| Title | Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO |
| Director | Takashi Imanishi |
| Episodes | 9 episodes (3 parts with 3 episodes each) |
| Year | 2004-2009 |
| Rating | ★★☆☆☆ (2/5 stars) |
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO is a series of anime OVA (original video animation) that explores a side of the One Year War that hasn’t been shown in previous Gundam anime.
The series provides a unique perspective on the conflict and showcases exceptional animation style, well-developed characters, and a captivating story.
In this blog post, we will dive deeper into what makes Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO a must-watch for any mecha anime fan.
Synopsis of Gundam MS IGLOO
See for yourself a little more about the MS IGLOO anime.
Gundam MS IGLOO is an anime OVA that explores the events of the One Year War from a different perspective from other Gundam anime. The storyline focuses on the events of the One Year War and the tactics, strategies, and technologies, as well as some supernatural elements.
The series is a must-watch for any Gundam UC fan due to its unique animation style and for having a different take on the UC timeline.
The anime is divided in 3 partes. See a detailed synopsis of all 3 parts of Gundam MS IGLOO:
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War
The story takes place in Universal Century 0079, where Oliver May is a technical officer assigned to test new military technology for the Zeon 603rd Technical Evaluation Unit. He is stationed on the Jotunheim, a civilian transport ship converted for military use, and experiences the One Year War as a weapon tester struggling to make an impact.
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079
Lieutenant Oliver May and the 603 Technical Division Unit continue to test and evaluate experimental weapons aboard the Jotunheim to aid the Zeon war effort against the Federation Forces. The trials and tribulations faced by the weapon and its test pilot add a small chapter to the long history of the One Year War at the end of each experiment.
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: Gravity of the Battlefront
MS IGLOO 2 recounts the story of the Federation soldiers fighting against the Zakus, which was the side of the story not told in the original MS igLoo. Each episode tells the tale of a different Federation soldier cursed by a Death God that arrived on Earth with the Zakus. They fight desperately against mobile suits using only conventional weapons such as tanks and missiles, fueled by revenge and with the Death God looming over their backs, against the terrible might of a Zaku.
Review of Gundam MS IGLOO
Let’s see all of the aspects of this not so well known Gundam series
Animation
One of the standout features of Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO is its unique animation style. The series uses 3D CGI, resulting in highly detailed and realistic mecha designs… For its time. The animation isn’t impressive anymore, but it’s still wel done.
However, the dynamic camera angles and shot compositions used in the battles also add to the immersive experience and intense action sequences, even if this anime is quite old.
The battles are still nice, but the faces… are terrible. Didn’t age well.
Rating: 3/5
Story
The storyline of Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO focuses on the events of the One Year War from the perspective of the Earth Federation and their attempts to stop the Principality of Zeon’s advance.
Why did they focus so much on the one year war when they could add stories to other parts of the UC timeline? Well, I’ll never understand, but the story doesn’t add nothing really know, as some other OVA such as Gundam 0083 and War in the Pocket did.
Rating: 2/5
Characters
The character development in Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO is another bad feature of the series. I can’t even remember the name of any of the characters, while in other Gundam anime (even outside UC) we have a memorable cast.
Rating: 2/5
Sountrack
As other Gundam shows, the soundtrack here is top notch. We have some pretty badass songs that really fits the anime. I’ll have to give it 5 stars on that.
Rating: 5/5
Conclusion
If you are a Gundam fan, that’s no other way to talk about it: Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO is a must-watch for any UC Gundam fan due to its unique perspective on the One Year War and very different animation style. Other than that, it’s better to watch other UC Gundam OVAs, like Gundam 08th MS Team before checking this one out.
Rating: 2/5
MS IGLOO negative points
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO is widely regarded as a high-quality anime series, but some viewers have noted the following negative points:
1. Art style is controversial
While it’s different and worth the try, the CGI animation is not everyone’s cup of tea. Today, years after the original publication of those episodes, the artstyle is not considered so beautiful as it was before.
Wether this is a negative point or not rests with you. You may like the animation or not, but I’ll list this here.
2. Limited Character Development
Some viewers have felt that the characters in MS IGLOO lack depth and that their development is limited, compared to other anime series in the Gundam franchise. The anime is quite small and I know it’s difficult to develop them properly in a few episodes, but War in the Pocket did it perfectly.
3. Requires Prior Knowledge
MS IGLOO assumes that the viewer has a prior knowledge of the Gundam franchise and the One Year War, and may not be as accessible or enjoyable for viewers who are unfamiliar with these concepts.
Positive Points of Gundam MS IGLOO
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO has several positive aspects, including:
1. Interesting art style
MS IGLOO was the first anime series in the Gundam franchise to feature CGI animation, which allowed for highly accurate and detailed depictions of the mobile suits, environments, and battle scenes. While it’s not so well-looking nowadays, the animation style is a unique feature of this anime.
2. Unique Perspective
The series offers a different perspective on the One Year War, exploring topics that were not covered in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, with even a supernatural take on the story.
3. High-Quality Soundtrack
The soundtrack for MS IGLOO is perfect and fits very well the tone of the anime.
4. Good for UC Gundam fans
MS IGLOO is interesting for fans of the Gundam franchise that wants to know more about the facts on the One Year War.
Should you watch Gundam MS IGLOO?
Wether you should see it or not depends on a series of factors, but I’ll summarize to you.
Gundam MS IGLOO should be watched by fans of the Gundam UC timeline, or at least by people who knows the main series, like Mobile Suit Gundam (0079) or Gundam The Origin. Other people should try other Gundam anime first.
However, if you want to start here… who am I to say no? Maybe you should give it at least a try.
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