Story – 9/10
It is year 70 of the Cosmic Era. After the violent attack on the Plant homeland, the Coordinators take it upon themselves to return the favor to their Natural brothers. This is the start of a war which will not only shape the future of both races, but also the legacy of the central cast.
Gundam SEED follows the journey of the spaceship Archangel and its crew, during a time of war. The Gundam multiverse is known for its dark outlook on war, and SEED is no stranger to the subject. I personally believe that the war portrayed in SEED is the most twisted of all the entries to the Gundam franchise, as the main reason for war doesn’t end up being something started out of greed, but rather a far more destructive emotion; Hatred. SEED portrays racism in its most vile form, as both the Coordinators and Naturals hate each other’s existence. Seeing the various ideologies and opinions clash throughout the various perspectives of the cast is truly a thought provoking experience. The Archangel’s journey is an interesting one to say the least. What makes the journey as endearing as it is, is seeing how the characters perspectives change over the course of the series. They end up questioning the meaning of war, the effects it has on society, whether their superior’s intentions are truly for the benefit of humanity and how they can change the world for the better. Sometimes the plot gets repetitive; especially during the episodes when the Archangel is being chased, but other than that there isn’t much more to complain about. A nice addition to the plot was the inclusion of romance. The romance itself happened naturally and instead of subtracting from the viewing experience like many other anime, it made not only the story but characters even more endearing.
Art – 7/10
For an anime which aired in 2002, the animation quality of the series is top tier when compared to other anime of the time. My complaint lies in the recycled use of action scenes. It cheapened a lot of action scenes, by making theme feel uneventful. Scenes where a supposed grand-scale war took place lost all effectiveness when it merely was a slideshow of previous events. Mobile Suit design for Gundam mechs is great, but unfortunately gets all the attention as the design for other Mobile Suits are uninspired. The character design for the anime ranges from cute to bad ass to neglected.
Sound – 9/10
Go and do yourself a favour and see if you can find the OST for this anime. Gundam SEED has a fantastic OST, which is equally parts adrenaline pumping and tear-jerking. The fantastic soundtrack of the series, further enhances every scene throughout the anime. Whether it is a uninspired fight scene or a moment which portrays the depravity of the beast called war, the soundtrack is an excellent addition to the anime. The Openings and Endings are memorable and have fantastic vocalists. SEED is one of the first Gundam series to receive an English dub and it is good enough. I really enjoyed the voice actors for Merrue and Mu, but unfortunately some of the younger characters had some rather average voice acting.
Character – 9/10
Because of the dark themes portrayed within Gundam SEED, it helped develop a cast of character who feel human as they question the morality of the powers which control their respective military organisations. Our protagonist – Kira Yamato – is introduced as a simple civilian. He ends up fighting in a war for the sake of those whom he cares about. As Kira is driven to the depths of despair, he is transformed into a character which one can sympathise with as the problems he faces are complex, but are found throughout our society. Athrun is a cool and collected character with equally troubling issues. Whether it is the constant struggle of having to fight his best friend or the sad relationship between him and his father, Athrun is an easy character to care for. As naive and childish as her ideals are, we all need a Lacus Clynn in our lives: someone who cares for strangers and strives to point out the best in people. My favorite characters in the anime are: Mu and Murrue, and not just because of their flirtations relationship. Murrue is the Captain of the Archangel and is as intelligent as she is caring. Mu is simply a bad ass. Do you need any other reason to love a character? Lastly I want to about the antagonist. He is the victim of humanity’s depravity and intends to take the world down with him. Ás twisted as his intentions are, I find it hard not to feel sorry for the guy.
Enjoyment – 9/10
I find it hard to be objective when discussing Gundam SEED, because there is very little wrong with the anime – for me at least. I love seeing the clashes of ideologies, observing the characters grow into better versions of themselves and listening to the gorgeous soundtrack. Gundam SEED is an anime which I can truly enjoy watching!
Overall – 9/10
Gundam SEED is a brilliant anime. As long as the animation doesn’t bother you, I would highly recommend the anime to any anime watcher. With a thought provoking story, relatable characters and a beautiful OST, Gundam SEED is a must watch for any anime fan!
Thanks for taking the time to read my review!
