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I don't remember what it was at first that drew me to Gundam 00, because I ended up in love with it all too fast, which is why I'll try my hardest to toss aside any bias. I haven't seen any of the previous Gundams, I knew about them of course, but never actually sat down and watched them. Partly because 00 had a more sleek art style and partly because the instant contradictions within the plot and characters intrigued me. This review may contain hints of spoilers, but nothing explicit and flat out. STORY- The story is political, to say the least. Because thisis the first season, there's a lot of focus on why things are the way they are, the factions and their goals, observing them discuss, ect. I admit it's a little hard to keep up with sometimes once you feel it start to drone on. Thankfully, it's not that long, and just long enough to get the point across. What interested me the most was a point that was shown through the relationship between Setsuna and Marina. Celestial Being is trying to eradicate war, as they say, but they are fighting to do that. That itself is a huge contradiction, one that isn't ignored by the characters themselves. Setsuna in particular I remember musing over it. Marina on the other hand seeks peace, creating a good-hearted light of hope in all of the violence. The whole thing is very realistic and that was a drawing point. This isn't an alternate universe, this is a version of an imagined future. ART- Again I'll say it, the sleek art is what drew me the most to 00. I'd seen the previous gundams, but never watched them because the designs nor the style caught me. The character designs themselves are very nice. A crazy crayola crayon box, but nice. Mobile animations and designs were done very fluidly and detailed. If anything, it's not an ugly show to watch at all. It's not full of big eyed girls with moe attitudes, there's a varied female design throughout. Same could be said for the males. While the girl designs feel more futuristic, the boys somehow feel more earthy to me. Still- that's just me. SOUND- No one's tracked how many times I've raved about 00's OP and EDs. They are the absolute best I've ever seen. The lyrics, the accompanying animation and the whole exhibition of it is produced beautifully. I'm one of those people who normally skip over OPs after so long and never really watch EDs, but every single time I watched both in 00. The soundtrack in itself isn't very noticeable nor memorable, though that didn't bother me much. I was too preoccupied with the OPs and EDs still, because I can't imagine such a string of beauty throughout a whole anime season for anything other than 00. CHARACTER- This is the point I have to strongly fight that bias. The hugest thing that kept me watching the series was the characters, who I found a relief from all the others that seem to be popping up. The relationships between them, the backgrounds... learning about the characters was a bit slow paced, but rewarding all the same. None of the meisters have had easy pasts. Allelujah finds himself fighting with a split personality from experimentation. Setsuna gained his cold and unaffectionate demeanor from his life as a child soldier. Tieria, an exceptionally mysterious character, isn't what you'd call fully human. Then even the guy who would light up the room with his smile, Lockon, carried a hatred for terrorists within his heart that clouded his judgement. All of them bond. All of them grow closer without saying anything. Lockon in particular is to thank for these growths, because he is truly the shining light of the show. The one who unites all the others, smiling to help them grow. It's hard not to become attached to his magnetic personality, like him or hate him. Then there are the more minor parts of CB, including a socially awkward young girl who doesn't know how to express herself to people and finds solace in robotics, an alcoholic strategic who never misses a chance to have a drink, a friendly young adult woman who, despite the dreariness she's surrounded with, manages to keep an upbeat and sociable attitude. And of course there are the antagonists, as well as everyone else. It's quite a cast. The Trinity siblings I felt, didn't get nearly enough screen time, being introduced more than ten episodes into the series, but they were dynamic. They shook up things wherever they went, and were nothing but a joy to see. Never dull. Nena Trinity, the youngest, does an excessively violent act late in the season that truly exhibits the sibling's ruthlessness. The antagonists were intriguing, but they too, I wished had more screen time to really let the viewers get a better feel. All the relationships were so complicated- it made the two civilians, Saji and Louise, stand out like a sore thumb in the cast. Very fun comic relief and a chance to see what's happening through a civilian's point of view. Ultimately, while the two may not seem important, gradually they gain almost the most character development throughout the cast, surprisingly enough. ENJOYMENT AND OVERALL- If you can sit through some politics, enjoy having your morals questioned and are willing to keep an open mind, it's a fantastic series and I recommend it. As many have said- it's an excellent gundam series to start off with.

CottonCandyLover

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is yet another addition to Sunrise's long running metaseries Mobile Suit Gundam, as well as the newest in the line of alternative universe Gundams. In a franchise as big as Gundam, it's very easy to get overshadowed by predecessors and living up to the namesake of Gundam is tough. After so many series, it's hard not to recycle the same material and Gundam 00 is no exception. But its unique execution and incorporation of realistic issues going on in this world makes this a series worth checking out by both long time fans and newcomers. Story The premise of Mobile Suit Gundam 00focuses on the paramilitary organization/force known as Celestial Being, and their idealistic goal towards eradicating war through violence itself. Much like fighting fire with fire, the controversial goal of Celestial Being is embodied through mobile suits known as "Gundams" and their armed interventions. Pitting a paramilitary force and its overpowered mobile suits against the world, you basically get a massive serving of shiny mech to mech action. Not exactly the most innovative. The story's essentially set up so the show can have as many mobile suit battles as possible; and frankly, that isn't a bad thing as long as it's toppled with good characters and drama. It's a decent story, but it's lacking some of the military aspects that Gundam is known for. Besides the main story, there's also a subplot involving two characters named Saji and Louise. Their purpose is to basically show the viewer the civilian standpoint of Celestial Being's fight against the world's three superpowers. Which is probably the show's only source of slight comic relief and lightheartedness. Art and Animation The character designs of the four main Meisters are all quite well done. Much like Gundam Wing, the main characters are all pretty boys. Besides the main characters, we also have our blonde antagonist Graham whose appearance all-around gives the vibe of an ace pilot. Female designs are also done very well, such as Marina, who, though young, gives off a very motherly appearance; a very important aspect regarding her role in the plot. The Mecha designs of Gundam 00 is very unique in that they're not rehashes of mobile suits from previous series. Gundam Exia (AKA the main main Gundam) offers a very simplistic and futuristic design; in fact, that goes to all the other mobile suit designs in this series. So unlike the Strike Freedom, the Gundams don't have a million things on their backs and enemies don't look overdone as if they were meant to sell model kits. The Mecha designs in 00 are, in my opinion, some of the best in the Gundam metaseries. The animation in this series is absolutely stunning. You wouldn't find a prettier anime on this planet. Gundam 00 contains some of the most fluid Mecha action I've ever seen. The likes only rivaled by another Sunrise mech, Code Geass R2. Everything in this series is animation gold, from the shading and facial expressions of characters to the GN drive emitting particles from the Gundams. It should be noted that there are some minor slip-ups, but they're passable and like mentioned, minor. Sound The sound (speaking of music, not sound effects) in 00 is probably the weakest part of the entire series. This is one of the few things that its predecessor, SEED, is by far superior in. The soundtrack isn't necessarily bad, it just doesn't bring out the mood as effectively as it should. Though there are some great background music such as Fight, Counterattack, and Union. The OP's and ED's on the otherhand are fantastic. Unlike SEED, new openings use different animation and things are actually MOVING and isn't a slideshow of pictures. Character The characters in Gundam 00 are.. interesting. Can't say the score eight is definite as the second season hasn't aired yet. But judging solely on the first season, the characters are all quite reserved if not emotionless. Setsuna, being the main character, has a very interesting if not bloody background to him. Tieria is mysterious and strict, Allelujah is a character struggling with his mind, and Lockon is easygoing and likable, though he harnesses a deep hatred towards terrorists. Other characters include the Char-like ace pilot Graham, war-loving Ali Al Saachez, and Human Reform League veteran soldier Sergei Smirnov. The cast in general is a good cast, the characters aren't anything we haven't seen in Gundam before, but maybe that's a good thing. Enjoyment It's an enjoyable series, especially towards the end. The Mecha action will glue you to the screen, the characters will make you empathize, and old time Gundam fans will have fun comparing it to Wing and/or finding the Char clone. The show also carries the 'Kill em all' kind of ending done by Director Yoshiyuki Tomino, something UC fans may fancy. Overall Gundam 00 is by no means a deep show, it's the Gundam you know and love, with the usual war themes and ideology; all wrapped up in HD goodness. For newcomers, Gundam 00 is a fantastic introduction to the franchise. All-around it's a solid show. Gundam 00 proves once again how sitting in a cockpit while shouting out morals and personal philosophies is a win-win formula even after almost thirty years since its debut. General impression, summary, and thoughts: Story: B+ : A storyline you would expect from a mecha geared towards the Shounen demographic. Art & Animation: A+ : Good interesting mecha and character designs, fluid mecha action. Sound: B : Weak, forgettable. Character: B+ : The characters are there, they get developed but overall it's more plot-driven. Overall: B+ : Another solid installment to the Gundam franchise, a promising ending setting up for the second season.