Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn 01

[Yukimura]

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn - 01 - [BSS]

In case anyone didn't already know from the thread New UC Gundam Series Announced? this series takes place partly in UC 0001 and mostly in UC 0096 (After Char's Counterattack).

Synopsis (ANN):

The year is U.C. 0096. Three years have passed since the end of the Second Neo Zeon War. It is said that the Vist Foundation manipulates the Earth Federation and Anaheim Electronics from behind the scenes. Hoping to create a new world, the Foundation attempts to hand over a certain secret to the Neo Zeon remnants known as the Sleeves. This will mean the opening of Laplace's Box, which holds a great secret tied to the origins of the Universal Century. The exchange between the Vist Foundation and the Sleeves is to take place at the manufacturing colony Industrial 7. This is the home of the student Banagher Links, who rescues a girl he sees falling through the colony's zero gravity area. The girl gives her name as Audrey Burne and says she wants to prevent a war, spurring Banagher to step into the conflict surrounding Laplace's Box—almost as if he is drawn in by his own bloodline.

From the looks of the synopsis you don't HAVE to have UC universe background to get into this one but you may wonder somewhat about the backstory of the universe and I don't know how much they may mention characters from previous shows in the time line.

ANN
AniDB

[einbreaker]

would just like to add that the music was really great. It was always in the background heavy and epic, and it was always appropriate and it really built tension. I'm also loving the quality, it felt like an actual movie rather than a low budget show. I think the direction was definitely spot on and the action scenes while slowed down compared to the more recent gundams felt more genuine. what i mean by more genuine is that it felt some what realistic and because of that even though they may not have been doing super gymnastics every shot of a gun and swing of a plasma blade meant more. Even the funnels were pulled off well. It didn't ever feel like just because they were there it would automatically sway the fight in one way (even though it did).

[vejita613]

Anyone know how accurate this to what happened in the novel?

[Kraco]

Quite old school graphic designs here. Kind of like dull pastel colous without any shine (or other modern computer assisted techniques). Nostalgic...

It wasn't a bad watch by any means. Although the transformation into a Gundam at the end made me almost laugh (merrily, not mockingly). I guess a mobile suit becomes ten times more powerful simply by having Gundam looks - certainly all the people seeing it think so.

I liked the unarmed fights between the people like the elevator scenes. Those looked really good. The funnels make as little sense as ever but if you forget logic, they served they purpose for sure by making that particular mobile suit look badass time after time, only to be swept aside by the real thing Gundam.

The characters seemed quite interesting so far, no problems there. Although it's a bit hard to see right now the factions and any prominent enemies in them (who exactly Banagher will be facing). I guess that's not a problem for anybody who has seen the earlier related installations.

[Yukimura]

It was somewhat of a problem for me in that there were new factions introduced and new names given to old groups. The Vist Foundation is completely new as far as I know and the 'Sleeves' seem to be a new name for an old group, the Neo Zeon forces. The Federation is still the Federation though. Londo Bell is sort of like the special forces of the Federation that gets all the newest and fanciest toys.

As for factions from the way it was shaping up in the beginning I thought the Sleeves might be the protagonists of this series but after the massive collateral damage dished out by the Kshatriya I'm rather confident Banagher will side with Londo Bell and the Federation. That said the Federation has a knack for asshattery that is only surpassed but the Zeon's knack for asshattery so I expect there to be strife between the rank and file and the higher ups just as there always is in UC Gundam.

[einbreaker]

I don't know i mean i liked all the characters but i just may have a problem with banagher's motivation for wanting to help audrey. Mainly what is it? Saving her I understand i wouldn't wnat anyone else to die either... but afterwards going to such extremes and even abandoning your friends (and relative safety) to go chase after some girl you met less than 12 hours ago seems a bit off.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't know i mean i liked all the characters but i just may have a problem with banagher's motivation for wanting to help audrey. Mainly what is it? Saving her I understand i wouldn't wnat anyone else to die either... but afterwards going to such extremes and even abandoning your friends (and relative safety) to go chase after some girl you met less than 12 hours ago seems a bit off.

I think he's helping her because he finds a sense of purpose. After the first fight of the episode, you see Banagher working in the mech. The first shot makes him look as mechanical and lifeless as the mech itself.

He mentions it later that he "knows where he belongs" when he's working with the princess. Asking the princess to declare he's needed was his way of confirming and having someone acknowledge this purpose.

The last bit of the episode suggests that it's probably "in his blood" to stop wars/change futures etc like his deceased family before him.

[depthcharge]

The funnel mech's pilot looked like the princess. Are they related?

Other then that, Yay for more Gundam anime.

[Geddoe1]

Someone posted this on another forum I read. Can anyone confirm if its true that this will come out once every 6 months?

[Buffalobiian]

Someone posted this on another forum I read. Can anyone confirm if its true that this will come out once every 6 months?

I can't find where it's announced to be once every 6 months. However, ANN says that it'll be 6x50mins OVAs, in which case every 6 months sounds fairly plausible.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...50-minute-ovas

[Dark Dragon]

Blah, another OVA format anime i'm interested in watching.

It's enough that Isekai no Seikishi and Katanagatari are on a monthly basis. Waiting 6 months between each episode is really going to suck.

[EpyonNext]

Just finished watching the episode. This shit is epic.

[masamuneehs]

oh man. oh man.

you want to give a fanboy unlimited joy and then rip it away? that's serving up this ridiculously awesome episode and then telling me the next one won't be for half a year. I CAN NOT WAIT THAT LONG.

(seriously, by the time this thing finishes, the first episode is going to look like crap compared to whatever super animation they're serving up in 2012)

I was confused out of my mind, because I could not, for the life of me, tell who was who for the better part of this episode. Sleeves were Neo-Zeon, OK, yeah, they have a Zaku based mech, so, yeah, I caught that. But then I assumed Anaheim was working on behalf of the Federation, and so I was confused about whether the Sleeves were a splinter group or what. But by the end of the episode it made sense.

Loved the little tidbits, particularly the museum and all the stuff on the screen when the teacher was talking. Name dropped Char (of course), but I was pleasantly surprised to hear about "that stubborn man".

The action. Well, hell, even the Funnels were tolerable, because they didn't immediately end the fight. I love the way the mobile suits were all so tough in this episode. I was really sick of seeing previous shows where they all explode in some generic pink explosion when they were so much as touched. And the horror when that one's reactor exploded... damn... The ground game was gritty, too, a nice little warm-up with the elevators, then the real nasty with everyone trying to escape later on.

The characters are tolerable, even the Whining Girl, the Peaceful and Rebellious Princess, the Pro who happens to be a Chick, and the Main with the secret backstory. "Audrey" was even level-headed while doing such an asinine thing like trying to convince Vist not to hand over the Box. And, sure, the boy falls for the girl immediately, but he did preface it with some hinting at a lack of direction earlier on. Aside from the whole "You're falling and I catch you, and now we're the main love story" (God, how many times has this been done in action narratives?), this thing was fucking sparkling.

[LordGardenGnome]

Just finished watching the episode. This shit is epic.

No Joke, wow that was amazing!

[Marik]

[BSS] ​Mobile​ Suit​ Gundam​ Unicorn​ - 01 - 1080p | 720p

Encoded straight from the Blu-ray using the official english subs. Contains both the Japanese and English audio tracks.

[RyougaZell]

Are the official subs better? Or are they to be afraid?

[EpyonNext]

I don't know what I like more, the actual show or just the soundtrack.

[Buffalobiian]

UC 2 Trailer

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/video/8825/

[Kraco]

That link took me to a dubbed trailer but fortunately the real one was easy to spot on the right.

Looked quite interesting, in fact. I found it especially nice the dude seems to be facing hard times outside of the Gundam.

[RyougaZell]

When is the second episode scheduled?