Mobile Suit Gundam: Char contre-attaque

You have asked wondered "who will survive" and you have "seen the tears of time". Now, the final chapter of an anime legend, the Universal Century Gundam saga, comes to its mind blowing conclusion.

Char's Counterattack is the culmination of years worth of Gundam storyline, in particular, the rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable that was established in the 1979 Gundam series but was never really followed through in the sequels.

The numerous factions from Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam have been done away with and we are back in familiar territory now;Char Aznable leads the Neo Zeon movement and Amuro Ray is part of the Londo Bell task-force sent to quell this uprising.

As a stand alone Gundam movie, Char's counterattack does not do much for the newer audience. It expects that the viewer is already familiar with Gundam lore and the established rivalry between Amuro and Char as it immediately throws you into the thick of the story and the heat of the action. A couple of new characters like Quess Paraya and Hathaway Noa are introduced but they come across as uninteresting and seem like throw-away characters whose only purpose is to fill up screen time when we are not focusing on Char or Amuro. There is a very uncomfortable attempt at creating a shaky love triangle story but the execution of that plot thread was not as good as it could have been.

Poor attempt at romance aside, Char's counterattack features a number of other themes that the viewers can easily relate to. There is a coming-of-age theme in how Hathaway Noa desires to step out of his father's shadow and discover his own identity, and there is a good deal of wartime rhetoric thrown about by Char. That being said, only once Amuro and Char take center stage does the movie finally find its footing and delivers an engagingly entertaining experience. They are the perfect opposites, each representing widely differing views on war and the idealistic pursuit of peace.

How far is one willing to go to end a war? Can peace be attained only through bloodshed? Are people only a means to an end when one is so obsessed with pursuing an ideal? Questions like these pop up during the course of the narrative which challenges the viewer to think and question.

Some fans have complained about the lack of character development of many of the cast, but i can only say this: Char's Counterattack should not be viewed as a stand alone movie. It is not a movie to develop the characters but a movie to bring about a RESOLUTION to the characters that have been developed over the course of the previous Gundam series. That is why i definitely recommend re-watching at least the original Gundam 0079 TV series or compilation movies before watching this movie. Re-watching "Zeta Gundam" would also add to a better understanding of Char's character development over the years.

Jam packed with epic action sequences thanks to a higher budget and more experienced staff, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack is the exciting concluding chapter in the grand sweeping tale of Amuro Ray and Char Aznable.

The movie adaptation of "Char's Counterattack: Beltorchika's Children", follows the novel almost to the letter. There are only a few minor differences in both versions created by Yoshiyuki Tomino. 1-Amuro Ray is engaged to Beltorchika Irma (Chien Agi in the movie) who also appears in Z Gundam. 2-Some names differ from the movie: Gyunei Guss (Glab Gas in novel), Nanai Miguel (Mesuta Mesua in novel). 3-The origin of the psycoframe is different in the novel as from the movie. The rest of the movie is pretty much exactly like the novel. In the novel Amuro's girlfriend Beltorchika is expecting a baby and the baby plays an important part in the story. In the movie it's the psycoframe Chien Agi uses that is an important part of the story. There are more things explained clearly in the book and are missed in the movie.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988) is a powerful and emotional conclusion to the epic rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable. Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the film masterfully combines high-stakes action with deeper themes of war, idealism, and the complexities of human nature. Set in the Universal Century timeline, Char leads the Neo Zeon movement, while Amuro represents the Federation's final defense, setting the stage for a monumental showdown.

The film excels in its portrayal of the two protagonists' contrasting ideals, making their final confrontation deeply personal and impactful. The animation, especially during the intense mecha battles, is top-tier for its time, with beautifully designed mobile suits like the Nu Gundam and Sazabi. The action is complemented by an unforgettable soundtrack, heightening both the emotional and battle sequences.

While Char's Counterattack is a visual and thematic triumph, its pacing can feel uneven at times, and the film's serious, somber tone may not appeal to everyone. However, these minor flaws don't diminish its significance in the Gundam saga. It's a perfect culmination for long-time fans and an essential watch for those seeking a deeper, more mature take on the mecha genre.

With its thrilling combat, memorable characters, and thought-provoking narrative, Char's Counterattack earns a solid 9/10.

The Amuro-Char rivalry could not have ended better. I'm not going to say how, but the ending was totally satisfying. I also liked Bright Noa's predicament here. He's always been the flawless starship captain, and now he has to deal with his son Hathaway being underfoot. I'll leave the telling of the plot to somebody else. The ending theme, "Beyond the Time" was what got my attention the most. Wow.

The thing with this movie is that it suffers from Red Shirt Syndrome (RSS). Red Shirt Syndrome is when lots of extra characters are brought into a story and then killed off for no apparent reason other than adding to the tragedy/seriousness of the story. Red Shirt Syndrome is so named because on the original 'Star Trek', a crewmember would accompany Captain Kirk and crew down to the planet...and the red shirt wearing crewmember would be killed for no apparent reason.

Char seems to have gone through quite a bit of change in this movie. Compare this Char to the Char in the original series, and you'll see a difference. In this movie, Char begins to become like his father, Zeon Zum Deikun. He gives speeches and becomes a political figure...a change that started when he was going under the name Quattro Bagina in Zeta Gundam. On the other side, Amuro hasn't changed much. He's lost a bit of his idealism, but he's still the same Amuro. Basically.

I think that Quess and Hathaway would've made a charming couple. That's all I have to say about that.

After watching the first three Gundam films, along with all of Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam, Char's Counterattack didn't build off everything before as well as I would have hoped. It starts off with a deluge of exposition, adding new characters that are central to the plot and ignoring many from the previous shows that could have worked here.

Char's character feels rather different than when we last saw him an entire show ago. It seems like there's a really, really good series (or even a film) in between this and when we last saw him and Amuro. Plausibly even during ZZ Gundam.

Char could definitely be what he is here - he was on the road to being so - but I don't think the events of Zeta Gundam were enough of a catalyst for his actions in this particular film.

Fortunately, nearly everything else about Char's Counterattack is excellent.

The hand-drawn animation is stunning and from an era I love. The little CG we do get is very well done, especially for the time.

After the beginning the pacing improves, as we see the philosophies of the two leads clash spectacularly.

The music is fantastic, and the ending is certainly the biggest thing in scope the series has seen so far. It's fortunately all driven by the themes that Gundam wears on its sleeve, with environmentalism, empathy and understanding playing big roles.

So I have to say overall this film was quite satisfying as a conclusion to the first few films, not so much the shows. As I said before, there's a very good story in between this and Zeta, either during or right after ZZ. If that does actually happen, this film can only be improved by it. I will have to watch it again very soon though, it is incredibly dense.