is a 1989 Japanese science fiction original video animation

Original video animation

, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...

 series, the first such series in the Gundam

Gundam

The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....

 franchise. Directed by Fumihiko Takayama, it was also the first time anyone other than creator Yoshiyuki Tomino

Yoshiyuki Tomino

is a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...

 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

Side story

A side story is a story that occurs alongside established stories set within a fictional universe. As opposed to a prequel, sequel, or interquel, a side story takes place within the same time frame as an existing work....

 focusing on the experiences of a ten-year-old boy during the One Year War

One Year War

The is a fictional conflict from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam metaseries. The One Year War is very similar to World War II, the major difference being that The One Year War is in a science fiction setting and some major battles occurred in space...

.

Gundam 0080 also began an enduring tradition of retroactive redesigns. Yutaka Izubuchi

Yutaka Izubuchi

is a Japanese anime designer and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical...

 updated the original Mobile Suit Gundam

Mobile Suit Gundam

is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...

'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

Hiroyuki Yamaga

is a founding member of the Japanese animation studio Gainax, and a anime director. He wrote the screenplay for Gundam 0080 . He is best known for directing the film "Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise" at age 24, directing Mahoromatic & Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi , and an episode...

, Gundam 0080 also marked a significant departure from the constant background theme of Newtypes featured in the Universal Century

Universal Century

is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....

 Gundam universe, since the original Mobile Suit Gundam

Mobile Suit Gundam

is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...

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

Haruhiko Mikimoto

is a Japanese anime character designer, illustrator and manga artist. Mostly active during the 1980s, during that decade he rose to promience and is considered one of the top character designers of his time....

 (Macross

Macross

is a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...

franchise, Megazone 23

Megazone 23

is a four-part original video animation created by AIC, written by Hiroyuki Hoshiyama, and directed by Noboru Ishiguro, Ichiro Itano, Kenichi Yatagai and Shinji Aramaki. The series was originally titled but the title was changed just before release....

, Gunbuster

Gunbuster

Gunbuster, known in Japan as is a six episode anime OVA series created by Gainax in 1988. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, best known as the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title is a combination of the titles of classic tennis anime Aim for the Ace!, whose plot inspired...

).

In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 it aired on Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....

's Toonami

Toonami

Toonami was a registered trademark of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997 and ended on September 20, 2008.The...

 block and briefly on Adult Swim

Adult Swim

Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...

.

Plot

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, one of whom is young rookie Bernard Wiseman, 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. However, the raid fails and the entire team is killed except for Bernard. After crashing his mobile suit, Bernard manages to befriend Alfred Izuhura and Christina Mackenzie, the Gundam test pilot. As Bernard tries to repair his damaged mobile suit, Bernard slowly becomes infatuated with Christina, with both pilots remaining unaware of each others' true natures. However, Bernard discovers that Zeon will destroy Side 6 with a nuclear weapon if he cannot destroy the prototype Gundam. Feeling that he has no choice, Bernard takes his mobile suit and goes to engage the Gundam. Alfred then discovers that the Zeon ship carrying the nuclear weapons was captured, meaning Bernard has no more reason to fight. He goes to try and stop Bernard, only to see Bernard's mobile suit destroyed and an injured Christina pulled from the heavily damaged Gundam. Afterwards, Christina tells Alfred that she will be leaving Side 6, and asks Alfred to say goodbye to Bernard for her, still unaware that she had actually killed him. Alfred does not have the heart to tell her the truth and agrees to her request.

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

Zeon

In the television anime Mobile Suit Gundam universe, Zeon can refer to the Republic of Zeon, the Principality of Zeon or Neo Zeon. It is also referred to as the Duchy of Zeon or the Zeon Dukedom...

's Zaku

MS-06 Zaku II

The MS-06 Zaku II is a mobile suit from the Mobile Suit Gundam metaverse. It is redesigned by Kunio Okawara based upon the earlier draft by the series director Yoshiyuki Tomino, in which only the name was kept. The Zaku II has seen various redesigns and variants for hundreds of pieces of...

 mobile suits, which he regards as "cool". One day, Al meets a rookie Zeon

Zeon

In the television anime Mobile Suit Gundam universe, Zeon can refer to the Republic of Zeon, the Principality of Zeon or Neo Zeon. It is also referred to as the Duchy of Zeon or the Zeon Dukedom...

 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

Zeon

In the television anime Mobile Suit Gundam universe, Zeon can refer to the Republic of Zeon, the Principality of Zeon or Neo Zeon. It is also referred to as the Duchy of Zeon or the Zeon Dukedom...

 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 and the closing theme is .

Reception

Yoshiyuki Tomino, who was not involved in the show's production, was interviewed for the Newtype magazine

Newtype (magazine)

is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime and manga . It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985 with its April issue, and has since seen regular release on the 10th of every month in its home country...

 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.

Episode list

>

#	Title	Release Date	English Airdate

External links

• Official Websites: Anime, GundamOfficial