The "Don't worry Al, another war will start soon...!" line at the end of the show is genuinely one of my favorite quotes in fiction.

Man, that scene of Al crying at the end gets me everytime. It's just incredibly sad that he's the only one who knows what really happened.

I also loved how Bernie's message for Al included a lesson for him that soldiers fight for what they think is right and that he shouldn't hold a grudge against the Gundam pilot. This is something that even the viewers forget and tend to see factions in black and white

Al not only lost Bernie in the battle, but learned that Chris was the Gundam's pilot in the same moment. Whoever won that duel, he would have lost someone dear to him.

In-universe, Sydney is totally obliterated. It was the impact sight from the colony drop at the start of the 1 Year War. Bernie really made a bad call there. War in the Pocket is my single favorite piece of Gundam media. I have no shame admitting I cried at the end.

0080 is honestly probably the high point of Gundam for me. It's very well animated, honestly up there with CCA for best-looking imo, short enough that it says what it needs to say without belabouring the point, and remains emotionally affecting even having watched it several times. Having the PoV character be such a direct audience projection for the "wow cool robot kid" is... not subtle, but it is effective. And the relationship between Al and Bernie works so well in both directions.

The operation being called rubicon is very important as its a reference to the phrase crossing the rubicon which refers to crossing the point of no return.

I love how that if u had never seen any Gundam lore beforehand... U can still enjoy the story

for those who thought the characters look familiar, (especially those brows) 0080 character designer is Haruhiko Mikimoto, famous for being the character designer for Macross and many of its spinoffs. He also designed Gunbuster and was probably the hottest designer back then. 0080 is still my favorite Gundam OVA, but not one I would watch over and over. :)

“To him, War is just something distant that happens on tv” my man, you’re giving me Ace Combat 04 intro cutscene flashbacks.

This OVA really hit close to me watching it recently. I was once Al. War was just something on TV. Before I joined the army.

Just a slight correction, the Zaku has a fusion reactor, not a nuclear reactor. It uses Helium-3 as fuel and the moment the reactor is turned off the reactions inside fizzle out. The reason they sometimes go boom is if a beam weapon of some kind hit the reactor while it is running which leads to an out of control nuclear fusion reaction.

The Alex's forearm guns will always be one of my favorite features of any Gundam, and it makes sense as it's almost like a response to the shield-mounted guns that you see in the Gouf suits. This anime is so fantastic. It will always be one of my favorites.

One of the little details I love about this OVA is how disassembling of the Zaku as part of the plan created a whole chain of lore that shows up in later entries of the series. If my memory is right, I believe the first models of Zaku were rolled out as colony construction equipment in order to help Zeon to hide its arms buildup before the war. That means that "under the hood" an early-model Zaku is about as alarming to a customs agent as truck engines and forklift parts.

Great vid! 0080 is probably the most anti-war Gundam has ever gotten, the best Christmas watch since Die Hard, and made me want a kit of the Kampfer like you wouldn't believe. 9/10 I'm ready for some mouth-watering hamburgers.

War in the Pocket is amazing. From the heart wrenching story, the gorgeous battle scenes, great mechanical designs and also one of the greatest OST from any anime. 9/10 a must watch for all Gundam and Mecha fans.

Al watching the firefight says a lot about his preparedness for war and how little distance there can be. He is seeing people he now knows getting ripped to shreds and dying. That went beyond his imagination

Al IMO is one of the best characters in the franchise, a mirror to the people who partake in the phenomenon that is Gundam. Rich in self-deprecation, naivety, and irony. He's up there with Char, Garrod, Kihel/Diana and Lockons.

This is one of the peaks of gundam, no question or doubt about it.

This was to me, one of the BEST Gundam OVAS....and one of the most tragic....the ending with Al just breaking down into tears sums it all up for me.

Definitely one of the sadder entries in the Gundam universe.

Love the Xenogears theme playing in the background, the GOAT mecha JRPG! A life-altering PS1 game IMO. Hiroko Moriguchi is indeed our Gundam Goddess, but I would humbly submit that Christina Mackenzie, Emma Sheen, Four Murasame, Roux Rouka and Bianca Carlyle should be included in that pantheon. 0080 is my favorite UC Gundam series, IMO the Grave of the Fireflies of Mecha anime

Al's parents are not separated. Al's dad keeps him away from Side 6 so he rarely gets time to be at home. It reflects the actual situation in Japan where the father leaves quite early in the day and usually never comes back home until very late at night. If anything, it more of Al's parents just not spending more time with Al and being passive with him.

Too depressing to watch without immediately following up with the Build Fighters episode where the main three are all happily living in the BF Universe.

I was so impressed by how much money was visible on this mini series. I honestly thought the first episode would be a self contained movie movie but it just kept going! The cuts are short and dynamic(for live action this is the cheap method but for animation it’s the opposite), often the shots are wide and there were times when there were two digit number of independently moving characters on screen. It’s unreal to me how much work was put in, and it’s sad to see we probably won’t ever see this kind of show again from that side of the Pacific.

I've watched all the UC Gundam series from '79 to Unicorn and I honestly think 0080 does the best job of actually conveying the messaging the franchise is going for. The mainline series all have a fundamental incoherence to them: "War is hell ... now watch our cast of magical space psychics take on entire armies and win and personally change the fates of nations". We do see devastation and consequences for the cast, but ultimately these are romantic stories of war driven by heroic figures. 0080 shows the hell of war at every level. Leaders are corrupt and spend the lives of their men to advance their own interests. Soldiers are deeply flawed people doing what they feel they have to, just like we all are. And there are no heroes on a battlefield, the random violence of war kills good men, bad men, and innocents indiscriminately and often for no reason at all

War in the Pocket is definitely Gundam at it's core. Awesome video as always, man! Looking forward to the next ones!

Oh btw: war in the pocket is a major keyhole moment back into time. "If only we had mobile phones in this story about giant robots."

"after her recovers from the blunt force trauma" Best line i've ever heard right there.

You just instictively know that Bernie is going to die when he decided to fight a gundam with a Zaku, and it feels bad...

This is one of my Favorite Gundam series. Excited to hear your takes! After watching, I have to say you gave a great run down and I love how you explained the characters. The development they did for such a short story is what drew me in. You get so attached so quickly then poof they're gone and it gives such a heavy emotional impact. Going to binge your other Gundam videos now as I build an Exia MG

One can only imagine how battle at A Baoa Qu would go if Amuro actually received Alex. He would destroy Char. And Bernie gets huge credit for heavily damaging Alex. He does it through cleveryly set up traps, deception and surprise attack. This is huge achievment because if you have watched original series, you know that Zaku can't even scratch a Gundam.

This one probably has my favorite music of any of the UC series. That score that plays during Cyclops team's mission at the beginning and the one during the Kampfer fight is straight fuego.

I've made it my goal to watch all of universal century over the past year or so and I'm getting very close to the end. I very much enjoyed watching your video series thus far and I'm looking forward to seeing your takes on later installments in particular 08th MS team and 0083.

Yes, F91 is less sad. It's the opening to a new era of gundam in more ways than one (that was the intent anyway). Crossbone Gundam isn't animated yet but it's essentially official material and it's quite a ride being the continuation to F91. I'll say it now before you get to it, Seabook and Cecily are probably the absolutely most successful couple in any gundam show or universe. On the topic of War in the Pocket, yeah, the movie is basically about the reality of the outside world reaching in and slapping Al so hard it knocks the brat right out of him. There's actually a post-story to War in the Pocket that a few of the japanese gundam channels cover. If I remember rightly, sometime after the events of the movie, Chris leaves the colony again and sends a letter to Al which talks about a number of things such as how she's been doing, checking in with Al and asking about Bernie (she still has no clue and is still interested). I forget the rest of the other details but I suggest you try looking for it if you have the time.

i see the Gundam Ovas as stories exploring the effects on different groups in war. the common soldier that rises to greatness, a starry eyed ensign that becomes dispossessed with the earth federation, the children that are allowed to glorify war as a game versus its reality

I was fifteen years old when War in the Pocket was released. The Alex was among the first Gunpla I built.

17:23 it's Christmas time because it's running in parallel with Gundam 0079 late December Abao Qu, to not confuse the audience they called it 0080. It's actually Late December 0079 and the NT-1 did not make it to Amuro due to the attack on the Antarctica base.

This is a top tier Gundam for me. It looks great, tells a good self contained story, anyone can watch it whether they are familiar with Gundam or not (as long as they know what they're in for with "show with big robot"), it's emotionally effective, and even makes good commentary on the folks who consume Gundam. It's just solid. It's a favorite.

Props for using Front Mission OST in this video.

Bernie's final video made be lose it in a way damn near nothing I've watched had. Not a lot hit me like that, but damn that one stung me right in the feels.

I watched this over 30 years ago and still remember it as vividly as yesterday. It was my first exposure to the franchise (technically Zeta but only read about it, didn't see it until much later). Gundam has always been about the human side of the story, with complex characters and plot. That's what attracted me to the franchise. I remember when I watched it as a teenager the thing that immediately struck me was the contrast with North American cinema, never mind animation.. which I guarantee.. Al would be able to stop the fight and Chris+Bernie live happily ever after.

We need more shows like war in the pocket, I always find myself asking how many solders/people die in space battles when each ship blows up, or ground battles when a entire building full of civilians crumbles during a battle

Ngl, Gundam 0080 War in the pocket personally had the best story IMO

With a last name like Killing, you'd think he would be a pacifist....LOL.

Differing from my opinions of most of UC so far, I actually love War in the Pocket and is my favorite UC entry and definitely one of the higher points for me. The small scale story when compared to the larger events help ground the One Year War timeline in believability, no Newtype BS in the way. The relationship between all of the characters are engaging, and I cared more about one death in this series than all of the deaths in Zeta and Victory combined. To add to the bleakness of it, it was unlikely the Alex would've done much had it been delivered, with the war being in its final stages, truly being a pointless endeavor and really hitting that anti-war message that is done exceptionally well here. Al may be too on the nose for those shallow Gundam fans that he basically portrays, really only liking Zeon for their cooler looking suits. I don't know what it is about the Alex, but it's another favorite of mine too. I only wish that it were more popular when people seem to only care about Stardust Memories or 8th MS Team as noteworthy OVAs.

theres a japanese commercial for 0080 dvd that has an older al narrating it reflecting on his time with bernie

Bernie lying about being one kill away from being an ACE pilot isn't much of a lie by the end of the anime. Destroying a Gundam was seen as making you an ACE in the eyes of Zeon.

Got this as an afterthought many years ago along with Char's counterattack. I did not expect this to be by far my preference between the two. Highly underrated.

War in the Pocket has a speical place in my heart it's favorite ova in general the ending is just fucking depressing also Al's cousin is waifu material

HamBernie is one of those lines that was so shocking my imaginary image of it is still etched on my soul.

Sorry to hear you were sick. Glad you are feeling better. Good video.

As a kid growing up with Wing, G, and 0079 back in the Toonami days, the only thing that I got from the shows was how cool the gundams were, how flashy they were, and of course the moody protagonists. It wasn't until my early teens when I discovered 0080 where the anti war messages and the horrors of it finally clicked. It hit hard, but it made me appreciate the whole package of gundam that much more. Great retrospect as always.

I went and watched this show specifically because of how well this video portrayed the show.

Im loving the gundam retrospective! Looking forward to the next video!

That kid seems like a realistic nightmare! Gundam hits different as an adult.

I still remember the ending years later, I remember feeling sad. I love that you incorporated xenogear music in this video!

I cry watching the end every time

I started watching 0080 because of gunpla, my first kit was the HG GM Sniper II. Watching the rest of the shows I can confidently say that 0080 is one of the best pieces of Gundam media behind CCA.

This is easily my second favorite Gundam show after the 08th MS Team.

As cool as the kampfer was it is not a mech designed for open combat. It is purely a hit and run mech as it quite literally has no armor. It is the mobile suit definition of a glass cannon to where even a zaku 1 or the the zaku prototypes from Origin could kill it.

Keep up the amazing work! Really enjoying the gundam retrospectives

whenever someone asks me what's the best entry point for the franchise, when it comes to UC, i always says, start with either MS IGLOO or War in the Pocket. those are 2 small 6 episode series that really manage to show what gundam is all about, both in therms of the drama of war, but also how it breaks those involved in it, and even how each side has its own story and point of view.

I love war in a pocket but boy what a downer

Of all the Gundam shows I've watched, this one has cemented itself in my mind the most. I love it.

I just started watching gundam and I’m going in chronological order on the time line. I just finished 0080 and goddamn that was a trip. Thanks for making these videos it helps me reinforce the information thrown at me in the show

War in the Pocket is one of my top 3 Gundam shows, I wish more people would watch it

It's one of the strongest Gundam story for me.

Have to say War in the Pocket's one of my favourite Gundam shows. Yeah, I like the others to varying degrees, some for the story, some for the designs, but I think I like this in no small part for the lack of "teen somehow gets into top secret military mech and saves the world." It's just good.

I was that age during the First Gulf war.

The Star Ocean 2 dungeon track made me double take. Love that OST.

I just finished watching this with my dad. It's the only Gundam he's watched, and he recommended Gundam because of it.

This is my favorite series. This shows what Gundam story is about in a short form.

amazing video retcon!!!

@9:11 This guy really put out a nearly unused cigarette only to pull out another cigarette. Like we get it Sunrise, that guy must be a really war hardened vet. 😆

when my trip into gundam began, this was one of the first I was able to see. 08th ms team, War in the pocket and Wing were my first true introductions to Gundam followed by G gundam and then the original and so on. The Alex with Christina, Bernie and the Kampher were what made this show for me aside from the story and visuals.

I think people need to give Berny a bet more credit he should have had no chance at ALL fright the Alex. He did did destroy the gundam in the end but died doing it. that max hem a great pilot if you ask me.

What was next? The franchise's first OVA and the opportunity with it to be experimental with the first Gundam show Tomino didn't have a hand in. As I make my way through the original series, I'm definitely going to alternate between Mobile Suit Gundam 1979 and 0080: War in the Pocket when I reach the final half of the series. Also, I have a Master Grade kit of the Gundam NT-1 (the destroyer of dreams at the heart of 0080's yarn) and am currently waiting for replacement parts of this writing due to how its wrist joints weren't made correctly.

God I loved this series. I'm currently on my journey through the Universal Century and this is currently my favorite, on-par with 08th MS Team or even Apocalypse 0079's ending. Merry Christmas, Bernie... Merry Christmas.

This is the best Gundam I’ve ever seen.

Unable to process it...? Dude, Al is the only one who knows what happened. Anyone would cry over that if it happened to them and their friend, especially when it didn't have to be like that.

I had Alex and Kampf action figures as a kid. Crazy combo and are two of the best designed gundams & zeon suits in the franchise. Alex has armor so its OD.

I'm a fairly new Gundam fan and I just watched War on the Pocket yesterday. I appreciate that it was 90% spy work and 10% robot fights.

I just finished my first watch of this this week, and I just can't imagine getting shellshocked in elementary school. Moreover, Al will likely live with the guilt of getting hundreds of people, including Bernie, killed because he decided to take some photos. It's absolutely heartbreaking. I love it.

My co-favorite ova Gundam series Christmas eve themed spectacular, the uniquess War in the Pocket brings from the perspective of war through a young lady named Al, to a big sister like figure and one of the best mobile suit gundam series girls Christina Makenzie, to the best Boi of the Zeon forces (next to Char) and the big brother figure Bernie good people on both ends which makes the final episode so much sadder that you'll burst into tears, brilliant display of anti War mini series 😥

Holy shit I missed the frog torture line completely jesus christ.

War in the Pocket is probably my favorite out of the gundam shows I've seen so far, I genuinely cried at the end of it I hope Al gets space therapy 🙏🏿

This is easily my favorite Gundam series, and for me the best example of the franchise. MSG was never really about "cool mecha", but about the horrors of war. Voilence is terrifying, death is certain and no one escapes scars. NO ONE. It does a good job of not making a good vs evil argument, but painting everything is bloody red. Sadly, Gundam would move farther and farther into Big Mecha Fights and standard anime tropes as it went outside the Universal Century timelines.

excellent breakdown. ive always wanted another story involving Al and Christina to see what became of them

YES MOM!

I love this series so much! I was actually almost tearing up at the end of this haha

I love Xenogears OST and was pleasantly surprised to hear in this video. Great video

Beautiful short story of lost of innocence in wartime. And the animation is pretty good. I guess OVA budget is between movie and TV . The cell shading is quite good. And the mecha!

Another great video!. And cannot wait for your take on Patlabor 🙂

0080 is part of my traditional Christmas programming

you know, they show these side story mini series, introduce these characters only once each, and yet after that, in Zeta, Double Zeta, Char's Counterattack, Unicorn, you NEVER hear the mention of their names in any of the main timeline of the UC storyline.

To Al, this experience will be his ghost of christmas past.

What's sad about Bernie's death is that he died for nothing. A Zeon fleet was going to nuke the colony if the Alex Gundam wasn't destroyed, but the Federation prevented it.

nice ost from one of my favorite games of all time

This was one of the first things Gundam I watched (aside from Gundam Wing & Endless Waltz). I watched this, Stardust Memory & the First Gundam Movie Trilogy English Subtitled on VHS (remember VHS?). Did you ever hear about the 1st Gulf War, from the 90s? I remember collecting newspaper articles about that. It was the first time I ever saw anything about war on TV.