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機動戦士ガンダムTHE ORIGIN 愛蔵版 [Kidō Senshi Gundam: The Origin aizōban] #4
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THE ORIGIN 4
Infolge des schwindenden Lebensraums auf der Erde strömte die Menschheit in die unermesslichen Weiten des Weltalls. Jahrhunderte vergingen, bis schließlich das entlegene Herzogtum Zeon seine Souveränität proklamierte. Doch diese Unabhängigkeitserklärung entfachte einen interstellaren Konflikt, der binnen kürzester Zeit zahllose Opfer fordern sollte …
Gerüchte über Spione und Deserteure drohen, die Besatzung der White Base von innen heraus zu zerstören, als Ramba Rals gegnerische Soldaten das Schiff infiltrieren. Doch der Angriff nimmt ein jähes Ende, als Ral auf eine alte Bekannte trifft. Denn Artesia, die geliebte Tochter des verstorbenen Herrschers der Zeon, ist am Leben, und sie hat sich als Sayla unter die Besatzung der White Base gemischt.
Gerüchte über Spione und Deserteure drohen, die Besatzung der White Base von innen heraus zu zerstören, als Ramba Rals gegnerische Soldaten das Schiff infiltrieren. Doch der Angriff nimmt ein jähes Ende, als Ral auf eine alte Bekannte trifft. Denn Artesia, die geliebte Tochter des verstorbenen Herrschers der Zeon, ist am Leben, und sie hat sich als Sayla unter die Besatzung der White Base gemischt.
504 pages, Paperback
First published June 26, 2008
19 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
371 books36 followersYoshikazu Yasuhiko (安彦良和) is a Japanese manga artist, animator, character designer, anime director, illustrator, and novelist. He was born in Engaru Town, Monbetsu District, Hokkaido, and currently resides in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 23, 2025
Forgot about the weird, creepy Yokusaru Shibata contribution at the end. ::shudder::
May 13, 2025
Loved the illustrations. Story has gotten stale at this point. Will continue the hunt for some sort of Gundam material that can hold me interest. They all start strong, and taper off as they go on.
December 20, 2019
*Note: I would like to state that this was a solid 3.8 rating instead of the 3 or 4 star system offered on Goodreads*
Volume 4 in Yoshikazu Yasuhiko's "Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN" series had it all. We met some and lost some, we won some and fell to some, and we grew some and still have a ways to go. If you have been on board the Trojan Horse since Volume 1 you will exhale a sigh of relief at certain points of the fourth volume, and other times gasp at how the saga could continue in Volume 5+.
Amuro and his comrades are like the rest of us in keeping an eye on our footing while experiencing each victory along the way. Although they have a moment or two to rest and recharge, it can only be a moment since that is the way battles and wars go. Whether it is on the actual battlefield, or getting out of bed in the morning, we will find a way to get on the other side of the action and destruction.
I feel like I am in a good place at the end of Volume 4 to wait (however long) for Volume 5 to arrive at my local library. I will have other series to keep me occupied, and a spare second or two to guess what will happen next for the Federation, Zeon, and all of those involved.
Volume 4 in Yoshikazu Yasuhiko's "Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN" series had it all. We met some and lost some, we won some and fell to some, and we grew some and still have a ways to go. If you have been on board the Trojan Horse since Volume 1 you will exhale a sigh of relief at certain points of the fourth volume, and other times gasp at how the saga could continue in Volume 5+.
Amuro and his comrades are like the rest of us in keeping an eye on our footing while experiencing each victory along the way. Although they have a moment or two to rest and recharge, it can only be a moment since that is the way battles and wars go. Whether it is on the actual battlefield, or getting out of bed in the morning, we will find a way to get on the other side of the action and destruction.
I feel like I am in a good place at the end of Volume 4 to wait (however long) for Volume 5 to arrive at my local library. I will have other series to keep me occupied, and a spare second or two to guess what will happen next for the Federation, Zeon, and all of those involved.
July 6, 2021
The journey to Jaburo reaches its intense, dramatic, messy conclusion. Through its ups and downs, the crew of White Base seems to have found a sustainable equilibrium. But no matter how calm and complicit its crew, the vessel's fate has always been another matter entirely.
Noa's familiarity and understanding of military protocol begets a suspicion of executive leadership's intensions for both White Base and the Gundam. Sayla Mass's recalcitrance is doing double duty in scrounging for answers concerning her brother's whereabouts while yet still hiding her true identity from her comrades. And Zeon's South American forces can hardly step beyond the reach of their intractable infighting to pluck the opportunity sitting right under their noses. Jaburo is ripe. But the plethora of egos pushing and shoving for glory may see the chance for victory spoil before long.
MSG: THE ORIGIN #4 does what many of the best Gundam stories do: articulate and define the painful reverberations of armed military conflict on all peoples, no matter their birthright. Amuro spent the previous volume being a whiny little snot. In the current volume, he matures significantly and rightly perceives Jaburo as an opportunity to prove his worth to the Federation's leadership. Amuro himself scolds fellow crewmates, wrangles the kids, mourns those he has failed, and at one point, flat-out back-talks military men who seem eager to devalue the sacrifices of he and his friends.
And on this point, there's plenty of sacrifice in this volume. The action isn't as grandiose as, say, the fight with Garma, but MSG: THE ORIGIN #4 does an excellent job of orienting readers to the mountainous and forested terrain of Brazil and all of the hazards that come with it. The manga's combat scenes are much leaner and clearer here than elsewhere, perhaps owing to the slower, more patient storytelling native to focusing readers' attention on a single location. For example, the pre-dawn conflict between Amuro and a band of mercenaries known as the Black Tri-Stars is wonderfully streamlined. The MS-09B Dom is a beast of a mobile suit, but Yasuhiko's artwork gives the machine a beautiful, almost terrifying grace. The battle's tragic conclusion burns with an energy that is impossible to duplicate.
A separate battle in a narrow, rocky valley sees the vengeful return of Hamon, whose bad-end, however inevitable, is insanely intense. The woman earns help from a junior grade Zeon lieutenant who evokes the late Ramba Ral's name with an eye toward justified reprisal: "We will lose this war [..] A Zeon that expends men of Lt. Ral's caliber as mere pawns has no future to speak of!" (pp. 99-100). Again, one cannot help but weep silently for the manga series' handling of Ral; the man was a stronger and more engaging antagonist, by every discernable dimension, than any other character to cross paths with White Base thus far.
Overlapping character development with the push to land at Jaburo ensures the reader is invested in MSG: THE ORIGIN #4 and its consequences. The book also includes a broader and more deliberate conversation on the nature of newtypes. Secondary female characters, such as Lieutenant Matilda Ajan, receive plenty of attention. Readers view more clearly the layered antagonism within Zeon's military ranks. And as death encroaches on the least ready of allies, one comes to view the qualities required to survive this feverishly compressed war are never consistently defined for a reason: This is an "age of reckoning," to use Char's words.
Noa's familiarity and understanding of military protocol begets a suspicion of executive leadership's intensions for both White Base and the Gundam. Sayla Mass's recalcitrance is doing double duty in scrounging for answers concerning her brother's whereabouts while yet still hiding her true identity from her comrades. And Zeon's South American forces can hardly step beyond the reach of their intractable infighting to pluck the opportunity sitting right under their noses. Jaburo is ripe. But the plethora of egos pushing and shoving for glory may see the chance for victory spoil before long.
MSG: THE ORIGIN #4 does what many of the best Gundam stories do: articulate and define the painful reverberations of armed military conflict on all peoples, no matter their birthright. Amuro spent the previous volume being a whiny little snot. In the current volume, he matures significantly and rightly perceives Jaburo as an opportunity to prove his worth to the Federation's leadership. Amuro himself scolds fellow crewmates, wrangles the kids, mourns those he has failed, and at one point, flat-out back-talks military men who seem eager to devalue the sacrifices of he and his friends.
And on this point, there's plenty of sacrifice in this volume. The action isn't as grandiose as, say, the fight with Garma, but MSG: THE ORIGIN #4 does an excellent job of orienting readers to the mountainous and forested terrain of Brazil and all of the hazards that come with it. The manga's combat scenes are much leaner and clearer here than elsewhere, perhaps owing to the slower, more patient storytelling native to focusing readers' attention on a single location. For example, the pre-dawn conflict between Amuro and a band of mercenaries known as the Black Tri-Stars is wonderfully streamlined. The MS-09B Dom is a beast of a mobile suit, but Yasuhiko's artwork gives the machine a beautiful, almost terrifying grace. The battle's tragic conclusion burns with an energy that is impossible to duplicate.
A separate battle in a narrow, rocky valley sees the vengeful return of Hamon, whose bad-end, however inevitable, is insanely intense. The woman earns help from a junior grade Zeon lieutenant who evokes the late Ramba Ral's name with an eye toward justified reprisal: "We will lose this war [..] A Zeon that expends men of Lt. Ral's caliber as mere pawns has no future to speak of!" (pp. 99-100). Again, one cannot help but weep silently for the manga series' handling of Ral; the man was a stronger and more engaging antagonist, by every discernable dimension, than any other character to cross paths with White Base thus far.
Overlapping character development with the push to land at Jaburo ensures the reader is invested in MSG: THE ORIGIN #4 and its consequences. The book also includes a broader and more deliberate conversation on the nature of newtypes. Secondary female characters, such as Lieutenant Matilda Ajan, receive plenty of attention. Readers view more clearly the layered antagonism within Zeon's military ranks. And as death encroaches on the least ready of allies, one comes to view the qualities required to survive this feverishly compressed war are never consistently defined for a reason: This is an "age of reckoning," to use Char's words.
June 26, 2025
Finally, the valiant, underage crew of White Station make their way into the hidden Federation base they've been chasing after for three volumes! But if you were hoping for some relief for those crazy kids, you won't find it here.
Following the events of the previous installments, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko wraps up the story arc of a desperate escape through enemy territory, and opens the door into a new world of interplanetary discord and desperation. The Federation is not so well-off that they can relieve and repay the children who were thrust into leadership and combat roles too early. The secret stronghold of Jaburo isn't so impenetrable that the Zeon forces can't break in and undermine the brief feeling of safety. And that mysterious guy Char is back on the battlefield, the motherfucker.
This manga still can't decide whether it's a heartfelt examination of the ways people in the military cope with the things they've seen and done, or a kooky slapstick where elementary school kids get rid of explosives by stealing a backhoe and driving it off a cliff. Perhaps it never will reconcile those two sides of itself. But it's still fun.
Following the events of the previous installments, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko wraps up the story arc of a desperate escape through enemy territory, and opens the door into a new world of interplanetary discord and desperation. The Federation is not so well-off that they can relieve and repay the children who were thrust into leadership and combat roles too early. The secret stronghold of Jaburo isn't so impenetrable that the Zeon forces can't break in and undermine the brief feeling of safety. And that mysterious guy Char is back on the battlefield, the motherfucker.
This manga still can't decide whether it's a heartfelt examination of the ways people in the military cope with the things they've seen and done, or a kooky slapstick where elementary school kids get rid of explosives by stealing a backhoe and driving it off a cliff. Perhaps it never will reconcile those two sides of itself. But it's still fun.
February 16, 2022
Tight cinematic plotting really defines this volume.
Our heroes continue their journey across South America hoping to finally find safety and a chance to catch their breath in the Federation stronghold of Jabouru. Unfortunately, it is not to be. Pursued across the Amazon by Zeon ships as well as old enemies Amuro and crew as usual are holding onto survival by a thread. For the first time in volumes death truly stalks our heroes’ heels and some characters don’t make it.
Char rears his conniving head again. And betrayal and secrets continue to rule the day. As usual we get a look at a few new mobile suits. I kinda love the Zeon underwater working suits. They have a real Black Manta vibe, but like 1000 times bigger.
Plus the extra material in the back definitely increases my amazement and admiration of the creator Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s work. Just stunning.
Onward to volume 5. Too bad the library doesn’t have any volumes after this one. Ugh…Barnes and Noble coupons here I come…
Our heroes continue their journey across South America hoping to finally find safety and a chance to catch their breath in the Federation stronghold of Jabouru. Unfortunately, it is not to be. Pursued across the Amazon by Zeon ships as well as old enemies Amuro and crew as usual are holding onto survival by a thread. For the first time in volumes death truly stalks our heroes’ heels and some characters don’t make it.
Char rears his conniving head again. And betrayal and secrets continue to rule the day. As usual we get a look at a few new mobile suits. I kinda love the Zeon underwater working suits. They have a real Black Manta vibe, but like 1000 times bigger.
Plus the extra material in the back definitely increases my amazement and admiration of the creator Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s work. Just stunning.
Onward to volume 5. Too bad the library doesn’t have any volumes after this one. Ugh…Barnes and Noble coupons here I come…
February 16, 2018
Another great volume. This one is especially interesting because of the bit at the end by guest contributor Yokusaru Shibata. He points out that Yasuhiko draws the entire manga by himself with some help from an editor, does not use storyboards, and does not use guides with his pencil drawings. Pretty amazing. This is a very special manga.
Read
October 29, 2022Like the rest of these in the series, they've really expanded on and improved on the core story. One of the things I wished they did in the show is introduce Sleggar a lot earlier, they introduce him at Jaburo here, which feels about right.
However, like the rest of the volumes the translation is a bit wonky, with some grammatical errors and odd phrasing.
However, like the rest of the volumes the translation is a bit wonky, with some grammatical errors and odd phrasing.
May 23, 2025
The first real black mark here: you didn't really need to touch Ryu's sacrifice and make it as silly as it came out to be. There seemed to be no reason for it.
On the bright side, the GMs get a much better showing this time around. Nice to see them kick ass on-screen.
On the bright side, the GMs get a much better showing this time around. Nice to see them kick ass on-screen.
December 1, 2020
What a great story and the art is out of this world. Really appreciated the bonus essay at the end!
December 18, 2020
This is when the book starts to skip stuff from the show. Like Operation Odessa doesnt happen. But....thats..okay cause we went straight to the Doms.
July 17, 2022
An action packed volume that concludes with the largest scale battle yet
January 3, 2023
Again, the art in this is what keeps me coming back since we recently watched MSG so I'm familiar with the story. It's gorgeous and the essay at the back talks about how the artists doesn't use storyboards, outlines, and barely a colorist which is incredibly impressive. Some of the Jaburo landscape scenes are really wonderful. I do wish they had cut the parts with Char talking to some Amazonian Native peoples because it sort of uncomfortable.
August 5, 2023
Big robots, nice art, sad stuff. Idk this is really good so far. Enough changes to the original that makes it interesting and compelling too.
August 8, 2024
Gundam can have some incredible moments but also some very cringy ones. Another volume that could have been perfect but ends up kinda uneven.
September 2, 2024
Finally, Jaburo! I’ve been waiting so long, but then a new twist of fate occurs—and another level of intrigue. Just who is this Char? Can a civilian kid hold his own in a militarized culture?
June 3, 2025
Déjà un quart de la série et si je trouve vraiment le trait de YAS sublime, notamment sur les pages couleurs, je suis moins enthousiaste du côté de l’histoire qui avance très très lentement et n’a pas toujours l’émotion que j’aimerais…
Après avoir été attaqués par de grands pilotes, nos héros, toujours en route vers leur oasis, se retrouvent cette fois face à un vieux trio légendaires. De nouveaux combats, de nouvelle pertes, de nouvelle actions de bravoures. Tout se répète dans ce décor terrestre désormais bien connu que l’auteur tente de géolocaliser en utilisant des lieux bien reconnaissable comme Cuzco, mais ça ne m’emballe pas toujours.
J’ai eu l’impression d’un scénario cochant des cases un peu sans âme dans ce tome. J’ai ressenti moins de préoccupations philosophiques et de questionnements que d’habitude de la part d’Amuro. Il se laisse plus porté et ne se rebelle plus. Résultat, c’est de la SF militaire assez classique, et même s’ils vivent ensemble en se serrant les coudes à bord de leur vaisseau, je n’ai pas ressenti d’émotion particulière à la perte des personnages, pourtant important pour eux, de ce tome. C’est quand même ballot.
J’ai donc été contente quand ils rejoignent enfin leur Eldorado dans la seconde partie et qu’on repart sur une intrigue politique où Char fait des siennes avec ses complots, où Amuro et ses compagnons voient leur bravoure reconnue, tandis que leurs chefs étudient ses capacités et mettent en branle un plan d’équipement militaire secret. C’est encore timide pour l’auteur met doucement les pièces en place pour une suite, je l’espère, plus explosive, complexe et dramatique. Car on rigole beaucoup (avec les petits), on en prend plein les yeux (avec les combats), mais on reste aussi encore pas mal en surface et les moments marquants sont rares. Merci Char pour ça !
Petit coup de mou dans ce tome malgré le talent de dessinateur de YAS. J’attends plus de cette série de SF miliaire au héros anti-miliaire. Juste voir se gros robots se taper dessus ne me suffit pas et clairement la politique et les relations humaines complexes m’ont manqué ici, même si l’auteur commence à placer de nouveaux pions en ce sens pour la suite. Je demande à voir.
Article complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....
Après avoir été attaqués par de grands pilotes, nos héros, toujours en route vers leur oasis, se retrouvent cette fois face à un vieux trio légendaires. De nouveaux combats, de nouvelle pertes, de nouvelle actions de bravoures. Tout se répète dans ce décor terrestre désormais bien connu que l’auteur tente de géolocaliser en utilisant des lieux bien reconnaissable comme Cuzco, mais ça ne m’emballe pas toujours.
J’ai eu l’impression d’un scénario cochant des cases un peu sans âme dans ce tome. J’ai ressenti moins de préoccupations philosophiques et de questionnements que d’habitude de la part d’Amuro. Il se laisse plus porté et ne se rebelle plus. Résultat, c’est de la SF militaire assez classique, et même s’ils vivent ensemble en se serrant les coudes à bord de leur vaisseau, je n’ai pas ressenti d’émotion particulière à la perte des personnages, pourtant important pour eux, de ce tome. C’est quand même ballot.
J’ai donc été contente quand ils rejoignent enfin leur Eldorado dans la seconde partie et qu’on repart sur une intrigue politique où Char fait des siennes avec ses complots, où Amuro et ses compagnons voient leur bravoure reconnue, tandis que leurs chefs étudient ses capacités et mettent en branle un plan d’équipement militaire secret. C’est encore timide pour l’auteur met doucement les pièces en place pour une suite, je l’espère, plus explosive, complexe et dramatique. Car on rigole beaucoup (avec les petits), on en prend plein les yeux (avec les combats), mais on reste aussi encore pas mal en surface et les moments marquants sont rares. Merci Char pour ça !
Petit coup de mou dans ce tome malgré le talent de dessinateur de YAS. J’attends plus de cette série de SF miliaire au héros anti-miliaire. Juste voir se gros robots se taper dessus ne me suffit pas et clairement la politique et les relations humaines complexes m’ont manqué ici, même si l’auteur commence à placer de nouveaux pions en ce sens pour la suite. Je demande à voir.
Article complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....
December 25, 2024
I liked it 😌
-★★★✬☆- (3.25/5.00)
My Grading Score = 65% (C+)
Although this may have been my least enjoyed volume thus far, it still has a handful of good moments in there and the reveal at the very end of the volume. But it did feel like the climax for this one wasn't really there in comparison.
Verdict
It was a decent read nonetheless, and nothing crazy impressive occurred, though, maybe if we got a climactic fight against the Black Tri Star in this one I probably would have liked it more, but that doesn't change the fact that nonetheless,
I Liked It
-★★★✬☆- (3.25/5.00)
My Grading Score = 65% (C+)
Although this may have been my least enjoyed volume thus far, it still has a handful of good moments in there and the reveal at the very end of the volume. But it did feel like the climax for this one wasn't really there in comparison.
Verdict
It was a decent read nonetheless, and nothing crazy impressive occurred, though, maybe if we got a climactic fight against the Black Tri Star in this one I probably would have liked it more, but that doesn't change the fact that nonetheless,
I Liked It
May 17, 2024
Fourth volume, it is of interest to note that a different mangaka (Shibata Yokusaru) looks at how Yasuhiko Yoshikazu draws his manga in the (drawn) afterword. It's apparently not enough that Yasuhiko-sensei draws it all by hand with a brush, without any of the modern technologies that made drawing manga easier a decade, without assistants, but he does it all simultaneously. In other words, the storyboards, panel arrangement, character positioning, and penciling without guides (the shapes other artists use to orient themselves and the action).
Following Campbell's Hero's Journey, this fourth volume *seems to involve* "meeting with the goddess," but that is most assuredly not the case. The trials and tribulations continue for Amuro, as while they've reach Jaburo at last, it is not without sacrifice and loss. On the one hand, defeating Ramba Ral and the combat experience he's gained along the way has made him a significantly stronger warrior. On the other hand, he's a young man, and what's he already suffered up until now are merely set up for the many losses he suffers in this volume.
This volume can be seen as the conclusion of the first story arc of Gundam (even if by the Hero's Journey, we've in act 2 for a while). It sets up the next arc with several plot points to change the course of the One Year War.
The second readthrough was thoroughly enjoyable as well as quite beautifully drawn. I'm looking forward to rest.
Following Campbell's Hero's Journey, this fourth volume *seems to involve* "meeting with the goddess," but that is most assuredly not the case. The trials and tribulations continue for Amuro, as while they've reach Jaburo at last, it is not without sacrifice and loss. On the one hand, defeating Ramba Ral and the combat experience he's gained along the way has made him a significantly stronger warrior. On the other hand, he's a young man, and what's he already suffered up until now are merely set up for the many losses he suffers in this volume.
This volume can be seen as the conclusion of the first story arc of Gundam (even if by the Hero's Journey, we've in act 2 for a while). It sets up the next arc with several plot points to change the course of the One Year War.
The second readthrough was thoroughly enjoyable as well as quite beautifully drawn. I'm looking forward to rest.
October 15, 2016
So far the series has been focused on Amuro’s feelings about being pressed into military service to pilot the Gundam, but in this volume we get to see how some of the other civilians feel about it, including more on Mirai. All of that emotion is highlighted by the death of a member of the White Base’s own core crew. The plot here is much tighter than it was on the show, which keeps all the emotional drama sharp. It’s also probably the funniest volume so far, and I loved the amount of character interaction we get - there’s less time spent on Gundam fights than in the previous volumes, which gives more page time to the characters.
The colors and art are very nice, as always, but in this volume there are several landscape shots that really knock it out of the park. It’s such a beautiful book!
The colors and art are very nice, as always, but in this volume there are several landscape shots that really knock it out of the park. It’s such a beautiful book!
July 2, 2025
3.5✨
✨Writing a grouped review for the whole series and copy and pasting ✨
Mobile Suit Gundam is my first venture into more mechasuit sci-fi stories and to it I have had a rather mixed experience. I'm not the biggest of sci-fi readers in general but I now know this is not really my niche. I read it after multiple people had recommended to me both the manga and the anime and I am glad I have read it.
The series does an ok job at setting the plot and developing it's characters; with some satisfactory moral conclusions. However, a lot of it is pretty convoluted and hard to follow. I wouldn't say this is necessarily beginner friendly for readers not used to the genre.
If sci-fi and specifically mechsuits are more your thing, you could definitely find enjoyment here. Just not for me
✨Writing a grouped review for the whole series and copy and pasting ✨
Mobile Suit Gundam is my first venture into more mechasuit sci-fi stories and to it I have had a rather mixed experience. I'm not the biggest of sci-fi readers in general but I now know this is not really my niche. I read it after multiple people had recommended to me both the manga and the anime and I am glad I have read it.
The series does an ok job at setting the plot and developing it's characters; with some satisfactory moral conclusions. However, a lot of it is pretty convoluted and hard to follow. I wouldn't say this is necessarily beginner friendly for readers not used to the genre.
If sci-fi and specifically mechsuits are more your thing, you could definitely find enjoyment here. Just not for me
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August 20, 2016
Yasuhiko has really hit his stride with this book. The pace has decreased and some of the smaller (but important) characters really get to shine. In the first two books, the civvies and enlisted on White Base do not seem like a team. I was uncertain of many of their names and/or personalities. Volumes 3 and 4 really let characters and set pieces breathe. We're finally seeing Amuro and Sayla come into their own. We're finally seeing the horrors of war and Yasuhiko allows blood and death to be shown whereas in the first couple of volumes, characters were often engulfed in explosions. This is the mature, but still fun, Gundam retelling that we needed.
March 25, 2014
I'll be reviewing this on Bureau42, so the full review is going to be there. However, the short version is that the manga continues to improve dramatically. The Battle of Jaburo is very well done, and Yasuhiko-san does a tremendous job of pulling off scope here, both in terms of big landscapes (the full page tableau of White Base flying over Jaburo is something I'd love to hang on my wall), and action scenes. Volume V came out just this week, and I've already put it on hold from the Tualatin Library. I look forward to finally getting to read it.
March 22, 2014
A great effort to portray the ups and downs of the war, from both sides no less! Yasuhiko is consistent in making sure that neither side of the conflict seems less competent or less worthy of the causes they fight for, and in making sure that the people caught in between get their time in the limelight instead of being background characters for the mecha battles. Also, the sheer grief, and lack thereof, is really well portrayed here, as a few major characters bite the bullet.
October 1, 2015
The final leg of the journey to Jaburo. Lots of important events in the story arcs of Amuro and others are well handled here, with some interesting additional material woven in from what we saw in the anime.
The volume is marred only by the contribution from the guest essayist/manga artist who includes drawings of a Rubenesque Sayla changing into a maid outfit for no apparent reason. Prior to this the guest contributions have been tasteful homages, so hopefully this is an aberration.
The volume is marred only by the contribution from the guest essayist/manga artist who includes drawings of a Rubenesque Sayla changing into a maid outfit for no apparent reason. Prior to this the guest contributions have been tasteful homages, so hopefully this is an aberration.
May 27, 2014
The timeline of the TV series is tightened up here, with some of the filler episodes set in Asia dropped, and some of the locations switched. Some different characters are introduced, and the battle at Jaburo takes on a more epic tone. Char's whereabouts between Garma's death and the Jaburo mission are expanded and filled in with a lot more detail. An excellent installment in the story.
October 17, 2015
I really don't see anything wrong with this book. It tells story, it has conflict, and overall has a great plot to it. I also have an emotional backstory to this, as I was reading this when my cat died. Ironically my favorite character died then, too.
December 20, 2013
OH MY GOD! GIVE IT ALL THE STARS!
December 21, 2013
A bit more humor than the prior volumes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews