Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN 6: To War

This volume continues to leave behind the story of the original show, and continues the task of completing backstory set forth by the previous volume. This is much, much better than volume 5: Char & Sayla, making this the best volume yet. Volume 6: To War doesn't just continue Char's story to becoming the Red Comet, but also shows us the creation of the Principality of Zeon, the advent of the Mobile Suit, it continues backstory for Ramba Ral, and it fleshes out the very-human adversaries of the story. The Various Zabi family members continue to get even more background and characterization added to them. Say what you will about the state of the franchise today, and i most likely won't disagree, but there is a very good reason it still IS a franchise, and that reason lies with the strength of the Original. The Origin manga, penned by series co-creator Yoshikazu Yasuhiko is a masterpiece of the manga craft, and the US release is of such high quality that it simply must be collected.

Let me say up front that this series is excellent. Essential for fans of Gundam. I'm not here to review the series artistically though. I just wanted to point out that these are beautiful editions worth owning. The books aren't so large they are hard to handle, the material used feels great in your hands, and he size of the art is enough for you to appreciate the sublime art work inside each volume. Do yourself a favor and snatch up this series if you're a gundam or manga fan. It's a limited series, so I imagine one day each volume might command a hefty price tag, and right now they are quite cheap.

I enjoyed this Volume because it gave alot of the back story to what ultimately led to the start of the One Year War and gave us a clearer view of just how much tension their was in Zeon and they sought independence from the Federation. Probably the most significant event we witness that shows this, is the daring,unannounced attack on a Federation garrison in a Zeon City. You learn about numerous other things such as the first ever mobile suit battle on the Moon and just how much Amuro's father played a critical role in revamping the Federation's Mobile Suit Program. You get a glimpse too of Amuro's life before Char's attack on Side 7. As with the other volumes,this one is beautifully illustrated and flows well in terms of a coherent story.

The multi-volume flashback continues with Char's entrance into the military academy with Garma Zabi. Their battle prowess propels them to the top of the class while Dozle Zabi continues work on his Mobile Suit project! However, at the same time, the Federation is pursuing their own RX Mobile Suit project to counter the work that Zeonic is doing! At the same time, Char is climbing the ranks and takes part in the very first Mobile Suit battle while Zeon drifts farther and farther away from the Earth Federation. This volume strays from Sayla and focuses on Char and his military training. It also gives major insight into Zeonic's MS experiments all the way to the predecessor to the Zaku I. Tim Ray is formally introduced (as well as Amuro to some degree) in his participation in the Federation's RX project. This book features the first Mobile Suit battle against the Federation's prototypes as well as a clearer picture for Zeon's rise to independence. The rift in the Zabi house becomes clear and this volume gives more depth to the Zabis in the Mobile Suit Gundam anime as well as Amuro, Tim Ray, and even Lalah and Char's relationship. Seeing prototype Zakus in combat was entertaining as well as the predecessor to the Guncannon! Overall a great volume that is the beginning of the end; war! Another excellent Vertical release just like previous volumes with colored pages in the beginning and end sections and a beautiful hardcover holding it all together. I'm not a huge fan of the book cover but it works. Not much in terms of extras in this volume aside from 2 illustrations in the back with a small write-up about each one by Yasuhiko. Overall another must-have!

The Origin Vol. 6 To War! Another fantastic installment of Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin. I love the back story that volumes 5 and 6 have provided to the story that was not seen in the original anime. I feel that these stories strengthen many of the relations between characters in the story and also provides the reader with a better understanding of why the Earth Federation and Zeon are at war. The production quality of the book is amazing just like previous volumes and looks amazing all together on a bookshelf. If you are a Gundam fan and are not reading Gundam The Origin you are sure missing out on a great opportunity.

The flash back continues in this volume as we get to see Char at his arguably most sociopathic and him manipulating events a people to move ahead with his vengeance. Also the continuing development of the Mobile Suit is a fascinating bit of Gundam lore that’s a joy to read, plus more Ramba Ral, which is always appreciated! We also get Lalah’s backstory and find out how Char met her/knew certain things about South America. Another excellent volume of The Origin!

Fantastic! The flashback sequence continues as the untold past is revealed. Yaz is the man to add so much more depth to our beloved Gundam characters. Be sure not to miss out on purchasing this great manga series.

Keep them coming, for those that have never seen THE original TV series by Tomino, this volume sets the tone/mood for the beginning of the original series, the events on this volume taking place about a year prior to episode one of MSG. Can't wait for the next volume and the fact that THE ORIGIN is going to be animated.

This series is an absolute joy to be able to collect and own. Amazing hardcovers , beautiful art work. Great story telling, what more could any fan want?

ok

Following Volume 5, Volume 6 is also very important in understanding the character arc of the major characters.

6 volumes in still great still running strong still one of the best titles being released in the market right now. Still hardcover, still high quality. And right now we're in the most interesting part of the story. This volume tells the beginning of the One Year War conflict. You see Char and Garma's days in the Zeon military academy, Char's first encounter with Lalah Sune, the beginnings of the Mobile Suit development program. This volume doesn't really have any extras, though. Besides some full color pages in the end, but there aren't any interviews or art by guest artists. Still, please buy this, please buy the previous volumes, please buy the volumes after this, please support Vertical Inc and hopefully we'll get more Gundam titles released in English.

9 / 10 Wow !!