The story is quite a standard of the Gundam franchise. It begins with the world/world leaders being total dickheads which really need to change. Enter the Gundams, the super weapon which will eradicate all war. That sounds very much like a contradiction, and it is. Unions unite, get taken over, the Gundams get in a pinch...if you've watch Gundam Wing before, then you'll see a lot of the elements here.
Yes, the storyline is not original (because you know, this is GUNDAM), but this Gundam is tailored to comment on the problems of society today through the characters, through the Gundam pilots (Meisters), their dubious and powerful supporters (Celestial Being, Trinity) and the who oppose them (Union, HRL, AEU). But what had been a very good move for this series is putting a chunky sub-plot with civilian characters who eventually get caught up in the conflict one way or the other: Saji, Kinue and Louise.
However, there are several characters that this series could have made without. Some of the Ptolemy crew seem to have been made for only two purposes: Fanservice and Drama. Several characters are too underdeveloped, such as Wang Liu Mei, Christina and Lichtendal. Wang Liu Mei's supporting role is flimsy at best; she spends most of her screentime stating observations, asking questions and pasting a flowchart while the audience has been on it. It's great if this is your first Gundam series, but when you have experienced the other Gundam stuff, it becomes frustrating. Christina and Lichtendal have no character momentum, but ended up as drama scapegoats. Some characters are just so unnecessary.
The biggest flop doesn't come from these less used characters, but from Marina Ismail. Her character should have been extremely vital and catalytic, as women of her position ought to be, but she ends up helpless, useless, witless...you know the drill. Marina SHOULD have been the moral compass of the story or the foil to the Meisters with her balancing act, but she is totally impotent that she becomes annoyingly insignificant despite the screentime.
The animation was very satisfactory. There's a new level of mobile suit and weapons design. It's not much, but it's better. The art direction was fantastic. Gundams may be block and big, but thanks to wonderful CG, excellent camera work, satisfactory animation, they are so fun to watch.
Despite being badly written half the time, Gundam 00 is highly enjoyable. The production know how to alchemize something. The characters are lovable and intriguing, the plot is predictable but not very obvious, the details (graphics and plot-related) are liberal and the animation is very easy on the eyes. Gundam 00 is equal parts cheesy, dramatic, somewhat bloody (+expect mobile suit mutilation) and introspective (sometimes it's a no-brainer, but wattheheck). This is WAR PPL! There's a lot of low points in the first twelve episodes, but half of it pans out in the end. Half of it.
That's because there's a season 2 that still features the ridiculously entertaining GN drives and GN particles. We never knew what exactly happened to the Gundams, the pilots and the rest of the Ptolemy. We'll know more about the escalating world conflict (it never ends, ppl), and the necessity of the Gundams (again) in the new era.
If you've watched a Gundam series before, this series will not surprise you or totally impress you. If you've watched Gundam Wing, this series may disappoint you or not (they are many similar elements). If you're a Gundam virgin, it's a good introduction to the Gundam Franchise.
Conclusion: Not bad. //Off to watch the second season
