Quite possibly the greatest and most influential Japanese science fiction ever made, Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) has spawned numerous TV and movie sequels, spin-offs, and remakes, as well as a multitude of written media, comics, and video games. Sometimes referred to as Japan's "Star Wars," Mobile Suit Gundam elevated mecha shows from semi-superhero "Super Robots" into the realm of hard Sci-Fi. Set in a realistic future earth-sphere, painted on the backdrop of a war for independence, is a wonderful character drama with plenty of action as well. Mobile Suit Gundam redefined animation in Japan, and it's influence is visible in modern "anime" works; it elevated animation beyond juvenile entertainment into mature stories, and Japan is still one of the only countries that views the animation medium as being capable of such.
Review of Mobile Suit Gundam
