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“Artesia’s Sorrow”The Gundam Mindset: It’s been a few months since the first episode of Gundam: The Origin, yet the wait for this one hasn’t been near as painful as I anticipated. So when I sat down and got back into the Gundam mindset, I was quickly reminded of how bloody brilliant this was. This episode may not have had the same massive fight sequences or shocking developments as the first one, but it was still a brilliant hour of character-driven drama. It was all mainly set-up for the next two episodes, which I imagine to be massive and game changing, but it’s rewarding to have a mediative episode like this, when you get to see the characters live their lives, adjusting to what went down three years previous, and prepare for the war that’s brewing beneath the surface. Since the last episode of Origin, I’ve marathoned quite a few early U.C. OVAs, all of which entertained me to some degree. War in the Pocket would have to be the best of lot, and likely my favourite Gundam series thus far; it’s devastating and honest depiction of war from the point of view of an ignorant child was genius and incredibly moving. 08th MS Team was a brilliantly animated late 90s war drama, focusing on those on the front lines and constantly providing entertaining developments outside of the typical Gundam politics (which, for the record, I do love). And then there’s Stardust Memory, which was easily the most disappointing of the three, yet watchable enough and helpful in setting up for what’s to come in Zeta. I’ve still got plenty of Universal Century shows to watch, but so far I’m loving what I’m getting, and Gundam: The Origin is a serious contender for the best of the bunch. Also, with Thunderbolt being announced a few weeks ago, that means next year we’re going to see another story set during the One Year War, which has me excited. Whether it’s an OVA or TV anime is yet to be determined, but more Gundam is always a great thing in my books. The Spanish Countryside, A Far-Future City, and Texas in Space: It’s refreshing to dive into this world before the One Year War, before everything focused around rebuilding and bring humanity back its former glory. It’s nice to instead just sit back and appreciate the various untouched locations throughout this universe that may have been devastated in the later wars. It’s not often you see the Spanish countryside depicted in anime, but it provided a unique backdrop and a different flavour from what other sci-fi epics might deliver. Obviously, there’s trouble brewing, and it wouldn’t be Gundam without a healthy dose of melodrama (and for the record, melodrama in itself is not a bad thing – I don’t consider it a bad word, though I know others would), but the attempted assassinations work well with the quieter, more reflective moments. Simple scenes like Sayla laying in the pool or tending to the ill and wounded help set an easygoing tone before the table is flipped. The scenes outside of Earth’s sphere were just as interesting as well, as we see Crowley singing at Club Eden, in the glowing metropolises that any science fiction fan would love to step into. If there’s one thing that the earlier U.C. anime failed at, it would be depicting the settings as real places. Obviously, times were different back then, and there wasn’t as much gorgeous backdrops or mood-setting scenes, but thankfully Gundam: The Origin has that covered, making the audience feel like we’re sitting in that bar watching Crowley and the jazz band perform their number. But there’s drama there as well, mainly revolving around Ramba Ral, who never fails to steal a scene. He’s caught in an interesting position between his allegiance with Casval and Artesia, and his previous history with the Zabi family. He may be a Zeon solider, but it’s good to see those on both sides of this conflict being depicted as real people with conflicting ideas and morals. Even if the earlier Gundam series depicted it as more black and white from time to time, here, it feels like every character has their own reasons for where they stand, which makes it all the more intriguing to watch. Whether it be Ral’s dilemma or the inner conflict between the Zabi siblings, it’s great to see their interactions knowing what happens to them in future, and helps paint a bigger and clearer picture that Mobile Suit Gundam may have failed to capture. The last location worth noting is the Texas Colony of Side 5, even if the inhabitants themselves admit that it’s closer to Wyoming than anything else. We go from the heats of a Spanish summer, to a far-future city, to a colony modelled after the Wild West. It may be random, but I love it. It feels like there’s some real imagination put into these worlds that brings the best out of the characters. And if anything, the best scenes of the episode come from the Texas Colony of Side 5. The Beginnings of Sayla Mass & Char Aznable: Bringing this back to Artesia and Casval, it feels like these two are on one hell of a journey. They have their times to sit back, write letters to their mother, and appreciate their surroundings, but there’s not doubt that there’s always that danger around the corner. When violence returns once again to their lives, you remember that these kids have gone through so much. Artesia is 10 years old in this episode, and Casval is teenager, but they’ve had to live through a lot. And the death of the mother is the final straw for both of them. What is most interesting, however, is how they both react to the news. Artesia seems more inspired than anything, although initially heartbroken. It does feel like she’s ready to pick herself up from this and become stronger as a result, but with the death of her cat and that end scene with her brother, everything seems to come tumbling down before her eyes, and she can’t do anything about it. Truly, this feels like the beginnings of Sayla Mass and Char Aznable. A switch has definitely flicked inside Casval after he finds out about his mother, and he no longer seems the charming boy from before. He’s a complicated case, resorting to extreme violence to quell his emotions, and his declaration at the end of the episode marks the start of his journey. But one thing that I did not see coming was the revelation of the real Char Aznable (Seki Toshihiko). My experience with the U.C. universe isn’t as extensive as I’ve like it to be, but I’ve never heard of this part of his history. Perhaps it’s touched upon in later seasons, but seeing the near identical blond-haired teen galloping on his horse had me massively confused. What exactly happens to this real Char? And how does the Char we’ve grown to know and love come into fruition? I suspect both questions will be answered next time around… Overview – What’s Next?: Another great addition to this welcomed prequel. All the pieces are moving across the board with this one, as Artesia and Casval go through more hardships, and grow because of it. What happens between the two Chars is what I’m most curious about at the moment, but after the final scene I’m wondering if that’s the last the sibling see of each other until the One Year War begins. If so, it’s a sorrowful farewell, and a defining moment for both characters. But even if the story is focuses on the history Char and Sayla, it’s rewarding to see all sides of this conflict, as war looks to be just around the corner. There’s no confirmed date for the 3rd OVA, but I have a feeling the wait is going to be much more painful this time around. ED2 Sequence
ED2: 「Kaze yo 0074 」 (風よ 0074) by Takatori Hattori Presents Gundam The Origin featuring Takumi Ishida |
I absolutely loved the facial expressions. Casval looked incredibly heartbroken when the news of his mother broke. No over-the-top melodrama for him; he was visibly shaken, but kept his true emotions to himself. Mostly. Whenever he wasn’t killing bystanders out of sheer paranoia, that is.
The original Gundam made me wonder how could someone become a heartless bastard like him, so casually killing Garma (who believed in him); but now, after Origin, I wonder how did Char not become an even more ruthless psychopath.
Garma’s death was definitely the first big moment for his character, and I can’t help imagining what it would be like if he had lived longer. I imagine he would have been a popular bishounen of that era, but Char snagged all the fans for himself.
Mmm. You mention Char… but I’d liken him to Ramba Ral instead. I mean, Garma and Char are both bishonen, yes; but the similarities end there. Their roles are very different. At the same time, Ramba was always the honest soldier, stabbed in the back by his own side. Garma and Ramba were both to show how Zeon aren’t all child-eating bastards, simultaneously reminding why Zeon simply does not deserve to win.
So in the end, had Garma not died, he’d have been overshadowed by Ramba Ral. I think. 🙂
In-universe, Garma could’ve been really popular (he already was!). But, I can’t imagine much future for him either way. He was too upfront and honest to not be done in by the psychos UC is brimming with (Kycilla, Gihren, Haman, Sirocco to name a few…). The best ending I could see for him was pulling a 08th – staging his own death and retiring with his girlfriend.
“Pulling an 08th” – Heh, I’m going to add that phrase to my vocab now, thanks for the laugh. I wonder if anyone would get what I’m referring to though…. 😉
That is pretty funny. Even now, I still don’t know how I felt about that ending… it’s certainly a weird one.
well samu i’m as surprised as you about the existence of the real char aznable. i’ve watched all the gundam UC series and if i didn’t miss anything, there were supposed to be no reference towards the existence of the real char.
Think of this as an addendum to the main show. Though the anime is doesn’t cover as much material as the books which I definitely recommend picking.
Aznoble? O_O
What a huge casting gag though, as Seki Toshihiko also voiced Rau La Creuset, Gundam Seed’s resident Char clone. 😀
Oops, changed to Aznable. I don’t know why but for whatever reason I pronounced it ‘Az-noble’ in my head.
Definitely another great episode and love the background and character build-up. It definitely feels like Gundam had lost quite a lot of it since Gundam Wing in favor of flashy mobile suit battles and pretty characters.
Yoshikasu Yasuhiko is much better at storytelling than Tomino.
Tomino’s stories may have interesting plot and concept but always felt kinda off when he actually made it into a series.
there is always pro and contra that is something cannot be avoided off
Eh? It might just be the inner Gundam fanboy talking, but I’m very surprised that you don’t know about the real Char. I could swear it was mentioned in the original series, but if you don’t know then it was probably detailed in supplementary material. No spoilers from me, it will be interesting to see how you react when it’s revealed.
AFAIK the concept of a “real Char Aznable” only began in Gundam the Origin manga. Unicorn played around with it, with some readers speculating that Full Frontal was the real Char, until the later volumes refuted it.
“So, will the real Char Aznable please stand up?” (sorry, lame Eminem joke)
From what I’ve watched so far there hasn’t been any mention of an original Char, so perhaps it comes later on or is exclusive to Gundam: The Origin.
Seeing how interesting Char is supposed to be just reminds me how badly he was derailed in CCA just to force another Amuro vs. Char scenario. He was the most interesting Zeon figure amidst all the unsympathetic psychopath leaders and yet his last appearance he became just like them because REASONS.
Char’s Counterattack is one of my favorite movies. It has everything I wanted, but at the expense of Char’s character. I mean I thought he got over everything and settle his grudge in Zeta. I guess it’s just shoddy writing imo.
Eh, not really. In extra stuff, it was also shown that Char became even further disillusioned with having witnessed how the Federation (and even the AEUG) acted during ZZ, and his disappearance, against Haman.
I think The Origin has been setting this up pretty nicely, especially with that talk with the headmaster who admitted to being frightened of Casval and hoped that he would not be “the cause of a future calamity”.
well i have to say its good though im interested to see what is going to happen in the end
At least I now know why Ramba Ral was “fat” (or was it the animators’ fault back then?) during the One Year War in the original Gundam series. He was slim-er in the first Origin episode, then he put on a bit of weight here.
P.S. Crowley is hawt. Damn. XD
Finally managed to watch this episode today (sadly, I did not hear any news of a local screening, so I had to resort to “that” method), and…oh my goodness, all that foreshadowing!
Let’s see, the beginnings of Zeon’s mobile suit corps (led by Ramba Ral and the team that would eventually become the Black Tri-Stars), a young Mirai Yashima, a young Amuro Ray(!), and lastly, the reveal of the real Char Aznable (seriously, I also did not see that coming).
Despite the real Char being accepted into Zeon’s military academy, it’s a foregone conclusion that Casval is the one who will become the Red Comet, but it’ll be an agonizing wait before the anime-only viewers see how the switcheroo occurs…