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Year: 1996
Genre: Military science fiction, Mecha
Episodes: 49
Rating: 5 out of 5
To live amongst the stars. What would it be like to live in a colony in space? One that floated above the Earth. How about five colonies that can house a million people. What would life be like in this colony? How would people be selected to live in the stars? Could you live in any colony or just one? Would the colony govern itself, or would the sponsoring country become the ruler?
With the colonization of space, the world military has completely changed. Armies are made up of mobile suits. Humanoid combat vehicles typically having two arms to deploy weapons, two legs for propulsion, and a head that acts as a main camera. The mobile suit is approximately 60 feet tall, with a cockpit in the unit’s torso. Would you join the army to be able to pilot one of these new weapons?
After many years, the colonies felt they could govern themselves and wanted independence. How can one govern another when one lives in space and the other on the ground? The world’s countries decide that will not happen and send their mobile suits to force you under their rule. Would you still accept this fate or fight against the ones that helped you get started?
Gundam Wing is an anime that explores the independence of outer space through the use of extremely powerful weapons. An anime that shows the terrors of war and battles. An anime where kids are given missions to help bring independence to their homes.
Overview:
In a far-off future, mankind has reached the stars by colonizing space with clusters of space colonies. The nations on Earth have decided to come together to form the Earth Sphere Alliance. The Alliance oppresses and controls the colonies with an iron fist with their military power. The colonies, sick of the oppression and rule from Earth, wish to be free to govern themselves. The colonies decided to join together in a movement headed by the pacifist Heero Yuy. In the year After Colony 175, Heero Yuy is assassinated, forcing the dream of freedom to vanish while forcing the colonies to figure out new ways to obtain liberty and peace. The assassination gives five scientists of the Organization of the Zodiac, OZ, the reason to go rogue and devise their own ways of peace.
Gundam Wing takes place in the year After Colony 195, with the start of “Operation Meteor.” Operation Meteor is the scientist’s plan for revenge against OZ and to finally obtain peace and freedom for the colonies. The operation involves five elite teenage boys, who are chosen and trained by each of the scientists. Each scientist builds a highly advanced mobile suit. The mobile suits are known as Gundams because they are constructed from a rare material called Gundanium alloy, which can only be created in outer space. The pilots of each Gundam are unaware of the other Gundam pilots, along with the mission they are given.
Gundam Wing revolves around the five Gundam pilots and their powerful Gundams. Heero Yuy (an alias given to the protagonist after the pacifist leader), Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, and Chang Wufei. Their mission is to bring freedom to the colonies and attack OZ and the Alliance with their weapons.
Review:
Gundam Wing is one of my all-time favorite anime series. The story’s complexity, the characters’ depth, and the Gundams used are spot-on for me. I fell in love with Gundam Wing when it first came on Toonami all those years ago. 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. Once again, I LOVE Gundam Wing and the OVA of Endless Waltz. Gundam Wing was the show that introduced me to the Gundam franchise, and I will forever be grateful for the series.
The story of Gundam Wing can be complicated and confusing if you are not paying attention. It is one of those stories that the characters interchange with each other. Like all Gundam stories, war is the main focus. Only in this one, the Earth is on one side, and the Colonies are on the other. The only thing the colonies want is freedom. Freedom to govern themselves. Sounds familiar? That is what all countries who want their independence go through. The Earth doesn’t want to give up that control and oppresses the colonies. It’s funny how you can oppress a group that lives in space. The anime deals with politics and backstabbing, which is excellent. One minute a character is trying to gain political power, and the next, they are wiped off the face of the Earth. It seemed like factions were formed or destroyed every few episodes, but the main characters moved on.
Five main characters control the Gundams. They are Heero, Trowa, Wufei, Duo, and Quatre. Within the anime, these five Gundam pilots will either confront the enemy alone or with each other at specific points. For example, Duo and Heero team up for a while until Heero dips out. This formula is used throughout the series. What the anime does so well is that you start to learn about each character. You learn about their background and motivations in why they are doing their mission. You start to really see their personality come out. Each character progresses the anime all the way until the final showdown, but the anime also does a great job with showing each person’s doubts.
One main thing the Gundam series strives on is the battles. It is not a Gundam series without some epic battles. The battles are great and very entertaining. Everyone fights everyone. If you think to yourself, “I wonder if one person can defeat the other,” it pretty much happens. The battles are intense, engaging, and downright amazing. Heero fights almost everyone and hardly ever loses because he will sacrifice himself to win. That is why he is the best character.
Gundam Wing EXCELS in the character development of all the major characters. Each character drives the story in their own way. Heero, the primary protagonist, is a character built for war and commands the best Gundam. He is almost emotionless and loves the battle. He completes any mission to extreme proficiency. He is my favorite character. Duo is the fun-loving Gundam pilot that adds a comedic element to the characters. Trowa is the reserved and stoic Gundam pilot that is almost as emotionless as Heero but has a huge heart for the ones he cares for. Wufei is a fierce Gundam pilot that despises weakness in characters even when he doesn’t see his own. Finally, there is Quatre. Quatre is the most caring of all the Gundam pilots who loves life and wants pacifism. Zechs and Treize add to the military factions on Earth that drive the story from the betrayals in their own ranks. Relena has the most character development. She turns from a naive high school girl who is a damsel in distress to a hardened woman who knows what she truly wants. The voice acting adds to the overall characters. The voice acting is spot-on.
The music for Gundam Wing is spot on. The two main songs, Just Communication and Rhythm Emotion by Two-Mix, are some of the best music I heard for an anime. They set the tone while being played during or after major battles. The anime also does an excellent job with other little melodies to express the feelings of the major characters and the feelings after major battles and deaths.
The animation is above average in this anime. When looking at the animation, it does look somewhat old. Where the animations does greatly is with the designs of the Gundams. They look entirely different and crisp compared to the other mechas that are used. The battles scenes are beautifully drawn with the effects of the Gundam’s weapons and attacks, making them stand out.
Gundam Wing is a top 25 anime that everyone should watch. The only downside of this anime is the complexity of the storyline. You need to pay attention to what is going on with the characters and the environment. The characters drive the story, with the battles scenes being the central area of excitement.
In the words of Trowa Barton, “Those who have laid eyes on a Gundam shall not live to tell about it.”
