IGLOO is a pair of Gundam movies set in the Universal Century. Each movie consists of three episodes at the normal half hour each. The story revolves around the Jotunheim, the mobile “base” of Oliver May and the 603rd Technical Evaluation unit: a unit that test out various weapons and mobile suits still in the experimental stage. What sets this apart from the other Gundam animes is that it is completely CG.

Beginning Enthusiasm (4/5): I was really hyped to watch a Gundam Anime in CG. I could just imagine the huge battles, all my favorite suits, and just plain Gundam action. However, I very quickly realized that most of the 30 minutes would focus not on the action, but on the characters and the preparation for the short but very sweet battles. The farther I got in, the more I was disappointed with the story lines. Each episode focuses on a new experimental weapon, it’s use in the field (along with Oliver May’s disapproval), and the death of the pilot. Literally, it’s the same for all six episodes. But, the awesome CG fights make up for this.

Characters (3/5): Like I said above, most of the characters are rehashed. The main characters are all pretty cool. Oliver being the best (especially with him piloting the suit at the end). But the pilots of the experimental units are all hashed! Each one has a strong feeling for the weapon, and some background with it. It’s not a big deal, but it did bug me. There are no cameos, except for one scene with Char’s Zaku II (no Char, just the MS).

Ending Emotion (5/5): Despite it’s shortcomings, the series is actually pretty good. It’s main focus is the 603rd unit, but it also outlines the whole history of the One Year War. We see the biggest battles, including Operation British, the battle at Loam, Jaburo, Odessa, and A Baoa Qu. The ending, although very similar to First Gundam’s ending is simple awesome. You’re expecting Oliver to die, but when you see him come back in the hand of the other MS, it’s simply overwhelming. Great ending for a pretty good series.

*Note: MS Gundam IGLOO 2: Gravity of the Battlefront will be out in October! It looks great!