You Won’t Believe the Emotional Gundam Anime That Will Leave You in Tears

by

Telling a tale about war and children can be tricky, as it often veers towards being overly sentimental or excessively grim. However, the anime ‘Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket’ strikes an exceptional balance, seamlessly integrating emotion, sorrow, and tension. Rest assured, there are no shortages of giant robots, all brilliantly depicted in that distinctive 1980s animation style.

Written by Hiroyuki Yamaga (a veteran at GAINAX) and Kyosuke Yuki, and directed by Fumihiko Takayama (known for Macross), Gundam 0080 is a spin-off series that unfolds during the last stages of the war depicted in the original Gundam 0079 series. The story begins with a special Zeon forces unit operating in the Arctic, aiming to demolish a new prototype Gundam destined for testing in one of the colonies. Despite their determined effort and losses sustained, the Zeon commandos are unsuccessful, allowing the Gundam to escape into space, bound for the neutral colony of Side 6. In response, the Zeon launch another assault, this time employing a diversionary attack on the colony to infiltrate with commandos and equipment to track down and eliminate the Gundam.

In the heat of the operation, a newcomer pilot for the special forces, Bernard Wiseman, suffers a crash with his mobile suit, ending up isolated in a secluded area of the colony. There, he encounters a youthful fanatic of Zeon mobile suits, Alfred Izuhara, who often fantasizes about robot battles. Who doesn’t remember being a kid like that? Not knowing how to handle Al, Bernie decides to take him to their prearranged meeting spot, causing discontent among the other commandos. The seasoned warriors see this as a chance to get rid of Bernie and Al, assigning them a reconnaissance mission after Al offers that his father works at the port where the Gundam arrived. To keep an eye on Bernie and feeling like part of the team, Al introduces Bernie to his family, including Christina “Chris” Mackenzie, who recently returned from Earth. In a misunderstanding, Chris takes Bernie for a thief and knocks him unconscious with a bat. However, there seems to be a growing connection between Bernie and Chris. These events lead to an ending that is packed with action, sorrow, and a young boy’s newfound understanding that war isn’t as exciting as he once believed. It still tugs at my heartstrings every time I think about it, and I won’t deny that I’ve shed a few tears over how the story unfolds.

The animation team behind Sunrise really shone in their work on this piece. They’ve masterfully combined traditional cel animation with a heartfelt touch. The narrative strikes an excellent balance between human emotion and action. The mecha designs are among my favorites within the Gundam series, with Yutaka Izubuchi leading as the main designer, supported by veterans such as Kunio Okawara, Mika Akitaka, and Yasushi Ishizu. Character designs are a delight from Haruhiko Mikimoto, renowned for his work on Macross. When it comes to voice acting, both the English dubs and subtitles are of high quality, boasting talented actors like Steve Blum and Wendee Lee, so you can enjoy either version comfortably.

In the spirit of its predecessor, Mobile Suit Gundam, Gundam 0080 delves into profound themes that war is devastating and our viewpoints can shift drastically under extreme circumstances.

Unfortunately, because of copyright restrictions, you can’t stream it online. However, you can find it on YouTube, though please note that this isn’t an official version and it might not be available for long. If you like it, I suggest owning the DVD or Blu-ray version instead.

Without a doubt, this ranks among my top four preferred Gundam narratives, and I’m confident it won’t let you down. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Read More

2025-04-15 20:45