Mobile Suit Z-Gundam Vol-2: Disc 1 (1985)
Released by: Bandai
Animation Production: Sunrise
Running Time: 250 Minutes
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

Man, this Gundam stuff can get quite addictive when it’s on a roll. For me it tends to come and go in small, compacted periods of time, but when they come by, watch out! With Mobile Suit Gundam-Z the joy is multiplied ten-fold because not only is it a great entry in the Gundam series, it also happens to be one hell of a show in its own right and it was animated in the mid-80’s, which I consider an extra bonus!

As of episode 10 (Disc 2 of Vol-1) we have seen the protagonist of the series transform from a hot headed student in a space colony to an ace newtype who pilots a new Gundam-type mobile suit. Now, with this next set of episodes, we begin seeing a fuller evolution of the character as he reaches a new level of maturity and learns the truth about Quattro and meets the legendary Gundam pilot Amuro Ray.

This series only gets better!

Story

"After the One Year War and subsequent wars with the last renmants of the Duchy of Zeon, the Earth Federation formed a special military force to prevent space colonies from revolting against the Federation. Thus, the Titans were born. Eight years have passed since the end of the One Year War and now the tables have turned. The once good Earth Federation is now more corrupt than ever and will turn the other way even when its special force, the Titans, commit atrocities like gassing millions of civilians to their deaths. Because of this abuse of authority the Anti-Earth United Government (AEUG) is formed from the breaking off of many Federation politicians and military who oppose the Titans, and they will ally with former members of the Duchy of Zeon, who dislike the oppresion and tyranny towards the space colonies. This where the story begins." -- DVD Box

Review

This 2nd volume in Bandai’s release of Z-Gundam features episodes 11 through 20 in the series. Disc 1 includes:

Episode 11: Entering the Atmosphere
The A.E.U.G. is preparing to make its move, with its forces standing by to enter the Earth’s atmosphere and attack the Jaburo base in South America. Will Kamille, Quattro and the rest of their team make to Earth in one piece?

Episode 12: The Winds of Jaburo
Having entered the Earth’s atmosphere the A.E.U.G. forces move in on Jaburo base, however resistance is weaker than anticipated. Could this be?...Yes, a trap! Can our heroes escape the nuclear bomb set to go off deep inside the base?

Episode 13: Shuttle Launch
With their mission completed the A.E.U.G. forces must now make their way back into space using antique space shuttles, but just as the operation begins the Titan forces attack! Can Kamille and Quatro defeat the new attacking force and their transforming mobile suits?

Episode 14: Amuro Flies Again
Amuro Ray joins the battle on the A.E.U.G.’s side, but what will his entry into their ranks result in? How will Quattro (Char) and Kamille react to Amuro’s re-appearance?

Episode 15: Katz’s Sortie
The battle heats up when Katz takes Kamille’s Gundam to intercept enemy forces, but the true conflict here is the one that Amuro harbors within him as he suits up to go out into battle only to realize he’s been gone from this game for too long. Will the rest of the team be able to defend against another round of attacks?

Lots of stuff happening here my friends and with the plot getting ever heavier with subplots and more characters you really have to give this show your full attention just to keep up and understand what is happening. If you do pay attention the rewards are rich and plentiful as you’re presented with a number of interesting stories and character moments that make this a series to savor. From seeing each of the highlighted political/military factions take each other on to watching numerous mobile suit skirmishes take place in space, sea, land and air there is hardly a moment in this series when something of tremendous interest isn’t taking place.

Of most interest to me was Kamille, the character that we have been following since the beginning of the series. In the last series of episodes (from Vol-2) he had started the process of evolving beyond his student persona and into that of a full-fledged mobile suit pilot, but with this new set of episodes we see this transition almost completed as he confidently heads out to each battle and scoring more wins against a large variety of opponents. In addition we are also given a window into the development of his Newtype abilities, which with the help of Quattro (aka Char), he starts developing and becoming more in tune with.

The other major development we get here is the re-introduction of the Amuro Ray character from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. Living in a cozy mansion under constant surveillance he has grown tired and wants to flee in order to help change the present political climate. This leads to a daring escape, a cargo plane hijacking and taking on an enemy mobile suit using nothing more than the cargo plane itself! However, nothing could have prepared Amuro for what would happen as a result of his new-found mission, joining forces with Char Aznable, his old rival from the One Year War. This leads to a new found intensity among the A.E.U.G. ranks that promises to take the show to all new heights.

Following in the heels of these main developments is the continuing evolution of Captain Quattro, whose cover is blown by the end of the DVD. Through this and before it however, his role as mentor to Kamille continues as he teaches the young pilot the horrible truth that is war and the battle field and what the significance of it all is. In this Char seems wise beyond his years as he presents an interesting perspective on everything that transpires and becomes a sort of surrogate father figure to Kamille. Char certainly lives up to his legendary status as an anime icon here and shines brilliantly thanks to the well crafted dialogue and situations he’s given by the creative staff.

On the production-side of things this anime delivers as much punch as it does on the narrative front. The animation, circa 1985, has that unmistakable 80’s look and feel with the animation having a lot of rawness and liveliness to it. It’s interesting that despite doing everything by hand the animation team chose to go with a very complex set of mechanical designs and backgrounds that while beautiful to look at and surprisingly smooth in movement must have taken a lot of time and effort to pull off. I give those guys a TON of credit for making Z-Gundam look as good as it does. The color palette is for the most part well balanced with lots of colorful scenes taking place on Earth being contrasted against the darker space battle sequences. Visual effects are limited to lighting effects for the weapons, but everything overall looks amazing.

On the music front the opening and ending themes are solely missed (especially the very rocking opening theme song), but the instrumental choices made by Bandai Entertainment do a surprisingly good job at filling in the void. As far as the in-show BGM soundtrack goes it is strikingly beautiful and a pleasure to listen to. The voice actors here are lively and do an amazing job at bringing their characters to life, especially Kamille’s voice actor.

On the DVD front this is another nice release from the folks at Bandai Entertainment featuring terrific video and audio transfers of the show, given how long ago this one was originally released. There are no in-disc extras to really speak of outside of a reversible cover, but with 10 episodes you'd be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with this release.

Final Thoughts

If you like Gundam in any small measure at all or even if you have a passing interest in anime mecha series, this is a series to own and cherish! Forget all the new Gundam series (well maybe except for the new Zeta films) and start collecting Zeta Gundam. You’ll be very happy you did, I know I am!

Very highly recommended.

Jeffrey Couto