▪	RELEASED BY:		BANDAI VISUAL USA
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		JAPANESE  DD 2.0 W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		85 + 8 MIN
		▪	RATING:		13 UP
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		01/18/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		03/02/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

It’s Universal Century 0079 - the prototype weapons men dream of consume their blood and tears. It has been some half a century since human beings migrated to space due to the overpopulation of their home planet of Earth. In Universal Century 0079, Side 3, the farthest cluster of colonies from Earth, began a war of independence against Earth Federation Government. This was the beginning of a massive and tragic war that is later to be called the One-Year War. Side 3 has proclaimed themselves as the Principality of Zeon and declared war against the Earth Federation, but the war is coming to a close in this second volume. Despite what the members of the 603 think, the war is reaching its end and their missions will soon be just a memory. The 603 Technical Evaluation Unit’s long, harsh journey is reaching its end as everything about Zeon ceases to exist as well.

The disc opens with “In the Skies of Jaburo, I Saw the Sea,” a really beautiful episode about complex human emotions being worked into the process of war. A marine dives from space into the depths of Earth’s atmosphere. When there is fire high in the sky, the enemy’s death will rain upon the forests. All the episodes are visually captivating, but there is something about the intensity of this particular episode that just makes it stand out so much. Much of it takes place in the sky above beautiful greenery done up in perfect CG, so really it’s no wonder. In “Cross the Path of Light,” Zeon’s young soldiers are thrown into battle on mass-produced weapons called “Oggo.” Will the inexperienced souls shivering with fear make these flying barrels their tombs in space, or their tools of glory? It is a sad episode that is very reminiscent of what happens in many desperate wars where near the end of them, certain factions start using children and young teens to fight, because the adults have mostly been killed. The young boys are brave and want to do their part – they have been so brain washed with pride love for their Principality. In “Spirits Returning to the Cries of Thunder,” the most heartbreaking and epic episode of them all, all of Zeon’s soldiers wish to return to the recovery point alive from the blood-soaked front line. In the gigantic, red armor, Oliver May gazes upon the path carved by the men who fought until the end. This is the biggest space battle to date – it is pretty intense to say the least. Zeon is desperate, and the creation they piece together at the last moment is a weapon you’ll be put in awe because of. It’s a fantastic episode.

Again, this is the first Gundam series to ever be done completely in CG animation. Different people feel different feelings when it comes to CG animation and traditional animation, and even the mixing of the two. Either way, MS IGLOO does very well in retaining the goodness of the Gundam franchise, even when having it make as big of a transition as it is having to make here. When you think about it - Gundams, space battles, and the like all fair pretty well when it comes to creating such things in CG. You just have to see it to see how well it works – and believe me it does. All of the fights are blisteringly tense – from small encounters between just a few Zakus, to no holds barred space battles between literally hundreds of ships all at once. It’s amazing what animators can do these days if they really want to showcase something visually amazing, and a Gundam series done up in well thought out CG of a high production quality is turning out to be pretty amazing still. Any fan of Gundam should make a point to see this – it’s not another run-of-the-mill makeover or anything like that – it’s a really neat vantage point into the Gundam Universe that just shouldn’t be missed. Each episode is a lot like watching a short, high production film, rather than just another television series. There’s not much else to say about that – just see it!

EXTRAS:
Episode Trailers, Textless Openings and Endings, a really detailed booklet that goes in depth with the creation and story writing process, and a Mobile Suit IGLOO Gallery of art and concepts (which is one of the best and most detailed art galleries on a DVD that this reviewer has ever seen).

IN SUMMARY:
If you like Gundam – and especially the original stuff that dealt with The One-Year War, MS IGLOO is an absolute must. It is raw and powerful, and filled with emotion. The action sequences are to die for – this is CG being used the right way!