Gundam SEED

Publisher
Del Rey
Writer
Hajime Yatate
Artist
Yoshiyuki Tomino
Country of origin
Japan
Year
2003

MSGundam SEED V. 1

By David Rasmussen
6th Aug 06

Mobile Suit Gundam. Look it up online and you should find a vast wealth of information on this most important of sci-fi/mecha franchises, one of the Essentials of the Anime/Manga Sci-Fi/Mecha experience (if not THE Essential of the genre).

Basically the Star Trek/Star Wars of the genre, MSGundam has a long colorful history, and as equally a long and colorful line of series that inhabit the MS Gundam Multiverse (several different, unique and individual Gundam universes exist in the franchise instead of the uniform canon/non-canon series differential existing in the Star Trek and Star Wars universes).
The history of the franchise is long, in both the Anime/Manga as well as the video games of the series, but we’re here to focus primarily on the manga of the newest member of the franchise, MSGundam SEED.

MSGundam SEED is to Gundam what Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan was to the Star Trek movie franchise, in other words a runaway hit after a not so mobile flop. In this case, however, it’s not an opening volley in theatrical experience as it is a series that just didn’t hit it off well with the fanbase.
Gundam X, the series that preceded SEED, was a bit of a downer for the franchise. Having just been pulled off the air (from my understanding of the series’ early demise) for bad ratings, you could say that things might not have been the cheeriest for the Gundam franchises’ future… until, like Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan, SEED came along and gave a much needed boost that got the fans back onboard in force.

Now, after Gundam SEED has locked and loaded in it’s status as one of the best Gundams series out there with it’s fan base, now is as good a time as any to start talking it up and recommending it to you.

Earth is once again not in it’s happy place (often time the situation in series like this it seems).
A new Cosmic Era in calendar dating marks the expansion of mankind into outer space. As humanity drives outwards into the stars they look to expand and grow. The expansion of territory mankind can colonize, the locating of new sources of vital resource materials and energy supplies, the essentials of most turn based strategy colonization games and real life colonization (if you played Civilization or Age of Empires on the PC or recently on the Nintendo DS you know this is true).

This drive into space, however, leads to a fatal error… apparently while on their way out into space nobody bothered to watch classic Star Trek, let alone a certain movie entitled Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan.
Through genetic engineering (aka “Khhhhhhaaaaannnnnnn” in Shatner Stereo) a “race” known as the Coordinators was born. This race, yes superrace, had enhanced intelligence, superior physical strength, the reproductive habits of rabbits… oh, and the natural born talent to make lesser beings want to kill them for just being so damn perfect. One thing leads to another and before you can quote “Moby Dick” (as in the original novel and not the anime series) war breaks out between the Coordinators and the “Naturals” (aka normal humans) which, as it turns out, becomes a drawn out conflict that last months on end.

It is in this environment one of these Coordinators pulls a Seven of Nine (only not as “cute” as she was) and switches sides to the normal human’s sides. It is the year 71 C.E. (Cosmic Era) and a young Coordinator named Kira Yamato is about to choose friendship and probably love over his own “family” of the Coordinators in a struggle between the two major powers that are waging war.
And it’s a good thing too because Earth Alliance has just created their first gen of MS Gundams (which the Coordinators have been cranking out for awhile now) and by circumstance Kira ends up piloting this glitchy prototype and (on the fly) ends up having to use a little intellectual “Raid” to chase out the bugs in the middle of a firefight as the station (Side) he and his friends are on are under full scale assault from the forces of the Coordinators.

In the end, even in the face of distrust from the humans he now wants to side with, Kira must fight as a Gundam pilot in order to protect those that mean something to him, even unto death himself, and even if he must fight against someone he never wanted to end of being on opposite sides against.
And that, as they say, is that. The start of a new era of the Gundam franchise that has hit it off well with the viewers and (yes) readers.

If there is one problem with Gundam SEED the manga is that it’s a straight up mirror reflection of the Anime beginning episodes (which was later retooled into a “movie” which you can now get on DVD and PSP UMD… hint hint…) so if you were hoping for a unique new vision of the start that the manga might have offered… well… you’re not getting it here. But is that so bad? Breakdown will merit it out.

MSGundam SEED Breakdown the 1st
What’s Hot?
MS Gundam SEED is on the high end of the franchise, no doubt about it. That’s a good reason, isn’t it, to check this read out. I mean with solid writing, nice action that is the trademark of the franchise, and an overall worthy package of mecha action this is just good.

And what with both the Anime version (BANDAI) and Manga (Del Rey) to keep you hooked up if you haven’t gotten into SEED yet now is a good time as any to start digging into the series and really check it out (lots to get ahold of out there so give it a good shot at it).

What’s Not?
Maybe if you were hoping for something that wasn’t a mirror reflection of the Anime then you won’t be happy with this. I’m sure there is more Gundam SEED out there that will bring a different result from you on opinion, but this… well, it’s up to you.

Moments to Remember?
The giant mecha battling and some of the drama hits it fine.

What to Ignore?
Not much, except for the whole manga/anime are the same basically storywise thing.

Overall?
If you are only going to get into one Gundam series… you need to expand your horizons. But if you are looking for a starting series maybe this might be the one for you. Heck, you can even pick up the DVD or PSP UMD of the first episodes (retooled as a “movie”) if you want a taste of the Anime to go along with your taste of the manga. Feel free to sample if it’s your taste.

-- David Rasmussen 6th Aug 06