Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

"0083" redirects here. For other uses, see 83 (disambiguation).
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083:
Stardust Memory
Theatrical poster of the compilation film The Last Blitz of Zeon/Afterglow of Zeon
機動戦士ガンダム0083 STARDUST(スターダスト) MEMORY(メモリー)
(Kidō Senshi Gandamu Daburuōeitīsurī Sutādasuto Memorī)
GenreMecha, military science fiction,
Original video animation
Directed byMitsuko Kase (eps. 1-7)
Takashi Imanishi (eps. 2-13)[1]
Written byFuyunori Gobu (eps. 1-4)
Akinori Endo (eps. 5-7)
Ryōsuke Takahashi (eps. 8-10)
Asahide Ookuma (eps. 11-13)
Music byMitsuo Hagita
StudioSunrise
Licensed by
Released May 23, 1991 – September 24, 1992
Episodes13
Anime film
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: The Last Blitz of Zeon
Directed byTakashi Imanishi
StudioSunrise
Licensed by
ReleasedAugust 29, 1992
Runtime120 minutes
Manga
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Rebellion
Written byTakashi Imanishi
Illustrated byMasato Natsumoto
Published byKadokawa Shoten
MagazineGundam Ace
Original runJune 26, 2013 – May 26, 2023
Volumes18

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダム0083 STARDUST(スターダスト) MEMORY(メモリー), Hepburn: Kidō Senshi Gandamu Daburuōeitīsuri Sutādasuto Memorī) is a 13-episode Japanese OVA series produced by Sunrise. It was released in Japan from 23 May 1991 to 24 September 1992 and is set in Universal Century 0083, three years after the One Year War depicted in Mobile Suit Gundam (1979).[2][3] Positioned between the original series and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (set in U.C. 0087), the OVA dramatizes the postwar "Operation Stardust" incident and functions as a connective chapter in the early UC timeline.[4][5] It is the franchise’s second OVA project, following 1989’s Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket.[6][7]

The series was directed by Mitsuko Kase (episodes 1–7) and Takashi Imanishi (episodes 8–13), with character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto and mechanical styling/design by Shoji Kawamori and Hajime Katoki.[8][9] A compilation film, Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: The Afterglow of Zeon (also known as The Last Blitz of Zeon), opened theatrically in Japan on 29 August 1992.[10][11] Known for its high production values and detailed mecha action, the project helped define the franchise’s early-1990s UC aesthetic.[12]

Plot

Set in Universal Century 0083, three years after the One Year War, the story begins at the Earth Federation’s Torrington Base, where Zeon ace Anavel Gato infiltrates the facility during a nighttime raid and steals the Gundam GP02A “Physalis,” a prototype equipped with a nuclear bazooka. Test pilot Kou Uraki impulsively launches in the companion Gundam GP01 “Zephyranthes” despite his lack of combat experience, engaging Gato briefly before being outmatched. The theft of a nuclear-capable mobile suit shakes the Federation, setting into motion a galaxy-spanning pursuit.[13]

The Federation assigns the newly commissioned Pegasus-class assault ship Albion to recover the GP02A. Kou and fellow test pilot Chuck Keith join the crew under Captain Eiphar Synapse, alongside Anaheim Electronics engineer Nina Purpleton, who was part of the Gundam Development Project. Their chase leads across Australia’s deserts and coastline, culminating in harsh skirmishes where the inexperienced Kou struggles with piloting under real combat conditions. Kou’s reckless sorties often endanger the mission, but also prove his potential as he begins to mature as a pilot.[14][15]

The pursuit eventually extends into space, where Gato rejoins Aiguille Delaz’s fleet. The Delaz Fleet initiates “Operation Stardust,” a plan to destabilize the Federation and revive Zeon’s cause. The first phase culminates in the infamous Naval Review at Konpeitoh (formerly Solomon), where Gato uses the GP02A’s nuclear bazooka to annihilate nearly one-third of the Federation fleet in a single strike. Survivors dub him the “Nightmare of Solomon,” and the Federation reels from its greatest military disaster since the One Year War.[16]

With the Federation fleet crippled, Delaz moves to the operation’s second phase: the capture of an agricultural space colony. While Federation command assumes a lunar drop is the target, Delaz alters the trajectory toward Earth itself. To counter this, Albion docks with the Anaheim Electronics factory ship La Vie en Rose, where Kou is entrusted with the Gundam GP03 “Dendrobium Orchis.” Outfitted with an immense weapons platform and multiple I-field shields, the Dendrobium grants Kou firepower equal to a small fleet, representing Anaheim’s ultimate escalation in the Gundam Development Project.[17][18][19]

The final battles see Kou clash with Gato’s Neue Ziel, a massive Zeon-built mobile armor with unmatched speed and firepower. Their duel epitomizes the personal rivalry that has grown since Torrington. Despite Kou’s desperate efforts and the deployment of the Federation’s Solar System II laser array, the counteroffensive fails: the colony breaches defenses and crashes into Earth, devastating the North American grain belt and causing a global food crisis. This man-made cataclysm secures Delaz’s objective of shaking confidence in the Federation and stirring Zeon loyalism.[20][21]

In the aftermath, the Federation leadership scapegoats the Albion crew. Captain Synapse is court-martialed and executed for disobeying political orders, while Kou is dishonorably discharged, though his sentence is later quietly reduced. Nina is left estranged after revelations of her past ties to Gato. More broadly, Operation Stardust provides the pretext for the Federation to authorize the Titans, a special task force charged with crushing anti-Federation movements, setting the stage for the harsher political order depicted in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.[22]

Characters

Main characters

Kou Uraki (コウ・ウラキ)
Voiced by: Ryō Horikawa (Japanese); Paul Stephen (English)
Main mecha: RX-78GP01 "Zephyranthes", GP01Fb "Zephyranthes" Full Burnern; RX-78GP03 "Dendrobium Orchis"; Other: MS-06F-2 Zaku II F2
19-year-old Federation test pilot stationed at Torrington. After Gato steals the GP02A, Kou pursues him in GP01 and is assigned to the Albion under Lt South Burning. Once aboard, he matures significantly and develops a relationship with Anaheim engineer Nina Purpleton.[23]
Anavel Gato (アナベル・ガトー, Anaberu Gatō)
Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (Japanese); Kirk Thornton (English)
Main mecha: RX-78GP02A "Physalis"; AMX-002 Neue Ziel; Other: MS-14A Gelgoog, YMS-09R-2 Prototype Rick Dom Zwei
Elite former Zeon palace guard turned ace pilot, Gato earned the nickname “Nightmare of Solomon.” He steals the GP02A to deliver a nuclear strike at Konpeitoh. His past romantic connection with Nina is revealed during the story.[24]
Nina Purpleton (ニナ・パープルトン, Nina Pāpuruton)
Voiced by: Rei Sakuma (Japanese); Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English)
Anaheim Electronics systems engineer, deeply protective of the Gundam project. She reluctantly allows Kou to pilot GP01, gradually developing romantic feelings as they work together on mission-critical repairs.[25]

Albion crew

Eiphar Synapse (エイパー・シナプス, Eipā Shinapusu)
Voiced by: Chikao Otsuka (Japanese); Simon Prescott (English)
Captain of the Albion tasked with recovering GP02A. He defies orders by transmitting the GP03 “Dendrobium” to urgent use against the Delaz Fleet and is later executed for mutiny.[26]
South Burning (サウス・バニング, Sausu Baningu)
Voiced by: Masashi Sugawara (Japanese); Paul St. Peter (English)
Commander of the mobile suit company aboard Albion and mentor to rookie pilots Uraki and Keith. He dies in action after discovering critical "Operation Stardust" documents.[27]
Chuck Keith (チャック・キース, Chakku Kīsu)
Voiced by: Yoshiharu Yamada (Japanese); Sean Mitchell (English)
Kou’s wingman and fellow Torrington pilot. Assigned to Albion, he later develops a romantic interest in mechanic Mora Bascht and transfers to Oakly Base after Operation Stardust.[28]
Mora Bascht (モーラ・バシット, Mōra Bashitto)
Voiced by: Kazue Ikura (Japanese); Mari Devon (English)
Chief mechanic aboard the Albion and close friend of Nina. She develops romantic feelings for Chuck Keith.[29]

Additional roles

Kelly Layzner
Ex-Zeon lieutenant and friend to Gato, he helps Kou and later challenges him in his mobile armor Val-Walo. The duel ends tragically without escape.[30]

Production

Plans for a second Universal Century OVA after War in the Pocket took shape at Sunrise and Bandai Visual in 1990–1991, with producers recounting that the project was positioned to "bridge" the gap between the original series and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam while capitalizing on the booming OVA market of the early 1990s. Contemporary interviews compiled in the mook MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 80/83/08 describe a production launched in parallel with the feature Mobile Suit Gundam F91, which created schedule pressure but also sharpened the concept: a hard-edged military drama centered on "Operation Stardust," large fleet actions, and a colony drop, set in a UC era without Newtypes.[31][32]

Staffed largely by a younger team, the OVA began under director Mitsuko Kase before a mid-series handover to Takashi Imanishi. Episode credits compiled by the independent database allcinema list Kase as director for Episodes 1–7 (with shared credit on some installments) and Imanishi as director for Episodes 8–13.[33] Producers later reflected that the baton-pass did not alter the broad scenario, which was kept consistent by the established series composition and story "bible," but it did push the back half toward larger space set pieces and a more overt military tone.[34] Imanishi later discussed the approach again for the Blu-ray box, which included a new interview and retrospective audio commentaries recorded with principal cast.[35]

Mechanical world-building was divided between "mechanical styling" and design. Shoji Kawamori, credited specifically for "mechanical styling," has explained that his mandate on 0083 was to respect the established Okawara/Tomino/Yasuhiko baseline while refining silhouettes and functional motifs (for example, treating the GP01’s Core Fighter engine as usable thruster in MS form, and setting up a clear visual counterpoint with the GP02A).[36] Detailed mecha designs were handled by Hajime Katoki and Mika Akitaka alongside others.[37]

Production retrospectives also record the commercial logic behind the project’s Gundam upgrades. Interviews recount that Bandai and Sunrise sought to sustain strong OVA sales and model kit tie-ins by introducing increasingly elaborate mobile weapons. The addition of a third "hero" unit, the GP03 Dendrobium, was described by staff as a conscious upgrade aimed at offering spectacle that could compete with theatrical releases, while simultaneously generating a large-scale merchandise platform around its massive design.[38] The same interviews highlight how early-1990s OVA economics shaped these choices: consumers expected shorter runs but increasingly high production values, and the home-video market rewarded them with large-scale battles and mechanical variety that justified premium pricing.[38]

Producers also acknowledged the strain of overlapping with the production of F91, which competed for senior animators and promotional resources. This resulted in irregular early marketing and delays in merchandising, but also reinforced the decision to differentiate 0083 with grittier mechanical drama and extended fleet battles rather than the more character-driven theatrics of the film.[39] Staff recalled that considerable resources were funneled into a handful of “event” sequences, such as the Naval Review, the colony drop, and the Dendrobium deployment, which were storyboarded and animated at a near-theatrical level in order to give rental audiences the sense of cinematic scale on home video.[39]

Finally, retrospective articles summarize the creative intent as deliberately distinct from earlier UC works. 0083 was pitched without Newtype protagonists, instead foregrounding a postwar political thriller frame that depicted the Federation’s drift toward authoritarianism and the resurgence of Zeon remnants. This framing, combined with the mecha escalation, was seen as essential connective tissue that redefined early-UC on screen and prepared the narrative bridge into Zeta.[40]

Media

Anime

From episodes 1-7, the opening theme is "The Winner" by Miki Matsubara while the ending theme is "Magic" by Jacob Wheeler.[41] From episodes 8-13, the opening theme is "Men of Destiny" by MIO while the ending theme is "Evergreen" by MIO.[41] For episodes 1 & 6, "Back to Paradise" by Miki Matsubara was used as a insert song.

No.TitleOriginal release dateEnglish air date
1"Gundamjack"
Transliteration: "Gandamu Gōdatsu" (Japanese: ガンダム強奪[42])		May 23, 1991 (1991-05-23)February 23, 2002
In the prologue (set during the Battle of A Bao A Qu in December U.C. 0079), Zeon ace pilot Anavel Gato returns from combat to find Admiral Aiguille Delaz telling him of the deaths of Gihren and Kycilia Zabi, as the Zeon forces surrender. Despite the shock defeat, both men retreat and plan the return of Zeon. In October U.C. 0083, the Federation space carrier Albion delivers two Gundam Development Project (GDP) prototypes, the RX-78 GP01 Zephyranthes and the GP02A Physalis, to the Torrington Base in Australia for ground testing under the aegis of Anaheim Electronics engineer Nina Purpleton. Because of relaxed security, a Zeon mole helps Gato infiltrate the base and hijack the GP02 just after its nuclear weapon is loaded in the middle of the night. Having witnessed Gato activate the mobile suit, Ensign Kou Uraki takes over the Zephyranthes and prepares to face him just as Zeon forces assault the base.
2"Endless Pursuit"
Transliteration: "Owarinaki Tsuigeki" (Japanese: 終わりなき追撃[42])		June 27, 1991 (1991-06-27)March 2, 2002
After a failed confrontation with Gato at the Torrington Base, Kou, his friend Chuck and veterans South Burning and Dick Allen follow Gato through the outback in an attempt to recapture the Physalis. Zeon forces ambush them and kill Allen as Gato awaits a Komusai shuttle for extraction. Kou destroys the shuttle, but his efforts were in vain - the forces of Zeon had another avenue of escape prepared in the form of a submarine that provided covering fire during the Torrington base attack. Federation forces led by Burning managed to corner Gato, but it was all for naught as the wily Zeon pilot makes his escape on the submarine, leaving Kou's first battle marked with disgrace.
3"Into Battle, Albion!"
Transliteration: "Shutsugeki Arubion" (Japanese: 出撃アルビオン[42])		August 22, 1991 (1991-08-22)March 9, 2002
Back at Torrington, Federation Vice Admiral John Cowen assigns Burning to lead the Albion's pursuit of Gato with a new crew of pilots to help him. Kou and Keith join the mission. Lt Bernard Monsha, one of the new additions, doubts Kou's capability to fly the GP01. Despite Nina's assurance that Kou handled the mobile suit well, Monsha challenges him to a first-shot mobile suit duel to see who better deserves to pilot the Zephyranthes. Although Kou wins the match, Burning intervenes and sends both pilots to one week in the brig. Meanwhile, Gato heads for the Kinbareid diamond mine in East Africa, which is still occupied by Zeon holdouts from the One Year War.
4"Attack and Retreat on the Burning Sand"
Transliteration: "Nessa no Kōbōsen" (Japanese: 熱砂の攻防戦[42])		September 26, 1991 (1991-09-26)March 16, 2002
Somewhere in East Africa, the Albion goes on patrol, while Monsha faces Albion chief engineer Mora Bascht's wrath for hitting on the ship's female crew and trying to sabotage Kou's landing after his search patrol. Gato arrives at Kinbareid and boosts the morale of the soldiers. Meanwhile, Orville - the Zeon mole who helped Gato's infiltration in the first episode - has been unmasked and flies out in a Core Fighter II to warn Kinbareid of the Albion's patrols but could not find the base complex and is shot down by a Zaku patrol. The Zeon forces mobilize and attack the Albion to buy time for Gato and the GP02 to fly into orbit using one Heavy Launch Vehicle still in the base. The base holdouts surrender as soon as Gato flies away.
5"Gundam, to the Sea of Stars"
Transliteration: "Gandamu, Hoshi no Umi he" (Japanese: ガンダム、星の海へ[42])		October 24, 1991 (1991-10-24)March 23, 2002
Gato flies back to the Garden of Thorns, a secret Zeon colony base in the Shoal Zone, to present the GP02 to Delaz. However, a chance encounter with Zeon commander Cima Garahau rankles him when their ships almost collide. Upon delivering the GP02, Delaz makes an Earth Sphere-wide declaration of war, explaining that the GP02 and its nuclear weapon is proof of the Earth Federation's military buildup. Meanwhile, aboard the Albion, Nina tries to get closer to a dense Kou when the alert sounds. Kou and the rest of the Albion's mobile suit pilots engage the Zeon intruders. However, Nina's warning about the GP-01's poor mobility in space without the so-called Full Vernian backpack proves true as Kou crash lands in the Albion under heavy damage.
6"The Warrior of Von Braun"
Transliteration: "Fon Buraun no Senshi" (Japanese: フォン・ブラウンの戦士[42])		November 21, 1991 (1991-11-21)March 30, 2002
The Albion arrives at Von Braun City on the Moon to have the GP01 upgraded to Full Vernian while the crew goes on shore leave. A snide comment from Monsha at a bar prompts Kou to wander around the city where he is beaten up by some thugs. A one-armed man named Kelly Layzner rescues him and brings him to a junkyard where he lives with his lover. Kou learns of Kelly's origins as a Zeon pilot and helps him fix a Val Varo mobile armor that has been hidden for years. He returns to the Albion and begins testing the Full Vernian-equipped GP01. Elsewhere in the city, Cima blackmails Anaheim boss Gilbert O'Sullivan with a colony drop if he talks to the Federation about her. She also tells Kelly to get the Val Varo ready for action.
7"With Shining Blue Fire"
Transliteration: "Aoku Kagayaku Honō de" (Japanese: 蒼く輝く炎で[42])		February 20, 1992 (1992-02-20)April 6, 2002
Cima's blackmailing apparently works, as Anaheim asks Nina to be reassigned away from the Albion and out of the mobile suit development team altogether. Keith, who dates Mora, offers Kou movie tickets so he can ask Nina out after a field test. He does make a move, but a remark about the tests angers Nina again. Meanwhile, Kelly gets paid in gold bullion for his work on the Val Varo, but is shocked to hear that the Zeon forces do not want him piloting it for the new campaign. Incensed, Kelly takes out the mobile armor and challenges Kou to fight him so he could prove himself worthy of joining the Delaz Fleet again. When Nina gets in the way, Kou finally admits his feelings for her and defeats Kelly, who does not bail out from the exploding Val Varo because he never installed an escape system.
8"Conspiracy Sector"
Transliteration: "Sakubō no Chūiki" (Japanese: 策謀の宙域[42])		April 23, 1992 (1992-04-23)April 13, 2002
A few days out of Von Braun, Burning continues to train Kou and Keith, who later eggs him to try giving Nina a chance. Keith also earns Mora's ire for showing him Monsha's private collection of Nina pictures. A resupply rendezvous by a Federation ship is cut short as the Albion detects the Federation flagship Birmingham, with Admiral Green Wyatt aboard - meeting with Cima. In the midst of the ensuing battle, Burning retrieves a briefcase that contains files for something called "Operation Stardust" and talks with Kou about them. However, a minor hit on Burning's GM Custom during the battle turns fatal, as the mobile suit careens out of control and explodes. Uraki is promoted to junior lieutenant as the crew mourns Burning's death.
9"The Nightmare of Solomon"
Transliteration: "Soromon no Akumu" (Japanese: ソロモンの悪夢[42])		May 21, 1992 (1992-05-21)April 20, 2002
Kou and Keith continue to fight Zeon forces while on patrol near Konpeitoh (Solomon). As Delaz welcomes the Axis Advance Fleet into the Earth Sphere, Gato prepares for his own part of an attack on Konpeitoh, which is hosting the Naval Review. The Delaz Fleet keeps probing the Federation defenses, keeping Kou occupied. A defense satellite detects Gato breaking through another sector and Uraki is ordered to intercept him before he crashes the Review. He fails to get to Gato in time, as the Zeon pilot fires the GP02's MK82 nuclear bazooka at the Federation fleet with the Birmingham in the center of his sights.
10"Colliding War Zones"
Transliteration: "Gekitotsu Sen'iki" (Japanese: 激突戦域[42])		June 21, 1992 (1992-06-21)April 27, 2002
Gato retreats after the nuclear strike destroys two-thirds of the Federation's fleet, but runs into Kou. As Nina breaks down watching them fight, both of their mobile suits take heavy damage and the pilots flee before they explode. Meanwhile, Cima's fleet hijacks two colonies in transport and later blow off one mirror each from them. When the Albion crew is informed of the colonyjack, Nina correctly theorizes that the colonies will crash into each other, with one in direct course for the Moon. She also reveals the existence of a third Gundam built under the GDP.
11"La Vie En Rose"
Transliteration: "Ra Bi An Rōzu" (Japanese: ラビアンローズ[42])		August 21, 1992 (1992-08-21)May 4, 2002
The Albion arrives at Anaheim Electronics' La Vie En Rose research ship to get the GP03 Dendrobium Stamen, where they are met by designer Lucette Auduvie and Federation officer Nakaha Nakato. Almost immediately, Nakato tells the crew that the GDP has been suspended and they are all confined to the Albion until further notice. Lucette shows Kou the GP03's diagrams and later sacrifices her life to stop Nakato killing Kou as he takes over the GP03 with the Albion crew's help and leave La Vie En Rose. Meanwhile, the Federation command expresses indifference at the upcoming Zeon colony drop on the Moon. The Konpeitoh survivors mobilize and try to stop it, but run out of fuel when Cima maneuvers to have Von Braun City's laser station activate the colony's engines to redirect it toward Earth. Gato also meets up with the Axis Advance Fleet, where he gets the massive Neue Ziel mobile armor and tries it against a small Federation patrol.
12"Assault on the Point of No Return"
Transliteration: "Kyōshū, Soshi Genkaiten" (Japanese: 強襲、阻止限界点[42])		September 24, 1992 (1992-09-24)May 11, 2002
Kou and Gato, now in their mobile armors, finally take each other on as the Albion crew tries to stop the colony before it passes the minimum limit for terminal entry. Cima's crew takes Delaz hostage aboard his flagship, the Gwaden. At Jaburo, Vice Admiral Cowen desperately tries to convince Admiral Gene Colliny of mobilizing the military's full might to stop the colony, but Jamitov Hymen has Cowen taken away. Delaz discovers that the Federation has deployed the Solar System II mirror array past the terminal entry point and encourages Gato to see the operation before Cima kills him. Out of rage, Gato drives one of the Neue Ziel's claws at the Gwaden bridge.
13"A Storm Raging Through"
Transliteration: "Kakenukeru Arashi" (Japanese: 駆け抜ける嵐[42])		September 24, 1992 (1992-09-24)May 18, 2002
The battle to stop the colony goes full-blast, with the Federation and Cima's forces working together to protect the Solar System II on one hand and the Delaz fleet shepherding the colony on the other while the Axis Advance Fleet stands back. Kou kills Cima in the fracas. The Solar System II fires, but Gato destroys the command ship, resulting in a weaker blast that barely damages the colony. As it breaks through the solar array, Gato enters the colony and inputs the final course corrections. Kou tries to stop him, but Nina interferes and protects Gato as they leave, revealing that they were once lovers. The two pilots continue to fight after Gato has Karius bring Nina to safety. The Solar System II remnants fire again, with many forces on both sides destroyed as the colony crashes into the Midwest. The Federation orders the Axis Advance Fleet to leave the Earth Sphere immediately, having overstayed their welcome, but Gato leads the Delaz Fleet survivors to attempt a breakthrough and dies in a kamikaze attack on a Federation ship. Several weeks later, Hymem and Bask Om announce the creation of the Titans. All records of Operation Stardust and the GP are erased, including Kou's one-year hard labor sentence. He eventually reunites with Nina, Keith, and Mora.

Compilation film

Just before the completion of the Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory OVA in September 1992, the series was reformatted into a compilation film which was released under the title Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: The Afterglow of Zeon (ジオンの残光 Jion no Zankō), which opened in Japanese theaters on August 29, 1992.[43] The ending theme is "True Shining" by Rumiko Wada. "Mon Etoil" by Rumiko Wada was used as a insert song.

Home media

A special VHS sneak peek of the first episode titled GxG Unit was given to advance ticket purchasers of Mobile Suit Gundam F91.

The series was reissued in DVD format in Japan on four volumes; the first R2 disc went on sale on January 25, 2000.

In 2006, a "5.1 ch DVD Box" was released in Japan. Along with remastered footage, this release featured a brand new audio track featuring completely re-recorded dialogue, altered sound effects and music and a new surround sound experience.

Bandai Entertainment licensed the series for the US market. The series was released on VHS in dubbed and subtitled versions in 1999 to coincide with the Gundam Big Bang Project. It spanned 7 VHS volumes and was also available in a box set. Volume 1 of the R1 DVD went on sale in January 2002. Cartoon Network premiered the series on U.S. television a month later on its Adult Swim Action block, where it remained until November 2002. Due to the closure of Bandai Entertainment, the OVAs have been out-of-print. On October 11, 2014, at their 2014 New York Comic Con panel, Sunrise announced they will be releasing all of the Gundam franchise, including Stardust Memory in North America through distribution via Right Stuf Inc., beginning in Spring 2015.[44]

The compilation film was released on DVD in the UK, Ireland and throughout Europe by Beez Entertainment on 15 May 2006 under the title The Afterglow of Zeon. It was only in Japanese, but with a variety of subtitles, including English. It was released in North America in 2017.[45]

Bandai Visual released a DVD boxed set in Japan on May 27, 2011, as part of the series' 20th anniversary.[46]

The series later received a Blu-ray Box in Japan in 2016. This release contained both the original stereo 2.0 audio and the 2006 5.1 re-recording. It also included a two part picture drama entitled "Mayfly of Space" focusing on Cima Garahau and the Zeonic soldiers.

A Blu-Ray/DVD set based on this release was put out by Rightstuf on April 4, 2017, including both English and Japanese options,[47] though the Japanese selections are only based on the 2006 "5.1 ch" re-recording.

Models

With the release of the original series in 1991, Bandai produced 1/144 scale model kits of the GP01 and GP01Fb, GP02A, GP03S, and AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra. All five units were later released in the 1/144 scale High Grade Universal Century (HGUC) line, which included a special version of the Gundam GP02A with an MLRS launcher and a Linkin Park edition of the Gundam GP01Fb. The GP03 Dendrobium was also released in 1/144 scale and in 1/550 scale alongside the Val-Walo and the Neue Ziel. At least six mobile suits from the series have been released either under Bandai's Master Grade (MG) line.

The GP01 and GP01Fb were released as part of the Perfect Grade (PG) line in 2003 and the Real Grade (RG) line in 2013 while the original version of the AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra, the Gundam GP04G Gerbera, was released in 2015 under the Reborn One-Hundred (RE/100) line.

Radio drama

Gundam 0083's canon includes two radio dramas on CD format billed as Cinema CDs. Both drama CDs were directed by series director Takashi with dialogue by Asahide Ōkuma (writer for 5 of the 0083 episodes).

Runga Offing Cannonade Battle (ルンガ沖砲撃戦, Runga-Oki Hōgekisen)
Runga Offing narrates events between Episodes 7 and 8, when the Albion engages a Chivvay-class Zeon warship. It introduces a new character named Aristide Hughes, the Albion's Gunnery Lieutenant.
Mayfly of Space (宇宙の蜉蝣, Uchū no Kagerō)
Mayfly of Space reveals Cima's backstory in flashbacks as she reflects on her past prior to the events of Episode 13. It reveals that Cima and her Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) poisoned a Side 5 colony using G-3 nerve gas under orders, but were treated as pariahs afterwards by their own countrymen for committing such an atrocity. At the end of the war, her superior refused to let her retreat to Axis. Because their home colony Mahal had been converted into a weapon, Cima and her men were left stranded and homeless.

Both of these stories appear in the PlayStation 2 game Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space. Portions of Mayfly of Space were adapted into two animated short features; the first in 1993 and the second in 2016.

Print

Kadokawa Shoten released a three-part novelization of the series. Penned by Hiroshi Yamaguchi, the books contain illustrations by Toshihiro Kawamoto, Hirotoshi Sano, and Hajime Katoki. It was made available online via Book Walker on May 26, 2014.[48]

Viz Communications also released all episodes in a comic book format from 1994 to 1995. However, instead of a manga, they used screenshots from each episode for the panels. Line art and descriptions of all units were inserted as well.

A manga reboot titled Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Rebellion (機動戦士ガンダム0083 REBELLION, Kidō Senshi Gandamu Daburuōeitīsrī Riberion) began publication in Kadokawa Shoten's Gundam Ace on June 26, 2013. Volume 16 concluded the plot of the OVA with an original ending.[49] Volume 17 started a spinoff sequel, that is non-canon to the anime continuity, about the return of Anavel Gato who survives Operation Stardust in the manga. The series concluded on May 26, 2023, and was compiled into 18 volumes in total. The manga was written by the OVA's director Takashi Imanishi and illustrated by Masato Natsumoto.[49]

Reception

Upon release in Japan, Stardust Memory was positioned by Sunrise/Bandai Visual as a prestige OVA with near-theatrical animation quality, an emphasis later reiterated in retrospective catalogue and Blu-ray materials that highlight its “overwhelming quality” and technical finish.[50] Contemporary production round-ups also describe strong home-video performance among Bandai Visual’s OVA cassettes during 1991–1992, as the title targeted the peak OVA market with high-spec presentation and large-scale mecha set pieces.[51]

In later English-language assessments, critics consistently praised the animation and mechanical design while splitting on the story and character work. Reviewing the Blu-ray, Forbes wrote that although the series showed “strange narrative missteps” and raised questions around music similarities, its stylistic polish made it a formative work for Sunrise’s 1990s output, arguing that “without this series there would be no Cowboy Bebop.”[52] Specialist outlets covering home-video releases likewise lauded the visual spectacle and mecha action as key draws for modern viewers, even where narrative execution drew mixed remarks.[53][54]

Commercially, the series has shown durable catalogue appeal. The Japanese HD remaster Blu-ray Box (released 29 January 2016) entered Oricon’s weekly Blu-ray chart, peaking in the top ten and charting across multiple weeks.[55][56] In Japan-based retrospectives, industry and hobby press continue to single out the OVA’s intricate mechanical animation and large-scale battle staging as representative of early-1990s Gundam craft.[57][58]

Overall, critics in Japan and the West generally regard Stardust Memory as a visually impressive, technically influential entry that helped define the franchise’s early-1990s Universal Century aesthetic, while its pacing, tonal shift mid-series, and characterization remain points of debate.[59][60][61]

References

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Bibliography

  • Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory. Gundam Film Book Series 5. ISBN 4-7511-0262-1.
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