Comic Book review: Black Science, Volume Three: Vanishing Pattern

The final act in the first arc of Rick Remender’s Black Science continues to thrill with wildly inventive hodge-podge realities and a more pinpointed take on the established narrative style than was seen in the previous two volumes. As volume two concluded, we were made privy to the fact that Grant McKay was in fact alive, despite having been led to believe he had perished beneath the crushing weight of clockwork machinery. And smartly, this third volume makes an early objective of explaining just how the scientist, pioneer, and previously deadbeat dad cheated death. The explanation is brief, yet befitting the tale that has been woven through the previous installments, and simultaneously provides some concrete footing for the answers that are revealed before this third volume’s climactic finale.

If there is one theme that rings constant through volume three, dubbed Vanishing Pattern, it is a story of redemption – specifically, the redemption of Grant McKay in the eyes of his children and unlikely comrades. There are still misunderstandings among the exploration team, and selfish actions that lead to physical confrontations. But the emergence of a father who actually cares about his children and the chance to see them reach home safely is a rewarding payoff having understood Grant to have previously been a cheater, a liar, and a workaholic who was absent for the majority of his children’s formative years. It may not a complete hero’s journey, but it is refreshing to see him act the part of a decent human being, not only taking responsibility for his poor judgment in the past, but also taking the role of leader more seriously.

Meanwhile, Grant’s children appear to have a greater stake in the story as a result of their placing faith in their father. While Nate received a healthy amount of time in the spotlight during Black Science’s second volume, his elder sister Pia takes center stage for a couple of chapters in this third volume, standing up to a couple of key characters who would dare to try and tell her to sit back and let the adults make decisions on her behalf. While it is true that the cast has been thinned a decent amount since Black Science’s first chapter, the dynamics played off among the current band of misfits feels the most natural and manageable yet. Grant still does not trust Kadir, and Kadir may not be out to prove himself a hero to anyone, but it is that very uneasiness between the two most action-oriented males of the party that makes their relationship so perfect.

Vanishing Pattern sees the party visit but one lone world, whose situation is worse than ever. In this reality, the counterparts to Grant, Shawn, Rebecca, and the other cast members concocted some form of virus that spread across the planet – a planet where Roman Praetorians make use of jetpacks, wrist-bound flamethrowers, and other space-age tech in their quest to punish those who allied themselves with the scientists who damned their world. As is the case with nearly every encounter made across the various planes of reality the main cast has made, the initial run-in with these royal warriors turns violent quickly, and they slowly but surely begin to unravel the mysteries of what went so horribly wrong in this world, while simultaneously deducing the pattern of events that has led them to this place and time.

As random as the Pillar’s jumps appeared to have been, there is, in fact, a pattern that is revealed, as well as an intended vector. Volume three does not answer all of Black Science’s lingering questions, but it does clear up a few key mysteries prevalent during this first act. The art style is, once again, superb throughout, with terrifyingly gorgeous decayed cityscapes splashed across full pages, and the high-flying action of jetpack chases expressed with incredible intensity. The oranges and reds of blood and fire clash violently against the dull and darkened interior of this world’s facilities, wonderfully symbolic of the death and destruction that has been wrought upon this reality, as well as how starkly out of place the exploration team is as strangers in yet another strange land. The finale is, yet again, a cliffhanger – one that excels in shock and horror, yet feels a very appropriate tail-end to this more intensely-focused portion of Black Science’s grander narrative.

My rating: 9.25 (out of 10)

Comic Book review: Spider-man Noir

My review of Spider-man Noir. Written by David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky, illustrated by Carmine Di Giandomenico.

My rating: 8.25 (out of 10)

Comic Book review: What If? Age of Ultron

My review of What If? Age of Ultron. Written by Joe Keatinge, illustrated by Raffaele Ienco, Ramon Villalobos, Mico Suayan, Piotr Kowalski, Neil Edwards, and Ming Doyle.

My rating: 7.75 (out of 10)

Top 5 Alternate Universe Gundam series

As I'm sure many of you are well aware, I am a huge fan of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. I began watching 08th MS Team and G Gundam during Toonami's heyday, and jumped back in with 0083: Stardust Memory when I resumed watching anime on a regular basis a few years ago. Generally speaking, I am partial to the Universal Century series. I've found that - while not all are created equal - they do tend to trump the alternate universe series in terms of consistent plot development and likeable characters. However, I have viewed all of the alternate universe anime, save for Gundam AGE, and found a few series that really stood out to me as being impeccably well done and especially entertaining.

#5 - Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz: I should preface this by stating that I do not care much for the Gundam Wing series. The characters were so bland and one-dimensional and the plot ran in circles for nearly the entire run. Endless Waltz managed to turn all of that around to create a follow-up story that was not just stomachable, it was downright awesome. I find it curious that one hour and a half film did more to make me feel for and care about a small cast of characters than an entire forty-nine episode series did, and I wonder how much different Gundam Wing would have been had they cut out all the monologuing, emo Heero moments, and declarations of "it's a Gundam!" to focus instead on balancing the action and fun factor as well as Endless Waltz managed to.

#4 - Gundam 00: The second-most recent alternate universe series, Gundam 00 break from the military strategies so prominent in the Universal Century, but does not force ridiculous mobile suit designs on viewers. Instead, Gundam 00 presents a perfect balance between the stylized and realistic sensibilities, and is host to some of the most creative yet practical mobile suit designs to date. Giant robots aside, the concept of a unified world that is so frequently visited between the two seasons is very probable, considering the chronology of the series. While each season has its up and downs, the element of mystery surrounding the Gundam Meisters, Veda, and the Innovators keeps the experience interesting, and the fact that the plot allows characters to develop through both successes and failures adds a human level to the story.

#3 - After War Gundam X: To be completely honest, the execution of Gundam 00's story is probably done with fewer flaws. But Gundam X is such a bold and different Gundam series that I can't help but place it near the top of the stack. The ravaged Earth that resulted from a series of colony drops presents an incredibly cool setting that shapes the characters, forcing them to adapt to a wasteland of a planet. Garrod Ran is not only one of the youngest lead pilots to date, he's also one of the funniest. His relationship with Tifa Adil makes for one of the cutest and endearing romantic subplots in all of Gundam. Gundam X presents a perfect balance of fun action scenes and serious plot, with a younger cast trying to learn from the mistakes of the previous generation.

#2 - Gundam SEED Stargazer: A spinoff that deserves recognition as its own sequel series in the Gundam SEED storyline, this three episode OVA accomplishes so much in so little time. It chronicles the events that follow the Break the World Incident from SEED Destiny. Earth is subjected to both social and environmental chaos, and the DSSD races against time to complete their deep-space exploration Gundam, the Stargazer, before the forces of Phantom Pain find and destroy it. It's a unique series in the SEED universe, not only because of its notably darker tone, but because neither side is explicitly stated to be 'good' or 'bad'. The events that unfold are left entirely up to viewer discretion.

#1 - Turn A Gundam: The most daring Gundam series of them all, Turn A takes place in a retro-future where technology has reverted to roughly the same level as it was during World War I. Biplanes fly alongside mobile suits as the Moonrace humans return to Earth in hopes of claiming a territory for their own settlement. Unfortunately, not all of the Moonrace believe in the same strategy, and it quickly becomes apparent that a number of individuals share a stake in how this landmark meeting of Moonrace and Earth dwellers will ultimately play out. The rich culture cultivated in the anime, combined with the multiple layers that drive the primary conflict makes for a genuinely excellent story. But what really tops it all off is the brilliant cast of incredibly diverse characters - lead pilot Loran Cehack among the best of the best. Loran wishes that the Moonrace and Earth dwellers could all live in peace, but he also realizes that sometimes difficult decisions must be made in order to come to a peaceful resolution. He is perhaps the most believably human lead character in any Gundam series to date, and - gorgeous animation and breathtaking soundtrack aside - makes the entire experience of viewing Turn A Gundam so wondrous and memorable.

Anime review: After War Gundam X

A sort of alternate outcome to the colony drop of Operation British from the original Mobile Suit Gundam, the events of the Seventh Space War in After War Gundam X leave the planet in a state of chaos after the spacenoids drop countless colonies onto Earth. Though the Gundams tried desperately to protect the Earth, they could only accomplish so much and those few humans who survived were doomed to wander as scavengers (or 'vultures' as they are consistently referred to) as society and government bodies attempt to rebuild. Garrod Ran, a young but resourceful boy, comes across the Gundam X while protecting a newtype girl named Tiffa Addil and ultimately joins Captain Jamil and crew aboard the Frieden. Throughout the course of the show, the Frieden has a number of encounters with other vulture groups, the new Federation military, and the mysterious Frost brothers who pilot the Virsago and Ashtaron Gundams.

Unlike many of the alternate universe series, Gundam X deals very closely with the idea of newtypes. Along the lines of their Universal Century counterparts, newtypes in Gundam X are much more capable in combat than the average mobile suit pilot, but are relatively few and far between in the grand scheme of things. Also akin to the UC timeline is the fact that newtypes and their origins are often associated with space, and in Gundam X this is a large part of the basis of the conflict between the Earth and Colony forces. While lead character Garrod Ran is not a newtype, his closest friend/love interest Tiffa Addil is a highly regarded newtype among both friends and foes of the crew of the Frieden.

The characters are a very interesting bunch with enough variety to cater to plenty of different viewers' tastes. There are certain episodes centered almost entirely around some of the secondary characters, either as a backstory or a subplot, and these make the story more fluid while exploring the lives of said characters beyond their roles as mobile suit pilots. While Garrod Ran may be one of the youngest lead characters in a Gundam series, he is by far one of the most entertaining, from his skills in battle to his attempts to impress Tiffa. Garrod also changes a fair amount over the course of the series, maturing as apilot but never losing his comedic charm. The other two Gundam pilots working aboard the Frieden are Roybea and Witz, pilots of the Leopard Gundam and Gundam Airmaster respectively. Roybea is a womanizer who plays the part of a traditional romantic to make women swoon, but is still more than capable as the pilot of such a heavy weapons-based Gundam. Witz is piloting for the sake of his family, who - since the death of his father - seems to have hit hard times financially. While Tonya may come across as a bit shallow of a character, the remainder of the Frieden's crew members are rounded out enough to fit their respective roles convincingly.

I found the antagonistic Frost brothers to be an annoyance after a while, however, as they constantly talk about some grand plan they have in store for Garrod and all other Gundam pilots, but don't ever really do anything significant to the plot. For the most part, the Frost brothers appear with Gundam Virsago and Gundam Ashtaron when it's convenient with the plot. They aren't up to par with other Gundam villains, as the Frost brothers are nowhere near as clever as someone like Zeta Gundam's Paptimus Scirocco, nor as evil as someone like Gundam SEED's Rau le Cruset. It's not that Olba and Shaiga are difficult characters to read by any means, it's just that they aren't particularly interesting.

Overall the series' pacing is quite good, though at one point late in the series things slow down briefly as Garrod travels to space. During this time, the action slows down and some time is taken to further explore the events of the Seventh Space War and the current state of tension between the Earth and the Colonies. The information presented here is important given the context of the last few episodes and is conveyed in a relatively interesting manner, but the series certainly feels like it has hit the brakes at this point as there is little to no action to balance with said exposition, and the series probably would have benefitted had this information been sprinkled throughout previous episodes.

The animation is a drastic improvement over the stiff motions and lack of detail in Gundam Wing and aligns itself much more closely with that of Turn A Gundam. Coincidentally, the soundtrack of Gundam X is reminiscent of both Turn A Gundam - with its sweeping emotional pieces - and G Gundam - with its upbeat and intense brass and percussion style. Though obviously an alternate universe series based on the exaggerated mobile suit designs/capabilities, many of the ships and tech pay homage to the universal century. Unlike Wing and SEED, battle scenes are never directly repeated and the strategies used by the crew of the Frieden and the Gundam pilots are nicely varied. A large part of this is due to how many different forces Garrod, Jamil, and co. find themselves facing, as well as the variety of environments they travel through, but the variation throughout works wonders for the series, as it makes the "recovering wasteland" that is Earth a far more interesting place to look at.

An interesting spin on an old classic, Gundam X is easily one of the stronger alternate universe series in Sunrise and Bandai's long-running franchise. With a phenomenal soundtrack and colorful animation layered over a strong story packed with a myriad of entertaining characters, there's bound to be something that will cater to every Gundam fan's preferences. Even anime fans who aren't quite as keen on mecha series may find Gundam X to their liking. It's not as drastically nontraditional as Turn A Gundam, but Gundam X does a nice job of breaking apart from the crowd without being too different or losing its identity as a Gundam series.

My rating: 8.5 (out of 10)

Anime review: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz

One year after the conclusion of Gundam Wing, the people of Earth and the colonies have adjusted their way of life in the wake of the White Fang vs. Oz conflict. Relena Peacecraft has successfully managed to promote her pacifistic ideals to many groups of people, though not all are convinced of her methods. Thus enters Mariemaia Khusrenada, Trieze’s daughter, who kidnaps Relena and, under the watchful eye of Dekim Barton, intends to continue the cycle of war, peace, and revolution – an endless waltz.

While the setup might sound a bit cheesy, these events are executed in a tense and suspenseful manner that it ends up as very intriguing, latching onto Gundam Wing's 'spy vs. spy' methodology. Though Mariemaia is still a child she is very collected and intelligent, having made accommodations for a number of possible outcomes should the Gundam pilots choose to intervene. Unfortunately Relena doesn’t play much of an important role until the film has neared its conclusion, mainly due to the fact that she is being held hostage from the start.

Mariemaia’s plan to drop a colony onto Earth should they refuse to surrender to her evokes a variety of responses from the Gundam pilots. Quatre and his team decide to chase down the carrier containing the Gundams, as it is currently headed for the Sun, and redirect the carrier’s path back towards Earth. Wufei and Trowa both infiltrate the ranks of Mariemaia’s forces, but with distinctly different initial objectives in mind. Trowa hopes to assassinate Dekim Barton while Wufei sympathizes with Dekim and Mariemaia to an extent. Heero and Duo team up to infiltrate Colony X-18999, with some assistance from Sally Poe and Noin Lucrezia, and have every intention of preventing the colony from falling to Earth. A few characters presumed lost or forgotten during the events of Gundam Wing make returns and add a handful of interesting twists to the plot.

The element that really helps the plot along the most, however, is the inclusion of flashbacks to events preceding the original Gundam Wing. Finally, viewers are able to witness Quatre, Heero, Duo, Wufei, and Trowa before they became Gundam pilots and understand their reasons for taking part in Operation Meteor. These flashbacks provide some much-needed human characteristics to the Gundam pilots, making it easier for viewers to relate and sympathize with them.

On top of the improvements to the story are the improvements from the voice actors. The Japanese cast doesn’t seem as ridiculous or over-the-top as in Gundam Wing, though they still could have benefitted from toning things down further still. But the English voice actors are borderline fantastic this time around. Their performances – in particular, those of the Gundam pilots – are a complete polar opposite of how they portrayed their characters in Gundam Wing and that aids Endless Waltz in a huge way. The combination of greater explanation on the characters backgrounds and the improvements in voice acting strengthen the character-driven story to great extents.

The soundtrack of Endless Waltz is easily one of the best to accompany any Gundam work. The pieces pay tribute to the soundtrack of that of the Gundam Wing series, but are far more complex and fitting to their respective scenes. A variety of sounds ranging from brass, woodwinds, piano, synthesizers, and electric guitar mesh together incredibly. The animation is top-notch and really puts the series to shame due to how great of an improvement Endless Waltz achieved in little over a year between the two. The coloring and lighting effects are phenomenal and a great amount of detail was put into the mobile suits, backgrounds, and characters. Granted, Endless Waltz is a separate OVA/film project, but compared to it the animation in Gundam Wing series looks rather pathetic.

There are a few nitpickings that could be made here and there with Endless Waltz and it’s true that Bandai and Sunrise could have pushed the envelope even further with this project. But despite the fact that Endless Waltz falls short of perfection it is a vast improvement over Gundam Wing. The balance between action sequences and story progression is solid. Things are less convoluted and yet still complex enough to keep the plot tense and entertaining. The characters are given many more human elements while the soundtrack and animation are greatly improved upon. Endless Waltz truly puts the Gundam Wing series to shame and (though there are currently only three released to date) is arguably the best of the standalone Gundam films.

My rating: 8.75 (out of 10)

Anime review: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

Years after it aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami block, I decided to give Gundam Wing a second chance, as I didn't really get into the series back then. I was never particularly fond of the combination of Victorian-style clothing and architecture with space-bound mecha, but at the same time I figured it was a minor annoyance and more of my own personal nitpicking at the series. The further I got into watching Gundam Wing, however, the more and more I realized that the Gundam series are split into two seperate story types for a reason. Those who are fans of the Universal Century series follow it due to its more realistic scenarios and continuous story from varying viewpoints. Most Universal Century series are, at worst, considered to be 'decent' and, at best, considered to be 'great'. Not every one of the Universal Century series is going to be ranked as highly as others, but there are very few Universal Century series that Gundam fans would generally consider to be 'bad'. The Alternate Universe series, on the other hand, vary greatly and are meant to cater to a wide variety of viewing tastes. They are not directly connected, by neither creative staff nor plot and characters, and this variations boils up more opinions (and often harsher criticism).

Gundam Wing carries a very ‘spy vs. spy’ feel about it, with the Gundam pilots acting against Treize’s regime and the Oz forces on behalf of organizations within the colonies’ populations. The Romefeller Foundation acts as the governing organization for both Oz and Treize with their immense wealth and prestige, yet it becomes obvious early on that Treize and Romefeller have a difference in ideals. The threat of the Gundams shakes things up for Oz and the Romfeller foundation, and the Gundams become a prize of sorts in order to assure the stability of the plans of the various factions that are ultimately caught up in the conflict.

The lead characters are elite pilots selected by the colonies due to their combat capabilities and their focus on the battlefield. While it makes sense that each of the five pilots should be quick to react in a tight situation, as well as have a great deal of intel on enemy units and the like, they often tend to jump to conclusions without much evidence between their claims and the subsequent actions taken. Interestingly enough, this only works to their disadvantage on a small number of occasions over the course of the show, but following gut instinct isn’t a particularly practical way to go about the events of the series and ends up making the story more and more predictable as things progress.


The characters of Gundam Wing are a mixed bag, with the antagonists more often than not being more interesting than the protagonists. Granted, Treize Khusrenada and Zechs Marquise make for the most intriguing antagonists as both higher-ups in the system as well as Gundam pilots. Treize is an unorthodox leader for Oz with his own ideals about what humanity should be fighting for, and these contradict much of what the Romefeller Foundation wants. His cleverly laid-out plans over the course of the series almost always ensure that Treize is on top and he completely avoids being a cliché villain – in fact, to call him a villain isn’t entirely accurate. Zechs is one of Treize’s closest friends and allies at the start of the series, while focusing on the future of his former home of the pacifistic Sanc Kingdom. Zechs aligns himself with a number of factions over the course of the series and finds the Gundam pilots to be both his enemies and allies as things progress. Treize’s other close ally and underling is the ever-cruel Lady Une who keeps her troops in line with her cold-hearted attitude. She believes the Gundams to be a severe threat to Oz early on, but later on she develops a split-personality and preaches peace to the colonies. These two personalities greatly conflict with one another and lead many of her troops and contacts to become incredibly confused with regards to her intent for the colonies.

There is pratically no information revealed to the viewers about the five main characters of Wufei Chang, Trowa Barton, Heero Yuy, Quatre Winner, and Duo Maxwell. In fact, secondary characters such as Noin Lucrezia, Relena Peacecraft, and Sally Po lead more interesting narratives. This, combined with the fact that the English dub voice actors deliver a strikingly minimal amount of emotion makes it difficult for viewers to associate with or enjoy the characters. The only three characters in the series that are performed well by their English dub voice actors are Quatre (voiced by Brad Swaile who voiced Amuro Ray in the original Mobile Suit Gundam), Duo (voiced by Scott McNeil), and Noin (voiced by Saffron Henderson). Many of the actors provide voices for Oz soldiers and characters who make brief appearances, so viewers can expect to hear Quatre, Heero, Trowa, and Zechs’ voices from a multitude of minor characters. Gundam Wing was one of the first Gundam series to receive an English dub and as such a certain amount of leniency should be allotted in regards to the voice acting. Even so, Gundam Wing is easily the weakest dubbed Gundam series, as well as one of the weakest dub of any anime series, that I have seen to date. In contrast, the original Japanese voice actors put forth ridiculous emotions that make the characters seem more fit for a soap opera or teen drama series, removing practically any believability from that part of the viewing experience.

If there is any single character that proves to be the most frustrating, it would easily be Heero Yuy. Quatre is the most level-headed, Duo brings some flair and humor to the battlefield, Wufei is calm and collected, and Trowa is a master of deception, so one would think that there would be some unique characteristic given to sum up Heero Yuy. However, he shows absolutely no emotion over the course of the entire series and it’s difficult to tell if he even cares about anyone but himself, as he willingly teams up with the other Gundam pilots but points out their shortcomings and failures when things go wrong. Heero tells many people over the course of the series that he must kill them in order to complete his mission, but very rarely does he actually go through with it. What Heero says he intends to do and what he believes in conflict on multiple occasions with what he actually does. It’s true that Heero is probably the most perfect soldier out of the five Gundam pilots, but he’s so uninteresting that it almost becomes a chore to watch any scene involving Heero, due his lack of emotion and unexplained background.


There is a nauseating amount of monologuing that goes on over the course of the series. Some characters, such as Treize and Zechs, actually carry across ideas that are well-thought-out and could be put into practical application to either alter the path of the war or aid the world after its conclusion. But when the Gundam Pilots or Lady Une monologue, they try to make simple ideas far more complex than they need to be and manage to drag out a single sentence into multiple paragraphs of spoken lines.

The mobile suit designs are very creative and combine more stylized elements of previous series like ZZ Gundam and G Gundam with more practical weaponry and capabilities such as those in Stardust Memory and Zeta Gundam. The transforming capabilities of the Wing Gundam and Wing Zero Gundam are obvious nods to the Zeta Gundam, but do so with such fluidity and sleek designs that it’s clear how the designers wanted to stylize the mobile suits.

The art style is a bit lacking in comparison to other series from the mid-1990s. It isn’t downright terrible, but character animations are stiff and objects in the foreground are often less detailed than the backgrounds that accompany them, so a number of improvements could have been made. Thankfully, the number of repeated animated sequences is kept to a minimum. Battles between mobile suits do tend to follow similar patterns from time to time, however, particularly when combating the unmanned mobile dolls. The soundtrack that accompanies the series is effective, though not particularly original or complex. It is comprised almost exclusively of keyboard and synthesizer parts, and pieces are repeated many times over the course of the series though, so viewers can expect to be hearing the same sounds time and time again.


Gundam Wing delivers a solid story with many small yet effective plot twists that flow very smoothly with the overarching plot. The fact that the story is told from various viewpoints makes for a more engaging viewing experience. Unfortunately, the coupling of this with such an uninteresting cast of characters makes some episodes seem like more of a chore than others and Gundam Wing as a whole is a notably weaker series than most others in the Gundam franchise. The final six or seven episodes really turn things around as the animation improves a bit, the major characters become more complex and distinct from one another, the story becomes even darker and more intriguing – heck, even the English voice actors seem to finally get a grasp on giving their characters believable levels of emotion (Heero Yuy included). But this all comes into play so late in the series, making the viewing experience overall more than just a bit frustrating. I understand the important role Gundam Wing played in getting many Western viewers interested in both the Gundam franchise as well as anime as a whole, but if you haven’t yet seen Gundam Wing you’d probably be better off skipping it unless you’re a die-hard Gundam fan.

My rating: 6.75 (out of 10)

Xbox 360 review: Dynasty Warriors Gundam

Unlike many of the Gundam titles released for the previous generation of consoles, Dynasty Warriors Gundam is not a third-person shooter, but rather a free-roam hack-and-slash title based of the Dynasty Warriors franchise. Though still aimed largely at die-hard Gundam fans, this title may succeed in drawing some gamers unfamiliar with Gundam due to its accessibility and replay value.

Players can choose to play two major modes in Dynasty Warriors Gundam. The first is more objective-based and requires players to play out major battles from the main Universal Century Gundam series, including Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam. There are only so many missions to each of the main protagonists of each series, but these missions are fairly lengthy and feel rather involved and true to the respective shows as all the characters involved in said conflicts enter the fray.


The second major mode of gameplay involves an original story surrounding a mysterious planet on collision course with Earth, as well as constant appearances by the Shin-Musha Gundam. This mode involves major characters from both the Universal Century and Alternate Universes, such as Amuro Ray, Kamille Bidan, Heero Yuy, and Loran Cehack. Each character plays a different role in this overarching original story, and players will have to complete all of these individual story modes to complete the entire Shin-Musha Gundam storyline. Each major character is granted a squad of support units, usually secondary characters from various Gundam series (i.e. Master Asia, Roberto, Scirocco, etc.). Each mission will then pit the player and his/her squad against that of a CPU squad. So if, say, you were to play as Amuro (assisted by Char, Apolly, and Roberto) you would face off against Loran’s squad, then Domon’s squad, then Judau’s squad, and so on as each mission was completed.

A multiplayer split-screen mode is also included, which allows players to play cooperatively in the missions included in the official series. This inclusion wasn’t exactly necessary and probably would have been more effective for online play, but is still a nice addition to the game.

The sheer number of mobile suits and characters that collide from the various Gundam universes will make any hardcore Gundam fan feel like a kid in a candy store. Any characters from Gundam series that received English dubs over the years are voiced well-enough, even if the voices aren’t all provided by the anime voice actors. Characters from ZZ and Turn A Gundam, however, are voiced by actors who deliver emotionless lines one after another. Granted, they are likely unfamiliar with the series, but faking emotion would have been better than not delivering any at all. The game does provide the option of turning on the Japanese voice actors if players find the English voices annoying.

As players enter each new area of the battlefield, they are alerted to their current position at the top of the screen and can then determine via the field’s meter how many enemies need to be defeated before the field’s defenses fall. As nice as this is, most players will probably rely more heavily on the smaller radar screen in the corner of the screen in order to navigate the battlefield. As for controls, moving about a level is as simple as pressing forward on the left joystick, and steering with the right. The rifle attacks, beam sword/melee attacks, and boost ability can all be used by the pressing of a single button each and the basic attacks quickly build up a character’s meter to unleash their more powerful attacks. As players progress through the game and level up the characters and mobile suits, new and more powerful attacks are learned.


The game’s graphic aren’t going to win the developers any awards, but they are far from terrible. There is plenty of detail put into each player-controlled mobile suit, and the laser shots and beam saber slashes react just fine with the game’s frame rate. The enemy mobile suits, which usually attack in massive hordes, are lacking a bit in detail, though this may have been intentional to prevent players from losing sight of their Gundam in the sea of enemies. There are significantly more detailed models of every mobile suit encountered in the game accessible for viewing in the gallery. As for the characters, there are no computer-generated models, rather the game just uses their original anime drawn likenesses during mission briefings or for mid-battle transmissions.

While it may not be the greatest hack-and-slash action game this generation, Dynasty Warriors Gundam deserves some credit as being one of the best Gundam titles released to date. It’s obvious that plenty of time was spent in making each unit unique and the two story modes cohesive. The combat itself would have greatly benefitted from some variation in attacks and more mobility for players, but the fact that there is a level-up system as well as some minor customization included makes up for some of this. All in all, this game is still going to be more for hardcore Gundam fans, but might find a decent number of fans outside of the Gundam fanbase.

My rating: 7.25 (out of 10)

Anime review: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

After a hiatus from 1999’s Turn A Gundam, the franchise returned with Gundam SEED in 2002. I first watched the series on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, but only ever got about fifteen episodes or so into the series. Gundam SEED is, in many ways, a reimagining of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, but is still separate enough that it doesn't feel like a straightforward reinterpretation.

The story begins with Zaft special forces stealing four of the Earth Forces’ five prototype Gundams in the neutral colony of Heliopolis. Kira Yamato, a genetically-enhanced coordinator is placed by circumstance on the opposite side of the war of his longtime friend Athrun Zala. Kira inevitably becomes the pilot of the Strike Gundam and uses it to defend his friends and the crew aboard the Earth ship the Archangel. With their mobile suits now in the hands of Zaft, the Archangel makes a run for Earth Forces’ headquarters in Alaska, with the Buster, Blitz, Duel, and Aegis Gundams in hot pursuit.

While Kira Yamato is technically the main character, the series balances the Earth Forces’ perspective pretty evenly with that of the Zaft pilots. Athrun receives a large focus and due to the time he spends working in tandem with the pilots of the other Gundams, viewers are given a pretty good impression of their attitudes and beliefs.


With the exception of the initial skirmish at Heliopolis, the first ten episodes or so are largely repetitive as Zaft attempts to stop the Archangel, who in turn escapes by the skin of their neck. It seems that the writers wished to devote more time in the early episodes to develop characters, which overall is both a success and a hindrance. By the time the action picks up, viewers already have a feel for who the majority of characters are at their core. But to achieve this, the small amount of action sequences included early follow a nearly identical pattern.

Once the action does get going, it moves at a fairly steady pace as the Archangel makes its way across the desert sands of Africa, battling the Desert Tiger Andrew Waltfeld and eventually arriving at the neutral nation of Orb before heading to Alaska. Things come to a major head following the Archangel’s departure from Orb, and the series shifts to a much more serious and dark tone for the second half of the series. There is far more action involved and the story becomes much more engaging as characters begin to question one another as well as their own individual motives for fighting on either side of the war.


Wrapped up in the overarching conflict between Zaft and the Earth Forces is the controversy of naturals vs. coordinators. Many naturals are opposed to genetic modification of fetuses, and argue that morals are what fuels them to fight against the Zaft coordinators. Zaft, on the other hand, believes that coordinators are the next phase of human advancement (some even go as far as to consider it an evolutionary phase). While the two military forces are in the forefront of this conflict, the series shows the events preceding the war and the chaos that ensued involving riots and terrorist attacks back and forth between naturals and coordinators.

The soundtrack is a bit of an homage to series from the Universal Century, as it is heavy on percussion and brass, with many tunes accompanied by piano parts. While the final product sounds quite good, the same songs – or at times, variations – are repeated over the course of the entire fifty-episode anime. The art style, on the other hand, is an impressive display for the first Gundam series to utilize full digital coloring. Some environments may not be as detailed as in some of the older OVAs or series, but almost half of Gundam SEED takes place in space, so that aspect is somewhat excusable. As for the mobile suit designs, they are largely nods to their Universal Century counterparts, with style and practicality nicely balanced. Late in the show, the appearance of the Freedom and Justice Gundams push things a little closer to series like Gundam Wing, though don’t seem nearly as out of place or ridiculous as the Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider Gundams, all three of which look as though they were rejected designs from Mobile Fighter G Gundam.

The Japanese voice acting is far superior to the English voice actors. While many of the English voice actors take a few episodes to really get a feel for their character, the ones who ultimately do the best job are secondary characters. Samuel Vincent delivers a great performance from the start as Athrun Zala, but Kira Yamato and the crew of the Archangel don’t receive quite the same treatment. Many of Kira’s friends seem over-exaggerated and corny compared to the serious nature of the Zaft pilots. Trevor Devall’s performance is one major exception, as Mu La Flaga seems the most believable out of any of the Earth Forces’ major players. Nicol Amarfi and Yzak Joule are portrayed well enough by their respective voice actors (though the latter seems to dwindle in performance a bit towards the conclusion of the series). A veteran of Gundam series, it’s no surprise that Brad Swaile (the original voice of Amuro Ray in the English dub of Mobile Suit Gundam) provides a great performance as Dearka Elsman, but the voice actor who does by far the best job is Mark Oliver as Rau Le Cruset.


However, I feel like the voice actors are not entirely to blame for some of their lackluster performances. Even in the Japanese version of the show, Kira Yamato comes off as one of the most bland and uninteresting characters in any Gundam series – unfortunate, considering he is the main character. Viewers are given virtually no feel for who he is outside of the fact that he is incredibly focused when inside of the Gundam’s cockpit and that he doesn’t like the idea of war from the start of the show all the way to the finish. Athrun, on the other hand, is constantly wrestling with himself over his loyalties to Zaft and his friendship with Kira. Later on, his father’s role as leader of Zaft as well as his arranged engagement to Lacus Clyne become even greater pressures. Still, he remains calm and collected for the most part, acting as a strong leader character for the team of Gundam pilots. Rau Le Cruset is initially shown to be the leader of any operations concerning the stolen Gundams, but he drifts in and out of the storyline near the middle of the series. When he makes his return near the end, he reveals a great deal of information regarding the characters and the war itself – I won’t give away any specific spoilers, but Le Cruset is one of the most effective Gundam villains ever.

Nicol, Yzak, and Dearka play second string to Athrun’s impressive piloting skills. Dearka and Yzak question Athrun’s authority on more than one occasion (the latter more out of jealousy than any other motive), while Nicol looks up to Athrun, always supporting his decisions but not to the point where he comes off as a suck-up. Kira’s friends aboard the Archangel aren’t all that developed or varied. They seem focused enough while in the midst of battle, but get real worked up over relationships and everyday occurrences. Flay Allster plays the role of Kira’s girlfriend for a short time, but in reality all she wants is for Kira to die in battle, as she blames him for not protecting her father’s ship from being destroyed by Zaft forces. Murrue Ramius, Natarle Badgiruel, and Mu La Flaga make up the command team aboard the Archangel. While their initial role in the story is largely circumstantial due to the destruction of Heliopolis and the ensuing Le Cruset team, I find it odd that the Earth Forces never reassigned a more experienced crew to helm such an important prototype vessel. Badgiruel constantly questions the authority of Ramius and makes her and La Flaga both look bad in her report to Earth command, feeling guilty only for a brief period before continuing on as she normally would. I understand this aspect is for the story’s sake, but it isn’t a very believable outcome, considering the harsh and often unforgiving nature of the Earth Forces’ chain of command.


Gundam SEED both accomplished a great deal for the Gundam franchise and fell short of its own aims. The conflict between the coordinators and naturals is constantly brought up in the story, but isn’t explored in much detail until very late in the series. The characters are either hit or miss, with few being particularly memorable. The battle sequences reuse the same animations over and over and the Gundams never seem to get a single scratch on them – at least nothing that can’t be conveniently repaired before the next episode. The second half of the show makes up for a lot of the earlier shortcomings, but it feels as if the writers actually had no idea where they wanted to go with the story until episode twenty-six. All things considered, for the time of its release and the things the creators hoped to explore and test with this series, Gundam SEED is a moderate success. However, the pacing is incredibly awkward, save for the latter half of the series, the finale doesn’t provide a lot of closure, and there are plenty of improvements that could have been made all across the board.

My rating: 7.25 (out of 10)

Anime review: Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Following my introduction to Gundam with 08th MS Team, Cartoon Network aired Mobile Fighter G Gundam on their Toonami programming block. Some viewers felt that the series was too ridiculous in comparison to other Gundam works, both in regards to the plot and characters. However different it was from 08th MS Team and Gundam Wing, I enjoyed G Gundam, though I wasn’t exactly sold on the series right from the start.

G Gundam follows Domon Kasshu as he competes in the thirteenth Gundam fight on behalf of Neo-Japan for governance of the colonies. Piloting the Shining Gundam, Domon makes his way through each round by travelling around the globe and challenging competitors from various nations. Though not as much of a caring and understanding lead character as Amuro Ray, Domon channels his emotions most often in battle, utilizing his rage and frustration (or as he words it: “my love, my anger, and all of my sorrow!”) to activate Shining Gundam’s strongest attack known as the Shining Finger. Domon can come off to viewers as being cocky on more than one occasion, but he is quite the capable pilot.


Aside from Domon, the show gradually incorporates a host of other Gundam pilots as major characters. George de Sand, Chibodee Crocket, Sai Saici, and Argo Gulskii represent their respective countries of Neo-France, Neo-America, Neo-China, and Neo-Russia. Master Asia begins as Domon’s mentor, but later becomes one of his greatest enemies, joining the Dark Army of the Devil Gundam (aka Dark Gundam). Each new opponent that Domon encounters utilizes a distinctly different battle tactic, and as such the fight sequences in G Gundam rarely feel repetitive. While the show tries to sell these fights as the main focus, there are plenty of occasions where Domon and Rain Mikamura spend time exploring the locales and dealing with the trouble that sometimes follows them there. As such, viewers are given a great number of chances to learn more about the pilots. The characters, save for a few exceptions, don’t see much change over the course of the series.

While the major characters are, for the most part, enjoyable (though perhaps a bit stereotypical), most of the other combatants receive a fairly minimal inclusion in the show and viewers are therefore unable to really get much of a feel for who they are. This can be good or bad, depending on how one takes to it, as it keeps the story more focused but also limits the number of characters explored. Joining late into the series are the two recurring characters of Allenby Beardsley of Neo-Sweden and Schwartz Bruder of Neo-Germany. Both characters stick to a basic formula, with the former included to try and cause some drama in the developing relationship between Domon and Rain. Schwartz Bruder, cold and serious as he may be, proves important for the focus of the second half of the show and reveals a great deal of information to Domon regarding the Dark Army and the Devil Gundam.

The art style is full of vibrant colors, though the environments are fairly detailed and follow a significantly darker style to accommodate for the shift in the series’ mood during the second half. The soundtrack is heavy on brass, drums, and electric guitar and it follows a similar formula to those of other anime series released in the early to mid-1990s. It actually sounds pretty impressive and overall is one of the stronger and more fitting soundtracks to any Gundam series. G Gundam was one of the earlier series dubbed and the voice actors range from doing a decent job to coming off as bored and uninspired. The Japanese voice actors, on the other hand, seem to have taken the series as a less serious project than other Gundam works, as they carry out lines in an over-dramatized manner. With that in mind, I can’t really say that the Japanese voice actors did a real good job with this anime, though many would argue they did a better job than the English voice actors.


Unlike 1995’s Gundam Wing, the series sticks with the same mobile suits throughout the fifty episodes, with the exception of Shining Gundam’s replacement with Burning Gundam (aka God Gundam) and Master Asia’s Kowloon Gundam traded out for Master Gundam. The lead mobile suits of Shining, Rose, Maxter, Dragon, and Bolt Gundam are stylized to fit the mood of the show, but stick pretty close to the traditional Gundam design scheme. Other combatant's mobile suits such as Nether Gundam and Mermaid Gundam show the creativity exercised with the series, although seem rather ridiculous and impractical.

The characters may not be the most deep and the plot far from the serious tone of most Universal Century Gundam series. The series is pure entertainment, somewhere along the lines of incorporating Dragon Ball Z-style action into a Gundam series. Some people will dislike its lack of a political focus and others may think some of the mobile suit designs are simply outrageous. A large number of viewers will probably find the ending disjointed and a failed attempt to change to a more serious and tense storyline. As a 1996 release, G Gundam hasn’t aged quite as well as brethren series like Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, but it is still a Gundam series and as such is a higher caliber than many other mecha anime series.

My rating: 7.5 (out of 10)

Anime review: Gundam 00 (Season Two)

As season two of Gundam 00 begins, Tieria Erde and Ian Vashti are testing the GN drives on the new mobile suits. Tieria feels he can find Setsuna F Seiei, and shortly thereafter provides an escape for him from the mining colony Proud to the Ptolemaios II, with Saji Crossroad onboard the damaged Gundam Exia. Setsuna then agrees to bring the members of Celestial Being back together. He first manages to contact Sumeragi Lee Noriega, who has been living with Billy Katagiri, a former classmate of hers and Union engineer who works closely with Graham Aker. After Sumeragi leaves with Setsuna, it becomes abundantly clear to Billy that he had been lied to the entire time. Lockon Stratos (aka Neil Dylandy) died at the hands of Ali Al-Saachez at the end of season one, but his twin brother Lyle Dylandy apparently survived the terrorist attacks on their family years ago. He joins Celestial Being, though it becomes clear as the season progresses that he is doing this for his own personal reasons rather than feeling sympathy for the members of Celestial Being. Allelujah also survived the events of season one, but was captured and held prisoner at a high-security prison on Earth, guarded by the newly-formed Earth police force known as A-Laws.


With Saji now onboard the Ptolemaios II, his former relationship with Louise Halevy becomes a problem for the Meisters, as she is now a pilot for A-Laws. Setsuna has matured greatly since season one and is no longer brash and impulsive with his reactions. There are a few episodes in season two that put a large focus around Setsuna, but as he received a major focus in season one, he jumps in and out of the spotlight as season two progresses. Allelujah’s story puts less of a focus on his alter-ego Hallelujah, but brings into play Soma Pieres (aka Marie Perfacy) from season one, whom he previously knew during his time as a child test subject. New Lockon becomes a major focus from time to time, much like Setsuna, though he does ignore orders in exchange for his own personal interest on multiple occasions. As such, the other pilots have a difficult time accepting him as the new Lockon at first. Tieria is arguably the most prominent of the four pilots and has become a far more understanding character, though his true loyalties and reasons for fighting are brought into question many times. While virtually nothing was revealed about Tieria in season one, season two explains that there is good reason for this, as his story opens up a whole new storyline and brings plenty of new characters into play.

With season two set against a backdrop of a dystopian-style Earth, the events that takes place are much darker and the consequences of each character’s actions much more meaningful. Whereas the interactions of the Union, AEU, and HRL super-nations fueled the conflicts in season one, season two focuses on a resistance group known as Katharon who is fighting against the corrupt methods of A-Laws. In siding with Katharon, Celestial Being somewhat switches sides in season two, though the cause they are fighting for still remains largely the same underneath everything – bring about world peace. Celestial Being also faces the threat of the Innovators. Essentially a new spin on the Newtypes of Mobile Suit Gundam, Innovators are humans who have much faster reflexes than average humans and are able to communicate through a sort of telepathic means. At the head of the Innovators is Ribbons Almark, who briefly appeared in season one as an assistant to Alejandro Corner.


Many of the side characters, such as Sergei Smirnov, Ali Al-Saachez, and Graham Aker receive fitting conclusions to their stories in season two. As for the crew of the Ptolemaios II, their dynamic remains largely unchanged, despite the fact that there are a few changes in the crew members. Feldt has opened up more to others, though she does not get along well with the new Lockon Stratos. Ian plays a dual role as the ship’s mechanic and a concerned father, as his daughter Mileina has joined the crew.

The four lead mobile suits in season two are essentially upgrades of their season one counterparts. As such, they fit similar mission roles, though 00 Gundam fits the position of the more powerful lead Gundam and is far more well-rounded, equipped with a plethora of long-range and short-range weaponry. The other mobile suits in the series are a combination of new and old. The Flag, Enact, and Tieren models have been phased out by their respective militaries. Katharon now utilizes these last-generation mobile suits to strike at A-Laws. A-Laws, on the other hand, has upgraded to the Ahead mobile suit, as well as various mobile armors in order to maintain peace through questionable means.

Much of the events of season two occur in space, and as such the lighting is vastly different than in season one. The art style is also comprised of considerably darker shades, fitting for the overall darker mood of the season. The soundtrack is even more appropriate to respective events than its season one counterpart, a major step forward for the Gundam franchise. The entire cast returns to voice the characters, and do a splendid job at that, both in English and Japanese.


While the story is much stronger in season two of Gundam 00, there is nothing sacrificed in the action sequences. Rather, these are far more impressive than in season one, from the destruction of Heaven’s Pillar to the Gundams’ strike on Momento Mori to the Miester’s final battle against the Innovators. Sequences where the pilots leave their Gundams in order to perform espionage missions play a significant role in their fight against A-Laws and the Innovators. The Trans-Am system may be over-used a bit in season two and a few of the side characters could have had their stories wrapped up sooner, but all in all season two is an improvement over season one, which was impressive in and of itself. The final episodes of season two deliver a very satisfying conclusion and the series as a whole is executed beautifully.

My rating: 9 (out of 10)

Anime review: Gundam 00 (Season One)

Gundam SEED and its subsequent sequel series were launched in the early 2000s as a sort of revival of the Gundam franchise. The results were a mixed bag, with some praising this new spin on Gundam, while others felt things were too over-the-top and the characters uninspired. Either way, Sunrise took a bit of a hiatus in the following years, releasing Gundam works such as MS Igloo but putting more hype around new series like Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. In 2007, Gundam returned with the first series set in the Anno Domini timeline, titled Gundam 00. The series featured four lead pilots, known as Gundam Meisters, who initiated a plan constructed by Aeolia Schenberg’s computer program Veda in order to change the world and bring about peace.

The four Gundam Meisters are brought together after being chosen by Veda. Lockon Stratos, pilot of the Dynames, was orphaned after his family was killed at the hands of political/religious extremists. Lockon is calm and calculates his every move on the battlefield, but as the series progresses it is revealed that he can be bitter towards people. Still, he acts as a moderator and peacekeeper between the Meisters, breaking up arguments and telling Tieria and Setsuna to cool off when things get too heated. Setsuna F. Seiei served as a child soldier in the Middle East, abducted at a young age by a man named Ali Al-Saachez. At the time, Setsuna was doing what was necessary to survive, but now that he is older, Setsuna regrets his actions and wants revenge on Al-Saachez. I can’t help but feel a similarity between Setsuna and Heero Yuy from Gundam Wing, as both characters come off as rather cold and unfeeling. Allelujah Haptism was part of a child soldier program, amongst other candidates who were experimented on. Because of this, he developed a secondary persona known as Hallelujah. Hallelujah is the embodiment of all of Allelujah’s rage and frustration, having no regard for human life and wanting only to cause chaos. Allelujah, on the other hand, is very reserved and tries to find ways to relate to the other Meisters and crew of the Ptolemaios, though this is not always an easy task for him. Tieria Erde is the most temperamental of the four. He reprimands Setsuna on more than one occasion, and even goes as far as to recommend to Sumeragi Lee Noriega that Setsuna be removed from the team. Tieria’s background is left almost completely unexplored until the second season, and as such he doesn’t feel like a well-developed character in season one. The diverse backgrounds and characteristics of the main characters play larger roles during the second half of the season, and in some cases, come to a major head.


Sumeragi Lee Noriega is the tactical forecaster for the Meisters and spends most of her time onboard the Ptolemaios. She is one of the elder crew members, and as such acts as a parent character from time to time. Sumeragi uses alcohol to cope with all of the pressure put on her, which becomes a problem for her later in the season and in season two. Feldt Grace is a tactician onboard the Ptolemaios and is very reserved and quiet. She does open up to Lockon on a few occasions and it is revealed that she has some strong feelings for him. However, Lockon refuses to carry their relationship further due to the danger he puts himself in each time he goes into battle. Opposite Feldt is the outgoing and enthusiastic Christina Sierra, who plays hard-to-get with co-pilot Lichentdahl Tsery. The two play relatively minor roles throughout the series until a very minimal amount of their stories are revealed near the end of the season. Ian Vashti and Lasse Aeon are both introduced in season one as mechanic and co-pilot of the Ptolemaios respectively, but neither character plays much importance until season two.

The members of Celestial Being realize that they are intervening and combating with military forces, and as such do not hesitate to kill pilots within enemy mobile suits. Because of this, the series feels a lot more intense, though the lead characters do fall short of completely defining themselves in the first season due to a heavier focus on mobile suit combat and the Meister’s intent to change the world.


As for secondary and tertiary characters, Gundam 00 sports quite a variety. Saji Crossroad is Setsuna’s neighbor, though he knows nothing of Setsuna’s true identity. Saji is romantically involved with Louise Halevy. Between the two, these characters are incredibly stereotypical. Saji is the nice guy who is always looking out for Louise’s best interests, even if she acts spoiled and sour towards others. By the end of the series, Louise does a bit of growing up, while Saji changes little overall. The main reason for their inclusion is to give viewers a feel for how the Gundam Meister’s actions affect everyday people.

Ali Al-Saachez is included as a major obstacle for Setsuna to overcome from his past. Graham Aker, on the other hand, fits into Setsuna’s present day life and is more of a rival than an enemy. Team Trinity, though still a faction under Celestial Being, acts as the polar opposite of the Gundam Meisters. They too are fairly stereotypical, with Johann being the level-headed eldest sibling, Michael being the brother who feels a need to prove himself (in this case, through bloodshed), and Nena being the youngest and most peppy sibling layered over with creepiness.

The four main mobile suits are specifically designed to fit a different combat focus in relation to their pilots. Setsuna’s Gundam Exia is best suited for close-range melee attacks, and is equipped with a shield, mounted GN blade, two GN swords, and an assortment of beam sabers. Exia breaks the mold of the main Gundam being significantly stronger than the others, such as Wing Zero or Shining Gundam, but is given the most screen time out of the four. Often working in tandem with Exia is Lockon’s Dynames which is equipped with a sniper rifle and two pistols to achieve precise and long-range attacks. Allelujah pilots the transformable Kyrios, which is an obvious nod to both Wing Gundam and Zeta Gundam. Kyrios opts for hit-and-run style combat, and is equipped with a short-range rifle and shield that transforms into a claw weapon. In flight mode, Kyrios is able to carry extra weaponry, such as a missile rack. Virtue is Tieria’s mobile suit, built for heavy hitting with its backpack-mounted blasters. Virtue is able to shed its armor, however, in order to exchange defensive capabilities for maneuverability as Gundam Nadleeh.


As for the other mobile suit designs, they are far from traditional, but I think the art staff has really flexed their creativity with this aspect. The Flag is able to transform from a jet mode into a thin and rather lanky mech. The Tieren is much bulkier frame and is equipped with both a shield and cannon mounted on its frame. The Enact may be the most uninspired of the three, largely resembling a flag minus the transformation ability. Each of these units has countless variants and evolutions that appear as the series progresses.

The art style is clean and looks up-to-speed with current day anime, though it isn’t exactly over-the-top. The soundtrack is one of the more memorable of any Gundam series, which has been a rather weak feature of the franchise in years past. The soundtrack relies heavily on brass instruments, drums, and vocals, conveying that something huge is on its way for the show’s characters. As with most any Gundam series, the English voice actors do an excellent job in conveying the emotions of their Japanese counterparts.

Gundam 00 is a welcome revival of Gundam and a great starting point for newcomers to the franchise. It is an alternate universe series, but falls somewhere between the more fantasy-inspired flair of Gundam Wing and the ordered and military story of series from the Universal Century. A few twists here and there keep the story chugging along at a good pace, and while some episodes are more interesting and entertaining than others, there is no filler or repetitive content. The plot will force the members of Celestial Being to question who they are really fighting and why, as well as put their trust in one another to the test. The season finale leaves a massive cliffhanger, though the end credits do a decent job of foreshadowing coming events. Though it isn’t perfect, Gundam 00 is one of the best alternate universe Gundam series to date, sporting plenty of creativity in tandem with realistic consequences.

My rating: 8.75 (out of 10)

"I just wanted to look up for the time being..."

I recently watched the Gundam SEED Destiny Stargazer miniseries, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by both the quality of the story and how much is covered in such a short time period. Stargazer clocks in at about 60 minutes total, divided up into three 20-minute episodes. It chronicles the aftermath of the ‘Break the World Incident’, which occurs in SEED Destiny. Earth is bombarded by pieces of the colony Junius Seven, causing massive floods and entire cities to be wiped off the face of the planet.

The series follows two primary characters. Sven Payang pilots the Strike Noir and carries out mercenary missions against the coordinators, who have resorted to using children as their primary pilots and soldiers. Selene McGriff is a scientist working on Project 401 (aka Gundam Stargazer) aboard a colony research facility orbiting Earth. Due to how short the series is, it’s difficult to label any of the other characters as major or minor players, as many of them play large roles for only one episode.

The Strike Noir, Verde Buster, and Blu Duel all appear as their name implies – throwbacks to the major mobile suits in the original Gundam SEED series. They look nice and have some really cool fight sequences, but the artists didn’t try to make them as ridiculous as many of the mobile suits that appear in SEED Destiny. The Stargazer is a deep-space exploration mobile suit that utilizes solar winds to propel itself at an increasingly rapid rate through space. A mobile suit that is in fact not intended for combat, the Stargazer is quite well protected, though its A.I. proves insufficient enough that two pilots are required to operate it properly.

The series delves deeper into the conflict between the naturals and the coordinators, something that I feel should have played a larger role in the original series. No longer is the conflict based on politics, it is based on emotions and firepower. This causes the series to come across as much darker than any of the other stories set in Gundam SEED’s Cosmic Era timeline.

Gundam SEED was initially set up to be a re-imagining and alternate take on the original Mobile Suit Gundam series (though some may find that hard to believe due to how Gundam SEED ultimately played out). If SEED Destiny was the equivalent of the Universal Century timeline’s Zeta Gundam, then Stargazer is definitely the Cosmic Era’s version of 08th MS Team. Stargazer is dark and gritty – not the kind of anime series one would show to kids. The teen audience on up, however, will be able to understand the series better, sympathizing with the characters and feeling the moody atmosphere about the whole miniseries. Stargazer is short but really delivers a strong story. If you’re looking for a quick anime series to watch, it is definitely worth your time.

My rating: 8.75 (out of 10)