gundam

I wanna have a pure time. Everyone's a noble mind. There's no doubt that I'm a fan of the Gundam franchise. For years, I've watched the programs, collected the DVDs, downloaded the pictures, read the notes, and pieced together the models (though, poorly). I've immersed myself in the world of giant robots, angst-ridden teen pilots, colony drops, and downer endings for quite a while now. I have definite opinions on mechanical designs, plotlines, and alternate continuities. I'd like to think that most of them are well-informed by my experiences in Gundam fandom.

I must have no life whatsoever. I need a girlfriend, or a job, or something. Because I just spent nearly an hour arguing about what is and what is not canon in Gundam's Universal Century timeline.

The Universal Century timeline, by the way, is the original "universe" in which Gundam takes part in. The original series and its direct sequels (Z, ZZ, CCA, F91, and V) take place here. Also, several side story OVAs (0080, 0083, 08th MS Team, and MS Igloo). Also, there are several video games, side story manga, and novelizations. However, Sunrise has claimed that "if it's filmed, it's canon".

Meanwhile, in Bizarro land, Captain Bright has a ridiculous British accent. Even worse is Haro, who manages to speak properly! Feel free to compare that to the original version:

If you're as impatient as me you often brush things by in the store quickly, not often gathering all the details. One such item for me was the Char Aznable theme's action base for 1/1444 & 1/100 scale kits. The bag art contains pictures of the stand covered with Zeonic & Char markings. For a while I thought, "that's nice, shame I don't have any of Char's Gunpla or it would be a good fit" moving on to the clear action bases instead. What use would a Char detailed stand for my RX-87-2? Well, turns out the detail makings aren't actually the base at purchase, but they come as a sticker sheet with each base. Granted I notice now there's a small thing on the front pointing that out but the pictures give no indication. (There's no way in hell the marking in the photo are stickers) Lesson of the story?

Master Grade for only $15? Well, it is just a Ball...

Another thing occured to me as I thought about how bad the CE era programs of Gundam were. Despite being the targets of discrimination and possible genoicide, Coordinators are utterly unsympathetic.

Think about what a Coordinator is. No, let's think about what it is not. It isn't the same as a Newytpe. You can't MAKE a Newtype. Best you can do is an artificial Newtype ("Cyber-Newtype"), and they're usually unstable fuckwits like Four Murasame or Rosamia Badam. No, you can't make a Newtype. Newtypes are supposed to be the natural evolution of mankind. Coordinators may have increased spatial awareness at times, but they aren't the progression of mankind's evolution.

Your votes have been tallied for the best UC Gundam series. And the champion is... 08th MS Team with a whopping 60%!
Runners up include...
2nd place falls to Zeta Gundam with 16%

3rd is owned by Gundam 0080 with 11% By association Gundam ZZ and Victory Gundam are the worst, each with only 1%.

News flash, history rewriters: Gundam SEED was never good. Stop saying that Gundam SEED Destiny wasn't up to par with the original. I've seen both, and Destiny is only marginally worse. The series began as copypasta of the original Gundam series, with it's own Newtypes, White Base, Amuro Ray, Bright Noa (split into two character), Char, Side 7, and Earth Federation. Then we move into Zeta copypasta with it's take on the drop operation on Jaburo, then back to 0079 copypasta with the execution of a Giren Zabi. The character designs were awful, the mecha designs were indentical, the plot structure predictable, the animation an irritating "ultra-shiny" sheen, the writing sloppy, the characters unlikable, and the conclusion unsatisfying. And it always astonishes me when I hear that the music was great - which music? The Inu Yasha-esque pop music OPs and EDs? The generic background music?

One of my favorite scenes from Zeta Gundam.