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The first arc's main protagonist. After cancelling my plan to watch Steins;Gate as I waited for the Blu-ray version, my attention then switched to a high-priority anime title that just ended its run when I watched Endless Eight. Mobile Suit Gundam AGE is the second Gundam series reviewed here after Mobile Suit Gundam 00. There [...] Related posts: Review: Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season (機動戦士ガンダム00 セカンドシーズン) The super-elite A-Law mecha pilot who is the bane of the Gundam Meisters. It has been a few months since my last entry in this blog (blame it on my Left 4 Dead addiction), but I can somewhat wean myself off my addiction to that game just like I did with flyff to wrote the [...]... Review: Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (機動戦士ガンダム00 ) BBC should consider suing for this blatant rip-off of their website design. The second anime in this current wave of mini-reviews is Gundam 00, just as I wrote in the last (and disastrous) review of Hayate no Gotoku. And yeah, this anime is so much better it wasn’t even funny. Now let’s see if Nodame [...]... Review: Gosyusho-sama Ninomiya-kun (ご愁傷さま二ノ宮くん) This anime did has some problems with the characters animations, that’s for sure. Today, Nodame Cantabile will be challenged by Gosyusho-sama Ninomiya-kun, the third anime in this current wave of end-of-month anime reviews. Significantly shorter than the first two at 12 episodes, will this harem anime that I suspect is an adaptation of yet another [...]... Review: Macross Plus (マクロスプラス) This renegade AI acts more like a ghost than, well, a renegade AI. Diverted by various commitments that comes up near the end of the year, it is only now I managed to watch (and wrote this review of) the second installment in the Macross series, Macross Plus. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as its [...]... Review: Allison & Lillia (アリソンとリリア) After impregnating Allison, our main male protagonist takes the easy way out and decided to become a spy instead. A nice excuse of not paying alimony. For the sixth consecutive time, Wolf and Spice reign as the ‘Anime of the Year 2008’ title holder is being threatened by a series that do things half-heartedly, Allison [...]...
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At Odaiba Island, there is a life-size flower Gundam bust displayed next to full-length, life-size Gundam. Check out this beautiful video showing the [...]
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Gundam in Old Japan! Never thought that dragon was part of the armor..LOL!Wall PhotosHave you heard of Neo Nihonga? See more details with fascinating pictures at: http://culture.cdjapan.co.jp/?p=1850
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Don’t let the kiddy looks fool you: Gundam AGE is the most mature TV Gundam show since Turn A. Not that that’s saying much, when the competition consists of Gundam SEED and Gundam 00. Gundam AGE was a good show, … Continue reading →
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Gundam FlowersWall PhotosOdaiba Gundam has got a new friend? http://culture.cdjapan.co.jp/?p=1795
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If you are in Tokyo this month, you might want to hop by Odaiba to check out the 7 meters tall Gundam flower topiary right next to the life size RX78-2 Gundam at the Diver City Tokyo plaza. The topiary … Continue reading →
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Gundam AGE had a lot of very neat ideas and tried to do something different for a change for a Gundam series. It failed, very badly. For the first time, I have to agree with the haters but AGE did not fail because of the kiddy character designs, it failed because it blew (almost) every [...]
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Gundam / Zaku dishes! Sagamiya Foods, a food manufacturer specializing in Tofu, Atsuage, and Aburaage, made these looks-fabulous-dishes by using their new product, Z’Gok tofu for demonstration, following the huge success of their previous product MS-06 Zaku Tofu. via CDJAPAN http://culture.cdjapan.co.jp/?p=1664鍋用！ズゴックとうふ・ザクとうふ デザート仕様 type D新型Gとうふ「鍋用！ズゴックとうふ」「ザクとうふ　デザート仕様」の発表会を行いました。 2012年10月2日 東京・ベルサール秋葉原にて新型Gとうふ「鍋用！ズゴックとうふ」「ザクとうふ　デザート仕様」の発表会を行いました。 10月3日より関東地区を中心としたスーパーマーケットやショッピングモールなどで、順次発売を...
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After the unconventional, failed gambit of Gundam AGE’s OP1, OP2 is a return to form, exhibiting a more adolescent tone while including some nifty mobile suit action. I’d rather not try to divine authorial intent, but I find it interesting … Continue reading →
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After the unconventional, failed gambit of Gundam AGE’s OP1, OP2 is a return to form, exhibiting a more adolescent tone while including some nifty mobile suit action. I’d rather not try to divine authorial intent, but I find it interesting … Continue reading →
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Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory Bandai Entertainment Complete Collection - 4 discs 325 mins. - 13 episodes $49.98 (2009) $49.98 (2005) $14.98 (2004) Vol. 1 to 4 ea. $29.98 (2002) Vol. 1 to 4 ea. ISBN 669198804670 Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles Director - Mitsuko Kase/Takashi Imanishi Studio - Sunrise Synopsis: It has been several years since the spacenoid (people born/living in space on massive artificial colonies) uprising by the Principality of Zeon was defeated by the Earth Federation.  Zeon initiated the One Year War (OYW) in Universal Century 0079 by dropping a space colony on Sydney, Australia causing massive devastation and casualties.  During the OYW a special mobile suit was developed called the Gundam which gave the Federation an edge against their Zeon opponents.  Anavel Gato smirks as he boards Unit 2 on the Albion On the remote Torrington base in Australia two prototype Gundam mobile suits arrive for land-based testing.  They are transported on the assault carrier Albion and accompanied by head engineer Nina Purpleton from Anaheim Electronics.  The base is home to a group of test pilots led by Lt. South Burning, a veteran of the OYW and nearing the age of retirement from field combat.  Kou Uraki and Chuck Keith are two young test pilots at the base who become fascinated by the Gundam prototypes upon their arrival. Unit 2 powers up with Gato at the controls Gundam "Unit 1" (GP01) and "Unit 2" (GP02) are advanced mobile suits with decidedly different purposes.  Unit 1 is an upgrade to the original Gundam developed in the OYW while Unit 2 is a heavily armored suit built to withstand a nuclear blast at close range.  Unit 2 is also equipped to carry a nuclear powered weapon which violates the Antarctic Treaty banning the use of nuclear weapons in warfare due to the scope of their destructive power. Unit 1 and Unit 2 clash in the fog as Gato tries to escape After the OYW the remnants of the Zeon forces retreated to an asteroid colony called Axis, but a select few went underground and hid from the Federation.  Among these are Vice-Admiral Aigulle Delaz, who commands the Delaz fleet and was present at the final battle at Solomon (the former Zeon stronghold).  Under his command is Lt. Commander Anavel Gato, also known as the "Nightmare of Solomon" for his fearsome piloting skills during the Battle of Solomon.  In addition Commander Cima Garahau, who commands the Cima fleet, joins forces with Delaz at the protests of Gato.  He believes she lacks any true conviction to the principles of Zeon and doesn't trust her. Delaz announces the resurrection of Zeon with Gato byhis side and the stolen Unit 2 behind them Delaz puts into motion a daring mission to resurrect Zeon and deal a crushing blow to the Federation - it's called Operation Stardust!  He dispatches Gato to steal Unit 2 and a nuclear warhead to power it's nuclear arsenal.  During the "Gundamjack" Kou ends up piloting Unit 1 against Gato - the "Nightmare of Solomon" vs. a rookie pilot.  The Albion launches into space to follow Gato and Unit 2 in order to recover it before the nuke can be used.  Despite being a rookie, Kou becomes the pilot of Unit 1 and develops a relationship with the Nina. Unit 1 ready for combat duty in the hold of the Albion Kou is put to the test as he witnesses the horrors of war and death firsthand.  Does Nina care more about recovering Unit 2 or Kou?  What is the true face of Operation Stardust and why does the Federation pull support from the Albion?  Will Gato crush Unit 1 and Kou?  Was Gato right about Cima?  What about Unit 3?  It's a devastating thrill ride as the ghost of Zeon rears it's head to strike once more at the Federation! The last working mobile suits at a secret underground Zeonbase stage a daring assault to help Gato escape Pros: Great mecha designs by legendary designers Shoji Kawamori (Super Dimensional Fortress Macross) and Hajime Katoki (many, many Gundam series: V Gundam, G Gundam, and Gundam Wing Endless Waltz), slick and highly detailed animation, excellent mobile suit battles (both on land and in space), no Newtypes (typically spacenoids who have developed mild psychic abilities allowing them to pilot mobile suits with more skill than non-Newtypes and some clairvoyance) with convenient abilities to make them invincible in battle, the bad guys are pretty cool Unit 1 fitted for space combat performs maneuvers withthe GM's stationed on the Albion Cons: Character interactions are immature - Kou is a whiny kid apt to throw temper tantrums (in a big toy Gundam) and veteran mobile suit pilot Monsha was the worst with his constant over-the-top lecherous behavior, the relationship between Nina and Kou was confusing and frustrating Monsha gets shot down by Nina in another failed attempt to get a date Mike Tells It Straight: Gundam is a major anime franchise and has a complicated timeline starting with the original series Mobile Suit Gundam (MSG) in the fictional Universal Century 0079 (actual year of release was 1979).  The sequel to MSG was Zeta Gundam (ZG) which took place in U.C. 0087-88 (released in 1985) and Stardust Memory (released 1990) fills in some of the backstory between the two series.  In ZG the Federation had become a group called the Titans and we get to find out why this happened as the Zeon launch one final, brutal assault.   The Albion rushes to save a space colony from disaster 0083 had some really great character moments and held to the roots of MSG's message - the cost of war is brutal and terrifying.  We get to see the ragtag Zeon forces who held out for three years after the end of the OYW with only their burning ideals to keep them going.  In contrast the Federation forces are shown as uncaring bureaucrats with no true ideals except hollow shows of power.  It's obvious the writers wanted us to see the Federation in this light and to root for the Zeon as underdogs. Gato pilots the powerful mobile armor the Neue Ziel Delaz and Gato hold to their ideals of liberating spacenoids from Federation oppression with Kou contrasted as the naive rookie without any true ideals of his own.  The bad guys were the real highlight of this show along with the mecha.  The animated battles were great and mobile suit/armor designs by Kawamori are incredible (they're still considered classics today).  They still hold up today and are a treat for any mecha fan.  Unfortunately the character designs and personalities were lacking as they don't really make sense all the time. Unit 3 outfitted with the Dendrobium bursts into action I swear Gato's hair changed from white to blonde and back again. Having two directors shook the consistency as the viewer can tell subtle differences between the first seven and last six episodes (split between the two directors).  Interactions between the crew and pilots on the Albion were ridiculously immature (rivalry between Monsha and Kou as a prime example).  No Newtype action to be seen (original MSG director Yoshiyuki Tomino pushed the theme of Newtypes in almost all Gundam series he was involved in) and thank goodness.  I always felt it was a convenient way to explain why Amuro Ray never lost in the original series. Space combat and what is the Federation building in the background? Overall Stardust Memory stands as a decent mecha show with awesome battles and some memorable war scenes.  It's very dramatic and a solid entry to the Gundam universe.  The characters and their interactions are the low point to the show as they can be quite annoying at times.  I thought the message was conveyed fairly well and enjoyed the roller coaster ride through to the end despite the weak characterizations.  The GP03 with Dendrobium armor and Neue Ziel mobile armor were worth it alone.  You're interested in anime - want to know what shows are worth watching?
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There’s always that one series I don’t want to write about, I finally finish it and I just want to put it away, but noooooo, I have to write about why I’m glad to see it done. Gundam AGE owes … Continue reading →
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Remember the spectacular Gundam robot first built 3 years ago in Odaiba and then dismantled? After a brief presence in Shizuoka in 2010, the giant robot returned last winter in Odaiba, where it will remain for good, much to the joy of the many Gundam fans… And the Gundam is not just for decor - today begins the 29th National Urban Greenery Fair Tokyo, a fair taking place in six of the most beautiful parks from Tokyo (Ueno Park, Inokashira Park, Hibiya Park, Hamarikyu Gardens, Sea Forest and Showa Memorial Park) and in several other venues, where buildings will be covered in greenery. The Gundam from Odaiba will also be a part of this fair - a “Gundam flower topiary” is to be built in front of the Diver City Plaza shopping mall - a flower covered Gundam bust… Click on photo for higher resolution: RX-78-2 Gundam, Diver City, Odaiba, Tokyo Info:Fuji X100 Lens: Fujinon Focal Length: 23mm Aperture: F/4 Shutter Speed: 1/64s ISO Sensitivity: ISO 1600 Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Kiyomizu-dera wooden stage
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Written by: Epi at Sea Slugs! Anime BlogPhew! I can’t believe I actually managed to blog an entire Gundam from start to finish, but here we are, at the end of AGE. Summary: With Zeheart dead, Falk Ocramud, the commander of La Gramis becomes the new commander of the Vagan forces. In an act of desperation, he decides fire the Digmazenon cannon [...]
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Written by: Epi at Sea Slugs! Anime BlogPhew! I can’t believe I actually managed to blog an entire Gundam from start to finish, but here we are, at the end of AGE. Summary: With Zeheart dead, Falk Ocramud, the commander of La Gramis becomes the new commander of the Vagan forces. In an act of desperation, he decides fire the Digmazenon cannon [...]
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