Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Vol. 1 (2010)

I have been watching Gundam since Mobile Suit Gundam came out and this series like the original takes place in Universal Century. However if you are new to Gundam I wouldn't start with this series which is sad to say.

The positives are really positive. I have never seen an anime more polished than Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn period. It's like the art pops out at you with amazing color and animation. The movement of the mobile suits really sucks you in like you're on the battlefield. You get longer episodes it appears and it has more than enough story and action to keep you wanting more. However that's just the problem.

The negative is that this series is being released one episode at a time. 57 minutes of viewing pleasure, but the price of the average full length movie and a little extra. Also episode two isn't around the corner it's a few months away. Worldwide releases for the DVD and Blu-Ray, but you won't want to watch it in anything less than HD.

So what about extras, well you will get them as long as you have a Blu-Ray player connected to the internet. All the extras are accessed through BD-Live. So techniquelly it has the potential for plenty of extras, but you may have to wait as not much is up already and once again without an internet connection you are out of luck.

For fans this is more than likely worth every penny. It takes place after the events of Char's Counterattack and is not a side story like many of the Gundam's previously released in the U.S. Bright has already been mentioned, so my assumption is he's going to make an appearence in the series before long. They've also mentioned the main character's Haro is an exact replica of an Ace Pilot from the war.

Other than that I really don't want to give away much of the story, but it has the normal Gundam series of events. As me and my friends say, "Welcome to Gundam". Your friends at school got killed in a new war that just happened to be in or around your colony, "Welcome to Gundam". You're a teenager who has a difficult home life or your a troubled child who is now piloting a mobile suit, "Welcome to Gundam". Anyway this happens in pretty much every Gundam series. It's kind of funny and a little sad, but it's true. Of course there are exceptions, but this is what you can expect.

So I say it's geared to the fans who want a Gundam experience unlike any other. My guess is the distance between episodes is the fact that it probably takes months to even finish one episode seeing as how it's like it's own movie. So you will get animation and the feel of something that takes that long to make. The characters and story even flow in seemless motion sucking you right in from start to finish.

To be honost this is probably an expensive project and you pay for it. For fans like me I'm sure that initial fee was or is worth it. I did take off one star for the set-up, but I do believe they have valid reasons as to why. So if you have been with Gundam for awhile I really recommend it or if not try to find Mobile Suit Gundam which is actually kind of difficult.

With this release I can only hope Bandai of America releases ZZ Gundam in the U.S. I have a feeling we will run into characters from all through out U.C. which means Judua could likely make an appearance.

Gundam fans were elated to hear that the new Gundam OVA, Gundam Unicorn, would be released in America at the same time as its Japanese release. But for those without Blu-Ray players, the wait would be a very long one, as the simultaneous release would only be for the Blu-Ray and Playstation Network, not for DVD. And now finally, patient Gundam fans without Blu-Ray players have been rewarded and rewarded very well with this excellent, albeit way too long coming, DVD.

This video is only one disk containing the first two hour long episodes. The packaging is fantastic, featuring a reversible cover with both Blu-Ray covers on either side. Sadly there are no inserts, but that has become common with Bandai as of late. The content of the disk is the real meat of this set anyway.

Both episodes look fantastic in standard definition. As I haven't watched it in Hi-def, I can't compare but I can say that the show look absolutely amazing from beginning to end. The story is very well told and roots itself firmly in the cannon of 80's Gundam. Fans of the classic Gundam shows will find plenty to love in the story, along with the great mobile suit battles and the very 80's looking characters. This series feel like a natural continuation of classic Gundam, rather than a random story that was shoved in to sell more model kits. There's very little I can say that's bad about the show itself. Everything is tight and both the English and Japanese versions are very tightly cast and well acted.

The closest thing I have to a complaint are the extras. The character and mech highlights are excellent, but the vast majority of the extras are promos for episode 1 and even a recap of episode 1, the first thing contained on the disk. There's nothing on the disk related to episode 2, which was a bummer, but overall, this is a great purchase and I'm glad to see this show finally both at an affordable price and on a format that more people have access to.

Buy Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Vol. 1 (2010) Now

I've been a Gundam fan for almost 10 years now, and have spent more money on the DVDs (and no Blu-Ray) and models than I care to even try and think about. That being said, I'm NOT one of those fans that goes "it's Gundam, it must be good!" I try and weigh each and every item I buy on it's own merits even though my first Gundam series was G and Wing, those are the two series I like the least (in fact, I don't like them at all... )

Having been disappointed by the lack of Blu-Ray release for Gundam 00, I was very VERY excited when I found the BR release for Unicorn. I've really enjoyed the mech designs for the model kits so far, and have been looking forward to the BR release of the anime. While having one hour-long episode per disc is a bit of an expensive purchase (the only ones more expensive in the Gundam universe were the MS Igloo releases, at $50 apiece, and that was just for DVDs) I believe the high production values more than make up for it.

What we have on the disc is a true masterpiece. The visuals are stunning (and unlike some of the other Gundam releases looking at Seed and 00 here, they don't fly by so fast you have to rewind and watch again to make sure of what happened), absolutely gorgeous, more of an updated First Gundam than anything (which is as it should be). Sound quality is vibrant and balanced, the special effects for the pewpew of the lasers were not tinny; every aural sensation possible on film sucks you in and is absolutely pleasing. And I've only watched it with the English 2.0 audio so far... I'm really looking forward to the 5.1. The music as well is very enjoyable. There are quite a few orchestral pieces that had me wanting to watch over and over again just to hear some of the highlights of the music.

I won't get into the story too much, because I don't want to give away plot points and spoilers. It's Gundam, and if you're reading this I expect that you've at least watched some Gundam before. While it somewhat seems to stick true to the formula, it's going to be hard to tell for sure after just an hour viewing... The subsequent releases will give us a better idea of what's in store. If you liked the character designs from Zeta, then you'll like this. The main character, Benegher, is like a not-nearly-as-annoying version of Kamille Bidan (from Zeta), and even looks a bit like him. The female characters have similar designs to those found in Zeta as well. The mech designs are amazing, Kshatriya really made me fear for me life (even though I know it is just an animated video). All of the mechs are very well detailed and the animation is very realistic.

Is this a worthwhile purchase? I would say without a doubt. Even non-Gundam fans who like anime in general might really enjoy this. I really hope that the next episodes aren't too far off

Read Best Reviews of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Vol. 1 (2010) Here

I was able to watch this the other day thanks to a private screening from Bandai-Ent. I really enjoyed it, I'm not normally into the Gundam series but I thought the visuals were really clean, modern, and sleek, the music was epic and invoking, and the English voice cast was well selected. A definite day one purchase for any mecha anime fans out there, and certainly for you Gundam fanatics.

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This Gundam series is unlike any other to date. Having literally watched every single Gundam title ever created I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, this is by far the ultimate, and I'm not just saying that because I love the Gundam franchise. The story progresses quickly into the main plot and while easy to follow at first, takes you for a few surprises. The characters are very well implemented and their personalities accurate. This really is not quite the same story as all the other Gundam titles although the generic mecha-war type plot will surely develop although probably not a very large scale at first if I am correct.

Blu-ray. This is the first ever Gundam title to be completely rendered in 1080p with the matching TrueHD and Dolby encoding which further compliments the orchestral pieces chosen for the film. Stunning from the minute you see first light of the beginning. The quality is simply amazing and this title is truly something special for all Gundam fans and Anime fans in general. This is the type of anime to be enjoyed on a big screen TV in HD with the surround sound on and kicking. Sound effects are brilliant; video is absolutely out-of-this-world! I won't give away the plot, although I know this will be one of my all-time favorites for many many years to come.

Buy it now. I promise you will not regret it.

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