AllMovie

In the distant future, overpopulation has forced humans to colonize giant orbiting space stations called Sides. The ruler of Side 3, also known as the Principality of Zeon, has decided to wage war on Earth for its independence. Mobile Suit Gundam tells the story of the war between the forces of Zeon and of the Earth Federation ship called White Base, with the use of humanoid-shaped robotic weapons called mobile suits. One of the show's protagonists, Amuro Ray, pilots the new and most powerful mobile suit called RX-78-2 Gundam and becomes perhaps Earth Federation's most important figure in what would come to be known as the One Year War. Mobile Suit Gundam marked a new stylistic venture into the mecha genre in which each side of the depicted conflict featured both good- and bad-natured characters and victory for both sides came, more realistically, with a price. The content of the 43-episode series was edited shortly after its run to create three movies out of the footage: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Movie, Mobile Suit Gundam: Soldiers of Sorrow, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space.