#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.
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