Alternative TitlesEnglish: Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Synonyms: Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダムSEED
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 50
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Oct 5, 2002 to Sep 27, 2003
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.041 (scored by 34757 users)
Ranked: #4112
Popularity: #259
Members: 54,810
Favorites: 2,155 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
action drama mecha romance |
SynopsisC.E. 71: In the midst of war between the Naturals (OMNI) and Coordinators (ZAFT), a unit from ZAFT is dispatched to hijack the Earth Alliance's newly developed mobile suits on the neutral colony of Heliopolis. Orb Civilian Coordinator Kira Yamato attends the technical college on Heliopolis. After ZAFT hijacks 4 of the 5 mobile suits, Kira stumbles upon the last one, Strike, forced to pilot it to save his and his friend's lives. During this confusion, Kira also reunites with his childhood Coordinator friend, Athrun Zala, who ironically turns out to be a ZAFT soldier and one of the hijackers at Heliopolis. Having control of Strike, Kira joins the Earth Alliance boarding the ship known as Archangel, to protect his friends while despairing over becoming the enemy of his childhood friend and people. |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Spin-off: Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Seed Supernova - Tanekyara Gekijo
Sequel: Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: After-Phase Between the Stars
Side story: Mobile Suit Gundam Seed MSV Astray
Summary: Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Special Edition
Alternative version:
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
|
|
kiriska
148 of 199 people found this review helpful
|
50 of 50 episodes seen
|
| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Gundam SEED started off as just another Gundam series for me. I watched it because it was airing and convenient... I didn't expect it to become my favorite Gundam series of all time.
STORY - At this point, you'd have to stretch pretty far to find a Gundam series with a mindblowingly different premise, so there's no point in really focusing on the fact that yes, this is another series about teenagers in giant robots fighting a war that's pretty pointless. There is nothing new about Gundam SEED, but then, it deserves points for being able to stand out despite that very fact. For me, one of the most appealing things about SEED was its very easy-to-understand plotline. The root of the war, while decidedly trivial to some extent, is simple. I'm sure more than a few people were confused, and subsequently put off, by the political madness that ravaged the plots of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, as well as newer classics like Gundam Wing, so it was nice to see something so simple come along.
In addition to the war, one of the strongest story points for me was the conflict between Athrun and Kira. The cruelty and tragicness of pitting friend against friend works very well here, and I know I've said before that I'm just a sucker for this kind of stuff. For SEED, this conflict was well done, progressed smoothly, and resolved rather satisfactory. It was pretty neat to see the same conflict mirrored later with Dearka and Yzak too. Also, this series was one of the first in a long time to surprise me so much with things happening in the story. People died. People you really didn't expect to die died. So many people die that at some point, you kind of started wondering if anyone was actually going to live! But despite the number of deaths, you never got the feeling that it was overdone, or that any of the characters' deaths didn't have some significance or meaning, and that's definitely a feat.
Those two aspects of SEED made up for all the cliches that came with being a Gundam series -- white mask's ulterior motive was nothing amazing, and the ending to the war wasn't anything special either. But by the end of it all, it isn't the basics of the story that's important, it's all the progress you've made with the characters and their own personal resolutions.
CHARACTER - The characters in SEED probably contributed the most to gaining my favor. All of them are exceptionally well done. Yes, even the minor characters, which is definitely a rarity in anime. All of them seem like real people; they're complex and have emotions, motives, flaws. Both of the protagonists are split between a side that has to fight and a side that hurt because of everything that's happening. After all the stoic personalities in Gundam Wing, it was incredible for me to see characters that would actually cry. On several occasions, even. In fact, for the first half of the series, it seriously surprised me just how much of a crybaby Kira was. But it worked for his character, so even though he kind of turned into a godmodding, self-righteous bastard later on, it was okay.
Kira aside, for me, Athrun was the most interesting character and had the most depth. Throughout the entire series, he was in conflict. And as soon as one conflict was resolved, another would present itself. The poor guy was in constant turmoil, which was really great to see. He was easy to relate to and never grew out of reach like Kira did. Secondary characters like Cagalli and Lacus were also refreshing to see -- female characters that had strength to stand up on their own. Indeed, one might venture to say that our male protagonists depended much more on their female counterparts than the other way around, as is traditionally the case.
It would be exhausting to go through the list of other characters, though many of them are also important and very relevant. Suffice to say that there are almost NO flat characters in SEED. All of them have dimension and depth and develop throughout the series. I don't really think this happens in many other anime.
ARTWORK & ANIMATION - I rather like the art style of SEED (the same people also did Sokyuu no Fafner); it's pleasing to the eye and works well for the content of the series. The animation itself is pretty average, and I'm still waiting for the day when explosions in the distance graduate from looking like Pacman, but oh well. There's nothing else really worth noting, but it certainly isn't an ugly series.
MUSIC - I... adore the music for this entire series. All three instrumental soundtracks are well worth getting! The battle music is strong and epic! The introspection music is interesting and intriguing! The tragic music makes the already tragic scene ten times more touching. It's just fantastic all around. After the bigshots Yoko Kanno and Yuki Kajiura, it's Toshihiko Sahashi that makes it on my playlist the most! And the OP/ED themes are pretty much all top notch as well. I've been a fan of T.M. Revolution for a long time, so "Invoke" was perfect for the first opening. SEED introduced the world to Nami Tamaki, and I must say I've definitely become a fan since her debut. SEE-SAW and Mika Nakashima are always good as well, and even the lesser known artists in the lineup are pretty awesome.
DUBBING & VOCALS - I saw the first half of this series in English but ended up seeing the second half subbed (because SEED was, for some reason, so unpopular that CN shoved it in a death slot). The dub was nothing spectacular certainly, but it was decent. None of the voices were up to par with their Japanese counterparts, but the only one that seriously annoyed me was Richard Cox, and that was mostly because the man can't seem to change his voice between characters (and thus, the character he voiced sounded like Inuyasha to me). The Japanese cast, on the other hand, is top notch. Akira Ishida as Athrun remains one of my favorite performances ever, and Souichiro Hoshi as Kira was pretty great too. And of course, you can't forget Rie Tanaka as Lacus -- Lacus has several songs she performs within the series and Tanaka is the one singing all of them. It always pleases me when they're able to do that and helps reaffirm the fact that the Japanese seem to take their voice acting much more seriously than we do.
OVERALL - I know I haven't seen all of the Gundam series out there, but of those I've seen, this is definitely my favorite. The characters come to life and everything else falls into place behind that. A lot of people cling onto Mobile Suit Gundam as the only good one because it's the original, but though it was a good series that obviously propelled the creation of all subsequent Gundams, for this generation of anime fans, it's sorely outdated. I really feel like Gundam SEED should be the series taking its place for the post-2000 generation of fans. That statement may bode well in Japan, as this series was wildly popular, but I'm disappointed to see that it failed miserably in the States. Chalk that up to other factors though, 'cause this series is damn good. read more
|
|
2Daggers
38 of 59 people found this review helpful
|
50 of 50 episodes seen
|
| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
Gundam Seed was my first taste into the Gudam universe. At first I was really hesitant to start watching this series because I thought the show was for children because of the mecha. However once I started watching the series, I couldn't stop without finishing it.
Story: 9/10
The whole series is basically about an ongoing war between the Natural human race and the genetically superior Coordinators. This may seem like a straightforward plotline, however several things push the plot so it is not as simple as it seems. Throughout the series you are left wondering which side is truly the right side to be on. Throughout the series you get to see both sides of the story as much of the Natural's justifications are shown with Kira and most of Coordinator's justifications are shown with Athrun.
Art: 8/10
Because this is a very old series, the art style is very different from the art style today. It's not to say that it's bad, but it might take some getting used to for someone who has only started watching anime recently. The battle scenes have a lot of flashing lights and aren't choreographed too badly. I would say this area is the weakest point of the whole series.
Sound: 9/10
I thought that all of the opening and ending songs really fit the series as a whole. The best music to me was Rie Tanaka's singing throughout the series. I was really amazed when I first heard her sing has Lacus Clyne because she sung for her own character. In my experience, many people usually get singers to sing their character roles. So I was really impressed that she sung her own song and that she was actually very good at it.
Character: 10/10
The characters are the strongest point of this series. This series is built on the interaction between the characters. The battles and action almost seems secondary to me compared to the drama occurring between the main characters. This series has a lot of characters that pushed the plotline forward, but the main characters really shone above the others.
Kira Yamato is the main protagonist of the story. During the beginning of the series he really is a normal person with many weaknesses and faults. However as the series progresses, he grows and matures in order to face the trials given to him. I believe Kira's growth as a person is one of the things that really grabs a viewer. He grows from a weak school student to a leader that many people can count on.
Athrun Zala is another main protagonist of the story. Athrun enters the story on the opposite side of the war as Kira. Their past history of being childhood friends becomes one of the key factors in the story as Athrun and Kira both fight on opposite sides in the war. Athrun's emotional struggle continues throughout the series as he tries to figure out what is the right thing to do.
Lacus Clyne is one the main female protagonists of the story. While originally appearing as Athrun's finance, she later becomes Kira's love interest. Lacus's first appearance in the series is as a normal girl who doesn't hold any importance in the war aside from the fact that her father is the High Supreme Councilor of the Coordinators. However as the story progresses, Lacus quickly shows her strength as she rallies up support against the war in face of great opposition.
Cagalli Yula Athha is the other female protagonist. Although very close with Kira in the beginning of the series, she later becomes Athrun's love interest. She appears in the beginning of the series as a strong woman who is capable of fighting for what she believes in. Later on in the series her heritage of being the daughter of Orb's leader is revealed.
Overall: 10/10
Gundam Seed is one of my most favorite series of all time. I would say that this is a must see series for all new, incoming anime fans. read more
Recommendations
|
|
Both of these shows focus on the ongoing battle between two childhood best friends on opposite sides. They also both have mecha has a pivotal focus point in combat. While their settings are different, there are many similar character relations and plot points that viewers of both of these shows will probably enjoy.
Sunrise created both gundam seed and Code Geass and the storyline is very similar as there are two best friends who are forced to fight each other etc.
Gundam Seed and Code Geass both have the same relationships between the characters. Lelouch and his best friend are fighting for opposing causes and end up fighting each other. They are both Mecha anime and have really Twisted story lines. But thats what makes it so good :)
Mechs used for war, childhood best friends pitted against each other because of war, main characters are both chick-magnets so there are awkward love/anti-love triangles
If you're like me and adored all of the character interactions in Gundam SEED, then you will certainly love the ones in Code Geass. Admittedly, the stories are very different. But hey, they both have mechas, and they both pit best friends against each other. Always a fun conflict to see, right?
In the last few weeks I've been singing the praises of Code Geass, and when people ask why I always end up comparing it to Gundam Seed. Both series have a similar plot, you've got a character who is silly smart, and decides to 'save the world'. Through both series you'll find you'll have yourself pondering about which side your really on. While Code Geass has Lelouch doing questionable things, you'll find half the characters in Seed lost themselves trying to decide who are the good guys. Although there is obviously a little more fighting and Mecha in Seed there is still a strong storyline and you'll find yourself wondering how each episode will conclude, although there's never much doubt on who will win.
When I first began watching Code Geass, the plot immediately reminded me of the first episode of SEED. The only thing that was different was the personality of the protagonist. Other characters seem similar too.
Later on it's quite obvious that parts of the plot are extremely similar, you if you enjoyed SEED, you would like Code Geass, or the contrary.
The same sort of racially-charged war with some that switch sides and such. Mech-suits are common, too.
Both are mecha animes and with actually plot that is moving... Both take place in the future and there are some fantasy and romance elements too.
Confirming what the others said having watched over half of SEED, the similarities between CODE GEASS are tremendous.
The mech combat is very well done and any fan of mech anime or of futuristic combat will appreciate both series.
it has the same mecha nd sci-fi genre and also some of the characters are similar
Good anime, both deal with love and have best friends pitted against each other.They're both mecha though Code Geass focuses less on mecha but more on the story. And of course they both have pink haired princesses.
Code Geass is Death Note meets Gundam SEED. Nothing more needs to be said.
Gundam Seed is what you might call Code Geass' fraternal older twin. Like "Code Geass," it focuses on two childhood friends, Kira and Athrun, who end up on opposite sides of the battle. Lelouch fans/fangirls will be enthralled with Athrun Zala, and Suzaku fangirls will like Kira. However, this series is from Kira's point of view, so if you liked Suzaku's way of seeing war, then you'll agree with Kira. Strong female leads are a huge plus in this series, with Lacus as a more powerful Euphie, and Cagalli as a less fanserviced Kallen.
Biggest Differences: space battles, both main characters pilot mecha, SEED spends more time on battles, Kira also has an evil girlfriend.
both are related to mecha..and not just any normal mecha,but rather of the "HIGH CLASS"
Eventhough the characters themselves aren't that similar except for Princess Euphemia and Lacus and their pink hair, the relationships they have are pretty much the same.
The friendship between Suzaku and Lelouch with them being on different sides of the battlefield are the same with Kira and Athrun being on different sides, one on ZAFT and one on EARTH Alliance.
The relationship between Kira and his sister Cagalli are to the same extent that Lelouch shares with his half sister Euphemia.
And also the romance between Cagalli who is a natural and Athrun who is a coordinator is similar to Euphemia who is a Britannian and Suzaku who is an eleven.
The only similarity isn't just the character relations, but the show itself because both Gundam Seed and Code Geass have mechas that are used as the primary fighting weapons.
Both are involving battle and two childhood best friend.
Another anime by Sunrise, both both Athrun and Lelouch were directly based off of Char Aznable but they and other characters share many similarities with one another, both betray their nation (ZAFT/Britannia), both have a brown haired friend they fight against (Kira/Suzaku), Code Geass just happens to change the perspective (though both focus on the other protagonist too).
obvious similarities: both have mecha, military, war, action and two best friends on two opposing sides fighting ideological battles and their own sense of justice and trying to persuade the other to join his side, a pink-haired princess etc.
also everytime kira sits in the pilot's cockpit it always reminds me of suzaku. heck, even character designs are largely similar for kira and lacus, and suzaku and euphemia respectively. both are also full of battle strategies, plot twists, though code geass definitely has crazier twists and higher unpredictability. also, BOTH ARE TRAGIC, FULL OF ANGST AND INTERNAL CONFLICT, and both made me cry (;
both also have awesome soundtracks, ops and ending songs. (:
i came to gundam seed trying to look for something similar to CODE GEASS, THE ANIME I LOVE THE MOST <33, and though code geass is still the best imo, gundam seed was undoubtedly very good.
if you are a fan of one or the other, THE OTHER IS A MUST-WATCH.
Both anime involve two teenagers that were once good friends, but are now forced to battle each other in their state-of-the-art mechs.
|
|
|
Same Character Design Baby! And Mecha Rocks!
The character design was done by the same person. Although both are Mecha-animes I wouldn't say that the plot is all that similar though.
Yeah, both series have the same char designer, so spectacular!*_*
And always both anime have the mecha side as a main part of the story..
I suggest to watch both ^^!
Both are mecha shows featuring teenage soldiers and Hisashi Hirai character designs.
Same character design and both are mecha. Both focus on character psychology and both has conflict between natural and genetically manipulated people, but in Fafner its not main plot.
Both have mecha and maincharacters that are alot alike. they also give of the same feeling.
if you liked one of them you'll probably like the other.
Well, in both series there's the similar character designs. There's plenty of action as well as a noticeable OST. The main male protagonist gets caught up in events that changes his life forever. However, they join the cause in what they believe in. Along the way, they meet both friends and enemies as well as discovering more about themselves and the world that they reside in.
Both series also have many science fiction themes.
|
Opening Theme#1: "INVOKE" by T.M. Revolution (eps 1-13)
#2: "moment" by Vivian or Kazuma (eps 14-26)
#3: "Believe" by Nami Tamaki (eps 27-40)
#4: "Realize" by Nami Tamaki (eps 41-50)
Ending Theme#1: "Anna ni Isshodattanoni" (あんなに一緒だったのに; Even Though We Were Together So Much) by See-Saw (eps 1-26)
#2: "Distance" by FictionJunction (HD Remaster eps 27-43)
#2: "River" by Tatuya Ishii (eps 27-39)
#3: "Find The Way" by Mika Nakashima (eps 40-50)
| No posts for this board were found |
Fansubbing Groups
Which fansubbers do you like the best? Click + to approve of their subs for this show. Click - if you don't think they did such a great job.
Related ClubsFans of Seki Toshihiko!, Super Robot Wars Fanclub, Power House, AsuCaga is still one after Destiny SE4:D, Flay Allster Fanclub , Yzak Joule, Classic Toonami FanClub, Mecha Mayhem, ***Legend of Anime***, Mecha Fans Club!, Kuwashima Houko Fans!, The BADASSED Club, Cards Collectors Club [.CCC.], Ojou-sama Fanclub, English Dub Fanclub, Athrun/Kira, Long Hair Characters Fanclub!, Man of Anime League (MAL), ~The Yuki Kajiura Fanclub~, *Twins*Polski Anty FC Debilnych Bohaterek, The Chibi Collection-The Mini Rebellion , Mecha Fans, Anime Break, Strongest, Mecha - trash or paperweight?, KAORI Fans!!, MEMBER CARD INVENTION, 20+, Action Party!, Anime Music Video World, Anime Parliament, Kipi, The Goddess of Cosplay Fanclub, TOP_RANKS ANIME AND GAME DC (AG&DC), Kira And Flay Fanclub, Gunpla FC, Swedes of MAL, Claim an Anime Studio Club! , Athrun & Kira FC, Toonami Faithfuls, ♥ Royalty ♥, the best damn anime/game club ever, I Like Popular Animes, Miyamoto Shunichi FC, Tomokazu Seki Fans, Sugee, The True Heroines Club, Murrue Ramius, We Edit Pictures to Improve Them Club, Anime Alliance P2P Network, Thé Mobile Suit Gundam Series/Films Club <3, Claim a Soundtrack Club!, I HATE FLAY!!!!, Gundam Aquired, ~The Special Gifts Club~aka TSG, Anime couples, PSP - PlayStation Portable Club, The MAHQ Club, Kira Yamato X Lacus Clyne, We Love MASKS!!~, Designers' Clan, *KAWAII_CHAN WORLD OF LOVE*, Athrun Zala fan club, Ceres Angels Anime & Manga Club, ~*~Auel Neider Fan Club~*~ , Get Your Quota! For MAL Claims Clubs, Akira Ishida, Miku-san's Corner, A.D.T.F, †=†=†=†=†=†=†=†=†=†=†=† ___________Готы___________ †=†=†=†=†=†=†=†=†=†=†=†, For those who watched anime on YTV's Bionix, ~* OKIAYU RYOTARO FANS *~, Claim your Current Character Obsession [C.C.O.], FictionJunction YUUKA, Anime & Manga Recommendation, ~*~ATHRUN & CAGALLI FANCLUB~*~ , -Crossover Club: Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed-, White Shirts are Love ♥, Claim A Bishie Club, Club of Heroic Super Pilots, Anime History Association, ~Rie Tanaka Fan club~, ***FictionJunction YUUKA Fanclub***, Tengoku Club ~ Paradise of Characters, Gundam Cards Edition, Mu La Flaga Fanclub, Gundam RPG!, Lacus Clyne ~the songstress of hope~, English Dub Watchers, Mecha HQ, colombia anime, Mecha Kingdom メカ王国, Akihabara Knights, Battle Arena, Mobile Suit Gundam, Purple and Blue Haired Characters, Cute Anime Girl Club, Yuki Kajiura Fan Club, Character Manager, Long Black/Dark Haired Guys, ~~~~talking about beautiful boys~~~~, Drama CD Club!, animeholics, The Blondies of Anime, Anime is Life and Love, Anime & Manga Cosplay, The Emotional/Sad/tragic Anime Collection worth watching club!, +_aN!mE_L0vErS_+, everything Anime and Manga, Random Anime Talk, G.U.N.D.A.M. Club, Claim a character for a season! [& More] ~ Season Club, All Hail Roloko!!!, Mecha/BioMecha-Super club, Orb Princess Fanclub !, Former SG & NSG Members, My Favorite Anime Club, Anime-tion, Shower Scene Club, A.S.A (Adiktus sa Anime), ***FictionJunction YUUKA (Yuuka Nanri) Fanclub***, Lacus Clyne fanclub, Anime Card Obsession (A.C.O.), Anti-Male Character-Bashing Alliance, Youthful Days - Young bl & friendships , Toonami Faithfuls Unite!, Useless Anime and Manga Characters, KEIKO Fans!!, Athrun and Cagalli, Memory Loss Characters, Anime Experience, Z HQ, Studio Sunrise FanClub, The Favorite OST Petition Club, Sci-Fi club, Everyone is EMO, love triangle FACE OFF!! XD, Anime Türkiye, Anime Central, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed \\ MSGD: Destiny - Fanclub, /m/ - MIKU FEI-YEN, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/SEED Destiny, Lacus Clyne Fan Club, Justice or InJustice?!, Fantasy Romance, JusticeGundam Fanclub, Anime Lovers Kingdom, Anime Original Soundtrack (OST) Club!, The Anime Uber-Elitist Club, Random Anime & Manga Club, gundam fan club, We luv Gundam Show's!!, Athrun Zala x Lacus Clyne, Anime Land, SuzakuxEuphemia And KiraxLacus, Move over sliced bread.. Code Geass is in Town!!!, Let's Put These Emo Anime Kids Out Of Their Misery!, Anime Music Downloader, ~* KOYASU TAKEHITO FANS *~, The East Coast Otakus (ECO) Offical Club, Lacus&Kira Fanclub, Crossover Club: Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed, We Luv Anime Guys, Marketplace Germany, , FictionJunction, UPIS Anime Club, The Chaos Club, Ancient Clan, ANIME FANATICS, Takanori Nishikawa - "Taka-Turbo" Fan Club, Kira Yamato Fanclub, Spoiling Unlimited ©2009 see all
Recently Watched By|
2 minutes ago |
34 minutes ago |
1 hour ago |
2 hours ago |
3 hours ago | |
3 hours ago |
3 hours ago |
3 hours ago |
3 hours ago |
6 hours ago |
|
|
