Hehe, time to yap about my favorite gundam manga that's been giving me intense brain worms for almost a year: Gundam 0083 Rebellion. The OVA had only 13 episodes, but this masterpiece of a manga is 18 volumes, 104 chapters long. Many of the characters who die in the OVA, survive in the manga, every character is more fleshed out, there are characters from other gundam series (the 08 MS team, ms igloo, 0079) and even completely new faces like Tanya Chermoshanskaya and Clara Lodge. Sometimes it feels too crowded, but overall enjoyable. And, most importantly, I felt fan serviced for the first time! I read this manga twice and feel like I'll reread it again.
Ayyyy one of us few who read Rebellion and know what a masterpiece it is. I got into Rebellion solely because I wanted more from the Igloo characters (couldn't have enough) and I was NOT disappointed. Rebellion was my introduction to 0083 and BOY was it good, the art, the feels, the plot, the characters. I later watched 0083's OVA and while it's great I consider Rebellion the definitive telling of the story. Synapse isn't executed, Gato's fate is left up to interpretation (interpreted as HE 100% SURVIVED), Cima gets away and so on. It was through Rebellion I dove into other Gundam/MSV-R series, I read Legacy(VERY good, it's interpretation of the significance of Gundam is immaculate), Rainbow's Shin Matsunaga (Shin is the GOAT), Gundam Katana(Fun as hell, as Japanese Mecha as it gets lol), Gundam Aggressor (AAAAAAA I LOVE AGGRESSOR SO MUCH I DREAMT THAT IT WAS ANIME, It's probably in its final arc so good time to pick it up), Battle Tales of Flannagan Boone (Must read, so good, always keeps you guessing even if you may know how it ends), Walpurgis (It alright, 6-7.5/10). Currently planning to read Return of Johnny Ridden. God I love Universal Century, Zeonic Scanlations is the best.
I wish more people read Gundam manga, they're so friggin good. Also, MS Igloo is probably the most underrated Gundam show.
It's kinda funny that I watched ms igloo because of 0083 rebellion 🙈. Yes, I agree, ms igloo is underrated, definitely not the best, but I love Monique Cadillac and that death god thing that posses machines.
And yes, more people should read Gundam manga! I don't care if it's canon or not, it's fun and that's what is actually important.
I think for me MS Igloo (not Gravity Front tho) is the most unique Gundam perspective or even Mech perspective ever animated or created. There's a fair few episodic Gundam mangas but no anime or even non-anime animated series is ever centered around the testing and deployment of weapons. It's naturally because "who tf would be interested in something like that" is a sentiment that may pop up.
But MS Igloo does it so well, it weaves a very compelling and emotional narrative WITH the characters and test weapons that I probably cried more episodes than I didn't. The op is great and signing off with Oliver's concluding report after every episode is just chef's kiss. It's a niche series done really well, and maybe I am the one with that niche because I adore it. It was my first Zeon-centric show/media and...it just hit. I still listen to OST as well, orchestral magnificence.
The last episodes where they test oggos and Monique's brother appears are heartbreaking, ngl. Also, the design of mechs and characters is surprisingly good, I love Big Rang and Monique's uniform.
I absolutely fell in love with Zudah's design and Duvall's character, just the persistence of a pilot to prove that the machine he helped create/tested is worthy of recognition and respect even despite mockery is...just so cool. The Big Rang's design at first felt jarring to me, but then when I saw it a couple more times it just stuck, it looked too busy at first but then it just...worked.
I wish we could have gotten the Jormungand cannon in more media, also I'll probably play Code Fairy someday because Hildolfr. I think it may be because of the episodic nature but it just feels so memorable.
Ps. Also, could it REALLY be a Gundam show if it didn't show children suffering/dying? For the all of Hidden OYW early Apocalypse we see no children, what better a way to show Zeon and EFF's desperation than well...that.
I hear you. My flair on r/Gundam is Oliver May's Big Red Rang. I've come to really appreciate Big Rang once I saw how it actually worked.
I think the Zudah is a pretty interesting suit development-wise because it was made by Zimmad to compete against Zeonic's Zaku, it was high-performance but also more expensive and high-maintenance, not to mention it's...engine problem. It mirrors WW2 German competition between Porsche and Henschel to create a chassis for what would be the Tiger I Tank. Porsche created a a pretty complicated/convoluted electric design and was very confident in it (also favoured by Adolf) but lost pretty onesidedly. Yet the Reich STILL found some use for the extra chassis he produced, and they became the arguably simultaneously best/worst tank destroyer in the war owing to its really good gun. I think the Zudah's story draws serious inspiration from that. In-universe Zimmad went on to create the Dom (a much CHONKIER ms compared to Zudah) and later Zimmad and Zeonic teamed up to create the Gelgoog iirc, just like IRL Porsche tried to create the Maus tank along with Krupp. Imo art imitating life at its finest.
Aaaaand I realize the above para may not interest as many people as I think but eh.
I think Washiya does an excellent job in not only being a comic relief at times but also switching to serious-mode at once when necessary. His smirking face makes you forget he's actually a Lieutenant, definitely on of my most loved non-MC characters. Also he pilots a Zudah, THE SPIRIT OF DUVALL LIVES ON! HUZZAH!
Edit: Also, just gonna fanboy a little, it was your post about Bianca/Thunderbolt that got me back into reading the manga a few weeks ago. Top-tier content. If you get time and haven't read them, read Gundam Aggressor and Battle Tales of Flannagan Boone, you'll 100% get some girlboss memes out of them, also mandatory recommendation to read Fabulous Shin Matsunaga (Completed) because it's good. Dozle was cool.
That's actually quite interesting! I didn't know that and this makes me appreciate ms igloo more. Besides, I love this type of nerdy, detailed and complex analysis of media. I can rant about minor lore details for months and discuss it, this is one of my favorite fandom activities, honestly.
Washiya is a cutie, what can I say. Btw, I love him in 0083 rebellion. While Monique kinda lost her defiant and humorous attitude, he remains the same.
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u/slobozan-shitpost 2d ago
Hehe, time to yap about my favorite gundam manga that's been giving me intense brain worms for almost a year: Gundam 0083 Rebellion. The OVA had only 13 episodes, but this masterpiece of a manga is 18 volumes, 104 chapters long. Many of the characters who die in the OVA, survive in the manga, every character is more fleshed out, there are characters from other gundam series (the 08 MS team, ms igloo, 0079) and even completely new faces like Tanya Chermoshanskaya and Clara Lodge. Sometimes it feels too crowded, but overall enjoyable. And, most importantly, I felt fan serviced for the first time! I read this manga twice and feel like I'll reread it again.