Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Review

 

Synopsis: 
In a future rocked by intense conflict between Coordinators (genetically enhanced humans inhabiting space colonies known as PLANTS) and Naturals (naturally born humans mostly still living on earth), tension gives way to violence, thrusting civilian and soldier alike into a bloody, solar system-wide war. Kira Yamato and his friends - young engineering students living in relative peace on the neutral colony Heliopolis - are pulled into the fighting when their home is suddenly transformed into a battlefield between the earth-based Alliance forces and ZAFT, the PLANTS' dictatorial ruling party and military wing.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED originally ran for 50 televised episodes, which were subsequently compiled with new scenes and edits into three films collectively titled Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Special Edition. The series would later be remastered in HD in celebration of its 10th anniversary, with many scenes receiving updated animation and other upgrades. 

Release Date:
2002-2003 (Original TV Series)
2004 (Compilation Films)
2011 (HD Remaster)

Episodes:
50 (Original TV Series)
48 (HD Remaster)
3 (Compilation Films)

Timeline:
C.E. 70-71

My Grade:
B

Though many prior Gundam series attempted to reinvent the franchise for a (then) modern audience, no installment is more apparent for doing so than Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. With a setup that closely mirrors that of the original series, SEED starts off as a near 1:1 reimagining of the classic, though the plot ultimately diverges and charts its own course, combining familiar Gundam themes with some fun new characters and ideas. For some viewers, this is the Gundam series, while for others it's a boring slog. For me, it's somewhere in between - a reasonably well-told (if substantially dragged out) story with great mecha designs, some decent characters, and animation that ranges from clunky to surprisingly spectacular. 

I was pretty down on SEED early on. I knew little to nothing about it going in, and I was initially unimpressed by the story mirroring the original Mobile Suit Gundam so closely. The animation was lackluster at best and I thought the character designs were so "anime" that certain shots made the figures look more like aliens than humans. Several times over the course of my viewing, I lost interest and put SEED aside before coming back later. But when I did, I eventually found myself thinking, "Huh, this is actually better than I remember - things feel like they're picking up." This is the case for a lot of Gundam shows, but I think that the momentum SEED builds is especially palpable - after a while, characters become more interesting, the story starts feeling more original and exciting, and the animation even becomes more dynamic and high-quality, especially toward the end.

I should note that my viewing was based on the HD remake, released ten years after the original series' debut, so I can't say how much of the gradual animation improvement was a result of this or not. Early on, it was very clear which scenes were updated, while later on, it felt like the quality had increased across the board. Either way, I was quite pleasantly surprised by just how beautiful and fluid the visuals became by the end. 

I think SEED has some of my favorite Gundam models of any series. Many other fans seem to agree; surely this is one of the main reasons for SEED's continued popularity. So many prior Gundam series mecha designs felt either too same-y or too over-the-top different. However, robots like the Strike, Freedom, and Justice are a perfect balance of classic familiarity with modern, yet ultimately timeless, aesthetics. 

Our main character Kira Yamato is a sensitive prodigy / technical genius who is especially prone to negative emotion when pushed. His relationship with Athrun Zala, ranging from best friends to heated rivals, is at the core of the story and is one of the series' strongest and most unique elements, as is Athrun's own development. In contrast, Kira's friends and comrades are a fairly generic lot, with some having a bit to do in the plot and others not so much. Some characters, like Lacus Clyne and (sadly) the main villain, Rau Le Creuset, feel substantially underutilized despite being set up as apparently big players. Special mention must be made of Flay Allster, one of Kira's original friends caught up in the war. Though notorious among many Gundam fans for being unlikeable, I actually found her to be the most interesting character in the whole series - she's a hot mess for sure, but given the intense and ongoing trauma she experiences throughout the story, her erratic behavior is probably the most realistic of any character. I genuinely felt bad for her - she's a sad and tragic figure. 

Kira Yamato

Athrun Zala

Gundam SEED Ensemble

Lacus Clyne

Rau Le Creuset

Flay Allster

My favorite anime series is Neon Genesis Evangelion. I mention this to note that while SEED was not the first Gundam series to debut since Evangelion's release, it does seem to be heavily inspired by it in terms of certain characters portrayals and visual & sound design. Kira's emotional struggles and initial reluctance to pilot what is ultimately a giant killing machine closely parallel those of Shinji Ikari (including a brief subplot where the character delves into overconfidence and the reckless destructiveness that comes with that personality flaw). Ship captain Murrue Ramius is a near-doppelganger of Misato Katsuragi (except with brown instead of purple hair), and her relationship with second-in-command Natarle Badgiruel is very similar to that of Misato and Ritsuko Akagi. The mecha launch sequences and on-screen HUD panels are akin to those in Eva. The new time limit imparted by the Phase Shift Armor that the Gundams in SEED exhibit mirrors the 5-minute emergency power supply that the Evas have when unplugged. Even a few tracks from the musical score seem almost directly lifted from Eva. The irony of all this, of course, is that Evangelion itself was itself heavily inspired by the original Mobile Suit Gundam, so in a way, this is the whole thing coming full-circle. 

2022 marked the 20th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. The series is still considered a core installment in the bigger franchise and it has outlived many less popular entries, even getting a new film release in 2024. Though occasionally messy, boring, bloated, and anti-climactic, it also features enough positives - like a dynamic protagonist / rival relationship, fantastic mecha designs, and a relatively unique spin on a familiar formula - to average out to a pretty good series that succeeded in its mission of reinvigorating the Gundam franchise (once again) for a modern audience.