Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
First original theatrical Gundam film concluding the rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack (機動戦士ガンダム 逆襲のシャア, Kidō Senshi Gandamu: Gyakushū no Shā) is a 1988 Japanese anime science fiction film directed and written by Tomino Yoshiyuki. Set in the Universal Century timeline in UC 0093, it serves as the culmination of the original saga begun in Mobile Suit Gundam and continued through Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ.
The film marks the final conflict of the fourteen-year rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, whilst bringing the Earth Federation/Zeon conflicts to a close. In addition to being the first original Gundam theatrical release, Char’s Counterattack was also the first Gundam production to make use of computer graphics during a five-second shot of the Sweetwater colony rotating in space.
Synopsis
In UC 0093, thirteen years after the One Year War, the Earth Federation has recovered from its previous defeats and created a new anti-colonial special taskforce called Londo Bell to deal with rebel forces. Elsewhere in space, Char Aznable emerges from self-imposed exile with a declaration that he now commands his own Neo Zeon movement. Unlike previous Zeon movements, Char intends to force the emigration of Earth’s inhabitants to space by bringing about an ice age through dropping asteroids onto the planet.
The film focuses on Char’s attempt to crash the massive asteroid Axis into Earth’s surface, which would destroy existing population and power structures whilst forcing humanity to become a spacefaring Newtype civilisation. Amuro Ray, now piloting the advanced RX-93 ν Gundam, leads the Federation forces in a desperate attempt to prevent this catastrophe. The final confrontation between these two legendary pilots serves as both a personal duel and a battle for humanity’s future.
Development
Conception
The film had an unusual genesis. Originally, director Tomino Yoshiyuki planned to wrap up Amuro and Char’s storyline in Gundam ZZ, but mid-way through production he was given the go-ahead to make a film, forcing the plot of ZZ to be rewritten. In the meantime, Tomino wrote the novel Mobile Suit Gundam: High Streamer, but when Sunrise gave him the green light for the film, he went back and wrote a second novel, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack - Beltorchika’s Children, which he specifically wrote to be adapted into a film.
However, Sunrise instead chose to use High Streamer, with the final film being a straightforward adaptation of its second half. The first draft of the script was over two hours long and featured Beltorchika Irma, Amuro’s partner from Zeta Gundam, now married to him. Concerns were raised over whether it was appropriate for a robot anime to have a married main character.
In subsequent drafts, Beltorchika was removed and her role was filled by two new characters, Chan Agi and Quess Paraya. The character Mineva Lao Zabi, who had appeared in Zeta Gundam and Gundam ZZ, was also omitted as her presence would have made the story overly complicated.
Production
For the voice actors handling the new characters in this work, director Tomino actually listened to the audition tapes of more than 80 people and selected them. Recording was held for three days from 22 to 24 January 1988 at the 101AR studio of Tokyo Television Center in Hamamatsucho. Due to budget and scheduling constraints, three days was the limit for voice actor sessions.
The film featured returning staff members including lead mechanical designer Izubuchi Yutaka, character designer Kitazume Hiroyuki and composer Saegusa Shigeaki. The computer graphics sequence of the Sweetwater colony rotating was produced at Toyo Links, marking a first for the Gundam franchise.
Music
Saegusa Shigeaki, who had scored three consecutive titles since Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, said it was difficult to create an easy-to-understand melody in the world of Gundam, where right and wrong are not clearly defined. In this work, he dared to try to make an easy-to-understand melody that he had avoided until now. The music was produced with the image of Char as a defender of Richard Wagner’s late romantic school, drawing inspiration from Ludwig II.
The ending theme song “Beyond the Time Möbius no Sora wo Koete” was performed by TM Network. Written by Mitsuko Komuro and Tetsuya Komuro, the single peaked at No. 4 on Oricon’s singles chart and was nominated for the Gold Award at the 30th Japan Record Awards. In 2018, the song was ranked No. 4 on NHK’s “Announcement! All Gundam Big Vote”.
Release
The film made its theatrical debut on 12 March 1988 in Japan. In addition to being the first original Gundam theatrical release, Char’s Counterattack was also the first Gundam production to make use of computer graphics during a five-second shot of the Sweetwater colony rotating in space, being made at Toyo Links.
International release
Char’s Counterattack made its American debut on 4 January 2003 at 11 p.m. on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The film has since been made available for streaming on various platforms including Crunchyroll and Netflix.
As part of the 40th anniversary celebration of the Gundam franchise, Char’s Counterattack played in select theatres in the U.S. on 5 December 2019.
Home media
Bandai released a DVD of the film on 20 August 2002. The product was a maroon slipcase edition embossed with the gold Neo Zeon logo. The DVD was later reissued as part of the Anime Legends line in 2006.
On 1 June 2016, Nozomi Entertainment announced that they would release the Blu-ray of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack in September 2016. Along with Mobile Suit Gundam F91, the film received a 4K HD Remaster Blu-Ray release.
Due to the closure of Bandai Entertainment, the film had been out of print for some time. On 11 October 2014, at their 2014 New York Comic Con panel, Sunrise announced they would be releasing all of the Gundam franchise in North America through distribution from Right Stuf Inc.
Reception
Box office
The film became the first Gundam movie to break the billion yen mark at the Japanese box office, a milestone that would not be achieved again by a Gundam film until Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway in 2021, over 30 years later.
Critical reception
The film has received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences. On Anime News Network, it has a weighted mean score of 7.704 (Very good−) based on 835 user ratings, with 142 users rating it as a masterpiece. On IMDb, it holds a rating of 7.2/10.
Critics have praised the film for its mature themes and philosophical depth. The movie is noted for posing challenging questions about war, peace, and the nature of human civilization. Many reviewers emphasise that the film should not be viewed as a standalone work but rather as the culmination of character development across the previous Gundam series.
The animation quality has been consistently praised, with many noting the higher budget and more experienced staff contributing to epic action sequences. The mecha designs, particularly the ν Gundam and Sazabi, are considered among the franchise’s finest.
However, some criticism has been directed at the film’s pacing and the limited character development for newer characters introduced in the film. The compressed narrative structure, necessitated by the two-hour runtime, has been both praised for its intensity and criticised for leaving little room for character exploration.
Legacy
Influence on the franchise
Char’s Counterattack serves as a definitive conclusion to the early Universal Century timeline’s main narrative arc. The events of this movie are further explored in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn and Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash.
The film introduced several technological and design concepts that would influence subsequent Gundam productions, including the Psycoframe technology featured in the ν Gundam. The philosophical themes explored in the film, particularly regarding humanity’s relationship with Earth and space colonisation, would continue to resonate throughout later Universal Century works.
Cultural impact
The film’s central dilemma—whether broken civilisation is worth reforming or should be destroyed to start anew—has been noted by critics as particularly relevant to contemporary global issues. The film’s exploration of environmental themes and the consequences of human expansion has gained renewed attention in discussions about climate change and sustainability.
Adaptations and related media
The original draft of the story was adapted by Tomino into a novelisation in 1988 entitled Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack - Beltorchika’s Children. Two manga adaptations of the film were released: one by Toshiya Murakami in April and May 1988, and another by Kōichi Tokita from October 1998 to February 1999.
The mobile suits from the film have been extensively merchandised, with the RX-93 ν Gundam and Sazabi produced in various forms under Bandai’s model kit lines. These designs have appeared in numerous video games, including the Super Robot Wars and SD Gundam G Generation series.
Credits
Cast
| Character | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Amuro Ray | Furuya Tōru | Brad Swaile |
| Char Aznable | Ikeda Shūichi | Michael Kopsa |
| Bright Noa | Suzuoki Hirotaka | Chris Kalhoon |
| Quess Paraya | Kawamura Maria | Jocelyne Loewen |
| Hathaway Noa | Sasaki Nozomu | Bill Switzer |
| Gyunei Guss | Yamadera Kōichi | Kirby Morrow |
| Chan Agi | Yayoi Mitsuki | Nicole Leroux |
| Nanai Miguel | Sakakibara Yoshiko | Jenn Forgie |
| Mirai Yashima | Shiraishi Fuyumi | Cathy Weseluck |
| Lalah Sune | Han Keiko | Willow Johnson |
Crew
- Directed by Tomino Yoshiyuki
- Written by Tomino Yoshiyuki
- Music by Saegusa Shigeaki
- Character design by Kitazume Hiroyuki
- Mechanical design by Izubuchi Yutaka
- Art direction by Ikeda Shigemi
Appearances
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack – Characters
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack – Mobile weapons
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack – Organisations
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack – Vehicles and vessels
External links
- Official Gundam website
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack on Wikipedia
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack on Anime News Network
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack on IMDb