Gundam without any of the bullshit space magicSeriously Gundam Thunderbolt was a real surprise treat. It oozes style ranging from the animation to the music. Its like a combination of Bebop and Gundam which is quite ironic all things considered. I was not expecting Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky to be good as it is. Theres so much detail in the characters and mobile suits. Characters have a distinct style and I just love the fact that this focuses on the conflict between the Federation and Zeon during the one year war. There are so many hugescale battles that are centered around the actual soldiers and pilots something Gundam is sorely missing from the mainline entries. I want more of this kind of Gundam December Sky is Zeons 08th Ms Team. What I wouldnt give to see more Zeoncentric spinoffs focusing on their pilots or soldiers give me more Gundam Grit ASAP For a short like this the story is great because its selfcontained and moves at such a quick pace. The plot gets straight to the point and its all aided by the soundtrack carrying each visual piece throughout the film. The mixture of sound and music work so well its as if it was meant to be. I loved the meshing of different jazz pieces it just gave scenes flare and held my attention so well. Every track hit heir emotional highs to perfection. The Dreaming Girl In Me gave off this nostalgic and melancholic 1940s War vibe which Im sure was the intent. The action is also unparalleled its the best part of the package. Everything is so detailed and the backgrounds really make visuals pop. I also have to give props to the characters having simple motivations enough so that I just went along with the ride. It goes fast and before you know it the films over. Thunderbolt has serious rewatch value as it blazes at breakneck speed. Goddamn I love Gundam Thunderbolt for a lot of reasons. Its detailed its stylish and its a Gundam without the focus on the new types. The attractiveness of everything makes it hard for me to critique December Sky really the only minor nitpick is that it seemingly retcons things on the Universal Century timeline mainly technology. I urge Sunrise to adapt the complete manga series and any fan of Gundam to watch this the more complete film version. People werent lying that this is the best Gundam has been in a while I agree with them wholeheartedly. If youre a Gundam or fan of the mecha genre like me you owe it to yourself to watch December Sky. Review pulled from my Letterboxdhttps://letterboxd.com/rileymarini/film/mobilesuitgundamthunderboltdecembersky/
95 /100
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