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Honestly, the first time I saw this Gundam-themed show, I didn't really expect it to be better than the previous ones (only a few of them are worth noticing) and I was right. Unexpectedly, after watching several episodes, its major flaws seem to flow deeper than I can recall of. Or maybe my own senses are making a fool of my consciousness.
First of all, the story is pretty generic and old: the conflicts between the colonists and the so-called 'Earth' people have been explained a thousand times in this long-running series despite different settings and timeline. Gundam Seed, in this case, is no different from the earlier Gundam shows. I guess that the Gundam crews attempt to attract newer generations who have no idea of the series before. Veterans, however, may have to look elsewhere since there's nothing completely original in this latest incarnation.
Character designs are actually decent, if not really state-of-the-art. However, facial expressions are rarely shown on their faces as they are mostly drawn in a rather eye-catchy and yet sterile appearances, therefore they fail to convince the audience to feel anything from them (a few intense scenes do manage to pull that out, just not much). Character development and believability are mildly effective but not in its entirety, even if you try to make believe of it.
Animation, on the other hand, proves to be very disappointing and almost amateurish compared to other anime; jerky movements and some really, really dreadful frame continuity spoil the show's overall quality (in fact, that's the only obvious part of the whole production that bugs me a lot). Alas, that same goes to CGI as well! Also, is it a necessity to put some irritating, little flying balls (not a pun) whenever a princess-like character makes a appearance?!! I fail to see their main purpose, really...
Despite these drawbacks, the only saving grace is its double theme songs at both the beginning and the end of the show. They all sound phenomenal and awe-spiring (I only refer that to the earlier episodes, not the rest) but not even these can save this show from being monotonous and horribly bland.
Really, this has to be the weakest Gundam show I've seen so far (ok, I admit I'm not a big fan of Gundam and don't really care much of that but quality assurances are important if you want a particular show to be successful). Why some fans claim this to be the finest show in the entire series is beyond my comprehension. Maybe they are all influenced with anything anime or mecha-themed or whatever that no longer makes senses, I don't know. Anyway, if you seek for a completely different Gundam show with incredibly high originality, you won't find it here. Just wait for a few years and that will be a dream come true.
score /10
pip-7 15 April 2005
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1060851/ |
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16-10-2020 01:05:04