When Gundam 00 was first announced, it had a very large legacy to fill. At the conclusion of the TV series, it appears to have gone above and beyond what expectations for it initially were. My own initial reaction was to hope that male characters would look male; I was never a fan of Gundam until I began following 00.
The plot for the first season was well-executed. Centring on real-world socio-political matters, the concept of the eradication of warfare felt like the producer's speculation as to what would happen if an external force were to pass judgement on humanity's actions. This engaging premise was executed well overall, although some plot elements would be (deliberately) omitted.and the characters were complex and engaging which meant the season was nicely done. On the whole, the production staff did a pretty good job of setting us up for the second half of this series with the content in the epilogue. The second season centred on Celestial Being's atonement for the fallout of the actions the previous season (namely, the creation of the A-Laws and the Innovators' uprising). The overall story was to bring an end to both these organizations, and featured a greater amount of action than the previous season. In that regard, it was a significantly more enjoyable than the first season, which was plagued with a slow start. However, the story definitely wasn’t as strong as it could have been. While some characters were present to occupy time, although the character development was one such element that made Gundam 00 unique. The overall plot was actually very complex, exploring real-world political, social and economic issues (actually, most Gundam series do this, but 00 is distinctly post-9/11). One of the defining points about 00 was the incredibly complex themes, motifs and symbols that were present in the series. 00 also raised difficult questions about the matter of differing perspectives and goals, all of which merit further discussion. While these are not readily apparent, they add an additional layer of complexity to the series that gives it re-watch value.
Quite simply, Gundam 00 is not a perfect anime, but one that comes close to being so. With an engaging plot, entertaining visuals and a diverse cast, the series is highly recommended for Gundam fans (and for those who wish to introduce non-fans into the series).
Change, Rebirth and Awakening
When Gundam 00 was first announced, it had a very large legacy to fill. At the conclusion of the TV series, it appears to have gone above and beyond what expectations for it initially were. My own initial reaction was to hope that male characters would look male; I was never a fan of Gundam until I began following 00.
The plot for the first season was well-executed. Centring on real-world socio-political matters, the concept of the eradication of warfare felt like the producer's speculation as to what would happen if an external force were to pass judgement on humanity's actions. This engaging premise was executed well overall, although some plot elements would be (deliberately) omitted.and the characters were complex and engaging which meant the season was nicely done. On the whole, the production staff did a pretty good job of setting us up for the second half of this series with the content in the epilogue. The second season centred on Celestial Being's atonement for the fallout of the actions the previous season (namely, the creation of the A-Laws and the Innovators' uprising). The overall story was to bring an end to both these organizations, and featured a greater amount of action than the previous season. In that regard, it was a significantly more enjoyable than the first season, which was plagued with a slow start. However, the story definitely wasn’t as strong as it could have been. While some characters were present to occupy time, although the character development was one such element that made Gundam 00 unique. The overall plot was actually very complex, exploring real-world political, social and economic issues (actually, most Gundam series do this, but 00 is distinctly post-9/11). One of the defining points about 00 was the incredibly complex themes, motifs and symbols that were present in the series. 00 also raised difficult questions about the matter of differing perspectives and goals, all of which merit further discussion. While these are not readily apparent, they add an additional layer of complexity to the series that gives it re-watch value.
Quite simply, Gundam 00 is not a perfect anime, but one that comes close to being so. With an engaging plot, entertaining visuals and a diverse cast, the series is highly recommended for Gundam fans (and for those who wish to introduce non-fans into the series).