Mobile Suit Gundam 0079

Publisher
Viz
Writer
Kasuhisa Kondo
Artist
Kasuhisa Kondo
Country of origin
Japan
Year
1994

Mobile Suit Gundam : 0079 vs. Origins

By David Rasmussen
24th Sep 06

Star Trek, as you’ve read in several reviews I’ve done recently (including a few Trek related ones) has just turned 40, and that’s all well and good… if you happen to be a Trek fan. However, if you are another fan, say… Mobile Suit Gundam fan… then you’re still waiting for the next big event. Mind you, you’ve just gone through Gundam’s silver anniversary this past 2004 as the series turned 25 but you won’t have another major event to go through until 2009 when Gundam turns 30 (not so much Star Trek as it is Star Wars… only, you know, without the endless repackaging and shilling of the same Gundam releases that George Lucas seems addicted to with Star Wars).

I bring this up because according to the back cover of MSGundam 0079 Gundam has been described as Japan’s Star Trek… which I guess but don’t quote me on that because I have my misgivings about that. Anyway these two volumes seem to make Gundam, in this sense, more Star Wars than Trek because I am about to offer you a most interesting premise.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the original Mobile Suit Gundam… regular AND Special Edition!

MSGundam 0079 retells the story of the series that started as an anime in 1979 (as well as a novel series if I remember right), and was later repackages as a trilogy of movies in 1981 to 1982, and is set in the year 0079 (by the universal century calendar) as Earth’s increasing population has made it necessary to colonize outer space, which has brought about the creation of gigantic orbiting space colonies called “Sides”. Half a century later entire nations of humans have moved onto these sides and call them home.

It is now the year UC 0079 and things are not well in the neighborhood.
The furthest group of colonies from Earth, Side 3, has taken on the new name of “The Duchy of Zeon” and began a war of independence against the Earth Federation government. A month after this half the population of both sides are dead and the remaining humans are locked in a death struggle with war’s newest plaything (man like machines called Mobile Suits) leading the death charge. A short truce was called and a treaty signed to prevent the war from going nuclear… wait, 50% population loss and NOW you’re worried about things going nuclear… weirdos. Anyway the war ground to a halt and things were locked in a mexican standoff for eight months. Yeah, that won’t last as the first volume begins…

Not sitting idly by in the brief lull in the fighting, the Federation is well on it’s way to making it’s own breed of Mobile Suits for war. In fact, as the story opens, the White Base (a Federation Mobile Suit Carrier) is forced by one particular Side colony where a particular Mobile Suit (Gundam) is having it’s finishing touches put on it by one Tem Rey (the designer of the Gundam class of MS) when the Side comes under attack from Zeon forces and Tem’s son (Amuro Rey, who is to Gundam what Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker is to Star Wars… only, you know, without the whiney youngling killing father figure) is forced to man the untested Gundam and put it through it’s paces the hard way (in battle).

The situation grows dread, and with the colony coming apart around them and more Zeon invading the Side it looks like the White Base will have to take on as many civilian refugees as possible and flee, with their ace in the hole being a most reluctant soldier by the name of Amuro Rey who finds himself thrust time and time again into battles he doesn’t want to fight (but must if everyone is to survive).
The story of this first volume ends as they return to Earth (good news) but end up trapped behind enemy lines on Earth which forces a struggle to attempt escape back into friendly territory.

A solid enough title with it’s basis on a classic of the genre, only not the novel classic because then the whole series would be dubbed the Apocalypse Now of Japan. You see, unlike the clean cut and rather antiseptic anime or manga version of Mobile Suit Gundam, the novel was a grim tableu of strong emotions, grim violence and blood drenched landscape as collateral damage in the form of innocent civilians was racked up high, with the descriptions of their death both brutal and honest to the vision of hard terrible war that was MSGundam the novels.

But that was the original 90’s version. Fast forward several years and it’s 2001, and a whole new revision of the Gundam series would come in MSGundam : Origin (printed in this large magazine like sized format print selling for $8 a pop per issue when it came out in America in 2002).
Origin is a revision as well as a Special Edition because it takes the same premise as before and lengthens out the scenes more, so that scenes that once took a page or so to do are now fleshed out greater and more depth is given. Basically the thing to know about this version is that it is more cinematic in it’s presentation, as each page and panel seems to have more of a visual impact over it’s predecessor. Also, unlike MSGundam 0079, the talent doing this one isn’t afraid to punch up the visuals on all the MS suits and give them a fresh coat of beautiful, making them more striking and visually improved over the original version (so that even grunt mechs like the Zaku come off looking polished and fine here).
Also, in Origin, emotions run like a waterfall at times as characters emote as you never seem them emote in 0079, especially Amuro who, for some reason, suddenly comes off as a drama queen for some reason here and there in this version!

Basically this is the Special Edition. Scenes are longer, or changed (as when Char is confronted by his sister for the first time in the series which is more dramatic in Origin than in 0079) relying more on strong visual representation and fleshed out longer storytelling to carry the series along (to a greater success I take as this looks and feels that much more vibrant and energetic than 0079). Also, unlike 0079, you might yet be able to find copies of Origin TPBs from VIZ than 0079, though both are recommended since both are the meat and potatoes of one of the greatest moments of the franchise (Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series out of the gate of the Gundam franchise).

MSGundam Breakdown 0079/Origin
What’s Hot?
It’s for either taste but works for both.
0079 is “classic” Gundam, though technically both are “classic” Gundam (just Origin is abit more punched up and “Special Edition” feeling than 0079), and thus for purists of the Gundam series. If you are a Gundam fan you should have this in your collection as it does represent one of the finest moments of Gundam franchise history (so why wouldn’t you have this!)
Origin is Gundam Special Edition, with a punched up look and longer detailed scenes that play out differently a lot of times over the 0079 counterpart scenes (in length and sometimes in content).

What’s Not?
MSGundam might not be your bag, but if you’re looking for classic mecha action with a military flair that is full of drama and action then both of these (each carrying the above content in their own special way) are recommended for abit of a retro flair in giant mecha battling action.

Moments to Remember?
Each have their own moments, and their own personal style all their own (and yet they should be had together to compliment each other as well as show off their own individual style).

What to Ignore?
I’d like to ignore the fact that the people of MSGundam seem to be asleep at the wheel, no other reason why they let a HENTAI PORN like Sin Sorority have their very own Char inspired dressed up pervert dude in that one… sacrilege, people! Gundam Sacrilege! (Oh, and it was no fun that Koge Donbo also had his own taste of “Char” in his not so well received stab at doing dark comedy “his way” in that one shot I recently reviewed… remember?)

Overall
MSGundam. One series which inspired two entirely different visions of that series. One seems to be a straightforward vision of the sreies as based on the original series, while the second is a visually cinematic bit of flair with more oomph per page (and more content as scenes seem to be more spread out and lengthened or changed abit for dramatic flair).

Both are recommended, and if you can get them you might find yourself surprised by them.
No Gold or Silver Recommendation Stars here, sorry, but a solid score nevertheless.
In layman’s terms it’s a 3 plus a little extra oomph (point 5) out of 5.

-- David Rasmussen 24th Sep 06