1. However, the ideology indeed came much later. The original conflict had everything to do about one ruling class replacing the existing one right? The ideology was a convenience that was used midway.

          2. As for Bright/Wong with their young pilots, I agree with your dispassionate articulation of the incentives.

          Telling off =/ BRIGHTSLAP. The BRIGHTSLAP is distinguished by its physicality (see http://oihayaku.com/smack-my-boy-up). He developed, on his own time. And I actually think Amuro and Kamille did as well. Certainly the smacking around weren’t the triggers for their development. These only served to underscore to us how much they needed it.

          I’m close to saying outright that the BRIGHTSLAP (and the extended colony drop) is bankrupt as an intervention. Perhaps Char figured this out, and sent something bigger, something far more lethal down to earth.

          • mechafetish says:

            Re ideology, not exactly. From the UC Master Timeline:

            0044 Ere-ism, the philosophy that the Earth is sacred and that humanity should leave it in peace, begins to spread.

            0046 Zeon Zum Deikun begins to propagate his philosophy of Contolism, a synthesis of Ere-ism (the philosophy that the Earth is sacred and that humanity should leave it in peace) and Side-ism (the belief the Sides should be treated as sovereign nations).

            So there was a clear social movement prior to the war which the Zabi’s managed to co-opt.

            Re Char, it need not be, strictly speaking, a brightslap. All I’m saying is that Char did in fact need correction before he was could really come into his own.

            Re your final point, I think the use of increasingly deadly “interventions” as you call them was more the product of the shift from economic to ideological interest. Ex, as the succeeding Zeon (and other successor movements) movements become more radical, so too did the weapons they used. I don’t think Char saw anything Degwin, Ghiren and Haman didn’t as far as the development of mankind was concerned. Its just that his motives were almost completely different, hence so were his means. The first 3 wanted to control the earth for more or less similar reasons and thus focused on a military victory, CCA Char was… different.

    • ghostlightning says:

      Okay, thanks for the history.

      Re the BRIGHTSLAP. I posited here that the “correction” is an institutionalized BRIGHTSLAP. So okay Char may have needed one, but he certainly did not get one, strictly speaking right?

      I see the distinctions your making between the Zabis and Char. But what about Paptimus Scirocco? What about Haman Karn? How would you characterize their motives and actions?

      • mechafetish says:

        I’m admittedly a bit rusty as far as Zeta is concerned, but from what I can remember there is a connection between Scirocco and the Jupiter Energy Fleet which eventually (during Crossbone Gundam) declared itself the Jupiter Empire and made its own bid for the earth sphere. Its hard to say, but I doubt that he was a pure ideologue. However, he was never able to fully cement control over the Titans and put whatever his plans were into motion, so we will probably never know.

        Re Haman Karn, I find her motives to be quite transparent and easy to understand. She’s a bit halfway between the Zabi’s and CCA Char in that she wants to reinstate Zabi rule on principle. Its not exactly an economic goal, but it is a political one. She just has… personal problems.

  3. Turambar says:

    I realize I am going rather off topic with this comment, but it struck me that much like how moments of severe pain inflicted upon the humanity were suppose to, and ultimately failed to, cease the violent nature of man, the expansion into space is often seen as yet another route for this “correction.” That somehow expanding the scope of man’s reality will bring him into maturity. But of course it never quite works that way. Either man refuses to change, or the Universe refuses to let man change, and the cycle repeats itself except this time on a much larger scale.

    • ghostlightning says:

      We can wonder about this since Char ultimately failed to implement his “Final Solution.” But the track record doesn’t support a favorable forecast, in any case.

      Perhaps Char escalated the scope of his action because the past colony drops did too little damage, and only fomented anger and bitterness. Not that dropping an asteroid on Earth wouldn’t, only that along with the anger and bitterness is actual action consistent with his objectives.

      It’s the difference I imagine, from slapping Amuro a couple of times Bright-style, and pointing a gun to his head.

      Char wasn’t as concerned in a changing of attitude or thinking, I think. This takes too long and I don’t think Char believes he has much time. He wants an immediate resolution that leads to urgent action.

      • Turambar says:

        In a sense, it seems like both Char and Amuro are rather optimistic in regards to the potential man. While the latter believes in the ability of man to change on his own, the former feels he needs a giant push, but after wards will actually learn his lesson.

        Gundam in general seems more like unless you point a gun at Amuro’s head every time, he won’t grow, and even then, he’ll eventually find out he can just punch you in the face and take the gun from you.

        • ghostlightning says:

          I haven’t completely figured Amuro out. Even though I’ve seen Char’s Counterattack, maybe because when I watched it, I felt that it was more like a Quess Paraya movie with Char, Amuro and the mobile suits were there only for fanservicing UC fags.

          Amuro did give me an impression that he was the master of his own choices in CCA, while one sees only glimmers of it in Zeta.

          As for Char and optimism, he’s optimism extends to parts of humanity I guess. Unless, we can try to imagine him viewing humanity as a sick whole where he’s willing to perform radical surgery. Char is quite a fascinating character.

          I still have a lot of Zeta to watch, which is a good thing! I’ll be writing about it from time to time I intend.

          • Turambar says:

            I should probably finish watching it. I think I stopped right around the middle when Zeta Gundam finally makes it’s debut. *Sigh* And I just started on Gundam X too. There’s too much to watch D:

          • ghostlightning says:

            I’m right there now, episode 21. I’ll probably watch Gundam X after I re-watch CCA. There really is so much to watch, which is a good thing.

            I’m quite happy with how Gundam 00 ended, though I feel quite sad that there’s no ongoing Gundam show anymore. Oh well.

  4. iniksbane says:

    Interesting take on it. I hadn’t really dug out the whole idea that man is inherently violent and therefore predestined to doom, but I can certainly see what you’re saying there.

    Hrm…

    • ghostlightning says:

      Thanks. I don’t exactly claim outright that the Gundam narratives believe this. Rather, that it’s a powerful conversation that runs throughout its many shows.

      Zeta shows all this casual smacking of each other, even more so than the original series. However, there are the characters that seemingly represent the possibility of transcendence of humanity’s baser natures.

      Perhaps it’s better expressed thusly,

      In Gundam, war is but a symptom of human behavior towards conflicting motives. There too, is a focus on victory overhuman nature/gravity (base behaviors) represented by war, alongside victory in war.

      • Turambar says:

        I’m rather interested in the fact that the violent nature of humanity is generally painted in a negative light. Err, maybe that’s not the right way to put it. I mean more that humanity’s violent tendencies will only lead to it’s own destruction while the violent tendencies, or warrior tradition if you want to take it in that direction, of other species allows them to be conquerors. It’s rare that a show or game, etc, will take humanity in that direction. Off the top of my head, I can only think of Puzzle Quest: Galatrix that has a universe enslaved by humanity as a back drop.

        • Turambar says:

          I should note my experiences with the sci-fi genre is rather limited so please don’t hate me if I’m wrong ;_;

        • ghostlightning says:

          Well, if you introduce other races into the mix, you’ll have to re-frame the conversation: the violent tendencies of life forms.

          The Spirals vs. Anti-spirals in TTGL is an interesting take on this.

          The evolution of humanity is messy, requires conflict. Learning and discovery itself is a violent and humiliating process, and risks the health of the total organism itself.

          The Anti-spirals declared a moratorium on evolution.

          Gundam 00 with it’s conflict about war and fighting; people fight about fighting – is less interesting to me than its attempt to take the Newtype concept in UC forward (at least that’s how it occurs to me).

          Innovation and GN particles allow for some hive-mind dynamics: allowing people to ‘truly understand each other.’ There’s a lot of similarity between this and SEELE of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s attempt to force evolution (the Human Instrumentality Project) to dissolve the barriers between human beings (the A/T fields, which I read as an approximation of ego or identity).

          This places the source of the conflicts (ergo the source of war) in the nature of human beings – not as a dispositional (i.e. people are evil), but as a situational one – people have a hard time understanding each other and violence is the easiest way to resolve a conflict gratifyingly.

          I wish I could articulate this satisfyingly! On the one hand I’m tempted in this post to place the blame squarely on the humans as depicted by Zeta: They suck (a dispositional statement). But it’s more like, ‘they’re screwed,’ because this is the world they operate in, the cards they’re dealt, etc.

          I’m not absolving them of responsibility. Rather, the GN Particles in combination with Setsuna’s innovation allows for new circumstances. The possibility of deeper empathy and understanding exists because violence is no longer the most convenient option to resolve disagreements.

          I think that this exists in UC Gundam in some form.

          • iniksbane says:

            Wow, now that’s some deep thinking.

            The only think I’d add to that is violence (and people’s capacity for it) is sometimes shown as a deliberate choice rather than coming from human’s own innate tendencies.

            My read on LoGH tends to be that while war is an oft-repeated part of human history, war (and prolonging war) is often a deliberate action taken on the part of people with alterior motives. Essentially idealists start wars and profiteers extend them. This is equally true with Rienhard’s war on the Alliance and the Alliance’s war on the Empire. (Arguably, Fullmetal Alchemist repeats this, but in a wholly less satisfying way.)

            Glass Fleet also repeats this idea of idealists starting wars because they want change, but finding the only way to win the war is to compromise their values. It’s a kind of Orwellian take on Jefferson’s quote, “The tree of Liberty must often be watered with the blood of tyrants.”

            Granted you could make the argument the violence in most shounen fighting shows leads to personal growth and the prevention of destruction. (Although I wonder if you could make an argument shounen fighting shows are an extension of the argument about bombing Hiroshima.)

          • ghostlightning says:

            Thanks! I’m enjoying this discussion a lot.

            Essentially idealists start wars and profiteers extend them. This is equally true with Rienhard’s war on the Alliance and the Alliance’s war on the Empire.

            Along with profiteers are all sorts of ‘evil’ people who become parts of military and correctional/penal/intelligence machinery that inflict all sorts of ‘solutions’ to the problems that the idealists justify the war’s undertaking.

            I’m tempted to say that very few people go into war with malicious intentions (this is NOT a statement about ‘innocence’). Rather, that conflict and the systemic organization prepared to resolve them presents individuals option after option of compromising behaviors (e.g. the soldiers who fought for Reuental against Lohengramm).

            Granted you could make the argument the violence in most shounen fighting shows leads to personal growth and the prevention of destruction.

            I don’t know, but I’m intrigued. I frame this not as an ‘ends justifying the means’ issue, rather as a mature acceptance of violence and the need to be mighty, towards a different end – where violence is deterred (by might? a-la Celestial Being in Gundam 00? I don’t know) or perhaps one is just impervious to malice and violence due to something gained beyond mere might.

  5. ‘Fa! Emotionally stressed! Fa! Emotionally stressed!

    Poor Haro. He(?) always winds up telling inconvenient truths.

    The level of casual, personal violence in Zeta is exceptional. I don’t know if it’s really suggesting that people need to be slapped into rightness.

    In ZZ, which I’m watching at the moment, there’s a bit of a reversal: Judau, the hero, not only punches Bright, but also Wong.

    • ghostlightning says:

      LOL. I read it as a pervasive attitude in the narrative that people need to be smacked into order, but not as a normative or moralizing statement about people in general.

      Kamille fights back, only that he doesn’t win against Bright, and most especially Wong who owns him at Karate. Yeah, Wong is pretty GAR (especially fighting in those mining/industrial mecha against proper mobile suits).

      Tell me though, is it true that CCA negates ZZ in the UC continuity? If so, I may watch it at a far later date in order to proceed directly to my re-watch of CCA and then go on to watch Victory.

      • mechafetish says:

        CCA doesn’t negate ZZ, but if you take the Z movies as canon (I’m not sure about the status of this, last I heard, the TV series still is), ZZ is negated and CCA takes a hit, but is still plausible.

      • What Mechafetish said.

        I’d recommend skipping ZZ and progressing to CCA, as it took a while to become worthwhile for me (I originally plunged into it straight after Zeta, and had to stop after seventeen episodes; I only just picked it up again). Recent episodes have been better, and trusted friends assure me that some of the final arcs are actually pretty good, so I’m proceeding hopefully now.

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  7. DonKangolJones says:

    I finished Zeta, but don’t know if I can get as deep into this subject as you guys.

    I agree with several points, including the ones about people sucking, and that the beatings never really did much to correct knuckleheads…. Katz Kobayashi.

    But overall, this subject suits all of the Gundams, at least Tomino’s. Things usually start off with greedy self-centered leadership, the youth are brought into the conflict, the very nature of war is called into question, blame is assessed & a conflict is resolved. Usually this comes with no permanent solution.

    I’m one episode away from the end of 00, & I’m guessing it is taking this general path, as well.

    Also, I WON’T say don’t watch ZZ, but if you are a fan of Zeta or Victory’s tone, then ZZ will dissappointing and painful.

    • ghostlightning says:

      But overall, this subject suits all of the Gundams, at least Tomino’s. Things usually start off with greedy self-centered leadership, the youth are brought into the conflict, the very nature of war is called into question, blame is assessed & a conflict is resolved. Usually this comes with no permanent solution.

      SPOILER FOR Gundam 00:

      Yes, but Gundam 00 does point to a solution, that is for humans alongside with the innovators to meld minds using GN Particles, thereby reducing misunderstanding due to the possibility of absolute or near-absolute empathy.

      However, in the end Celestial Being still exists as a deterrent force, implying that the Trans-Am burst isn’t a sustainable or repeatable (with ease at least) ability. Veda|Tieria shouldn’t have a problem in assisting in the development of a sustained GN Particle broadcast though. It’s a loose end that’s well worth pursuing in the upcoming movie.

      END SPOILER

      I agree with several points, including the ones about people sucking, and that the beatings never really did much to correct knuckleheads…. Katz Kobayashi.

      He’s probably the best example of the bankruptcy of ‘correction’ as a human developmental intervention.

      I’ll probably skip ZZ for now, with the intent to watch V, and X after I finish re-watching CCA.

      • DonKangolJones says:

        I’ve finished 00, so I can finally read that spoiler. And I see your point. It does feel different other Gundam endings (I’m still only halfway through Turn A). A better attempt seems to be being made in this series to a permanent and attainable solution to war.

        Many series end with a resolution to the conflict, but we all know from history that ceasefires and treaties really solve nothing in the end. Instead of the “godsmack” that is repeatedly laid down in previous series. Ribbons appeared to want to watch over the human race as a stern parent, or even as an owner. I have to give credit to 00 for taking a different approach. Except for Tieria, that time he slapped Saji seemed to be because he was pissed. I don’t believe he slapped him for correction.

        By the way, I hope you didn’t get the wrong impression of ZZ from me. I admit that the first 17 epidsodes, plus or minus, are painful. But most of the series after that gets pretty serious and is a very good representation of UC timeline. Not to mention that the Quin Mantha is one of my favorite mecha designs.

        I’ve gotten completely off subject, so I’ll end it here.

        • ghostlightning says:

          Thanks for the ZZ clarification.

          Except for Tieria, that time he slapped Saji seemed to be because he was pissed. I don’t believe he slapped him for correction.

          Hmmm, it wouldn’t technically be a ‘correction’ because Saji wasn’t part of CB. However, it’s more than just Tieria being pissed I believe.

          I actually think that this kind of slapping means more, than potentially abusive physicality. The slap is a very insulting gesture, a slur on one’s dignity. I slapped the shit out of some punk back in high school and the guy’s parent brought a lawyer threatening me with some suit that isn’t battery – but related to what I just said about slurring dignity.

          Related to this is my how one of my friends who has an M. A. in Psychology explained to me with regarding to children and corporal punishment: the gesture is the important thing, not the intensity of the force.

          So following that logic, Tieria did it better than everyone in UC did.

          Many series end with a resolution to the conflict, but we all know from history that ceasefires and treaties really solve nothing in the end.

          Probably the most interesting treatment of how the world works after the grand battle that resolves the question of victory happens in SDF Macross. The big battle happens in episode 27 in a 35 episode series. You didn’t dislike Macross Frontier too much having given it a 7, I think the original series is well worth your time.

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  11. sanuya says:

    the only gundam series that i enjoy from the begining to the end (13 episode if im not wrong) is the 8th MS team, what do you think about that series??

    • I like Mobile Suit Gundam: the 08th MS Team a lot. I find the love story to be the most charming in the franchise notable for not excelling at love stories and romantic angles. I think that some of the themes or elements make for great homages to what makes the Universal Century continuity remarkable:

      – Gineas’ obsession with the development of the Apsalus mobile armor is evocative of the Principality of Zeon’s obsession for technological ‘silver bullets’ to win them the war.
      – Norris Packard. This guy represents the kind of badass character that is all but gone from contemporary Gundam. He’s of the school of Ramba Ral, Dozle Zabi, and South Burning. Contemporary shows will limit badassery to bishounen character designs, with the exception of Sergei in Gundam 00.
      – Norris’ Gouf Custom taking on the 08th MS team by himself is to me one of the best fights in all Gundam, along with the Kampfer’s stand in Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket; characterized by their grit and small-scale nature. Brilliant stuff.

      On a more frivolous note, here’s a post I wrote on Mobile Suit Gundam: the 08th MS Team [->]

      Enjoy!

  12. lalahsghost says:

    I didn’t make the video – Check the youtube info page for Christy’s info – the person who actually made it. she runs/ran dra-mata.com

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  17. banagherlinks says:

    Well, part of our human nature is stubborness. Most of the antagonists not only in the gundam franchise but several animes out there pointed out that kind of trait. They always say that humanity will never tend to learn from mistake and they forget about it sooner or later. So the common plot is to wipe out humanity and create a new one. Its just simply removing humans out of the equation. I guess it’s rooted to our masochism or something. And there are times that there is a means that we must experience disasters and pain that will serve as a bright-slap for us to learn something. To learn the consequences of our action. Cause every action there’s a reaction. Well… Just relating to real world or something. Excuse me.

  18. J D says:

    I never knew you referenced me until now.

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