A Noob Watches Gundam: Part 1

 I recently got sucked into watching Gundam. I haven't seen any of the main (Universal Century, as it's known) series and haven't seen a Gundam show since watching Gundam Wing way back in the late 90s. Since I don't have any great nostalgia for the franchise, let me give a quick review of all the series I've watched from (what I feel) is a fairly objective viewpoint. I'll try to go in in-universe linear order.

Gundam: Origin (2018) - an incredibly well-executed series. The plot, characterization, and pacing are on point. Everything is easy to understand for a noob. Animation is top notch. A+

Mobile Suit Gundam - it's alright. There's a some filler, it drags in sections, and the protagonists can be rather annoying but it's approachable and a good entry point for kids. Animation is fairly dated. C

Gundam 08th MS Team - a good series that takes place alongside the events of MSG, focusing on terrestrial battles (think future Vietnam war). Probably the most-grounded and realistic of the series I've watched so far. Good plot and characterization of friends and foes is excellent. Ends rather abruptly and presents an unsresolved subplot in the final episode. B

Gundam Thunderbolt - maybe my second favorite after Origin. VERY dark Season 1, more balanced Season 2. The primary antagonist is great, protagonist is kind of an asshole. Jazz soundtrack is reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop. Gritty and hard-boiled plot. Coolest mobile suit designs in franchise. Only gets a lower score because it ends on a cliffhanger and we haven't gotten a Season 3. A-

Gundam 0080 WitP - largely boring due to being a "bottle" series. I dislike the child protagonist and the setup. Very heavy-handed with its messaging. Saved from a lower rating by having the coolest Zaku mobile suit design - the FZ. You can skip this entirely without missing anything. D-

Stardust Memory - the most difficult series to rate on this list. There are some great things - interesting plot, great mobile suit designs, some very good characters - that are ultimately let down by several factors. The storyline itself is kind of a mess and the "conspiracy" subplot is so poorly handled that you'll be lost without googling why certain characters do certain things in the final episodes. The romantic triangle subplot is awful and the main character is poorly treated. If this were handled better, it would be the Metal Gear Solid of the Gundam-verse, whereas it's really the Keystone Kops. C-

Zeta Gundam - I'll be honest and admit I stopped watching by ep 15, read a synopsis, and skipped to the final episodes. Starts off OK and goes downhill rapidly. A lot of poor writing, bad characterization, endless chase sequence after chase sequence, battles without resolution, etc. I personally think the "women in refrigerators" trope is largely sensationalized but this series may make me re-evaluate that stance. Highlights here are the excellent "Quattro Bajeena" 😉, some iconic mobile suits, and the ending. D

Hope this little breakdown helps if you're interested in seeing what Gundam's all about. I haven't built a Gundam model since I was 20, but after watching I'm looking forward to start a couple. Now it's on to Gundam Unicorn and ZZ.