I must say, this movie was a great beginning for Zeta. Heir to the Stars does a decent job of setting up the new conflict with the Titans, who are supposed to be maintaining the Earth Federation, but very quickly show their colors to be just as corrupt and unpleasant as the previous Zeon forces. The AEUG uprising against them brings a darker political flavor to the series than the original had, and I'm thoroughly enjoying that direction greatly. Moreover, the new Gundam designs are wonderful. The Titans' transformable suits that can turn into jets are just cool, plain and simple, and they make thebattle scenes feel much more hectic and frenetic than we had previously.

The characters are what really appealed to me, though. Kamille is such a different sort of main character from Amuro. He's hot-headed, a bit irresponsible, and blows his top at people willy-nilly. Still, there's a good heart hidden behind all that attitude, and he has tonnes of energy. Sincerely, it's nice to see a pilot who actually wants to fight, even if his temper gets him into all sorts of trouble. And then there's Char, or Quattro as we call him nowadays, and I'm quite liking where his story is going. Having him on the same side as the crew of the White Base still takes some getting used to, but it just feels natural. The mentor situation he's entering with Kamille is fitting well. Emma is another character who impresses. The manner in which she investigates the Titans, realizes just how corrupt they are, and betrays them in a matter of a few scenes makes her appear strong and authoritative, and I'm so glad she's with the AEUG now. Fa and Reccoa didn't have too much to do in this first film, but I suspect they will be important later. As for Jerid, he's actually quite a pathetic joke rival now since Kamille just goes on mopping him on the floor, but I have to give him credit where credit is due: he's obstinate, and at least that's fun to watch. And I also liked seeing that some of the old White Base crew members appeared, if only for cameos. It brings it all back around to the beginning and makes the leap to Zeta feel a lot less forced.

Production-wise, this movie is much better than the earlier ones. The animation is cleaner and more precise, making the combat a lot more fun to watch. The music and sound effects are also good and meet the tone, although there wasn't anything that stuck with me after the credits rolled. The voice acting is really good, and although it's kind of a disappointment that there isn't an English dub, I think the Japanese cast totally gets it. Overall, I really enjoyed Heir to the Stars. I gave it a 7/10 because while it isn’t mind-blowing, it’s a well-done continuation that introduces a great new cast, polishes up the presentation, and sets the stage for what feels like a bigger, darker story. I’m especially curious to see how Kamille grows as a pilot, how Char continues to evolve, and of course, how things will go once Amuro eventually steps back into the picture. Honestly, if the rest of the trilogy maintains this energy, I do believe I'm really going to enjoy the ride.