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

Perhaps the Most Underrated Gundam Entry

ONENEO | Buffalo, NY | 02/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Good side story

Pwyll | Portland, OR | 04/22/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."