T5W#149-Top 5 Favorite Gundam 00 Moments

Almost 8 years ago, I stumbled across Gundam 00 and out of sheer curiosity and not much knowledge of plot, characters or anything other than the legendary Gundam name itself, decided to check it out.  While there are other Gundam entries I hold in higher regard, Gundam 00 is still a very special show to me, one I hold as equally close to my heart as Gundam Wing (if not a little bit closer).  Every summer since the first year I watched it, ive tried to set aside time to do another watch of the series as a whole (whether or not I include the movie is up in the air, my feelings on it are mixed compared to the TV series).  Seeing as how I just recently finished another run through, this time showing it to a friend who had never seen it before but really enjoyed it, I thought id dedicate this weeks Top 5 Wednesday to my Top 5 Favorite Gundam 00 Moments.  Sticking to the TV Show for this one…mostly because I cant really think of anything from The Movie that would fit on this list at all.

 

#5-Setsuna and Marina’s first meeting

I love this scene.  While it may not have the cool factor of Heero and Relena’s first big interaction from Gundam Wing, this first encounter between Gundam Meister and Middle Easter Princess is the reason I think that (overall) these two have the better relationship (fight me everybody).  At first, it starts out as an innocent discussion about life in the Middle East and how to make things better.  But when Setsuna’s heard enough, he declares who he is and how he’ll deal with Marina and her country if they try to start conflict.  Marina doesn’t fall into a Twilight obsessed fan girl over such a threat.  She falls to her knees and has the most normal, human reaction to such a threat, “That…that wasn’t a very funny joke.”

 

And if im honest, I would like to have put Setsuna and Mariana dead pan and funny reaction to the question “Are you two lovers?” (theyre not).  But this list is mostly Season 2 stuff and I didn’t want it to seem like I didn’t love Season 1 as much as Season 2 sooooo…

 

#4-All of my least favorite characters get dealt with in 1.5 episodes

Gundam 00 is chalk full of characters to love and more of them to hate.  For every Setsuna, Tierria and Lockon, there’s Nena Trinity, Wang Lieu Mei and Graham Acker.  However, one of the reasons I love this show is because there is payoff for putting up with the smug arrogance of certain characters.  It’s like towards the end of the Second Season, Gundam 00 said “Ok Arschel, it’s time to finally give you what you want.”  In the span of about an episode and a half, Wang Lieu Mei and Nena Trinity are killed within a minute of each other (Nena in the cruelest but justified kind of irony).  And while Graham doenst die (until the movie as kind of an afterthought…which is what he deserves), Setsuna does kick his ass quickly and leave him alone without killing him because Setsuna has better things to do than listen to Graham’s bullshit.

 

#3-Any Setsuna and Tierria moment in Season 2

In Season 1, Tierria Erde was kind of an asshole.  He had a smug superiority to him that left him needing to be punched more than once.  More often than not, he and Setsuna clashed the most with Setsuna’s impulsiveness impeding Tierria’s need for a smoothly run, Veda approved plan of attack.  However, once the two start seeing eye to eye, the seeds of the ultimate friendship begin to form and in Season 2, it becomes one of the stronger points of both characters.  They aren’t bickering anymore and Tierria, trying to grapple with his own identity, even confides things to Setsuna he wouldn’t have in Season 1.  Heck, Tierria even “jokes” that if Setsuna wants to stay in Azadestan with Marina, he should.  Clearly, these two have become good, if not best friends, something that was a much welcome source of character growth for both Meisters.

 

#2-Anews Death

One of Season 2’s weakest points was setting up the “shocking” betrayal of Anew Returner.  It was way too obvious she was somehow connected to Ribbons and the Innovates.  So color me impressed when her death had such a huge impact regardless of that.  To me, it all boils down to Lockon, the heart and soul of Celestial Being whether he’s Neil or Lyle Delandy.  He tries his hardest to save the woman he loves, only for Setsuna to make the tough call and kill her.  The post credits scene of that follows has Lockon beating the mess out of Setsuna in anguish and the performance his voice actor gives is incredible.  And Setsuna lets it happen.  He knows what he’s done and he knows Lockon is going to hate him for a little bit for it.  It’s a rough but amazing scene to watch.

 

#1-“You don’t have what it takes to beat us anymore!!!”

The final showdown between Celestial Being and Ribbons Almark was as intense as you thought it would be.  But it wasn’t just Setsuna getting all the action.  With the Gundam’s in rough shape, Lockon and Alleluia enter the fray to take out Ribbons’ last two lackeys.  But this time things are a bit different and it can all be summed up by the only line Alleluia has that justifies his wasted time in Season 2 as a whole, “Youre all so dependent on Veda.  YOU DON’T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BEAT US ANYMORE!!!”  And with that, those two smug Innovates get wasted in grand fashion by Alleluia and Lockon, leaving Setsuna to do what he does best…in the Gundam that started it all for him.  Until the movie came along and shook things up, this ending for the 00 story delivered for me in big ways and if theres ever one episode I must watch during a viewing, it’s the series finale, just for that one line.