Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN 5: Char & Sayla Hardcover – January 30, 2014

Straight heat. Art, feel, and story are just impeccable. If you made it this far, whats another 20 dollars.

Fantastic entry highlighting the past of one of the most nebulous characters in the franchise. There is a bit of unclear writing in it regarding say the mother of Char (Casval) but otherwise it was a pretty solid and gripping tale. Like the other books because of the high tier writing it ended up being a quick and fast read through.The bonus feature, a multi page afterword about the decision to do an origin story for Char & Sayla, was pretty eye opening and made me think a bit more for one of the characters chosen and their purpose in the story.I was only slightly disappointed that there wasn't extra artwork like CLAMP did in a previous volume for example.All in all this is another great hardcover manga with quite a large number of color pages all throughout. There were no apparent mistakes or typos even.

This is a fantastic read. Unlike previous volumes, which reworked the original formula and plot of the tv series, this volume breaks into new ground, deserving the title "The Origin," and provides revelations about Char and Sayla's backstory. If you have ever wondered how Char and Sayla grew up, this is a must read.The first half of the novel is particularly tantalizing. It introduces the politics in Side 3, explores the families of Zeon, Zabi, and Ral, and many secondary characters get extended back stories, such as my personal favorite Ramba Ral. The first half is a thriller, as Char and Sayla try to escape the Zabi clutches. The second half is much slower, but it continues to explore Char and Sayla's character development, and their maturation. For Char fans, this is must read. No other manga or anime has really delved into Char's character like this before. His actions and his psychological development in this novel are absolutely chilling and foreshadows the man he will become.As with previous editions, the quality of the pages, artwork, and finish is top-notch. Check it out!

Gundam: The Origin returns with another beefy 472-page hardcover manga; this time covering Char and Sayla! While the other volumes stick with the anime story fairly well, this volume decides to veer off into new territory! Sayla recounts the past as a young Casval and Artesia are on the run after the death of their father! With the help of Jimba and Ramba Ral, and the gracious adoption into the Mass family, the children grow up avoiding the Zabi family and trying to continue their father's legacy. While Artesia longs to see her mother, Casval is geared toward revenge!Not too long after these releases arrived in America, the world also got the OVA adaptation of Gundam: The Origin. However, the 4-episode mini-series only covers the content of this volume and the next. This volume alone covers the first two episodes and a little bit of the third. The story here is completely new and greatly expands on the storyline and really creates more interesting dynamics for many characters from Mobile Suit Gundam. The author even tried to connect characters in a way that gave new light to their actions in the TV show!Again, the art is top-notch and while there isn't much in the way of Mobile Suit battles, the backstory alone is enough to keep you reading! Beyond that, the book also graces us with a write-up about the arc from Yoshikazu Yasuhiko as well as a mini-comic by Koji Kumeta! Overall a gorgeous presentation with an all red cover with a dashing Char on the front and another beautiful slightly-oversized volume!

Product came in great shape and early

Char..The Red Commet!What more can be said about Char Aznable. This is an amazing installment to the Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin line. It provides a lot of back story about the characters of Char, Sayla, Ramba Ral, the Zabi family, and many others in the Gundam universe prior to the events of the one year war. It really provides the reader with a better understanding of why Char Aznable has a grudge against the Zabi family that the original anime did not provide. The production quality of this book is also simply amazing and is something every Gundam fan should have in his or her collection.

If you already have read/seen the original Mobile Suit Gundam, then you can actually just start with this volume and go forward from here. Basically, this volume covers the first of the ORIGINS anime films, which is Char and Saylas origin story.It also covers the rise of Zeon, and the roots of the original series. The next books continue the origin story, and go into the battle of Loum and Laylas importance ad well.The artwork is beautiful, and every chapter starts with full color, then progresses back to black and white. There are also extras, like interviews, sketches, ect.I don't regret starting on volume 5 because this is where it gets really interesting, and this is what the Origin Films have covered, and will continue to cover as they premier.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is a fantastic reboot of the original series. There was plenty of room for improvement in the original Gundam series and this book cashes in on that. Everything from the Art / Duologue to the overall story has been redone and improved upon. If you are a fan of the original or a newcomer to the Gundam universe this is an excellent read. Its hardcover and brightly colored covers also make this a great addition to and collectors bookshelf.