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In times of war, the idea of conflict seems far removed from everyday life. Unfortunately for some, this could change in the blink of an eye. A lively and peaceful town can turn into a battlefield overnight, leaving citizens endangered and exposed to the horrors of battle. This is especially true for our children; how does war truly affect those who are still learning and growing in this world, yet to mature? Why do people die so easily? What is the difference between the good and the bad guys? What once seemed like a fascinating ideation of flashy fun will become, with enough exposure, a ... fearful enemy. Guns and robots aren't toys, and this is what this story is truly about.

Our story takes place in the midst of the One-Year War, yet removed from any of the major conflicts we know and love. It is a small side story in a remote colony with heavy emphasis on character. Side 6, while a neutral colony in the war, is said to have a hidden Federation base secretly operating from within it. Al, our eleven-year old protagonist, is a typical boy who loves to draw robots and pretend to be a soldier. One day, he and his friends witness a conflict happening just outside of their school, and alone decides to skip class and follow a shot down Zeon mobile suit to see if he can impress his friends with the evidence he can find there. Here, he meets the pilot of the mobile suit, Bernie, and he offers him a trade. With a cool souvenir in hand, he is sure his friends will be impressed. Instead, he treasures this interaction and decides he wants to see the Zaku up close once more. Fate guides him to meet again with Bernie, and the bond he makes with his supposed enemy becomes a lot more special than he could have hoped.

It is a quite emotionally driven story, and it really tackles both the wonder of an innocent child and the horrors of war in a well-woven tale that expresses a deep maturity that you would simply not expect of such a colorful and upbeat looking piece of animation. The animation is incredibly detailed, showing some of the highest quality animation I've seen in a long time. Given that this is a traditional hand-drawn piece of art, the detail really stands out. There are plenty of small moments where I was blown away that the animation director thought to include extra animation that is mostly out of sight. While these moments were shockingly well-drawn, they are nothing in comparison to the intricacies displayed in the moments of battle.

Watching the mobile suits fly around, attack, and destroy the environment around them was absolutely breathtaking. This series was incredibly high budget, and it shows. Typically, I find myself enjoying animated fighting scenes less and less as the quality of animation goes down in our modern era. As someone with a taste for hand-drawn animation, I tend to look for classics that I missed out on. With that being said, I can also find that a lot of older works can be thrown together quite sloppily. Thankfully, my expectations were completely blown away as I watched this, and frame-by-frame metal housings were being torn apart and scrap was being cut loose. Holes were being made in armor and explosions were a lot more than a simple cloud of red. Everything was exceptionally comprehensive, and at some points even quite graphic, making the scenarios feel incredibly realistic.

That's the true feeling that this show gives you; it's unbelievably real. So far, Gundam has been about facing war and coming to terms with the shock of it. With tons of space battles and outrageous (yet believable) politics, it's a bit difficult to imagine these scenarios taking place in our real world. For this, War in the Pocket is truly special. It manages to create an atmosphere of innocence and forms connections with the colony's people before anything can tear it apart. If your home was invaded by the enemy, this feels exactly how I expect something like this to play out. It doesn't feel forced or cliche, and it doesn't feel overly violent. It feels very secret and yet involved all at the same time.

If you are in need of an emotional piece that critiques the reasoning of war and humanizes the soldiers that are involved in it, then this is definitely what you need to spend your night watching. It's relatively short, and while you might need to know some of the basics of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series to fully understand it, I have to argue that this can probably be enjoyed without knowing much about the series at all. If any of these ideas seem interesting, then give it a shot; there's nothing to lose.

If you run, you gain one, but if you move forward, you gain two. This quote has been bouncing around in my head ever since the main character, Suletta Mercury, mutters it to herself for the first time. Not only is it a clever and wise statement, but it effortlessly describes what Gundam The Witch From Mercury is all about. No matter what we do as human beings, we always have to make a decision of some sort in our daily lives. This is shown straight from the beginning as we sit with Suletta in space where she notices a person floating around with nothing ... but a space suit. Filled with fear of danger for a fellow humanbeing's safety, she immediately decides that she has to help. Suletta brings this person aboard Aerial, her mobile suit, and then to the Asticassia School of Technology. Ironically, this was her destination all along as she was planning to start her studies here in space to learn more about mobile suits, make friends, and find love.

Upon her arrival, she learns that the woman she just saved, Miorine Rembran, was actually attempting to flee the school in order to escape to planet Earth. Despite the obvious danger, she is furious that she was pulled away from her opportunity. Meanwhile, a mobile suit battle is taking place between two students within the school's duelling grounds. This is the way that students settle any arguement, big or small, within the academy. After the fight concludes we meet the overly confident and arrogant victor, Guel Jeturk, who is also the school's top pilot. He invades Miorine's dorm and completely wrecks her precious tomato garden, demanding her hand in marriage. Because of the rules that Miorine's father has placed upon the school, Guel holds the title of Holder, which gives him automatic approval to wed her. This prestigious accolade is granted to any pilot who can defeat him. Unhappy with the treatment her new friend has recieved, Suletta challenges him, shows off her S-tier piloting skills, takes the title, and therefore becomes Miorine's fiancée.

All of this stuff might seem very surface level, but behind the curtains there is a large-scale political war happening. Most of the students at the academy belong to families who have heavy investment in the Benerit Group, a company that funds the school and leads the market in mobile suit development and technology. This furthers the motives of the characters to chase this title and marry the head of the company's daughter for their own benefit. With Suletta's newly held title, and her amazing mobile suit design that carried her victory, everyone wants to know more about her and where she came from. Many of the students were born and raised within space, some from Earth, and of course Suletta from Mercury, a planet known to have a very small population. Nobody believes that such an advanced mobile suit could come from a bumpkin of a planet and best one from the Jeturk's company suits, making her a star and an enemy to many.

The interesting designs, personalities, and ideas each character represents all mesh together for what I believe to be a perfect space-highschool experience. They constrast with their adult families' counterparts unbelievably well and create an innocent foil to such strong and serious adults, all the while seeing clear and believable influences from their family backgrounds. You can really see where everyone comes from, how they got there, and why they are doing the things that they are doing. Suletta, being the main character, comes off as very awkward and anxious. She doesn't know how to speak to others properly, but she has a very kind heart. Miorine is very much the opposite; she always speaks her mind and comes off as cold and heartless. Over time you see each character grow and move toward their goals in a very satisfying way.

I absolutely have to mention that I adore the stylistic choices that Witch From Mercury goes for. Every single second of animation is beautifully done. The colors are bright and vibrant within the school setting, while the shifted tones during action or politics are dark and gritty. Everything works very well together with no complaints whatsoever. This iteration of Gundam easily has my favorite designs out of any, which is big praise for a series that has been consistantly running for the past 44 years and prides itself on awesome robot designs. Some of it is very familiar and sticks close to home for fans, but it all seems very fresh and new at the same time. There's just not much else like it.

The development of the bigger picture is where the series really takes itself into another direction. Everything that you see, no matter how simple or childish it might seem, is all part of a big plan. It should be obvious; the school is dedicated to mobile suit development, and therefore comes with a seriously dark territory. Most of the students seem very important, almost like the rich kids from your own high school, and carry themselves with more than just simple, childish pride. They're big stocks in their parents' companies, and their futures very much depend on who and what they know at this school. It reaches a point where it almost makes you question if every business, program, or education system is corrupt. You wonder whether or not the important things in the world were ever told to you.

Suletta and Miorine make a lot of hard choices throughout the series. It is very clear that they are both just kids, have no idea what they are doing, and they know it. They have to make things up as they go along and pray that it just works out. They have to battle with the hardships of school-life, business, mobile suits, and politics, all with no real guidance other than knowing that you're moving foward for something you believe in. If something gets in your way, it doesn't matter if you can handle it or not. Whether you decide run or move forward, you're always gaining something. You're always learning; this is what it means to be human. There is not such thing as failure unless you don't move at all. It's a spectacular concept that is being displayed here, and I cannot praise it enough.

It's refreshing to feel the sense of excitment and joy that this series has given me. It's been a very long time since I've had the pleasure of watching something that I enjoyed so much, let alone be a part of it while it was airing. I cannot believe that this is only the first half of such an amazing piece of media, and I cannot wait to see what the second cour has in store for us. I truly believe that this generation of Gundam is the best it has ever been. It might be a bit strange to some and feel quite different to other entries in the longrunning series, but it brings something new to the table that I believe everyone should at least give a try. Gundam: The Witch From Mercury is a unique story that blends modern anime and war politics together in a way that I never thought was possible. It is genuinely inspiring with its concepts, and definitely takes the place as the best anime to release this year.


10/10
Anime of the Year

Romance is a subject that can only be felt, so the words escape me when trying to describe it. If I were to, however, show you an example of what romance can be, there are a lot of great examples that have been churned out throughout all of media. This is unfortunately not one of those examples.

Umi is a simple girl who raises signal flags to the sea each and every morning. Shun is a boy who writes for the school newspaper. That's about it, honestly. Shun does what boys do best and does something incredibly stupid in order to prove a point. He decides ... to jump from the roof into a pool of water in declaration that the school clubhouse is worth keeping around. Naturally, Umi sees this and thinks it's the most absurd thing ever, all the while forming a crush on him. From here, things become a bonified mess. On one hand, you have the two students who become romantically interested in each other; on the other hand, you have a dilapidated school clubhouse that's under threat to be demolished. This building is also where Shun's club resides, and thus sets the stage to give the two main characters a reason to talk to each other.

While the story attempts to focus on the romance elements, it suddenly shifts into a story about whether or not the clubhouse should be demolished. A lot of the interactions in the latter segments just feel awkward and unpolished, almost like the director didn't know how to build the world nor the characters around him. It flips back and forth between these two ideas so frequently that I began to question why any of them were present to begin with. It would make a lot more sense to focus on one thing before abruptly ejecting us and making way to the next idea on the checklist.

Everything feels very underdeveloped, especially when you consider the traits that the two main characters have. One of them puts up flags, and the other writes about it in his newspaper. Nothing really goes beyond that. There is, however, a moment where the romance sits center stage and a new conflict arises. Despite that, this is only point where I was genuinely interested in anything that was going on between the two. The film seriously lacks any sort of depth or development to make the characters feel like they really knew each other. This is what really holds back the film from being enjoyable.

I won't say it's all bad, though. Everything is extremely colorful and beautiful. There are a handful of well-animated and natural motions that are genuinely impressive. The art is just stunning, and it feels satisfying just leaving it at that. Unfortunately though, I'm just not so easily impressed.

I have to wonder; why are they always singing in this movie? It feels strange to say, but it's a very odd trend that occurs. They're breaking into song like it's a musical, but it's nowhere near it. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's just a really odd choice of direction. Maybe it's just me, but I was a bit perplexed by the amount of music pieces implemented into the film. I will give credit where it is due and say that I absolutely love the main theme to the film, and honestly as I write this, it's completely stuck in my head. Again, a bit of a weird take, but I feel like there's a lot of music in here for a film that's not supposed to be a musical.

Seldom words can be used to describe love, and just as many words describe the feeling of watching a Ghibli movie for the first time. From Up on Poppy Hill was an experience that just didn't compare to that high of soaring the clouds, the mysteries within the forest, or any of the other heartwarming tales that the movies of the past so expertly told. The story is much more grounded in reality, but fails to provide a real feeling to the viewers. Unfortunately, it just doesn't succeed in telling a compelling and believable story. Despite the fantastic art direction, the movie is overall underwhelming. If you don't mind judging a book by its cover, you might enjoy it, but otherwise, it probably won't do too much for you. It's barely an average romance story with little heart, and a long way away from its predecessors.

What happens when a girl from Outerspace, set on a mission to watch over planet Earth, is met one lonely night by a frail and timid high-school boy? Kei Kusanagi is an ordinary kid, despite one minor thing: he's actually been asleep for three years of his life. Due to a crazy health condition, he slept away all of the greatest years of his life. Now, having moved away to start his high-school life over again at the age of eighteen, Mizuho Kazami, an alien disguised as his new homeroom teacher suddenly moves next door. Worried about her secret identity as an alien, she trusts ... in him to keep her secret. Shortly after an unforeseen circumstance at school, they both find themselves marrying each other.

The story seems pretty simple, and it also seems like a recipe for the most generic ecchi anime to ever exist, but it somehow manages to defeat that stereotype in just twelve short episodes. Rather than focusing on a full-frontal love triangle featuring absurd amounts of nudity and sex appeal, Onegai Teacher chooses to be something different. It's a real romance story with real, relatable characters that have more than an interest in our main character. They have lives of their own and manage to support the protagonist and his individual story very well, alongside maintaining an interesting and well-developed series of subplots.

Each and every character feels alive and extremely developed. They're the opposite of generic background characters; they're a part of everything that is happening no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. It's impressive just how much the supporting characters can drive the plot forward. From faithful friends to other teachers in the school, everyone does their part to make sure the world around them seems as if it's progressing and accelerating alongside the relationship between Mizuho and Kei. Combining the emotions of love and romance with the deep emotions of sadness and despair, the suspense of the dramatic tone is quite an achievement. It's surprisingly metaphysical, and I think that it stands out to be one of the most remarkable parts of the show. It's a living and breathing world with real people inside of it, and it's clear that it is from the very beginning.

Colorful, consistent, and commendable, the characters and world design present themselves to be a step above the rest. It's not amazing, but there is a certain distinctness that radiates from Onegai Teacher that truly reflects the efforts made by the producer and animators to make something unique. The animation has small and intricate details that make the project seemingly shine, such as the movement of each character's hair in the wind, or the ruffles in their clothes when moving around. It feels as if studio Daume really attempted to make an additional effort to bring the characters to life, and I think that's what really makes Onegai Teacher special.

Considering just how unoriginal and lustful Onegai Teacher seemed at first glance, I wholeheartedly did not expect to enjoy it. It's a love story full of difficult trials to overcome and secrets that desperately need to be kept in order to sustain the relationship between the two main characters. A true romance that can be appreciated in its entirety, devoid of the major sex appeal that most directors rely on to sell their shows. While it's not displeasing to look at, it holds a fair level of modesty and respect for the story that's being told, even if it at first comes off as your typical ecchi fare.

Sometimes it's the simple stories that are the most memorable. Magic Knight Rayearth manages to be just that: an enjoyable tale that doesn't deviate from the traditional fantasy-style formula too much. Despite this, there are still a good amount of unforeseen twists and turns that keep the reader interested in what will happen next. Beyond that, it is a very fun and moving story that takes you through your typical 'save the princess' type of fantasy adventure.

Magic Knight Rayearth is simple, but don't let that discourage you. Originally written by the famous all-girl manga group, CLAMP, this story holds the honor of being one of ... their first published works. The adventure begins on a school trip to Tokyo tower where a group of three different schools meet each other. From each of these schools are Hikaru Shidou, a tomboyish girl who oozes a playful and cute, yet clueless personality, Umi Ryuuzaki, a beautifully elegant yet serious daughter of a rich family, and Fuu Hououji, a kind and caring girl with a soft and graceful personality.

Not before long, a light flashes and the three young ladies are whisked away to a world known as Cephiro, a world where everything from the sky to the ground below is controlled by the heart and prayers of one sole being. After being attacked by a vicious monster, they are saved by a great magician named Clef and are told that they are to become the prophesized Magic Knights to save the princess from her evil captor. It is revealed that the princess is this world's 'pillar', and her role is to exist forever alone in order to shape the world with the power of her heart. Along with a magical creature named Mokona, they begin their adventure to wake the Mashin and save the world from ruin.

Aside from the typical fantasy elements that are beautifully detailed in CLAMP's stunning artwork, I fell in love with the cast of characters that we get to know along the way. While the manga is a short six volumes total, enough time is spread throughout all of the cast to make it feel as though we really got to know all of them individually. There is a great mix of humor and action that makes the characters feel alive, rather than some generic protagonist that are set to accomplish their task and nothing else. All of the main cast has their individual charm and are very fun and likable all the way through. While some of the villainous characters remained fairly uninteresting, I couldn't help but love the exchanges between them and the protagonists.

Unfortunately, not everything was up to snuff when it comes right down to it. CLAMP isn't exactly known for their impressive battle manga, and it really shows in Magic Knight Rayearth. The fight scenes are generally unimpressive, and to put it bluntly, rather dull. There really isn't any fear of the main characters losing their battles, nor do the battles last longer than a swing or two of the sword. The panels remain rather messy and bland, which is a stark contrast from the rest of their beautiful artwork that makes this manga shine. At the very least, there is more to the story than fighting evil monsters or villainous scum, so it's not a major loss; however, it is definitely disappointing knowing that the hybrid genre of a magical-girl fantasy mecha doesn't have quality battle sequences. While it's not bad, it isn't that great and really remains to be the only major issue I have with the work itself.

Aside from the aforementioned action panels, every bit and piece of art is absolutely breathtaking. The characters are designed with such detail that will leave you in an absolutely wonderous state. I really can't say enough about how beautiful and strong the art direction is, and given that this whole story is put together by a group of people that all work together for a collective goal, it's even more amazing that their combined talents can stay consistent and beautiful all the same.

Magic Knight Rayearth isn't the best manga I've ever read, but it's certainly a very good one. It's a classic piece that deserves to be loved for what it is, no matter how simple it seems on the outside. It manages to hold a large amount of substance without breaking too far out of the boundaries that would normally defy the reader's expectations. While it might not be the best battle manga, it has a lot of heart put into it and is clearly a beautiful piece that screams of influence from the romantic period. It's more than beautiful, it's magic.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is by far one of the best sequels that anime could ask for. It takes everything that made the original Gundam trilogy so great and turns it up to eleven. It is fueled by the will to fight for what is right in the world rather than siding with one particular faction over the other. It is about the internal conflict of the main character rather than the overcoming the villain's forces to ultimately obtain peace. It is the same Gundam that you know and love, but it seems to have grown up remarkably well into a fully shaped adult.

Banagher Links ... is a kid who is nothing more than your ordinary student attending boring classes. He's quiet and reserved, but he deeply cares for his friends. One day, he feels something pulling him to save a girl floating outside of his school's ship, rushes out to save her, and begins his long journey of preventing war and protecting the information about Laplace's box. It turns out that war is brewing, and the only way to stop it is to listen to his pure-hearted instincts. All he has other than himself is the Gundam and the girl who calls herself Audrey Burne. Between Full Frontal, the man who is famed to be the second coming of Char, and the seemingly corrupt ideals of the Federation, who can Banagher really trust? In order to save humanity, he has to believe in “possibility” to make peace, and he has to do it with little to no help. Banagher is constantly engaged in both a metaphysical and real battle with himself, the Federation, and the Neo Zeon forces. Who is his enemy? Is the Federation just, or are they corrupt? Is Zeon trustworthy, or are they just as bad as history has made them out to be? All of these important questions are floating around in the head of one young boy.

Can Banagher Links and Audrey Burne unite the hearts of the Earth Federation and Zeon and live a peaceful life?

Plot: 8/10

Aside from the previously mentioned synopsis I gave above, I believe it is important to note one more important piece of information: Unicorn takes place during the Universal Century, and requires knowledge of at least the history surrounding what happens in Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, and Char's Counterattack. The ideology and politics go far and wide to the point where if you aren't following along, you're bound to get lost. It's deep, complex, and will absolutely take you for a ride if you are willing to understand it.

What is there is absolutely incredible and thought-provoking, but the lack of accessibility can make it hard to approach Unicorn as a beginner to the series. Even so, on its own it can still make for a very emotional and inspiring experience.

Characters: 9/10

First thing's first, Banagher Links is a very easy character to sympathize with. While he may not have any major powers or exciting backstories that many other popular characters have, he is very relatable. If you've ever been in a bad situation with no clue what to do, you will feel every ounce of pain and hardship that Banagher has to endure. You can really feel the struggle of what it's like to be in a war that seemingly can't be stopped. It's hard not to want to run away from your intense emotions and insecurities, but he knows that he has to keep going. He knows that this is war, and he might be one of the only people who can stop it from happening. This is easily one of the biggest parts of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn for me. The feeling of what it's like to be in war, and how pointless and immature it seems to not get along with one another. Personally, Banagher reminded me of myself, and in a lot of ways it might seem biased, but I could truly feel his emotions on a remarkably high level.

Audrey, while similar to Banagher, has a cold and independent personality. She doesn't want to be helped, and she feels that all responsibility lies upon her shoulders. She is quite remarkable in how she views the world and makes a great companion character to our main hero.

Full Frontal, the leader of the Neo Zeon forces, takes the role of Char Aznable and proclaims himself to be “the second coming” in order to make his people feel that they can trust him. While this may be the case, it is easy to see that his ideals stray a bit far from the mark that our favorite antagonist from the past once had. Whether his goal is just or not, he keeps up a good facade and remains to be somewhat likable in the same way that Char was, despite his differences. He also has a really cool mech, so that's a bonus.

The two main forces of the series are the Earth Federation and the Neo Zeon, and this time around neither of the two are obviously good or bad. Unicorn really makes you question which of the two factions are the one that will come on top, but it's more than just two factions that you have to think about. The real viewpoint that it tries to focus on instead is based on who is involved as an individual and why they are fighting. We get to see Captain Bright Noa return and make us proud, but there are also new characters such as Zinnerman and Marida who really make you feel for and sympathize with the people of Zeon. Unicorn makes it blatantly obvious that there is no real enemy, and that everyone has a heart, and that is incredible.

Art: 9/10

Artistically speaking, Gundam rarely disappoints; this time around it's even better than usual. The designs of the ships and the mechs are by far my favorite out of the entire series so far. Every mobile suit is incredibly detailed, and even the mass produced units are seemingly in an attempt to take the spotlight on their very own. With the great use of color included, everything pops out vibrantly and keeps your attention with ease.

Every frame is smoothly animated, and while there may be some instances of still frames and camera panning, they are very rare and there is a lot of effort in making everything seem very real and life-like.
The battle animation takes absolutely no short-cuts and stays fresh even when they could have made it easier on themselves and reused assets to save time. Whether or not the budget on this project was high, it surely comes off like it was. Excellent quality, overall.

Sound: 9/10

Never have I been entranced so deeply in the score of this franchise before. Every note is thematic and fits the bill in such a profound and heroic way. The music never fails to feel strong and emotional, and always manages to be placed in just the right moment to sweep your legs away from under you. I felt that I was really able to connect with the pieces from every episode, and it absolutely made me feel incredible.

Beside the score, the voices and added effects were more than serviceable. The emotion that you feel from Banagher's voice is deep and inspiring, and the rest of the cast manage to hold themselves fairly high all the rest. There may have been a few voices that I didn't particularly find amazing, but they still managed to fit in well and were done well enough for me not to notice any major faults.

Overall: 9/10

All in all, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is by far one of my favorite shows in the entirety of the franchise, and possibly in all of anime in itself. The story is moving and inspiring, without ever losing its pace. The characters are remarkable and emotional, all holding their differences in values and coming together to teach a very important lesson about humanity. The artistic design is stunning, and the music is almost addicting in nature as its power to draw you in has the ability to inspire you for the rest of the day.

There may be a bit of history to it, but it's worth every minute of your time to seek out and explore. The lack of accessibility to new viewers is a bit of a problem, but even so, I can without a doubt recommend that you watch this series. If you have ever felt like the world we live in is in need of a great change, don't pass up this moment to feel inspired. Go for it, and believe in the god we call “possibility.”