Gundam Wing

[IkuzeMinna]

By the way, the little stuff like the disk is never explained nor addressed in the series. It was the novelization that explained its use. The show has a habit of hinting but never explaining stuff. Some are real head scratchers lol. Like the sabre tapping in ep 4. Heaven knows what that was about. Blasted drugs...

Anyway, one last piece of advice: whenever there's anything slightly romantic it'll be usually weird because the director admitted that he sucks at romance, so don't blame the characters for their silly behavior. The writers were just pushing for a pairing.

[Haak]

Lawl, I'll keep that in mind.

Episode 6.

This was just more tacky romance...and apparently Heero doesn't pay much attention to the news. And for some reason Dr J didn't feel the need to inform Heero that Oz killed Relena's dad and will probably be after Relena (unless Heero gets his orders from someone else)

Episode 7.

Lol. Nice Job Breaking It, Heero. XD

[edit]

Episode 8.

Okay, new theory: Heero isn't just made of Gundanium. He's a freaking robot.

Also the chinese dude is the dumbest guy in Gundam history. Ethics is important in warfare, but honor only makes war worse. Well at least it wasn't OOC (well perhaps for Trieze) but still...

Also Zech's character is totally original...

[Shmoof]

Wing was one of the first anime I ever watched and it has a special place in my heart. After several years of trying to, I finally rewatched this series. It's been so long since I saw it last I didn't even remember most of it.

It's quite a culture shock watching Wing if you've come from any of the UC or AU shows. I actually found it to be a nice change of pace.

[Haak]

I suppose that maybe it was wise to break the mould and try something new. i mean if they contuned with UC's type of storytelling then it would've eventually become old and worn out.

Episode 9.

I'm really starting to hate the amazingly accurate chaarcter analysis that characters make of each other. How the hell could Otto possible figure out that the Gundam pilots are on a suicide mission based on that? Well it's obvious that they are but only because we've already seen their suicidal tendancies. Also, it's not cool to be suidical. It's a serious problem...

[SonOfHeaven]

This was one of my favorites Gundam shows. Back when Heero ripped apart Relena's birthday invitation and said he'll kill her. I was like this man is straight serious.

Always wanted to see more of Gundam Wing.

[IkuzeMinna]

Originally Posted by Haak

I'm really starting to hate the amazingly accurate character analysis that characters make of each other. How the hell could Otto possible figure out that the Gundam pilots are on a suicide mission based on that? Well it's obvious that they are but only because we've already seen their suicidal tendencies. Also, it's not cool to be suicidal. It's a serious problem...

Well, considering the Tallgeese turns your internal organs to pudding and that the Gundams are based on its design, it isn't hard to figure out. That and who in his right mind expects to take on an entire army by himself and make it out alive?
But you know, there's a difference between being suicidal and being prepared to sacrifice your life. Heero only tried to destroy evidence because he botched things up (got busted on day one, way to go! xD). You can imagine what kind of consequences it would have if people captured him for example. Besides, he says himself "a failed mission means death!" in episode 8. It's just his bad luck that he's tougher than a Gundam lol. And the others aren't that bad. Maybe Trowa but I can't really blame him. His life sucked.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by IkuzeMinna

Well, considering the Tallgeese turns your internal organs to pudding and that the Gundams are based on its design, it isn't hard to figure out. That and who in his right mind expects to take on an entire army by himself and make it out alive?

It's possible that they actually found a way to make the Gundam's safe to use. In all honesty, I'd choose that as the default hypothesis considering it makes them more of threat, but even if I didn't it would still be a valid hypothesis. It's just the way Otto said it with absolute conviction as if there wasn't any other explanation when there clearly is.

As for who in the right mind expects to take on an entire army and make it out alive...well...unfortunately all I've seen of Gundam battles so far are battles that were so ridiculously one-sided that even having perfect tactics (as the guy with the weird hairdo pointed out), still leads to a total massacre, so it's kinda hard to take that seriously at this point.

But you know, there's a difference between being suicidal and being prepared to sacrifice your life. Heero only tried to destroy evidence because he botched things up (got busted on day one, way to go! xD). You can imagine what kind of consequences it would have if people captured him for example. Besides, he says himself "a failed mission means death!" in episode 8. It's just his bad luck that he's tougher than a Gundam lol. And the others aren't that bad. Maybe Trowa but I can't really blame him. His life sucked.

I knew the term wasn't completely right but to be honest I couldn't arsed typing "prepared to sacrifice their lives" all the time.

[Rising Dragon]

Yeah, balance in fights is one thing Gundam Wing isn't known for.

As for the suicidal/sacrifice thing for your typing, you could just say they're being sacrificial. It is a real word. :V

[Haak]

Episode 10.

I'm sure Lady Une is eventually going to become a much bigger antagonist as this series progresses.

And the chinese dude remains as stupid as ever thanks to his warped sense of honor.

I was however utterly amazed at how Heero killed himself like that. However I'm not surprised his body remained intact. Well either this is seriously it for Heero (A major demonstration of balls from Tomino that he didn't even achieve in the UC Gundam series) or Heero really is a robot (which is just going to be the biggest piss-take ever and will take away a lot of the impact his "death" gave)

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Haak

Episode 10.

I'm sure Lady Une is eventually going to become a much bigger antagonist as this series progresses.

And the chinese dude remains as stupid as ever thanks to his warped sense of honor.

You can expect great things from Lady Une.

By 'that chinese dude' are you talking about Chang Wu-Fei who rides Shen-long? If it is, then yeah, I never like him either . The only time(s) that I appreciate his character are at the end of Gundam Wing and at the end of Endless Waltz.

[NoemiChan]

Speaking about Gundanium, how can gravity prevent the makers of the gundams to make those alloys on Earth? Why need zero gravity to make those?

[CJFinnegan]

I read Episode Zero before I started watching Wing again (mind you, I hadn't seen it since its original, and heavily edited, run on Toonami back in the 90s); it makes it easier to understand Wu Fei's attitude during the series, and he had mellowed out a lot in the "Preventer Five" story, which is set post Endless Waltz and has a weaponless ("dummy") Gundam Wing in it.

I've got GW Remastered in the English dub. The voice track and sfx have been cleaned up as well as the video, but I still kinda wish that Hiiro and Duo's voices could have been re-dubbed.

[Elo the Blue]

Originally Posted by genjichan

Speaking about Gundanium, how can gravity prevent the makers of the gundams to make those alloys on Earth? Why need zero gravity to make those?

This is what AboutGundamWing.com, who used the GW technical manual and novel as their sources, had to say about Gundanium:

"A unique compound which can only be produced in the zero-gravity conditions of space. In addition to its incredible strength--several times the strength and heat-resistance of titanium, Gundanium alloy is electrically nonconductive and cannot be detected by radar. However, this material is expensive and difficult to manufacture, making it unfeasible for mass production.

Gundanium is created through the most advanced refining, fusing, and deoxidizing techniques, which are only possible in space. The complex formula was first called GND, short for Genetic on Universal Neutrally Different Alloy. Later the suffix "-nium" was added to distinguish that alloy from other similar alloys that were being developed on Earth. Gundanium was still superior to the competition because of its zero-G creative process.

While it’s called an "alloy," Gundanium contains many non-ferrous metals and non-analyzed matter, meaning it is not a true metal. It is created in high-temperature plasma that can only form in zero-gravity. The compound is adjusted in nano-units, a process so precise that it can only be done in gravitationally stable Lagrange Points. The annealing process, which strengthens the alloy, is performed by electromagnetic waves from the sun. It is even rumored that the nuclei of the atoms themselves are modified within the Gundanium alloy.

While many similar alloys were developed, no other compound is as immutable as Gundanium. The refinement process causes the alloy to become electrically neutral, making it ideal for use with Beam-type weapons, and as armor, the material is almost entirely resistant to charge. However, the extremely high cost of production makes it impractical for military use.

Some intelligence indicates that OZ scientists experimented with using Gundanium alloy in mobile suit creation. The very existence of Gundanium was kept secret, perhaps because it was a possible secret weapon for OZ. The five scientists who left the Tallgeese project took with them the knowledge of Gundanium, allowing them to create the Gundams that would later be the bane of OZ.

According to the novelization of Gundam Wing, a physical impact roughly equal to the force of a train traveling at 120 kilometers per hour while towing ten-plus transport cars would be enough to easily destroy Gundanium. This is also covered in the series where Heero attempts to destroy the Wing Gundam with several naval torpedoes detonated simultaneously, although no exact figures are quoted."

Originally Posted by CJFinnegan

I read Episode Zero before I started watching Wing again (mind you, I hadn't seen it since its original, and heavily edited, run on Toonami back in the 90s); it makes it easier to understand Wu Fei's attitude during the series, and he had mellowed out a lot in the "Preventer Five" story, which is set post Endless Waltz and has a weaponless ("dummy") Gundam Wing in it.

I've got GW Remastered in the English dub. The voice track and sfx have been cleaned up as well as the video, but I still kinda wish that Hiiro and Duo's voices could have been re-dubbed.

You mean as in difference voice actors?

Originally Posted by Haak

Episode 10.

I'm sure Lady Une is eventually going to become a much bigger antagonist as this series progresses.

And the chinese dude remains as stupid as ever thanks to his warped sense of honor.

I was however utterly amazed at how Heero killed himself like that. However I'm not surprised his body remained intact. Well either this is seriously it for Heero (A major demonstration of balls from Tomino that he didn't even achieve in the UC Gundam series) or Heero really is a robot (which is just going to be the biggest piss-take ever and will take away a lot of the impact his "death" gave)

Instead of ignorantly bashing the character, read Episode Zero.

Also, in response to Otto's character analysis on the Gundam pilots in Episode 9, he was wrong.

[Haak]

Well I just read Maxwell's story and thought it was nice. It was pretty damn short though and there was a lot of potential to flesh it out a bit. Not sure how he managed to steal an entire truck though, let alone know how to drive it.

[IkuzeMinna]

lol Yeah, to this day I still wonder how he reached those pedals. I guess you just have to get used to everyone having abilities beyond their ages. By the time you're through the series you'll hardly notice how young they are anymore. It was for the target audience anyway.

And while Elo is right with the ignorant bashing, I'd really wait until you've seen episode 12 at least to read Wu Fei's chapter. Otherwise you're so gonna ruin the "Oh"-effect.
Besides, it's not like it isn't true that Wu Fei wallowing in self-doubts didn't help anyone. Although it has less to do with honor and more with proving yourself. Let's just say that Wu Fei isn't exactly interested in the freeing the colonies but more in defeating Treize, hence why he didn't turn him into a red splatter with his Gundam when he had the chance. This guy is on a personal mission.

And Elo, are you sure Otto didn't get the Gundam pilots' intentions right? At first they seemed pretty suicidal to me. I mean, Catherine freaks out that Trowa is begging for his death and Heero, well, do you really need me to go through him? Destroying evidence is one thing but that cliff jump was supposed to simply kill him (before getting rid of his Gundam). There really was no reason for that, was there? He still had the colonies to fight for, after all.

[CJFinnegan]

@Elo: Yep, that's what I meant. Don't get me wrong, I loved Scott McNeil as Koga in InuYasha, but ... I dunno. I just watched episode 49 again, this time in Japanese, and the seiyuu who performed Duo's voice has a softer tone, and it sounded more like a thirteen to fifteen year old's. A closer match would have been Johnny Yong Bosch, who does a lot of teenagers.

Brian Drummond, who did Hiiro's voice in Dynasty Warriors Gundam Three, conveys a bit more of a youthful tone, and a little more emotion. Another good choice would have been J. Shannon Weaver, who was the voice for a 16-year-old Himura Kenshin in Trust and Betrayal.

However, that's just my opinion. You can feel free to disregard it.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by IkuzeMinna

And while Elo is right with the ignorant bashing, I'd really wait until you've seen episode 12 at least to read Wu Fei's chapter. Otherwise you're so gonna ruin the "Oh"-effect.
.

Gotch'ya.

Episode 11.

Well it seems clear that Heero really did survive though I can't imagine how. Him being a robot seems a bit too farfetched though I can't count it out. I'm tempted to say that might be a fake body and Heero might be in safe compartment somewhere, perhaps even in the scrap heap, OZ has collected.

I'm finding it rather strange how that General could've complemented Relene for being a great future leader for pacifism after she just tried to shoot and kill Lady Une. He calls her couraguous for it even though he's not even aware of any of the crimes Lady Une's committed. I also find it rather concerning that the show it so willing to support nepotism and hereditary rule in politics.

Also I'm finding it harder to establish what Treize is trying to achieve here. For this episode I'd say he'd actually trying to establish the Peacecraft family as the legitimate leaders but then why would he use a bitch like Lady Une (And make no mistake I believe him to be a complete monster for it as well. He is her superior and he knows she's evil, is doing evil things and allows her to do so. I just feel the need to say that since I can't help but feel the show may try to make Treize not such a bad guy afterall which I can only find laughable at this point.)

Also this anime's depiction of the Middle East is...interesting...

[Rising Dragon]

Originally Posted by Haak

Also I'm finding it harder to establish what Treize is trying to achieve here.

Trieze: Just as planned.

Originally Posted by Haak

For this episode I'd say he'd actually trying to establish the Peacecraft family as the legitimate leaders but then why would he use a bitch like Lady Une (And make no mistake I believe him to be a complete monster for it as well. He is her superior and he knows she's evil, is doing evil things and allows her to do so. I just feel the need to say that since I can't help but feel the show may try to make Treize not such a bad guy afterall which I can only find laughable at this point.)

Well... Trieze is a lot more complicated than that. And you'll see how things go with Lady Une and Trieze, so keep an open mind about that--it really isn't what you'd expect.

[Elo the Blue]

Originally Posted by IkuzeMinna

And Elo, are you sure Otto didn't get the Gundam pilots' intentions right? At first they seemed pretty suicidal to me. I mean, Catherine freaks out that Trowa is begging for his death and Heero, well, do you really need me to go through him? Destroying evidence is one thing but that cliff jump was supposed to simply kill him (before getting rid of his Gundam). There really was no reason for that, was there? He still had the colonies to fight for, after all.

If we're going by the dub or Bandai's subtitles, where Otto says the Gundams were searching for a battle "suitable for their own deaths", I think he was wrong about them. Going by the fansubs though, I'd say he was right in saying the pilots were ready to die for what they were fighting for.

The same goes the scene with Catherine and Trowa's circus performance. The fansubs have her saying Trowa doesn't fear death, which to me, makes more sense than him "begging for his death".

I can't really explain Heero not looking to release his parachute, but it wouldn't be the only puzzling thing in GW. Still love it though.

Originally Posted by CJFinnegan

@Elo: Yep, that's what I meant. Don't get me wrong, I loved Scott McNeil as Koga in InuYasha, but ... I dunno. I just watched episode 49 again, this time in Japanese, and the seiyuu who performed Duo's voice has a softer tone, and it sounded more like a thirteen to fifteen year old's. A closer match would have been Johnny Yong Bosch, who does a lot of teenagers.

Brian Drummond, who did Hiiro's voice in Dynasty Warriors Gundam Three, conveys a bit more of a youthful tone, and a little more emotion. Another good choice would have been J. Shannon Weaver, who was the voice for a 16-year-old Himura Kenshin in Trust and Betrayal.

However, that's just my opinion. You can feel free to disregard it.

It's understandable. I've never really had a problem with Hildreth as Heero and certainly not with McNeil as Duo, but you've got a wider perspective on voice actors, so I won't disagree those others may have been better in those roles.

Originally Posted by Haak

I'm finding it rather strange how that General could've complemented Relene for being a great future leader for pacifism after she just tried to shoot and kill Lady Une. He calls her couraguous for it even though he's not even aware of any of the crimes Lady Une's committed. I also find it rather concerning that the show it so willing to support nepotism and hereditary rule in politics.

If you're referring to Marquis Weridge, he's not a general. I don't remember when he went so far to say Relena would be a great future pacifist leder either.

He called her primarily couragous because she shot at an OZ officer. Also, Relena did mention her father right before shooting at Une. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Weridge realized OZ killer Mr.Darlian.

To your last point, the politics we see in GW is mostly aristocratic. Therefore, noptism and hereditary rule would be common. That isn't the case in the colonies though.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by Elo the Blue

If you're referring to Marquis Weridge, he's not a general. I don't remember when he went so far to say Relena would be a great future pacifist leder either.

I couldn't help but feel it was hinted in just about everything he said, from the "I can see the Peacecraft influence in you" to the "We're all fans of that girl".

He called her primarily couragous because she shot at an OZ officer. Also, Relena did mention her father right before shooting at Une. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Weridge realized OZ killer Mr.Darlian.

If only that was actually made clear. I don't think I would've been able to make the connection so immediately. And even if I did i wouldn't automatically believe it as the truth and consider Relena shooting a something to be appropriate and admirable enough to be complemented as "courageous" and even go as far as to say it's unfortunate he does not have that kind of "courage".

To your last point, the politics we see in GW is mostly aristocratic. Therefore, noptism and hereditary rule would be common. That isn't the case in the colonies though.

It's what I feel the series itself is trying to present as a moral message.