fter the humiliating loss
of experimental Gundam Unit
2 to a renegade Zeon faction, Earth Federation Ensign Kou Uraki
is seething
with resentment, embarrassment, and a need to prove himself.
Defying orders
and common sense, he takes Gundam Unit 1 into battle with faulty data
and insufficient experience, and nearly destroys it in the process.
Afterward, as the crew of Kou's ship enjoys shore leave on Luna, Kou
wanders morosely and gets himself badly beaten by thugs. He wakes
up in the
care of an ill-tempered, one-armed ex-Zeon pilot whose contempt and abuse
somehow help him come to terms with himself. Meanwhile, Zeon Admiral
Delaz, leader of the cabal that captured the other Gundam suit,
displays it
as evidence that the Federation is violating its treaties and plotting to
keep the "spacenoid" separatists under its bootheels. The Delaz Fleet
declares war, and the Federation scrambles to fortify its position with
underhanded negotiations.
Kou returns to his ship, where his rather simple-minded existence is
complicated by romantic tensions with Gundam technician Nina
Purpleton. His
commanding officer, Lt. Burning, returns to active duty despite advancing
age, and leads his pilots into a critical battle, where he recovers the Zeon's
plans for a cataclysmic operation codenamed "Stardust." But a devastating
loss prevents the plans from reaching the Federation, and officials are
left to brag pointlessly about their strength and wait for Delaz's next
move.
Kou and Zeon pilot Anavel Gato clash repeatedly; the political
situation
on both the "earthnoid" and "spacenoid" sides heats up as alliances are forged
and tested; and Delaz's fleet makes a crippling attack that leaves the
Federation shaken. But it soon becomes clear that the attack was only a
prelude, and Operation Stardust itself is only beginning.
Grown-up characters, grown-up themes
It's never clear throughout this series why Ensign Uraki isn't
court-martialed on a daily basis, considering how often his immaturity and
his reckless disregard for orders cause severe losses for the Federation.
He does eventually turn out to be a crack pilot, but it's amazing
that he's
permitted to touch a mecha after some of his defiant/idiot mistakes. The
Federation's irrational tolerance of him (more because he's the
series hero
than because his contributions warrant it) is one of the big flaws in this
complex, ambitious story.
But Kou's peccadilloes are overshadowed by the complexity of Gundam
0083's story line and the involving details of his many
companions and enemies. Lt. Burning is particularly compelling as the
veteran pilot with a short temper, a driving need for perfection in his
men, and a very human sentimental side. Gato's focused convictions and
authentic grievances are compelling enough to cast serious doubts on the
motives of anyone involved with the Federation. A variety of other small
players with convincingly human motivations and intentions
makes this series into a patchwork space opera of vast and impressive
proportion instead of just another rookie-pilot-makes-good Star Wars
pastiche.
Most impressively, 0083 addresses fanaticism, heroism and war in
an unusually serious and responsible fashion. People die in large numbers
in this series. There are very few evil characters, and fewer truly "good"
characters. The series' deep, vivid colors, dramatic shading and smooth
choreography turn the battle scenes into eye-popping spectacles, but the
people behind the robot suits are so human that it's impossible to
forget them, no matter how big the explosions get.
