Review of Gundam 00

REVIEW OF GUNDAM 00


Definitions:

Mobile Suit (Mecha): Generally humanoid in shape with two upper torso limbs and two lower torso limbs with the cockpit located in the abdomen, although in some cases it is located in the head or chest. An average mobile suit stands around 18 meters tall, roughly 10 times the size of a man, although later models are miniaturized to under 15 meters. (from Wikipedia)

Anno Domini (AD): Timeline in the Gundam universe that encompasses our own real-life timeline, the story in Gundam 00 starts on 2307 AD (24th century).

Epic: (in this situation) heroic or grand in scale or character

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I'm sure every man out there has, at one point of their lives, to own a mech. Or is it just me? The "mecha" anime genre has always been a favorite of mine because of how easy it is to integrate to any other genre. You want a harem? Bam, Infinite Stratos. You want an action-packed, brainless fun anime? Bam, Gurren Lagann. But, in the world of mechas, there is only one franchise that deserves the name of the king of the mechs. Anyone who has been in contact with the anime world even for a moderate amount of time has heard of this name: Gundam. 

Gundam 00 (Double O) is the first full-length anime series to have come out bearing the shining letters GUNDAM since the widely-acclaimed, fan-favorite Gundam SEED and its shunned-upon sequel Gundam SEED Destiny. 

Spanning over two seasons and wrapped up in the movie "A Wakening of the Trailblazer", this Sunrise production was directed by Seiji Mizushima (best known for directing Shaman King and the original Fullmetal Alchemist) and written by Yosuke Kuroda (who was involved in works like Btooom!, Please Teacher and Trigun).

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STORY: Weight of 25% at 4.0/5

Gundam 00 feels like a very typical Gundam show, but that in and of itself makes it a very interesting show in terms of anime in general. 

In the Gundam 00 universe, that is taking place in 2307 AD (Anno Domini) and lasts about 7 years, which would technically put it as the closest show to our real life timeline, the world is split into three major factions each gunning for the throne.

During a combat exercise to demonstrate one of the three faction's new tech, a mysterious Mobile Suit appears and quickly destroys this new tech but leaves without any further damage. This sparks a series of events that leads to the revelation of this 4th party, who would call themselves the Celestial Beings, an organization that shall serve as the greatest intervention squad to minimize the damage caused by the other three nation's constant competition.

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Like Gundam SEED or older Gundam series, Gundam 00 focuses a lot on politics and the intricacies of it. Viewers will see different perspectives on the same subject and each one being arguably understandable. A problem that some people might have with the series though is that the show takes itself very seriously. Little humor will be found although there are some short moments, but if you are in it for a show with an epic scale, you'll find it.


The plot remains solid throughout the whole series, with mini-climaxes in each episode and a slightly bigger climax at the end of each "arc". However, the show starts off in a confusing way and for those who are just exploring different animes after passing through more conventional choices, this can be somewhat unwelcoming. However, the story will and does bring itself together and eventually works out pretty decently.

The only major problem that I had with the series is its ending. To recap, the Gundam 00 series was divided into 3 different, let's call it, forms. You have season 1, season 2 and the movie. In a way, we have 3 endings. Don't get me wrong, the endings for all 3 will be spectacular but they don't give any sense of closure or a bizarre one. Season one's ending didn't matter to me because I knew that there was a second season waiting for me. Furthermore, if you have yet to watch this series, you might as well marathon it so you wouldn't need to worry too much about the endings for either seasons and to then watch the movie. But even then...

CHARACTERS: Weight of 25% at 4.3/5

Not to repeat myself but the story of Gundam 00 is nothing less than epic, so it needs quite a cast to succeed in presenting such an epic story. The show has an abundance of characters, all of which will eventually tie in one to another. 

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It would be hard to talk about any series without talking about the main characters. For me, Gundam 00 was a dual-protagonist series, much like Gundam SEED. However, the main focus this time is not on the civilian who becomes a soldier but the soldier looking for peace (Think of reverse Kira-Athrun). The main focus here though is Setsuna F Seiei.

 

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 Setsuna, on the surface, is a very boring guy. He speaks very little and sometimes when he talks, you wonder if he's got a clear mind. Setsuna rarely goes farther than answering a question or telling himself "I am a Gundam". This is a very interesting contrast to the last big Gundam series, Gundam SEED where every character has a quota of words that they have to fill. It's strange to say this, but it is actually refreshing. 

Setsuna is a man of few words, but he speaks through his actions. Unlike early Kira and even more unlike Athrun, Setsuna is very resolute in his actions to achieve his goal. He does not hesitate, he does not back down and he does not smile. 

On the other hand, we have Saji Crossroad. Unlike Setsuna, Saji loves to complain and to voice his opinion. He starts off as a very laissez-faire attitude toward world events as long as it does not affect him. However, events will affect him and those close to him and he constantly seeks someone to blame. 

As much as I would like to continue on about how annoying of a character Saji is, he is actually a necessity to the series. 

We must remember that Gundam shows love to play with themes of war vs peace, benefits of the few vs benefits of the many, but never touches upon a black and white approach to what is right or wrong. The same way there are, sadly, 50 shades of gray, each person is right to a certain degree about anything. 

So while Setsuna belongs to the category of characters who believe that the benefits of the many is more important than the benefits of the few, like other wonderful characters like Lelouch vi Britannia or Light Yagami (though to a smaller extent), Saji represents the type of characters who believe that blame others, and acts like cowards, much like the ever-popular Shinji Ikari. 

This category of people are actually the ones that represent society best and only helps enrich the believability and credibility of the series.

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Apart from these two characters, there are codenames Lockon, Allelujah, and Tieria who round up the Gundam Meisters. Each one being more than fantastic characters with enough development to make viewers care for them. With these three, that rounds up the primary protagonists.

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The supporting cast aren't to be ignored though. Sumeragi, Feldt, Christina, Marina Ismail, and Louise round up the primary female characters. Although visually they certainly are a step up, the female characters in the series are not here to only serve as fan service but instead presents us how anime could present women as strong, independent yet not invincible people.

The villains are plentiful, as in any Gundam series, though the first season presents us a vague antagonist, the second season, an obvious antagonist and the movie, something. Though I wouldn't go as far as to praise the villains for quality because we have seen the same type of villains done better elsewhere, the villains as a whole make up a fine batch of characters that will more than be enough to set things into motion.

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The minor characters fill out the holes and there are more than enough of those. Although they only exist to enrich the story, there were a few standout ones for me and the series only gets better with them.


AESTHETICS (Animation, Sound, Voice): Weight of 25% at 4.8/5

Calling Gundam 00 beautiful would be an understatement. There is almost never a shortage of budget when it comes to Gundam and this one truly delivers. From the opening, we can see the quality ooze through and there isn't much more any self-respecting otaku can ask. 

The sound is simply amazing, from the little beeps to the major explosions, viewers are presented a wide selection. 

The music is better than most though nothing I would consider ground-breaking or award-winning. The first opening for example started off as being iffy for me but slowly grew into something much more beautiful than it originally was. One thing needs to be said though, all the music chosen were probably the ones that suited the show best. The first opening to season one was soothing at the beginning but start picking up near the end which represents perfectly the first season's goal of introduction and the first climax. The second season's opening, in comparison is much more fast-paced and can I say, energizing?, which fits the more action packed season two perfectly.

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Now, before talking about voices, let me just first let out a dark secret. I. Watched. This. In. Dub. *dramatic piano* Yes, this is an old habit of mine, I have always watched my Gundam shows in Dub. I did not regret it in the original, I did not regret it in Wing, I did not regret it in SEED and I did not regret it in 00. 

Between you and me, Gundam shows have always been for me a perfect example of an anime that is as good in dub or sub, with a high level of quality put into both quote-unquote versions.

Setsuna's harsh voice was well-done, Saji's voice was much better than what it could have been and actually fits a young male adult his age and the rest of the cast are more than solid. Would I recommend dub or sub? Honestly, I prefer dub when it comes to animes that I consider Epics because those are usually well done (see Fate/Zero or even Code Geass) and the disappearance of the need to read is a major plus to get yourself into the show.

As a complete package, Gundam 00 hit every right key for me and will serve as a good baseline for all future Gundam series.

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MECHS: Weight of 5% at 4.8/5

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No real Gundam review would be complete without a look at the Gundams that were introduced. Aligning with the rest of the series as a whole, the mechs are all beauty for the eyes with major respects given for the GN Drives and the particles that come out of it. The Exia and the 00 line specifically look amazing with the traditional blue, white, yellow and red colors but the others all deserve mention too. Watching a sniper Gundam fire a long range beam was satisfying. Watching plane-converting Gundam fly around the battlefield was enjoyable. Watching the "fat-man" Gundam obliterate was fantastic. 


 MOVIE: Weight of 20% at 3.5/5

In an attempt to conclude the 00 series, a 2 hour long movie oddly named "A Wakening of the Trailblazer" was made. The movie attempted to fill in the gaps that the original two seasons might have left and tried to make an epilogue for all the important characters. I have no complaints for the aesthetics, the movie retains the same standard in terms of visuals and sound that the anime first set. 

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However, a question must be asked if the movie was necessary.

To completely answer this, we have to first consider the plot of the movie. Unlike most other animes where the "world is saved" like between Gundam SEED and Destiny or even Avatar: The Last Airbender and Korra, where viewers are shown that things aren't as easy as beating this guy equals peace, the movie instead brought an alien invasion.

In many ways, the movie felt more as a way to bring in more cash rather than as a way to strengthen the 00 storyline.

Granted, as with any sequel or continuation, I would watch simply because more 00 is never bad and in fact, it isn't. However, the stand alone feel that the movie exuded was quite unappealing for die hard fans. We do see how the characters have lived on after the end of the second season but other than for that reason the movie was somewhat unnecessary.

FINAL VERDICT: Overall score of 84.3%

Gundam 00 was everything I expected from a Gundam show, serious plot, some romance without being obnoxious, hateable villains and well, mechs. Everything that the older Gundam series might have over 00 is at least balanced by the beautiful aesthetics of the show. 

The first season captures the interest, the second one dumps down on us more of what we love and the movie... is fun to watch.

Either way, I would definitely recommend this show to anyone who loves mechs but it is still a more than enjoyable series for anyone who simply wants an "epic" anime.

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Video Review: *coming soon*