Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Review

By VivisQueen Published: May 27, 2008

STORY

7 / 10

Just like walking into a McDonalds, approaching anything with ‘Gundam' in the title instantly brings to mind a menu of things to expect: a pacifist philosophy of war; robots piloted by teenagers; and of course, lots and lots of action. If ‘Gundam' is a fast-food joint, then Gundam Seed is the quintessential burger; needless to say, the part of me that has refused to grow up certainly appreciates what's for sale.

First of all, it wastes no time getting straight to the action; barely two episodes into the story, ZAFT has destroyed a colony and Kira is wreaking havoc in a new, custom-made mecha. Following that is a protracted chase across the galaxy, during which the crew of the Artemis spend their time dodging ambushes and worrying about low fuel supplies. Since I'm not a fan of the ‘race for the next space station' format, it was the strong character focus that kept me engaged during this phase; they may not be the most complicated of characters, but their intense development seemed far more interesting than their constant space battles.

The rest of the series is then devoted to portraying an intergalactic disaster for which nobody is ultimately to blame; it's a classic security dilemma where each side attacks the other because they fear being attacked first. Central to this theme is the conflict between Kira and Athrun, who are bound by duty to fight each other despite being best friends. I'm not sure how believable this is since the two spend more time trying to blow each other up than talking things over; even at the best of times their behaviour is stand-offish. Not to say that this is the worst contrivance in the world; at the least, the Kira-Athrun subplot provides for one or two emotional moments along the way.

The gist is this: Gundam Seed has nothing new to say about war or politics that we didn't know already. However, it manages to deliver a plot that is familiar in content and yet much better put together than a lot of similar shows. This undemanding style actually makes it easy to get absorbed in the story. My own addiction is a classic example; I knew it was bad for my health and that I'd regret it later, but before I was aware, I had watched thirty episodes back to back.

ANIMATION

7 / 10

First and foremost, the CGI is great and generally blends well with the hand-drawn cels. Unfortunately, the special effects must have been allocated the lion's share of the budget; apart from bright explosions, Gundam Seed offers nothing but bland character designs and bog-standard backgrounds. On top of that, everyday movements look wooden whilst the action sequences involving the Gundams remain relatively fluid. If that weren't enough, the recycled use of generic destruction sequences during the battles is obvious.

Given that, Gundam Seed looks decent for its time, and certainly remains on par with the majority of anime being produced today; whilst I might normally be bothered by its inconsistencies, the CG sequences and well-animated action scenes keep it nicely above average.

SOUND

7 / 10

Gundam Seed provides a small selection of different electro-pop opening themes, none of which can be called technically inventive; on the other hand, they are catchy and fit the epic tone of the series like a glove. Two of them even made it onto my mp3 for a while.

As for the voice acting, the Japanese performances are convincing, if not the most inspirational in the world; the actors must have been chosen more for their ability to work with a plot-serving script than their skill at highlighting subtle emotion. However, compared to the American voice actors, they are positively award-winning: Kira sounds just like a member of the Backstreet Boys trying to spell ‘emotional turmoil', and Lacus' ditzy intonations make me want to take my own ears off with an egg slicer. The only reason to watch the American dub is because you can't read the subs fast enough; even then I recommend using the pause button instead.

CHARACTERS

7.5 / 10

At the least Gundam Seed manages to develop a big cast that is both believable and memorable. One of them, Flay Allster, will even be remembered for the wrong reasons; her relentless conniving was irritating as hell, and not an episode went by when I didn't wish her an aneurism. Still, considering that she does everything out of fear, her behaviour also comes across as rather tragic. Amongst the more admirable characters are Mu La Flaga, the ace pilot with lots of experience to offer his struggling crew, and Murrue Ramius, whose subtle rivalry with her Captain brings a refreshing angle to the crew's dynamic. Out of all of them, though, Kira Yamato's emotional journey turns out to be the most interesting:

In the first episode, Kira is a nondescript, happy student who knows a thing or two about science; as events overtake him, he rapidly descends into a cycle of confusion, rage, and loneliness. The tragedy of his situation is that he hates war (surprise, surprise); but, since he is the only one who can pilot the Gundam, his friends depend on him for survival. To make things worse, his best friend is also his worst enemy, and some of the people he wants to protect don't actually trust him. As much as it lacks subtlety, Kira's development is still thoroughly engaging; watching every turn of events erode his humanity bit by bit makes his eventual cold-heartedness feel natural.

OVERALL

7.4 / 10

I'd warn anyone looking for an innovative portrayal of war and its effects to stay well clear of this title; keeping in mind that the story is about two teenagers piloting what are in essence giant Lego figures, Gundam Seed is unlikely to exude the necessary gravitas. While the series may be as substantial as a Happy Meal, it still provides more than a few excellent thrills along the way. Kids and grownups will enjoy it alike for its fast and easy plot; the juicy characters; and its bloated action sequences.