Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory: Review + All you Need to Know

Title	Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Director	Mitsuko Kase (episodes 1–7) and Takashi Imanishi (episodes 8–13)
Year	1991
Episodes	13
Rating	★★★★★

Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is a 13-episode anime OVA series that was released in 1991, set in the Universal Century (UC) timeline of the Gundam franchise.

The series is set in the year 0083 of the UC calendar, which is about after the events of the One Year War, the first war between the Earth Federation and the Zeon Forces.

Synopsis of Gundam 0083

This show is set in the UC timeline and is a very important work:

Zeon and the Earth Federation signed peace after a war. But later, Zeon forces stole a powerful weapon, the Gundam Unit 2, for their Operation Stardust. Federation pilot Kou Uraki must fight Zeon’s best pilot, Anavel Gato, to stop them before it’s too late.

This series leads to what happened at Zeta Gundam, with the creation of the Titans and everything that happened later.

Review of Gundam 0083

Let’s analyze it piece by piece:

Story

The story ties in Gundam 0079 and Gundam Zeta in a very good manner. It’s really a very important media for the Universal Century in general. Rating: 5/5.

Characters

Like many other Gundam, it has very problematic characters, such as Nina and even the main character Kou. Most of them were terrible, but at least the villains were cool. Rating: 3/5.

Animation

Since it’s an OVA series, the animation quality is better than most TV anime. And since Gundam was already super successful back then, you can see they dedicated their efforts into it. Rating: 5/5.

Soundtrack

Soundtrack in Gundam is always top notch. Even though it’s an anime from the 90’s, it has this 80’s vibe in it. Rating: 5/5.

Overall

This is a necessary piece of story in the Gundam universal century, and, aside from the bad characters, this is perfect. Rating: 4/5.

Characters from Gundam 0083

Here are some of the main characters from “Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory”:

Kou Uraki

A young pilot and the main protagonist of the series. He is a member of the Earth Federation and gets entangled in a conflict with Zeon remnants.

He’s too passive to be a main character. Even though a passive main pilot is something of a staple in the genre (Get in the robot, Shinji), he’s just too excessive.

Chuck Keith

A friend of Kou that works as a test pilot. Has a somewhat minor role in the series.

Nina Purpleton

A mechanic and Kou’s love interest. She’s a skilled engineer and plays an important role in the series.

I hate her with all of my might and she’s one of the worst Gundam characters of all time.

Anavel Gato

A rogue Zeon pilot known as the “Nightmare of Solomon.” He is the main antagonist of the series, and his actions set the events of the story in motion. His visuals are pretty interesting.

Aiguille Delaz

Commander of the Delaz fleet, is one of the main antagonists in the series.

Cima Garahau

An important figure in the Delaz fleet and a strong female antagonist.

Negative points of Gundam 0083

Gundam 0083 has some negative points that may be criticized by some viewers such as:

Bad characters

Some characters are not well-developed and lack depth. And some of them are annoying. The main characters are the worst part of the series, even though the villains are pretty cool.

Unresolved plot

Some plot points and character motivations are not fully explained or are left unresolved. Nina is a mystery even in the end, and you can only understand the consequences of the Delaz fleet if you watched 0079 and Zeta Gundam.

Unsatisfying ending

The ending of the series is considered unsatisfying by some viewers (as was my case). I’ll not spoil the end, but it might be frustrating.

Positive points of Gundam 0083

Gundam 0083 has its flaws, but the good points outshines them:

Moral discussions

The series explores important moral themes. Human conflict is always very prevalent in Gundam, and it’s the case here.

Expands the Gundam universe

The series has a strong sense of continuity with the previous Gundam series and ties into the larger Gundam universe.

It was a very welcome tie-in between the Gundam original series and its sequel, Zeta Gundam.

Soundtrack

The music and soundtrack of the series are well-composed and fitting to the tone of the series. It has a lot of epic music, with both action-oriented and calm pieces.

Excellent animation

The series has memorable and intense fight scenes that showcase the capabilities of the mobile suits. The character designs are pretty well too. Quality animation here.

Should you watch Gundam 0083?

Whether or not you should watch Gundam 0083 ultimately depends on your will to understand the Gundam franchise better.

Gundam 0083 is a very solid entry in the Gundam franchise, with good animation and story. Some characters are lacking in development, but it doesn’t outshine the series as a whole. This is a very well recommended anime for Gundam fans, but mecha fans in general might prefer other entries in the franchise.

If you want to check it out, you should definitely give it a try and watch a couple episodes!