Kidô senshi Z Gundam

After the success and popularity of the original "Mobile Suit Gundam", it was going to be a tall task to deliver a follow up that stood up to it's predecessor. I tell you not only did they create something that was as good as the original, but better in many ways.

"Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam" is the second installment in the franchise but stands alone as a more gritty, dark, and emotional experience that is rarely seen in the often shiny and bright mech genre. The gut-wrenching and horrifying realities of war was something only touched on occasionally in the original series, here it is something that dominates the landscape from start to finish. It really causes pain to watch new and old characters go through the ordeals they do in these 50 episodes. The show is, in a word, depressing.

The quality and depth of characters in this installment rivals any other Anime series while the artwork is dated, it still holds up well. The mechs featured are all pretty awesome and make up some of the best battles of the franchise, giving the viewer plenty of that sweet, sweet, 'splosion porn. The storyline is the best the franchise has offered and the voice acting is top-notch as well. Sub vs. Dub is a win/win, while the English cast is good- the Japanese cast is great with many, if not all, the previous actors reprising their roles from the first series.

The one downside of this show is it might actually be TOO dark at times. The amount of loss and pain experienced might be too much for the average mech fan. There were moments in this show that actually made me tear up. I own this entire series on DVD, but it grows dusty on my shelf because it's 50 miles of bad road and not something I am eager to experience again.

This is a must-watch for all Gundam fans, not so much for the plot points, but for the experience and ordeal you go through. If nothing else, you respect this franchise a lot more after watching Zeta. Cheers!

If you are a fan of any facet of the Gundam universe, this series is for you. If you like animation, then this series is for you. If you like good stories, this series is for you. Zeta Gundam is the dark, powerful, emotional, and completely enjoyable follow up to the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam TV series. Like it's predecessor, the show orbits around conflict between space colonies and the earth that bore them, the politics of war, and the struggles of a young man growing up in hazardous times. Unlike it's predecessor, it is a much darker, more violent and serious show.

Zeta is not the most innovative shows around, but it is certainly one of the most powerful. Some of the scenes are heartbreaking, others are uplifting, but the 'good guys' certainly have a dark cloud hanging over them the whole time. The animation is very 80s, not a bad thing, but it is pretty dated. Still, for it's time, many of the mobile suit battles come across as exciting and dynamic (more so than most of the new series), and the characters are all distinct, so there's no mixing them up because they all look so similar as in many other animes. The plot is top-notch, and will keep you interested--but not at the edge of your set--through the entire series. The last six episodes are some of the best in Gundam as a whole.

Recommended to pretty much everyone, but especially Gundam fans; Zeta Gundam may be the series finest installment.

In Z Gundam, which is a major sequel to the original Gundam, tells the story of the conflict between A.E.U.G.(the rebels) and the corrupted and ruthless Titans (a special branch of the Earth Federation). The story focuses on a young boy named Kamiyu Vidan (around 17), who, by accident, was pulled into the war between A.E.U.G. and Titans. Kamiyu turns out to be a natural ace pilot, and so under Quattro Bajina of the A.E.U.G (whose real name is Char Aznable) he changes from an average civilian boy to a seasoned soldier. In the course of the story, he is joined by Titan-turned-AEUG pilot Emma Sheen, his beautiful and tragic girlfriend Four Murasame, his childhood friend Fa Yuiri, the ace pilot Amuro Ray, battleship captain Bright Noah, and many other characters from the First Gundam will also make cameo appearances in Z Gundam.

Zeta Gundam is what true Mecha Anime should be. Drama and politcal intrigue in a futuristic setting done just the right way. The characters are very real and human. Camille, Emma, and Quatro(Char) are three of my all time favorite anime characters. Each of them fighting for thier own reasons in the sad and harsh war around them. And Bask Om and Paptiums Scirroco are two of best villians as well. Bask is a evil and cruel Tyrant with Jamitov and Paptimus is a clever and intriguing genius of a character. The story is very sad, but also has some of best action and character development in a mecha show ever. There so many times when an event happened that I was put into shock. Tomino's nick name "Kill-em All!" truly shines through in Zeta Gundam.

Forget those mediorce overly melo-dramatic Gundam shows Seed and Wing. Zeta Gundam is where the true namesake lies!

Following the original series, the Earth Federation has appointed an elite force of soldiers to make sure there are no more one year wars. However, this new force, known as the Titans-is corrupt, and is suppressing the space colonies. In order to oppose them, the AEUG(Anti-Earth United Group) is formed, with Char Anzable as one of it's leaders(Although he's under an alias). In addition, the original White Base crew-mostly under house arrest due to their possible influence-are also secretly backing the organization. However, the returning characters aren't the focus of the show, it's the new ones. Camille Vidan is the new Gundam pilot, and is definitey more aggressive than the original series's Amuro-it's hard to think of a single episode in which Camille isn't beating someone else up or getting beat up himself. Camille's love interests, although similar to Amuro's from the original, are interesting characters, and aspiring ace Jerid Mesa is thankfully not a copy of Char. A lot of the Titans are pretty despicable villains, as well. The mecha designs are pretty nice, incorporating a lot of wires into their design. The animation is pretty good, considering this was made on a television budget in 1985, and much better than Gundam Wing, which was made over decade later. Overall, perhaps one of the best Gundam series. Hurry up and import this thing!