機動戦士ガンダム MS IGLOO -1年戦争秘録- The Hidden One-Year War

I don't have a PS3, but if they release this in BD, I'll buy it in a instant without a second thought. (Bring it over to North America, Bandai!! I'll even settle with just DVD!)

When news of it came out a few years ago, I was thrilled at another new Gundam show but at the same time somewhat sceptical with the 3D CG. Of course, screen shots of the deathly looking faces of people didn't help.

While I still frown at some of the robotic movements or postures made by the humans, it was actually pretty decent by my standard. Even though they exaggerate often, the faces are quite expressive with the subtle motions.

The music and the battle scenes are some of the brightest points for the show. The score is epic and resolute at times, but always ending in a solemn and poignant note because of the nature of the show. Never heard of Taja, but the theme song is not bad, and moving as an insert song. The battle scenes take full advantage of CG to showcase the individual arm's mobility and combat style, and to orchestrate a war fleet battle in space on one of the grandest scales.

The story is unique in that it's told from the side of Zeon by a militia engineer who bears witness to the sorrowful downfall of prideful soldiers fighting until the very end. The fact that it takes place during the One Year War foretells the outcome of the war and the experiments on the prototype arms, which makes it all the more painful.

While watching the events unfold, I was reminded of RIGHT OF LEFT, which takes place before the main story of Fafner. (I briefly wrote about it in Chinese back in 2006.) Even though I didn't cry watching IGLOO, it doesn't mean it's less heart-wrenching. War is indeed a cruel reality, in anime and more so in real life. Its terrible impact doesn't just affect those directly involved, but to all humanity during and after.

Allow me to leave it on this note until after MS IGLOO Apocalypse 0079.