The Gundam Wing Thread

[CookieS]

Now I don't really know what it is, but I think Gundam Wing was a very impacting show. I can't remember the last time a show just kind of blew up on Toonami across all demographics. I just wanted to reflect on it a little because I think the steam has been cooled on this show for a while (which is a good thing). Also, none of other Gundam shows really hooked me in the way GW did. Mobile Suit Gundam was too retro for me (I'd rather watch Speed Racer) and Gundam 0083 was good, but I didn't make an effort to watch it as much. Anyways, what do you guys think of Gundam Wing?

[Watagashi]

I think that, out of all the other Gundam series that's been aired on Toonami, that one was the best. The art work was great as well as the mecha designs and the storyline really gets you hooked after the first episode. Although it's pretty serious and rarely has anything really funny in it, it's still better than the other three. I really hate that they put it off of Toonami, though. Hopefully, it'll come back sometime in the future.

[Djm912]

Gundam Wing was the reason I signed up to Toonami message boards. It was the first, and only, show that I really dedicated myself to watching everyday. I never really cared about the show not being funny because the storyline was just great.

[Sheamon]

Gundam Wing not only was the show that introduced me to Toonami, it was also the first anime TV series I ever saw. So yes, it does hold a special place in my heart. However, since then I've seen 3 other Gundam series and they've all been overwhelmingly better. Gundam Wing's totally unrealistic battles really bring its grade down IMO.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

It was on American TV first, so people will have a bias towards it.

Personally, I think some of the other Gundams are psychologically deeper (Mobile Suit Gundam) and more romantic (08th MS Team), but I guess I can see how one would like GWing.

It's not on my top 5 Gundam shows, though.

[Vin]

Originally posted by Leaping Larry Jojo
It's not on my top 5 Gundam shows, though.

LLJ, what are your top 5 "Gundam" shows then? I never got into "Gundam Wing" and haven't really watched the others, but I'm curious what are your top 5 and do you think they'd have a chance to succeed in America like "GW" did?

[zimed]

personaly GW is my least favorite gundam played on toonami.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by Vincent Benenati


LLJ, what are your top 5 "Gundam" shows then? I never got into "Gundam Wing" and haven't really watched the others, but I'm curious what are your top 5 and do you think they'd have a chance to succeed in America like "GW" did?

Well, my top 5, including the short "mini-series OAV" Gundams, are:

Zeta Gundam
Turn A Gundam
V Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
08th MS Team

As you might have heard, Mobile Suit Gundam was only moderately successful on Toonami, and didn't approach GWing's popularity. I imagine the dated animation and slower pace did not go over well with audiences. Couple that with no pretty boys to hook in the girls, and MSG is just good for those with a historical interest and are curious about the Japanese concept of psychological study. It's also a tad corny, but paved the way for more stylish and "cooler" anime (hey, it was the 70s).

Zeta Gundam, well, it's metaphysical and rather dark at times, especially the last 6 or 7 episodes. I go for that kind of stuff. Dated animation and bleak atmosphere won't help it. But you never know.

Turn A Gundam is the newest Gundam show, airing from 1999-2000, I think. I watched the R2 DVDs of it, and I was charmed by its aesthetics and characters. I think this might go over well with some, but it's not a very action packed Gundam show, at least for the first 25 episodes (it's 50 episodes).

V Gundam gets a bad rap for having the youngest cast of all the Gundams (main characters aged 10-12 years old), but its brutal atmosphere makes up for it (for me). Will go over the same as Zeta Gundam. Ugly robots and average animation won't help.

08th MS Team has already aired on Toonami. I heard it was pretty successful, moreso than Mobile Suit Gundam, but less than GWing. It's a very handsome production, done on a respectable budget.

[Vin]

Originally posted by Leaping Larry Jojo


Well, my top 5, including the short "mini-series OAV" Gundams, are:

Zeta Gundam
Turn A Gundam
V Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
08th MS Team

As you might have heard, Mobile Suit Gundam was only moderately successful on Toonami, and didn't approach GWing's popularity. I imagine the dated animation and slower pace did not go over well with audiences. Couple that with no pretty boys to hook in the girls, and MSG is just good for those with a historical interest and are curious about the Japanese concept of psychological study. It's also a tad corny, but paved the way for more stylish and "cooler" anime (hey, it was the 70s).

Zeta Gundam, well, it's metaphysical and rather dark at times, especially the last 6 or 7 episodes. I go for that kind of stuff. Dated animation and bleak atmosphere won't help it. But you never know.

Turn A Gundam is the newest Gundam show, airing from 1999-2000, I think. I watched the R2 DVDs of it, and I was charmed by its aesthetics and characters. I think this might go over well with some, but it's not a very action packed Gundam show, at least for the first 25 episodes (it's 50 episodes).

V Gundam gets a bad rap for having the youngest cast of all the Gundams (main characters aged 10-12 years old), but its brutal atmosphere makes up for it (for me). Will go over the same as Zeta Gundam. Ugly robots and average animation won't help.

08th MS Team has already aired on Toonami. I heard it was pretty successful, moreso than Mobile Suit Gundam, but less than GWing. It's a very handsome production, done on a respectable budget.

Thanks LLJ - if any of the three that haven't premiered yet in America, hit Toonami, I'll be sure to check them out.

[Zero Yuy]

Gundam Wing is my all time favorite. I was exposed to anime quite a bit, but never really got into it alot. After I saw Gundam Wing, I completely found new respect and appreciation for anime. I became obsessed with the show. I couldn't miss it! The characters, the plot. It was really well done. It caused me to become the raging otaku that I am today. It's quite funny because I found it by accident. I'm grateful for being able to see it.

[Weatherman]

Ahh, the bishounen of Gundam. I liked the show when I saw it, but it still ranks at the bottom of the five Gundam shows I've seen. My favorites are MSG, 08th MS Team, 0080, G Gundam, them Wing. Wing had godd mecha design, colorful fights, and some very likesble and unlikeable charcters, but I still like the other Gundamn shows alot more. Wing has moments that border on completely unbelivable. The others kept things a bit more balanced.

[Jowy Blight]

Gundam Wing is an OK series, but I'm more into Mobile Suit Gundam and Robotech. I found Gundam Wing too silly, with Zechs the wantabe Char, and the boys who seemed to to want to kill themselfs for no reason at all. It was still an OK series though.

[Majin_Megabyte]

Well I only like 8th Ms Team,and Gundam Wing.
Well Gundam Wing will always be one of my fave anime series.

[Zero Yuy]

From the Gundam series I've seen, none of them are that bad. The reason I liked Gundam Wing so much was because it made me extremly interested in other Gundam series, as well as anime in general. I loved Gundam Wing. I also enjoyed 08th MS Team, it wasn't bad at all. MS Gundam was good, I couldn't deal with the old school animation at first, but I got used to it.

I've researched on other Gundam series and they don't seem that bad at all. The plots and stories remain interesting and they sound good. I think the only compliants I've been hearing is about "Turn A Gundam."

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Most who complain about "Turn A Gundam" have just looked at the moustache Gundam and thought it must suck by the visuals. I'm a big fan of strong, complex female characters, and "Turn A Gundam" has the most well-realized female Gundam characters of any Gundam series out there.

Of course, some of them have seen it and just don't like it.

[Darashinai]

:b

Gundam Wing will likely remain my favorite because it catered to my people, the fangirls. It was pretty. Had pretty men and boys in it. Had pretty mecha. Had a lot of speeches and pretty words and such. And did i mesantion it was pretty?

Sounds like fangirls only want a lot of pretty things and not much else, huh? Well, that IS all we want and need. You see, lack of imagination and other frilly "man things" mean that we fangirls can further expound upon the way Treize sounded like he was trying seduce Zechs in ep 10. with his voice and eyes. ^_^

GW may have been preachy, but the characters themselves are quite complex and interesting to play with, namely Treize Khushrenada, Milliardo Peacecraft, Wufei...


But in other news, I did enjoy 8th MS Team. Had pretty graphics and a lot of romantic junk. :b I also liked MSG, though it was less gripping than the other two.

I have also had the pleasure of "watching" chibi gundams in the raw. why did i call it "watching"? because, i fell asleep 10 minutes into it. *snores*

[Albright]

Gundam Wing was also the show that sucked me into Toonami (and therefore into action and "mature" animation as a whole). I still remember flipping channels and coming across the episode review for one of the episodes of Gundam Wing in which they showed what's-her-name getting shot through the chest, and then she drops her helmet, and then she... slumps forward... And I was like, "Holy $*#@, this is a cartoon?!?!" So I kept watching, and it continued to blow my mind!

But... I preferred MSG more, when it was on. The battle scenes seemed more realistic; in the early episodes, a battle with a Zaku is no small feat, whereas in Gundam Wing Heero can tear legions of enemy suits from the get-go. (0080's battles were even more realistic, but on the whole I found that series pretty boring.)

It's great, but I don't think it's the best Gundam. I'd rather see MSG get the full run it deserves than GW on the air again...

[Fayina]

I love Gundam Wing. It was not the show that made me begin to become hooked on Toonami (Sailor Moon did that)… but it was the show that got me into the Gundam franchise. I have watched all of the Gundam series that Toonami has showed and I will say that Gundam Wing was not my favorite ( the original MSG wins that one hands down ) but I still enjoy the show immensely.

While watching the first run of Gundam Wing I was so hooked on the show that I could not wait to get home so I could watch it. I found it quite fascinating. The characters all had their own personalities and seemed quite complex and of course it helps that the main characters are all hot young men (especially Heero! ^_^). I would have watched it regardless of their looks, however. Over all I really enjoyed the story that Gundam Winf told and I must admit that I am one of the few people that actually like Relena.

[electricsheep]

Gundam W is a great anime, but in my opinion not the greatest Gundam series by far...

I still lean toward Gundam X because it's a little more playful and the characters are not constantly trying to kill themselves, which is one of the things that made GW a little silly to me...

[ohmrbill]

Although it is currently my least favorite Gundam series, I must admit that GW did help make me into the mecha otaku I am today. ^^

It was the first Gundam series I saw, and it made me want to see other Gundam series. I loved it when it first came on, but by the end some parts of it just bothered me too much. Too many unanswered questions, I guess. Also, I started to like it a lot less as I started to get into the Universal Century Gundam stuff and saw how much of GW's plot was ripped directly from UC.

Gundam Wing DOES have my most favorite mecha designs out of all the Gundams, though.