Customer Reviews

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket - Complete Collection

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I've come to the Gundam party rather late in the grand scheme of things. After years of loving mecha-based shows like Robotech and Voltron, I finally decided to attempt to devote to the ever-expanding Gundam universe. Beginning with the original Mobile Suit series, I then ventured into the Zeta saga. From there it was on to Wing, Seed and Seed Destiny. Throughout this tour, I picked away at some of the smaller self-contained stories like the enjoyable 0083 Stardust Memory and this, the War in the Pocket (0080).

Before I get into the story itself, this new collection is basically a repackaged, re-release of the 2005 Complete Collection of the same name. Ban Dai has been going to great lengths in 2009 to not only release the latest incarnations of the show (like Seed Destiny) but also to repackage many of the earlier efforts that have slipped through the proverbial cracks.

0080 is a two-disc collection that contains a total of six episodes. Originally released back in 1989, War in the Pocket commemorated the ten-year anniversary of the Gundam franchise. In the Gundam timeline, it takes place during the One-Year War. Like the series name suggests, it is a rather personal account of how a much larger war affects even the smallest individuals in the farthest reaches.

In my opinion the show succeeds on many levels even over some of the better-reputed series (like Wing) on account of its flawless balance. Like in real life, there isn't a good guy versus bad guy theme here so much as there are opposing views of individuals both convinced that they are doing what's right.

The story takes place entirely on a single colony (Side 6) and is presented through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy whose own involvement in the war should be limited to sketches of mobile suits and talk of rumors with his classmates around the lunch table. When a Zeon Zaku gets shot down after an unsuccessful raid on a top-secret Federation base within the colony, his life makes a radical change.

Perhaps the show's greatest strength is its ability to build a sense of scale and grandeur of mobile suit combat since it is entirely ground-based and shown through the human perspective. It is all too easy to lose sense of the power and size of the suits when they are engaged against the infinity of space. Likewise, entire colonies have been destroyed in other Gundam series without a fraction of the remorse 0080 manages to establish by simply reminding the viewer that these are civilizations of human beings; kids who want nothing more than a day off of school and families who work their jobs to put food on the table.

Though on the short side as a whole, the presentation, pacing, and conclusion of this OVA are all nearly flawless. The ending, while sad, is a testament to the consequences of war. This is a very moving piece that balances dozens of heavy themes through the simplicity and innocence of youth.

I've become enamored with the Gundam franchise for its depth and richness and can honestly attest that 0080 is perhaps the most impactual entry to be found. A must-have set for any Gundam collection and a solid piece of anime even for those outside of Gundam obsession.

Gundam 0080 was the first Gundam OVA series to be released. With a story set at the end of the original One Year War, this is a much more personal & intimate side story that focuses almost entirely on characters and their perspective of war. With gorgeous character designs from Haruhiko Mikimoto of Macross fame, this is a story to be recommended to ppl new to the Gundam franchise who may not be mecha fans or have the patience to watch a 50 ep tv series. Although it's not my favorite of the Gundam franchise (I prefer the more action/combat oriented gundam series full of political intrigue)I still recognize it as one of the best Gundam stories around.

Also go onto youtube and check out an excellent fan made music video titled 'Bernie's Lament' which is an ode to the series.

War in the pocket takes place just before the end of the one-year war. It is told through the eyes of a young boy Al, who befriends a Zeon soldier who has infiltrated the colony on which the gundam is hidden. The third main character is Chris, Al's next door neighbor, who unknown to Al is a Federation Test pilot.
The Federation is shown as a big bureaucracy except for Chris. The Zeons are developed a bit more and range from Bernie, who is shown as a nice, idealistic person, to a few hardened soldiers who while seem evil are really just doing their jobs, to the honorable commander who realizes the war is ending but is still faithful to his orders.

Because of Al the two pilots meet and a relationship starts to bloom. But unlike the 8th MS Team, the two pilots never realize who the other really is, and end up fighting each other at the end of the story.
While slower paced that other stories in the Gundam saga it is a good story and well worth watching.

short but very good classic anime worth every penny collect them all even for 90's animation still very good story line

I have been watching the series in the chronological order they are supposed to be in this was the first Gundnam show I ever saw in bits and pieces when it was released to the U.S. years ago.

How can the directors of Bandi be so brilliant and so stupid and miss the U.S. market so badly at the same time?

I am glad to have purchased the series.

Order:

0079 Gundam the original series

The 08th MS Team

0080 war in the pocket

This is an awesome fun series if you have seen the original do not miss this.

I am glad I did not! You will be too.

I would consider this one of the best gundam series. Highly recommend if one were interested in any gundam series.

As far as the Universal Century goes, many titles in this Gundam universe offer vivid storytelling against the back-drop of war between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon. Each of them provides insight into the human condition, where war transforms friends in enemies, adversaries into lovers, and nothing is set firm in black or white. Of all of series, 0080 tells the best story of all; how a child first sees the war, and how then how the reality of war changes him forever.

Released as an OVA addition to the Universal Century Gundam universe back in 1989, 0080 follows Al, a ten-year-old boy living in the neutral colony of Lobot in Side 6, left mostly unaffected by the One Year War raging on around it. His views on the war are similar to many children: debating which side is better with his classmates (good guys vs. bad guys) and fascination with the mobile suits.

Al's life changes when he meets Bernie, a rookie Zeon mobile suit pilot, who was shot down in the midst of a mission to raid a secret Federation facility and destroy the mobile suit within. Al also meets his neighbor Chris, unaware that she is the Federation test pilot for the very mobile suit Bernie was sent to destroy. Chris and Bernie take interest in each other, unaware of each other's affilation, which sets the stage for the truly moving themes that set this series apart from its peers.

0080, in my opinion, is unparalleled by any other Gundam series or side-story in the method that it tells its story. Each character has their own intentions, their own personalities and beliefs, fleshed out in the best way that animation can. There is no good or evil in this series; no preconceived notions of who's right and who's wrong, only that what we experience in life will change us, for better or for worse.

I cannot recommend a better title in the Universal Century setting. If you do not watch anything else Gundam, watch this one! You will not regret!

This series is ok but it is kinda dumb it doesn't have many episodes and it get's old quick but if you are a gundam fan and want to know everything that happend in the one year war this sums up that war