Even though "The 08th MS Team" is only twelve episodes long, it's release was spread out over a longer time
than any other "Gundam" series, even the death of veteran director Takeyuki Kanda in July of 1996 couldn't stop this
show's momentum (though it certainly slowed its progress). The final episode was released nearly three and a half
years after the first one was filmed.
The timeline for this series is late in the year UC 0079, at the tail end of the One Year War that was the
centerpiece of the original series. And the production team takes pains to re-create the tone and style of the
original series. However, instead of the story taking place in the thick of the interstellar clash between the
Federation and Zeon armies, spearheaded by the counterpoised Newtypes, Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, "08th" depicts
the fringes of the war - the rank and file soldiers immersed in terrestrial skirmishes. Whereas "Mobile Suit
Gundam's" sounds chords similar to majestic cinematic depictions of World War II, "08th" evokes the down and dirty
jungle boogie of Vietnam.
Drawing from the strengths of earlier "Gundam" franchises, director Kenda focuses on character - the struggle
of Shiro to win the respect of his tough team mates, the plight of the ill- fated Terry Sanders, the letters from
Michel to his girlfriend back home, and Karen Joshua's reluctant warming to Shiro. Kenda weaves these elements into
the framework of the story rather than allowing the mecha battles to usurp the human interest, but he still anchors
the narrative with Shiro's arc to give shape to this epic.
Of course, the more annoying elements of epic slip into the mix as well. Sweeping orchestral scores bleeding
into romantic sax motifs and wide-eyed naïve heroism tug at the heartstrings.
Art director Shigemi Ikeda and character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto have formed an appealing blend of
styles. The quality of animation is high with little artifacting and plenty of thick, substantial colors.
Kawamoto's unmistakable touch, evocative of his work in "Cowboy Bebop," enlivens the screen - the vivid hues of the
character art are a striking contrast to the earthy tones and grim realism of the backgrounds. And, consistent with
its fictional time frame, the mobile suits and costume designs are modeled along the simplistic, stylized lines of
the original series, not the flashier, angular look of the nineties. This heightens the Vietnam-esque atmosphere of
the jungle fighting scenes and offers a chance for long time "Gundam" fans to see the classic Gundams and Zaku
models in action once again.
There are several minor flaws in this series, one common to many action anime - a habit of skipping over the
'trivial details' to pack more battle into each episode. An example of this is the lack of explanation for Shiro
Amada's return to the base after he's been stuck in the jungle all night, lost. He's suddenly just there.
But despite little pitfalls, "Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team" is at once a spirited homage to the
original "Gundam" series and an exciting, unique twist on the "Gundam" universe.