A baffling production that only really falls into crystal clarity when taken as a piece with director Yoshikazu Yasuhikos wider Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin project. The Origin is essentially a fix fic of First Gundam one that follows the original show relatively faithfully with some things cut or streamlined including this episode natch but with the crucial difference that the story is realigned to fit with Yas conception of Gundam most notably through the inclusion of a long flashback arc depicting the backstory of Char and Sayla and the rise of the Principality of Zeon. Theres good stuff in the Origin and as a comic it frequently looks absolutely gorgeous. As an artist Yas is clearly an immense talent but as a writer and as a conveyor of the Gundam story he runs roughshod over a lot of the nuances and perspectives present in First Gundam in order to ensure that his conception of it rules the day. Zeon is transformed from a worthy cause hijacked by a fascist family into a ridiculous ideology conceived by a madman right from the very start Char morphs into a Light YagamiEsque serial killer Ramba Ral is suddenly this super pivotal character deeply intertwined with the politics of the setting rather than being an excellent sympathetic antagonist...Yas is outspoken about the fact that he doesnt like any of the sequels to the original Mobile Suit Gundam and considers it the only Gundam but its more than that he only really seems willing to acknowledge his own narrow vision of that show and has spearheaded this entire subfranchise that closes off doors of interpretation and resonance opened by the other creators who worked on that show. In many ways this film is the apotheosis of that. Its a lavish multimillion full theatrical reproduction of the episode of Gundam that was produced while Yas was in the hospital from overworking and that he famously absolutely disavows an episode whose infamy is inflamed by the fact that Yoshiyuki Tomino has requested that this episode not be included on western releases of the show apparently due to a dispute between him and another member of staff that hes not willing to elaborate on as long as that person is alive out of respect. For these reasons and the fact that the episode contains some noticeable offmodel shots Episode 15 of Mobile Suit Gundam has acquired a reputation as some legendarily bad Spocks Brain status despite the fact that its... just good. Its really good in fact Its no Time Be Still but the thing is First Gundam just rips and Cucuruz Doans Island is no exception. Its a really illustrative episode for Amuros character and theres a lot of tragic weight brought out of how it becomes increasingly clear that Amuro has more in common with this older broken soldier than the kids around him closer to his age. And yeah theres some offmodel shots but also First Gundam is a handdrawn show from the 70s thats just whats gonna happen and its not like every other episode is totally immaculate and onmodel. Its fine its charming Cucuruz Doans Island the episode feels lovingly handcrafted and full of heart in a way this film just doesnt. Its not bad to be clear. There are some bits I really really love like flashbacks and hallucinations that evoke the wild colour palette of the 79 show and the amazing gundam activations sequence in the third act where the Gundam looms so menacingly holding its beam saber like Michael Myers might hold a knife dripping with blood and the bit immediately after you know the one...that stuff is great but its small snapshots through a film that doesnt really have much of anything to justify its existence. Its an indulgence not really for the fans but for Yas himself to fix yet another thing from First Gundam that doesnt meet his approval whilst inevitably losing something in the process. I enjoyed my time with it sure and I think Id enjoy it even more if that time was closer to 70 minutes rather than 120. But it represents a vision of what Gundam is and can be that I strongly dislike. I kept thinking about Hathaway while watching this a film that I have some issues with but has only grown in my mind as something that even as it continues to mine obscure Tomino ephemera for content represents an exacting and modern vision for this franchise that expands what it can be and what it can do into new and exciting places. Hathaway made Gundam bigger weirder and more interesting. Cucuruz Doans Island Remake just makes it smaller and smaller until it only really fits into the box Yas is so desperate to cram it into. Oh and this is just a personal thing but I dont like all the RG stickers the Gundam has. Keep that awful monstrous wonderful boy clean thank you very much.