Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (機動戦士ガンダム0080 ポケットの中の戦争) is a 1989 Japanese science fiction original video animation series, the first such series in the Gundam franchise. Directed by Fumihiko Takayama, it was also the first time anyone other than creator Yoshiyuki Tomino was given a chance to direct a Gundam story. Released in 1989, it serves to commemorate Gundam 's ten-year anniversary. As suggested by its subtitle, "War in the Pocket," it is a small, personal story; a side story focusing on the experiences of a ten-year-old boy during the One Year War.

Gundam 0080 also began an enduring tradition of retroactive redesigns. Yutaka Izubuchi updated the original Mobile Suit Gundam's dated mechanical designs and costumes, and since then every new creative team has offered its own take on the classic Gundam props.

Not penned by Tomino, but by Hiroyuki Yamaga, Gundam 0080 also marked a significant departure from the constant background theme of Newtypes featured in the Universal Century Gundam universe, since the original Mobile Suit Gundam up until Char's Counterattack. The absence of this theme raised the series' appeal towards audiences without special liking of Gundam and Tomino's work and would continue in many following Gundam stories narrating about ordinary soldiers and people in these conflicts.

The character designer for this series was Haruhiko Mikimoto (Macross franchise, Megazone 23, Gunbuster).

Plot synopsis
December, Universal Century 0079. Zeon intelligence has identified a prototype Federation Gundam under development in a Federation base in the Arctic. Elite Zeon MS commandos are dispatched to destroy the prototype, but before they can accomplish their mission the Gundam is launched into space. When the Gundam turns up in a Federation R&D base inside the neutral space colony Side 6, the Principality launches a covert operation to destroy the Gundam. The raid fails and Zeon will launch a nuclear strike against the colony unless the last remaining commando can eliminate the Gundam.

Main characters

 * Alfred Izuruha
 * Al is an 11-year-old schoolboy, has a distant relationship with his father who works for the Earth Federation, gets mediocre grades in school and misbehaves in front of his mother and teachers. As a naive young boy who lives in the Libot colony of neutral Side 6, Al has little real idea about the war outside that is ravaging the Earth Sphere, and is fascinated by tales of mobile suit combats. He has a special interest in Zeon's Zaku mobile suits, which he regards as "cool".  One day, Al meets a rookie Zeon pilot, Bernie Wiseman, whose Zaku is disabled and crashes after a short battle with Federation forces in the colony.


 * Bernard Wiseman
 * Petty Officer 2nd Class Bernard "Bernie" Wiseman is rookie soldier for the Principality of Zeon who befriends Al after his Zaku is shot down within Libot. He is later reassigned to the elite Cyclops Team as they embark on a top secret mission.


 * Christina MacKenzie
 * Al's friend and neighbor who has just returned from Earth on a top secret job for the Earth Federation.

Supporting characters

 * Steiner Hardie
 * Lieutenant Steiner Hardie is an experienced war veteran who commands the elite Cyclops Team, which is assigned a tall order to either capture or destroy the Earth Federation's top secret weapon.


 * Gabriel Ramirez Garcia
 * Petty Officer 1st Class Garcia is a Hispanic playboy who was initially the junior member of the Cyclops Team before the arrival of Bernie, whom he eagerly takes to bullying.


 * Mikhail Kaminsky
 * Ensign Mikhail "Mischa" Kaminsky is a big, rugged Russian who drinks a lot both on and off the battlefield. He is a solid member of the Cyclops Team, ranking second to Lieutenant Hardie.


 * Colonel Killing
 * A ruthless and intimidating Zeon officer whose assignment of the rookie pilot Bernie Wiseman to the Cyclops Team hints an ulterior motive.


 * Charlie
 * Charlie is an old bartender who has lived on Libot his whole life and is good friends with Cyclops Team captain Steiner Hardy.


 * Chay
 * Chay is one of Al's school friends and acts as the ringleader of the group. Claiming his big brother is a Federation mobile suit pilot, Chay impresses his friends with what appears to be an authentic Federation Forces rank badge.


 * Telcott
 * Telcott is another friend of Al's. He is not as big a troublemaker as Al and Chay but he still shares their interest in war games. He seems to be something of a mama's boy, typically prefacing his comments with "My mom says..."


 * Dorothy
 * Dorothy is Al's goody two-shoes classmate, who's constantly getting into arguments with him and his pals. Al loathes her for that but when his first-hand experience with war eventually reduces him to tears, she proves to be a sympathetic friend.

Production and development
Two pieces of music by Megumi Shiina are used for the opening and closing themes. The opening theme is "Reach Out to the Sky Someday" and the closing theme is "Distant Memory".

Reception
Yoshiyuki Tomino, who was not involved in the show's production, was interviewed for the Newtype magazine April 1989 issue, after the release of the first episode. He praised the director's effort to make the show realistic and focused on things other than Mobile Suit battles. He also commented on two glitches, one being the portrayal of a blue sky in the colony rather than the other side of the cylinder, which is only about 6.4 km away; and the children being out during a wartime alert. Tomino thought that school resuming with combat in such close proximity was unrealistic, when a more sensible response should have been to close the school immediately and guide the children to shelters.