Kidou Senshi Gundam 0083: Rebellion

Normally, I take a dim view of most adaptations for one reason or another. They change the plot too much, "modernize" it to appeal to "modern audiences" (screw you, Falcom, what reason do you have to censor Trails in the Sky remake!), lousy/weird endings (Gundam Wing manga) or any other of a half-dozen things that will antagonize me. However, this adaptation of Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory is actually better than the original in many ways. It expands upon and improves the original OVA so much that it makes for the richer experience. Broad strokes of the plot: It's three years since the end of the OneYear War, with the Federation triumphant, and only Zeon remnants left in the Earth sphere. These remnants are basically treated as no more inconvenient than your usual terrorist/pirate scum, and the Federation is very busy doing what it does best: corruption and self-sabotage. As such, the Gundam Development Project is underway to advance their technology and the careers of military officers who support it. Two new Gundams have been created as a two-man cell with one of them, the GP-02 Physalis, a nuclear-capable weapon. The largest remaining Zeon Remnant in orbit, the Delaz Fleet, learns of this, and plans an incredible operation that surpasses anything Zeon did during the war, centering around the theft of the Physalis. With this success, only a single short-staffed Federation unit is able and willing to hunt them down. The mangaka who produced this, Masato Natsumoto, has made previous works in the Universal Century, and he captures the essence of the era quite well. Conflict, personalities, each one are dynamic and engaging, with different motivations being trampled underfoot by the complications of the war itself. The way he expanded a thirteen episode OVA into 107 chapters of manga is not due to bloat - the only "bloat" I can think of involves the last volume, which has a dubious connection to the events of 0083, but even though it's not as good as the events directly related to Operation Stardust, it's still enjoyable. Anyway, the main characters driving this story are Federation rookie Kou Uraki, Anaheim engineer Nina Purpleton, and Zeon ace Anavel Gato, the Nightmare of Solomon. One of the best things about this manga is that they actually establish <i>why</i> Gato earned this nickname, and it's a damned good showing of it too. Further, the backstory and motivations for these characters are greatly expanded, giving a far better understanding of who they are and what drives them forward. Nina is the greatest beneficiary of this, as her actions in the OVA seemed a bit haphazard, but here, they actually make far more sense. Other beneficiaries of this include Cima Garahau, Kelly Lazyner (by default), and even minor characters like the crew from MS Igloo. It's a story-rich experience is what I'm saying. The art is wonderful. Characters and mecha are lavished with detail, lovingly drawn line by line. Each panel fills the eye and communicates the story cleanly and lets the eye absorb all the important details first, allowing time to examine the rest of it for more. The battles are intense, with beams, explosions, and death abounding in spades. Character interaction is also quite powerful, which is not surprising since Gato and Uraki are well-known for the passion they put into their piloting and their causes. Not that Nina's missing out on delivering that intensity. Mind you, it's not perfect. There are some changes in this adaptation I agree with, others I disagree with, but it's a case where almost everything is a net good. I especially love the fact that Masato Natsumoto apparently loved MS Igloo, since he cleverly uses several of the Wunderwaffe from back then in very creative ways. It's definitely worth reading and I strongly recommend that Gundam fans as well as mecha fans in general read it.