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>Gundam 0079
Looks cheap even for the time, but its pacing is unmatched. Every episode flows so nicely into the following one, and there's just this feeling of constant attrition and tension to it that really hooks you in and doesn't let go. Even seemingly absurd episode premises like "The White Base is out of salt for their hamburgers" have their place once you get into the swing of it; I can only remember one episode out of its 43 that I was not in some way invested in. The characters are also very odd, and never really what they might come off as at first glance or just from their concept/role, and not always in a way does this play out in a way that's particularly overt. It's a show that generally tends to really pull the rug from under you, perhaps because it has become such a household name you come to with a lot of preconceptions. But it is by no means cliche.
I've seen a lot more higher-concept and varied mech shows since, both from around the time and more modern, and while I like those as well a lot of them tend thave a habit of losing steam and fall into these long, dull stretches at some point. The original Gundam is not at all like that (or a lot of other shows, for that matter), and really makes it stand out among them because of it. It's the show that got me back into anime when a lot of other shows and movies I was trying out weren't doing it for me. Its a prime example of one of those niches Japanese cartoons really specialize in. I don't think it's faultless, but I think it's a solid 10/10 when it comes to anime.
