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***Hi, everyone. This review is about an anime, which you may think only suitable for kids. However, most of the fans of Gundam anime and movie are actually adults, it is the fairy tale for grown ups. If you have chance staying alone with yourself (that no one will know you seeing an anime), why not have a taste of it? ***

Released during January 25, 1006 to April 25, 1999 by Sunrise

Director: Takeyuki Kanda & Umanosuke Lida (Japanese)

Writer: Akira Okeya (episode 1 – 9), Hiroaki Kitajima (episode 10 – 12)

Music: Kouhei Tanaka

English Cast:

Emily Brown: Aina Sahalin

Steve Cannon: Shiro Amada

Alfred Thor: Kojima

Bob Marx: Jidan Nickard

Plot Summary:

During the War between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon, Ensign Shiro Amada has been transferred to South Ease Asia to command a new team – a team be cursed. All the former command of this small team have died in the battle and all the soldiers are very desperate. But Amada changed this. By teaching his soldier the value and beauty of life, he managed to change this damned crew into the most power team in the army.

In one skirmish in the jungle, Amada confronted an ace pilot of Zeon – Aina Sahalin. They soon fell in love despite the huge gap between their group and believing. Aina has been turn from a tool of his brother to a leader of peace by Amada, which together the couple will try to find a way to stop the mad plan of Aina’s brother right before the end of the war.

My Advice:

It is wrong to categorize this anime to military science fiction, although it is fulfill with battle scenes, this movie is actually telling us, ‘what is Peace?’ If you have see other Gundam anime or movie before, you will know that peace is the actual subject, but this anime make the most distinguishing job than other Gundams, in my opinion.

Unlike other Gundam movies,which depict the growth of a newtype hero (a new generation of human with the ability to perceive future), 08MS focused on the life an ordinary soldier. You can pick thousands of Shiro Amada in the world of Gundam. They are trival, struggling themselves in the battle, live or died everyday. And they also have fears, which make them fragile and coward sometimes. An old trick of Gundam movie is the scene that an unnamed soldier cried for their wife or mom and dying in their mobile suit. This trick is rather old, but very effective to me. And they also used this kind of trick in 08MS, but more ingenious. You will easily fall into the ordinary life of these soldiers, and worried about their lives.

The most outstanding part of this anime is, of cause, the love between Amada and Aina. From merely enemy to lovers, these two young people experienced the cruel fact of war, and the value of peace. Other character also convey to longing for peace. The crew of Zeno which invade a village for some food, but was attacked by the rebellion villagers, and they died with regret of to their family. All the shocking scenes in 08 MS are no in the battle field, but in this trivia stories.

If you are not interest on the deepness of the story of 08 MS, and you are just a fan of military, you can also enjoy this movie. The director created a rather real scene of tactic battle in according to real world. The mobile suits are cooperated with conductor jeep, and have many divisions of work. Some are infantries, some as sniffers, and some severs as long-range canon. You will feel that Gundam is real existed.

It is also the best introduction to the series of Gundam anime and movie.

Music: I strongly recommend the open music – “Shine in the Storm”, I burn me inside (is it the right expression? by see Gundam raise its long-range canon when the music is in background.

Some fact:

The first director of this anime – Takeyuki Kanda – died before he finished.So the eventual eompletion of the show occurring after three years by Umanosuke Lida

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