Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
colelouch
Overall, this is a great show. It is the kind of series that may initially leave you thinking, “Yeah, that was decent, although it definitely has flaws,” or even make you feel slightly uncomfortable while watching it. But the more you think about the themes and what the story is actually trying to say afterward, the better it becomes.
The message is clear and consistent, and the anti-war theme is present from beginning to end. In many ways, this is exactly how a war story should handle its subject. Of course, Gundam as a franchise has always had the awkward contradiction of selling model kits and toys while simultaneously criticizing warfare, but this particular entry still feels much more serious and mature than most anime built around military conflict.
Can you watch it completely stan…
Read at the sourcechinese_cartoons
I've always thought that the original Gundam was an unexpectedly compelling war drama, held back by a weak middle stretch and the trappings of fundamentally being a vehicle to sell toys. Fortunately, this series is a distillation of all the main themes of the original Gundam into a concise 6 episodes without all the bad parts. This is everything Zeta should have been:
- It acknowledges that there are sympathetic people in Zeon while recognising they are still the aggressors largely in the wrong, unlike the blandly perfect AEUG or the outright Zeon glazing of later works.
- It shows a nuanced view of the Federation, demonstrating that although they are "good", they are not completely morally righteous, unlike the cartoonishly evil Titans or one dimensional Earth nobles.
- It demonstrates t…
Read at the sourceKaijuBattle
One of the best gundam mini series. Should watch after Gunfam 0079 and before or after 08th ms team. Not many gundam battles but they are good. The story is about a boy, Al. who wishes he can fight. He is in a neutral colony but there are feds on it. A zeon force arrives and Al befriends Bernie. Bernie is a 19 year old new recruit. Al has a neighbor Chris and Bernie really likes her. The story is from the point of view of Al and shows how he and his friends glamorize the war. The series is very short but it tells you everything you need. After watching it you will want to see these characters in more shows. Maybe a prequel sign Bernie or a series with Chris or Al.
Read at the sourcesuper_toad_fan
I really liked the message that war just kills people and isn't worth it. The animation for such an old anime was really smooth and nice to watch. To be honest, I didn't like the kid (Alfred), even though he changed later on.
I didn't care much for the characters themselves, but they were a good choice for bringing the story's anti-war message to the table.
Gundam: War in the Pocket is good, but it is something a lot of people wouldn't enjoy today because of how dated it feels. It feels more like a mid-70s anime rather than one from 1989, even though it still looks pretty.
I watched the English dub, and my opinion might be biased because of that, the voice acting (synchronization) is really bad.
Read at the sourceFrousties
Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket is, to me, a true return to form from the franchise.
After Gundam ZZ, and the nothing-pile that was Char's Counterattack, it's nice to finally see a Gundam series go back to focus on its main themes, being war and its atrocities, and how it impacts everyone of all age ranges.
Alfred, as the protagonist and point of view character, is a nice change of pace from the ones before that, initially loving to play war with his friends until learning the realities of it and losses it brings.
It's very down-to-earth, the characters reactions feeling realistic and intimate. I didn't expect to be this invested in the relationship of the main 3 characters!
It being 6 episodes also improves the pacing of your usual Gundam series, as they often feel like they spend…
Read at the sourceFAKEANIMEGIRL
(Check my profile for a link to my personal site containing more up-to-date reviews and bonus media!)
While organizing my unpublished notes, I came across a near-serviceable review of War in the Pocket I'd written after my first watch of it on July 29, 2015 2:07 pm EST. My editing evolved into a full-on rewrite, despite the fact I haven't seen this series since that date. I've recently been playing Super Robot Wars GC, which adapts War in the Pocket, so perhaps I've been in the mood to reminisce. I hope you enjoy this relatively modest review. I may expand it if I ever get around to a rewatch.
Though Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (WitP) is one of the better Gundam entries, I do disagree with people insisting it's a good starting point. What makes 0080 exceptional are the thi…
Read at the sourcetheo1763
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket became my favorite Gundam experience to this point. What makes it so wonderful is that the story is so small-scaled and intimate compared to other installments. Instead of exploring gigantic space battles or the One Year War's grand scheme politics, it has a very down-to-earth narrative on how war affects regular folks who are caught in between. The clandestine development of the Gundam by the Federation within a purportedly neutral colony is what sets the chain of events that truly shouldn't have happened at all. That's what makes the ending hit so tough. It is not about who was the winner or loser; it is about how people's lives were destroyed for nothing.
The characters really made this OVA for me. Al reminded me of Amuro and the crew from Whi…
Read at the sourcegatorbiscuits
If Gundam 0079 is one of the most "It actually is that good" pieces of art ever made, then War in the Pocket is the reverse. Frankly did not care for this. I know exactly what it's going for. The entire look into the loss of childhood innocence and the naivety at which children look at war as just big epic battles not accounting the horror and loss of life. I appreciate it, I get it, and the darkly humorous final scene to nail it in is morbidly great. Unfortunately the whole thing is just a slog to sit through I'm afraid. What a shame after the incredible opening sequence in the first episode. First Gundam miss for me since really trying to dive into it outside of randomly coming upon a series or whichever was airing at the time.
Will be one of those things I admit to not liking as me and…
Read at the sourcek-0da
Really beautiful fucking show. We're missing the giant robot battles, but the beautiful 90s cel animation more than makes up for it.
Each character in this is perfect, no notes, does exactly what they need to do while still being so loveable. Alfie, Bernie, and Chris are lovely to watch.
The overall theme and plot was great too, everything hit when it shouldve hit, great pacing.
Just a heart wrenching story, and my favorite gundam story so far. Highly highly reccomend it, you can watch it without any gundam knowledge at all. Though, I don't think it's a good series to introduce you to gundam, as its missing the big set pieces + high octane fights. But that doesn't make WIP any less valuable.
Read at the sourceBibsMcF
"Don't cry, Al! Soon there'll be an even bigger war, with even cooler mobile suits than the last!"
0080 is one of my personal favourites of all the Gundam side stories, and as the first major OVA in the Gundam continuity, it's an experimental, and incredibly enjoyable encapsulation of the One Year War, with a focus on war's effect on children.
Returning again to provide mechanical design is the usual UC team, including Okawara. Due to 0080's return to the One Year War, many mobile suit designs were "updated" to have a more current look compared to their 1979 iterations. In-universe, this is explained as Zeon's last ditch United Maintenance Plan, where in the final phases of the war Zeon's mobile suits were overhauled. As a result, the mechanical designers can flex the skills and experien…
Read at the source_Lazaroth_
(LAZAROTH REVIEW - SHORT LENGTH - SPOILER FREE)
"MSG: War in the pocket" revolves around the relationship of a small boy and a Zeon soldier as they become friends, and later accomplices, in crimes against the Federation army. It's entirely seen through the eyes of the young boy, so the perspective is entirely unique for the Gundam franchise. It's a decent, albeit unimportant, anime that caps off the One year storyline in a tame, yet satisfying way. This is a medium length review because, unlike with the other Gundam entries, I don't have much to say about this anime.
Following mainly children, seeing their disillusionment of war is interesting and sad. The way the boy practically advocates for the murder of his own people is disturbing, he doesn't understand that they are bad guys. Seei…
Read at the sourceObeley
This is the first side story in the sprawling Gundam's Universal Century (UC) continuity and is also really interesting & engaging.
The Good:
- Characters are great. They are natural. The kid character (Alfred) acted like a proper brat, the rookie character (Bernie) had a chip on his shoulder and was both anxious & hungry to prove himself, and the test-pilot character (Christina) was the most mature of the three protags. Still, the three of them underwent some real development in the process of this 6-episode mini-series and you will at least like 2 out of the 3 protags. Without spoiling, 2 of them got more development than the other.
- Story is really good. Despite the sci-fi space setting, it stays grounded just like a UC Gundam should be. I don't wanna spoil it but it's basically a hei…
Read at the sourceUutama
In times of war, the idea of conflict seems far removed from everyday life. Unfortunately for some, this could change in the blink of an eye. A lively and peaceful town can turn into a battlefield overnight, leaving citizens endangered and exposed to the horrors of battle. This is especially true for our children; how does war truly affect those who are still learning and growing in this world, yet to mature? Why do people die so easily? What is the difference between the good and the bad guys? What once seemed like a fascinating ideation of flashy fun will become, with enough exposure, a fearful enemy. Guns and robots aren't toys, and this is what this story is truly about.
Our story takes place in the midst of the One-Year War, yet removed from any of the major conflicts we know and lov…
Read at the sourceKrenZane
*Mishaps Upon Misguided Minds: The Zero-Sum Game*
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!! SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW !!
~~
It’s Christmas season and harmony is what it’s all about. The jolly holidays pull away the wreckage sites orchestrated by the vices of war to give more notice to the child-like air, playful despite the mischief. War in the Pocket took many steps away from the endless show of carnage of 0079 to bond with other avenues covered during war times. A refreshing change of pace in aesthetics, setting, character motivations, and musical motif exposed the creativity contained within the Gundam universe.
I can imagine that at that time, the Gundam fad had reached significant heights considering how undeniably awesome the very idea and look of mecha is, especially back then in the relatively early phases of its co…
Read at the sourceFranktamas
It was awful, the only positive thing that I can say that is was competently and not offensively bad. The creator wanted to tell a story. and 0080 told that story, the problem was that their story was terrible.
I think the fact that the title says 0080 (after the peace treaty) but the show takes place during 0079 (before the peace treaty) already tells a lot about the world-building. It's like if they'd call a movie 1946 Recovery from the War, but it would take place in 1945 April during the Siege of Berlin.
Second big problem was with the power-levels, the mobile suits get defeated like it was nothing, which makes a really huge contrast with the base concept of Gundam, making Mobile Suits devastatingly superior against conventional weaponry.
The characters were both really cliché and te…
Read at the sourceAnemoianArts
Rarely do I end up feeling so strongly about something I've watched, but War in the Pocket manages to really endear you to the characters while also pummeling into you the sheer nihilistic agony that is the reality of armed conflict and how pointless the sacrifices made for it truly are in a harrowing look at individuals faced with situations in which they simply cannot win against due to forces larger than them at play.
This series will demand it's attention and force you to become introspective about some rather sensitive subjects happening in the real world which most would feel comfortable enough to not ever think about, and that is precisely why I recommend it.
Read at the sourceNeolavender123
[Enjoyment: 8]
Pretty awesome coz a mecha-hating person like me can still enjoy the anime. I binged a majority of this anime coz it was interesting and I wanna know what's next.
[Art: 9]
If compared to other animes from 1989, the animation is pretty crisp and refreshing. But there were Dragon Ball Z and Ranma coming out on that year too and I think they're almost as good, so I gave 9 for great but not 10 for masterpiece.
[Sound: 7]
Memorable OP, Subpar ED, but I love the futuristic/disco(?)-like OST. I appreciate that the kids sound like kids. Other VAs seem to be okay, but I don't notice anything groundbreaking.
[Story: 8]
Great story about war and conflict in the eye of an innocent, exuberant child. Filled with emotions, seamless story-telling, exciting without being extra. I just wis…
Read at the sourcerooster_
War in the Pocket was the first time that the Gundam universe was approached by a director other than Tomino himself, resulting in a relatively smaller-scale, coming-of-age drama that's interwoven with the sprawling, galactic conflicts of mainline Gundam. The small stage of a Federation-aligned colony, the space-age equivalent of a sleepy small town, is delicately counterbalanced by sobering scenes of destruction and carnage, the likes of which would be glossed over in a standard Gundam product. Protagonist Al's precocious interest in mobile suits and the war effort sets off a chain reaction that pulls the adults in his life into a tragic maelstrom that puts a decisive end to his childhood. In the end, War in Pocket carries the same staunchly anti-war message as the greater Gundam universe…
Read at the sourceNoahboy
War in the Pocket is a fantastic series that is hard to properly describe in a way that'll do it justice, it left my jaw on the floor multiple times during only 6 episodes. The characters are so well done, I especially love the chemistry between Bernard and Al, seeing them develop together over the course of this series is beautiful and they are the heart and soul of this series. The balance of lighthearted, childish aspects with the cold, brutal realities of war is beautiful it allows the more serious moments to have much more impact than they otherwise would and allows for the characters to feel more like real people, as you see them deal with both silly and horrifying situations. The battles are near-perfection, nothing is romanticized, and this makes them feel believable. The mobile su…
Read at the sourceWilkaoo
Title: A protest against the trivialization of war and Gundam's influence in this issue
The events of Gundam War In The Pocket occur one year after the events of the first Gundam anime and follow a major espionage and sabotage mission ordered by Zeon's military, whose goal is to obtain information about the development of Federation-made Gundams to be piloted by NewTypes, probably the same gundams we see used by the Titans in Gundam Zeta. This operation manages to work due to the presence of our protagonist Alfred Izuruha, a boy so fond of video games and toys that he ends up getting bad results in school tests. His games and toys are something very important.
Alfred's favorite games are about Mobile Suits facing threats to a fictitious colony and a generic shooter using a plastic rifle.…
Read at the source
