A recent re-watch of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing made me remember why I loved it so much as a kid, but also why it’s aged poorly. The Toonami classic gave a lot of kids in the western world their first glimpse of Gundam suits, and the world around them. The sleek designs and brooding main characters made the show an instant classic. However, the corny lines and delivery proved that the script and voice actors at the time needed some fine-tuning.
It’s mostly unfair to compare Gundam Wing to today’s anime. Dubbing modern anime was still in its infancy at the time, so trying to fit the words to a show that’s technically saying something different isn’t easy. Furthermore, the show was incredibly intricate for a kid’s show. Nevertheless, the five G-Team pilots and their Gundam became mainstays in the anime consciousness, because the cool factor always reigns supreme when it comes to nostalgia.
The constant political jockeying throughout Mobile Suit Gundam Wing made it feel like a Gundam version of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The amount of factions that exist in this anime, and their brief descriptions made for a tough watch outside of the battles. Without a deep dive to make them memorable, I found myself regularly having to go back and re-watch scenes to make sure I was tracking correctly. The Colony Liberation Organization, G Team, OZ, Peacecraft Faction, which is also known as the Sanc Kingdom, the Romefeller Foundation, United Earth Sphere Alliance, and White Fang are all introduced throughout the show. This is a mouthful and nigh impossible to keep track of.
At the same time, it did bring about Zechs Merquise’s mysterious and mercurial anti-hero character because of the constant faction changing. His storyline alone might be the best of the series. A royal pacifist in disguise wanting to ironically use the very means his family and kingdom are fighting against in order to exact revenge. It’s a constant heel turn that keeps the viewer on their toes, which results in one of the best characters in Gundam’s history.
Furthermore, the main character fights just give off so much 1990s, WWE titantron, aura. The second the battle theme plays it makes the viewer fall in love with anime mecha all over again. Whether it’s Wing Gundam’s Buster Rifle attack, Heavyarms opening fire with tons of hidden gatling guns or Deathscythe slicing through fields of enemies, it makes for a worthwhile watch in spite of goofy lines and plot.
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing’s story doesn’t strike the same notes as the giants of the industry like Dragon Ball, One Piece and Naruto, but it’s a great starting point for all mecha anime enjoyers. And much like plenty of old shows that didn’t age well in the same kind of way, the nostalgia is still there. Power Rangers is a story far from a deep plot and has its own set of issues changing over from its original form of Super Sentai, for example.
Sometimes a cool giant robot battle is enough to grab the attention of young fans, however, and Gundam Wing might as well be the bridge from Zords to Gundam. It’s how Phantom Menace was still loved by kids even though its plot was pretty convoluted at times. The first time Darth Maul opened up the other side of his dual-sided lightsaber, for example, the theater went crazy and every forgot about the Trade Federation.
Heero Yuy flying up with Wing Zero and letting loose a double-barreled rifle attack on unsuspecting Leo Mobile Suits gave us the same feeling back then. What do you think? Do you still enjoy the cheesiness of Gundam Wing? Let us know in the comments
