Customer Reviews

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - Complete Operations Boxed Set

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Gundam Wing is not just my favorite Mecha. Nor is it merely my favorite show. It is my favorite ANYTHING. Granted, it may not be for everyone, but it is definitely the deepest show I've ever seen on television. I have watched the entire show through at least twice, and some episodes I have seen more than a dozen times (Portrait of a Ruined Country and The Gundam They Called Zero are two of my favorites). This show is all about three things.

First and foremost, Gundam Wing is about the politics of war. There are so many plot twists that if you miss a single episode you may get completely lost. What starts out looking like your average show (good guys fight bad guys, good guys beat bad guys, repeat) quickly changes. Within the first 10 episodes, the main character will try to attack innocent people, the world government will be overthrown, and our heroes will start to wonder who exactly their enemy is. As the series goes on, things just get more and more complicated as military organizations are created, destroyed, and double crossed.

The second thing this series is all about is action. In every episode there will be Mech battles, and some of them are truly spectacular. Every once in a while, one of the Gundams will do something so cool, the moment just leaves you thinking "Whoa." And as the series goes on, the battles get more and more complex, and more and more heated.

But the third thing this series has going for it is character development. Treize Kushrenada is my idea of what would happen if James Bond became the leader of Spectre. Is he really evil, or just misunderstood? He eventually finds himself an outdated dinosaur, clinging to ideals that have becomes outdated with the times. Lady Une is one of the best examples of a person with split personalities I've ever seen. At first you hate her, but as you come to understand why she does what she does, you actually come to feel sorry for her.

This series has many great characters played by great voice-actors. Heero is great. Relena is solid. Even Hildi and Noin are great. But my two favorite characters in the series have got to be Dororthy and Zechs. Dorathy plays every scene with a perfect hint of sarcasm that constantly keeps you guessing if she's being sincere, or laughing inside at someone's actions. And then there is Zechs Marquise...

In the English version of Gundam Wing, Brian Drummond gives the single greatest piece of voice-acting I've ever seen in my life. He is PERFECT as Zechs Marquise. Zechs is a complex character. And I really feel that's he's the one that holds the series together. He's 19 year old who talks with an icy voice. He's ALWAYS serious. The only thing that matters to him is honor. And in his quest to do the right thing, he is forced to betray his friends, protect his family, come close to death, and even kill his own men. But like a tragic hero out of a Shakespearian tragedy, he is trapped by his actions. Never doing nothing, and never quite taking enough action, he lets a bad situation escalate until it's completely out of control and he's completely lost his mind (or has he?). Zechs is the perfect tragic hero/villain (depending on your point of view).

Some have complained about the animation in this show, but personally I love it. The watercolor style backgrounds and excellent Mecha designs are a winning combo in my book. I also really love the music.

If you love a complex political drama with great action and characterization, you owe it to yourself to give Gundam Wing a try. If you still have doubts, search the net and download the long toonami promo (the best promo or trailer I have ever seen for anything). Suit up!

This was the first true anime I saw back when it was on Adult Swim.
I brought the boxset and I am very satisfied.
It's awesome, the story is always moving forward with defeat and victory. The pilots all have their own personalities and the story does a good job at showing their lives without just overshowing the life of one character.
There are many other important characters in here also.
The opening and ending themes kick ass, I like the music.
It's just about my favorite anime, and I recommend it for anybody that likes anime, period.

I started getting into the Gundam Universe when Gundam Wing first aired on Toonami on Cartoon Network. The show was very slick looking, and was probably better than anything on the network at the time. My brother and I found ourselves glued to the television everyday to see the next operation from this amazing series.

Buying each individual DVD from the 10 that collect the 49 episodes is expensive. This box set really does save a good amount of time in searching, and in money for collecting all of the series. Tack on the Endless Waltz dvd in another order, and you pretty much have everything of this series in a great looking package.

I don't know why I dislike the Gundam series so much. I've watched a majority of them, the many spin-offs and the like, and I still haven't found an interest in any of them.

But I think one reason is because the first Gundam series I saw was Gundam Wing. This anime spoiled me. While I'll never consider it better than Evengelian, it certainly sits nearby as one of the best mecha animes. The politically driven storyline is a refreshing change to anime. It leaves little room to breath as it has little comedy in it. The action--whether it takes place in mechas in space, on land, or outside of those giant robots period--is well animated. The characters are good and varied, never repeated despite such a large cast. And nothing in the story happens without a reason. Anime has a way of inserting things to make a laugh, add an extra action scene, or add length to the series (remember all the shouting in DBZ); Gundam Wing doesn't do this. All in all, it carries itself well in its twenty-six episode course, and is easily, at least to me, the best of the Gundam series. I recommend this for anyone who loved Evangelian.

Gundam Wing was the very first anime that ever caught my attention. I have seen a few of the other Gundam series but none of them has kept my attention quite as long as GW. I first saw it when it aired in the US on Cartoon Network and I'm still in love with it.

One of the best things about this series is that all of the characters are well thought out and developed. Another is that the 'romantic' actions of the whole cast can be argued. They never really completely define any romantic relationships (expect Zech and Noin... kind of.) and most all of the actions of the characters can be interpreted in several ways. I personally think they did that on purpose to keep the fan base large and in my opinion it worked. Considering the many still diehard fans.

The action is just as good as everything else in the series. Well thought out and not too much so that it gets old. Sometimes animes take the whole fighting thing a little too far, to the point of annoying and pointless, but GW keeps it at a realistic level (for a sci-fi) and it doesn't really get old... ever. If your a real nerd or just happen to be into big giant mechs, the action bits should keep you occupied.

In short, this anime is awesome. I love it now and probably always will. I hope you buy it and enjoy it as much as I did~!

I first saw some random episode of Gundam Wing on the Cartoon Network because my brother wanted me to. It intrigued me but I didn't really know what was going on. I ended up watching the whole thing from start to finish and I fell in love. This series has that one thing that I love most about epic stories. It has the portrayal of heroes who suffer and strive to do what is right in the face of overwhelming opposition. Following the growth of the Gundam Pilots is something I can't get enough of.

Add to that the intelligent handling of political topics (primarily the concept of utter pacifism waged against the human tendancy toward war), and you end up with a pretty impressive plot too.

I definitely suggest getting Endless Waltz (the Gundam Wing movie) which has the wrap up material and some amazing and heart warming occurences. Over all, Gundam Wing is my favorite anime. I'm not syaing there isn't other really good anime out there, but this one just so much in it that I'll watch all 20 hours over an over again.

I highly recommened Gundam Wing to anyone because it is an awesome series. There is something for everyone here, romance, mech action, comedy, etc. How often is it a series' character gets his own personal stalker? How many series actually have a man change personalities like flipping a slice of bread? Great stuff.

Beware though, I was just looking at the used copies for $30, and they are all bootlegs. Yes, you heard me, those discs are bootlegs from China. The OFFICIAL set is 10 discs, no less. If you want to get this series, support Bandai with their legal set, not those loser sellers and their bootlegs.

Let me say this: Gundam Wing is simply much better then the recent flood of anime that has been invading the US. I'll admit this, it is my favorite series (not to say the Evangelions and Inuyasha's aren't great, they just lack that flair that GW has). Though I would prefer to compare this series to another one, there is simply no series I have seen that can really compare to the greatness that is Gundam Wing, at least that I have seen (yes, I have seen Cowboy Bebop and Evangelion). Gundam Wings mech design surpass that of pretty much every series. The action is high octane and held to be near constant. The depth of this series is very well explained, though it IS difficult to watch one episode (with the exception of the first) and know what is going on. The characters in this series are compelling and have characteristics most people can relate too. This series preaches messages to the viewer who pays close attention, and these messages include "what it means to fight for something you believe in" and how "dirty and foul wars can really be." Gundam Wing has something that not many other series have, and in name it is Relena Darlian/Peacecraft, the preverbial "Angel of the Battlefield." She is a complete pacifist and is not afriad to put herself in harms way so that people can realize her ideals of peace. In short, Gundam Wing is for every Gundam/Anime fan, whether your fresh off of G-Gundam or an old-school Universal Century fan with a grudge agianst series with an AC timeline, or whether you just like big robots with big guns that make big explosions, this is a must own series and is considered to be a timeless classic in Japan. Hey millions of fans can't be wrong, and that number is growing daily.

Contrary to popular belief, the people who love this show are not drooling fan girls who are in love with one or more of the male characters. So those of you who can't get past this fact...DON'T WRITE A REVIEW ON HOW MUCH IT SUCKS JUST BECAUSE OF THE FANGIRLISM AND/OR THE LACK OF MINDLESS MECHA ACTION!!!!!

Anyway unlike many of these mecha series, this one follows the politics and atrocities of war. So for those who love mindless mecha action, this series may not be for you. Wing focuses on five young pilots who are sent to Earth to destroy OZ, a military organization that has a strangle hold on the colonies. Bascially it's about their struggles and how war just sucks.

Wing may not be for everyone, so try to get an episode and watch it before you buy it.

There is a reason why those who've watched the Gundam Wing series - even after ten years! - still hold onto such memories. This is simply an unforgettable show. Thought provoking, symbolic, and meaningful, there is often more than meets the eye. After being a fan of this series since its first airing in the United States, I continue to be surprised at how innovative the plot truly is. There is always something new to discover and all you have to do is look.

However, Gundam Wing is, I admit, not for everyone. It's an anime about politics and war presented through philosophies and ideals. If you don't like to think, then I suggest you don't purchase this as it would appear somewhat boring. To truly appreciate the magnificece of this series, you have to think and keep an open mind. Here, not everything is set in black and white, good or evil; not everyone's intentions are clear cut. There is much left in shadow and thus, there arises controversies. But, hey, any anime you can argue about for hours on end (as I have often done), is definitely worth it in my honest opinion.

The characters are well developed and complex - complete with a mysterious past and an unknown future. There is a lot to learn from their interactions. For example: what happens when a pacifist princess and the perfect soldier meet? Is it love or complete and utter chaos? There's no "romance" in this series but watching characters' interactions, it really makes one wonder if there are any underlying feelings behind their deceptive masks.

Of course, I won't forget to mention the mechanics of this show. At first, I have to say, I didn't like the prospect of watching an anime with mechas - I haven't been much of a fan... It was therefore, a suprise to me to find that the mechas aren't the focus of the series - with or without them, Gundam Wing (the series) is still amazing. Yet, I couldn't find anything not to like about the Mobile Suits of this show... from the Tallgeese and Leos to the Wing Zero and Epyon, the designs are most certainly unique and beautifully done. And the battles are simply magnificent - neither overly done nor overly redundant, each battle (meaningless or not to the war) holds great significance.

Now, to the fun part... Gundam Wing is filled with controversy; and as such, it isn't surprising that it is a rather controversial series in itself within the Gundam universe. Breaking away from the traditions of the Universal Century timeline, within the series - for those who bothered to make such observations - is a continuous conflict between the old and the new: the OZ organization versus the Alliance and then, later, OZ versus the White Fang... humanity's move to outer space, as well, is an attempt to break away from the conflicts on Earth. And amidst this chaos are the Gundam pilots... catalysts responsible for bringing about a revolution. And that, exactly, is what the series is - a revolution! For those familiar with the Gundam serieses, it isn't difficult to see the conflicts that have arisen between fans of the After Colony (Gundam Wing) timeline and the Universal Century (Mobile Suit Gundam) timeline.

So, if your interested in intellectual debates or are in search for something different from the recycled plot of the Universal Century, the I would say that this is a must buy.