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Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

Series, 1989, Universal Century, Set in UC 0079

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket is #5 of 27 in release order and #4 of 27 in chronological order in the Gundam.

The story

In the final days of the One Year War, a Zeon special forces group infiltrates a colony to gather information on a new Gundam unit. Alfred Izuhara, a 10-year-old student, befriends Zeon rookie pilot Bernie Wiseman during a brief mobile suit combat. Meanwhile, Al meets up with Christina MacKenzie, his former neighbor and babysitter. Little does he know that not only is Christina a member of the Earth Federation, she's the test pilot of the new Gundam NT-4 prototype.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket recap

In December UC 0079, near the end of the One Year War, eleven-year-old Alfred Izuruha lives on the neutral colony Libot in Side 6 and dreams of the war he sees on the news. A Zeon commando team, the Cyclops Team, is sent to destroy a new Federation Gundam, the Alex, built for Amuro Ray and hidden at a lab on the colony. Al befriends Bernie Wiseman, a young Zeon recruit on the team, and helps him. Al's neighbour Christina Mackenzie, a Federation test pilot, has returned home to test the Alex. The commando raid goes badly, and the Cyclops Team is killed. Zeon command, frustrated, prepares to destroy the whole colony with a nuclear missile.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket ending explained

The nuclear strike is stopped, but Bernie, alone, takes on the Alex in a repaired Zaku to save the colony and is killed by Christina, neither knowing who the other is. Al learns the truth too late. The colony goes on with its Christmas, and Al returns to school, unable to tell anyone what happened.

Ratings

IMDb 8.0/10, MyAnimeList 8.03

Where it fits

What to watch before Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

In release order, the essentials before Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989) are Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985), Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986), and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988). Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket itself is optional in the Gundam order.

Cast