Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack

This is without a doubt the best Gundam ever.I have seen some of the original series but I did not see Zeta Gundam since it was never released in North America(which makes me wonder how people write reviews about it) I think the story could not have worked without Quess. It could have worked without Rezin Schneider, Kayra and Astonage. This is the best movie I ever saw. See it, if the romance annoys you at least you'll like the animation.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988) is a powerful and emotional conclusion to the epic rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable. Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the film masterfully combines high-stakes action with deeper themes of war, idealism, and the complexities of human nature. Set in the Universal Century timeline, Char leads the Neo Zeon movement, while Amuro represents the Federation's final defense, setting the stage for a monumental showdown.

The film excels in its portrayal of the two protagonists' contrasting ideals, making their final confrontation deeply personal and impactful. The animation, especially during the intense mecha battles, is top-tier for its time, with beautifully designed mobile suits like the Nu Gundam and Sazabi. The action is complemented by an unforgettable soundtrack, heightening both the emotional and battle sequences.

While Char's Counterattack is a visual and thematic triumph, its pacing can feel uneven at times, and the film's serious, somber tone may not appeal to everyone. However, these minor flaws don't diminish its significance in the Gundam saga. It's a perfect culmination for long-time fans and an essential watch for those seeking a deeper, more mature take on the mecha genre.

With its thrilling combat, memorable characters, and thought-provoking narrative, Char's Counterattack earns a solid 9/10.

If you have been following the Gundam saga (tv series), this is one animated feature you could not miss. Even if you are not a Gundam fan, you will still enjoy the art works.

The Amuro-Char rivalry could not have ended better. I'm not going to say how, but the ending was totally satisfying. I also liked Bright Noa's predicament here. He's always been the flawless starship captain, and now he has to deal with his son Hathaway being underfoot. I'll leave the telling of the plot to somebody else. The ending theme, "Beyond the Time" was what got my attention the most. Wow.

The thing with this movie is that it suffers from Red Shirt Syndrome (RSS). Red Shirt Syndrome is when lots of extra characters are brought into a story and then killed off for no apparent reason other than adding to the tragedy/seriousness of the story. Red Shirt Syndrome is so named because on the original 'Star Trek', a crewmember would accompany Captain Kirk and crew down to the planet...and the red shirt wearing crewmember would be killed for no apparent reason.

Char seems to have gone through quite a bit of change in this movie. Compare this Char to the Char in the original series, and you'll see a difference. In this movie, Char begins to become like his father, Zeon Zum Deikun. He gives speeches and becomes a political figure...a change that started when he was going under the name Quattro Bagina in Zeta Gundam. On the other side, Amuro hasn't changed much. He's lost a bit of his idealism, but he's still the same Amuro. Basically.

I think that Quess and Hathaway would've made a charming couple. That's all I have to say about that.

After watching the first three Gundam films, along with all of Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam, Char's Counterattack didn't build off everything before as well as I would have hoped. It starts off with a deluge of exposition, adding new characters that are central to the plot and ignoring many from the previous shows that could have worked here.

Char's character feels rather different than when we last saw him an entire show ago. It seems like there's a really, really good series (or even a film) in between this and when we last saw him and Amuro. Plausibly even during ZZ Gundam.

Char could definitely be what he is here - he was on the road to being so - but I don't think the events of Zeta Gundam were enough of a catalyst for his actions in this particular film.

Fortunately, nearly everything else about Char's Counterattack is excellent.

The hand-drawn animation is stunning and from an era I love. The little CG we do get is very well done, especially for the time.

After the beginning the pacing improves, as we see the philosophies of the two leads clash spectacularly.

The music is fantastic, and the ending is certainly the biggest thing in scope the series has seen so far. It's fortunately all driven by the themes that Gundam wears on its sleeve, with environmentalism, empathy and understanding playing big roles.

So I have to say overall this film was quite satisfying as a conclusion to the first few films, not so much the shows. As I said before, there's a very good story in between this and Zeta, either during or right after ZZ. If that does actually happen, this film can only be improved by it. I will have to watch it again very soon though, it is incredibly dense.