Mad Alpha's Revenge

It's intriguing to revisit manga that you haven't touched in years, especially when it involves multiple iterations of the same filler content.  

STORY - Battlefield of Pacifists presents yet another take on the events occurring between Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz. It delves into the responses of various factions to the concept of "total pacifism" brought about by "complete disarmament," as well as the rationale behind the Gundam pilots' choice to send their mobile suits into the sun. The narrative's logic and philosophy are straightforward and easy to grasp, though there is some over-generalization at play, and the ideas aren't particularly groundbreaking or engaging. For those who, like me, don't fully align with the protagonists' moral stance, the idealism portrayed can be somewhat irritating. Additionally, the storytelling feels disjointed, jumping from one location to another with just enough time for key characters to deliver crucial exposition before moving on.

Given that Katsuhiro Chiba, one of the anime's scriptwriters, penned the story, it meshes well with the series. The events depicted feel authentic and canon-compliant, seamlessly bridging the gap between the anime and the OAV. The beginning flows naturally from the anime's conclusion, while the ending ties neatly into Endless Waltz. Thus, it serves as a tidy, compact tale that effectively fills the space between the two works, albeit with rather unremarkable material.

CHARACTERS - The characters largely mirror their anime counterparts, with Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, and Relena behaving predictably. However, it was refreshing to see a solid inclusion of secondary characters such as Howard, Une, and Dorothy, along with references to pivotal figures who met their end in the anime.

ART - Generally, the artwork is decent, but there are noticeable inconsistencies in character proportions. Despite being the same age, Heero appears significantly taller and older than his peers. Wufei and Trowa occasionally seem younger due to disproportionately larger heads in certain panels. Duo's physique makes him appear more feminine compared to his portrayal in the show. The battle scenes also fall short, with the Gundams looking awkward in several instances.

OTHER - TOKYOPOP acquired, translated, and published Battlefield of Pacifists in 2002. The book is flipped for left-to-right reading, complete with translated sound effects. In comparison to TOKYOPOP's later works, this short story seems subpar. The dialogue typeface is unsatisfactory, particularly for emphasized words rendered in different fonts. While the sound effects are passable, their actual wording—such as "BLAM" for explosions and "ZOOOOOOOMMM" for rapid movement—can undermine the seriousness of a war comic for readers unfamiliar with American comic conventions. That said, the translation captures the mood and emotion of the anime characters well, even if the technical execution leaves something to be desired.

OVERALL - As a credible filler piece bridging Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz, Battlefield of Pacifists accomplishes its goal. However, as a political and philosophical exploration of human nature, war, and pacifism, it falls short. But I suspect that most readers aren't seeking such depth here.

Great story

You should put some spoiler alert bro, I was scrolling in the comments to see if this novel was good but saw this.

Something like this