Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986)
This is only a recommendation if you watch the original Gundam, in either its show or anthology movie formats, and like it. Zeta and Double Zeta are sequel series to the original show that you can, alongside the climactic movie Char’s Counterattack, essentially consider as one long-form story about the fall out of the end of the One Year War.
Both Zeta and especially the first half of Double Zeta have distinctly different tones, and yet also play with a lot of elements that Witch From Mercury echoed in its own story and worldbuilding—especially that of the role of enhanced individuals and the concept of the Newtype. The same caveats that applied to the original series apply here: the older animation may be off-putting to some, as might the daunting length of each series (Zeta and Double Zeta run 50 and 47 episodes, respectively). But if you enjoy the original Gundam enough to keep going, they’re both more than worth checking out—together, they stand as one of the most compelling sci-fi trilogies in animation.
Where to Watch: Both Zeta Gundam and Gundam ZZ are now streaming on Crunchyroll.
