Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles (U.C. 0079)

Publisher
Tokyopop
Country of origin
Japan
Year
2000

Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles - Volume 1

By Joseph (Joe) Wood
16th May 06

As popular as the Gundam franchise is in and outside of Japan, here in the UK we have only just recently begun to see some anime title trickle out into the shops. There has been even less in terms of manga, but that seems set to change a Tokyopop have begun testing the water with a small amount of Gundam manga releases.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles is set during Universal Century 0079, during the legendary One Year War. Captain Matt Healy is leader of a Federation Special Forces Experimental Unit, a MS team who are sent all over the world in order to collect battle data in different conditions. Healy is determined not to let anyone die, including Zeon troops, in the course of his missions, even if that means putting himself and his team at incredible risk. Meanwhile on the other side of the war is Lt. Ken Bederstadt of the Foreign Legion, in alliance with Zeon, who also does not whish to see unnecessary casualties in the war.

About half a second after we’re introduced to these two characters, it’s blatantly obvious that they are both going to be looking down their beam rifles at each other sometime in the future. Nether of the main characters are presented as evil, a theme that is prominent throughout many of Gundam franchise’s stories. The first volume does focus more on Healy than it does Bederstadt however; this seems mainly to be able to set the stage for the story. Important events of the One Year War are mentioned, a few panels of major scenes and even a character from the original Gundam appear in this volume.

The volume does suffer from a few problems though. The main characters do feel a little one-dimensional, as there is barely any hint of selfishness, pain or fear that make for great characters. Secondary characters also seem stereotypical of course there is plenty of room for development in later volumes. The artwork is rather simplistic, for both the characters and mecha although this might be due to an attempt to keep it in touch with the visual style of the Gundam anime set during the One Year War.

Other than setting, the stage for things to come there is little plot development, our two main characters recognise each other’s abilities early on, but don’t come into contact much. Though we are introduced to potential love interests for both Healy and Bederstadt their isn’t much development of this either. A little knowledge of the background of the One Year War is a great help, as there are many references to events that someone new to the Gundam Universe wouldn’t be able to follow. In fact there is little here in this first volume for Gundam novices, there seems to be an assumption that the reader already knows what Operation Odyssey and a RX-79 [G] Gundam are.

Still there is potential here for a good story and if future volumes move away from excessive name dropping of events/people etc, and focuses on the Healy/Bederstadt plot then this could turn out to be a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the Gundam universe.

-- Joseph (Joe) Wood 16th May 06