Customer Reviews

Mobile Suit Gundam Seed - Unexpected Meetings (Vol. 2)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On the technical side of things, the menus are exactly the same as last time only with footage from this volume's eps sprinkled in. We get another informative Mechanical File, as well as the music video for the opening song 'Invoke'. The video is...interesting. I personally found I could only watch it once because it was just too silly. For those interested, it is completly unnconnected to the show. Sadly, Bandai will give us this exact same extra in later volumes.

Volume 2 picks up from exactly where the first volume closed- after making their way to their allies Artemis space fortress, the Archangel crew hope for time to regroup and plan their next move. But the crew's bad luck strikes again when their supposed allies reveal plans to confiscate the Strike for their own use. Further problems plague the crew later when they're forced to resort to desperate means after their already low supply of food and water begins to run out. In solving this problem, a new face appears on the ship- Lacus Clyne, pop star and Coordinator daughter of the head of PLANT.

This volume is firmly centered on showing us the rocky politics which make up all aspects of the SEED world. We learn about the in-fighting which occurs amongst the so called Earth 'Alliance', the rulership of the Coordinator space nation of PLANT and the high tensions between Coordinators and Naturals. The key point these all combine to make clear is that Kira may very well be fighting on the wrong side. He is mocked by high ranking officers and receives prejudice from the very same people he has vowed to protect. We also get a much better idea of the Bloody Valentine incident which has only been briefly mentioned so far. After being introduced in perhaps the most negative way, the Coordinators manage to gain some sympathy with this volume.

The biggest con is pacing. SEED's pacing is very slow and annoying and that fact starts to become clear. Very little is achieved in this volume then "Archangel carries on towards Earth". It's practically impossible to avoid comparisons to the original Gundam series, so I feel I should mention that the main ship in that series completed it's "escape ruined colony and flee to Earth" arc MUCH quicker.
A handful of new characters is introduced in this volume, the most notable being Lacus Clyne. A 16 year old pink-haired pop star, her father is the current head of PLANT (the Coordinator-filled cluster of space colonies of which ZAFT is the military). Similar as to what happened with Flay, Kira finds her adrift in a lifepod and brings her back to the ship. It's perhaps somewhat ironic then that Flay is the most vocal about her dislike for their new 'guest'. The crew whisper about the possible strategic value of having Clyne's daughter in custody, but other than her status Lacus doesn't appear to be anything noteworthy. She reacts to her situation with a very naive, child-like attitude which only serves to make Flay dislike her more when the battles the Archangel are involved in intensify.
Lacus also has an effect on Kira and Athrun's struggle- as important social figure from PLANT, Athrun and his comrades are dispatched to rescue Lacus. He's visibly disgusted with the way the Alliance choose to use her as a bargaining chip. Kira doesn't feel much better about the situation, as these actions come after he once again insists to his friend that the Naturals aren't as bad as he thinks.

A slow volume. Has some decent moments but is mostly too sluggish for it's own good.

The next chapter in Gundam History. In this set, you will begin to see how chaotic the war against ZAFT truly is. Kira Yamato, the newly appointed pilot of the Strike (GUNDAM) is now torn between his Attacking is Old friends to defend his new ones. Here's some additional backround, Now that Kira has become a considerd threat,, ZAFT has deployed it's elite "Le Creuset" team which uses the GUNDAMs ZAFT stole in the first episode. One of the members (Nicol) will attack the Strike, and will walk away shamed and scarred. Episodes in this DVD are as follows:
Phase 06: The Dissapearing Gundam

Phase 07: Scar of the Cosmos

Phase 08: The Enemy Songstress

Phase 09: The Dissapearing Light

Phase 10: Divided Paths

Having seen the series on TV, I can ASSURE ANY anime fan, you will NOT be dissapointed.
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I suggest this DVD to any fans of the following Genres:
Anime, Manga, Sci-Fi, Drama, Action Cartoons, Robots.

Overall, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed - Unexpected Meetings (Vol. 2) is a good volume. But the English dubbed speaking voice (by Chantal Strand) for Lacus Clyne and the English dubbed singing voice (by Jillian Michaels) for Lacus Clyne ("Shizukana Yoru ni" aka "In the Quiet Night") are awful and out of tune. They do not even sound alike. Only the English dubbed singing voice (purportedly also by Jillian Michaels) for Meer Campbell ("Quiet Night C.E. 73") in Gundam Seed Destiny is more awful and more out of tune. Just terrible.

I own the entire Gundam Seed anime and this is by far my favorite DVD in the series, this is were things really star to heat up and Kira is introduced to his future wife Lacus Clyne( They get married in the Gundam Seed Destiny OAV). I also love the T.M Revolution Music video on this DVD, I highly recommend it.

When I first started watching Gundam Seed, I wasn't excatly impressed. The animation seemed like a regression from Gundam Wing, and there weren't as much battles as I liked it to be. However, merely after two eposides I was hooked until the very end (in fact I liked it so much I found it hard to indulge and watch multiple eposides a day).

What makes Gundam Seed different from the other Gundam series is that it is a philosophical study rather than a visual show of big mobile suits battling each other (not that Seed is devoid of it - there are plenty of action in Seed). Gundam Seed focuses more on the human aspects of the pilots, and especially choices they make. To expound the choice motif, Seed explores the very controversal issue of gene modifiction and cloning and takes it to the next logical step: that is, where there exists a race of genetically enhanced humans called Coodinators. The central conflict is between the Coodinators and the so called "Naturals". However, Seed goes to demostrate that humans with gene enhancement does not necessarily make better choices, or more generally: gene enhancements does not create a person with better moralities. In fact, Seed goes to show that sometimes the oppsite happens.

Vol 2 contains some of the most exciting eposides, and it is where the story really starts to move. Do yourself a favour and watch these anime in the orginal language with English subtitles. I can assure you that it is a much better experience.

Watch Gundam Seed and be amazed! :D

the anime dvd that i received was in great condition,i do not care too much about the cases things come in unless the condition is really bad,but everything was in great condition

First let me say that I really love this series I really looked forward to owning it when I placed my order for this item, but I was very disappointed with the quality of the product that I received.

When I received Gundam Seed- Volume 2 I found that my neither my DVD player or my laptop computer could read the disc. I sent it back for a replacement copy, but when it arrived the same problem persisted. To make sure the problem was not with my player or laptop I used my family's DVD player to find that while it could read the product it had great difficulty doing so. It could not move from one episode to the next without stopping the player or making it automatically eject the disc, and there were parts of the disc it simply could not read.

While I love the show and would love to own it I have to send this product back for a refund because it seems that Amazon can not ensure that the product that they are going to send me will work, and I find that disappointing. At this time I already have Volumes 1 and 3, and plan on looking into getting the remaining Volumes, but at this time I will simply have to live without Volume 2.

I've been a long time fan of the Gundam series including the original MSG movies, but unlike a lot of other fans, I think Gundam Seed is one of the best things to happen to Gundam since Zeta Gundam was released back in the 80's. This series definately has it all from upgraded CG, great music, combined with just a totally different direction in storytelling. No matter what anyone else tells you, its not a re-hash of the same old Gundam story! If you want to find a great series, with awesome character development, story, and animation, Gundam Seed is definately for you.

This gundam series is rather like a reimagined version of the original series, with the modern conventions of anime added. Personally, I rather like that they have gone back to their roots and done a serious (by anime standards) war story. Also, while this series is less original than the original, the characters all have considerably more depth. The battles are top-notch as well. I'd have to recommend this to any fan of giant robot anime- the balance of interesting characters and fast-paced battles are a welcome change from some of the other gundam series.

I must say I'm an old timer, I used to prefer any gundam series before F91 to peeps I know of instead of the new ones - 08, G-gundam(big joke), wing(over rated) -, I did like X-gundam and Turn A, but the enthusisum cant be compared back then when I was watching 0083 and F91. The Goddam Wing simply piss me off so big I dun even understand why people cant see that the whole 40+ episode is just letting the 5 kids playing on and on their COOL shows which lacking materials explain why the way their so special. It lost me at the first few ep and anything else are simple jokes afterward. BUT this one blows me away.. far away and hard, it focus a lot more about characters emotional relationships in a way probably even the first Gundam make no match at. Some of these episodes are simply breath taken, expecially at somewhere after 20, it reach at a climax level I havent felt from anime maybe ever since watching Eva if its not better. It really felt like they really pull off whatever effort they could on a TV show, and btw the man who handle the music was simply brilliant! for 1 title what hold more than 25+ music BG he know so well exactly which part to play what to enhance the emotional output to audience and you dun really feel they r repeating after 30 eps or so. I truly admire of his work myself as I'm also a rock music fan who usually dun highly prefer J-music as they are generally so style contained.
Gundam Seed is an instant classic, its an new era ever since the original Gundam, but doesnt mean theres no complaint. I hated that song that pink hair girl sings at the beginning episodes, its stupid and awdfull, I doubt even teen girls would fall for that crap. And the second thing is as for entertainments, Gundam Seed's overall tone is really dark, every scene come with some sortta eyesore elements. Not even a single scene were about happiness, all 50 shows you can find are just how friends and people they know die from one to each and how these young ones suffer, panic and some get mad. All they see before eyes are soroness and at worst- vengence. Not a single soul in this anime are positively thinking they are fighting for a better future, but rather, they think they were carrying a heavy burden they cant get rid of and they hold their breath and hang in there on and on, its depressed actually, if you serious think of it, they just cant get the better stage if they dun try to be positive about it, in crtical times like where they are, the depress emotion are very fatal, and situation gets worse and worse and its exactly what this anime is about. The another thing I dislike is fact this is a less 'gundam' title of gundams, eventually after ep 30 or so the major robot isnt gundam anymore but its a robot has the look of gundam but called "freedom", and its twin mech "justice", and the one at the end "Providence", I do like these names though but then I start to think this anime doesnt really necesssary to carry the name of gundam, it'll sell by any other title name like "freedom". Again the dark tone all the way is my major disappointment from teh directing of this series, and now my case is closed.