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I don't usually write reviews, but MS IGLOO was such a positive surprise that I couldn't help myself.

Gundam is a delicate franchise. The original 70's tv animation layed out a profile to what Gundam should be which would be followed for many years until the introduction of alternative universes, which would then go their own way and do their own thing (arguably not straying too far away from its origins in the end). Because of that, a show that steers away from the Gundam formula (especially taking place in UC) isn't particularly going to please fans, not to mention a fully 3D animated one.

Well, ... what is Gundam, then? Gundam is massive franchise that, although carries the title of "first 'real robot' show", is essentially a relatively grounded fantasy war story. What mostly set it apart in my opinion wasn't the way robots fuctioned, but it's depiction of war, its psychological effects on soldiers and civilians and its political implications.
...with some "shounen fantasy heroic storytelling meant to sell toys" sprinkled on top.

MS IGLOO is to me the odd's one's out, but a very sucessful one at that. I don't mean to say it's the most revolutionary Gundam show ever or a complete 180 degree turn, but it's a very refreshing take on Gundam. If what excites you the most about Gundam are little details in the story and the way it's presented that make you feel like you're a small part of a real war taking place, than I suggest you give MS IGLOO a try.

Let's get the elephant out of the way. Yes, the show is fully animated in 3D. In 2004. Does it look rough at points? Sure. But it can also look incredible. It clearly didn't have the time or budget necessary to make it look as good as it possibly could, but it's far from being unfinished or unpolished. The universe in MS IGLOO is filled with subtle movement: a slight head tilt, a small lip frown. It is also filled with big movements: full-on rage fits, contorted faces. While not everything looks great, you can tell that Sunrise didn't see this as a port from 2D to 3D; the show is built from the ground up as a fully functional 3D work — and it shows. From the get-go you know this isn't your usual Gundam presentation, but at the same time it feels weirdly fitting. Those usual Gundam characters (the captains, the tech guys, the soldiers, the commanders) are all finally alive. It is true the show does have its share of uncanny valley discomforts, but the animation gives body language and history to those people at the forefront of war. The people fighting this war are real people, and this 3D encarnation of Gundam gives us what the 2D animation hinted at.

While one can't say the human characters look amazing all the time (mostly uncanny valley's fault rather than the animation itself, although that has its own hiccups as well), it's hard to deny that the robots move and feel like they're at the top of their game. The robots in MS IGLOO feel like menacingly heavy yet combat-ready agile gigantic pieces of metal. This is crucial to this story, which is essentially about how Zeon realised the future of war is in mobile suits and other forms of technology fall behind on performance and efficiency.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the robots are cool. Just straight-up badass stuff. MS IGLOO has some of my favorite mecha action scenes ever. All fights feel so full of meaning and narrative. In every little movement we can tell what kind of pilot is behind the buttons and the context in which an encounter affects the overall state of the One Year War as well as what brought it to life — all of that being told by the animation itself only.

All of these new perspectives the new style of animation brings could fall apart if the sound wasn't on pair, but oh boy, how it is. Rarely ever do we get to hear the pure violence of the Gundam universe as well as here. Metal war giants clashing with each other while holding a single small fragile pilot inside; the speed of their thrusters shaking the whole structure to the point of pulling pieces off — all of this is perfectly matched with probably the most realistic sound design ever in Gundam. Not only in the big battle scenes, but also in the small movements, as for such the texture of these pilots suits as they move.

In general, visual and sound come together to portray the very interesting early stages of technology advancement in the Gundam universe. There's a roughness to it that is perfectly found in the presentation. One shot that stood out to me is simple one: a tank-like mobile armor treading through some very rough soil, as the tank's camera and pilot's cabin shake to the point of allowing an enemy attack to be done in an instant without the pilot noticing, thus proving to us the sort of alarming state these soldiers have to be in at all times.

I mentioned previously that this show is not your usual Gundam formula. There is no shounen protagonist here, in fact there's barely a protagonist at all. There are only a handful of new mecha being introduced, as most of them are reocurring mechs from the original Gundam show being carefully used in the story.
But most of all, there's a sensibility to war's reality here that is found on the usual Gundam show, but scattered throughout many episodes of silly hero vs. enemy grunt battles.

Here we have a pilot defensive about older non-mobile suit weaponry because that's what he battled on for so many years and sympathizes with the underdog quality they've acquired, as he himself feels out of place as many younger non experienced pilots pass on the exam to pilot mobile suits — but he is unaible to.
We also have a nation spending their precious war budget on propaganda of a new weapon during a time of low morale and loss of hope, even thought the new hot weapon is objectively worse than current in-use ones, showing us that they see troop and civilian morale as an equally important factor as fire power.

MS IGLOO feels different, but it does not betray Gundam, no — it feels like a welcoming complement to what Gundam has always been but never showed as clearly as here. It is baffling to me how this obviously expansive and risky show got made. I doubt it upped toy sales or even served as a leading bridge to other Gundam shows. Even so, MS IGLOO is very clearly made for fans (with many winks and cameos that make our hearts jump at the screen). But I warn you — not every fan will be able to enjoy this. I, however, have been positively surprised by a very well directed small addition to the Gundam universe that lacks in polish here and there, but presents an ultimately solid and refreshing view on our beloved never-ending war drama.

Psycho Pass is a crime drama show with some futuristic sci-fi-esque elements to it. It's gimmick is a justice system that governs Japan called the "Sybil System", which judges people as safe or harmful to that society on the spot.
What we see as a result is a society that has become completely unaware of any sense of danger and accepts gladly the position the system gives them without questioning.
If that sounds like your kind of thing, I'd recommend this show. It's (for the most part) well written and keeps you thrilled at every episode. The show is overall well executed, performing well in the ... soundtrack and animation department.
However, a few things bothered me, mostly around the last few episodes, that keep me from giving this show a score of 8.

- the villain is a very, very generic character. His mannerisms, design and voice acting are all by the book. His motivation is just a stupid edgy goal, to see humans show their "wild" side. Considering the context this show takes place, it could become an interesting goal, but it doesn't really.
- the amount of exposition, monologues and "hearing thoughts" moments really do take me out of it sometimes. It can take out all the emotions I would rather be feeling or realising by myself.
- the antagonism between the villain and the 'hero" is not very believable. But it wouldn't have bothered me if it weren't for the show constantly reminding me "they are fated to encounter and destroy each other", trying to create some sort of batman-joker dynamic that I feel is better left out of this show.
- the melodramatic moments are well dosed over the first 2 thirds of the show, but loses control on the last third. the piano music (which sounds nothing like the rest of an otherwise interesting soundtrack) gets played way too much and numbs down scenes that are potentially powerful.

my favourite bits of the show are the "smaller" cases that help us understand this universe and society. exploring concepts like "non authorized artists playing shows in hidden clubs" is very interesting and I would have liked to see more of that.
a solid watch that can be fun, though slightly disappointing.