Kidô Butôden Jî Gandamu

To start off, an overview of the program. In an alternate, future Earth, colonies have spread throughout the solar system. Every four years, a grand tournament is held between fighters piloting giant robot weapons called Gundams. The fighter that wins, his represented nation controls the rest of the colonies until the next tournament. Enter Domon, representing Neo-Japan, first looking for his missing brother, but eventually becomes involved in a fight to save the universe when others behind the scenes of the tournament make their own plans for the outcome.

And, it is Domon, the lead character, who brings this show almost grinding to a halt. Rarely has such a flat central character carried a program. He wins 99.9% of his fights simply because he is the main character. The writers pull off the most unbelievable excuses to make sure he wins, if they even bother to do that! Sometimes, they just have Domon win for no real reason at all. As a martial artist, his character takes the stance that "he can only communicate with his fists." Well, what a great rationalization for violence, eh? And, strangely enough, everyone around him just accepts and believes this! Add to this several sub-plots involving him that are rather blatantly obvious: the mystery of the fighter Schwarz Bruder (Anyone with a German 1 high school level of the language can guess who he really is.) what happened to his father, and the unexpected love story that develops in the last few episodes, and, we really come to care less about whatever happens to Domon by the end. We know he'll win before he even enters a fight, so, there's no sense of tension.

That having been said, the supporting cast of characters is quite a surprise. Save for a couple, most have believable motivations. Argo fights to free his friends wrongfully imprisoned because of what he's done stands out, even though this plot element isn't touched that heavily upon. Even a minor character, who only appears a couple of times, becomes important and interesting when it is learned his wife was killed accidentally involving Argo. He blames the Russian for her death when, actually, he had been trying to save her at the time. The current colonial leader, Wong, is manipulating the tournament so his nation can rule for all time by resurrecting an all powerful Gundam. Domon's teacher, Master, is using Wong to get the Gundam for himself because he's become mad with the belief that the Earth must be saved from mankind itself. Even George, whose reason for fighting is one of the less creative ones, to battle for the honor of his country, is carried off better than the star's.

In the end, the smaller stories do manage to save this series from its bland central focuses. The idea of giant robots battling for a specific purpose beyond war is also a refreshing take on the past Gundam shows. Not the best action cartoon ever, but, better than some Gundam series. Definitely a show that is better than its main character.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam is a standout in the Gundam franchise for its bold departure from the more serious, political tones of other entries. Instead, it combines fast-paced, over-the-top mecha battles with a dramatic storyline infused with martial arts and international flair. The premise is simple yet engaging: nations settle disputes through a global Gundam tournament, with fighters representing their countries using unique mechs inspired by their culture. This results in a series filled with exciting action and unforgettable character designs.

The main character, Domon Kasshu, is the typical hot-headed hero with a deeper emotional journey. His growth throughout the series-from a lone, brash fighter to a more self-aware individual-adds depth to the show. While the character development is strong for Domon, other supporting characters can feel underdeveloped, and their arcs sometimes take a backseat to the action.

The action is undoubtedly the highlight. The mecha battles are thrilling, with each Gundam fight offering something new and engaging. The series is visually dynamic, and its fight choreography blends martial arts with the spectacle of giant robots, making each battle unique and exhilarating. The colorful and exaggerated designs of the Gundams also help distinguish the series, making it visually distinctive in the Gundam universe.

However, G Gundam does have its flaws. The pacing can drag in the middle episodes, and some subplots are resolved too quickly or without sufficient development. The tone, while fun, can be too over-the-top for some viewers, especially fans of the more grounded, political themes seen in other Gundam series. Despite this, G Gundam remains a fun, action-packed ride with plenty of heart and spectacle.

Ultimately, Mobile Fighter G Gundam is a unique and entertaining entry in the Gundam franchise, perfect for fans of high-energy mecha action and character-driven storytelling. Its bold approach to the genre and its memorable battles make it a must-watch, earning it a solid 8/10.

At first glance, G Gundam looks like a completely generic, skippable title, turning a military drama series into a Saturday morning super robot cartoon. The premise is ridiculous, emotion is a power source, and every nationality expresses the country's stereotypes. But upon closer inspection, G Gundam is not as bad as it looks. There's backstories, multidimensional characters, plot twists, and a vaguer evil than it may appear. Sure, Neo Mexico's Gundam may be Tequila Gundam, donning a sombrero, but its pilot actually doesn't want to fight, and is trying to flee the country with his sick sister! I'd say G Gundam's writing and character are better than most animes. Not the best, but enough to add weight to the fights.

Now, whenever or not you'll like G Gundam depends on your love of super robot animes. G Gundam has a good deal of fun along the way, but I know not everyone's going to love robot wrestling, super modes, cheesy Gundam designs, martial arts philosophy, and the power of love! There's also a large number of vignette episodes. None of them are boring or bad, but they do slow the anime down a bit.

Bonus points for a pretty kickass soundtrack. The first opening, "Shining Finger", and "Erupting Burning Finger" are among the most awesome in anime.

G Gundam doesn't deserve Shakespearean analysis. But its well-balanced; Rifftrax-worthy elements with enough plot to keep you hooked. Its not for everyone, but it'll always be a (not-so) guilty pleasure for me.

Personally I find that G Gundam is the best of the Gundam Saga. My reasons are as follows:

The Message: All gundam shows were designed to portray the image that "war is heck" however they do so with a war. So much that it almost blocks out the mesage. G Gundam shows us a different way of keeping order: a tournament. It also shows us how war is bad throughthe idea of the Chaos war that took place before the show began in FC 02. (This is something only a true fan knows)

The plot: Okay, I must admit that the breakup of time is shaky, Ep 1=January Ep 6=June Ep 12=October Ep 18-24= November then the last episodes take place in December or so I figure it. Other than that it takes you through building friedshps, relationships, tough desicions, awesome mech battles, and a few shot of women's unmentionables or women bathing in episode 19 (Thank you for that moment of perversion, Sai Saici)

The Mech design: Alot more thought goes into these mechs, the researchers found out the history and present of each nation and put one important aspect into the Gundam. e.x. the reason the Nobel Gundam looks like a woman is bcause there are more females than males in swedens current populaton

The characters: Where else are you going to see an American boxer, a perverted Chinese midget teenage martial artist, A Russian convict, a French nobleman and a Japanese dude with major tude problems working together to save the world with giant robots? Included in the cast are several Japanese officials (Or rather Neo-Japanese as the story goes). A Neo-Japanese doctor, a crazy Neo Hong Kong martial artist with a bad cough, 4 annoying Neo-American women, A really creepy Neo-Italian MAFIA boss, a Neo-Swedish orphan and more!

If you like rock and roll,street-fighting action, then this is the Gundam series for you. It's colorful,quick paced,and full of gundam battling that would satisfy any mech fan. Gundam purists don't like this series because they prefer slow,dramatic soap operas occupying their shows with few robot battles. I prefer it the other way around,and G-Gundam satisfies my need for gundam suit clashes with a thrilling battle every episode...sometimes even two or three a show!! The story of Domon Kashu looking for his long lost brother while competing with other gundams from different countries for the ultimate title of Gundam Fight World Champion is thrilling and keeps you coming back each and every episode to find out what happens. If you like action,watch Mobile Fighter G-Gundam...if you like to watch characters blab all day about their problems and hardly battle, try another older gundam series.