[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Gundam 00: First Impressions
I could’ve lumped this into the forthcoming second ‘Autumn 07′ post but there was no doubt that I’d be checking this one out; y’see, I’ve never actually seen any Gundam before. That might seem as incredible coming from a sci-fi nut such as myself as saying I’ve never eaten bread, but I’ve always been a Macross kind of guy. Besides, the fact that Gundam has OVER NINE THOUSAND sequels, spin-offs and retellings is a bit intimidating to the uninitiated…in which case, check out Sir Haggis’ invaluable Ultimate Guide to Gundam on his blog.
Insert random NGE reference here
So, I walked blindly into Gundam 00 from the point of view that now is as good a time as any to get into the franchise. I can’t say how it compares with the likes of Seed and so on, so consider this an impartial appraisal, ‘kay? ^_^ It kicks off in a way that’s in touch with the world as it is today, with the idea of holy war and so on. The scene at the beginning is reminiscent of the Helmejistan arc of Full Metal Panic, in which a juvenile warrior is dodging bullets in the streets of a ruined town…until a mecha descends from the heavens and lays waste to his attackers and the opening credits roll, HD no less. Sweeeet.
That’s gonna hurt in the morning!
The op theme deserves a mention actually since it’s by L’Arc~en~Ciel (I like my J-rock) but generally this is an impressive first instalment: small details in the animation remind us that it’s part of an epic pedigree so it looks pretty damned nice overall. For instance, there’s a pan shot across a crowd early on during which time one guy answers his phone; at times like this you wouldn’t expect the people around him to move at all, since it’s a pan shot. Yet when the phone rings, several guys either side *move* and look at him with curiosity.
Does alcohol still go to your head in zero gravity? Dunno why but I like her already
I don’t know what else to say really, since there are so many characters and ideas introduced that it’s hard to guess which are the most significant and worth commenting on. The general gist seems to be that the Celestial Being organisation is pitting its Gundams against the various factions of Earth’s defence; this sort of stuff is usually coincidental to me since the pilots themselves, rather than the organisations they belong to, are the most interesting. With names such as Lockon Stratos and Allejulah Haptism I’m hoping they’re a colourful and entertaining bunch.
1337 sniping skillz
The soundtrack seems to revolve around traditional Japanese fare in the quieter scenes and the strident, Western-sounding orchestral/choral pieces when the action kicks off; it’s not proclaimed itself to be anything out of the ordinary yet but this feels appropriate given that whole affair seems to be sticking to the tried-and-tested formulae anyway. Cool mecha, big explosions, political wrangling and a mentally unbalanced bishie or two all ensure it meets the expectations of what I’m guessing is a very large and excited fanbase. Yeah, it’s as good an introduction to Gundam as any. I think I’ll stick with this one too.
Posted on October 14th, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
I’m glad you liked this, too. IRC folk seem to find it hilariously bad and I feared for my quality barometre by finding it pretty enjoyable. I think British people have the benefit of reduced Gundam exposure, so all the things potentially lame about this series aren’t as evident to us.
Posted on October 14th, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
I really liked the opening song and animation sequence a lot, it’s probably one of the best that the franchise has had.
Posted on October 14th, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
@Hige: I can’t lose really. Even if I find this to be the worst member of the franchise, the next one I see will be impressive; it’s early days yet but there’s plenty of mecha action and it looks pleasant enough. That was enough to make FMP watchable so this stands a fair chance…I hope.
@Otaku Surf: I was pleasantly surprised to hear L’AeC do the op theme actually (they’ve done similar stuff for Full Metal Alchemist iirc) - it sets the vibe of the show up nicely.
Posted on October 14th, 2007 @ 10:59 pm
I’m a big time Gundam fan, so I’m hoping for the best with this one. The last Gundam offerings had little to enjoy. Gundam Seed was decent but nothing to call home about. It felt like I was watching the first Gundam all over again. Gundam Seed Destiny got off to a fantastic start, but quickly dove into mediocrity. It was very unsatisfying. So I’m happy we’re leaving that timeline and are starting a new one, with a new director. A fresh start to hopefully bring Gundam back up to par.
Will Gundam 00 live up to the greatness of something Mobile Suit Gundam or Zeta Gundam? Doubtful, but all I can hope for is that it doesn’t suck.