Gundam Wing

[zombieChan51]

I got to say, that was the best show ever(Besides Star Trek of course(and Digimon)). I remember when I was a kid I came home from school to watch it.

Who here watched that show?

What was your favorite mobile suit (Deathsysthe for me)

 

[Leroy]

Huge Gundam fan here and not just Wing. My favorite suit from Wing is Tallgeese. I suggest looking into the other Gundam series as well most if not all of them contain the themes that make Wing and the whole franchise for that matter great.

 

[zombieChan51]

Huge Gundam fan here and not just Wing. My favorite suit from Wing is Tallgeese. I suggest looking into the other Gundam series as well most if not all of them contain the themes that make Wing and the whole franchise for that matter great.

I've seen the original Mobile Suit Gundam, Gundam G, Gundam Seed, Gundam ZZ and god help the one with the Mini Gundams.

Reason I liked Wing so much was because it was the first one i've seen back 11 years ago. (And Wing had Duo)

 

[Mr. Sin]

It's interesting that Gundam, while very popular in Japan, has failed to find a foothold in the United States. Sure, GW was popular, but then trying to follow it up with the original Gundam wasn't a great idea. Sure, MSG is a major anime classic, but the animation and design work is extremely dated, even by the standards of 70s American Animation such as Hanna Barbera and Filmation. Not that Wing's animation was that great either, but it had a more 'solid', updated look to it. Personally I would've played the three Gundam movies that sum up the series, they eliminate many of the more goofy mecha designs such as most of the mobile armors and update a good chunk of the animation to 80's standard. Only problem is the dub was already done and was pretty horrible from what I've heard (So much that the DVDs of the movie trilogy I believe were sub-only).

That a lot of the Gundam playstation games that have been imported have been terrible hasn't helped matters either.

 

[USS Mariner]

Why do I still like Wing after all these years?

Scott. Fucking. McNeil.

 

[zombieChan51]

Why do I still like Wing after all these years?

Scott. Fucking. McNeil.

Amen

 

[CorporalClegg]

It's interesting that Gundam, while very popular in Japan, has failed to find a foothold in the United States.

Gundam isn't popular in the States? That's news to me.

I would agree that Wing is still the best of the bunch. I'd say SEED was better if it weren't for the abysmal SEED Destiny.

 

[Myasishchev]

For a hunk of Swiss cheese, Gundam Wing was a pretty good show. I probably wouldn't have liked it nearly as much as I do except I happened to see probably the best episode (it's either 25 or 26, the one where Trowa "dies") first.

For me, Mobile Suit Gundam was like Christianity, in that it was not tried and found wanting, but found hard and left untried. I never really stuck with it, but what I saw bored me to tears, so I never gave it much of a chance. Given the general quality level of the Gundam ouvre, I probably am not missing much.

08th MS Team was awesome.

Never seen the other Universal Century-universe stuff... one day I might get around to it.

Gundam SEED was okay, skewing toward bad. Its key weakness was being laden with a few extraordinarily annoying characters in key positions (Kira, Frey), although they're balanced out by very fun characters (Fraga, Azrael, Aslan/Asran/whatever, Lux, the captain lady whose name I don't recall, the other lady also, and that desert guy). As a sidenote, retard-transliteration was no friend to SEED--"Flay" is not a real name; and I don't even remember what the Char-analogue's name officially is, but what the fuck was wrong with "Raoul Cruz"?" I admit that the show really picks up in the last several episodes, to the point where it's actually tremendously entertaining, and although Cruz' heel psychopath turn doesn't make much sense, it still more or less works.

(However, the fact that I overall-disliked SEED may suggest that I wouldn't like MSG, either.)

SEED Destiny was so bloody horrible I quit watching it halfway, or even a third-way, through, one of the few times I've ever done that with that kind of limited-run show. I still vividly remember precisely why I did: Kira very unambiguously died, and then he didn't. I was about to start enjoying the show, because I'd been waiting some 70-odd episodes since the beginning of the first series for this! At the beginning of the next episode, Kira was absolutely fine. Not even injured, like an even shallower Commando Cody. You should never save your characters through editing, but this was worse, for me, because I didn't like him in the first place.

00's first season was pretty good. The second, I dunno yet. I've got to get caught up.

And there are a half-dozen series I haven't mentioned, of course... they might be Shakespeare, after all.

 

[zakkrusz]

While Wing isn't my favorite Gundam it's definitely pretty good. I'm a pretty big mecha fan so I've seen most of the Gundam series, minus ZZ, Victory, Turn A, and Unicorn.

My top 5 would be:

08th MS Team
0083: Stardust Memory
Zeta Gundam
Gundam Seed/Seed Destiny
Gundam 00

Wing would be #6.

 

[Leroy]

That a lot of the Gundam playstation games that have been imported have been terrible hasn't helped matters either.

Tell me about it, it seems like all the good stuff stays in Japan and all we get is garbage.

I never really stuck with it, but what I saw bored me to tears, so I never gave it much of a chance. Given the general quality level of the Gundam ouvre, I probably am not missing much.

Curious what other Gundam series have you seen? What did you find boring? You admit to not watching a whole lot then not liking it even though you haven't seen a lot of them?

And there are a half-dozen series I haven't mentioned, of course... they might be Shakespeare, after all.

That would be Zeta and Victory.

I think the problem with the Gundam franchise in the US is people liking part of a franchise then not sticking with it and moving on. Star Trek suffers from this too if you noticed how ratings and interest took a nose dive after TNG despite the quality of DS9 there still isn't much interest beyond a cult audience. You can also see it with the new movie people liking that but not liking the older stuff.

 

[zakkrusz]

Tell me about it, it seems like all the good stuff stays in Japan and all we get is garbage.

Most likely they're paranoid about reverse importation, since we sell media for less than they charge over there. Some of their (smart) fans will import our version and save money. I know it's the same reason that that some anime titles are delayed from releasing, contractually, until after a certain date.

 

[Bisz]

I watched it and quite enjoyed it, more than any of the other Gundams I've watched since.

 

[Myasishchev]

I never really stuck with it, but what I saw bored me to tears, so I never gave it much of a chance. Given the general quality level of the Gundam ouvre, I probably am not missing much.

Curious what other Gundam series have you seen? What did you find boring? You admit to not watching a whole lot then not liking it even though you haven't seen a lot of them?

Well, all the ones I've listed, of which only 08th MS Team really has claims of being unambiguously good. Even the other ones I've seen and liked (Wing, SEED) have severe problems.

As for MSG, the only ep I saw was Amuro whining on some planet or colony or something. Seriously dull stuff.

I realize I haven't seen enough to pass judgment on it; but it also didn't grab my attention sufficiently to watch it, let alone steal it or buy it. One of these days I'll watch the better-looking sequels, though, and maybe that'll get me interested in the backstory.

And there are a half-dozen series I haven't mentioned, of course... they might be Shakespeare, after all.

That would be Zeta and Victory.

I think the problem with the Gundam franchise in the US is people liking part of a franchise then not sticking with it and moving on. Star Trek suffers from this too if you noticed how ratings and interest took a nose dive after TNG despite the quality of DS9 there still isn't much interest beyond a cult audience. You can also see it with the new movie people liking that but not liking the older stuff.

I've seen everything since my introduction to the franchise in the late 90s through Wing, as well as 08th MS, which preceded it (I think). None of them have been DS9 (or even TNG). SEED is probably about as good as Voyager, though.

 

[clint g]

I've seen a decent amount of Gundam in my anime career. I've watched

Mobile Suit Gundam
Gundam Wing
08th MS Team
Gundam Seed
Gundam Seed Destiny
Gundam 00 1st Season
Gundam 00 2nd Season
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz

I've also seen the first half of Zeta Gundam

I find the comparisons between Gundam and Star Trek to be extremely on point. Both shows have their amazing moments and both have their...well....crappy moments. As far as favorites are concerned, Gundam Seed and Gundam 00 1st Season are probably my two favorites. Unfortunately the second season for both of those shows were pretty terrible. I also enjoyed Gundam wing, but only after re-watching it several years after its Cartoon Network airing. As far as Mobile Suit Gundam is concerned I find that it actually stands up pretty well when you consider that all the cliches found within it were actually invented by that show.

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

While Wing isn't my favorite Gundam it's definitely pretty good. I'm a pretty big mecha fan so I've seen most of the Gundam series, minus ZZ, Victory, Turn A, and Unicorn.

My top 5 would be:

08th MS Team
0083: Stardust Memory
Zeta Gundam
Gundam Seed/Seed Destiny
Gundam 00

Wing would be #6.

Your top two would be mine as well, but I just can't abide anything else I've seen of the franchise, no matter which of the "timelines" it came from.

The MS Igloo CGI shorts are a laugh, but they're not really a series, more highlights of the original.

F91 was a laugh though, for the means by which the script for a many episode series was condensed into a single film script

 

[zakkrusz]

F91 was a laugh though, for the means by which the script for a many episode series was condensed into a single film script

One of the greatest mess ups in my view. That could have been a great series. Instead it was just a decent movie. Too compressed I agree, but still watchable.

What I actually found laughable was all the Star Wars references in that one like the main villain for instance, and it sounds like they even plagiarized some of John Williams music there.

 

[clint g]

that seems to be a big problem with Gundam in my opinion. Alot of their shows feel as if they are being dragged out to long. Other shows feel as if they are too compressed. I'd love to see a series that is planned out with the right episode count in mind

I felt like Gundam 00 got close to doing this but then they had to go and screw that up with that dragged out second season

 

[Mr. Sin]

Gundam probably wouldn't exist in the same form if not for Star Wars, when you think about it. Apart from the obvious stuff like beam sabers, Star Wars's concept of broken-down sci-fi military technology probably played a role in having Gundam be more realistic. Plus the force probably had a major influence on the Newtype concept, but Gundam developed it in a totally different way than Star Wars did. It's interesting that Gundam anticipated one of Star Wars twists. The whole Char and Sayla backstory is not all that unlike Luke and Leia's. (Except they pretty much knew they were siblings).

Regarding the music swiping thing, this is also a problem with Gundam 0083, although in 0083's case the swiping was mainly from more obscure films like Quest For Fire.

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

that seems to be a big problem with Gundam in my opinion. Alot of their shows feel as if they are being dragged out to long. Other shows feel as if they are too compressed

I tried Gundam Zeta, thinking the box set I had was the full series. By the time I got to the last episode (the mandatory colony drop), I was tired enough of it, only to find there were another 25 episodes. They spent so many episodes on a damned transport plane and then swanning around Hong Kong after some sort of artificial new type.

MS Team (disregarding the odd finale episode) and Stardust Memory hit pretty close to the mark. The latter was suitably epic in scope to boot.

 

[Mr. Sin]

The OAVs are cool, but they sort of overuse the Gundam. From the original series you get the idea that there's only one Gundam and the GMs are the mass-production type, but 08th MS team has a lot of them (Well, ground types but you get the idea) and 0083 sort of messes up the more linear MS evolution from MSG to Zeta Gundam (Although of course the Gundam prototypes were swept under a rug). 0080 is the lesser sinner on this, as the mecha designs look halfway between the original and the Z/ZZ/Char's Counterattack era.