Mobile Fighter G Gundam Boxed Set 1: Rounds 1-3 (1994)
Review by Doc Ezra
Film:
DVD:

Character design by Hiroshi Osaka
Directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa
Mechanical Design by Hirotoshi Sano, Kimitoshi Yamane, Kunio Okawara, and Hajime Katoki

Features:

• Gundam files
  
• Trailers
  
• English and Japanese language options
  
• English subtitles
  
• Interview with director
  

Doc's Anime Warnings:

• Little connection to any other Gundam series
• Goofy Street Fighter plot
• Shining fingers

Rating: NR, suitable for 12+

Anamorphic: N/A

My Advice: Pass.

In Future Century 60, the time has come again for each of the space colonies to send a representative to Earth for the purpose of the "Gundam Fights," a tournament of epic proportions that will decide the ruling colony until the next tournament rolls around. Into this arena steps Domon Kasshu, the new fighter from Neo-Japan. With a family name that carries certain unpleasant connotations, he's convinced that some shadowy force is attempting to manipulate the contest, and intends to expose it. But before he can do that, he has to contend with the hostility of the Earth natives, the over-eager competition, and his no-nonsense partner in crime.

Fans of the Gundam universe will immediately notice the dating above. "Future Century"? What happened to the "Universal Century" of all the other shows? Nobody knows, really. The G Gundam series looks like little more than an attempt to expand the toy line in new directions, or perhaps market a video game, than any actual attempt to add to the vast mythology of the Gundam world. The show has little, if any, connection to the original Gundams, other than some vague terminology and a similar mecha design. The wars that are the focus of all the other series are not only not going on or related to this show, but they're completely ignored. Very little discussion goes on about the world where these one-on-one duels occurs, except to set up the thin plot that seems to be propelling the series forward (the "faceless evil" angle).

While the animation and action sequences are well-designed and good-looking, the show just doesn't hold a candle to any of the other Gundam titles. The biggest draw of those shows, at least in many opinions, is precisely the interconnectivity of all the different series concepts and casts. To spontaneously toss all that aside, make a giant robot show, and simply slap the Gundam label on it smacks of opportunism and a stab at making a cheap buck without having a decent idea to back it up.

The set contains three discs, covering the first fifteen episodes of the show. Each episode is pretty much an excuse to propel Domon Kasshu towards one of the duels with another Gundam pilot. Nothing wrong with that, in and of itself (though it is a bit thin), but this has nothing to do with Gundam. It's just another mecha show, and has no more in common with the other Gundam series than it does with Ranma 1/2 or Evangelion. It's just a tag used to move units. Don't be fooled.

Extras are pretty minimal, with some overviews of various Gundams, trailers for better Gundam shows, and a brief interview with the director. The show looks and sounds great, too. It's really only the story that's lacking here, and some obvious connection to the previous Gundam titles so that it seems less a cheezy attempt to cash in.