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Rating: 5 out of 5
One of my all-time favorite anime series ever is Gundam Wing. I was introduced to Gundam Wing when it first came on Toonami all those years ago. The story’s complexity, the characters’ depth, and the Gundams used are spot-on for me. The trailer got me hyped, and I couldn’t wait to watch it. The words, “Those who have laid eyes on a Gundam, shall not live to tell about it!” still echo in my head. When it came on, the story was way over my head then, but it was all about the fighting for me. Gundam Wing was the show that introduced me to the Gundam franchise, and I will forever be grateful for the series.
I was sad when the Gundam Wing series ended, but like all young male boys, Toonami had other shows to watch. Then, one day, Heero and his crew descended from the sky, and Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz introduced itself. Oh, how excited I was about the film and enjoyed it. Hell, I even bought the movie on DVD. Years later, I blew the dust off and decided to watch it all over again. You know what? It is just as good or even better than when I first saw it. This is a high-quality anime sequel film to a great but complicated anime.
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz starts one year after the series in the year After Colony 196. All war has ended, and there is peace between Earth and the space colonies. OZ has been officially disbanded after the death of its leader, Treize Khushrenada. Earth Sphere Unified Nation (ESUN) and the Preventers are established to maintain peace. Heero, Duo, Quatre, and Trowa decide that the best way to maintain peace is to destroy their Gundams by sending them to the sun, but Wefei’s sensitive self keeps his.
The Earth is looking good when shit hits the fan that seems to destroy the peace. Colony L3-18999 has had a rebellion, and its leader is seven-year-old Mariemaia Khushrenada, the illegitimate daughter of Treize. Who did Treize knock up? Mariemaia does the unthinkable to start a war. She kidnaps Relena Darlian, who is now the Vice Foreign Minister of the ESUN, during a diplomatic mission. Heero, Duo, Quatre, and Trowa investigate and learn that Dekim Barton is behind everything, using Mariemaia as a puppet, and is the true mastermind behind Operation Meteor. The Gundam pilots must break their vow of not fighting to stop the Dekim from ruining the peace they had fought so hard for.
The Gundam franchise knows how to make a compelling story. Having it set one year after the war was a nice touch because we see how things turned out. Peace is going well, and the Gundam pilots can finally rest. The introduction of Mariemaia was a nice touch because she was Treize’s daughter. That was a major punch in the face with disbelief. How she kidnapped Relena, you knew Heero was going to come for that ass for messing with his woman. What I also like about the story is how Mariemaia convinces a whole colony to join her, but when war breaks out, you see the people of Earth and the colonies not wanting it. When you have seen and been through a long war, the last thing you want is another war to start.
The battles of this film were toned down by the fact that the whole premise of the story was to do without war. The main battle was with Heero and Wefei who went over to Mariemaia side. The battle was more about the ideas of the two Gundam pilots rather than skill. Heero would’ve waxed that ass. When the Gundam Pilots fight against Mariemaia’s forces on Earth, watching them as they try not to kill anyone is cool. I will say that the last scene where Heero burst through and shoots his gun was AWESOME. Mariemaia batted him, and she got the message. Heero was like, you fucked around, and you’re about to find out why I am the all-time greatest Gundam pilot and most feared. Also, Lady Une slaps the shit out of Mariemaia.
The animation in this film was terrific. It took a mighty step up from what it was in the series, which is saying something because the animation in the series was strong. The animation hit a new level when the Gundams were shown again, especially Wing Zero. I loved it when Wing Zero opened its wings; feathers fell from it. The animation and illusion of the scenes were great because they made it seem that Wing Zero was angel-like.
The music was perfect for this anime. Two-Mix went hard on the songs. “White Reflection” and “Last Impression” were awesome. I loved how the songs were used in this anime. The montage of Mariemaia’s forces landing and Heero going to get his Gundam was enhanced with these songs. They are the best parts of the whole film because they bring you in and keep you in the moment of the film. LOVE IT!!
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz is a high-quality, excellent sequel OVA for a great anime series. This is how you end a series with a strong movie. The story is terrific, but the music is fantastic and really enhances the film. Watch this film, smile, and be happy that Gundam Wing was a tremendous series and movie.
BONUS CLIP!!!!
