The long-running Gundam franchise begets yet another iteration. Spun from a light novel set in the franchise's original timeline, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn contains many of the metaseries' most beloved tropes: a reluctant young hero who grows to accept a destiny he can powerfully sense but barely define; intricate politics and protracted debate; and of course all manner of high-flying, devastatingly-equipped, and painstakingly-designed military mecha.
Though it is no less dense than previous Gundam stories, "Day of the Unicorn", the first episode of a planned six, offers enough grounding in the story to give newcomers at least a basic grasp of the world at hand. Banagher Links is a compelling young hero, given solid voice by Steve Staley, who articulates Links' innocence and faith beautifully. The scene in which Links is confronted with the full story of his destiny, and given the keys to the truly spiffy titular weapon, is offered both a mythic weight and human emotion that the franchise has rarely (in your proprietor's admittedly non-encyclopaedic experience) attained.
The friend I took to the screening, a neophyte to anime and Gundam, leaned into me during the credits and simply said, "More, please." Your proprietor could hardly agree more, and eagerly awaits the remaining five installments.
Just read this. Nicely done!
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