CXLIII: "Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory"

Another one of those side story Gundam titles, Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory once again branches off the exploits of the main story. However, this one deals with a federation fleet of their own, as well as a tenacious group of Zeon remnants. Moreover, Gundam 0083 is significant as it pretty much shows the transition of the Earth Federation, a backstory to the rise of the elite unit Titans in Zeta Gundam.

In the year U.C. 0079, Anavel Gato returns from his battle in A Baoa Qu against the Earth Federation's White Base and its hero, Amuro Ray and the RX-78-2 Gundam. However, upon hearing the deaths of both Gihren and Kycilia Zabi, he and a fellow soldier are forced to withdraw, with aspirations to make Zeon rise another day. The battle is declared in victory for the Earth Federation, thanks to the exploits of the White Base crew and Amuro. Of course, this isn't the end of the story.

Four years later in October U.C. 0083, Zeon has yet to make themselves known. Within the Earth Federation, one of it's space carriers, Albion, delivered 2 Gundam prototypes of the Gundam Development Project: the RX-78 GP01 Zephyranthes and the RX-78 GP02A Physalis. Thanks to a mole from Zeon, Anavel Gato makes a move and hijacks the nuclear Physalis Gundam, leading Kou Uraki to pursue him in the sleeker Zephyranthes Gundam. From then on, Kou faces not only other Zeon remnants, but even has a bit of tensions with few of the Albion crew, ultimately leading to a mentionable, yet forgotten battle known as Operation Stardust.

Being a side story, this OVA lasted 13 episodes, twice as long as Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket. Though the OVA began first, the compilation movie Gundam 0083: The Last Blitz of Zeon was finished beforehand. The OVA series was done in DVD quality sometime later, released in May as a box set in celebration of 20 years since its creation. The movie lasted for 120 minutes, and even had a limited edition Blu-Ray release. There were merchandise modeled after this as well, and though they have been in games before, I found interesting the inclusion of the GP01Fb Full-Vernian Zephyranthes and GP02 Physalis, alongside respective pilots Kou and Anavel, in Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3. Anavel was seen before in the first DW Gundam title, but as a non-playable character. Kou is voiced by Paul Stephen in the dub, while Anavel is voiced by Kirk Thorton.

Stardust Memory is a stepping stone to the transpiring events of Zeta Gundam, supported when Bask Om appears. Ready to launch once more, Gundam 0083 shoots a 7.6 of 10.