Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (2019) is a anime and action series from NHK. It has built a run of 13 episodes at roughly 25 minutes each. It premiered on April 28, 2019. Viewers rate it 8.0 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 1 season.
What Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Is About
What was the tragedy that decided the fates of Char Aznable, the man later nicknamed the “Red Comet” as an ace pilot of the Zeon forces, and his sister Sayla Mass?
The two siblings’ journeys, brought on by the sudden death of their father Zeon Zum Deikun who was a leader of the Spacenoids, are depicted in the four episodes of “Chronicle of Char and Sayla.”
The Zabi family who seize control of Side 3 and lead the Principality of Zeon, the early days of many renowned Zeon ace pilots who later fight in the One Year War, the secrets of mobile suit development, conflicts with the Earth Federation Forces, and the road leading to the outbreak of war—all will be revealed.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 25 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, the full run covers 13 episodes, spread across 1 season and it leans into its anime/action roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Shuichiro Miyata, Ken Narita and Yoshiko Sakakibara to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Shuichiro Miyata, Ken Narita, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Taiten Kusunoki, Yuji Ueda and Nobuyuki Hiyama lead the cast.
Key roles include Shuichiro Miyata as Char Aznable (voice, JP); Ken Narita as Char Aznable (voice, JP); Yoshiko Sakakibara as Sayla Mass (voice, JP); Taiten Kusunoki as Ramba Ral (voice, JP); Yuji Ueda as Degwin Sodo Zabi (voice, JP).
Why It Stands Out
Fans of anime, action and science-fiction have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside NHK’s other originals, a 8.0/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2019 and carried by NHK with the series still ended, it lands hardest with anime and action viewers.
How Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Compares
If Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin lands for you, the next stops are Death Note, Attack on Titan and Hunter x Hunter, which share its anime/action lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin comes from NHK. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.
On the whole Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Shuichiro Miyata and Ken Narita doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its anime/action roots, It has held up since 2019 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is a safe bet for anyone already inside the anime and action lane, at 13 episodes it is an easy run to work through, the audience score holds around 8.0/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 8.0/10. Watch it if you want anime/action you can settle into.
