The 08th MS Team ova review

First review in 2012, the 08th ms team ova review, after my favourite high grade kit the hguc gouf custom was reviewed as my last blog entry in 2011. Of course, i had watched the Ova before i bought the kit, and it was the awesomeness of the ova that made me want to get the hguc gouf custom. I am one of those who would not buy a kit if i have not watched the show/ova/manga that it came from.

The 08th MS team is a 11 episode ova, with an extra 12th episode as some kind of extra episode that serves as a epilogue. The ova is set in UC0079, towards the year of the one year war. The main protagonist Shiro Amada is the leader of a mobile suit team in the jungle of southeast asia to resist the zeon forces. Since the ova is set on earth with the mobile suits on both sides being ground types, the ova has a more realistic touch to it.

The ova kicks off with Shiro saving a comrade in space, using only a Ball and his wits to outmatch his opponent. This is probably the only time in the UC timeline where a Ball actually did something else other than blowing up.

However this battle had Shiro and the opposing Zeon soldier Aina trapped in some abandoned space base.

After some fiddling around, the pair managed to escape unscathed, and of course falls in love with each other. A somewhat cheesy start...

The ova picked up its pace after shiro landed on earth. The team of 5, had 3 gundam ground types and a hovertruck used primarily for detecting enemy forces.

Brief Storyline run through (Spoilers) :

Shiro captured in an covert operation.

Shiro met Kiki, a villager living in the jungles where the battles were fought.

 The team managed to free the village from zeon control.

2 members of the team were captured by zeon.

A giant mobile armour Apsalus appears, and fought the ground gundams.

Shiro took on the MA using his ground gundam. This battle lead to both the gundam and the MA to crash land.

 The ground gundam was severly damaged. Shiro leaves the gundam and was surprised to see that Aina was the pilot of Apsalus.

Shiro proved to be rather good with imrovising, as he used the heat from the gundam beam saber to heat up the surroundings.

Hot spring formed.

As the Zeon forces arrived to retrieve Aina, the ill fated lovers are forced to split again.

The team then take on another mission, as Kiki's village was overtaken by Zeon Zakus.

Shiro proved to be one of the most badass gundam protangonist of all time as he faced a Zaku I pointing a rifle straight at him.

And he dodged it.

In the UC timeline, such levels of badassery is only matched by Amuro's battle against the Titans' Asshimar using a transport carrier.

However, Shiro's feats were soon overshadowed when Norris Packard appeared in his gouf custom.

Norris Packard also adds to the realism of the series through his haircut.

Gouf Custom was up against 2 ground gundams and Shiro's Ez8, and 3 guntanks. This was the outcome.

Shiro's epic hand grab against the Apsalus, in the last effort to take out the Apsalus which is now piloted by Aina's insane older brother.

*Spoiler ends*

Story wise, i believe this is the best thought out story in all of the gundam Ovas. The storyline is realistic in terms of the gundam universe, and  very unique in that the gundams ground types were not overpowered and there were no newtypes characters pawning the entire show. All of the fight sequences were focused on actual mobile suit combat on the ground and the skill of the pilots. Animation were fluid and a treat to watch. Most gundam series and some ovas like the stardust memories, will usually have gundams fighting in high speed battles in space with newtype pilots. This gives The 08th Ms team a new niche and not simply a sidestory to the main gundam series.


Mobile suit design wise, the Ova also had many classic MS and variations appear, other than the gundam ground types and Ez8.

Gm desert types.

Gm sniper.

Zaku I.

Only complaint i have is regarding the 12th episode, the bonus episode which had (Spoilers*)Kiki and Michel trying to find the missing Shiro. While the premise of the episode is good, the 11th episode's ending already had a closure for the entire series and the 12th episode seems strangely tacked on.

Kiki and Michel, in the 12th episode 'The last resort'

The name defender.

The duo met a team of zeon remnant kids, and the leader fought to defended their names. Perplexing..
(Spoilers end*)

Conclusion;

The Positives;
1. Fluid animation and battles were well done.
2. Realistic and unique Storyline.
3. Cool MS designs that are not over-the-top.
4. Characters had depth and character development is well done despite the length of the ova.

The Negatives:
1. Shiro and Aina's love story may not appeal to everyone.
2. The 12th episode's Name defender.

Verdict: 9.0/10
The best ova thus far, in my humble opinion. An absolute must watch, for all gundam and mecha fans.

Warning: Do not watch gundam ZZ after watching this anime. The disparity in the quality of the 2 series may be hard to stomach.