Unboxing [UK]: Mobile Suit Gundam - Part 2: First Print Edition (Blu-ray)

I've been meaning to pick up the second half of Gundam '79 for a month now but I felt the price wasn't right just yet. Sadly the partial refund from the two Amazon packages in January never came (it's the import VAT, the refund part is randomised among various orders) so I couldn't afford both this and the Senran Kagura Estival Versus LE. I decided to put my focus on Gundam '79 especially as Anime Limited have announced their first print run, that contains a Collector's Booklet, is going out of print.

So here it is, the second half of Mobile Suit Gundam (also known as Gundam '79). Let's check it out.

Mobile Suit Gundam is a very popular franchise in Japan, the series has been around for over 35 years since 1979 and many sequels/spin-offs/continuations have been made throughout the decades. Originally Bandai and Beez Entertainment had the rights to distribute the series but both companies closed offices and as such the Gundam franchise went into limbo for a while, this also kept the new Gundam games (Extreme Vs, Breaker, UC etc.) Japan only.

Now Anime Limited and Rightstuf have acquired the rights to the Gundam franchise for their respective zones (UK & US), on behalf of Sunrise. Unlike Rightstuf, the UK releases are going at a much slower pace because Anime Limited are giving the release a special treatment.

Part 1 of Mobile Suit Gundam came with an artbox to hold both parts of the series, and for Part 2 we have a collector's booklet to go along with it. Like Part 1, the discs are exactly the same with just the packaging being the major difference. Part 2's collector's booklet is strictly available for the first 1000 copies of the set and the distributor has already announced they pretty much have no more stock left in the warehouse.

Part 2 of the set contains another 21 episodes; Episodes 23-43 of the original series. On the labels and such it's listed as Episodes 22-42 which is because one of the episodes in Part 1 was omitted due to the creator disliking the result and not allowing it outside of Japan.

Blu-ray Specs:

Languages: Japanese, English

Audio: Linear PCM 2.0 [Japanese], Linear PCM 2.0 [English]

Video: 1080p HD Native 16:9

Region: B

Subtitles: English [Japanese language & On-screen]

Subtitles Locked: No

Discs: 2

Plot Synopsis (via Anime Limited):

The White Base is the target of constant attacks by Zeon, and Amuro and the others have officially become soldiers of the Earth Federation Forces. They return to space to fight in the final campaign, and here Amuro meets the mysterious and beautiful Lalah Sune.

As the war builds to its conclusion, the final battle pits Federation against Zeon, brother against sister, and Newtype against Newtype. The Federation is weakened! Zeon is in turmoil! Will the Zeon fortress of A Baoa Qu stand or fall? It all ends here!

Extra Content:

Collector's Booklet (first 1000 copies only)

30th Anniversary Staff Interview

And here's both parts with the first print additions together:

Mobile Suit Gundam is available on Blu-ray from Anime Limited for United Kingdom as well as on Blu-ray and DVD from Rightstuf for North America.