Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO Apocalypse 0079: In-depth review and recommended points

"Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO Apocalypse 0079": The truth of the One Year War depicted in full 3DCG

"Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO Apocalypse 0079" is an OVA released on April 26, 2006, and tells the story of the Principality of Zeon's development of new weapons and their testing, set during the "One Year War" of Universal Century 0079. Produced in full 3D CG, this work depicts the harshness of war and human drama, focusing on the exploits of the Zeon army's "603rd Technical Test Unit."

story

In the year 0079 of the Universal Century, the Principality of Zeon, which challenged the Earth Federation to a war of independence, deployed new weapons and new models of aircraft one after another to the battlefield. However, a harsh reality existed behind the scenes. This work is an ensemble drama that depicts the action of the humans who participated in the Zeon military's "603rd Technical Test Team" and the Zeon military's experimental weapons. "Apocalypse 0079" depicts the final battle of the 603rd Technical Test Team, which is fought as the Zeon military is facing strong odds of defeat at the end of the One Year War.

Commentary

"Apocalypse 0079," the second installment of the "MS IGLOO" series, pursues the truth of the One Year War depicted in full 3D CG. The highlights of this work are the new mission of the "603rd Technical Test Squad," which tests the practical use of new weapons of the Principality of Zeon, and the drama that unfolds within it. As the defeat of the Zeon army becomes more and more likely, the final battle of the 603rd Technical Test Squad at A Baoa Qu begins.

cast

The cast of this film is as follows:

• Technical Lieutenant Oliver My: Hideo Ishikawa
• Special Lieutenant Monique Cadillac: Miki Nagasawa
• Captain Martin Prochnow: Shozo Iizuka
• Major General Albert Schacht: Tamio Oki
• Deputy Chief Erich Kruger: Matsumoto Dai
• Lieutenant Hideto Washiya: Jun Fukuyama
• Second Officer Jean Xavier: Mikako Takahashi
• Third Officer Domenico Marquez: Katsuya Shiga

Main Staff

The main staff of this work are as follows:

• Original author: Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino
• Director: Takashi Imanishi
• Screenplay: Tomohide Okuma, Hiroshi Ohnogi
• Directed by: Matsuda Goji
• Base mechanical design: Kunio Okawara
• Supervisor: Yutaka Izubuchi
• Design Works: Yutaka Izubuchi, Hajime Katoki, Shinji Aramaki, Kimitoshi Yamane, Kenki Fujioka
• Setting research: Nagase Yui
• CG Supervisor: Masayoshi Obata
• Sound Director: Sadayoshi Fujino
• Music: Megumi Ohashi
• Music producers: Keiichi Nozaki, Noboru Mano
• Music Production: Victor Entertainment, Sunrise Music Publishing
• Producers: Koichi Inoue, Takashi Imanishi, Satoshi Kubo
• Production cooperation: Bandai Visual
• Planning and production: Sunrise

Main Characters

The main characters of this work are as follows:

• Lieutenant Oliver My: Technical Information Division. 23 years old. After graduating from university, he was commissioned as a technical officer in the Technical Information Division three months before the start of the war. He is engrossed in mechanisms and their development ideas, and has a purity that is out of place on the battlefield. He is assigned to the 603rd Technical Test Squadron and performs technical evaluation tests on prototype weapons, while also interacting with people connected to the prototype weapons. The story of "MS IGLOO Apocalypse 0079" is told from his perspective.
• Special Lieutenant Monique Cadillac: 25 years old. She graduated from the military academy and is an elite female officer who belongs to the Supreme Commander's Office, directly under Commander Ghiren. She boards the 603rd Technical Test Squadron as a "watchdog" to oversee the results of new weapon experiments. She understands that she is disliked by the crew, but she carries out her duties.
• Captain Martin Prochnow: 53 years old. Captain since the days when Jotunheim was a civilian freighter before it was incorporated into the 603rd Technical Test Squadron. He is not a regular soldier but a civilian military officer. He puts the safety of the ship first, and makes calm decisions according to the situation aboard the ship, where quarrels are constant due to the ragtag unit.
• Major General Albert Schacht: Chief of the Technical Headquarters. Age 57. Chief of the Technical Headquarters, an organization linked to the General Headquarters of the Principality of Zeon Military. He is in charge of directly managing the delivery of prototype weapons and test items for the 603rd Technical Test.
• First Officer Erich Kruger: Captain equivalent. Age 40. Jotunheim's second-in-command and Captain Blochnow's right-hand man. He has known the captain for a long time since their days on the civilian ship, and is highly trusted by him.
• Lieutenant Hideto Washiya: Technical Test Division. 23 years old. A test pilot who tests various new weapons in operation. Apparently, he once participated in the same project as Oliver Mai. Fortunately, his personality is the opposite of his, making them good partners.
• Second Mate Jean Xavier: A member of the 603rd Technical Test Squadron, he serves as second mate on the Jotunheim under Captain Bronohou. He is not a soldier, but a "military employee."
• Domenico Marquez, 3rd Mate: A member of the 603rd Technical Test Squadron, he serves as 3rd Mate on the Jotunheim under Captain Bronohou. He is not a soldier, but a "military employee."
• Lieutenant Werner Holbein: Age 20. A pilot of the prototype Mobile Diver System weapon. He came to Jotunheim on a mission to shoot down the Federation space ships launched from Jaburo.
• Erwin Cadillac: Sergeant Major. He is one of the many student soldiers assigned by headquarters to the Kaspen Combat Battalion (Jotunheim) for the decisive battle with the Earth Federation Forces in the A Baoa Qu sector. He volunteered to become a junior soldier. He pilots the mobile pod "Oggo" and performs evaluation tests, which are the mission of the 603rd Technical Test Squadron. He is the younger brother of Special Lieutenant Monique Cadillac, who reports directly to the Supreme Commander's Office.
• Herbert von Kaspen: Colonel. He pilots a Gelgoog and lands on Jotunheim. He announces that he has incorporated the 603rd Technical Test Squad into his own combat battalion. The strange noises coming from his body are due to his prosthetic left arm.

Main Robot Items

The main robots and items that appear in this work are as follows.

• Test Support Ship Jotunheim: A test support ship of the Zeon military on which the 603rd Technical Test Squadron is aboard. Originally a freighter and passenger ship that operated between Sides, it was requisitioned six months before the outbreak of the One Year War and commissioned after undergoing minimal modifications.
• Z'Gok: A modified version of the Z'Gok underwater mobile suit. Used to control LWCs (Large Weapon Transport Containers). Together with the LWC they form the Mobile Diver System.
• MP-02A Destroyer Mobile Pod Oggo: A machine developed in response to the worsening war situation of the Zeon forces. It was mass-produced in an emergency using existing weapons such as the Zaku machine gun. It was deployed to Jotunheim and used in the final battle of A Baoa Qu.
• MA-05Ad Big Lang: A huge mobile armor composed of the "MA-05 Bigro (manufactured by MIP)" as its core unit. The "Ad" in the model number stands for "Ammunition Depot."

subtitle

The subtitles of this work are as follows:

• Episode 1: Seeing the ocean above Jaburo (2006/04/26)
• Episode 2: Crossing the Pass of Light (2006/06/23)
• Episode 3: The soul returns to the thunder (2006/08/25)

Related Titles

The works related to this work are as follows:

• Mobile Suit Gundam
• Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO One Year War Secret Record
• Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: Gravity Front

Theme songs and music

The theme songs and music for this work are as follows:

• TM1
• Dream Tracks
• Lyricist: Naho
• Composer: Taja
• Arrangement: Taja
• Sung by: Taja

Ratings and Recommendations

"Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO Apocalypse 0079" is a work that depicts the harsh reality of the One Year War using the new technology of full 3D CG. The story, which centers around the development of new weapons by the Principality of Zeon and their testing, realistically depicts the human drama behind the war. In particular, the story told from the perspective of Technical Lieutenant Oliver Mai highlights the gap between the purity of an engineer and the harshness of the battlefield, deeply moving viewers.

In addition, the full 3D CG visual expression realizes realistic battle scenes that are a cut above conventional animation, and the visual impact is great. In particular, the scenes where the prototype weapons are used and the final battle at A Baoa Qu are well worth watching, and are enjoyable not only for Gundam fans but also for general viewers.

The cast is also impressive, with veteran voice actors such as Hideo Ishikawa, Miki Nagasawa, and Shozo Iizuka bringing out the best in the story. In particular, Hideo Ishikawa's performance as Oliver Maye captures the hearts of viewers with his exquisite portrayal of the purity of an engineer and the harshness of the battlefield.

The main staff is also impressive, with director Imanishi Takashi, screenwriters Okuma Tomohide and Ohnogi Hiroshi, director Matsuda Goji, and other staff who have supported the Gundam series. In addition, staff who have worked on the mecha design of the Gundam series, such as Okawara Kunio in base mechanical design, Izubuchi Yutaka as supervisor, and Katoki Hajime of Design Works, are also involved, and the realistic depiction of the mecha enhances the appeal of the work.

Related works include "Mobile Suit Gundam," "Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Secret Record of the One Year War," and "Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: Gravity Front." By watching these works together, you can gain a deeper understanding of the whole picture of the One Year War. In addition, the theme song "Yumewadachi" further enhances the moving story with Taja's beautiful voice and melody, deepening the afterglow after watching.

Overall, "Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO Apocalypse 0079" is a work that beautifully combines visual expression using the new technology of full 3DCG with a story that depicts the harshness of war and human drama. It is a work that can be recommended not only to Gundam fans but also to general viewers, so please give it a watch.