Victory Gundam: Review + All you Need to Know

Title	Mobile Suit Victory Gundam
Director	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Runtime	51 episodes
Year	1993
Rating	★★☆☆☆ (2/5 stars)

Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, also known as Mobile Suit V Gundam, is a 1993 Japanese anime series directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino and produced by Sunrise.

The show is the fourth TV installment in the popular Gundam franchise, following Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, and Gundam ZZ.

Victory Gundam aired in Japan from 1993 to 1994 and consisted of 51 episodes.

Table of Contents

Synopsis of Victory Gundam

The story of Mobile Suit Victory Gundam takes place in the year Universal Century 0153, thirty years after the end of Gundam F91.

The world has been devastated by the conflict, with most of the Earth’s surface uninhabitable. The show follows the adventures of Uso Ewin, a thirteen-year-old boy who becomes the pilot of the Victory Gundam, a powerful mobile suit created by the League Militaire, a resistance group fighting against the oppressive Zanscare Empire.

As the story unfolds, Uso and the League Militaire battle the Zanscare Empire’s ruthless ruler, Queen Maria Pia Armonia and discover ever

The show explores themes of war, politics, and personal growth as Uso and his allies fight to protect their loved ones and free the world from tyranny.

Review of Victory Gundam

Mobile Suit Victory Gundam has garnered a mixed reception from fans and critics over the years.

Story: The story is pretty cool, with a revolutionary army battling a matriarchy. It’s cool to see how the Late UC changed so much, and to know a little more about Jupiter. The development of the story is really bad tought. Rating: 3/5.

Characters: I really like some characters, like Uso, Shakti and Marvet. Tomino really was able to do some cool female characters this time. However, we have the worst female character of all the franchise together with Nina from Gundam 008: Katejina. SHE IS BIZARRE. Rating: 3/5.

Music: It’s funny how the worst Gundam of all time (maybe second to worst only to Seed Destiny) has the best soundtrack in the entire franchise. The music pieces are amazing, both the background music and the OP and EDs. Rating: 5/5.

Animation: I don’t really like it, it seems to don’t have shadows anywhere, while the AU Gundam have much better animation. Also, the mecha designs sucks in general. It’s not even different and interesting, like in Turn A, it’s completely awful. Rating: 2/5.

Overall: It’s the only Gundam show that I really tought about dropping. Actually, I dropped it but considered otherwise, since I was already halfway through it. It’s very poorly executed, but it has its moments. Rating: 2/5.

Characters of Victory Gundam

Mobile Suit Victory Gundam features a large and diverse cast of characters, each with their own motivations and personalities. Here are some of the key characters in the show:

Uso Ewin: The protagonist of the show, Uso is a thirteen-year-old boy who becomes the pilot of the Victory Gundam. He is a talented pilot and is often forced to confront the harsh realities of war.
Shakti Kareen: The leader of the League Militaire and one of Uso’s closest allies. Shakti is a strong-willed and determined woman who fights tirelessly for the cause of freedom.
Chronicle Asher: A former member of the League Militaire who defects to the Zanscare Empire. Chronicle is a skilled pilot and a charismatic leader who believes that the ends justify the means.
Marbet Fingerhat: Marbet is a calm and kind person who is strong-willed and willing to do what she thinks is right.
Oliver Inoe: He is romantically involved with Marbet, and eventually gets married to her in the middle of the series.
Odel Henrik: He is the best friend and older brother-figure of Uso Ewin.
Warren Trace: Warren is a refugee from Largaine, like Suzy Relane and Odelo Henrik, he is thirteen years old.
Suzy Relane: Suzy is a refugee from Lagraine like Odelo Henrik and Warren Trace.
Katejina Loos: A young girl who becomes a pilot for the Zanscare Empire. Katejina is a complex character who struggles with her loyalty to the empire. She is CRAZY, I tell you.
Queen Maria Pia Armonia: The ruthless ruler of the Zanscare Empire. Maria Pia is a cunning and manipulative leader who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals.]

Trivia and Curiosities about Victory Gundam

Üso is one of the youngest protagonists in the Gundam series, sharing that distinction with Kio Asuno, both being 13 years old.
His name is derived from the Japanese word “Lie,” which is “Uso” in Japanese. It’s also a running gag for him to shout “Uso da! Uso da!” which can mean “It can’t be true!” or “It’s Uso!”
Initially, Üso is left-handed.
Despite fans speculating that Üso is the great-grandson of Char Aznable, creator Yoshiyuki Tomino denied this, though the production group had planned to use this idea.
Uso is surprised to learn that Mafty is a terrorist and wishes to help Marida Cruz overcome her sadness and hatred.

Positive Points of Victory Gundam

Every bad show have good points too, and I’ll tell you what they are on V Gundam:

Probably the highlight of the series is the soundtrack. It’s the best OST in the entire franchise, which seems to be a waste. But even if you don’t watch it, you’ll enjoy the good music.

Some parts of the world-building is also very cool, but I wanted Tomino to deepen the lore a little bit. At least we can discuss about it in forums and etc.

Negative Points of Victory Gundam

Every show has flaws and positive points, and I’ll try to summarize the worst points of it.

This show is a mess. It has very bad storytelling, terrible characters and the worst family reunion of all time. It’s also the most depressing Gundam show of the entire franchise. If you want to watch 51 episodes of pure depression, feel free to it.

However, I warned you.

Should You Watch Victory Gundam?

Overall, Mobile Suit Victory Gundam is a very interesting piece in the Gundam franchise.

Probably only the most hardcore Gundam fans should watch it, since it has many flaws, like terrible storytelling. However, maybe you should check the first couple episodes to knoe what you’re getting into.

If you’re a fan of mecha anime or the Gundam franchise, you could give Victory Gundam a try.

Questions about Victory Gundam

Here are some questions people ask about V Gundam:

Can I skip Victory Gundam?

Despite being part of Universal Century, watching Victory Gundam is not necessary to understand any other anime in the franchise. So anyone who wants can skip Victory Gundam.

Is Victory Gundam standalone?

Despite being part of Universal Century (the main Gundam chronology), Victory Gundam is a standalone show, because you don’t need to watch other shows to understand it.

Is Uso the the great-grandson of Char?

Many people speculate that Uso Ewin is the great-grandson of Char, since, in Japanese, Uso has the same last name as Nanai Miguel, Char’s love interest in the movie Char’s Counterattack. Altought it was supposed to be true, this idea was abandoned and denied by series creator Tomino.

Is Victory Gundam part of Universal Century?

Victory Gundam is part of Universal Century, the main chronology of the Gundam franchise.

Is Victory Gundam dark?

Victory Gundam is the darkest anime in the franchise, with Zeta Gundam being a close second.

Why is Victory Gundam good?

Many people like Victory Gundam for expanding the lore of the Universal Century Gundam and for its dark tone.