Power. Pure. Simple. Power.
Adapted from the manga written and illustrated by Yasuo Ohtagaki, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt takes place in the Universal Century timeline and is centered on two characters: Ensign Io Flemming, a soldier in the Earth Federation and Daryl Lorenz, the best sniper in the Principality of Zeon. Ensign Flemming and his team are called to action when Zeon forces attack the Thunderbolt Sector. Daryl shoots down Io's entire squadron with his superb skills, but before he can Sieg Zeon, Io hijacks a Zaku belonging to one of Dayrl's squad mates and executes him on camera for all to see. To say our hero has a mean-streak is putting it mildly. Daryl vows to get revenge for his fallen comrade and Io welcomes the opportunity to kill him the next time they meet. And so begins a rivalry that will tear the Thunderbolt Sector asunder.
We ain't talking SD.
If you're a long-time Gundam fan you'll notice Gundam Thunderbolt has similarities to Stardust Memory in that we have a plot that follows two characters. What's interesting about Thunderbolt is that it plays with our perceptions of who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. Daryl Lorenz is a Zeon pilot and while that would place him in the role of the villain (given Zeon's history) he's actually portrayed in a sympathetic manner. Lorenz cares about his comrades and just wants for the war to end as soon as possible. On the other hand, while Io Flemming is a Federation pilot and technically the good guy he's quite the sociopath. He revels in battles, shows no hesitation in killing, and he lusts for the power that only Gundam can give him. Simply put, if you gave Dio Brando a Gundam he'd be Io Flemming.
Someone Kickstart a real-life Gundam. I NEED this in my life.
The animation is Gundam Unicorn level while the art has a gritty, realism not often seen in this franchise. This is a dark, grim, unfriendly Gundam that lacks the bright pastels in say Gundam Seed or Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans. The episodes have plenty of character development and action, but the first episode in particular had a sequence where Gundam Thunderbolt made its debut and this was especially well-done because it emphasized the power and the fear these mobile suits bring to the battlefield. We see the Gundam Thunderbolt in action from the perspective of Zeon and this Gundam is a monster to behold. As a long-time fan of Gundam I've been waiting for the series to return to a more mature atmosphere. This isn't the Dawson's Creek-era of Gundam Seed and the characters don't run on nakama power like those in Iron Blooded Orphans. This is dark, gritty story-telling that explores both the horrors of war and what it does to people with plenty of mechanized action along the way. Gundam Thunderbolt is exactly what long-time Gundam fans are looking for. Believe the hype.
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