Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995–1996) User Reviews

Dark, action-packed and full of suspense

[smetin · 9/10 · 17 April 2017]

I remember seeing the occasional episode of Gundam Wing on Toonami as a kid, but I never truly watched this program. I was given all the episodes on DVD a few years back and finally got round to watching this at the grand old age of 25. Long story short, I am so glad I did! This show was excellent. The story was deep, and I mean DEEEEEP. Each character had its own back story that we slowly learn about as the series progresses. It made us understand more about the main protagonists of the show, along with the enemies. I really felt as thought I knew each of the main characters by the end and it made us feel for them as they had to carry out their respective missions.

The battles were incredible as well. Truly action-packed. The only thing that grated on me was that the Gundams were technically indestructible, being made of "Gundanium alloy". It is sort of reminiscent of Avatar and "unobtainium". That combined with the fact that the other mobile suits (aside from the main ones) were about as useful as star troopers in Star Wars meant that the battles were always one-sided and predictable. Still, lots of explosions made up for this!

All in all, I would highly recommend this show. I am going to start watching the other Gundam series and see if they are as good (if not, better). I have heard good things and I look forward to them!

Giant robots... With souls.

[jedekai · 9/10 · 1 November 2006]

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is the Fourth series in the continuing Gundam chronicles. Unlike the previous entries which focused on massive wars, this one is a little different; instead of having an army-vs.-army situation, this one is led by five teenage boys (due to their ability to blend in more readily than normal adults) and their machines called "Gundams" because of the metal alloy used in their construction. Which leads to problems, since gundams are supposed to be destroyed, replaced by "Mobile Suits", which are piloted less-destructive weapon platforms and "Dolls" which are ran on A.I. and are used as grunt infantry.

The whole point of the series is a metaphysical question that gives Gundam Wing an edge over a greater portion of the Anime that makes it's way here. Especially since most anime is adapted from popular magazines, such as Naruto, DragonBall, One Piece, DragonBall Z and InuYasha which are all from Shonen Jump, which is now available in America.

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing sets itself apart from most anime in the fact that instead of over-the-top battles between mortals who more resemble gods, Gundam is very humanistic and seems to revel in the fact that it is dramatic instead of melodramatic and events seem to unfold across the series gracefully. Normally in anime there are more than few series that think that the best way to go about having a "small" battle is to have it take a half-hour - something that would never happen in real life. Gundam tops this by making sure that everyone knows that characters will die, machines will be destroyed and rebuilt, battles will be lost and won, and it never seems as though it makes the actions themselves satirical.

But the magic of Gundam Wing is in the details, and what this series has that more anime would be grateful for having. Emotion. Instead of mythic prophecies, magic, or overblown martial arts, Gundam Wing is hard-line science fiction from a country that hates hard-line science fiction. (NOTE: The author would like to state that Neon Genesis Evangelion is not hard-line-plausible-in-real-life science fiction due to the religious subject matter that is the core of its series) they love Star Wars, but hate A.I. (the movie). Henceforth why Gundam Wing was and Gundam SeeD is now in production for both Japanese and U.S. releases at the same time with two voice teams. American audiences only have to wait two or three weeks after the end of the Japanese season to catch the dubbed or subtitled versions or even the edited SeeD episodes that air on Cartoon Network.

The emotion is that these two sides that are fighting a war are technically backwards. The heroes are those who defend the rights of the more wealthy and aristocratic citizens of Earth from the band of terrorists bent on victory at any and all costs that make up the protagonists of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. This is not war, this is "total war". Every person, every building, every street is a target for attack, both on Earth and off.

My only complaint, and the reason it didn't get the score of ten, is that at about three-fourths of the way through, it just kind of goes dead for a few episodes, and no one really seems to change. Kind of like a present-time flashback, which is fine due to what it reveals about the characters, but at the same time it drags down what should be the brewing between Project: Meteor and OZ. But the final two episodes and the overplayed-on-Cartoon-Network (back in 2001-2003) Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz movie more than make up for the slack.

The Best and still the coolest....

[xindi005 · 9/10 · 28 June 2006]

I have just recently purchased collection one of this awesome series and even after just watching three episodes, I still am mesmerized by sleek styling of the animation and the slow, yet thoughtful actions of the story-telling. I am still a fan.....with some minor pains.

Though this installment into the Gundam saga is very cool and has what the previous series had-a stylish satiric way of telling about the wrongs of war and not letting go of the need to have control or power over everything(sound familiar?), I have to say that this one gets a bit too mellow-dramatic on continuing to explain the lives of the main characters and their incessant need to belly-ache about every thing that happens and what they need to do to stop the OZ group from succeeding in their plans(especially the character called Wufei...I mean he whines more than an American character on a soap opera. Get a counselor,will ya?)

Besides for the over-exaggerated drama(I think that mostly comes from the dubbing of the English voice actors), this series is still very exciting and will still captivate me once again. I mean it can always be worse. It could be like the recent installment, SEED......eeeewwww, talk about mellow-dramatic....I'll chat about that one later.

Make your own decision - but here are my thoughts

[UntensuSyuu · 4 November 2004]

While I understand that the point of a review is to inform, I am honestly disappointed in the ones posted by my peers. Most of the reviews are either blindly positive or blindly negative. I hope that this review proves to be informative and unbiased, so that it attracts the attention of interested parties.

The plot of Gundam Wing is standard fare for the epic Gundam saga: in the near future, orbiting space colonies are unfairly repressed by a greedy terrestrial government. On the anniversary of a great colonial leader's death, five young rebels go to Earth to wage guerilla warfare on the Earth Alliance. Their weapons: Gundams, giant humanoid battle machines of immense power. As the five boys fight for independence, the Alliance is overthrown by OZ, a secret society run by a powerful military-industrial complex that has been pulling the strings all along. Soon after, the Gundam pilots, their civilian allies, and like-minded members of OZ join forces to take down the warring factions and bring real peace.

With the characters, we have a group of young people who are highly misunderstood by the anime community. Heero Yuy, pilot of Wing Gundam, is a teenage soldier who's been trained to keep his emotions in check to the point where almost seems inhuman. On the civilian side is Relena Darlian, an introverted girl whose lonely upper-class childhood has left her seeking real friendship. The connection that begins with their chance encounter on a beach eventually leads to great emotional growth in them both, as Heero learns to live with his humanity - and his mistakes - and Relena becomes a more assertive, well-rounded person. Completing this classic triangle is ace pilot Zechs Marquise, Relena's long-lost brother, who entered the military so he could exact revenge for the slaying of their parents and the destruction of their homeland. Aiding Heero in his battles are the other four Gundam pilots: the cheerful Duo Maxwell, the somber Trowa Barton, the caring Quatre Winner, and the brash Zhang Wu Fei. On the side of OZ, we have the anachronistically noble Treize Khushrenada, his multi-faceted aide Lady Une, Zechs' old friend Lucrezia Noin, and Dorothy Catalonia, Relena's war-loving rival. Rounding out the main cast are the civilians: rebel soldier Sally Po, the Maganac Corps (a group of soldiers allied to Quatre, junk dealer Howard, and the "mad" scientists who built the Gundams.

The story is carried out pretty well. Most older Gundam series have the problem that they focus on the main character so much that it almost seems like the world revolves around him. With Wing, time is spent with a large number of varying characters, giving us a better picture of the After Colony world. The characters are well-written and exhibit a lot of growth, keeping with the central theme of communication between people. The mechanical designs are skillfully handled by three Gundam veterans: Kunio Okawara, Hajime Katoki, and Junya Ishigaki. The soundtrack features slick pop tunes by Two-Mix and a large number of well-orchestrated background tracks that underscore the action perfectly.

Admittedly, there are some pacing problems (such as two consecutive clip shows), but it all evens out in the end. A lot of people like to trash certain characters (Relena in particular), but as I've seen, most of this springs from their forming an opinion of the characters within their first five minutes on screen and never changing it. Some people complain that the Gundams are too powerful, ignoring the fact that they HAVE to be strong to fight entire armies by themselves. Also, while some say that Wing is "a complete rip-off of the original series", it's actually more original than Gundam Seed, a more recent addition to the family. And there is a bit much in the way of stock footage, but that can be expected with almost any anime.

There's another stumbling block, though: a disproportionate amount of people insist that the entire male cast is homosexual. Despite what the fangirls may say, this is not official. The actual series, and its sequels, show Heero and Relena as very close, with subtle hints at a deeper relationship than the princess and her knight in shining armor.

So, what's the final verdict? Personally, I love this series, so obviously I'm going to recommend it. But I will say this: if you decide to watch Gundam Wing based on my comments, ignore everything you read or hear about it. Watch the series with an open mind and no preconceptions. Don't listen to anyone else, because in the end, the opinion that matters the most is your own.

A well performed dubbing adds to the already interesting plot

[jameswardpeterson · 10/10 · 17 February 2008]

I'm not a big fan of most anime, but Gundam Wing is truly something else. Gundam wing lacks all of that stereotypical melodrama that you might think of when you think of anime, since the number of jokes made over the 17 hours would only be in the double digits, Gundam Wing gets right down to business.

Gundam Wing is as much of a political thriller as it is an action series. Large parts focus on the diplomatic dealings of a war, not only the battles. Though battle animation lacks extreme detail in cases where it would just be a pain to animate, individual duels between gundams are almost pieces of art considering the animated use of complex mechanics and rapid movements.

To my knowledge, this 49 episode plus one movie series was picked up by cartoon network in 2000, and then professionally dubbed by them too. the dubbing is simply flawless. not only does every word said match up, but the voices use truly make the characters much more believable. many believe that it is best to watch anime with subs in English, but i simply don't have the determination to do that.

Not only are the voices good, but the score used over the series is quite impressive. I'll just say it left me scouring the net in vain to find a soundtrack.

The plot of this series is what will truly hook viewers, and no, not hook you like some prime time drama like Lost which was only made for the purpose of hooking you. explaining the plot deeply would lead to many spoilers, since many of the characters do not even have names until quite a few episodes into the series. The rough idea of the series is that earth and its now independent space colonies are having difficulty maintaining peace. Thus a war is started, leading to military coups and elaborate diplomatic situations. I feel that any more detail would begin to give away information, which is crucial to the plot.

I'll end here saying that this series is great for anyone that likes anime, anyone that thinks ALL anime is stupid (they have good reason to think so), and anyone looking to get into anime with a serious tone to it.

Good watch

[coolmunky88 · 9/10 · 29 April 2010]

I remember watching Gundam Wing on television years ago, but only recently did I watch it with my full attention. I watched all episodes including Endless Waltz, and came to the conclusion it is a worthwhile watch. It takes a few episodes for the story to really pick up, but once it gets going it follows true to the Gundam franchise and leads towards an epic conclusion. I do have some minor complaints that do not diminish my opinion much, such as the occasional repetition of certain scenes, but do not let this throw you off. Gundam Wing is actually the reason as to how I initiated into my love of Gundams, and I am quite glad that it did so. The characters are likable in their own ways, and it is clear that they represent certain ideals, but the Gundam designs is really where it is at. If you enjoy watching mobile suits fight with unique designs, a plot which does not seem all too far-fetched, then this is a good watch for you. I cannot review full marks, but a still good 9/10

OK, but not great

[Sargonarhes · 8/10 · 10 June 2000]

I liked Gundam Wing, but it wasn't very original and the plot changes were far too confusing to follow and at many times didn't make any sense. Zechs' mask reminded me of the original mask of the "Red Comet" Char Aznable, all he needed was a red mobile suit and the similarities would have been exact. The 5 Gundam pilots were interesting characters but they lacked any depth to their history.

In all it was good, but not Great. If you really want to see a Great Gundam series I would recommend "Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory"

16 years on, a few animes come close but not quite

[sunnyyang-07984 · 10/10 · 13 April 2018]

I've had the unique experience of watching this as an 8 year old boy who was completely obsessed with Gundam Wing after my uncle gifted this set of (then) VCD's to me. Back then, my priority was always animation, delivery of action scenes and how 'cool' the Gundams were.

Watching it again 16 years later, not only bought nostalgia but more understanding of what the movie transcends and the meaning the artist who made this wants us to interpret. I'm a financial industry professional, so please don't judge my knowledge of film techniques, but the symbolism and effects are really noticeable this time round watching it.

Everything about Gundam Wing is well thought, and has meaning to it. I may be biased because I did watch it as a child but I can honestly say this is the best anime/tv series I have ever seen just with the character development and continuity of storyline.

So I ask you give this series a chance before knocking it off as another knockoff for kids/teens because it is truly fascinating what this series delivers and I can honestly say I will remember this series for the rest of my life.

Great on Television and VHS,Ultra Cool on DVD

[TimothyMcKann · 10/10 · 3 March 2009]

How I got into it: When I started watching this series on Cartoon Network,I have to say that I've never seen anything like this,and it was the best. But when I started collecting the series on VHS,and years later on DVD part of Bandai's Anime Legends collections. It was amazing,and truly worth watching. It had a lot of exploding action that will blow you out of your seat. And of course,the theme songs "Just Communication",and Rhythm Emotions" were the best.

Characters,and Gundams: My favorite characters in the show were:Heero,Duo,Relena,Treize,Lady Und,Noin,and Zechs. My favorite Gundams in the show that I liked the most are the Wing Zero,and Epyon,and of course the Altron,and Deathscythe I,and II.

Meaning of the show: What this series also tells us that in real life,wars are very hard and we can sometimes win,or lose. But peace can also be hard to obtain,and I do believe the Gundam pilots are doing the right thing,and are trying to obtain world peace.

But however,this show is truly the best of the best. So in closing to this review,after you watch this show,see the Movie Endless Waltz.

One of the best shows ever on Toonami

[Tuco_88 · 8/10 · 17 March 2007]

When I first saw the adds for this show, I remembered thinking it looked like a cross between 'Ronin Warriors' and 'Voltron', because those were really the only two similar things that were airing on American TV at the time.

It turned out to be like something I'd never seen before, but I later found out it was something the Japanese had been seeing for decades. Five children are trained to be expert pilots by a group of rebel space colonies, and then sent to topple the Earth Government using giant robots called 'Gundams'.

This show was much more mature than anything else on Toonami at the time, with a great deal of each episode devoted to character development, and a very complex plot involving future politics. I didn't see every episode, but what I saw, I liked.

That's not to say that the show was perfect, it definitely had some problems. Not the least of which was the abundance of 'angsty' characters. Of the five Gundam Pilots, three of them were quiet, anti-social mopers (Heero, Wu-Fei, Trowa) and one was 'the sensitive guy' (Quatre) leaving only the fifth Gundam pilot Duo to inject some much needed life into the 'Gundam Club'.

The bad guys were actually more likable, and their motivations were a little more understandable. A group of aristocratic soldiers called 'Oz', they were focused on returning power back to the individual countries of Earth, rather than just blowing things up. And unlike the Gundam pilots, members of OZ actually showed remorse after killing someone. Sympathetic villains, almost a first for Cartoon Network's Toonami block.

While the hero characters of most other Gundam series were a little more heroic and a little less wishy washy, this was all we had back in early 2000s America.

As a great action show with plenty of character and philosophy thrown in, Gundam Wing certainly stands the test of time, just don't expect to root for the good guys.

Gundam as a superhero comic book and philosophy lecture

[xamtaro · 7/10 · 29 August 2009]

The year is After Colony 195 and Operation Meteor, the plan to send 5 powerful weapons to earth to topple the oppressive "OZ" organization", has been launched. Five Gundams, each with their own strengths and flaws, piloted by five very different young pilots arrive on earth but their secret missions are already compromised from the start. What follows is a grand sweeping tale of conspiracies, betrayal, hidden ulterior motives and conflict of ideals set among the backdrop of a world on the brink of war.

Though it shares a number of elements in common with the previous gundam series, it was the execution of those story threads that i loved. For one thing, the Gundams are no longer the "good guys". It can be easily argued that they are the antagonists and OZ are the protagonists, retaliating after the Gundams have struck first. Having 5 different Gundams with 5 different pilots, and making them nearly indestructible just reminded my of American comic books like Justice league or the Avengers. It is no wonder that Gundam Wing was such a hit in the west. The "invincible" Gundams is another refreshing change for the better. It emphasizes the point of view that no matter how powerful a weapon is, it is the weakness of the soldier behind the trigger that causes it to fail; seen in the many instances where the "invincible" gundams are defeated due to the pilot's and not the hardware's fault.

The story also has a fresh style, focusing more on the larger scale political happenings in the war instead of the 5 main characters. Deceit, political backstabbing, secret uprisings, changing values and a lingering air of mystery lends to a highly intriguing plot. Each episode brings its own share of story twists as former allies become enemies and friends turn on each other in this ear of distrust. In the way the series slowly unravels the varying plot threads and mysteries, it manages to hook the viewer into being interested in what comes next.

Another thing i loved about this series was that it was among the more "intelligent" of the Gundam shows. Every single theme you could think about with respect to war, politics, human nature, and purpose are all in there. This series challenges you to think. It feels like the creators whipped out every book they could find about war philosophy and threw in wholesale whatever they had. Its thought provoking nature is sure to be a treat for the more learned and knowledgeable viewers, allowing for a wide range of intellectual discussion.

A pity that so much time and effort is spent planning out the otherwise convoluted storyline and in researching the underlying themes that little thought is given to character development or entertainment value.

The most well developed characters are only Relena and Zechs Merquise, their motives and personality evolving nicely as the series moves along to its conclusion; Relana matures from a shy rich girl just moving through life into an assertive leader figure and Zechs' convictions to attain peace by any means necessary drive him to be a very compelling character. Sadly most of the other characters are already presented in full view with little subsequent development.

I would not go into the minute details of each character's personality but If anything, the characters are less like "characters" and more like "personifications" of ideas, ideals and schools-of-thought. They seem to be just in the story to convey the numerous thought provoking themes inherent in the series through their personality, dialogue and sometimes even monologue. Their "larger than life" personalities and nature coupled with their "over-the-top" way of speaking make it very difficult for any viewer to relate to them.

On the technical side, Gundam Wing is quite inconsistent in its artwork and animation. It suffers from an overuse of repeated stock footage and sometimes the same stock footage(like some re-used scenes of Mobile suits blowing up) can be played more than once within the same episode. Artwork is generally beautiful with the occasional "flat colored" cels(eg: no shadows or clothing folds). What stood out for me was how dark the colors were. They are very subdued and "dull" as opposed to the bright pastel colors that other Gundam series had. So dark in fact that in some scenes in the blackness of space or at night, you can just barely see the mecha's outline. I like this look as it lends a gritty gloomy feel to the show that matches its story.

Gundam Wing is not a series for everyone. Those looking for pure popcorn entertainment would be disappointed by this show, as would those "Gundam purists". Gundam Wing does not seek to merely entertain but to convey a wide range of ideas and thought provoking concepts that would hopefully lead to intellectual discussion.

Beautiful

[cjv2103 · 10/10 · 9 May 2006]

While being an impressionable youth when first experiencing the Gundam Wing series, upon re-watching the series, I have reconfirmed my belief that this series is not only beautifully animated, but the plot, the gundam design, character design, and character depth are masterfully executed. While at first appearing like a boy band of sorts, the stylish attractiveness of the characters can partly be credited to just great art, with individual personalities creating clear and endearing distinctions among the characters. Consequently, it is extremely easy to become to drawn to any particular character. Personally, I liked Heero because of his stoic personality. While I may be biased with a sentimental attachment of this show to my childhood, I can objectively say that Gundam Wing addresses the deeper questions of war and life in general (how can we obtain peace?) while providing action packed battles in large robot suits, which, to say the least, is excellent.

Classic Gundam

[lawwellsy · 7/10 · 2 January 2007]

Over-powered mobile suits that can annihilate entire armies - Check! Weapons that hardly need to be aimed and still annihilate everything - Check! Mobile suits based on angels - Check!

OK - its a Gundam series. This one, Gundam Wing, has good character development, real-world complexity, interesting ideas and some pretty eye-candy.

With characters, the initially weak Relena Dorlan (later Peacecraft, then back to Dorlan) gets stronger and more independent (although is still absolutely besotted with Heero Yuy, the series main character). The aforementioned Heero, initially a cold, hard butcherer, becomes more and more human, while still remaining in-character. And seeing the lost Millardo Peacecraft (whos nomm de guerre is Zechs Marquise) float between OZ, freelance, and command of White Fang shows how some people can really lose themselves in their own creations.

The complexity of the political and military situation is also quite good - reflecting how the real world works. However, in 49 half-hour episodes, it does become a bit of a liability in that this complexity isn't used to its full potential.

The ideas at the core of the series - the necessity of fighting, the desire for peace, etc - are ones that resonate even today. In retrospect, the series was ahead of its time, what with the "War on Terrorism" and all. But its exploration of these ideas, the monologues, especially those of Treize Kushrenada, is an incredible dramatic piece, forming some of the best writing in the series.

But that sometimes good writing is also sometimes extremely poor, which dramatically causes it to lose some of its edge.

In terms of eye-candy, which is what this one has in bucketloads, everything from the mobile suits to the battleship Libra (No not the tampons you idiot!) is wells designed, and explodes in big balls of orange (which is bad, because better animation would've had better explosions). But who cares?! Stuff explodes, and thats all that matters.

In short though, the sheer complexity of the series means that if you miss out on a few episodes, you've missed out on a lot. The poor writing can leave you cringing, and sometimes the animation makes you go "WTF?!?!" But this is made up for in its classic animation style, its scale, sparks of incredible dialogue, and its more mature exploration that one expects of such Japenese animations.

This show is pretty bad.

[troyepetersen · 2/10 · 16 March 2016]

First off, I only did not give this a '1' for 2 reasons: first, I want to reserve '1' for something I am sure is truly the worst of the worst; and this show did have some serious "so bad it's good" laughs

Example, paraphrasing here : Guy 1: "My robots are invincible" Guy 2: "Invincible?! didn't you see that Gundam pilot kill them all!?" Guy 1: "Yes!" (What?)

"Oh no! Manager! Are you OK!?" A circus employee talking to her boss, and referring to him as "manager" when he takes a pistol-whipping for her. This is at least the 4th time we've seen the manager in the series at this point, including for most of the episode in question, and they didn't even come up with a name for him. The employee who has known him for years apparently just always calls him manager, lol.

"You claim to be protecting the weak (long pause) but, in fact (last part really stilted, followed by a long pause), you are not protecting the weak (long pause), at all!" Like he was reading his lines straight from a script with a font so huge he has to constantly flip pages.... The saddest part of the third example is that that guy is probably the BEST of the voice actors (the guy who plays Duo).

The plot involves so many people changing so many sides, and so many pointless exchanges of the "Throne" of earth, it is beyond ridiculous. Within a year, the rule of Earth goes from a UN-like body to a Corporation, to the "Romefellers" (VERY thinly veiled Rockefellers), to a teenage girl (which was power given directly from the power-greedy Romefellers who have been plotting to take over the Earth for generations after having power for maybe a couple of months), back to the head of the corporation.

The teenage girl also reformed a dead-nation in an episode without any explanation of how, and became enemy #1 to the Romefellers before they gave her the title of "Queen of Earth." Honestly, this stuff doesn't make any more sense if you watch the show, because the show doesn't even TRY to explain how it COULD make sense. The author is unsure whether this is for better or for worse though...

Lastly, the motivations of all the characters are insane. I don't think there is a single character outside of the Queen of Earth who makes any sense at all (and while her character motivations make sense, they are idealistic beyond reason, and everything that happens in her storyline also makes no sense, like making a nation from scratch and becoming Queen of Earth). They just do things for the sake of doing things, which usually involves blowing people up.

Like I said earlier, there is a LOT of side-switching, so characters end up fighting with the people they hated in the previous episode ALL THE TIME. No, really, ALL THE DAMN TIME. First the main characters (the Gundam pilots) hate the UN. Then they hate the corporation and fight with the UN. Then the Corporation gives them everything they should have wanted, but they keep fighting them anyway. Then they fight the initial people they were supposedly defending the whole time (the colonies they were supposedly fighting for initially). Then (some of them) fight with the Corporation. Then they join with the corporation (well.. half of it, because of course it splits into 2 factions, because this show doesn't have enough factions already) to fight the Romefellers. Then they fight against the corporation again. Then they fight the colonies again.

Finally, and most heinously, we are supposed to sympathize with a character whose reaction to his father being killed is to annihilate 2 colonies. While their size is never explicitly stated, the colonies contain (at least) hundreds of large skyscrapers, suggesting populations of millions, if not 10's or even 100's of millions. This kid is literally worse than Hitler, but we're supposed to like him.

Like I said originally, this show is pretty bad.

for once, a reviewer that doesnt feel the need to flame Gundam wing

[bmyatt_uk · 4 December 2002]

It saddened me to see the number of people panning this excellent series on this site. Gundam wing, for me, was possibly one of the best anime's I have ever see, and YES I have seen the original series.

GW's charm lies not in it's battles, but in the evolution of it's characters. sure, fanboy-puritans could aruge that they are merely vacuous pretty-boys, but I put this down to annoyance that this excellent series managed to be more popular than it's predecessors.

The characters of GW all start out with certain mannersn and opinions, yet as they move through the show, their personalities develop. Heero, for example, starts off as a cold, cruel and calculating individual, trained from birth to be the "Perfect soldier". throughout the series, he rediscovers the humanity that had been so brutally drummed out of him, through his relationship with possibly one of the most unjustly hated female characters in the anime world.

Yes, I like Relena. she's a strong character, stays true to her morals, and suffers dilemmas and hardships that any other teenager of her age does. the relationship between this pair develops gradually.

and the Battle-Philosophy! there is so much moral dilemma in this series you could use it as a test for a debating group. the definition of enemy changes repeatedly throughout the series as loyalties change and situations vary.

the battle scenes are fun, the dialogue is excellent, the dubbing is pretty good...

all in all, the only thing I could find about to complain on was the fact that the voices for the dub sound far older than the actual characters do, Zechs in particular.

If you want a fun series that will make you think if you want it to, and show the moral dilemmas that could easilly be related to today, watch Gundam Wing. you might be pleasantly surprised.

Complex characters, complex plot, perfectly executed.

[JimmyTheMute · 10/10 · 4 June 2004]

I could write a big enough comment on any one of the characters in Gundam Wing, they could each lead the series with their internal conflicts. Instead we get 8 great leads that take us through 49 golden episodes of Anime bliss.

It contains dialogue that you can roll around in your head for months... years, and then go back to and derive new meaning from, a masterpiece in script writing (even though it has the typical Anime trait of there being a disparity between subtitles and English dub). It has an abundance of concepts and philosophies that make you think about your own views.

The relationships between the cold unfeeling males and loving female characters is a stand alone aspect of this series. The relationship between Heero and Relena, and Milliardo and Noin are joys to watch. The apparent rejection of the male is underpinned with an inner turmoil that makes the love (a word never mentioned in the series) of the women necessary for them in their harsh soldier environment. The women are chasing aspects of the men that we rarely, if at all see, which makes the leading men all the more enigmatic. It takes Heero all of the 49 episodes to show some caring, but he gets there, and when he does, its a big pay off.

And then there's the giant robot fighting. Fun to watch awesome sequences as good as any Hollywood epic fight scene. Any less clued up person would see giant robot fighting as a silly cartoon function for kids, as has become clear when I'm trying to recommend this series to my friends, but they're wrong. Many of the giant robot fights in Gundam Wing contain a hefty dose of pathos, usually concerning young rebels fighting for what they believe in against an oppressive society making their beliefs obsolete.

The constant shifts in tone and emphasis through each episode makes Gundam Wing impossible to be boring, it is a captivating, thought provoking study on the potential of the human mind and body.

My Favorite Anime Show of All-Time!

[griffolyon12 · 10/10 · 4 January 2008]

Gundam Wing is an amazing show from start to finish, every single episode is a joy to watch. The story is typical Gundam fare, in the future Earth's populations grows to the extent where we create space colonies in order to expand. The story though is set in an entirely different reality than any other Gundam show. It is the year After Colony 195 and the corrupt Earth government, known as the Earth Sphere Alliance, is violently taking over the free colonies. To combat the Alliance control and the even greater threat that is to come (an evil militaristic organization hiding within the Alliance known as OZ, which later takes control of Earth and the colonies), select members of the colonies send 5 super powerful mechs to Earth to try and save the colonies from the threat that is to soon come. These mechs, known as Gundams, fight OZ and try to regain peace in the colonies as OZ takes the front-stage, completely eliminating the Alliance and taking control of Earth and its colonies.

Gundam Wing as I previously stated, is probably the most enjoyable Gundam series to watch in my opinion. A large part of this reason is the difference between this series and any other Gundam series before it, but also the stories are far more deep and intricate than majority of the other Gundam series. Gundam Wing has more depth and emotion to it than any other Gundam show I have ever seen thus far. This particular series seemed to focus more on character and the relationships amongst those characters than epic space battle. Now don't get me wrong, this show still has many epic battles within it, and the show still maintains the epic atmosphere that other Gundam series have, but it achieves this by having the story follow an ensemble cast of 6 or 7 characters as opposed to following just 1.

No matter how you look at it this is truly one of the most unique and enjoyable Gundam series out there, and I strongly recommend it to any fan of anime, or sci-fi in general. The show sports some amazing animation and superb action, but the depth and intricacy of the story is what keeps you coming back for more. The characters are so well drawn out by the end of the show that you end up loving each and every one of them. This show is definitely one that shouldn't be missed.

A perfect 10/10!

My review for the show

[trowasgirl · 10/10 · 8 July 2020]

GUNDAM WING is one of the best gundam series to ever come out. With a perfect balance between dialogue, politics and action there is something for everyone. The romance undertones create intrigue without distracting from the plot and the character growth and development is some of the best I've ever seen from any gundam series!

An Excellent Venture into the Alternate Gundam Universe

[lordmaul80 · 8/10 · 7 May 2006]

The second alternate Gundam universe tale (G-Gundam being the first), Gundam Wing is yet another different view into the Gundam verse. The familiar elements are found but Gundam Wing is actually different then its counterparts. The biggest being the Gundams are nothing more than terrorists combating one lone organization. In truth, the series doesn't really become a show about war until episode 7 but in truth the real conflict, the Eve Wars, don't happen until the later episodes.

The greatest positives of this series are it's characters. All the main characters are fleshed out throughout the 49 episode run and you can really sympathize with each of the roles their put in. Another great plus is the fantastic character and mecha design of the series. The designs put some of it's other Gundam counterparts to shame.

One of the biggest criticism of this series is how many die hard UC fans claim rip off of the original UC saga. Why Gundam Wing gets this rap when the more apparent UC clone of Gundam Seed is out there is beyond me. True there are many moments lifted but their told in new ways and there are distinct differences as well.

Take for example, the usual comparison of Zechs Merquise and UC Icon Char Aznable. Throughout the series, Zechs is more the outcast in the Alliance and in ways OZ as well, while the Red Comet was shining symbol of Zeon. Another big difference is the fact Zechs loses a lot soldiers under his command hence the other nickname he's given in the early episodes: "Killer of his own men." Char isn't given this label.

The problems with this series isn't the philosophy mumbo jumbo but two problems. The first is the reused animation footage of the Gundams attacks. Sure it's fun seeing Heavy Arms attack tanks, MS, and planes the first time. But on it's fourth re-use scenes like this do get old.

The second problem is that the entire series is supposed to take place during an entire year. If you really think about all the events springing in the series, a lot happens in just one lone year.

But I guess you can easily dismiss this fact when ignoring the intro's first lines every so often. As it ranks, this is probably the best of the Alternate universe Gundam tales and a great introduction into the Gundam world. After all, this was the very first Gundam anime to air in the US television.

Wrong cast member

[trowasgirl · 10/10 · 8 July 2020]

Mr. Kalhoon was not in Gundam Wing. Bright Noa is from Mobile Suit Gundam. The original UC show. He was NOT in Gindam Wing. Sorry 'bout ya.

Pretty Good

[renegadeviking-271-528568 · 8/10 · 29 April 2018]

Ell, I pre-ordered this item and just got it on the 10th. Disc 1 is very engaging, it's a good series, different from the rest of the gundam's animation, which could be considered good or bad for some people who are harsh on animation. Fight scenes are good. Time has allowed more action sequences seen, unlike gundam wing and those before it where it's the same like beam saber slash, sandrock slashing through two leos, etc. Pretty good so far on the character development. English voices are very good, bandai imo does an excellent job staying close to the actual translation. I found Lacus's english voice to be annoying compared to the japanese voice, and the songs she sings in english arent the same lyrics, even though it doesn't show her lip movement singing them. So, hmm, wtf. The other characters are great, so it's unfortunate that I have to switch back just to hear lacus in japanese at times lol.

There are glitches on the discs so I'd recommend not buying it until they issue fixed discs. Episodes 9, 10, 14, 24, 25 all experienced lock up/freeze problems. My laptop dvd player wouldn't even play disc 2, my desktop did though and only locked up on the episodes that were bugged. Check bandai's website to see when they issue the new ones and then pick it up imo. It's a good price for the first half of the series.

If you did buy this already and experience the same problems I did, call bandai and they will send you an email with the info on how to return the dvds and address. cost me $3.45 for like 3 seed discs and 3 gundam wing discs i had problems with. should take about a week and a half to get the new ones back to me.

The only way to write a good review is to write based on your emotions

[amck89 · 6/10 · 8 August 2007]

Having watched this series through twice and buying the box set and figurines, i'm about all Gundam'ed out. Thats what i was thinking last night!!! I watched this show 7 years ago, i was 11 at the time and i loved it. I started watching it again last night and realised why i loved it in the first place. This show is deep. The story is about five guys, each from 5 different space colonies, who drive their mobile suits to earth and attack OZ bases across the globe. These guys fight OZ in retaliation for the Assassination of the Space Colonies leader Heero Yuy and to help steer the space colonies in the direction of independence. The story rocks, the characters are so unpredictable, one example, one of the pilots self detonates his own machine! I wont give away too much.

Pros: Deep story, awesome characters, smooth animation Cons: Series final episodes feel a little rushed, need more Gundams!

Great Series. Amazing Depth

[revocast · 10/10 · 25 November 2006]

I've watched almost all of the Gundam/Mech anime that have showed in the US and this by far has the best story. The way its plot twists and turns has u riveted. Gundam Wing is a series that mainly focuses on politics and war. The series follows a group of five 15 year old boys who have been trained to pilot state of the art mobile suits known as Gundams. The Gundam pilots were trained to battle a powerful insurgency known as Oz. As things begin to heat up between OZ and the Gundam pilots, new political groups will form and old ones will dissipate. Old conflicts will end and new ones will arise. To obtain peace the Gundam pilots must come to grips with the events taking place in their world and put an end to all the fighting. But, how far are people willing to go to obtain their goal. I recommend this anime to anyone who is looking for a show that has a deep plot.

A nostalgic look back

[apw8933 · 6/10 · 10 August 2013]

I get mixed feelings re-watching this series after ten plus years. It was the first anime I had ever watched. Since then I have found many more interesting and better written animes. If you compare it to most other TV shows, its clearly crap. However when compared to many animes, it has a unique point of view that I still enjoy, even if I'm cracking up half the time. The universal century plots generally have a more two sided fighting, that points out many horrors of war, despite a very naive view of the military. This series gives a more multi-faceted point a view, with a much more advanced use of technology. The idea that computers would control mobile suits with energy shields was rarely used if ever in the other series.

This is coming from a 26 year old, so I know I have no place criticizing this; its more that I want to rationalize why I still enjoy it.

The writing: As I said before, I enjoyed the overall plot, even if it is extremely naive. Its always all out war or all out peace. Very little in between. That's why I enjoy it though. I feel that its trying to illustrate the absurdity and impracticality of both. On the other hand, I don't know if it was the writers that dubbed this or the original Japanese writers or both (maybe I should watch a subtitled version), but I feel like they were trying to write a poem with words that they do not know the exact meaning of. Lost in translation? almost certainly. Many words are repeated for no reason over an over again, very overdramatically.

The art style: Even today, I thoroughly enjoy the art of this anime. The names and mobile suit varieties are more fun and intriguing than in many other series. Unfortunately as in many gundam animes, there are many repetitive animations. Watching Heavyarms arm cannon aim to the right and then up to the left at a 45 degree angle so many times is silly, especially when there are no enemies there. The anime rarely illustrates an accurate depiction of how many enemies the gundams are facing, and often comically depicts the Gundams or gundam pilots in leos brushing off attack after attack, but then most leos get lost in one shot, or a Gundam will get dramatically overwhelmed by one too many a shot.

The characters: I don't really care about the whole relationship argument. The characters were interesting in their development, even if the reasoning was often poor or extreme. It appealed to me on a level very similar to Ender's Game.

I'm comparing this more to other animes than other TV. Its a good anime for teenagers or nostalgic twenty year-olds. Anyone else should avoid it.

Not Good, But Not As Bad As Its Critics Think

[EuropeanQoheleth · 5/10 · 26 July 2013]

I was one of those children who watched Gundam Wing as a boy on Cartoon Network in the afternoon and so I had a lot of nostalgia for it; more than any other show. Rewatching it in the late 2000s I still liked it and the same in the 2010s but not as much.

In 2020 I rewatched the first third of it again and in 2021 got to episode 39 I think before giving up.

One of the things I find annoying about people's judgement of works is to compare their experience of something as a child to how they experienced something else as an adult and so for example boomers loved the original Star Wars trilogy as children and teenagers desperate for an escape from the harsh reality of daily life in the late 70s and early 80s (well VI came out in the late 80s which weren't as bad) but didn't like the prequels as adults. They take their experience of the originals as young people, let's say 8, the actual quality of the prequels, 5, 5 - 8 = -3 so the prequels were terrible. The reality is that as adults we have higher standards; things didn't get worse, we got more intelligent and less easy to please and rightfully so. That's what nostalgia boils down to; things seemed better when we knew less.

The point is that people unfairly think then that because Wing is far less good than people remember it that that means it's a bad show that people only liked because they were so young when it came out (in my case 8). The reality is it started off well; the first 1/3 were excellent but after that it wasn't as good (the director had to leave because of schedueling conflicts).

The animation is subpar and Treize (with his machiavellian, nietzschean ways) and Wufei I find very annoying (his misogynistic attitude and constant talking about strength sounds more like a parody of the manosphere than a character in a serious show) but Heero, Trowa and Duo are quite likable and the wings of a boy who killed adolescence is an excellent song, if only the opening and ending themes were as good. As for the plot with its setting of a small group of rich white people out to control everything and a small group of guerillas (would Americans stop branding everyone who uses guerilla tactics a terrorist? There is no difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter; it's all about whose side whoever brands someone such is on.) out to stop them but who eventually end up bringing peace to the Earth sphere even after their fellow colonymen sell them out the show seems to be the most left wing idealist of the Gundam works, certainly the ones I've seen anyway (interestingly Japan had one of its few left wing governments when Wing came out).

For people wanting to get into Gundam or just wondering what all of the hype is about I would recommend watching them in order; 0079 first, then Zeta etc. And as for Wing to go into it with equanimity. Don't expect it to be as good as millenialls remembered it from our childhoods nor as bad as its critics say (of course the Gundams are far more powerful than other suits; they're made from the strongest material in that universe; don't let your liking of the UC Gundam shows stop you from watching Wing on its own terms).