KIDOU SENSHI GUNDAM III: MEGURIAI SORA-HEN

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MOVIE ActionKidou Senshi Gundam II: Ai Senshi-hen
ANIME DramaKidou Senshi Gundam
OVA AdventureKidou Senshi Gundam 0083: STARDUST MEMORY
ANIME DramaKidou Senshi Zeta Gundam
MOVIE DramaKidou Senshi Z Gundam: A New Translation - Hoshi wo Tsugu Mono

REVIEWS

• 

  Pemulis

  80/100
  A grandiose spectacle and the best of the compilation trilogy.

  Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space is the best of the _Gundam 0079 _compilation trilogy by a considerable margin. Of the three compilations, this one has the most new animation, making it feel closer to a do-over of the last stretch of episodes. The visual upgrades are felt in the battle scenes, which look stunning and are a major step-up from the TV version. In the previous movies, the battles were largely edited down from the TV version and subsequently felt slightly off in their flow. With the battles almost entirely redone from the ground up in this one, they feel even more dynamic and spectacular than the TV battles. Even the sword battle between Amuro and Char outside their mechs gets a big upgrade in this movie. The space scenes in general feel more grandiose as a result of the boosted animation, giving the film the sense of being a grand finale to an epic.

  This film's narrative also suffers the least from the compression, due to a combination of having a longer runtime than the other two (giving extra room to breathe) and keeping the focus centered on the dynamics between Amuro, Char, Lalah, and Sayla. While the other compilations had at least one major cut I was disappointed in, this one had very few noticeable omissions. (M'Quve's final battle is cut, but he already had a heavily reduced role in the compilations anyway, so it's hardly felt.) Moreover, the film enriches the Amuro/Char/Lalah love triangle by adding extra scenes exploring Amuro's psychic bond with Lalah and Char's personal romance with Lalah (most notably, a scene where Char is unmasked around her, showing how deep their bond is before her death). Speaking of Char, he also has his characterization fleshed out, placing a greater emphasis on his emerging ideas on Newtypes in a way that sets the stage for how he acts in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and especially Char's Counterattack*.

  Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space is a solid film, and the compilation film that most justifies its existence of the trilogy. The new animation is stunning, the bulk of the narrative changes are for the better, and the score is as great as the previous two films. It's not quite the gold standard for compilation films or cinematic retellings of mecha anime (Macross: Do You Remember Love? firmly holds that title), but it's damn close.

  Notes:
  *Btw watching both the TV version of 0079 and the compilation movies only further convinces me that Char's actions in Char's Counterattack are perfectly in-line with his established characterization contrary to what others say, but that's a topic for my review of that film.

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• 

  Bibsmcf

  79/100
  worth watching, and can even serve as a replacement for the final part of the series (if you've already watched it.)

  This is a film compiling the events of Mobile Suit Gundam, from the aftermath of Jaburo up to the ending.

  The film cuts quite a fair bit compared to the cuts from the previous two films, with the major cuts being the duel with M'quve at Texas colony, and the entire character of Challia Bull. It would be a fair argument to say these are inconsequential or even worthwhile cuts, but I think the decision to completely omit an ending to M'quve's character is pretty unsatisfying.

  Not that the watcher really has time to lament any of that, as by far this film features the most exciting parts of the original series, Solomon and A Baoa Qu, and the spectacle is very well shown. The compilation films have gained a reputation for changing much of the original script to properly introduce and discuss the 'Newtype' theory that is placed at the forefront during the final parts of the series, which while in the first two films these changes made some scenes drag with philosophical nonsense, in this film, the viewer is given so much more visual reference for the abilities and realities of Newtypes, and makes for a pretty decent payoff, despite how explicitly Newtypes are foreshadowed.

  The animation remains very distinct, as with the previous films, however on this occasion there have been far fewer touch-ups, as at around this stage of the original series, the art was actually pretty consistent. The new mecha introduced are absolute classics, with the Gelgoog being a standout, a really intimidating design that incorporates much of the designs of previous MS. The Gundam, however, stays the same, now at the end of its cutting-edge status. I do have to mention the iconic Big Zam, a genuinely terrifying mobile armor that serves as a fitting coffin for Dozle, may he rest in power. Although many of the stranger designs are cut from this film, there is still thankfully a presence of weirdness with the Big Zam, even if the Zakrello is cut.

  As with the previous films the G-Armor is cut, a change courtesy of director Tomino's full control of the film, free of the grip of dastardly toy companies.

  The ending song, "Meguriai" is just so amazing, and makes the ending scene incredibly powerful, definitely evoking the feeling of reuniting with family after so much hardship. Music on a whole maintains the quality established in the first two films and the series, and is definitely a strength.

  It's quite difficult to say whether I recommend the compilation films over the series in most cases, and I tend to side with the series despite its pretty obvious (and charming) flaws, but for the third film, I would say it is worth watching, and can even serve as a replacement for the final part of the series. That is, provided you've at least given the original series a go.

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