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PSA: This is a prequel; please watch AFTER you watch the original series

As far as how it adapts the story, it does a very good job adapting the prequel story-pieces of the manga adaptation, "The Origin," and I definitely recommend it to anyone who has seen the original series, especially if they're about to re-watch it.

If you consider the early-UC timeline to be "The Story of Amuro Ray and Char Aznable," then this sets the stage perfectly: It takes you from "before their time," through their childhood and adolescence, and finishes you off perfectly with all of the main players taking their places ... for the beginning of the first episode of the original series. It definitely focuses more on Char than it does on Amuro, but, looking at the early-UC timeline, Char IS the character whose story affects the world the most while his past is the one least explained.

I'll put it bluntly: the animation flips back and forth between "cheap horseshit" and "a little bit more than above average," and that definitely detracted from it. If none of the CGI had been used (or if any actual effort had been put into the CGI), then this would not have been anywhere near as big of an issue. It's embarrassing that something that was supposed to be this huge production ended up with scenes that looked as bad as this did.

The sound design, on the other hand, is absolute perfection -- It's everything I could've wanted. The Japanese voice acting was what it was, to be expected, and the English dub was pretty good, though I would've liked it more if more of the original series cast had been brought back (especially for Amuro, Char, and Bright).

Like I said: If you've seen the original series, watch this, especially if you're about to re-watch it. But do NOT watch this before watching the original series.

The original description I was given for this series was that it was a Charl and Laura spin-off. Based on that description, I was hoping for this to be a spin-off series of shenanigan-filled stories with Laura (Sugar - White-haired) and Charlotte (Honey - Gold(Blonde)-haired).

Obviously, the description I was originally given was, for the most part, wrong, as this is just a series of "Adventures of Charlotte" . . . nonetheless, I enjoy it greatly.

I enjoy the series because the chapters are all short, cute, and really fit into the day-to-day doings of Charlotte. No attempt at an overarching canon-changing/challenging story is made, and ... no attempt is made to change the original characterizations of the characters seen in the light novels. If someone were to say "This series is a collection of ideas for Charlotte day-to-day BD specials that didn't get animated", I wouldn't doubt them for a minute, because the series is all short, sweet, cute trips into the life and mind (and heart) of Charlotte.

There is nothing really for me to dislike about the series. Character designs and traits remained the same straight from the light novels, so no problem there. My only issue might just be the only change made: Charl and Laura's kitty-pajamas were designed differently than in the novels and anime.

This is a short, less than ten minute special that really fits with the rest of the 08th MS Team. It retains and showcases the characters . . . character, and really focuses on a short and sweet classic Gundam vs Zaku battle, and the development of the relationship between Sanders and Michel.

The animation for this is, in my opinion, absolutely beautiful. I really wished it was longer, but that's not a negative and I'm not complaining. This is really just a small treat for anyone that's a fan of the original OVA series.

This is definitely worth watching.