Well, this is quite a turn of events, isn’t it? No matter how diverse or focused a fan’s interests may be, it would be hard to call oneself a dedicated anime fan without exploring the beast known as Gundam. By “beast”, of course, I’m referring to one of the most massive and well-respected franchises in anime history. It’s the good kind of beast, a creature that must be tamed in order to reap your reward, like a secret boss with a legendary drop item.
That said, I don’t think I’ll get anywhere with the metaphors today, so I’ll stick to giving my first real impression of this universe of epic proportions.
If there’s one thing I know about Gundam, it’s that it’s about war.
I think.
Having seen the post UC series (Gundam Seed being one of my gateway anime), I already had a decent idea of what I was getting into. Aside from the visible amounts of angsty bishounen, the current-gen Gundams maintain a story grounded in the darker side of war, featuring both powerful robots and grief-stricken civilians. The recent Gundam 00 was a constant reminder of how twisted the Gundam world can be, and how the heroes, villains, and irrelevant side characters always share some of the pain of war. I distinctly remember being intrigued by the shifting of perspectives in Seed and Destiny between the two sides as it tried to blur the line between right and wrong – at the time, the concept of forcing a hero to question the morality of his actions was alien to me.
Anyway, as I leaped into Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, I was impressed to find that my expectations were met. In place of the over-the-top plot devices of genetic manipulation, melodramatic love triangles, and Generic Tragic Past #42, I was met with a disturbing yet optimistic story about a boy who wanted excitement and a soldier who couldn’t fight.
Aside from the usual Gundam themes and devices – War Is Bad, no distinct group of antagonists, no one has plot armor – I was pleased at the overall presentation of the show. In contrast with the flashy action scenes of many a mecha anime, War in the Pocket was mostly devoid of combat, instead choosing to spend an entire episode on an 11 year old’s daily life. Is this relevant to a story about a war between the Federation and Zeon? As Gundam fans know, of course it is. After all, war doesn’t only occur between soldiers.
A pleasant off-topic picture.
It’s a difficult thing to articulate, but War in the Pocket did something for me. It seemed to summarize everything I knew about Gundam, everything I knew about war, and present it in six episodes of pure goodness. A boy who wanted nothing but trouble, who killed the good guys in video games like a psychotic kid playing Grand Theft Auto – watching a boy like that come in contact with real violence, witness the death of innocents, and ultimately risk his life to protect his home, is quite an experience. It’s about the end of innocence in a way, but above all, I think it says something about how the individual looks at war.
Children don’t see evil the way adults do, but when Al realized that military combat isn’t something to be glorified and worshipped, only he was strong enough to convince the soldier Bernie to stand up and fight. Ironically, for a story that condemns the glorification of mobile suits, the last battle was not a necessary one: instead, it was about a soldier finding the courage to fight. If Al’s battle was to overcome his discontentment with the ordinary and everyday, then Bernie’s battle was to overcome his fear and risk his life like soldiers were meant to. It’s ironic that such opposites could exist in the same show, but perhaps condemning violence and fighting for the weak are two sides of the same coin.
Themes aside, though, there was one thing that truly stood out about the show – and from overhearing other fans, I think it’s something that remains constant throughout the franchise. When you close your eyes and block out the mobile suits, the irony, the turning points in the characters’ lives, one feeling remains that’s central to the Gundam universe:
It’s human.
I never did figure out the significance behind the name.
In short, my first real experience with UC Gundam taught me the obvious and the less obvious. The obvious is that it does its job well – and what else would I expect from such an acclaimed series? But beyond that, there’s something distinctly human about it, something real and personal that can be understood by those who haven’t as much as seen a real gun. In a world filled with space colonies and mobile suits, it takes guts and effort to craft a story that can convey its message and resonate with viewers who are as innocent and naive as the civilians themselves – and I can see why a story that accomplishes this can live through the decades.
~ ETERNAL
つづく
