My Fav, but Perhaps Not For Everyone

orvisfc

Whether or not you enjoy SEED (or ultimately Destiny) relies solely on whether or not you can stand an OP Pacifist lead. The biggest argument I see against SEED is that Kira is a god, even so brashly being titled "Jesus Yamato" by some of the shows primary haters. I personally don't see this as an issue, as the OP Pacifist lead is one of my favorite tropes (see Vash and Kenshin).

The next argument I see is that no one reaches any level of interesting development. This is only really half true, as Athrun and Cagalli don't really reach their full development until the middle-end of Destiny. However, Kira does reach a fair level of development in SEED, especially after the stuff with Flay. Lacus is very likely the least developed character, but she doesn't really need to be. Her role is not one of a deep character, but rather the perfect mascot of sorts. Asking for development out of Lacus is like expecting Haro to change.

For me, the biggest selling point of SEED is all of the plot twist. None of them are surprising, per say, but it's the accumulation of all the little ones that made the show interesting. Needless to say, I was addicted to SEED when I watched it, and then again to Destiny 6 months later (note, I did not watch it when it aired). Similarly to the plot twists, the side in the conflict that the audience is supposed to sympathize with switches at least three times throughout the show. The rather shallow villain, to me at least, fits just fine, seeing as neither side of the war is without fault. For the story to work the way it does, there needs to be a straight up "bad guy," and while Rau is perhaps not the greatest villain, he serves his purpose in both SEED and Destiny.

The last point I'll make is that I believe the story and themes in SEED/Destiny are deeper than in a lot of other Gundam. The series that SEED is closest to is definitely the UC time line, and you can see much deeper levels of thought engagement throughout the SEED. The conflicts are real and relatable to life today while still keeping a fantastical element and warning of possible future events.

Gundam SEED is my absolute favorite anime, like it or not (and I am not a newbie to the medium). I recommend it highly to everyone with a strong warning to not take it just at face value. I No other season of Gundam has made me think so hard about its story.

score 10/10

orvisfc 2 April 2014

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2991152/