Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team Vol-1 (1995)
Animation Production: Sunrise
Released by: Bandai Entertainment
Official Website: Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team.
Episodes: 1-3
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

The original Mobile Suit Gundam TV series was responsible for ushering in a new era of heroic mecha battles and realistic military drama into an anime world that at the time had bee dominated by the very popular Super Robot genre. The show manage to become a phenomenon by perfectly encapsulating the next evolution of the mecha anime, taking away the more colorful aspects of its predecessor and replacing them with a darker atmosphere and more realistic tone.

Needless to say that the long Gundam series is worthy of being in the same company as other landmark anime series such as Space Battleship Yamato, Mazinger-Z and the original Macross. So without further due let’s go over one of the more interesting Gundam series to have been developed in recent years, Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team.

Story

"U.C. 0079. As the war between the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation continues, the Federation begins production of its own mobile suits. These machines are sent to the frontlines in strategic regions like Southeast Asia, where the Kojima Battalion struggles against the Zeon invaders.

The young officer Shiro Amada has been assigned to lead the Kojima Battalion's 08th MS Team. But on his way to Earth, Shiro encounters an enemy test pilot, and his growing feelings for this mysterious woman will force him to choose between love and duty..."-- Bandais' Mobile Suit Gundam: 08th MS TeamPage

Review

I purchased volume one of this series quite some time ago, out of curiosity more than anything. It seemed interesting from the pictures that I had seen on Newtype magazine back in the late 90’s as they showed more of a jungle warfare themed Gundam, which immediately set this OVA apart from the other shows in the series. Sure enough it was!

As the first episode opens in we join a small crew of soldiers en route to Earth were they have been assigned to duty on the 08th battalion. As they near the blue planet they come across a small skirmish that’s taking place nearby. When the shuttle receives a distress signal from the Federation’s mobile suit, Shiro Amada, the 08th team’s new commander takes it upon himself to rescue the mobile suit pilot from the attacking Zaku using a Ball vehicle.

After the successful rescue of the mobile suit and surviving the ensuing battle with the Zeon pilot our hero finally reaches Earth alongside his compatriots, ready to take on the enemy forces in Earth’s jungles.

Overall there were a lot of things I loved about this OVA. It’s a great throwback to the basics of what made Gundam so memorable to begin with as it takes the spotlight away from the mecha and brings it back to the characters and realism of the series. After watching Gundam Wing this really made for a refreshing take on the Gundam mythos.

The cast of characters in this OVA for the most part relies on your typical military platoon archetypes, but at least it does use them to good effect. Characters are slow to develop, but by the time episode three kicks in, relationships are starting to grow and develop, which helps build greater interest in the cast.

The battle scenes in this series really sets the 08th MS team apart from the typical space battles Gundam is so well known for and end up adding a lot of uniqueness and character to this retake of a classic anime staple. Most of these battles take place in the depths of the jungle, which make for some interesting sequences as the mobile suits are for all intents and purposes limited to ground combat. This gives greater importance to tactical combat that relies on taking advantage of the surrounding terrain and patience rather than the raw power and agilities of the mecha that is being used.

Technically the quality of the animation is very good, especially during some of the mecha sequences, which are surprisingly smooth and fluid. Characters are also well realized and the backgrounds used here enjoy very colorful and sharp renderings, which helps support the more realistic feel that 08th MS team is trying to convey.

The soundtrack is also noteworthy and contains some nice BGM pieces that I would not mind owning on official soundtrack CD. I wasn't crazy about the opening theme, but the ending song made up for it. As always the voice acting was great and matched the onscreen action well, bringing everything to life in a realistic manner.

The DVD itself comes with the first 3 episodes of this OVA series which include:

Episode 1 - "War for Two"
Episode 2 - "Gundams in the Jungle"
Episode 3 - "The Time Limit on Trust"

The packaging is very good and features a beautiful drawing of a fallen Gundam that has been shot down by a menancing looking Zaku (This cover is reversible btw). The DVD comes with some extras which include a clean copy of the opening sequence and a bonus clips that helps explain the year UC 0079 and what is currently taking place.

Final Thoughts

A great series and a fine addition to any anime fan's collection, especially real Gundam afficionados, who enjoyed the original shows. Featuring a more realistic world and greater focus on character interaction, Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team is the type of series that makes us realize why we love anime.

Highly recommended!

Jeffrey Couto