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REVIEW: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin GN 1 - 3


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Charred Knight



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 3085
PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:48 am Reply with quote
[quote="lizardking461"]
Utsuro no Hako wrote:
Fronzel wrote:
In Origin, Yasuhiko sticks to the original but adds in a lot of political and military machinations to make the plot more cohesive, whereas Tomino just cut that entire section. Likewise having Amuro as a teenager was a studio dictate so the show could appeal to kids, which Yasuhiko sticks to, though he adds some details to make Amuro's ability to use the Gundam more believable, while Tomino simply changed Amuro to an adult soldier who's fully trained in Gundam systems.


How so? So far everything that's happened in the manga also happened in the original series as far as I can tell. The only thing I don't recall is the shower and pool scenes with the slight homosexual undertones between Char and Garma...

Edit: Oh also the first encounter between Char and Sayla. To be honest I didn't really like how that was changed. I liked how in the original series it instantly added a bit more depth to Char's character (even if it was through a cliche plot point), whereas so far in the manga I'm not really enjoying Char's characterisation so much...

In the anime Guntank and Guncannon are new mobile suits, and are one of a kind while in Origin they were previous models that were mass produced. As such White Base has several Guncannons and Guntanks.

In the anime the White Base circumnavigates the globe on its journey to Jaburo while in The Origin the White Base just goes south. In the anime Ramba Ral fought in the Battle of Loum (a battle whose main purpose was to show what great deeds the new ace pilot did) while in Origins Ramba Ral was in the reserves as punishment for his family's loyalty to the Deikun family. This helps put new meaning for why his fighting because he never got glory and his men never saw combat until they fought white base. Also Ramba Ral is newly redesigned so he has black hair and looks his actual age (35) while in the anime he looks 50 and is overweight.

The conversation with Char and Kycilia is new as Char just joined Kycilia in the anime. The South America stuff as a whole is new as that happened later due to the previously mentioned circumnavigation of White Base.
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Animehermit



Joined: 05 Aug 2007
Posts: 964
Location: The Argama
PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:10 am Reply with quote
Also the manga uses real life places, which is something the anime didn't do. Like I said earlier this all helps establish Gundam as a hard science fiction manga.
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Krotchstak



Joined: 05 Feb 2010
Posts: 94
PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:19 am Reply with quote
lizardking461 wrote:

How so? So far everything that's happened in the manga also happened in the original series as far as I can tell. The only thing I don't recall is the shower and pool scenes with the slight homosexual undertones between Char and Garma...

Edit: Oh also the first encounter between Char and Sayla. To be honest I didn't really like how that was changed. I liked how in the original series it instantly added a bit more depth to Char's character (even if it was through a cliche plot point), whereas so far in the manga I'm not really enjoying Char's characterisation so much...


That still happens though - it's just a little bit later (like, by a couple chapters). Their whole first encounter plays out word-for-word the same in Luna II as it did in Side 7 in the series, so that bit of depth is still present early on.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why Char's overall characterization bugs you - especially since you're comparing him to his anime version, which is thus far an identical character.
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Fronzel



Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1906
PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 10:21 am Reply with quote
lizardking461 wrote:
Utsuro no Hako wrote:
Fronzel wrote:
words


Charred Knight wrote:
lizardking461 wrote:
Utsuro no Hako wrote:
Fronzel wrote:
words


You've both made an error in your tags and are hence misquoting.
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lizardking461





PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 11:47 am Reply with quote
Krotchstak wrote:
lizardking461 wrote:

How so? So far everything that's happened in the manga also happened in the original series as far as I can tell. The only thing I don't recall is the shower and pool scenes with the slight homosexual undertones between Char and Garma...

Edit: Oh also the first encounter between Char and Sayla. To be honest I didn't really like how that was changed. I liked how in the original series it instantly added a bit more depth to Char's character (even if it was through a cliche plot point), whereas so far in the manga I'm not really enjoying Char's characterisation so much...


That still happens though - it's just a little bit later (like, by a couple chapters). Their whole first encounter plays out word-for-word the same in Luna II as it did in Side 7 in the series, so that bit of depth is still present early on.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why Char's overall characterization bugs you - especially since you're comparing him to his anime version, which is thus far an identical character.


Ah well clearly I'm not up to speed, have only read up till volume 5. Still, I don't think the characterisation is quite the same up until that point. As I mentioned, this new first encounter with Sayla/Amuro makes him come off as more arrogant and less multi-faceted. Also, the line about wanting his sunglasses back is really not something I can imagine the Char of the original series saying... Then again I may just be remembering it all wrong.

Also, @Charred Knight, I was more wondering what he meant by greater political and militaristic machinations: up until where I've read to it seems essentially the same. I had noticed about the other mobile suits (and also appreciate how the sortieing is a lot more realistic), though didn't realise all that about Ramba, thanks!
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Charred Knight



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:41 pm Reply with quote
lizardking461 wrote:

Ah well clearly I'm not up to speed, have only read up till volume 5. Still, I don't think the characterisation is quite the same up until that point. As I mentioned, this new first encounter with Sayla/Amuro makes him come off as more arrogant and less multi-faceted. Also, the line about wanting his sunglasses back is really not something I can imagine the Char of the original series saying... Then again I may just be remembering it all wrong.

Also, @Charred Knight, I was more wondering what he meant by greater political and militaristic machinations: up until where I've read to it seems essentially the same. I had noticed about the other mobile suits (and also appreciate how the sortieing is a lot more realistic), though didn't realise all that about Ramba, thanks!


The sunglasses thing is foreshadowing for something that wasnt in the original anime.
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Krotchstak



Joined: 05 Feb 2010
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:36 pm Reply with quote
lizardking461 wrote:
Ah well clearly I'm not up to speed, have only read up till volume 5. Still, I don't think the characterisation is quite the same up until that point. As I mentioned, this new first encounter with Sayla/Amuro makes him come off as more arrogant and less multi-faceted.


The only major difference in that scene, other than the location, is the removal of any overt references to Char and Sayla being related - in the anime, Sayla calls "BROTHER!" after Char as he retreats (as opposed to saying it during the Ramba Ral bit like in THE ORIGIN), and Char himself has his "No-way-it's-Artesia" musings as he runs off (as opposed to after the atmospheric re-entry battle). Otherwise, their conversation/confrontation is practically word-for-word/action-for-action identical as the anime, something that Yas does quite often for particularly iconic scenes and dialogue.

So obviously, Yas is trying to build up that reveal a bit longer, as both those differences still happen in THE ORIGIN but do so a bit later. Maybe that's what made things seem less nuanced to you? He still does a great job of showing something's up (see Char's face once he gets a good look at Sayla), it's just much more subtle, and switches the pace up a bit by not being as instantly intriguing.

Charred Knight covered the sunglasses thing.
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lizardking461





PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 12:35 am Reply with quote
Krotchstak wrote:

The only major difference in that scene, other than the location, is the removal of any overt references to Char and Sayla being related - in the anime, Sayla calls "BROTHER!" after Char as he retreats (as opposed to saying it during the Ramba Ral bit like in THE ORIGIN), and Char himself has his "No-way-it's-Artesia" musings as he runs off (as opposed to after the atmospheric re-entry battle). Otherwise, their conversation/confrontation is practically word-for-word/action-for-action identical as the anime, something that Yas does quite often for particularly iconic scenes and dialogue.

So obviously, Yas is trying to build up that reveal a bit longer, as both those differences still happen in THE ORIGIN but do so a bit later. Maybe that's what made things seem less nuanced to you? He still does a great job of showing something's up (see Char's face once he gets a good look at Sayla), it's just much more subtle, and switches the pace up a bit by not being as instantly intriguing.

Charred Knight covered the sunglasses thing.


Yeah, I suppose for someone reading this who hasn't seen the series this change of pacing will probably make the whole plot thread feel more dramatic and effective once it reaches its conclusion.

And yes, I obviously get that the sunglasses are alluding to Quattro Anime hyper doesn't change the fact that I don't think the Char of the one-year war period would say something like that!
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bahamut623



Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 1463
PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 12:42 am Reply with quote
I LOVE the presentation on these books. If there's a nitpick, it's with the dialogue in the speech bubbles. When a line is divided between too bubbles, there's no ellipsis indicating that the line will continue in the next bubble (this seems to be the case with several, if not all, Vertical releases). The ellipsis is the norm in most translated manga, so it makes for slightly awkward reading, since I'm used to the "...". My brain ends up reading it as if the line is awkwardly stopping instead of continuing in another bubble. But I guess it's my own personal quibble. But major props to Vertical for bringing this over and giving it this treatment.
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Krotchstak



Joined: 05 Feb 2010
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 1:08 am Reply with quote
lizardking461 wrote:
And yes, I obviously get that the sunglasses are alluding to Quattro Anime hyper doesn't change the fact that I don't think the Char of the one-year war period would say something like that!


Close, but no cigar. You'll see what we mean in volume 5; suffice to say, the glasses are foreshadowing for an element of his character unique to THE ORIGIN. Nothing OUT OF character, but a new bit of his backstory.

bahamut623 wrote:
If there's a nitpick, it's with the dialogue in the speech bubbles. When a line is divided between too bubbles, there's no ellipsis indicating that the line will continue in the next bubble (this seems to be the case with several, if not all, Vertical releases). The ellipsis is the norm in most translated manga, so it makes for slightly awkward reading, since I'm used to the "...". My brain ends up reading it as if the line is awkwardly stopping instead of continuing in another bubble. But I guess it's my own personal quibble.


It's certainly not the usual way to do things. The tricky thing with THE ORIGIN is that Yasuhiko parsed the speech bubbles by sentence flow, an element of speech that's completely different in Japanese and English. Ellipses imply pauses of some kind, which may not suit what's being said, but it can lead to confusion.

This is also likely the reason behind some weirdly-ordered bits of dialogue. Since Yas only rarely includes big blocks of text in bubbles, there's a sort of challenge to fit what's being said into bubbles meant for shorter sentences (or vice-versa).

but yeah, everything about THE ORIGIN's presentation is gorgeous (and you should see the Japanese deluxe editions - they're EVEN NICER). I love Yas' art; he really knows the technical side of comics, and his paneling is second to none. The fact that he can make something so movement-dependent as giant robot fights exciting as a series of still images is a great sign of his skill.

One bit of presentation in the third volume that I loved was the use of crowd dialogue at Garma's funeral: the cries of "ZA-BI!" and "SIEG ZEON!" are drawn as sound effects, rather than traditional dialogue, really giving a sense of the roar of a crowd. It's probably the only time I've ever really lamented untranslated SFX, since that effect might be lost a bit on people who can't read katakana.
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penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 3:23 am Reply with quote
Yoshiyuki Tomino's Mobile Suit Gundam is a fantastic classic anime, but it's clear that Yas is working out some of the more awkward quirks of Tomino's writing with The Origin. And the artwork is excellent. So even if I miss the mecha actually moving around in animation (giant robot stories are a bit more difficult to do in manga, IMO) and the excellent Japanese cast of the TV series, I'm still very satisfied with this manga. It's hard not to be with such a high quality release that captures the importance of the title.
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Charred Knight



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 3085
PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 12:01 pm Reply with quote
lizardking461 wrote:

And yes, I obviously get that the sunglasses are alluding to Quattro Anime hyper doesn't change the fact that I don't think the Char of the one-year war period would say something like that!


Thats not what it is alluding to, its a plotline that was created for Origins and has nothing to do with anything that was in any gundam anime. Once the reveal happens the talk with Kycilia in this volume is put into a new light.
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Zetabag



Joined: 30 Mar 2009
Posts: 205
PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 3:05 pm Reply with quote
Read all three volumes and the review is pretty much spot on. Each volume has been a blast to read so far and I'm eagerly awaiting vol. 4 as well as the inevitable anime adaptation.

If I have one gripe about the series so far its that some of the translations see kinda weird particularly with some of the more iconic scenes. Then again having seen the series/movies so many times it possible that it's just difficult for me to hear the dialogue worded differently.

Question, does the Origin keep the plot from "The Trap of McCuve" episode or was that cut out like it was in the movie?
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lizardking461





PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 5:04 pm Reply with quote
Charred Knight wrote:

Thats not what it is alluding to, its a plotline that was created for Origins and has nothing to do with anything that was in any gundam anime. Once the reveal happens the talk with Kycilia in this volume is put into a new light.


Oh I see. In that case, I'm quite excited!
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vanfanel



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 1239
PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 10:45 pm Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
Yoshiyuki Tomino's Mobile Suit Gundam is a fantastic classic anime, but it's clear that Yas is working out some of the more awkward quirks of Tomino's writing with The Origin.


It's so nice to see this great manga getting the attention it deserves, and I can't wait to see it animated. Oh, the bliss if Yas were to direct the action scenes himself!

I do think the process of smoothing out, building upon, and even improving the original storyline started even before this, though. There's a really great art book called "MS Era 0099" which was made with the "in universe" conceit that it's a pictorial album of the One-Year War, reprinted in UC 0099 from an edition originally published in UC 0084. (Its "new" foreword complains of interference from the Titans in creating the original version.) The book has some familiar artwork (including most/all of the images seen in the ED of "War in the Pocket") but lots of original images, too, juxtaposed with text in both Japanese and English that provides a timeline of everything that happened from the start of the construction of the space colonies through the end of the one-year war. It's like an alternate universe Time-Life book, and reading it you can see how Sunrise was already smoothing out the wrinkles in the story. If you can find a copy, I highly recommend it. Someone should release it in the US, too. The only extra work it would require would be some minor editing of the English text.

Edit: found a review.
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