T5W#441-Top 5 Things to Remember Going into Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom

2022 marked the 20^th anniversary of one of the most successful chapters of the Gundam franchises, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.  Following the end of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, a feature length project was announced but sadly sat in development hell for almost two decades.  Well, the wait is almost over.  To kick off the 45^th Anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom is set to arrive this weekend.  Since this is the first entry in the Cosmic Era timeline in 22 years, todays Top 5 Wednesday will be getting you caught up to date on current events and how the stage is set for the new movie.  These are the Top 5 Things to Remember Going into Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom

 
#5-Previously in the Cosmic Era

While the last entry in the Cosmic Era was the ONA Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73 Stargazer in 2006, much of the bigger action was happening in 2004’s Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.  To keep things short, a group of terrorists dropped the remains of the Junius Seven Colony onto the Earth, plunging the Earth and PLANTS into another war (the events of Stargazer also kicked off because of it).  Gundam pilots Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala were drawn back into the fight for various reasons and they crossed paths with a gifted but ill tempered new ZAFT Ace, Shinn Asuka.  After a lot of shifting allegiances and false pretences, it all came down to a massive showdown between Kira, Athrun and their allies against Gilbert Durandal, the Chairman of ZAFT, and his elite Gundam Pilots, Shinn and Rey Za Burrel.  In the end, Durandal was killed and Lacus Clyne took over as the head of the PLANTS while Kira and Athrun recruited a repentant Shinn and some of his crewmates to join a new peacekeeping taskforce. I assume we’ll see the fruits of all this hard work since SEED Freedom gives us another two year time skip after SEED Destiny.
 

#4-A Labor of Love for 2 Decades

Many of the staff working on SEED Freedom have been involved with the SEED era of Gundam since the beginning.  Two of its most prolific members are Director Mitsuo Fukada and his wife and screenwriter Chiaki Morosawa.  An untitled SEED movie was announced following the conclusion of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny but delays quickly began to mount.  Unfortunately, one of those delays came from the passing of Morosawa in 2016.  However, she worked on much of the SEED Freedom story until she passed and is still credited as a Screenwriter on the film.  With Fukada back in the directors chair for his third Gundam SEED Project, this isnt just another chapter in the Cosmic Era saga, it’s a fulfillment of a 20 year dream by an amazing Director/Screenwriting duo.

 
#3-The Returning Cast

It should come as no surprise that a lot of Gundam SEED’s major players will be returning for their feature film debut.  This includes, but not limited to: Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala, Lacus Clyne, Cagali Yula Athha, Shinn Asuka, Lunamaria Hawke, Murrue Ramius, Mu La Flaga, Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman.  A lot of these guys have been around since the first Gundam SEED series in 2002, while others like Shinn and Lunamaria were the main characters of SEED Destiny in 2004.  As if the numerous returning players weren’t enough, theyre being joined by an entire movies worth of newcomers, it’s kind of crazy.  While it looks like Kira will be the main star of the movie, how the heck are they gonna balance screentime with all these new faces?  Even for Gundam the size of this cast is bonkers
 

#2-This is the 7^th Original Gundam Feature Film

It may come as a shock but in all of its 45 years, there have only been a handful of Original Theatrical Features in the entire Gundam Franchise.  In fact, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom is the 7^th of this kind of Gundam release, joining the ranks of Gundam: Char’s Counterattack, Gundam F91, Gundam 00: The Movie, Gundam Narrative, Gundam Hathaway and Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island. SEED Freedom is also the second Original Feature to take place in one of Gundams many Alternate Universes after 2010’s Gundam 00 Movie.  Everytime Gundam SEED has been given a movie, it’s been a Compilation Film, of which Gundam has quite a few all around (there’s almost 20).  If any Gundam has a right to get a movie added to this exclusive club, it’s SEED.  Plus it’s coming out during a major milestone for the franchise…

 

#1-Gundam turns 45 This Year

That’s right, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom arrives just in time for the 45^th Anniversary of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise.  While I’m not sure what other celebratory plans are in place, having a SEED Movie be the first offering is fitting.  Gundam SEED is the show that brought Gundam into the new millenium and remains as popular as ever even 20 years after it first debuted in 2002.  So it only feels right that this long gestating project, part of a universe just as beloved as the original Gundam 0079 itself, acts as the kickoff for a Gundam birthday.  Hell it’s more thought than what they did for Gundam for it’s 40^th Anniversary, which was a bunch of Compilation Films and TV Shows and one of the worst Gundam shows of all time (yep Gundam Build Divers Re: Rise was the only new, original Gundam Series to come out in 2019…that’s painful).