Am going too, go ahead and judge Gundam Wing for what it is and not the base of nostalgia love that I use too, have.
Also, keeps this in mind I was one of those kids whom grew up with Wing and loved it. Also, I didn’t complete the series when I was a kid because at the time period Gundam Wing was slowly disappearing out of Cartoon Network along with Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop so I never finished the show back then but for what I saw in Gundam Wing I love it.
Many years later many people that I know recommended me too, watch this show again because I didn’t finish it back then. Then I decided to, watch it from start to, finish and well am going too, be real honest with you all.
I don’t think Gundam Wing is as awesome as I thought it was. Infect I actually think it’s one of the worst Gundam shows. Why do I think are one of the worst Gundam shows you will find out this review?
Hello, everyone, this is Shawn aka PhantomKurata and welcome too, my review of Gundam Wing and with out of the way let’s gets started.
Story.
It is the year after colony 195. The earth alliance along with OZ and the Romefeller Foundation is in total control of the five colonies and space too, fight back against them the colony scientist commences operation meter and sends five young mobile suits pilots too, fight for independence. The five young pilots being Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner and Chang Wufei. Throughout the series the five must battle the best that OZ has too, offer including the leader Trace Khushrenada and the right-hand man Zechs Marquise.
Now I have some good things too, say about Gundam Wing story but at the same time a lot of bad things.
The story of Gundam Wing is what you expect from a Gundam show. The colonies are being oppressed by a powerful faction and are now declaring independence. However as the series progresses we are introduced too, new elements and plot twists too, make the story feel fresh. I thought some story elements were kinda enjoyable too, watch. The themes and messages in Gundam Wing are much-simplified compare too, other Gundam shows including the universal century timeline which I personally didn’t mind the themes and messages being more simple but what really irritated me about its the messages and themes presented in wing are rather preachy with certain characters in the show spouting pacifistic nonsense with no substance whatsoever.
The pacing in Gundam Wing are horrendously bad where the first half has the pacing of a generic slice of life anime while the pacing in the second half has improved a bit I already feel tired of the show mainly due how slow going it was the majority of the series. Turn A Gundam may have slow pacing at the beginning but least with Turn An actually builds up its themes, has great world building, character building and has great story setup. Gundam Wing doesn’t have any of that. In fact, the worldbuilding and story setup are pretty pathetic.
Gundam Wing story also has a tedious political battle and the stupid and annoying narrator always dumping heavy political information on our heads expecting us too, take it all in. IT’S NOT GOOD STORYTELLING. It’s just painfully tedious too, listen and its puts the viewer too, sleep myself included.
Overall the story of Gundam Wing had the potential to be good but it failed in almost every way possible.
2/10
Characters.
The characters in Gundam wing range from decent too, awful.
The wing boys all one directional personalities. Hereo and Trowa are your generic silent but deadly guys, Duo is the happy go, lucky buffoon, Quatre is a kind pacifistic pretty boy and Wufei is a hot-headed warrior. Now besides from Duo which I personally liked and I thought he was a fun and entertaining character to watch no to mention he a favorite Gundam Win character. The Wing boys are poorly written and unlikable from start to, finish. Heero and Trowa are some of the blandest characters I have ever seen in any anime. They are boring, static, they hardly developed as characters and most importantly they are pretentious as hell too, the point where I started too, cringe of how edgy they are.
I personally like Quatre in the beginning but as the series progresses he became kinda of a pretentious character in themes of his pacifism ideas not too, mention he became really unlikable in the second half.
Wufei is easily my least favorite of the wing boys. He is whiny, pretentious, poorly written too, the core and not too, mention he’s personally and ideals honestly made me sick. He’s the most forgettable character in the show because he barely does anything in the show apart from being a pretentious brat.
Now if you thought Wufei was an annoying pretentious brat Relena takes the cake for being one of the worst characters in Gundam. She always preaches about peace and pacifism and failing to realize that war cannot end by preaching about peace all the time not too, mention her motivations are downright stupid and annoying. Relena is easily the worst thing about Gundam Wing.
Also Relena obsession and romance with Heero are one of the stupidest love stories I have seen in any anime mostly because it isn’t clear how Heero feels and the romance itself was completely pointless in a long while
Zechs are easily my second favorite character in the show because unlike 4/5 of the Wing boys he’s actually a good and entertaining character too, watch.
Lastly we have Treize. Like with Zechs he’s a good character in own right and have more substance than any of the wing boys and Relena not too, mention he a good villain for a Gundam show.
As for the side characters were okay at best.
Overall besides from Zecha, Treize and Duo all of the characters range from average too, downright awful.
4/10
Visuals.
The visuals of Gundam Wing are outdated and have aged poorly. They're a lot of choppy animation and inconstant art and the anime that came out in 90s this are honestly unacceptable because I have seen better looking 90s anime like Escaflowne, Outlaw Star, After War Gundam, Cowboy Bebop and even G Gundam too, a certain degree.
Also, many of the characters designs look outdated and lack any detail.
Also, most of the battles of Gundam Wing lack impact and substance because of two major flaws that am going mention now.
First up the overkill formula.
Gundam Wing was the first Gundam title too, introduce the overkill formula where all the Gundams are all invincible throughout most of the battles with the grunt suits and it’s the challenges feel pointless until they go against mobile suits counted by main characters in the story.
The one thing that I pissed me off too, no end are the portrayal of the Gundams. A great Gundam battle for me is where it’s balanced with both sides struggling too, come out to the top. Not a mindless one-sided beatdown with the Gundams simply crushing down grunts suits like ants and flies.
Secondly the stock footage.
Oh, my god, there are tons and tons of stock footage used for the battles in the series. It honestly makes the battles really repetitive and downright boring too, watch. It’s almost as bad as Gundam Seed and Gundam Stock Footage Destiny (Gundam Seed Density) am not kidding when I say that
If there was a good thing I can say about Wing visuals is its variety of combat setting and the wing boy’s mecha designs.
The combat setting in Wing is unique as some of the battles will take place in the desert, forest, and a city.
As for the Gundam themselves, I really liked the designs as well the unique weapons that they have.
I really can’t say the same about the OZ grunts suits because they designs are horrendously bad. I honestly can’t blame them.
The Gundams are portrayed really poorly here. However, the Tallgeese design is good for what it is but I have seen much better Gundam designs from other Gundam series.
Overall the visuals in Gundam Wing are lackluster.
4/10
Sound.
The soundtrack is good but it’s mostly stranded and kinda forgettable most of the time.
The first opening Just Communication is a good opening but there are better Gundam openings out there. The same can be said for Rhythm Emotion aka opening two.
The ending theme It’s Just Love is a mediocre and forgettable ending song.
Now for dub or sub.
Now I only watched Gundam Wing in dubbed but I have seen bits of the sub
This is going too, be an unpopular opinion but the dub in Gundam Wing are outdated and terrible.
A bunch of miscasts, bad audio quality and not too, mention they're are too, many bad performances especially from the side characters.
Lastly the whole IT’S A GUNDAM thing in the dub is honestly one of the stupidest things I ever heard. It’s so cheesy, overdramatic and not too, mention it’s downright annoying when the grunts usually say that just before they are killed.
The dub of G Gundam may be cheesy but least it had its charm. The dub for Gundam Wing has no charm and it’s stiff as hell.
Honestly, if you want too, watch Gundam Wing stick with the sub because the dub has aged poorly.
6/10
Final thoughts.
Here we have it Gundam Wing is not the best Gundam series out there. I really want like Gundam Wing more than I did because I liked it when I was a kid but now I simply cannot ignore its flaws.
The story is a poorly written mess, the pacing and world building are terrible, the characters range from decent too, downright awful, visuals have aged poorly, the stock footage is out of control, the Gundams are portrayed really badly, and the soundtrack is not that memorable in the slightest.
It’s not the worst thing in the world but I still think it’s one of the worst Gundam series that I saw. They're are far better Gundam shows than Gundam Wing like G Gundam, After War Gundam X, any of the U.C Gundam shows, Turn A Gundam, Gundam Build Fighters S1 and its squeal Gundam Build Fighters Try.
As much I wasn’t a fan of Gundam Build Fighters Try in the terms of story and characterisation it was an enjoyable Gundam title for the most part.
Gundam Wing has none of that.
Outside of Nostalgia Gundam Wing has aged terribly.
If you want too, watch Gundam Wing then more power too, you. If you liked the series then good for you but overall Gundam Wing are an overhyped 90s series that tries too, tell its own war story but fails in almost every way possible.
I give Gundam Wing a 4/10
Anyway, this has been Shawn aka KurataTrigger and I will see you guys next time were I review Turn A Gundam.
