Gundam 00 Season 2

[Fenavian]

So the first episode aired. What was your opinion on the first episode thus far?

[Futile Resistance]

I like how they managed to show a little of almost all the major characters from last season.

SPOILER ALERT

I still don't like the wishy-washy Saji (he can stay pushing coal for all I care). I personally would've preferred him begin a dark cynical character, but that would've been too much like Shin from Destiny.

Animation was top notch like usual. I'm curious at how they'll explain the Lockon... If he really was dead, then maybe a twin brother?

I love *a little sarcasm* how every Gundam has to have a masked antagonist. Can't wait to see him in action.

Plot wise... I'm not sure I'm a fan of the whole politics-focused storyline. It makes it hard to put together all the little pieces (what's important/not). OK, I get that another rebel group wants to break away from the United Earth Fed (or whatever they'll called), and Celestial Being is still around (somehow). But it just seemed so much simpler when it was Earth vs. Space.

END SPOILER ALERT

I watch Gundam for explosions and people going super saiyin.

[BlackDove]

I thought it was pretty goddamn great.

I like the politics, they mirror real life so nicely. And what's to get. Celestial Being managed to unify everyone on Earth, but Ribbons screwed them over and established himself as the eternal puppeteer, creating A-LAWS that do whatever the hell they want.

Now CB has to fight the cancer, and it's that much harder, because now they have a unified effort against them.

I'm still wondering how Tieria fits into being an innovator. That's my main intrigue really. THE EYES.

At any rate, good stuffs in my books.

[Anubis]

I was very impressed. It didn't start anything like how I was expecting it to - I was fully anticipating Setsuna having been with Celestial Being throughout the 'gap' and the overall situation on Earth not having changed as much as it seems to have.

I agree that the development of the Peacekeeping Force will certainly make matters more political, but that is not a change I am particularly against, and indeed I expect it to help draw me in more. Adding in a third element, escalating the way the 'war' is fought by introducing a (in my interpretation so far, subject to change as we learn more about them) KGB-style set of enforcers with the latest technology. It's clever, because it will let us see a side of the world Season 1 didn't show us - a more brutal side as they work to put down the rebellion. It will also naturally be of interest to see whether Celestial Being sides with, against, or remains neutral to the rebellion too.

One thing I will say is that I hope we get some insight into the last four years of Setsuna's life. Exia was effectively crippled at the end of Season One, and personally I am of the opinion that he could not have rebuilt/repaired it alone regardless of the repairs seeming to be a patchwork of cannibalised parts. I'm not sure he'd have been capable alone to be honest, and we know Celestial Being didn't help him. Will be interesting to see exactly what happened.

And that of course goes without mentioning how great Lockon's return could be if they do it right. So overall, very impressive start in my book.

[Fenavian]

I'm curious at how they'll explain the Lockon... If he really was dead, then maybe a twin brother?

Actually yeah, that is Lock On's twin brother. He was mentioned briefly in season 1 but I didn't realize that he was a twin.

I think Tiera is an Android personally. But I am reserving judgment. And yeah I like the fact that every series has to have a 'Char Aznable'. Which reminds me.. I hope to see an upgrade to the Flag MS. Would be quite awesome to see.

[Fenavian]

Change Android to Bioroid and we will likely have a winner. What ever he is, he certainly aint human. So yeah... episode 4 was interesting.

[Fenavian]

So like Saji is responsible for like ... allota deaths... ouch, Sumeragi is KOed for the time being, (though I assume she will be back to save the day), and Mr. Bushido and Setsuna are havin a knock down drag out fight... oh yeah and Saji is about to kill his love... go fig...

All in all this is shaping up to be a muchly stellar season. All the background stuff is a pain to follow though.

[QuantumDelta]

Hmm?
Maybe I had higher expectations for this season than I should have but, personally:
"Ohh daddy" is wearing thin.
"Oh My God What did I do" is wearing thin.
"Why me god? Why me? I just want to drown my sorrows" was worn out last season.
Who the hell put the emotionally challenged guy in charge?
And they've destroyed the only interesting country pinned in the series already.

Great.

....

[Futile Resistance]

Hmm?
Maybe I had higher expectations for this season than I should have but, personally:
"Ohh daddy" is wearing thin.
"Oh My God What did I do" is wearing thin.
"Why me god? Why me? I just want to drown my sorrows" was worn out last season.
Who the hell put the emotionally challenged guy in charge?
And they've destroyed the only interesting country pinned in the series already.

Great.

....

Gundam: Double Drama
Gundam: Double Cheezy

I agree QD

[BlackDove]

Hmm?
Maybe I had higher expectations for this season than I should have but, personally:
"Ohh daddy" is wearing thin.
"Oh My God What did I do" is wearing thin.
"Why me god? Why me? I just want to drown my sorrows" was worn out last season.
Who the hell put the emotionally challenged guy in charge?
And they've destroyed the only interesting country pinned in the series already.

Great.

....

Now now, we can't have every anime have the clandestine super good guy main character that drives our pre-determined path to super-peace and good feelings while he gets the girl which you can easily identify with.

The emotionally challenged guy is more or less perfect for the charge, because he's the best one around when shit hits the fan, while everyone else is crippled and not functioning straight (personally I like the contrast, because it's true). As such, this designates their roles perfectly. This is also where Graham Aker comes in, as a good equal, and then we've got the insane-o that just torched a country.

As for the people in emotional shambles, well, shit rolls the way it rolls. They've got issues. Sure, they may be annoying, but that's how it is. Everyone's got their own reasons, and I'm kinda glad we're being shown the drive. Marie and Allelujah are going to be having their Cagali - Athrun meetup moment in the next episode, so I'm super psyched about that.

[Futile Resistance]

I can't keep from comparing Setsuna and Marina Ismail to Heero and Relena Peacecraft - One saying his whole existence is fighting and the other advocating peace (and not understanding why he has to keep fighting)...

Except Relena could shoot a gun. Here's to hoping Ismail wakes up and takes some more realistic measures.

[BlackDove]

Oh yeah, I think we've all made the connection. This is more Gundam Wing than anything else, right down to the four boys/men doing their thing being part of a special unit that does something grand.

I hated Relena with a passion though. Marina is just annoying.

[Fenavian]

It's like I said at the beginning of the first season, this definitely smacks of GW. I also said that this is more or less what the ORB crew in Gundam SEED were trying to accomplish except this makes faaar more sense than what was going on in GS and GSD. I mean if they wrote the 'interventions' in GSD like they do in 00, then SEED would of been a better series all around.

[BlackDove]

What did I tell you.

At any rate, they went a little further with it than I had imagined. I thought they were going to be broken up for some reason, but they managed to stay together.

Onward. TOWARD 8.

[Futile Resistance]

So Azadistan was the collection of all the ME countries? I must've missed that bit of info in Season 1

[BlackDove]

[19:15] <BlackDove> One of the best Gundam episodes.
[19:15] <BlackDove> <censored> YEAH REGENNE REGETTA!
[19:15] <BlackDove> Good that they left the good parts of SEED in
[19:15] <BlackDove> Didn't think they'd have the balls for that one.

[Futile Resistance]

I dub thee Innovator... SPACE MAN!

[BlackDove]

I ALWAYS WANTED YOU TO GOOOOOOOOOOOO INTO SPAAAAAAAACE MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

[Fenavian]

Wow.. Talk about plot twists.. Makes you wonder who will come out on top.

[Fenavian]

Ok. So they made it to space now. I smell something bigger on the horizon. And seriously, I can't wait to see Grah.. er, Mr. Bushi.. er, Char's new suit.

[BlackDove]

0-Riser man. Can't wait to see what it does.

[Fenavian]

No kidding. I wonder if it willb e similar to the armor Exia had in season 1. If that's the case then cool. Parmor add ons always make me giddy. Seein the upgraded Throne was nice too.

[BlackDove]

We still don't know what Trans Am does to Arios, Cherdum and Seravee. Much like Nadaleeh from the first season, Tieria's suit should have some hidden gimmick.

[Fenavian]

Well we did see hidden arms from his suit. So I am assuming there is some hidden bot in there some where. Though the giant Gundam head is a bit conspicuous. The thing does seem to be brimming with weapons though.

[BlackDove]

And the SEED things just keep on coming back, this episode we got a new G.E.N.E.S.I.S.

And come on full 00 next episode. I say another Freedom.