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(LAZAROTH REVIEW - SHORT - SPOILER FREE)

As a MASSIVE Dragon Ball fan, I enjoyed this... slightly. But if you are NOT like me, it's a waste of time.

"Dragon Ball Z: Atsumare! Gokuu World" is actually a video game, or rather an interactive short movie from a video game console that revolves around Interactive movies (designed SPECIFICALLY for the system).

As such, most of its applications are uninspired Trivia questions at specific points of the movie. In this case, Dragon Ball uses it as a Trivia show, as we follow Goku and friends through time (thanks to Trunk's time machine) and watch them witness ... events take place, occasionally "helping" them by answering extremely easy questions (the console was aimed at *very* young kids). There's a marginal novelty to it, but it's only the kind of thing a Dragon Ball geek like myself would enjoy. And even then, my enjoyment was just minimal.

The picture quality of this OVA is always horrible, so good luck finding this in a decent quality (with English subs!).

Seeing some old moments being reanimated was quite cool, even though it was quite low effort and I preferred the old dragon ball style it was animated in originally. But it's still kinda cool.

The cell fight at the end was actually good, it was like a scene straight out of Dragon Ball Heroes, but decades before that came out. That fight was an original scene, and I was happy to see something I had never seen before that sparked that Dragon Ball nerd inside me for a moment. With the insane Dragon Ball drought that was over half a year as of the time I'm writing this, I find solace in the fact that obscure Dragon Ball products like this helped fill the gaping hole that is being a dragon ball fan, especially a Dragon Ball fan post Akira Toriyama's death (Rest in peace). Dragon Ball Daima releases soon after this review goes up, but the last over half a year with only a few 5 minute long horrendously bad CGI Dragon Ball Super Heroes Promo episodes to tide us over, it's been a rough time. Here's hoping Daima is good, even if it isn't progressing the Franchise's story.

Getting to see new content with the Characters I love was great for me, I've seen 99.9% of the Franchise's unique content now. But there's no reason to watch this, even if you are just a casual Dragon Ball fan.

This review judges the product based on what it was trying to do, rather than against the whole franchise, which is unfair. As such, it's not a 2/10 or anything. I think it could've done WAY more with the concept, like featuring alternative endings/paths based on what you choose, such as "Frieza has appeared! Will you make Goku deflect his energy blast aimed at Krillin, or charge straight for him? Press (button 1) or (button 2) to pick!" Sort of thing. But nah, it's just trivia. A boring way to use a concept with a lot of potential. Though that would require actual effort.

Rest in Peace, Akira Toriyama. Thank you for making such a Brilliant Franchise. I even like the bad/weak parts, like this product.

(LAZAROTH REVIEW - MEDIUM LENGTH - SPOILER FREE)

"MSG: Stardust Memory" is an anime that sets up the events for "MSG: Zeta" and it follows a unit as they attempt to recover a stolen Gundam and discover and prevent its use in a mysterious "Operation: Stardust". Disclaimer: I am watching Gundam chronologically, so I am unsure if this is an adequate set up for that storyline, so I am not going to be addressing that aspect. But I feel like it's a good set up as I am excited for things to come!


Story/Characters/Action:

This anime has themes that connect directly to the original Gundam anime from 1979, ... such as guilt from failure, the pressure to succeed, mirroring Amuro Ray not just in those themes, but quite literally as well. The main character of this anime, Kou, dives into a Gundam without a second's hesitation in order to protect the people, and is then tasked with piloting it in future. There's also the similarity of him being assigned to a Federation "Pegasus class" Spaceship, that looks near identical to the "White base" ship from the original anime, they even say that it is an upgraded version of that lost ship. Furthermore, the Federation do not support them as much as they should, much like they did in the Original anime as well.

The characters are a treat to watch, each has their own flaws and strengths and they bounce off each other very well. If the anime had been a little longer, I think these characters could have blossomed into exceptionally great characters like the original anime did, but they still knocked it out of the park with these entertaining and varied personas.

The anime highlights the consequences of Hubris, by underestimating your enemy, you could be knocked out with a hit that you never saw coming, much like how David beats Goliath. It's an fairly unexplored theme in Gundam (as of chronological order) and I appreciated the fact that it was explored here. It has absolutely devastating consequences that subverted my expectations. I think the overall story could've been executed better, but it still fulfils its role as being a set up anime for the Zeta storyline.

Comedy is usually quite subtle that doesn't take away from the seriousness of the anime.

Action scenes are animated BEAUTIFULLY and have a fair amount of interesting fight scenes and scenarios, particularly near the end when a Mobile suit capable of destroying a small planet with its vast amount of different weapons appears. There's an action scene near the beginning where Mobile suits have to battle within a foggy environment with hostile terrain, and there's a nice shot where you can only see the clashing Energy swords through the mist.



Animation/Music/Art:

This animation is AWESOME! It looks utterly fantastic, I don't think 2D Gundam has looked this good prior to Thunderbolt's anime before. It's absolutely stunning, the sheer effort put into almost every action scene blows me away, the pink plumes of smoke after every explosion look amazing, and the anime has an incredible sense of speed with mobile suits zipping around everywhere.

The art is gorgeous as well, with an enamouring shading style and great character designs that I can't praise enough. It's an JOY to look at. The 90's vibes it gives off (due to being a 90's anime...) are incredible and somehow nostalgic, despite me never getting into anime until the very early 2010's (though I grew up with 1997's Pokemon, but that has a different vibe). The mobile suits' designs are also epic, I loved every second they were on screen. They just OOZE creativity.

This anime's animation is pure eye candy, particularly for an early 90's anime.

Music is good, albeit mostly unmemorable.



Overall:

"MSG: Stardust Memory" is a visually stunning show with amazing characters and designs, exceptional art, and pretty good fight scenes that are animated beautifully. The plot is a bit stretched, however I think the ramifications of the plot have set up the next anime greatly, as I am very excited to see what's next! I recommend it, it does exactly what it set out to do, set up Zeta's storyline.


Bonus:

I've been watching the Gundam franchise in chronological order, which some are against doing, but I think it's been brilliant so far. I lose out on some retrospective for an near seamless ongoing story, rather than jumping back and forth between different wars and periods in the Gundam franchise, which I dislike doing. I'm only about HALFWAY done with the UC Gundam timeline, let alone the other timelines and miscellaneous Gundam media. I *might* stop watching Gundam after the UC timeline, not because I'm not enjoying my time, but because I don't want to get burned out on Gundam. It would also give time for more Gundam entries into the other timeline's universe, and I'll go back to it at a later date, similar to what I did when I watched "The Walking Dead". I only watched the main show (11 seasons) about a year ago, and I am leaving all the spin-off seasons for a later date (which is MORE than the main TV series' seasons combined as well...) to avoid burnout, which I'll pick up sometime in 2025 as most of the spinoffs will end then. I'm doing the same thing for other media, like how I only read the first saga of "Yu-Gi-Oh!" featuring Yugi, but I never continued to the other YGO sagas. Mainly because they are only loosely connected and aren't exactly direct sequels. But doing this, whenever I feel like I want to experience YGO again, I just load up a YGO anime or manga. I TYPICALLY prefer binging everything a media has to offer, so I'd watch all the movies and TV shows of "Breaking bad"'s universe BACK TO BACK for example, before moving on to the next piece of media. But for media that don't have direct sequels or have sequels that are set in their own entirely separate universe, or have different timelines with no relation to other entries within the same franchise (such as Gundam), then I can safely stop consuming a franchise or part of a franchise and leave it for a later date.

These bonus sections are just more info about me and my experiences, they aren't required for the review, hence the "bonus". It's mostly just for me to remember where I am at mentally, and where I'm at in the watch/read order.


Animation: 8.9/10
Plot: 7.3/10
Action: 8.0/10
Characters: 9.4/10
Music: 7.5/10
Ending: 8.0/10

Overall: 8.0/10

(LAZAROTH REVIEW - SHORT LENGTH - SPOILER FREE)

"MSG: War in the pocket" revolves around the relationship of a small boy and a Zeon soldier as they become friends, and later accomplices, in crimes against the Federation army. It's entirely seen through the eyes of the young boy, so the perspective is entirely unique for the Gundam franchise. It's a decent, albeit unimportant, anime that caps off the One year storyline in a tame, yet satisfying way. This is a medium length review because, unlike with the other Gundam entries, I don't have much to say about this anime.

Following mainly children, seeing their disillusionment of ... war is interesting and sad. The way the boy practically advocates for the murder of his own people is disturbing, he doesn't understand that they are bad guys. Seeing the Zeon undercover operatives grooming him into being a Zeon intelligence agent (unofficially) is sad, albeit understandable from their perspective. It angered me at times to see this gullible kid plot against his own people, which caused countless deaths, but he's a kid, they don't know right from wrong. Still, I was furious with the boy, so if that sort of thing annoys you, maybe avoid this one. It's a decent story, but not at all important to the overall story of Gundam.

It isn't until he witnesses death with his own eyes that he realises how horrible war is, and that it isn't "cool", that carrying around war memorabilia is disgusting, and that advocating for an environment where people kill each other is wrong.

I enjoyed the character dynamics, particularly the adopted brotherly love between Bernie and Alfred. They have good chemistry.

Action is pretty standard, some interesting set pieces, but nothing special. They are animated quite well though. Speaking of, the Animation is good. The music has one memorable track but wasn't anything special, a bit of a let down.

The ending was pretty satisfying and melancholic.


Overall:

This anime is a unique, but sometimes (understandably) frustrating perspective of the One year war. It's mostly entertaining, but it might put some people off due to the immaturity of the main character, as well as it's rather unimportant existence within the Gundam franchise. I would only recommend this to people who really like Gundam or are like me and are attempting to watch every Gundam anime. Otherwise, I think you can safely pass this one without issue or regret.


Bonus:

The one year war is officially over. This was the last thing I had to watch to fully close off on the One year war storyline (for good this time!). I definitely feel like the OYW storyline has had enough stories, and I'm more than ready to see what's beyond it!


Animation: 7.9/10
Action: 7.2/10
Plot: 6.2/10
Characters: 6.2/10
Music: 6.0/10
Ending: 7.8/10

Overall: 6.4/10

(LAZAROTH REVIEW - INDIVIDUAL EPISODE REVIEWS - SPOILER FREE)

This OVA set of "MS Igloo" is an episodic foray into the trials and tribulations of three separate Federation Soldiers of different ground units. It's an incredibly immersive setting as these people are quite literally at the bottom of the military power level, being forced to face these "Death Gods" called Mobile Suits as Zeon begins their invasion of earth. Overall, the CGI, tone and cinematography for all of them are top notch, but I'm going to delve a little deeper by reviewing each individual episode. This will be a short review due to most of my ... overarching impressions being found in my first MS Igloo review, and is only intended to review the story, action and cinematography of these episodes. If you need a recommendation, here it is!


EPISODE 1:


My favourite of the three episodes. It follows a small unit of "Anti-tank" personnel that have been retrofitted into becoming an "Anti-Mobile suit" unit despite their lack of firepower, thanks to the massacre of the Earth's Federation forces at this particular point of the war due to the rise of the Mobile suits of Zeon. The unit we follow are armed with weapons you'd find even in our very own modern day, with only a slightly more futuristic spin. This makes it the most relatable and immersive episode of Gundam yet, as it wouldn't be far off to think that this OVA episode was centred around Mobile Suits invading our very own world at this time. It's amazing to see what war is truly like for the regular ground troops at the bottom of the barrel as they are expected to defend against a supremely overwhelming enemy at its prime of the war.

Themes of guilt and leadership are explored here, along with PTSD, and pressure from your superiors. It's an incredible insight into the mentality of a soldier who's seen nothing but death and destruction, forced to repeat the same hell day in and day out.

This episode in particular shows how absolutely terrifying an mobile suit would be for just a regular person. The show's cinematography always makes the Mobile suits look absolutely massive and insanely overbearing, despite being one of the weaker Mobile Suit variant of the franchise, they have NEVER looked more terrifying.

The whole "death god" thing is a bit outlandish at first, but fits well as the representation of the emotions of whose who (literally) carry death with them.

The ending is great and really effective, reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan.


EPISODE 2:

This episode is centred around a Tank Platoon, particularly a newcomer to the unit who is paired up with the unit's crazy "death god" veteran. It's a revenge story as the veteran is looking for an unique Zoku, called the "White ogre". They vow to fight each other to the death, Mobile Suit vs Tank, to lift the curse of death that afflicts them both. Both of them even feign mechanical issues to get out of "boring" battles as they don't feel like they are worth their time, only their destined battle is most important to them...

I'm a big fan of tanks, so I really liked this episode. Not only does it provide a unique perspective yet again of the war, but it's also just really cool. The "death god" thing continues here, but it's apparent that it may be more physical than just conceptual, although it may just be a shared experience. It's still effective at getting the point across however.

Has a great twist.


EPISODE 3:


Follows a Guntank crew made up of ex-convicts. I really like the guntanks in this episode, their ability to travel looks quite unparalleled for a ground vehicle, and it just looks so fun. The action is good, but the characters are at their weakest here.

The twist is quite obvious, but still effective. The themes of anger and betrayal clouds one's judgement, after all.

The "Death god" is a concept that strings all the episodes together, and it seems particularly overt here. Which I harbour mixed feelings about.

My least favourite episode, but still good fun.


OVERALL RATINGS:

Animation:
Plot 1: 7.9/10
Plot 2: 7.9/10
Plot 3: 7.4/10

Action 1/2/3: 8.0/10
Music 1/2/3: 6.0/10

Characters 1: 7.6/10
Characters 2: 7.4/10
Characters 3: 6.2/10

Overall 1: 8.0/10
Overall 2: 7.7/10
Overall 3: 7.1/10

(LAZAROTH REVIEW - COMPANION PIECE TO "MS IGLOO SET 1" - SPOILER SECTION)

***SPOILER FREE SECTION***

This review is a continuation of my "MS Igloo - The Hidden one year war" (AKA "MS Igloo set 1") review, and is intended to be a companion piece, since this is the 2nd half of the story from the first review. As such, it will have not have a structure akin to my other reviews. Please read my first review in order to fully appreciate this review. Contains a separate Spoiler section.

Continuing on from the themes of the first set, the second set further explores the aspect of "research and ... development" in war, but with an added focus on "failure". As an engineer, failure is an VITAL part of the process of development and experimentation. However, due to the war's ever advancing arms race, the unit we follow are forced to experiment and test things in actual combat, leading to failure more often than not, which is devastating for the war effort, let alone the R&D of the machines being tested. This set explores how this failure affects the crew members as they botch mission after mission by relying on experimental tech, and we see the pressure to succeed morph with the necessity of failure to create a uniquely tense, yet melancholic, environment of war that they have to deal with. This new atmosphere is pushed to its limits when the Zeon forces dwindle, and they are forced to incorporate their non-combat oriented units, such as the R&D unit we follow, into direct combat. It's interesting to see how they cope with this new assignment.

As with the original Gundam from 1979, and Gundam Thunderbolt, the theme of children in war, particularly child soldiers, is explored here. Making the war seem even more desperate, visceral, and despicable.

The designs of the mobile suits, particularly the huge suit that Oliver May pilots near the end, are incredible and fit well into the story.


***SPOILER SECTION***

ENDING SPOILERS: At first, I thought that the ending was a little too happy for my taste, I thought it would've been more poignant if Oliver May had actually died at the end, as it would follow on with how every test pilot he oversaw died before him, making it consistent. But then I realised that when May's apparent "death" happened after the ceasefire, then seeing how he had actually survived as everyone began heading home because the war was over, made me realise that it ended up being even MORE poignant to have him the final test pilot, survive. Because the war was over. Nobody needed to die testing his weapons anymore. The curse of war was lifted. I think that's a great way to end as it truly makes the war feel like it really had just ended right then and there, even if the tone goes against Tim O'Brien's quote somewhat with the melancholic, but still slightly happy ending. I really liked how in the ending of every episode, there was a Zeon flag, but in this episode, it ends after the wars does, and there is no Zeon flag...

***END OF SPOILER SECTION***


Overall:

This doesn't stand on its own, it needs to be watched alongside the first set in order to fully appreciate and realise the themes of the OVA, and to fully witness Oliver May's story. It's got some great narrative beats, usually great action, but a conflicted ending which I could go either way on. Still, I think these to OVAs are a good and novel watch, I recommend them.

(LAZAROTH REVIEW - MEDIUM LENGTH - MINOR SPOILER SECTION)

"MSG: MS Igloo" is a series of fully CGI OVAs that takes place during the one year war, following a Zeon Technical Engineer in the first and second set, and a variety of Federation ground troops in the third. This is a review for the first set, which is the first half of the main character, Oliver May's story.

***PSA: You can watch the entire "MS Igloo" series English subbed for free and 720p (better than 480p release) on INTERNET ARCHIVE, though there's a watermark in the corner, but you'll forget it's there after a bit. Due to ... the obscurity of finding this series online or IRL, I hope this helps people who are looking for this mostly forgotten 25th anniversary piece of Gundam history.***


Animation/Art/Music:

I'd say that the CGI is outdated, but it isn't fair to judge a 20 year old show by today's standards, although with how bad CGI has been shown to be in recent years, such as "Berserk 2016", I really don't think that calling it outdated is warranted. It looks good, not as good as the CGI trailers of "Assassin's creed", but for a full CGI show, it's perfectly just good. The CGI has a very early 2000's "realistic" CGI look to it, so it has some immense charm. (Yes it was literally made in the early 2000's, so that makes sense...). It's a very expressive CGI, perhaps a little too expressive, and sometimes lip syncing is off. But it is appropriately weighty, and the sense of force and speed are sold usually wonderfully well. It's actually quite good CGI, and a novel way to watch Gundam.


The cinematography of this OVA really surprised me. It is full of dynamic and creative shots and angles, fully utilising the CGI medium to its fullest.

Music is really good, albeit quite limited. The battle theme "Shisyu-seyo!" is incredibly fitting as it provokes themes of intense patriotism and it's just fun to listen to. I added it to my song list.

The mobile suit's designs really stand out in the full CGI format, and still manage to look appropriately menacing, something that was lost in the CGI Mobile suits over 10 years later with the Origin anime adaptation. More on this in the last set.



Story/Action/Characters:


Despite the plot's lack of drama, I still really love the fact that this show revolves around the "Research and development" and subsequent "Testing" of the Zeon empire's new military weapons and vehicles such as canons and mobile suits. It's an aspect of the war we hadn't really seen, so I really like that it once again feels like a fresh perspective of the Gundam Franchise. And once again, we get to see the war from the perspective of the Zeon empire. I still really love how heavily the Gundam franchise has us in the shoes of the conventional "bad guys". Though the characters here are basically conduits for the plot to run through, and don't really make an impact themselves.

There is a fairly big theme of Propaganda in this show. Even with Zeon's initial dominance with the Mobile suits, Zeon brass still manipulate the facts once they begin to be pushed back by the Federation's advancing tech by pretending to the entire Zeon forces that the war is still going in their favour, deliberately misrepresenting the facts in order to further push moral and Zeon patriotism. It's quite an interesting theme that we haven't really seen in Gundam (Keep in mind I'm watching via chronological order, not release order, so if this theme is prevalent in Gundam media that released prior to 2004, then I am wrong here, but it's new to me!).

I think it's brilliant that the show dives into how Mobile suits became the jack of all trades of the war and made certain aspects of Military weapons and groups almost obsolete. You can feel the frustration of some people as their entire training and specialism have gone to waste as they are upended by superior machines of war that aren't even specialised for one niche.


Some of the action scenes are actually very epic and captivating, I particularly like the scene where a fleet battle happens, but with each side rotating their cannons sideways, like old pirate ships would be pointing their cannons. It's a unique way to show the sometimes boring space battles in Gundam.

I like how the end of each episode make it out as if the episode was just an personal report of the operation by the Main character, who witnessed the events unfold. It's a unique way to look at things.



***MINOR SPOILER SECTION***

Seeing the Federation brutally gun down thousands of defenceless, fleeing Zeon soldiers after the Odessa battle while our characters frantically try to save them is horrifying to witness, another way this franchise shows the horrors of war.

***MINOR SPOILER SECTION END***



Overall:

I didn't think I'd like this going into it at first, but wow, I was wrong. The CGI offers a novel way to experience Gundam, and dare I say that it fits the Gundam universe amazingly well, I actually wish we had more shows like this. The plot delves into yet another unexplored aspect of war that is overlooked, but essential in winning the arms race, that of "Research and development". It was really interesting seeing all the different scenarios, even if the actual plot was very thin and even pretentious at times, it thinks it has something to say, but it doesn't really. There's some decent themes it plays with though. Still, the spectacle and uniqueness of this show makes it worth a watch, so I recommend it!

I'll be reviewing the other sets, though they'll be shorter since most of my overall critique of the Igloo series is found here.


Animation: 7.9/10
Plot: 6.2/10
Characters: 6.2/10
Action: 8.4/10
Music: 8.0/10
Ending: (since this is half of an on-going story, there's no ranking here...)

Overall: 7.6/10

(LAZAROTH REVIEW - MEDIUM LENGTH - SPOILER FREE)

"Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt" movie/series 2, "Bandit Flower", is a visually stunning, but narratively disappointing, OVA sequel to the first OVA. This review will be shorter since most of my relevant critique is found in my first OVA review, as it carries over to here.


Animation/Art/Music.

Animation remains almost as stellar as the first OVA, such a beauty. There's some Mild CGI, but it's most often used sparingly to enhance a scene, rather than outright replace entire animation like most modern Mecha. Speaking of Mecha, the new mobile suits from both sides look incredible. There's some really great and ... creative cinematography. The varied settings due to taking place on earth rather than space is fresh, but loses some of the lustre of the first OVA.

Music is experimental, which I give credit for, even if it sounds like a bunch of drunk monks moaning into the microphone at times. The jazz is jazzy, so if you're a fan, you'll like it.


Story/Characters/Action:

The story suffers from being too short.

If it was longer, as in an entire anime season, it would feel much better as, really, not much happened in this OVA. Like, at all... I'm left with a feeling of "So that's it?", especially since it's been ALMOST A DECADE since this movie released. But I'll touch on that later, first, I need to praise the novelty of its narrative setting first.

Focusing on the direct aftermath of the One year war, it's very intriguing to see the Federation and the universe as a whole dealing with Zeon remnants who won't abide by the ceasefire after the Zeon empire's full official surrender. This is the earliest content (I think?) right after the war ended, but it hasn't really ended yet until the rebel resistance is squashed forever. I love that we get something like this, as it is something that media rarely portrays. Usually in war stories that have the war end on screen, by the very next scene, the world has returned to normalcy. But in this anime, things are more realistic. There will obviously be those who never give up, too prideful or vengeful to admit defeat.


There are some decently interesting ideas, but the story feels so... frivolous that I really wish they had just turned this into a 24 episode season or something. There was enough source material for that at the time, surely?


Overall:

This OVA was still quite entertaining due to the action, even if I didn't enjoy the story. I don't think I can even recommend that people watch this movie after they have seen the first movie. The first movie can be enjoyed in a purely visual way, the 2nd movie is more plot focused, even though the plot is extremely underbaked, partly due to this movie/series feeling like an "in-between" movie/series, but even then, it could've been better executed.

As much as I think it's a cardinal sin to say this, I think you're best off watching only the fight scenes on YouTube or something :/



Bonus:

I'm VERY disappointed that the Thunderbolt storyline wasn't a finished series. I hadn't realised that they were adapting an ongoing manga until it was too late. I HATE stopping in the middle of a story, especially when I have to wait YEARS AND YEARS for a continuation, as I have a horrible memory, which is part of the reason why I write such detailed reviews for almost everything I read/watch, to remember my feelings on something. I prefer to BINGE COMPLETED things, though I do make some exceptions, like with weekly/monthly manga that I keep up with. But if it's Video, I prefer binging, so I don't watch anime weekly. I wait until it's over to see all of it at once. Since there hasn't been a Thunderbolt anime in almost an entire decade, I really hate that I will probably forget the story whenever that other movie comes out, if it ever does!!

Worse than that, they've only adapted 7 volumes out of 24 (with more on the way)! Usually in this situation, I'd read the manga, but I really like the animation quality of this spin-off adaptation. It was a treat for the eyes, but I guess with a story this meh, I can forgive stopping in the middle like this.


Animation: 9.2/10
Action: 9.1/10
Plot: 3.0/10
Characters: 5.6/10
Ending: (It's unfair to judge an ongoing story on an arbitrary ending due to not adapting the entire thing, so no rating here...)

Overall: 6.2/10

(Yes I uploaded this review twice, for both versions of the adaptation.)

(LAZAROTH REVIEW - MEDIUM LENGTH - SPOILER FREE)

"Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt" movie/series 2, "Bandit Flower", is a visually stunning, but narratively disappointing, OVA sequel to the first OVA. This review will be shorter since most of my relevant critique is found in my first OVA review, as it carries over to here.


Animation/Art/Music.

Animation remains almost as stellar as the first OVA, such a beauty. There's some Mild CGI, but it's most often used sparingly to enhance a scene, rather than outright replace entire animation like most modern Mecha. Speaking of Mecha, the new mobile suits from both sides look incredible. There's some really great and ... creative cinematography. The varied settings due to taking place on earth rather than space is fresh, but loses some of the lustre of the first OVA.

Music is experimental, which I give credit for, even if it sounds like a bunch of drunk monks moaning into the microphone at times. The jazz is jazzy, so if you're a fan, you'll like it.


Story/Characters/Action:

The story suffers from being too short.

If it was longer, as in an entire anime season, it would feel much better as, really, not much happened in this OVA. Like, at all... I'm left with a feeling of "So that's it?", especially since it's been ALMOST A DECADE since this movie released. But I'll touch on that later, first, I need to praise the novelty of its narrative setting first.

Focusing on the direct aftermath of the One year war, it's very intriguing to see the Federation and the universe as a whole dealing with Zeon remnants who won't abide by the ceasefire after the Zeon empire's full official surrender. This is the earliest content (I think?) right after the war ended, but it hasn't really ended yet until the rebel resistance is squashed forever. I love that we get something like this, as it is something that media rarely portrays. Usually in war stories that have the war end on screen, by the very next scene, the world has returned to normalcy. But in this anime, things are more realistic. There will obviously be those who never give up, too prideful or vengeful to admit defeat.


There are some decently interesting ideas, but the story feels so... frivolous that I really wish they had just turned this into a 24 episode season or something. There was enough source material for that at the time, surely?


Overall:

This OVA was still quite entertaining due to the action, even if I didn't enjoy the story. I don't think I can even recommend that people watch this movie after they have seen the first movie. The first movie can be enjoyed in a purely visual way, the 2nd movie is more plot focused, even though the plot is extremely underbaked, partly due to this movie/series feeling like an "in-between" movie/series, but even then, it could've been better executed.

As much as I think it's a cardinal sin to say this, I think you're best off watching only the fight scenes on YouTube or something :/



Bonus:

I'm VERY disappointed that the Thunderbolt storyline wasn't a finished series. I hadn't realised that they were adapting an ongoing manga until it was too late. I HATE stopping in the middle of a story, especially when I have to wait YEARS AND YEARS for a continuation, as I have a horrible memory, which is part of the reason why I write such detailed reviews for almost everything I read/watch, to remember my feelings on something. I prefer to BINGE COMPLETED things, though I do make some exceptions, like with weekly/monthly manga that I keep up with. But if it's Video, I prefer binging, so I don't watch anime weekly. I wait until it's over to see all of it at once. Since there hasn't been a Thunderbolt anime in almost an entire decade, I really hate that I will probably forget the story whenever that other movie comes out, if it ever does!!

Worse than that, they've only adapted 7 volumes out of 24 (with more on the way)! Usually in this situation, I'd read the manga, but I really like the animation quality of this spin-off adaptation. It was a treat for the eyes, but I guess with a story this meh, I can forgive stopping in the middle like this.


Animation: 9.2/10
Action: 9.1/10
Plot: 3.0/10
Characters: 5.6/10
Ending: (It's unfair to judge an ongoing story on an arbitrary ending due to not adapting the entire thing, so no rating here...)

Overall: 6.2/10

(Yes I uploaded this review twice, for both versions of the adaptation.)

(LAZAROTH REVIEW - LONG - SPOILER FREE)

"Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt" Movie/series 1: "December Sky" is an absolute visual spectacle with an promising dark plot, but with some bad execution.


Story/Characters/Action:

Just when you think that Gundam has exhausted its unique or interesting battle concepts, here comes Gundam Thunderbolt with a space battle among a thick debris field with an even thicker Minovsky particle density that prevents long distance communication. Combined with the high number of deadly snipers and beams that could hit you from any direction unseen, and you have an more terrifying setting than even the jungles of "MSG: 8th MS team". It's a very ... unique idea that sets the stage for many great battles and drama. The setting goes hand in hand with showing the utter destruction of war, as even space itself is filled with the deaths of man and machine alike. The hazards it presents leaves you on the edge of your seat!

The focus on Zeon soldiers with prosthetic limbs is really unique, instead of being disabled, they fully embrace their second chance to fight for their homeland. The entire Zeon fighting force in this sector is called the "Living Dead", an appropriate name since they are all mostly those who have barely escaped death. Reborn as lab rats, they are tasked to defend their sector to the death, all the while the scientists work frantically and are sometimes even forced to alter the soldier's bodies in order to work on experiments and to improve their performance at any cost, all just to win the damn battle, not even the war. It's a very engaging plotline that's perfect length for a short movie (or an entire movie if you watch the sequel back to back, which I recommend).

As usual, the fact that the anime portrays each side as having good and bad people within it helps to show the true nature of war and humanity, and that the actions of a few can have a profound impact on the many. By the time you're down watching all these Gundam anime, you really come to despise war for the havoc it causes as well as the people who started it. You are able to sympathise with both sides of the conflict, almost to the point of not knowing which side to root for. A true Gundam principle that I always love seeing.

There's a theme of classism that's got a pretty sick undertone in this anime. The "Elite", who are high ranking members of society, were practically handed top roles in the Military despite lack of experience. The men who serve them hate their guts so much due to their inabilities that they view them as expendable. as they expect them to crack at any time from pressure. The theme of pressure is an overlooked aspect of the Gundam franchise, and in this case, it's quite prevalent as of the effects it can have on people. To the point of even using drugs in order to cope.

As per usual of the Gundam franchise, the theme of OBSESSION is carried into this anime as well. In this case, the obsession is between two arch rivals who will stop at nothing to kill each other in battle, risking life and (literal) limb in order to do so. The theme of Obsession continues to be one of the best aspects of the Gundam franchise.

The worst thing about this story is the romance. It's rushed, bad, and unbelievable. I have no idea why it's even here.

I didn't care about any of the characters, though that may change in the next half, I still feel nothing for them. Their ideas and such were great, but not that well executed.

The action is the best thing about this anime. It is utterly incredible to witness! Seeing two SUPER Mobile Suits go against each other was a sight to behold and an visual treat. Definitely some of the best fights in the Gundam franchise. I particularly love the memorable moment when we look through a POV shot of a Zeon soldier as he gets completely pummelled by the Super Gundam. It shows you first hand how deadly and scary it is.


Animation/Art/Music.


I was genuinely shocked to see a Gundam anime made in MODERN TIMES to have NO CGI in it! It's all beautifully hand drawn.

Deep space has never looked more beautiful in Gundam. The anime constantly changes the colour of cosmic fog and gasses in order to give the usual boring black space backdrop a much needed visual makeover. A brilliant idea and a feast for the eyes.

The actual ART of the anime is awesome. The thick black lines stand out and the shading reminds me of the shading from the 1979 anime.

The animation in this OVA is stellar across the board. I can't praise it enough, so see it for yourself!!!

Music was pretty decent, If you love Jazz you'll like the soundtrack. Nothing I'd want to hear again though.


Overall:


"Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt" OVA Movie/series number 1, titled "December Sky", is a brilliant visual spectacle with a dark and sometimes engaging plot that explores aspects of the one year war we hadn't seen until now. But outside of its action, setting and animation, I find myself not caring about the characters at all, despite inheriting some of the amazing themes of the Gundam franchise. This may be a length issue, but I will have to wait and see the next OVA in order to have a definitive answer overall...

Also, the romance was hot garbage and didn't need to be included.


Bonus:

There's a sequel to this movie/series, be sure to check it out for the full story! Very soon I will have watched everything about the One year war storyline, as I'm watching everything in chronological order now (I watched the '79 anime first, then origin, after that, it seems fine to watch from chronological order!)

Animation: 9.9/10
Action: 9.6/10
Plot: 7.2/10
Characters: 7.2/10
Ending: (since this is only a half of a story, I will reserve the ending for the next OVA.)

Overall: 8.6/10


(Yes I uploaded this review twice, once for the compilation movie and once for the OVA series).

(LAZAROTH REVIEW - LONG - SPOILER FREE)

"Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt" Movie/series 1: "December Sky" is an absolute visual spectacle with an promising dark plot, but with some bad execution.


Story/Characters/Action:

Just when you think that Gundam has exhausted its unique or interesting battle concepts, here comes Gundam Thunderbolt with a space battle among a thick debris field with an even thicker Minovsky particle density that prevents long distance communication. Combined with the high number of deadly snipers and beams that could hit you from any direction unseen, and you have an more terrifying setting than even the jungles of "MSG: 8th MS team". It's a very ... unique idea that sets the stage for many great battles and drama. The setting goes hand in hand with showing the utter destruction of war, as even space itself is filled with the deaths of man and machine alike. The hazards it presents leaves you on the edge of your seat!

The focus on Zeon soldiers with prosthetic limbs is really unique, instead of being disabled, they fully embrace their second chance to fight for their homeland. The entire Zeon fighting force in this sector is called the "Living Dead", an appropriate name since they are all mostly those who have barely escaped death. Reborn as lab rats, they are tasked to defend their sector to the death, all the while the scientists work frantically and are sometimes even forced to alter the soldier's bodies in order to work on experiments and to improve their performance at any cost, all just to win the damn battle, not even the war. It's a very engaging plotline that's perfect length for a short movie (or an entire movie if you watch the sequel back to back, which I recommend).

As usual, the fact that the anime portrays each side as having good and bad people within it helps to show the true nature of war and humanity, and that the actions of a few can have a profound impact on the many. By the time you're down watching all these Gundam anime, you really come to despise war for the havoc it causes as well as the people who started it. You are able to sympathise with both sides of the conflict, almost to the point of not knowing which side to root for. A true Gundam principle that I always love seeing.

There's a theme of classism that's got a pretty sick undertone in this anime. The "Elite", who are high ranking members of society, were practically handed top roles in the Military despite lack of experience. The men who serve them hate their guts so much due to their inabilities that they view them as expendable. as they expect them to crack at any time from pressure. The theme of pressure is an overlooked aspect of the Gundam franchise, and in this case, it's quite prevalent as of the effects it can have on people. To the point of even using drugs in order to cope.

As per usual of the Gundam franchise, the theme of OBSESSION is carried into this anime as well. In this case, the obsession is between two arch rivals who will stop at nothing to kill each other in battle, risking life and (literal) limb in order to do so. The theme of Obsession continues to be one of the best aspects of the Gundam franchise.

The worst thing about this story is the romance. It's rushed, bad, and unbelievable. I have no idea why it's even here.

I didn't care about any of the characters, though that may change in the next half, I still feel nothing for them. Their ideas and such were great, but not that well executed.

The action is the best thing about this anime. It is utterly incredible to witness! Seeing two SUPER Mobile Suits go against each other was a sight to behold and an visual treat. Definitely some of the best fights in the Gundam franchise. I particularly love the memorable moment when we look through a POV shot of a Zeon soldier as he gets completely pummelled by the Super Gundam. It shows you first hand how deadly and scary it is.


Animation/Art/Music.


I was genuinely shocked to see a Gundam anime made in MODERN TIMES to have NO CGI in it! It's all beautifully hand drawn.

Deep space has never looked more beautiful in Gundam. The anime constantly changes the colour of cosmic fog and gasses in order to give the usual boring black space backdrop a much needed visual makeover. A brilliant idea and a feast for the eyes.

The actual ART of the anime is awesome. The thick black lines stand out and the shading reminds me of the shading from the 1979 anime.

The animation in this OVA is stellar across the board. I can't praise it enough, so see it for yourself!!!

Music was pretty decent, If you love Jazz you'll like the soundtrack. Nothing I'd want to hear again though.


Overall:


"Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt" OVA Movie/series number 1, titled "December Sky", is a brilliant visual spectacle with a dark and sometimes engaging plot that explores aspects of the one year war we hadn't seen until now. But outside of its action, setting and animation, I find myself not caring about the characters at all, despite inheriting some of the amazing themes of the Gundam franchise. This may be a length issue, but I will have to wait and see the next OVA in order to have a definitive answer overall...

Also, the romance was hot garbage and didn't need to be included.


Bonus:

There's a sequel to this movie/series, be sure to check it out for the full story! Very soon I will have watched everything about the One year war storyline, as I'm watching everything in chronological order now (I watched the '79 anime first, then origin, after that, it seems fine to watch from chronological order!)

Animation: 9.9/10
Action: 9.6/10
Plot: 7.2/10
Characters: 7.2/10
Ending: (since this is only a half of a story, I will reserve the ending for the next OVA.)

Overall: 8.6/10


(Yes I uploaded this review twice, once for the compilation movie and once for the OVA series).