Favourite...Gundam series/OVA

S

Suiseiseki

Hunter
To continue the trend of top tens, polls and favourite threads, here's a more specialized but perhaps just as fun one.

For me:

5) Gundam 0080 OVA; like 08th MS Team it's a different viewpoint on war.

4) Mobile Suit Gundam; it's the original, and introduces that character, you know the one...

3) 08th MS Team OVA; a different look at the One Year War with a likable cast.

2) Turn A Gundam; assumes the sort of style and setting I like and carves out a path quite different from many other Gundam series

1) Zeta Gundam, the most perfect mecha series around, with character development, politics and action, not to metnion Quattro.

My favourite film: Char's Counterattack, of course.

And my least favourite Gundam series? G Gundam.

Ok, your turn! :D
 
Bah, you narrowed it down :p

5. SEED Destiny: Yeah, a toy commercial, but an entertaining one at that. Also one of the few Gundam series I've seen that has kept me fully interested since the beginning. Its a shame that the latest episodes are going slightly downhill.
4. War in the Pocket/0080: The ultimate 'War isn't cool' treatment. Some great characterisation and moments, with brief appearences by the Kampfer and Gelgoog J.
3. X: A likeable cast and a good ending made this a favourite for me. Also has a good variety of great mecha designs. Garrod's optimism and low-level of angsting is a huge reason this series appeals to me.
2. G: Light-hearted, but good fun, and not afraid to take itself seriously where it matters. Oh, and "SHINING FINGER"!!
1. Victory: I like this for a lot of reasons - the mecha, Angel Halo, the Shrikes - but what really makes me like this is the sense of direction the story has right from the beginning. And the ending is just brilliance itself.

Least favourite series: Turn-A. I enjoyed Turn-A, I really did. However, the setting and general appearence of the mecha in this, not to mention the fact that I liked very few of the characters made this somewhat less of an epic than I'd hoped.

Favourite film: F91.
Least favourite film: I don't really want to say it, so I'll offer hints: starts with a 'G', ends in '-our'...
 
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Rurouni H said:
Bah, you narrowed it down :p

5. SEED Destiny: Yeah, a toy commercial, but an entertaining one at that. Also one of the few Gundam series I've seen that has kept me fully interested since the beginning. Its a shame that the latest episodes are going slightly downhill.
4. War in the Pocket/0080: The ultimate 'War isn't cool' treatment. Some great characterisation and moments, with brief appearences by the Kampfer and Gelgoog J.
3. X: A likeable cast and a good ending made this a favourite for me. Also has a good variety of great mecha designs. Garrod's optimism and low-level of angsting is a huge reason this series appeals to me.
2. G: Light-hearted, but good fun, and not afraid to take itself seriously where it matters. Oh, and "SHINING FINGER"!!
1. Victory: I like this for a lot of reasons - the mecha, Angel Halo, the Shrikes - but what really makes me like this is the sense of direction the story has right from the beginning. And the ending is just brilliance itself.

Least favourite series: Turn-A. I enjoyed Turn-A, I really did. However, the setting and general appearence of the mecha in this, not to mention the fact that I liked very few of the characters made this somewhat less of an epic than I'd hoped.

Favourite film: F91.
Least favourite film: I don't really want to say it, so I'll offer hints: starts with a 'G', ends in '-our'...
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would have to agree with this 5.
 
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Despite being relatively new to the Gundam franchise I thought I’d chip in and add my two-cents to this here thread. I’ve only just dipped my toe into the vast sea that is Gundam, and I have to say, I’m regretting not giving some of my viewing schedule over to the franchise earlier, as sci-fi sagas go it carries a lot of weight and the many plaudits the series has managed to cull over the years are well deserved.

My first experience of Gundam - discounting a few snatched glimpses of Wing, was the oft-mentioned (and it must be said much maligned) SEED. Whilst I can understand where the criticism of the series stems from – it is an overly cynical and glossy attempt to give the Gundam series some wider demographic appeal and shift a few model kits (and it’s worked; it made me want to see Gundam and I own one or two kits myself), it’s still a highly enjoyable romp with a few characters that intrigue, entertain (and in some cases irritate ;)) it also tows a nice line in mecha combat, that’s as exciting as it is beautiful. That’s all before we’ve even gotten onto Hirahsi Hirai’s character design work, which brings the series bang up to date without sacrificing any of that endearing retro charm.

As evidenced by my recent review and comments in the Gundam model threads I’m quite a vocal supporter of, Turn A. And that kudos, in my opinion at least, is well deserved, This is a series with plenty of heart that doesn’t use it’s association with the Gundam name as an excuse to palm fans off with more of the same – which is pretty ironic when you consider that’s exactly why most fans denounced it in the first place. The MS designs, settings and characters may seem totally bizarre at first, but it’s of little consequence when you finally realize what a rounded, consummately realised and downright entertaining little series it is.

My next port of call will be the trilogy of 0079 movies, even if it's just a good excuse to finally acquaint myself with fan fave Zeta afterward. ;)
 
5. Gundam Seed: Your first anything always instills some kind of bias in you, and I guess that's partly why Seed is here. Looking past the smack in the face similarities between it and 0079, the changes are striking and interesting. The rivalry between friends, the cloning and genetic manipulation themes set it apart and truely bring Gundam into a modern context. In fact, rather than critiscing Seed for it's psuedo-plagerism, such would-be critics would do better to go back to 0079 itself and look at its own flaws. Appearing first doesn't make a series better. Good characters, battles and all the rest that makes a Gundam show good. Far better than its sequel IMO, because that series so ineptly manages characters, storylines and even its budget.

4. 0080: War in the Pocket: A great little sidestory with a small but interesting cast of completely "grey" characters. Though "heros and villians" are somewhat avoided in most Gundam series, 0080 one of the better series that is defined by essentially good, likeable characters who sadly have to be pointing guns at each other. The climax is thought provoking and even tear-jerking as a result.

3. Victory Gundam: What ZZ Gundam would have been if they... seriously, what the hell was wrong when they made ZZ Gundam?! They didn't just drop the ball there - they dropped an explosive super ball of compressed turd and ... wait... V Gundam! Seriously, in a way it takes a similar cast to ZZ, but retains the bleak philosophy pioneered by Zeta where ZZ failed. They even have some humour that is pulled off 40,000 times better than in ZZ where it was just cringeworthy.

Points lost for going OTT with the killing though. The Shrike Team's appeal is totally lost on me because they die before you're even able to form some kind of attachment to them. The mecha design is also rather iffy. It's commendably different but rather than the ulginess that some percieve, I just find it all a bit bland. Except the Gundams themselves which are great. I especially like the way that, if V was a modern series, the concept would have been thrown out as soon as the toymaking shareholders realised that several characters were all getting the same Gundam design. "Having the same Gundam appear up to five times more than normal will not result in five times more toy sales!!!!"

2. Turn-A Gundam: Excellent Characters, Mecha, Story and Battles (when they actually happened mind you!). Probably one of the bigger derivations from the cookie-cutter Gundam series and all the better for it. Better than V because of the Design work and less re-trod ground IMO, but weaker than Zeta because that series better balances pace of plot with developing characters you care about. I like Turn-A and Zeta characters about the same, but Zeta got more action into the same space of time. Extra points for a main character who isn't white-skinned and is totally stunning in Drag :p

1. Zeta Gundam: Liking Zeta Gundam best is as cliche as having Akira or a Ghibli movie as your favorite Anime movie. Well hell, i'm cliche and I'm not going to be the kind to dislike Zeta simply because it's popular among the hardcore. I'm certain this is the definitive Gundam series. Best mecha, battles, characters and the rest. Sure it's flawed (Reccoa's lapse into 0079-level Femanine idiocy was one disappointment for me, but at least Sirocco's manly charms did kind of shakily explain it), but it's only as flawed as any Gundam series and other Gundam series

Favorite Film? I've actually only seen the Original Trilogy. Of these, the best is probably Movie III, "Slegger's Law of nonsensical two-minute romances" notwithstanding.

Least Favorite Series? It used to be X for no better reason than it was the least interesting to me, but as I'm sure is clear above, ZZ Gundam is now my least favorite. Try as I might, the only positive thing I can say about it is that the Opening themes are pretty damned good. A series fully deserving of its bad reputation.
 
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kupoartist said:
Try as I might, the only positive thing I can say about it is that the Opening themes are pretty damned good. A series fully deserving of its bad reputation.
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Surely having Aztec Space Ninjas puts it up a few points? :lol:
 
I'm watching Victory Gundam now, although i've only managed to watch a few episodes so far, what i've seen (1-4) has been good, and I'm looking foward to watching more. The series I need to see now are ZZ and the SD Gundams, the former of which I shall approach with caution.
 
here is all my gundam series/movies ive seen in order


8.G.Gundam - stupid yes, pointless yes but its still fun in a turn your brain off kind of way.
7.gundam - war in the pocket
6.Gundam 0079 movies
5.Gundam wing - it got me into gundam
4.gundam wing starlight memory ova - a great finish to gundam wing
3. gundam 0083 - i liked it but it seeme to be hated by the gundam fans
2. chars counter attack
1. MS team - just ace
 
So far i've only seen Gundam Seed and wing and i enjoy Seed alot more than wing

but if u think the others are better i'll have to check them out
 
I really need to see more of gundam, but there's my top 5

5) Seed
4) War in the Pocket
3) Wing
2) The original series
1) 08th MS team

Worst: Turn A, it just didn't grab me, which is a shame due to its memorable mecha designs.
 
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