Gundam Seed Review

Gundam Seed is a masterpiece of serialized storytelling, with plenty of character development for both heroes and villains, compelling romances, superb drama and outstanding action.

Gundam Seed is about a war between humans (called naturals) and genetically engineered supermen called coordinators. The humans started a war with the coordinators, who live mostly in space colonies on orbiting satellite stations. Kira is a coordinator who is the friend of humans, and they become embroiled in the conflict when coordinators attack their space station. The coordinators hijack mobile suits called Gundams, giant mechs with phase shift armour and devastating arsenals. Kira is forced to defend his friends and the Archangel spaceship that houses them from coordinator aggression. He comes into conflict with his old friend Athrun Zala, a coordinator and son of the soon to be chairman of zaft Patrick Zalla. Athrun hates war but enlisted to fight when his mother was killed when the naturals nuked her space station. Kira hates fighting and killing, and is tormented by the lives he must take and the innocents he fails to protect. Its refreshing to see a cartoon with real stakes and powerful pathos, it measures up to many tv dramas for quality. Eventually Kira and Athrun kill each others friends, and their animosity escalates from not wanting to hurt each other to murderous rage. Their gundams are destroyed by the battle, but they miraculously survive. Kira is gifted with the freedom, a brand new nuclear powered Gundam, and Athrun is given the justice. They both regretted their rage towards each other and put aside their differences to fight to defend Orb, a neutral nation against the war. The conflict between the naturals and the Coordinators escalates until they almost wipe each other out, but the heroes prevent a catastrophe from occurring.

The story doesn't demonize the naturals or the coordinators, as they were both presented as people with hopes and dreams beyond the battles, and it is truly tragic when one is lost. The point of their stories is that there are few true villains in war, because the soldiers who fight for either side are just good kids doing what they think is right. The arc where Kira is deemed KIA and separated from the archangel, only to receive greater power from Lacus and return to them in their darkest hour to save them was brilliant. The writers really know how to crux their story to create potent moments like that. Then there is Kira and Athruns reconciliation against the enhanced naturals while they are fighting for orb. Only by leaving their respective armies can they fight for the true ideal, which is peace. They fight against both sides in the end, and Rao Lacrusae reveals his true sinister intent to wipe out humanity because hes a genetically engineered failure with a wasting disease. Athrun's father Patrick is full of implacable hatred towards the naturals due to the death of his wife during the nuclear bomb incident.

Gundam Seed is almost perfect but the dialogue is a little clunky and they had some annoying recap episodes that reiterated past events and didn't progress the story. Some of the characters were annoying, but that reflects real life so I don't hold it against the writers. The weird manga characters with their huge shinning eyes takes a little getting used to, but the gundams are drawn and animated magnificently, with lightning speed attacks and dynamic, in your face action.

I'd love to see this series adapted for film because the characters and the drama are so outstanding. Kira's arc from reluctant killer to pacifist warrior who fights but doesn't kill is so great, and would really stand out in the current climate of superhero films. The action would also contrast with the Transformers films, because speed and mobility and armaments are a much bigger factor than just martial arts action. The characters and drama would show the audiences who have been fans of the transformers movies what they've been missing out on all this time with their stupid Shia Labeouf antics and corny subplots. Pacific Rim tried to do this but it had nowhere near the interesting character arcs or drama or gravitas of Gundam Seed. It has the potential to be a masterpiece.

9/10