Mobile Suit Gundam anime adaptations have been stunning viewers for years. These aren’t just shows about cool, big mechs using incredible abilities to attack each other. All kinds of political intrigue, moral conflicts, and incredibly human storylines get interwoven into these tales. It’s amazing when you realize that, and also when you get to share these sorts of stories with others. So this week, we decided it’s a good time for all of us to talk about and recommend some shows.
I’m completely enamored with Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. The characters are fantastic, with Suletta and Miorine are so much fun to watch. It’s especially interesting how the first season works on setting the stage and building up lore, before the second really reminds us, “Oh, right, this is Gundam.” The latest episodes do a lot, and it’s one of the more enthralling entries I’ve enjoyed. It may still be ongoing, but it’s shaping up to be one of the great ones! — Jenni
The anime series that introduced me to the franchise were Gundam: The Witch from Mercury and Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, both of which I really hold dear, but the best I’ve seen to date must be the Gundam Thunderbolt movies. I never expected to actually feel fear because of a Gundam (there may be needed a trigger warning for some mature themes), but the realism, pacing, and style are just top-notch. — Frank
Iron-Blooded Orphans, The Witch From Mercury, and G are all really good but I have a particular soft spot for Gundam 00. I really liked how the story sets itself on Earth, though the governments and factions still border on the usual space politics of the series. All of the Gundam Meisters were really endearing, even including the fact that Allelujah essentially vanishes five episodes into the second season (which we don’t talk about). The first season was a great balance of character interactions and development, action, and exposition. The second season and the movie don’t exist. Special shout out to SeeD and Destiny, which grind my gears like crazy but I still love to watch just so that I can hurl popcorn at the screen from how much it activates my monkey instinct. — Stephanie
