GUNDAM WING
Reviewed by Dan Peterson |
| Synopsis |
| All right, now I’m taking it back a bit for me and reviewing two of the shows that got me hooked on anime back in high school, Gundam Wing and Dragonball Z. In my opinion, Gundam Wing is the superior of the two. For anyone unacquainted with the Gundam universe, here’s your introduction: every Gundam show is set in the future when humans have colonized space (to some degree). For varying reasons, the countries of Earth decide to do battle with the colonies in space. As a result, wars erupt that necessitate the invention of Gundams, giant mechas that are piloted by humans, most of whom tend to be little kids. In Gundam Wing, this premise is given a few little tweaks. The show follows the exploits of Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Quatre Rebaba Winter, Chang Wufei, and Trowa Barton, five pilots sent to Earth from the colonies in outer space. Equipped with five unique Gundams, they fight to liberate the colonies from the repressive Earth Sphere Alliance. |
| PLOT: 90% |
| I don’t care what anyone says about the cheesiness, I love the worlds that Gundam shows create, especially the one created by Gundam Wing. With the notable exception of Full Metal Alchemist, I don’t think any other anime is able to create a world as immersive as that of Gundam. There is political intrigue, diplomatic backstabbing, and, in a twist that seems unique for Gundam Wing, philosophical self-examinations about what it means to be human and why people feel the need to fight each other. Yes, there are weak points in the plot and characters (I personally found Trowa Barton boring as all get-out), but overall the plot is well-knit, the action is intense and enjoyable, the characters and dialogue are believable, and the plot twists are occasionally shocking. Gundam Wing has the best plot the Gundam universe has ever churned out. |
| CHARACTERS: 90% |
| Gundam Wing does a good job of creating the circumstance of war and then building about fifteen different personalities to see how they react to it. The true strength of the character development of this anime is its ability to show how different types of people react when thrown into similar situations. From Duo’s devil-may-care sarcasm to Quatre’s kind-hearted desire to help to Heero’s stoicism, all of the characters develop unique personality traits and depth while still being forced to react to a changing and compelling world. The war itself seems as much a character in this show as the pilots, and it is this feeling that makes the Gundam Wing cast so much better developed than the other creations of the Gundam universe.
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| ART: 80% |
| Made in the mid-nineties, the art is very well-done. I’ve always been very partial to the design of the Gundams, and this is no exception. The mechas are drawn beautiful with an amazing attention to detail. However, if the Gundam universe has one weakness artistically it lies in its inability to draw convincing human characters. Overall, though, the artwork is good and contributes well to the anime.
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| SOUNDTRACK: 70% |
| I can’t say that it’s one of the most compelling I’ve listened to, or one of the most interesting. In fact, nothing about it particularly stands out to me in any way, shape or form. The opening and ending songs aren’t much to speak of, and the music inside the show adds to the mood but never to the degree it could. Overall, decent, but not anywhere near the best.
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| CONCLUSION: 85% Overall |
| Definitely worth your time. |
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