Mobile Suit Gundam is currently streaming in Australia on Crunchyroll, and in the US on Crunchyroll, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. The 1-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Toru Furuya sets the tone, and the world-building does the rest. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Crunchyroll.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Mobile Suit Gundam is worth clearing space for. What makes Mobile Suit Gundam work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. What would you do if you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a war? Teenager Amuro Ray sees his life shattered when war comes to his home. During the chaos, Amuro finds himself inside the mobile suit Gundam, the Earth Federation's new secret weapon, and he somehow gets it to work. The human element stays intact thanks to Toru Furuya and Shuichi Ikeda, who anchor every scene. It was aired in 1979–1980. Mobile Suit Gundam resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Mobile Suit Gundam is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. If you have already watched Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam is a natural next step. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch if your schedule allows. Watch for Toru Furuya in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.

Mobile Suit Gundam wrapped up in 1980, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino — and 1 season is available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro's free voice app makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just say the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.