Kidou Senshi Gundam Thunderbolt

Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt Review Story (9/10) Great The story for Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt is great even though it does not adapt the entire manga because that's still ongoing and unfortunately if we want to continue the story that's where you're going to have to go at least until season 2 comes out as far as this review. But as far as what little story they gave us it has capture the initial war story and atmosphere that the original Gundam set out to bring to the table. The presentation alone on every level definitely help more so than before because I did read the mangaand about 9 of chapters were out before the anime aired and I didn't feel it was as great as the anime made it out to be. From an anime standpoint it is definitely presented far better than the manga which is a good thing because that's what every anime's goal should be is to be better than what it's adapting not because anime has movement, sound and color but because it's just something that as an adaption should be taken into consideration and Thunderbolt succeed at presenting the struggles of war far better than it's manga counter part and as a war/rival story in general which at the end of the day that's what we like to see in our Gundam, the struggles of war and a good rivalry between ace pilots. Art and Animation (10/10) Masterpiece The art and animation in Thunderbolt is not only unique but is straight up a masterpiece. It's constant switch from rough art style and clean/fluid animation is such a good combination that I hope more Gundam series in the future take this approach because it fit's the Gundam universe so perfectly. The CG on certain scenes didn't bother me enough to have any negative statements on it as I felt it was left to a minimum. Sound (10/10) Masterpiece The sound is straight up a masterpiece, not really too big of a fan of jazz especially the type that is played in this series but what really stood out to me and what usually does in Gundam series is the voice acting and sound effects on the weapons used in Gundam series as everything sound so crisp to my ears and the even though I'm not a fan of jazz it didn't bother me enough to complain about it either since that would be more on the subjective sides of things. Characters (9/10) Great The characters in Thunderbolt are great, not that many but granted this 4 episodes and the characters that we do focus on are extremely memorable and exciting to follow whether it's Daryl Lorenz or Io Fleming bother of them have a amazing chemistry as rivals and both of their backstories are great. Enjoyment (10/10) Outstanding My enjoyment for Thunderbolt for every second of these 4 episodes was outstanding. I was going to wait for the dub if the series ever got on because that's usually how I like to consume my Universal Century related Gundam series but seeing as we never got any confirmation of a dub even to now (update the dub did come out and it was awesome). I went ahead and watched it sub and I'm glad I did because none of my enjoyment was lost not watching it in Dub. The fight scenes and tension in this series and in every single episode made me craving for more. Overall (9/10) Great More Specifically (9.60/10) Great+ This is a great quick and short series that I can recommend to anyone even if you aren't a Gundam fan or even a fan of Mech series because not only do I feel it succeeds at being a great Gundam series and a great mech but also just a great anime because it even does stuff in the realm of Gundam that hasn't been done to this degree ever. I highly recommend this one and I might pick up where the manga left off because I wasn't really feeling the manga by the time I put it down for the anime but hopefully I feel different after watching these 4 episodes.

The sweat drips off his forehead as he enters the cockpit. He sits in the rigid yet comfortable cockpit. He closes his eyes, begins to block out the environment. It distracts him. He talks out his Walkman, places it on the dashboard in front of him. He turns to his favorite genre, fusion jazz. It is chaotic, unstructured and full of passion. It is just like him. He gets filled with the adrenaline from the impending battle. This thrill, this feeling is what gives him life. It is in these moments that he truly knows what it means to be alive. The Gundam series has alwaysbeen about the never ending battle between two entities, The Earth Federation, and the Principality of Zeon. The mainline Gundam series have always been grand, touching on both the military and the political sides of the war. Gundam Thunderbolt, however, takes a more intimate look at the war and focuses on a battle between Zeon and the Federation on the remains of the space colony, Side 7. Ace pilot Io Fleming is sent to the battlefield where ace sniper, Darryl Lorenz awaits. The first thing I noticed about this entry in the Gundam franchise is, the tone is much darker. There was a somber feeling lingering in the air as if someone important had just died. This Gundam is much grittier than any other entry in the franchise that I had seen. When a pilot dies, you see their last gasps, their eyes rolling back in pain, the coughing of their blood. All these details are minor but change the entire tone of the series. There is a lot of death in this show, and each death weighs heavy on the characters. People aren’t killed and shrugged off moments later. There is a lasting impact. Thunderbolt focuses on both sides of the war, both the Zeon and the Federation. We are shown the dynamics of both groups of soldiers and their personalities. The show does a magnificent job at humanizing the cast, giving them a level of importance above nameless henchmen. However, the stars of the show have to be Io and Darryl, the two ace pilots. They are characterized masterfully, not only through dialogue but by the music they listen to. Io is a jazz head. He loves how chaotic it is. Jazz also parallels his personality. Io is reckless and unpredictable. Darryl likes slow pop songs; they are harmonic, gentle and melodic. Darryl, likewise, is kind, patient and orderly. This is the first time I have seen an anime use music to describe effectively a character. The show uses flashbacks masterfully. They do not occur in an intrusive matter, but rather, tie into current events, giving new meanings to certain scenes or interactions between characters. The animation is superb. The battles are fluid, and the character designs are very well done. Each character has a distinctive design, whether be a hairstyle or some unique feature that makes them distinguishable from one another. The sound editing is fantastic. How the soundtrack compliments each encounter, whether on the battlefield or off it, made those scenes much more impactful. Gundam Thunderbolt is a great anime. The only problem is, you end up wanting more. The show ends on a note that leaves the watcher unsatisfied. I hope there is a second season.

*SPOILERS FOR MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT* Thunderbolt is definitely an interesting series within the Universal Century timeline of Gundam. It preaches what we already know: war is hell. However, it doesn't do this in a manner that makes it come off as obnoxiously preachy like say, Gundam 00 Second Season, and it doesn't do that in away that involves shooting the quality of its writing in the foot like say, Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny (aka the entire Cosmic Era). At the same time, with not even a 1/10 of the amount of episodes as the Cosmic Era, and ONLY 1/10 of the amount of runtimeas 00 S2, it manages to do far more than both of those series in terms of actually showing just how fucked up war can be. Then again, a large number of series in the UC timeline is dedicated to this. So, even though it does more with the famous "war is hell" angle, does it stand on enough other merits to warrant being called a good series? Let's find out, shall we? STORY: 8/10 This is a side-story in the ongoing war between the Earth Federation and Zeon. As such, that war it referenced constantly and this is just an ongoing battle in one battlefield, as if it were WWI, where one battalion could be facing off against another in the same battlefield for months. Each side in this particular battlefield near Space Colony Side 4 had a key player: Io Fleming for the EF and Daryl Lorenz for Zeon. Each of them has some baggage that lead them to this war, and it's all done with no words; it's just the music and visuals which are left to speak the backstory to us. I can appreciate this kind of storytelling, where you don't need words to convey something important about the characters, and that's not something you can easily pull off. In the actual battlefield, we get to see just how messed up it all can be, especially when kids are involved in the battle and are forced to panicky as they are slaughtered like their experienced soldier brethren. Some of the soldiers and captains risk their lives to save their crew, be given how much pride both sides have, they'd rather die than flee or get captured, and it doesn't turn out pretty for the captain of the this Earth Federation mothership, who ends up getting killed by her soldiers over this same issue. Even the Zeon are willing to fight to the death and die in an explosion than get arrested, which is what they try to do in episode 4 when they're infiltrated. Meanwhile, Io and Daryl, who plow through each other's soldiers and get their own special mobile suits (Full Armor Gundam for Io and Psycho Zaku for Daryl) end up locked in combat and settling the score that is alluded to have started even before the events of the series, and that same score which has built up over the first 3 episodes, ending in a crazy climax in which neither of them wins. In the end, the Federation forces are captured (I don't get how) and Io is tortured, albeit not without really spelling out the anime's message for Daryl. This anime really knows how to paint a picture on just how horrible war is, and it plays it up to Joe me without becoming preachy, and it does this with just 4 18 minute episodes, amounting to the screen time of 3 TV episodes, and it did more than the aforementioned Gundam anime in the preamble, which have so much more episodes. On the downside, there are Deus and Diabolos ex Machinas in the form of a thunderbolt saving a pilots life in episodes 2 and 4, with the first one being addressed in frustration by Daryl after he almost got a clean shot on Io. Still, this story worked rather well, and with so little time to do so, that's impressive. CHARACTERS: 8/10 A lot of people take issue with these characters being "one dimensional" and in gonna have to dispel that. Like with Cowboy Bebop, while the characters seem like 1D stereotypes of characters,thanks to implications andtheruch way in which they are fleshed out, they are much more real than one would initially give them credit for. Io comes off as a bloodthirsty jerk, but he is so much more. After losing his father, he constantly reminds himself of himvia his dad's favorite song. He fights not because he wants to, but because he has to, so he brings his mucus along that way he can get in the mood to fight without letting reality tranquility lose his morale, and he does still care about people, like his girlfriend who he doesn't has the best of relationships with thanks to this war. Speaking of, Captain Claudia Oeer is really unfit for her position, only being placed there on account of rank and the captain slot being forcibly open. The stress of the war makes her relationship with Io very hard, and she even turns to drugs to solve her problems, as then her fate is sealed when one of her more prideful subordinates shoots her for daring to suggest that she and her men should flee on account of being outmatched. She's the most tragic character here for that reason. Cornelius is just the friend of the trio who understands them and provides a bit of insight into the other two characters for us via implication, as well as help be part of the funny running gag of giving Io tissues. Daryl is pretty tragic too, losing one of his limbs early on, he still dreams of what could've been. Even his lover, Karla, can't stand what the loss of limbs is doing to him and his allies. Even still, he loses another one, and this all drives him to ask her to amputate all of his remaining limbs so that he can pilot the new Psycho Zaku in order to combat Io, who has killed most of his cohorts. As Io commented in the final episode, even though he hates what this war has done to him, he has driven himself a bit mad by it, making such a hasty and life-changing decision; he's right about what this has done to Daryl. Karla isn't very happy about being forced to be here herself, as she hates what she has to do to Daryl and the other Zeon troops, as well as the fact that she's part of this war. I really like the romance flashback in episode 4, as it really sells how much she and Daryl love each other, without needing words to do so. None of the other guys are really worth mentioning, but the named cast is pretty good and much richer than people give credit for. To those who say "What about the SEED, Destiny, and 00 Second Season cast? Many of them suffered through war but you criticized them." The thing is, those characters didn't necessarily suffer through war, they suffered through the stupidity of the war's combatants as well as themselves; they were idiots and assholes (in some cases, both, like Shinn) who let the war make them worse. Those are not good characters. That's the difference between them and the Thunderbolt characters. ART: 10/10 This is easily the best looking Gundam series ever made, without question (unless I end up seeing Unicorn, and even then, that's debatable). The sheer detail put into every single frame is astounding, and the digital effects of the lasers and explosions are simply breathtaking. The action looks freakin' amazing due to this, and the Gundams receive the perfect amount of detail, and this series rivals anime put in cinemas. Thebdirecting is wonderful in terms of the animation. The character designs also seem prettis realistic, stylistic lines not withstanding. My only gripe, fnyoh can call it that, is that the Doms and other Federation mobile suits have a more child-like shading that somewhat clashes with the gritty and detailed setting and other mobile suits. Other than that, this series looks beautiful, and it's easily one of the best-looking anime of the decade. SOUND: 9/10 The OST, done by Naruyoshi Kikuchi, is great,and makes a wonderful fit for this space battlefield in which the anime takes place in. "Thunderbolt for Main Theme" is a great score for whenever Io steps out into battle with the Full Armor Gundam, with its wonderful free jazz. "Ronald Regan Other Side" is easily the best, most epic and chaotic track here and it is glorious. "Oh God I'm Alone" is a beautifully nostalgic and melancholic track in the fourth episode as well that like with the other named tracks, I listen to a fair amount beyond the viewing of the show. The other themes are great at accomplishing the feelings their scenes intend, as if to sell them even more than the writing can. Not a huge amount of these pieces are overtly memorable, but they sell their scenes extremely well, which is still a good thing in its own right. ENJOYMENT: 10/10 I had a lot of fun with this anime. The slick soundtrack, the awesome battles, the striking feeling of hellishness in war, and the breathtaking visuals were all a real treat to witness, and the characters and writing were no slouch either. Sure, some moments were a bit iffy and weird, but it was truly an adrenaline rush of a series. I simply wish I would get more, and with a second season on the way, that same high seems likely to reach me again. OVERALL: 9/10 RAW SCORE: 89/100 Interestingly, I would say that Gundam Thunderbolt is the perfect Gundam anime for newcomers. It hits on all of the major themes of Gundam with a proper tone and decent characterization and writing, it has kickass action, and it doesn't really require much background knowledge. Even disregarding that, this is a truly solid Gundam anime that deserves all of its fanfare. Is it the best of the bunch? No; there are some UC Gundam anime that surpass this, for this really is just a side-story. Even still, this is definitely worth Watching, even if you are new to Gundam. With all that said, I bid you adieu.

In little over an hour, Gundam Thunderbolt accomplishes more than most Gundam titles do in 50 episodes. The most common theme of the Gundam franchise is that war is hell. This is often overshadowed, however, by flashy mobile suit fights. As such, what we ultimately take away from these series is less "war is bad" and more "robots are cool". But while Thunderbolt may be visually appealing, it never loses focus of what it's about. Thunderbolt is, start to finish, a sheer emotional gut-punch of an anime. It makes every scene it can into an uncomfortable and harrowing experience. From inexperienced soldiers being mown down to graphicwar injuries - and most notably, a stunning scene in which we see a Zaku being destroyed by the titular mobile suit, all from a first person perspective of the Zaku pilot, with debris obscuring the pilot's view and the 3-dimensional movement of space disorienting the viewer - the series' exceptional directing truly captures the fear and horror of combat. Of course, while Thunderbolt avoids the trap of sacrificing substance for style, that doesn't mean it lacks for the latter. Thunderbolt is incredible from a technical perspective. Not only is it hands-down the best-looking Gundam anime (which at this point is a huge accomplishment in and of itself), it is one of the best-looking anime, period. The animation is impressively fluid by any standards, but especially so given the level of detail in the artwork. The mobile suit designs, while not stunning unto themselves, have intricate designs with heavy use of greebling. The character designs, however, are more stylised - most of the cast bears an unusual hairstyle or hair colour. Despite this, the art style gives the characters significant anatomical detail, which alongside its sharp, sketchy lineart, gives the cast an almost punk aesthetic whilst still remaining somewhat grounded in reality. The characters themselves are quite impressive as well considering how little time we have to get to know them. The two leads are Io Fleming, a cocky Federation ace pilot, a jazz enthusiast, and pilot of the titular mobile suit, and Daryl Lorenz, a double amputee from Zeon who lost his legs in combat, and who has a calmer temperment than Io - creating an obvious Red Oni Blue Oni dynamic - and clashing musical tastes to match, with a taste for pop music. Their personalities are exemplified by their musical preferences. Io's loud, wild, freeform jazz is representative of his hot-bloodedness, and coupled with his fiery temperment and manic combat style it defines his onscreen presence - as Io himself says, "When you hear Jazz, it means I've come for you". Daryl, on the other hand, is far more melancholy, and this is reflected by the pop ballad that serves as his main theme. While this is the most obvious aspect of their characterisation, it's easy to miss just how much nuance the two of them have. Neither have a great deal of dialogue, but much is said about them through flashbacks, their expressions, their reactions, and their manner around the people they care about. We only see small snippets of their lives, but what little we see paints a much bigger picture. This is perhaps the biggest strength of Gundam Thunderbolt - it's exceptional at showing rather than telling. By presenting its story and characters by visuals and actions rather than dialogue it creates far more substance in such a small span of time. The only real complaint I have with Thunderbolt is its brevity, and that perhaps with more than an hour to work with it could have climbed to even greater heights, but it's hard not to be satisfied with just how much Thunderbolt accomplishes with the barest of minimums. Final Words: Exceptional in almost all respects, held back only by its running time. Story/Plot: 7/10 Characters: 8/10 Animation/Art: 10/10 Music: 9/10 Overall: 9/10 For Fans Of: Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, Macross Plus

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