Editing Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (section)

===Critical reception===
''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is praised by fans of the Universal Century sect of the franchise, with many lauding it for its bleak tone, character development, and its complicated expression of war.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/sippy-speaks/for-your-consideration-the-best-of-gundam-battles-6fca6c0693bb|title=For Your Consideration: The Best of Gundam Battles|date=6 January 2018|website=Medium.com|publisher=[[Medium (website)|Medium]]|access-date=August 8, 2020|archive-date=5 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505155445/https://medium.com/sippy-speaks/for-your-consideration-the-best-of-gundam-battles-6fca6c0693bb|url-status=live}}</ref> Even the series' director, Yoshiyuki Tomino, has expressed not liking the show.<ref name="Ijima"/>

The review website Mania.com gave the anime an overall 'B+' rating, regarding it as "one of [[Yoshiyuki Tomino]]'s greatest works." They stated that the "lack of an A/A+ is that this is recommended for fans who are already familiar with the [[Universal Century]] storyline," recommending that audiences view "the [[Mobile Suit Gundam#Compilation films|original film trilogy]]" first before watching ''Zeta Gundam''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-limited-edition-box-set_article_81506.html|title=Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Limited Edition Box Set|last=Taiki|date=7 June 2005|website=Mania.com|publisher=Mania|access-date=20 October 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410022943/http://www.mania.com/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-limited-edition-box-set_article_81506.html|archive-date=10 April 2009}}</ref> The reviewer Chris Beveridge of Mania.com gave certain volumes of the series a full 'A' rating, describing the last ten episodes as being "the huge payoff episodes" where "you can almost feel the characters being rushed around a bit and moved through the paces. But at the same time, it all comes so fast that it's simply enjoyable to watch so much happen and change so quickly."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-vol-09_article_77383.html|title=Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Vol. #09|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|date=31 May 2005|website=Mania.com|publisher=Mania|access-date=20 October 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410023439/http://www.mania.com/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-vol-09_article_77383.html|archive-date=10 April 2009}}</ref>

Beveridge would later review the Blu-Ray releases of the series for ''The Fandom Post'', giving both sets of Blu-Rays an 'A−' rating. Beveridge writes in the review for the first set, "It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost ten years since I last saw this series as you realize just how much anime you consume. But it also makes you realize which ones truly stand out over the course of time and this one is definitely one of them."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fandompost.com/2016/02/12/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-collection-1-blu-ray-anime-review/|title=Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Collection 1 Blu-ray Anime Review|date=12 February 2016|publisher=The Fandom Post|access-date=August 28, 2020|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108130422/https://www.fandompost.com/2016/02/12/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-collection-1-blu-ray-anime-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> Beveridge found the second half of the series weaker, though still claims that the show "hits most things right".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fandompost.com/2016/03/15/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-collection-2-blu-ray-anime-review/|title=Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Collection 2 Blu-ray Anime Review|date=15 March 2016|publisher=The Fandom Post|access-date=August 28, 2020|archive-date=25 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125082310/https://www.fandompost.com/2016/03/15/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-collection-2-blu-ray-anime-review/|url-status=live}}</ref>

While reviewing for the Blu-ray release of the series, Ollie Barder of ''[[Forbes]]'' gave the show a rave review, even titling it as "Possibly The Greatest 'Gundam' Series Ever Made". Barder praised the series' more realistic approach to war and its striking designs for the many different robots, though did find the transforming mechas out of place in ''Zeta's'' more grounded reality.<ref name="auto2"/> Lauren Orsini of ''[[Anime News Network]]'' also praised the series in a review for the first Blu-ray release, giving the dub for the first set a 'B', praising it for its powerful storytelling.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam/blu-ray-part-1/.98429|title=Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Blu-Ray Part 1|date=8 February 2016|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=August 8, 2020|archive-date=6 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106080903/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam/blu-ray-part-1/.98429|url-status=live}}</ref> Orsini was more critical of the second half of the series, finding the plot too chaotic and calling it Gundam's "awkward coming-of-age". But Orsini still praised the second half for its mecha designs and strong emotional payoffs, ultimately giving the subtitle version of the series a 'B'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-part-2/.99581|title=Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Blu-Ray Part 2|date=16 March 2016|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=August 8, 2020|archive-date=2 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102102647/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/mobile-suit-zeta-gundam-part-2/.99581|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Comic Book Resources]]'' listed ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' as the best Gundam anime in their 2020 list,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/best-gundam-anime-ranked/|title=The 15 Best Gundam Anime, Ranked|date=2 November 2020|publisher=[[Comic Book Resources]]|access-date=16 August 2021|archive-date=16 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016233719/https://www.cbr.com/best-gundam-anime-ranked/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the series was later ranked as the highest-rated Gundam show on ''[[IMDb]]''.<ref name="auto3"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159186/|title=Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam IMDb Page|date=2 March 1985|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=16 August 2021|archive-date=6 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106220027/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159186/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Bluefin Brand'', one of the biggest distributors of [[Gundam Model|Gunpla model kits]] and other Japanese branded toys in the west, had ''Zeta Gundam'' the top show to watch in the franchise.<ref name="auto5"/>

In the ''[[NHK|NHK's]]'' 2018 mega "All Gundam Poll", ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' was placed as the second-best anime in the Gundam franchise, only behind the original 1979 [[Mobile Suit Gundam|''Gundam'']] show. The Zeta Gundam mecha was voted as the second-best mobile suit in the same poll, only behind the RX-93 ν Gundam (also known as the Nu Gundam) from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack|Char's Counterattack]]''. The second opening song, {{nihongo|''[[Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete]]''|水の星へ愛をこめて|From the Aqueous Star with Love}}, was also voted the best Gundam song in the franchise. [[Hiroko Moriguchi]], the original singer of ''Mizu no Hoshi'', re-recorded a new version of the song in ''[[Gundam Song Covers]]'', along with the nine other songs in the top ten of ''NHK's'' poll.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gundam.info/news/video-music/news_video-music_20190614_14.html |title=ガンダム40周年記念！森口博子からガンダムファンへ向けたメッセージ動画到着！ |trans-title=Gundam 40th anniversary! A message video message from Hiroko Moriguchi to Gundam fans! |newspaper=Gundam.info &#124; 公式ガンダム情報ポータルサイト |date=2019-06-17 |access-date=2020-01-31 |archive-date=2023-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114175927/https://www.gundam.info/news/video-music/news_video-music_20190614_14.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://gundam40th.net/news/?id=16952 |title=森口博子「GUNDAM SONG COVERS」本日発売！「数量限定生産盤」追加販売も決定! |trans-title=Hiroko Moriguchi “GUNDAM SONG COVERS” released today! Additional sales of “Limited Edition” will be decided! |website=Mobile Suit Gundam 40th Anniversary Project |date=2019-08-07 |access-date=2020-01-31 |archive-date=2021-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025203802/http://gundam40th.net/news/?id=16952 |url-status=live }}</ref> A music video of Moriguchi's new version of ''Mizu no Hoshi'' was released in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/07/14/video-hiroko-moriguchi-re-records-zeta-gundam-op-theme-for-her-cover-song-album |title=VIDEO: Hiroko Moriguchi Re-Records Zeta Gundam OP Theme for Her Cover Song Album |first=Mikikazu |last=Komatsu |website=[[Crunchyroll]] |date=2019-07-15 |access-date=2019-12-03 |archive-date=2022-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206042840/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/07/14/video-hiroko-moriguchi-re-records-zeta-gundam-op-theme-for-her-cover-song-album |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''NHK'' reported that there was a total of 1,740,280 votes in the poll, with 46% of the votes for ''Zeta'' coming from voters between the ages 40 to 46.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhk.or.jp/anime/gundam/ranking/|title=Result Announcement!|publisher=[[NHK]]|access-date=August 8, 2020|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928101136/https://www.nhk.or.jp/anime/gundam/ranking/|url-status=live}}</ref>