Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack

Gundam is a franchise that I have dipped my toe into over the years but have never to a degree where I would consider myself a full-on fan. That changed last year after watching the original Mobile Suit Gundam film trilogy. Many of the original's elements still hold up surprisingly well and demonstrates how influential this franchise has been on not only the mecha genre but the entirety of the anime industry. One of the strongest factors was the rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, which spanned across the first series, it's sequels, Zeta Gundam and Double Zeta Gundam, with Char's Counterattack being the conclusion of the conflict.

Taking place 14 years after the end of the One Year War, Char is now leading a revived faction of Zeon as they launch asteroids at the Earth, with each impact bringing the planet closer to a nuclear winter. Amuro and the Earth Federation are taking every step possible to prevent such a disaster. The film is at its best when focused on Amruo and Ray's relationship and exploring how each has been emotionally crippled since losing Lalah and how each resents the other because of it. The most interesting wrinkle is that they both know that no one else can understand them on the same level that they know each other. This relationship is utterly fascinating and if this was the main focus of the movie than is would be spectacular.

Amuro and Char: the heart of the film.

Unfortunately much of Char's Counterattack is spent with new characters. The sheer glut of new faces in a two-hour film causes them to be underdeveloped, with Quess Paraya being the worst offender. Quess shares many similarities with Kamille Bidan, the protagonist of Zeta Gundam, as they both were raised in powerful but broken households and now lash out at everyone around them, which initially makes both of them unlikable. The difference is that Kamille had 50 episodes to mature and became a fleshed-out character. The same can not be said of Quess whose slight development fails to create significant character growth, preventing her from overcoming the initial unlikability.

Incorporating so many new younger characters was likely done to touch upon how war affects youth, one of theme s that is at the core of  Gundam. This presents an issue because the short run time means this is an idea that fails to be explored thoroughly while taking attention away from exploring the effect of war on those hardened by previous conflicts. That is a theme that Char's Counterattack is uniquely equipped to fully explore thanks to the characters and world that have been developed for over a decade upon it's release. Yet it squanders some of this thematic potential by trying to explore the youth angle more the veteran persepctive.

Though the movie is not without its merits. As previously mentioned, all scenes with Amuro or Char are great with some like Char riding a shuttle full of pro-Zeon civilians who sing propaganda  in his honor being great pieces of world building while also showcasing how the character's have evolved over the years. The climax is awe-inspiring and evocative, perfectly showcasing Gundam's consistent message of human potential and the power of cooperation. Shot composition is also strong particularity regarding showing scale and conveying the isolation of space. Also the animation is gorgeous and still holds up even 30 years after its initial release.

Creating a story that was meant to end a fourteen-year saga is not a simple task, especially with a universe as complex as Gundam's Universal Century timeline. While Char's Counterattack spends too much time focusing on its weaker elements the strong qualities rise to the top and the entire project evens out to being okay overall. It is a good film that disappoints because of how close it was to being truly great.