First Impressions / Gundam / OVA/Movie

「A wakening of the Trailblazer」

Back in May when I posted about a couple of the trailers for the theatrical conclusion to the Gundam 00 story, there wasn’t a whole lot revealed about what Celestial Being would be getting into in this final installment. The official site only makes brief mention that it takes two years later in A.D. 2314, when a 130-year-old scrapped research vessel in Jupiter’s orbit makes its way towards Earth with a new crisis, so I really wasn’t too sure what to expect. Looking back, it’s almost as if the trailers at the time purposely avoided the real threat that was approaching too, and instead diverted most of the attention to a second pure Innovator, Descartes Shaman. As a result, I was in for quite a surprise when the startling revelation of a new alien threat was made — one that would force all of mankind to unite or face extinction. Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shapeshifters, or ELS for short, turn out to be a sentient metallic life-form much like their name suggests, and marks the first time that I ever recall a Gundam series introducing an alien threat. Up until now, the franchise has always been about humanity’s migration to space and the conflicts that occur from that separation, so when a swarm of ELS started pouring out of a wormhole at Jupiter’s Big Red Spot, I was suddenly hit with the feeling that I was watching something straight out of Macross.

With no concept of “folding” or “warp”, contact with an alien species was simply something that Gundam series have simply never addressed, making ELS’ arrival into the Solar System the biggest surprise in an otherwise fairly straightforward plot. There weren’t really any major twists afterward, but the rest of the movie wasn’t the least bit dull, as the Earth Sphere Federation scrambled to find out exactly what they’re dealing with when fragments from the research vessel made their way to the Earth’s surface and started assimilating both machines and humans. Those with strong quantum brainwaves and on the verge of Innovation (i.e. evolving) began suffering from inexplicable mental stress and were primarily targeted for assimilation by ELS, causing plenty of confusion for both the world and me as the viewer on exactly what was going on. The search for answers was what had me hooked immediately, especially when Celestial Being had their first run-in with ELS, and Setsuna was unable to fight back when he was overwhelmed with a flurry of alien thoughts he couldn’t make any sense of. This movie wasn’t short of any timely entrances with a lot of impact, and this particular incident saw the return of Tieria back in the body of an Innovade and piloting Raphael Gundam, saving Setsuna from being assimilated along with his repaired Gundam 00 Raiser (Condenser Type). Ignoring the fake-out opening where Saji was watching a Celestial Being movie with friends, and the brief armed intervention Setsuna and Lockon undertook in a Flag Kai to protect Marina, Tieria’s return proved to be the tip of the iceberg on several fast-paced, action-packed battles to come.

If there’s one area that this movie absolutely did not disappoint in, the action was undoubtedly it. The climactic battle at the end with the Earth Sphere Federation united in their last line of defense against unimaginable 10,000:1 numbers had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, in what felt like the final hour for mankind. What started out as insurmountable odds soon became impossible ones once ELS taking the form of mobile suits and battleships and firing their own beam weaponry. All the hope that rested on the Celestial Being space colony’s 80-meter GN Laser to destroy the moon-size ELS mother ship was quickly shattered, and it was just a losing fight from that point on as Ishikawa Chiaki’s “Mou Nani mo Kowakunai, Kowaku wa Nai” (There’s Nothing To Be Afraid of Anymore, I’m Not Afraid) played in the background. Even with the Ptolemaios 2 arriving with Graham’s elite Solbrave squadron, and Allelujah/Marie and Lockon in their Gundam Harute and Zabanya tearing everything up, I couldn’t shake the sense of hopelessness. I’m still not sure why, but I have a real soft spot for seeing people continue to struggle against impossible odds, to the point that I get pretty emotionally caught up in it. Watching this desperate battle in space gave me chills and put me in a bit of a cold sweat, and seeing Setsuna finally come to from the mental damage he sustained earlier and finally launch in the Gundam 00 Qan[T] as everyone’s last hope brought a tear to my eye. The ESF forces were getting absolutely slaughtered, the Celestial Being command center containing Veda had been breached, and even Ptolemy was being assimilated. Logic went completely out the window as Sumeragi, Kati, and everyone else only held onto the belief that Setsuna would open the way to a new future. In short, it was intense.

The story on the other hand deserves more praise than it will probably receive from most viewers, since it brings together all the characters established over fifty episodes to provide multiple layers to it and to further wrap up some of their subplots. People who either haven’t seen both seasons of the television series or bothered to remember all the characters will likely have most of those developments go over their head, but as someone who could immediately identify with them all, including brief mention of deceased ones such as Sergei Smirnov, I appreciated their inclusion in the final chapter of the Gundam 00 story. Some characters had more prominent roles with their dramatic sacrifices, whereas others simply provided a sense of nostalgia by reminding me of everything they’ve been through. In the latter case, some added more to the story than it seems, such as Saji and Louise, whom a lot of the initial suspense centered around with what appeared to be the revival of Ribbons Almark. To a lesser extent were the introduction of astrophysicist Meena Carmine (Kugimiya Rie) who’s particularly fond of Billy, and the unnamed White House secretary (Shiraishi Ryouko), two characters that resembled Nena Trinity and Anew Returner respectively. On paper, a large cast tends to pose the risk of spreading the plot too thinly, but that really wasn’t an issue considering how the script was written under the assumption that the viewer is already familiar with everyone. Little to no time spent was spent on reintroductions, which allowed for a little bit of one-sided development between Feldt and Setsuna to be explored, while making it clear that this movie is intended for audiences who have watched the series.

Despite the story’s fairly straightforward progression, the delivery from multiple perspectives before having it all come together at the very end made it work well as a movie. The ending came somewhat abruptly with Setsuna’s decision to travel to the ELS’ world after learning how their original one was consumed by a red dwarf star and how they assimilate other species to communicate; however, the silence that swept through space when the ELS’ mother ship transformed into a giant flower from Setsuna’s memories went on to reiterate the “peace through understanding” theme of the series, and gave new meaning to Aeolia Schenberg’s belief that mankind needs to evolve to do so. It’s a stark contrast to what his plan appeared to be at the onset with Celestial Being’s armed interventions to put a stop to war, as the three key elements — a GN Drive, Veda, and an Innovator — came together in Setsuna and the Gundam 00 Qant[T] to realize his vision of a new future. The fifty-year time-lapse showing mankind coexisting with the ELS and the birth of a new hybrid species was still pretty unusual given that this is Gundam and all, but I commend the producers for taking the franchise in a “new” direction. It pretty much drove home the point that this movie wasn’t anything I was expecting, adding another dimension to the series as a whole. The moral of the story may be overused, but I didn’t see any problem with conveying it to younger generations and reminding older ones by quoting Albert Einstein in the final scene. “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.”

Overall, this movie brought together everything that I liked about the Gundam 00 series, and threw in a bunch of aspects that I wasn’t expecting at all. The animation was absolutely beautiful and sheer the amount of high-speed action scenes blew my mind. As a long-time fan, it delivered two hours of exciting entertainment as well as a meaningful message that altered my view on the two seasons that came before. There were probably numerous ways the producers could have gone about giving closure to the story, and while I can’t really say this will be the most agreeable way to fans, I for one like how it used contact with a T-1000-like alien race to put an end to conflict on Earth. From the very beginning of the movie, the revelation that Gundam Qan[T] was designed with Setsuna’s hopes of a mobile suit putting an end to fighting through understanding hinted that we’d get something different, and that’s exactly what we got in the end.

Note: If for some reason you figure that watching this movie would be a good way to get into the Gundam franchise, I strongly recommend against doing so since it’ll just ruin the experience. Watch the TV series first, then the movie in its intended order.

 

246 Comments

  2. Actaully Divine, this isn’t the first time Aliens appeared in the Gundam franchise. The first Gundam series to have an alien was Gundam Seed when the first Cordinator discovered a fossilized Alien Whale on Mars. Of course the Trailblazer movie is the first to show Aliens in an active role in the story as antagonist.

    MrTerrorist
    Reply

  3. I watched this a few months back in Singapore.. Sadly, the 00 Qant[T] didn’t do much when it was finally being piloted by Setsuna plus the huge flower scene left me dumbfounded..

    Overall, an enjoyable movie and that parody movie of Gundam 00 itself left me confused till I figured out what was actually going on and laughed it off.

    Kopi
    Reply

    1. I feel ya, although some of what went on in the storyline is questionable, the action more then made up for it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was watching it.

      Gekokujou
      Reply

  7. While I thoroughly enjoyed the action sequences, I felt that too many things were left unexplained.

    Why did they introduce the Nena and Anew lookalikes if they are not going to tell us who they are and their purpose? How are the Innovades coping with living among normal people? Do the people even know they are not human, and if so, they are really taking it a lot better than I expected. Also, why did they introduce Descartes as a new Innovator, only to kill him off unceremoniously without him having done much to advance the plot?

    I felt that the ELS species as a whole could use better explanation. How exactly are they trying to understand humanity if the assimilation process kills everyone? The girl who was assimilated by the Ribbons ELS was miraculously healed by the epilogue and became a true innovator. So is the assimilation reversible, and how does it affect people, because many have definitely died from it. Was Setsuna assimilated also and evolved into a hybrid?

    The same goes for the Gundams. I can see that Setsuna and Lockon used a Flag to save Marina, in order to avoid identifying themselves as Celestial Being. But what about Dynames? Why was Dynames repaired and used for 20 seconds, but never mentioned again? They could have used either the Flag or even Zabanya.

    Lastly, the epilogue felt really short. They detailed what happened to the assimilated girl, Marina, and even Klaus. But they did not mention what happened to everyone else. I, for one, would have liked to see what happened to Feldt and the others.

    Overall, great movie, but very lacking in the explanation department.

    MasterDragonKnight
    Reply

    1. Yes! I completely agree with you. The visuals were amazing but I was left imagining what happened to the other characters; the writers pretty much abandoned them after the flower scene. I really wish they would make another epilogue just so we can some sort of satisfaction of a complete ending.

      setsuna
      Reply

      1. In short, I think this movie is like a painting.

        Beautiful display with the animations, breathtaking with the actions, and you can see the inspiration behind it. But you should not examine it too closely, or you will find small cracks and flaws throughout.

        MasterDragonKnight
        Reply

    2. I ll agree very nice ending but too many things were left unexplained… Makes me wonder why story have to end with fans wanting only 2 more min of explanations. Realy creating image of whole idea of move in last 2 min and than cutting it all off. Kind of hate that part when they leave everything open just in case for next movie

      laaa
      Reply

    3. Speaking of look-a-likes, there was also that Ribbons look-a-like with Aeolia at the end. Makes me wonder if Aeolia based the Innovades on people he knew? Which could explain why there are real people who look like the Innovades (like the Anew look-a-like). Maybe their descendants?

      Sissy
      Reply

  8. Man….. I think I watched this movie 3 times in a row and yet each time I’m moved by it. Truly a great movie: epic fight scenes, subtle but funny scenes, and emotional scenes as well. The epilogue could have been more in depth but overall prob the best christmas gift I got!!!

    If anyone wants to know an alternate ending

    setsuna
    Reply

  9. After watching the movie, i have to admit that it was good plot wise, though as you said the ending felt a bit rushed. The visual and audio components were excellent. I think my only complaint with this series, probably the same with Gundam Wing all those years ago, is the lack of development with the relationships. We spent the better part of Gundam 00 with the idea of a Maria and Setsuna pair, this was changed to Feldt and Setsuna just prior to the end of the series and during the film, but in the end nothing came of either of them. This idea of the hero/savior having to walk his path alone is a bit over used and was the only annoyance for me, which is why i liked Seed and Destiny a bit more with actual relationships being part of their lives and behind their decisions. Overall it was a good movie, though it could have been so much more and I will continue to sit quietly waiting for the Gundam Seed Movie, if it ever comes out.

    zeroherrera
    Reply

      1. I won’t believe it til I see it. Otherwise I hated the way it turned out. I also don’t like the autonomous enemy. The fight scenes simply show how overpowered the Gundams are and how uber the pilots are. But the opponent is a mindless homing blob without a personality (unlike Mr. Bushido, he was a great opponent).

        Gambler
        Reply

  15. for those that said the movie is bad, allowed me to be frank, they simply do not understand the theme of gundam 00. The theme of Gundam 00 is about mutual understanding, the last sentence said it all: “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” only through mutual understand can peace be achieved, even with other species. im too lazy to repeat my thought, I had written a after-thought after i watched the movie during september. for those who can understand chinese, feel free to read it: http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=898823844

    Blacksun88
    Reply

    1. Fans wanted to see Qant in Action. Fan’s didn’t want to see aliens in a gundam series, It really did feel like Macross more than it did Gundam. The first and second series of 00 had enough themes of mutual understanding and why people so dear to everyone dies because no one could convey their feelings correctly and just blasted away at each other. This movie I believe would have been more successful if they took a more endless waltzy ish type of path. For me I tend to be an old-school gundam fan, and I don’t like aliens in mah gundam soup. I could watch Macross for that.

      Oh and when I saw Neena Trinity hugging up on that Billy guy, I was thinking, dude that chick just murdered like 100 people instantly in her younger years and she grew up to be like that? WTF.

      exia
      Reply

      2. to exia…hehehe u didnt want alien?can i ask u?u watching turn A gundam right?u think the people moon human or alien?hehehe what a laught?u can answer right LOL…

        sometime i think about ur word alien?that object alien?hahaha what joke;p
        can be era 2000 above alien appear;p if u like each other war just watch the old gundam or make the new comic gundam from ur idea hahahaha…

        for endless waltz the movie not gud n so short…n the hero not appear many scene n fight…for endless waltz so boring to comparing another gundam…i dont know if u from west…for me all gundam best…dont even think if u from the west u like the old gundam because the culture n enviroment take from west;p please respect the author bla bla bla…

        byakuya876
        Reply

    3. …Peace by understanding?

      There are people out there with no desire for anything but destruction. They hate, they hurt and the lives of innocents would be better off without them. What would you expect when you connect with their minds? Setsuna could easily have become one of these people. Why didn’t he? He lived without love his whole life. If a person could come out of that and become a messiah, couldn’t the reverse be possible? Couldn’t a complete fuckface too, be born? For the purposes of this story, Setsuna got over his angst. What about Ali Al-Saachez? Did we forget that bastard? He’s like Setsuna bad-end.

      I want to like this movie. I think it’s great. But the ending implies it has an answer when it isn’t. The question is even wrong. We don’t even know how charity works. I think what really shows this is the growth of the flowers in that field. They’re weeds. Humans are weeds. We can turn out beautiful but we serve no purpose at all…we just grow, eat at resources and then die. What I found amazing is that with science, humans were given a purpose – they can connect minds. This is the next step, not the final step.

      That space flower is supposed to be a symbol right? That people can rally behind, that we can use to socialize future generations. I suppose that could be it.

      Maybe I need to watch it again. Maybe the writer has covered all of this, and I was distracted by the great pacing and action and love triangles (hey I really care about this stuff).

      tl;dr
      feeling like the movie didn’t answer anything where does evil come from and wtffeldtwtf.

      …Whew. Sorry about that. I feel better. It’s like throwing up. Can’t make this a habit.

      Catachan
      Reply

      1. The answer for Setsuna is not difficult. He believed in something unconditionally, did something absolutely unforgivable and in the end ACCEPTED he was used (most people like that just rationalize it away)

        The end difference comes into this: Choice.

        Would Setsuna have chosen to do the unforgivable if he had full knowledge that he was used? How about Ali? Did he have less than full knowledge of what he was doing? Would he CHOOSE to change?

        I doubt Setsuna ever got over it. It became a defining point in his life. He was prepared to let Lyle shoot him because he was prepared to die. Until the very final end of the movie, i do not think he has forgiven himself.

        On peace though understanding, remember this also includes being totally naked (remember the 00 effect?) When we are absolutely forced to look at ourselves and understand what parts of out life’s decisions are covered by rationalizing, i believe many people will change. Some will not simply because they are physically missing something, such as most psychopaths missing something in their brain but the majority will.

        Now this hits into the flipside of the coin. When everyone understands everyone else except those with physical missing parts in their brain, there will be 2 choices. “Cure” the others, or “remove” them. 00’s solution seems to leave them on earth with the others who are still innovating.

        That was human to human (Season 2). The movie talked about species to species. In this, the chances of whether understanding will bring peace is much more random. Notice that the Celestial Being mothership was built to be the final refuge for mankind (i doubt it was supposed to be used as a battleship). This was meant as the contingency plan in case the species met was absolutely aggressive and the main combat ability of humanity (the fleet of ships) failed. It does not change the problem that having NO communication (and hence understanding) would have caused the CHANCE of hostilities to skyrocket.

        Zaku Fan
        Reply

  19. Am I the only one here that felt really sad that Feldt never got any further with Setsuna? that Marina never MET Setsuna again until she turned old and blind? This part leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I will always remember this bad part of this.

    The ending overall was okay, I cant help but think of Gundam Seed / Destiny when I think about the ending for this movie.

    Fate
    Reply

  20. *facepalm*

    Sunrise have really lost it this time.

    I wish they would just start a new franchise altogether. Gundam is tactical warfare between men, be in space or on earth (I prefer the latter). Sergei Smirnov who was poorly written out in season two was the only authentic Gundam character.

    Tossing in Aliens to settle human conflict is cheating. This isn’t Gundam at all.

    Mr. Rager
    Reply

    1. no it’s really not gundam. a lot of inspiration was drawn from arthur c. clarke’s work Childhood’s End which is directly referenced at the end of S2.

      reading the story synopsis of that novel from wiki, the movie is exactly what i was speculating it would be.

      RickyMack
      Reply

  21. I’m not sure what to believe anymore lol. Word around the internet say’s the movie is a bad and a complete waste of time and laser spam, this review says otherwise. I guess I’ll just have to make my own opinion for it…if the subs for it ever come out…in 720p at least..:P. Thanks for the review Divine, very nice screen caps.

    Rin-kun
    Reply

    2. Unfortunately you can’t really believe what you hear around the internet regarding Gundam (or frankly anything popular) because it’s the recipient of a large amount of trolling. Just the way it goes for huge franchises like this. Best bet is to just watch it and judge for yourself whether you like it, that’s what I do and largely ignore what the internet has to say about anime these days.

      Kaioshin Sama
      Reply

  23. My compliments for this review. I wrote a similarly positive one awhile ago thanks to the screening at NYAF 2010, for anyone interested: http://www.toonzone.net/news/articles/35448/mobile-suit-gundam-00-a-wakening-of-the-trailblazer-a-stunning-audacious-finale

    All in all I found the movie to be an effective bookend to the series, and I certainly think there’s no denying that it presented the perfect sort of challenge against the characters the series’ ideas as they were established by the end of the second season.

    GWOtaku
    Reply

  24. Not a bad movie but not a good one either. Doesn’t even feel like I was watching Gundam. I guess the reason I don’t think too highly of this movie is because I’m an old school gundam fan.

    KidKaz
    Reply

  25. I purchased the BD Complete Edition of this and have no regrets in doing so; the movie was spectacular from beginning to end. But you have to understand this isn’t regular Gundam, and that this is Mizushima’s take on Gundam.

    velocity7
    Reply

  28. After seeing it you know what I loved this movie! It finally validates the craziness of season 2 into something that had a point and was a great way to wrap up the series and show what all these different elements were building towards. Of course it doesn’t fit in with regular Gundam because it isn’t supposed to, it fits in with what we’ve already seen in Gundam 00 which is the point.

    Coolsteel
    Reply

  29. Thanks for the post! A very good Review 🙂
    The story is pretty good… and I agree that the battle scene was top class…
    Though I have to say… I had so much anticipation for Setsuna’s new 00 Qan[T]… but aside from its somewhat overused sword bits (fang-like weapon) and the quantum system (a high density GN-field generator), I couldn’t think it would surpass 00 gundam as far as actual fighting goes 🙁
    Also the ending… as you said in the post, a bit abrupt with the flower and such…
    and RAGE for a non-Feldt ending… 🙁

    jrj
    Reply

  34. Watched it back in September in Singapore, IMO, i thought that this was a fantastic movie too. I enjoyed it immensely but was dissatisfied with the ending. A lot of battle screen time could be used for closure. I was hoping the BD/DVD release would provide these extra scenes for the ending but oh well… For those that continuously complain about the movie, why dont you take a seat back and contemplate on the good things they have done, I assure you that there is a ton!

    Flappy
    Reply

  35. BOO!!! BOO!!! BOO!!!

    really this 00ver-rated is really by far INDEED SUCKS big time.

    really they can give set-light a girl & be less humam yea a total pi$$ off in many ways give it more WORST than even no wonder this series has FAILED & will never match the level of GS series.

    yea at least no more 00 & now give us back GS era with movie & yet GS 3rd season.

    while for new gundam tv series give a main lead female protagnist gundam pilot or gundam DECADE

    yea do it or else yea ANIME NEXUS attack on ya.

    MR.KLAC
    Reply

    1. you must not be that old if you’re saying “give us back the GS era.” it’s called the Cosmic Era or “CE” and it’s not even the original gundam so i don’t know why you’re saying “give us back.” plus fukada was a horrible director and his wife was a terrible story writer, Destiny was only good up until episode 12 or so.

      personally i’m more interested in seeing more Unicorn.

      RickyMack
      Reply

  36. Honestly my reaction to this movie was like Matrix Revolutions. Cool special effects, awesome fights and a WTF ending. The ending was so lame and unfulfilling, I felt like saying “That’s it!? We’ve been building up for this!?”. To be fair this is some of the best action I’ve ever seen in Gundam, and I’d recommend the movie JUST for that. I really didn’t enjoy the rest of it though.

    fragb85
    Reply

  38. yea 00ve-rated indeed gave you all the SCREW YOU for siding with 00ver-rated.

    really this a poor excuse to watch even movie make more a D-BAG to watch so overall that the 00ver-rated has indeed NOT WORTH IT anymore.

    besides better IF we go NEXUS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA-271GIsZU on everything that is 00ver-rated to make sure to prove you are NOT better than other gundam series.

    now bring back GS era.

    MR.KLAC
    Reply

    3. First things first, if you’re going to bash on something make your grammar understandable. Your grammar sucks hell. Your caps aren’t even in the right places to emphasize whatever it is you’re trying to do.

      Now, lets end this with you first learning to speak English. Go to school or something. Youtube on how to speak English.

      LoA-Wind
      Reply

    4. What are YOU doing here? Go away, you’re giving GS fans an even worse disservice. I liked both GS and 00 for one thing, and trolls like you don’t have a place here.

      pinacolada_neko
      Reply

  39. I’m not sure why people are acknowledging this as “not Gundam”. Just because there’s aliens doesn’t mean that it’s any less Gundam. And the whole part about Mizushima “trolling” us, for what would he gain by doing that? So you don’t like what was presented so this automatically means trolling?

    I enjoyed the movie but I can also acknowledge that there are certain issues with the film. But I do think that this film is not for people who haven’t watched both previous seasons of 00. To understand this movie, watching seasons 1 and 2 is a must.

    Bushido
    Reply

  40. Terrific action sequences and cast involvement, sure, but the epilogue left much to be desired. Despite the returning cast, all we get at the end is bishounen setsuna and spinster marina reunited, and we get nothing about how all of the other main characters lived on in the new era of peace. It’s an extremely dissapointing way of ending a series. GSD seemed to have done this as well until the release of final plus.

    KiteySs
    Reply

    1. Given the number of years, the older ones like Sumeragi probably already passed on. Panning the camera across a bunch of headstones is probably not really very inspiring for an ending

      Zaku Fan
      Reply

  41. The premise for the entire movie holds. Gundam normally tries to show hypothetical but realistic scenarios (eg what happens when far flung colonies are under a central rule, genetically enhanced beings vs normal humans) and there is another sentence that needs remembering “The childhood of humanity ends”.

    00 has a few interesting points. First the neighbourhood may not always be friendly when you walk out and explore around the house (Earth). Second is the importance of being able to communicate. If the wierd kid that shows up near your house speaks a different language, you won’t be able to understand each other and will probably get mad at each other.

    Anyway on the movie itself, the very first few minutes had me scratching my head when “Setsuna” seemed so animated and even had Gurren Lagaan style finger pointing with mecha. Fortunately it was just a movie within the movie.

    Zaku Fan
    Reply

    1. Oh and i like the part when Kathy was asking Sumeragi what was the plan and her reply (the 2 top tacticians having nuts for a plan). The “back against the wall” feeling was a nice touch especially since they managed to pull it off though high pacing and chaotic combat

      Zaku Fan
      Reply

  42. Gundam 00 first season = Really nice, good plot, good characters, a real Gundam series.
    Gundam 00 Second season = people with super powers (not newtype pilots, REAL super powers, like Spider Man or Sayajins), Gundam with super powers, a clone army (Star Wars rip-off), A cliche ending with everyone invading the final boss castle (c’mon!)… WTF?
    Gundam 00 movie = I still gonna watch this. lol.

    André
    Reply

  43. hey guys where did you watch this cuz i did on goodanime and it cut out right after aeolia was shown so i couldnt see the last part. pls post if where the full movie or just the last bit is =)

    koizumi
    Reply

  45. Movie was ok, but I would like to know more about the movie manga!! I already saw those posts that links to 2 raw mangas of it, but in one of them posts, shows a picture where Setsuna and Maria (turns young) at the end are together, is it official? and where to get more mangas of the movie? I looked/google’d to find more, but it seems that the only way to find this stuff is in by searching some Japanese sites and only if knowing the language can be found ;_;. Hopefully some of you will contribute some more, but overall the movie was alright and nice review Divine.

    Zeta
    Reply

  46. Haven’t actually watched the movie yet, but from the review, it does sound like a Macross series with quantum brain waves instead of music.

    The sequence of events in the final battle is also similar to Macross 7:
    Basara is in a coma after voluntary contact with an alien (gave her his spiritia to save her life).
    Hopeless battle against alien last boss begins without Basara.
    Basara wakes up to a crying girl with pink hair.
    Basara joins the battle, but the alien last boss has overwhelming power.
    Everyone looks doomed, but Basara continues singing.
    Everyone: Basara is still singing!
    Basara finally makes gets through to the last boss.
    They shake hands. The galaxy is saved.

    cclragnarok
    Reply

  47. I wonder what is with all this “I lost all respect for Setsuna when he became an innovator” what respect is there to lose? He’s a character in an anime who became what he is for a plot point.

    Also just because it doesn’t follow the supposed old gundam theme doesn’t automatically make it the worst movie ever. It has a decent plot and is compelling enough to watch.

    Finally, light shows aren’t that bad. Look at Unlimited Blade Works, the movie had absolutely no transition nor much plot, yet its awesome because of the action.

    Cut it with this biased shiz.

    Suppa Tenko
    Reply

    1. It’s because they didn’t get what they want so they will bitch and complain that the movie is the suckzors. Just look at MR.KLAC’s primitive incoherent post. And some of them wear the nostalgia glasses and will crap on any new direction the Gundam franchise goes. Which is kinda weird because people want something new but when it does do that, “OMG THIS SHOW SUCKS”.

      I also laugh at the fact that just because there’s aliens in this movie, this suddenly becomes Macross.

      Bushido
      Reply

  49. the movie left me at the edge of my seat, but it wasn’t until i read your blog did i get the fact the giant flower was in fact the mothership and it’s shape was because of setsuna’s memories O_o it left me breathless, heart pounding and shocked, but also thoroughly confused ^_^;
    another macross similarity: seems like at the end when setsuna travelled to their planet he utilised space warp or something??? as he basically vanished into thin space =/

    qntiria
    Reply

  50. Overall, this was a good (and interesting) twist for Gundam. I liked the action scenes and all that..seeing Tieria again was kind of awesome. The only downside to the whole movie, I’d say: the idea isn’t original at all — I screamed Sokyuu no Fafner to me from the moment they showed the girl being assimilated! /facepalm It was pretty much Sokyuu no Fafner — Gundam style to me. :\ It’s a bit odd though – even though I kept thinking Fafner, the Gundam aspect of it kept me watching to the end. XD

    silv3rdr34ms
    Reply

      1. Show Spoiler ▼

        Flappy
        Reply

    1. Yeah, I know what you mean. He should return to Feldt and hug her… T_T, but I guess this ending is alright too, I mean all this time setsuna has been avoiding Marina and I somehow feel sorry for her, so I guess she need some better treatment. BUT of course I still prefer he return to Feldt. FELDT FTW!!!!

      amc9988
      Reply

      1. I agree with you guys. We get teased with some one-sided Feldt x Setsuna throughout the movie, only to end with an epilogue that leaves us hanging with nothing. Man… I haven’t felt this sad (in a disappointed kind of way) by a series’ ending since that Harry Potter Epilogue.

        But anyways, the rest of the movie was epic, and the whole theme of achieving peace through understanding rathter than simply shooting the crap out of each other until just one side is left standing is a good new direction for the series to take for once.

        Chance
        Reply

  53. @SnipingAllTargets: Ah okay, that seems much more plausible then! I’ll look more into that when I can find them all, I’d love to read an alternate or “true” ending! =D Thanks a lot!

    Snipyro
    Reply

  55. I just want to thank Divine for actually doing his job and giving an honest no bullshit personal take on the movie instead of trying to turn people away from it by trolling them or just being flat-out ignorant about the Gundam franchise. Hopefully this does something to counter all the nonsense and gets people to see the movie and judge for themselves whether they like it or not and what to take away from it instead of just going by what trolls on the internet say and assuming they are being at all forthcoming and working in anyones best interest.

    There’s a reason this is among the few blogs I still bother to read.

    Kaioshin Sama
    Reply

    1. Amen to that, I particular like when Divine goes on a tangent on things such as seductive student council presidents.

      As I mentioned in an earlier post while there are some things that are questionable about the storyline, I loved it regardless, especially the action. I think I actually cried manly tears when I saw people like Andrei and Graham sacrificed themselves for the future of humanity. After seeing what Andrei did here I find it hard to hate him for some of the things he did in season 2.

      Gekokujou
      Reply

  57. Ok, i got to admit i was not at all surprised by the alien life forms. I thought it was fairly obvious due to the trailer shown at the end of the last episode (well not trailer, more like epilogue?) and Aeoil (spell?) wish for new dialogue, nor do i think i am the only one >.<

    Anyway, thanks Divine!! love the blog, it was very enligtening, especially with all the pics!

    Elegant
    Reply

  58. Let’s be frank: 00 stole the script from Martian Successor Nadesico (“this whole mess started when we fond alien technology on Mars and screwed things off”), but expanded it with the appearence of said alien race a-la Skyline (aka “kicking our buts until plot armor”). Other than that, Sunrise expend way too much money in visuals but threw the rest out of the window, and it shows in the selling department. As for the people defending the final stand of the Earth, it felt like a rephrase of the Battle of the Line of the movie Babylon 5: Call to Arms.

    This movie only emphazise why the Gundam franchise don’t need an alien threat to be successful, and, if God allows, Seiji Mizushima and his crew of “we don’t know shit about the theme, but we’ll do it anyway for the money”, won’t work in any anime project in a long, long, time.

    Thank goodness that Gundam Unicorn exist to remind the people what is a real Mobile Suit Gundam production…

    SeedStriker
    Reply

  59. Finally! Proof that nobody in the Gundam universe has seen a zombie movie!
    Heartless as it may be, I was nearly LMAO when Katti ordered the Gundams to enter close combat with the ELS.
    Seriously?

    Anyways, good review.

    Please excuse me while I continue to chuckle in a corner…

    Zero
    Reply

    1. She did? I know a line she said that specifically mentioned “don’t get close to the ELS”.

      Seriously, did people actually bother to read the subs, or did they watch this raw and start speculating from there?

      EG
      Reply

  60. Hmmm this movie really trolled to much. first the movie thing. i was think “wow setsuna thats a new” but when i heard a teiria voice in the movie that played setsuna i was like “this does sound right is this a original vid or something”. Also seeing ribbons almark “omg his alive again” but it was corrected. then “what nina’s alive to”(she was voice by rie) but see was different. Billy did you already ditched Sumiragi oh well. oh yeah patrick as well. i was thinking that he was going to surely die because he was already caught and trapped by those metal things but he came out alive because lockon shoots. i guess he was still the immortal patrick. i was also thinking of FeldtXSetsuna but T_T it didnt turn out that way. i really didnt expect this movie to have aliens to seriously appear but i guess they let it happened.
    yeah seeing this reminds me when i was watching “Macross frontier”, “Uchuu no Stellvia” and Martian Succesor Nadesico(the jupiter thing) since alien appeared in the story.
    Well graphics wise it was 9/10. 1+ if all the people liked it. i really like how they make the particles and the end of the world for the ELS it reminds me how if the earth was created in another way.
    Battle wise hmmmm it was very epic. not everyday you get to see a good fighting scene using mecha as art in an anime. teira doing this, lockon doing that and more. the one who fought great was Graham.
    Story wise it was great ^_^. i have fun it was very unpredictable(some part of it of course). aliens appearing, different people have their own different affair from what you think will be(i mean it was different what you expect). the most touching word “Understanding” which connects the true story of the gundam 00 series to the movie.
    it was fun watching this. ^_^ giving it a ✰

    ♕Croosboy♕
    Reply

    1. actors of the “celestial being movie” in the movie -.-
      So lmao when I saw that, making Tierra a black dude and Lockon with glasses 😛
      Setsuna got a scar maybe becasue his gundam in S2 had it in the first ep -.-
      Allelujah was the best imo , super soldier kid with pink hair ^_^

      DBS
      Reply

    1. That’s to throw us off, which I think it did rather well, though one can notice that the exaggerated way of speaking and behaving as well as the slight differences in the Alvaron would be clues to tell us that that was fictitious in a fictitious world. 😉

      Owaranai
      Reply

  63. Complete turnaround of Gundam franchise. Whereas the C.E. era almost destroyed the depth and intensity of the plot that was present in previous Gundam series, Gundam 00, Gundam 00 S2 and the movie has undone said damage. Here’s hoping the GS movie would go in the right direction too…

    kl
    Reply

  64. I actually kinda like how the series ‘ended’, though it is highly possible that the lack of a concrete conclusion would mean possible spin-offs or manga series detailing what happened right after understanding was achieved with the ELS.

    The twist at the end isn’t exactly healthy plot-wise, because it often leaves most viewers craving for more and when we don’t get that, disappointment sets in. Thankfully the action and build-up from before made up for that.

    I can understand the frustration of those who seems to think that the build-up was all for nothing, but one should remember that even though it was a perceived misunderstanding, the consequences were very, very fatal.

    Ultimately a very enjoyable movie, with the compatible soundtracks, music and effects coming in at appropriate times. I like how things were turning out to feel like it was a sci-fi horror show, derailing most of our expectations about yet another ‘New bad guy arrives, former enemies unite, big battle at end and heroes win with some sacrifices’ plot.

    Things could have been explained in greater detail, though, and the one biggest peeve I have was how one-sided the FeldtxSetsuna relationship was, though it did leave a bittersweet taste afterwards.

    A good end to a great franchise to overturn the sour aftertastes left in our mouths about the failings of Gundam Seed Destiny, and an wonderfully neutral post Divine. =)

    Owaranai
    Reply

    1. Very nice conclusions and are pretty much like myne. Also this very similar to other Gundams with idea (war is bad)also firt time even put in words to delifer right to viewers.
      As for enemy this kinda reminded me of Mobile dolls as it wasnt human who they fought aginst but that I liked because that type of enemy unites humans and makes it less bloody.
      As for what I didnt like this movie went to much in fighting and all exelent characters and their development were forgotten is some way. This is kind of sad as part of Gundam is its pilot outstanding charcters and they are what I like most about Gundam.

      laaa
      Reply

      1. If they want to do a Alien movie they can do, but putting this together with Gundam just doesn’t work… Overall the movie is good because of the battles. The story is bull..t. Looks more like a filler in a alternative universe than a sequel to the series. Yeah, maybe this is all a dream of one of the characters (including the second season).

        André
        Reply

      2. I don’t see how this would be considered filler, it follows the theme of the story and resolves the plot. What did you want to happen in the 00 movie? The Earth Federation suddenly going back to square one and Celestial Being has to re unite them again? That would completely destroy the purpose of the plot.

        Suppa Tenko
        Reply

  66. Oh and one more thing, I notice how dark Marina’s hair is for an almost 80 year old woman :3… Though why is she blind? That is just an error in logic considering how she is the ruler of the middle east and technology is pretty advanced.

    Suppa Tenko
    Reply

  67. Argh if I had saw this before the “Best of Anime 2010” poll closed I would have so voted for this movie as one of the top 3. I should have expected the movie to be as good as the TV series. Another thumbs up for the gundam series.

    random viewer
    Reply

  68. Oh yeah! A very good movie, with a lot of special effects and that stuff, but…. What the hell happenned to Feldt? Larse? Milleina? and the others? This is by far the worst ending posible!!! I don’t care about the filler character named Marina Ismail!!! Billy and the super hottie redhead were a couple at the end? One more thing, poor Feldt, I felt very sad with her, I don’t know, before I saw Gundam 00 S2 I believed that they became a couple in the movie, but they made her sad and cry all the movie!!! At the end… The movie don’t close the gundam 00 history completely, the ending’s plot… I don’t like it, I expect a little more, I dunno… Maybe and OVA??? XDDDDDD

    Abyss
    Reply

  70. My biggest gripe with the movie was that the Gundam not-Trans-Am trump cards were only used when Setsuna showed up in Qan[T] (Ok, except Raphael’s one). C’mon guys, you were fighting for your lives so why the heck didn’t you use those beforehand?

    Otherwise…I give this the same rating I give Turn A: it’s good, but it’s not exactly Gundam. I’m actually pretty impressed that it somehow managed to further develop much of the older cast, despite only being 2 hrs long. Actually, I really liked the way it developed because it cut out the nonsense “filler-esque” stuff that you’d otherwise get in a 25-50 ep season. Stuff like Feldt’s one-sided relationship with Setsuna and Andrei’s actions at the end were carried over from TV and then completed. Heck, the 90 days that were fast forwarded over essentially meant “time passed by at status quo”.

    The whole ELS/Peace thing makes it very different from any previous Gundam franchise, but oddly the ending almost feels like CCA. You know, where in a blast of green light everybody is working together and then SUDDENLY, BIG SHINY THING IN SPACE. Unlike CCA though, they didn’t just cut the movie off at the flower; I appreciated that they stuck the epilogue at the end to make it feel complete, as opposed to leaving you hanging with no clue as to what happened.

    I originally watched it as RAW, then rewatched subbed. After watching the second time, I really can’t see where the complaints of rushing, poor development or “Half Good, Half Bad” come from. The guys did a damn good job of tying everything together, sticking to the storyline core and altogether doing something new for the Gundam franchise.

    Vsin
    Reply

  71. you’re all being fooled by that 00ver-rated SMOKES & MIRRORS really it POOR EXCUSE to watch from start to finish & movie even make more SUCKS that ever besides they just SCREW ya.

    really this is a bad series in many ways.

    MR.KLAC
    Reply

    1. Don’t be like that, this is mecha anime in it’s finest form. Now, I hope they continue with this 00 series. The world of Gundam 00 is rich, and I believe its much better than what the Wing and SEED series has to offer, I hope they supply it with OVAs and stuff. Contact with alien lifeforms isn’t a bad idea, it’s good and all because finally the Gundam franchise goes to a new direction, that’s a ton of different possibilities because previously, we only watched Human-Human conflict here, but with this, we also have human-alien conflict.

      Ghostalker
      Reply

  72. the issues there just too many jumping thr guns, shoot 1st questions later, lack of characters using, etc

    besides some them characters were like fillers & cannon fodders etc don’t got same LEVEL as the GS era.

    MR.KLAC
    Reply

    1. Well your precious SEED has more problems especially in Destiny. As far as I’m concerned and seeing how you respond to various threads on Gundam, you’re a shipper and you don’t give a damn about Gundam and you’re not a Gundam fan. You only care for your KiraxLacus crap. You wanna criticize? Well post something coherent.

      Bushido
      Reply

  73. There is a lot of difference of opinion. A lot of people like the new addition of aliens to the Gundam series. Personally i don’t and maybe its because of how and where people started in the Gundam franchise. I started with Gundam Wing and have watched almost all of the series and movies, only missing F91 by lack of motivation. I think that most people who have started with Seed Destiny and now Gundam 00 would look to 00 as the best. For people who, like me, have had a wider appreciation of Gundam, we might look to Universal Century, Wing and Seed(my pick for #1) as maybe the best representation of what Gundam is. The main reason I think that divides is that the people who saw the earlier shows have come to define Gundam as a dramatic retelling of human conflicts, which by strict definition it is. People like this would be less inclined to enjoy a Gundam movie with a human-nonhuman conflict, though we might enjoy it elsewhere (Halo for instance). The younger generations might be more open to this idea, seeing as they haven’t a full grasp of the Gundam universes.

    I personally found the film to be regular, something to pass the time. As for movies of Gundam that I found were excellent I would go with Endless Waltz as the top, with Char’s Counterattack coming in a close second. My reasons for my choice is simple, since we get a combination of visual/auditory excellence along with a strong plot, but what really brought the movie to the top is the character development, with the flashbacks and ideologies that drive each character being something that people can relate to. My favorite line in Waltz is this:”It isn’t the victor who wins the heart of the people.” which i think beats 00’s “peace through understanding.” by a long shot. In this film, character development was almost none existent(if there was any at all) and this took its toll on the plot.

    I am hoping that the next series returns to the roots of all Gundam series and depicts both the development of the characters as well as the roots of conflict itself and doesn’t try to solve the conflicts as was done in Gundam 00. I also hope that we finally have a female main character, it might make for a more refreshing change while remain true to the roots of the franchise.

    zeroherrera
    Reply

  74. People raging at the aliens being included sadly missed the point of whole gundam franchise. Sure its composed of many mechas going pew pew. But the main theme has always been excommunication. Equally right sides with their own bastards and heroes fighting for their own ideals. Its all in miscommunicaiton (or lack of communication )
    .

    Gundam00 had a lot of inspiration from both I.Asimov’s Foundation series and both AC.Clarke’s 1999 and Childhood’s End.

    I am for one happy that this had more than just pew pews, unlike the other gundam series currently being released (*cough*gundampinkexplodingunicorns*cough*)

    UnknownVoice
    Reply

  76. Great movie, but I really hated how they just HAD to kill more characters. Sure Gundam series was never shy to killing characters for the emotional factor, but seeing as a lot of people who died had their plot fleshed out in the 2 seasons, and survived those, living in redemption to make up for it, I feel like killing them was just dumb now. Sure their sacrifices were noble, but it really didnt feel necessary to kill them plot-wise.

    YanDaMan
    Reply

  79. “Awakening of the Trailblazer” is one of the best Gundam movies ever. Out did itself and made Char’s Counterattack second, through the plot and action. Also most songs were recycled and lenghtened it to fit the actual fight. “Final Mission ~Quantum Burst~” is one of them and it’s the best song for the epic struggle.

    lester
    Reply

    1. That’s one thing we don’t know. Possibly since due to his time with the ELS, he’s getting older. And possibly the ELS understand the ways of mankind. Amia Lee (the first assimilated) seen in the epilogue, inside the Sumeragi, her appearance is still the same, she would probably be over 60 years old by that time

      lester
      Reply

  81. For your guys who have questions about what happened to Feldt. I have something I want to share/ask/know because I’m not sure if it is a possibility. Show Spoiler ▼

    Pulsewave
    Reply

  82. Wow, that was a pretty damn good movie. This movie pretty much sums up the Gundam 00 series and brings it to a pretty nice close. With the realization of Aoelia’s plan, the story has gone full circle. I also enjoyed all the fake outs and the return of all of our favorite characters, minor and whatnot. Patrick was the most hilarious, I thought for SURE he was finally going to die, then WTF he does it again! Man that guy is truly immortal. The Sol Squad was also awesome to another level. You RARELY ever see such coordinated team work from non-gundams. All of the mooks just do their own thing and get owned, but not Graham’s elite. They showed some true skills flying in formation and covering eachother beautifully. It was like Mobile Suit piloting as an art form.

    However, there are also numerous things I didn’t like about the movie. Some minor ones being how Fedlt’s feelings were COMPLETELY one sided, and the lack of major developments between characters. Also the new innovator was completely wasted. I was looking forward to seeing Setsuna and Descartes talk and possibly clash ideals as true innovators who evolved in different circumstances, but he died without accomplishing anything…

    Another big problem was the fight scenes. Some people may have found it exciting, but I felt like I was watching a 1 hour long light show or a turret defense. The problem lies with the enemy being completely faceless and personality-less. Rather that a clash of tactics and wits common among Gundam fights, it was just WAVE AFTER WAVE AFTER WAVVEEE of metal flying into things. I might as well been watching someone play turret defense for all the tension I was feeling. It’s one thing to be playing a game, and another to be watching one. Granted, the light show was pretty exciting for the 1st 30 minutes, and the Sol Squad’s beautiful piloting caught my eye, but after that it was just HERP DERP BEAM SPAM mixed in with a few heroic sacrifices. Inorganic flying shards of metal don’t inspire the level of fear and tension that zombies do.

    FlameStrike
    Reply

  83. Having finally watch this movie. I have to say it finally completed what was intended. The line, Peace cannot be kept by force, only understanding. says it all. It’s a beautiful artwork that follows this message. No matter how much power, how much you keep the truth away from people, you can only create peace between each other, if not true peace through truth.

    It’s yet such an ironic factor, as truth doesn’t exactly get you anywhere… and even understanding doesn’t necessarily create peace. In fact a lot of anger could still be left behind. So, then where and what are we left with.

    I wouldn’t exactly say people are afraid to understand, more of they neglect to seeing no point, let emotions handle it, and so on. The ELS is a metaphor for something unexplainable. Something that can change, that doesn’t use words, that screams, it’s disturbs the audience as something faceless and personality-less. There is no hot-blooded fights between pilots, it’s one sided. It’s like screaming against the wall. The fact that the Federation decided to fight it first interpreting it as a threat is what we always tend to do. Interpret for ourselves and understand it the way we want to. We misunderstand the small things and conflict arises.

    The fighting, was how much we fight to understand something by ourselves. The losing was not only to show the helplessness in this new threat, but also the helplessness to try to understand something without understanding it from it’s point of view, or rather trying to understand it together. The fighting was beautiful, but yet eerie at the same time, because you can’t interpret whether these faceless enemies were displaying any sort of emotion in the fight. They may not have, but they might have. It’s a monster, an alien, a demon, and an enemy. It plagues us, we try to understand it one way, we get lucky, the next time not so much, it spirals down to a losing fight. Setsuna’s success represents that we should be fighting to understand each other, from their view points rather then our own. What if that thing isn’t so alien, so blank? What if it was something beautiful waiting to be understood?

    The meaningless sacrifices to me, at least the first couple actually showed me what people think when it comes to understanding others or not letting people understand them. Of course people tell me I tend to over think things. The first two could obviously be seen as reasons why people don’t try to understand, they wouldn’t believe it or its for themselves. The other side was Andrei death, protecting others afraid no one would understand it (yes this is a long shot, but it’s how I felt and the metaphor was him stopping the truth (ELS) from reaching others (Earth)). Lastly Grahams death although was somewhat a new step in character development, it was a bit different, in order to create a future of understanding, you have to sacrifice yourself (metaphorically your feelings as compared to season 1 and 2 when he kept wanting to challenge Gundam without a care in the world) to understand.

    Perhaps this is because recently in my life this fall semester, I presumably did not understand someone. Then I did, but thought she was mad at me (People from the early Amagami SS probably know who I’m talking about lol). But mostly, I was afraid of what might happen, and trying to interpret something that I didn’t understand myself. By talking to her, we sorted things out (she told me she was never angry at me in the first place, what a relieve), we grew closer, we joke and care about each other more then ever and we try to correct the mistakes that led to the misunderstanding. Cheesy yes, but that’s how I connected so much with this movie.

    In terms of a Gundam series, I have to agree with the lot of you. It’s not exactly something you would expect from Gundam. As a message, it was fantastic and beautiful such as the new Evangelion movies with its messages. Especially as I have my own quote of the world runs on misunderstanding. There so many things to interpret in this movie over just the fighting and Gundams and I love it. I see a greater hope in the franchise now if they continue to give subliminal messages through things like this.

    With that and this being 2011…

    Sora no Kaze, Cutting a path towards the future! Mirai no kiri haraku! To a path of understanding and another year of Random Curiosity!

    Sora no Kaze
    Reply

    1. Corrections and add-ons to some things I seemly should have mention, but assume would be understood.

      Setsuna’s success as an entire whole shows by striving to see from their point, and share your points together, unity and peace can be created. Graham’s death, I was trying to say that his death also shows that sometimes, you have to sacrifice your feelings, goals, your view in order to understand someone else. The them of understanding is perfect, people need to stop caring about the fact it has aliens, etc and see it for what it is with the message of understanding, not for what “Gundam” is. It’s not Setsuna trying to become Gundam people!

      Sora no Kaze
      Reply

    2. Beautiful post, but I can’t digest that Gundam went in this direction. There’s already Macross for handling the unknown or alien lifeforms. The Vajra definitely fits the mold of the ‘alien’ species in this movie. But nonetheless, enjoyed reading your post.

      cain
      Reply

    4. As said, I’m with the lot of you. Gundam franchise wasn’t really something that should focus on aliens. Nor does that mean I support the idea of having aliens appear in Gundam now. In terms of my post, it was a beautiful rendition to have aliens represent the things we can’t understand by our selves.

      I’m just saying, take one look at it as not Gundam, but something else. I’m just saying that if this is a new direction in how they deliver their themes such as using deaths (I did mention more then one metaphor other then alien) as metaphors for their message, then I most definitely approve… no matter how much I’m annoyed as someone who’s watch most of the Gundam series and the fact that we do have Macross that deals with aliens.

      Sora no Kaze
      Reply

  84. but still overall it just SUCKS big time.

    really it prove to be more a bad works even since the series really yea STUPID-ISM has reach new levels.

    but i see through those “smokes & mirrors” to show it most 00ver-rated ever & that indeed it became an INSTANT FAILURE in all levels.

    yet i was prophet on it & they agree with me so now look you’re all in agree with me that 00ver-rated movie is a disaster movie to watch yea really what would better IF they that set-light be more HUMAN & go with the set-feldt pairing but instead 00ver-rated just SCREW you & all gundam world.

    hmm really IF ever do more of this 00ver-rated i say best answer to it go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA-271GIsZU NEXUS attack on everything on 00ver-rated to prove it just a FAILED series & that GS era is the real answer of this generation.

    & now that experiment has been “pull the plug” now better to look new era cause i see my ideas are likely to happen & maybe GS era will return.

    NEXUS_KLAC
    Reply

    2. Okay that’s enough KLAC. Stop with this Gundam 00 hate and Gundam Seed favoritism.
      If you like Gundam Seed and it’s your favorite Gundam series then that’s fine, we won’t judge you, it’s your opinion and we respect that.
      But you shouldn’t just go shouting like a fool on how “Seed is the best Gundam series ever and Gundamm 00 sucks and it ruined the franchise and anyone who doesn’t agree with me is stupid”.
      Everyone has a right to make their own opinion, even if we don’t like it, we at least respect their opinion.
      But you come over here and start saying Gundam 00 sucks in everything and everyone who likes it is a fool, which everyone agrees is rather rude of you.

      KLAC, in great words of George Takei, you… are douche bag. But not just any douche bag, your cowardly and idiotic douche bag. Not only did you come here spewing your blind SEED fan love and 00 hate like a moron, but you also refuse to respond and defend yourself, just like a coward. Here’s an advice, apologize for the rude things you said and act in respectful manner or leave, so us sane people will never be bother by folks like you again.

      PS: I have seen both SEED and 00 and in my opinion, Gundam 00 was the best of the two due to a great storyline, likeable characters and the best mechs i ever seen.

      MrTerrorist
      Reply

  87. Overall I really liked the movie, the ending just felt a bit to abrupt/rushed. It would have been nice if they had for example shortly shown Setsuna arriving at their homeworld and better explained why Setsuna didn’t meet Marina until she was that old (my first thought was that his trip to their homeworld just took that long, but he’d surely have starved in that case so the journey itself must have been a short one obviously). So more attention to what happened to the rest would have been nice too, even if it was short. Another 5-10 mins for a better worked out ending would have been great if you ask me.
    The ending was really a bit of a disappointment for me, the rest I think was really good.

    Corodix
    Reply

    1. An answer to your question about setsuna’s journey : the theory of relativity (well, not really a theory anymore it’s been proved). So basically if you are traveling at or near to the speed of light (in this case setsuna as he took off) AWAY from someone or somewhere ( in this case, Marina, Earth), the time back on earth will go by a lot faster compared to setsuna.- or something like that. I can’t explain it very well. So basically he could have only been there for what five days but on earth, it’s been 50 years.

      WAKE!
      Reply

      1. Setsuna uses GN Quantization to travel distances, this isn’t the same as moving at great speed. In effect, he is using GN Particles and Quantum Entanglement to take himself apart in one place and put himself back together again in another place.

        Anonymous
        Reply

      2. Even so, if setsuna takes himself apart, the atoms, molecules( or whatever) of setsuna and his 00 Qant[t] would still have to MOVE to the other place where he is to be put back together again. I mean, you can’t just appear and re appear somewhere else without actually moving anything. … It’s defying the lays of physics… Then again in gundam you can somehow hear explosions in a vacuum… Anyway I’m not saying that I’m right but that it’s a possibility why he is still young :p

        WAKE!
        Reply

      3. This is the magic of quantum entanglement, it ignores this entirely. When two things become quantum entangled, no matter the distance between them, what affects one also affects the other. This gave Einstein the screaming heebie jeebies, but it seems that it’s basically just folding two points in three dimensional space up through a higher one.

        Considering this ‘spooky action at a distance’ is happening without any regards to time at all, it’s probably a fold through the fifth dimension.

        But, then again, Setsuna only says it’s ‘been a long time’ since they last met. Nowhere does it say he hasn’t been back to Earth since he went to the ELS homeworld.

        Anonymous
        Reply

  89. I still don’t understand the ending.

    They say that the aliens’ planet was destroyed.
    And that the aliens had to move through space in order to survive.
    That the aliens wanted to understand the living species on Earth in order to achieve understanding.
    In order to achieve the understanding, Setsuna now travels to the alien’s original planet.

    First, how can Setsuna travel to the alien’s planet if it was destroyed in the first place?
    Second, the alien had to become one with Earth in order to achieve understanding but it hasn’t yet the aliens called off the attack right after Setsuna started the travel?
    Third, aliens pretty much attacked and killed humans in the process of merging with humans. How does that achieve to an understanding at the very end?

    banzemanga
    Reply

    1. First, in case you didn’t notice, the planet is very much existent. Heavily damaged, but existent. It’s sorta like how if Earth got decimated and only a small population remained, so those guy went off into space to survive. Hey, it’s almost like Battlestar Galactica XD

      Second, it’s because prior to contact with Setsuna, the aliens had no idea what humans were. All prior contact was done via assimilation, and can sorta be reflected in the plantlike shapes exhibited by their forms. Because the contact was more or less an information exchange, the ELS didn’t need to further assimilate stuff.

      Third, in case you didn’t notice, assimilation doesn’t kill. See:
      https://randomc.net/image/Gundam%2000/Gundam%2000%20-%20A%20wakening%20of%20the%20Trailblazer%20-%20Large%20025.jpg
      https://randomc.net/image/Gundam%2000/Gundam%2000%20-%20A%20wakening%20of%20the%20Trailblazer%20-%20Large%20038.jpg
      and
      https://randomc.net/image/Gundam%2000/Gundam%2000%20-%20A%20wakening%20of%20the%20Trailblazer%20-%20Large%20174.jpg
      Same person. Actually, fans dubbed her “ELS-tan” 😛

      Vsin
      Reply

      3. Yeah, I saw the name E.A. Ray as well. It’s clear what happened.

        At the end of CCA the Psychoframe overloaded and what really happened was that it transported Amuro to the 00 universe. During his warp his hair turned green from overexposure to the Psychoframe. When he landed in the 00verse he met Aeolia. His past experience with war showed him that he needs to help unite humanity and at the end of the battle of Axis he saw humans could work together for a common goal.

        He used the name “E.A. Ray” and wanted to help Aeolia further his goal. He aided in the plans of the GN drive and the work around it, hence why the GN Drive gives off green particles like the Psychoframe. His DNA was used after as the source for Ribbons. The DNA of Amuro clearly shows why Ribbons was given the 0 Gundam and why it looks the way it does. Also why part of the Reborn’s Gundam reminds people of the Guncannon, it being a part of Amuro’s past. It’s Fangs are the Fin Funnels. It’s in his DNA! Sadly, the clone did not inherit the ideals of the original…

        Joking aside and going on topic… I really did enjoy this movie. I also like ELS-tan… Hurray for liking a character that appeared for a combined total of maybe a minute in a movie? There were a few things that didn’t sit right with me, but they’re far outweighed by how much fun I had watching it.

        Zack
        Reply

      4. -No, the planet was swallowed by a red star. How can it be existent?
        -That girl was one example of those who managed to survive the merging. However, what about the train accident that the aliens caused caused? The soldiers that were being merged did not survive neither. They actually died. The aliens did actually kill in the first place.

        banzemanga
        Reply

      5. The girl was only partially assimilated which would explain that. Still… the train accident.. well of course they died… hence it was a train accident. And anyone who was assimilated in space was shot down right afterwards. Other then the innovator, no one knows what happen to him. And the planet manage to get away barely damage who knows… perhaps the planet was a living organism and barely manage to survive. It wasn’t exactly an explosion that enveloped the planet.

        Sora no Kaze
        Reply

      6. The old world never got swallowed up in the super nova. They converted the entire world into a ship. Notice how the entire planet moved in the silent part of the fim before Tiera and Setsuna spoke.

        About the aliens killing people. Remember that they are metallic life forms. Their understanding and communication methods are extremely different. In this scenario, it is the equivalent of a blind man talking to a deaf man who is using sign language. The ELS seems to communicate by being absorbed or absorbing into each other then splitting up later. They probably think all living beings communicate in this method. Same with the humans who kept shouting at the ELS on what they wanted. They probably though the ELS could hear.

        Zaku Fan
        Reply

      7. Lolz, I never noticed how that girl was part metal.

        Setsuna finally became a Gundam, happy ending for everyone except for Graham Cracker. He used TransGraham in the end to make the ultimate smores.

        Suppa Tenko
        Reply

  90. i too was dumbfounded.

    i didn’t mind the ending, the only thing that got to me badly was… Marina got old and Setsuna have to come back after 50 years was the only part that kinda killed it for me.

    That and Feldt had a one-sided relationship there, that got to be badly too.

    Feldt need a real ending to her…

    Feel the whole 50 years later was completely unnecessary, in fact, the whole travel to their planet for 50 years is unnecessary.

    Don’t get me wrong though, I enjoyed the movie and the theme, but not the fact that Tiera and Setsuna decides to leave everything behind to go on to their planet instead of making contact here. It kinda like everyone out and we never figured out what happened to Feldt or any other the characters in the end. Sumaragi…etc. Did everyone just died of old age since a ship was named after her? Epilogue rubbed me the wrong way was all I had to say.

    thenewhorde
    Reply

    1. I couldn’t agree with you more. One thing I did not like was the way it handled the romance. Given that it’s not a romance movie, it’s understandable, yet you freaking do a call back from the grave scene with the loved one as the last person he see before waking up. Not to mention the one who will always wait by his side regardless of what happens and deliver a very cute romantic scene and then, bam NOTHING!? I’m hoping for a director cut where they at least fix this part (though I don’t think there will be one any time soon)

      Sora no Kaze
      Reply

    3. Actually Tiera already questioned Setsuna if it was really necessary to go to the world. They did not really have to do it at all. Listen again to Setsuna’s reply to understand why he went.

      Zaku Fan
      Reply

    4. If your a Setsuna x Marina fan then this will make you happy.
      In the manga adaptation, not only Setsuna returns to Marina 50 years later, he also turns her young again and marries her!
      But if your a Setsuna x Feldt fan then….. Sorry.

      MrTerrorist
      Reply

  92. hahahaha everyone here n the owner LOL…

    if someone tell the story movie not explained i guess u dumb;p

    thats object named els right?that object created by ownself or by someone?last scene before ending movie….the movie showed young aeolia n ribbon almarks;p they talk about els right?so els created by aeolia to make human acknowledge about understand each other for some reason…to make life happy ever after without misunderstand…n created war but…bla bla bla;p find ur self…

    this movie for me very awesome 10/10…
    if u get caught the movie same as fafner n gurren lagan…
    i think the mobile suit very OVER POWER hahaha nice new combat movement(hahaha every gundam can lose to gundam calestial being)

    but sad graham aker died… i wish he dont die…but nice flag with two bla bla so fast n powerful…n another one the husbands i dont remember not died hahaha what a laugh..;p

    byakuya876
    Reply

      1. better yet before his time or birth that the ELS exists in a Jupiter-like planet. Aeolia said that the plan, or his dialogue, will unify everyone even outer reaches of space through understanding. That’s the reason the Quantum System exists for that purpose 200 years later on.

        Aeolia’s plan was really one complicated idea ever. To unify mankind, Mankind must go through innovation, and now the dialogues to interact with other sentient life through understandings.

        lester
        Reply

      2. hehehe yeah i said before created;p why im wrong;p

        els his metal life form?so why that thing attack earth without reason LOL…if his metal life form how can els come to the earth;p thats might be aeolia created that life form to improve ability n system to attack earth;p hahahahaha thats why he put the last scene young aeolia and reborn almark talk about els;p hahaha…

        byakuya876
        Reply

  93. As most (i emphasize most) people have said above, this was one heck of a movie. not too much of a extremely mindblowing storyline, but seriously, how much can you put into a movie that already has a back story set in stone? Making this just a sort of expansion to the TV series.

    I share the same opinion as most of you, the epilogue was lacking in bits. But it only could be one or another in this case, since it wouldn’t really make sense to show all the other side characters all old and stuff? Or rather, it would be something I, personally, would not want to watch. If it was between a ‘looking at everyone having fun’ ending, and a meaningful ending, i think i would choose the latter. That said, if there was a way to fit the former into the parts before the ED, I wouldn’t mind. 🙂

    The movie touched(is this even the right word to use?) me in many ways. Actually more of shook me up. When the insert to the movie started playing (the one by Ishikawa Chiaki),Show Spoiler ▼

    How do I say this… grabbed my heart? I mean, the meaning of the song, coupled with the man-shout, were extremely compatible and went hand in hand in swaying the audiences’ emotions.

    It does seem like there’s a manga out there as a continuation to the movie (from above posts) so, it seems like the ending might not have been as ‘incomplete’ as i thought. Just a way of making more money, and adding more content/meaning into the 00 franchise. Not too bad for a business strategy. It might even have been a good idea.

    But overall it was still a great movie, considering the fact that i wasn’t expecting 100% epicness to the movie.

    Note: Mr. KLAC is obviously trolling, looking at the number of incoherent posts he made, stop feeding him his ego-boosts as one and chill out 🙂 dun raeg over this

    Tofus
    Reply

  94. I just don’t get why it took Setsuna 50 years to get back when he got there in one second. And why throw that thing in there with Aeolia but not show us what happened to so many of the main characters?

    Telzen
    Reply

  96. I just finished watching the show and right now, I am scratching my head. Ughhh… I dunno how I can say this but I feel disappointed.

    I wish they just got on straight to the point and did not introduce other confusing twists in the beginning like the fictional movie, Ribbons Almark, Shaman Descartes, and the space terrorists. It really felt like those scenes where there to troll the viewers. (Well, that’s how I see it. *Frown*)

    The epilogue really felt awkward. I mean, look at the moral message in the end. How am I suppose to take the message seriously when the background shows crazy looking robot with flowers everywhere. Setsuna even looks like Captain Planet now. Well, what I said might be an exaggeration but personally, I’d rather let myself realize the moral message through through the flow of the story.

    On the other hand, the action was superb especially when the Flags came in shooting aliens in their tail.

    kabayongtao
    Reply

  97. At least this more than makes up for the (in my opinion anyway) failures that were SEED and SEED Destiny. (Not to start any flame wars or anything.)

    As mentioned, it does get a bit odd at the end, but it’s fairly easy to overlook and doesn’t completely overshadow the rest of the movie.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

  98. Pretty good movie! The best part is the action. Good closure to the story. I only wished they gave closure to the characters. Oh, how I felt sorry for Feldt and others in this movie. I demand ova for the characters! lol

    004samro
    Reply

  100. I’m not sure why, especially since I loved Macross Frontier, but I just found the whole ELS thing to have been horribly done. It’s still a decent movie with a lot of great action but come on, from the moment you find out the enemies are aliens you know exactly what is going to happen.

    And what the hell is with their backstory, Jupiter is going to fucking crash into the sun? Why would Earth be a safer home when anything remotely catastrophic to *crash Jupiter into the fucking sun* is going to fuck up the rest of the solar system to? They have the technology to turn the moons of Jupiter into a ship that can move at millions of kph, in no more than a day, but can’t move a planet? Can they They can “understand” us enough to instantly reverse engineer all our technology and learn how to fight like us, shapeshift into people and know how to act like a person, but can’t figure out we don’t like exploding into bloody chunks of metal, especially after the humans kept destroying their forces? (this totally ruins the whole ‘they’re so alien they can’t even figure out basic human concepts like life, freedom, and individuality’ idea) If they plan to “understand” us by absorbing us (or at least innovators), why didn’t they understand us after absorbing the innovators on the probe, the ones they got to on earth, or the one in the mobile armor?

    Not to mention a bunch of other little stuff that breaks suspension of disbelief like the alien ships, when shown compared to Jupiter, appearing much larger than they should be (even before they create the “moon sized” ship the fleet is so huge it should have more mass than the earth itself). For an idea of the scale, you can fit two or three earths just in the red dot on Jupiters surface. Why a probe was going on a 130 year mission to Jupiter to do GN drive research. Why they couldn’t figure out the probe was way more massive than it should have been (just it’s speed and trajectory should give that away) and made out of a completely alien metal or waited until the last possible minute to try and destroy it before it entered the atmosphere. And well I could just go on.

    I know I know, other shows pull similar crap, but this one just got to me. Again I’m not saying it’s a bad movie, I had fun watching it, it’s just really annoying when I actually give it any thought.

    Necromas
    Reply

    1. Dunno where you got the idea that Jupiter was the planet, but it clearly was not the planet they were talking about. This was in a totally different galaxy and would be stupid if it was Jupiter for the sake that Earth is much closer to the sun in the first place meaning that the Earth would have been dead and they would . They also assimilated to attain information not assimilated to understand. And yet again, with accordance to the theme of the film, they if I’m wrong about assimilated to understand they didn’t assimilate to understand humans from human point of view. I don’t think that the space ship actually did end up bigger then Jupiter. It came out of Jupiter for god sake. In terms of perspective after it travel a while, Jupiter will look smaller… just saying.

      You should really re-watch this again to get a better understanding. No offense, I don’t think you actually pay attention to details throughout the movie, just from reading what you said. Perhaps the other “shows” that pulled this crap may have not, it’s just you.

      Sora no Kaze
      Reply

  101. OK – time for me to weigh in. This movie sucked in the story department, and it was so predictable. The viewers were given no explanation as to what these aliens truly wanted, and in the end, Setsuna does some hokey pokey crap and drop a huge flower in the sky and everyone is happy and the aliens are pacified?
    It just does not live up to the series. The freaking aliens were violent from the moment they were introduced onto the screen. They were taking over cars, killing people etc. How is their home world being destroyed influencing this behaviour? What will going to their planet do? The fights were totally uninteresting and the only thing that stood out to me was Strao’s shield bits and rifle bits and the combined ability of Sowmya and Hal’s crazy arse to combine their brain waves to destroy everything in their paths.
    Anyways, the gg torrent is floating out there. Grab it if you haven’t watched this crap yet. It’s so bad I’m going to delete the 4.5 GB file now.To think that I waited anxiously for this for 2 years+?? I’m so disappointed in myself!

    animeE
    Reply

    1. This comes from a person who probably saw battle scenes and nothing else. Not tying in the numerous themes built upon the series and the all so ‘alien’ concept that maybe extraterrestrial life forms evolved from distinctly different evolutionary paths than humans.

      I enjoyed the movie and helped bring in what I thought was overshadowed by the releases of Unicorn and Gravity Front in the past few years. (well, I’m a UC junkie)

      And although the moral is overused, I liked the epilogue. It had a good story, pacing was very good considering this is what we can see would happen in a first contact scenario.

      Jusuchin (Military Otaku)
      Reply

    2. It’s so nice to hear your polite and well-stated opinion. I’m so sorry that this film was a disappointment for you. May I suggest going back to SEED DESTINY and pretending that 00 never happened? Surely the travesties of Cosmic Era and its beam-jaculation combat scenes will keep you satisfied while you wait for the next Gundam series. Let’s hope it’s poorly written and heavy on redundant action so we can keep you happy!

      Edgewood
      Reply

    4. Hey Hey Hey, the story’s not shit. I’m got to admit, I didn’t come in expecting much, but this movie delivered so much more than I can ever hope for. It’s got all the good stuffs, drama, Best of the best, beautifully animated action, thrill, HORROR, and universal scale war. The atmosphere was serious from the start and the build up was incredible, The disapearence of suzumiya Harihu level. I mean, I figured that the aliens were going to come from the shuttle only, never guessed that it burst out of Jupital’s red spot. Apocalyptic. Universal scale, that’s a master piece

      Well, I will admit, the final conclusion to the moral of the story was weak. If they only had invested 10 more mins to fully explain that….

      Regardless, Gundam 00 movie is the BOMB.

      leon
      Reply

  104. I gotta say this is going on my “guilty pleasure” list. While the visuals and animation were dead on to mind blowing, it was the story that kinda made me laugh at times. Honestly, the dialogue went from quasi-meaningful to cheesy at the drop of the hat. And the use of deus ex machina plot devices were lazy at best. But hey it was a fun and pretty movie. And I’ll watch it again. But the giant space flower… Well I yelled at my screen and woke up my neighbors. Come on seriously!? A giant space flower? Fuck you too Sunrise…(Yes I have watched the series. I just thought that damn flower was hokey as all get out.)

    Bloody Ovaltine
    Reply

  106. The flower at the end was a bit of a ‘wtf’ moment, but I liked how it was used to convey the whole understanding thing.
    Not what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it 🙂 Gundam 00 did not disappoint for me.

    asyph
    Reply

  107. After watching the movie, I have to agree: this is more Macross than Gundam, but instead of using music to stop a war, they used science.

    The fight scenes though, were better than what a lot of people are saying online. Then again, I love my beam spams.

    paulrenzo
    Reply

  108. It may not be the best Gundam movie, but it was really good enough for me.
    This movie is not for hard core gundam fans who are used to usual gundam plots and scenarios. I kinda applaud this Gundam movie(and series in general) for trying to be different. As one comment said, you may place it in the likes of Turn A(Gundam, and yet not totally Gundam).

    Trailblazer was like Gundam 00 series mixed with element of Macross and Eureka Seven, in my opinion. It may not be your usual Gundam cup of tea, but for me its kind of refreshing to take in some unusual elements in a Gundam series. Also, while it may not be THAT clear, it somehow really took what was developed in the 1st and 2nd season.

    The action was superb, the battle scenes intense, and the plot, you may have to think a bit hard about it. But it was not bad, there might be some flaws though. I find the character of Shaman kinda, useless. Still, Trailblazer did not disappoint nonetheless. Some fans may think they are trolled because they are not used to some new elements, but for me the new elements emphasized what was built upon the series and made the experience refreshing for me. May just need a second viewing though.

    Awesome review by the way.

    Kixmachina
    Reply

  109. This film is by far one of the best Gundam films I’ve seen. The theme was conveyed nicely and it was wrapped up neatly. With the quasi angel metaphor and the flower.

    That said this Gundam lacked the involvement of a much hyped character, Descartes. He was suppose to be the main baddie. Sunrise really botched his character development and wasted a really good opportunity to have an assimilated Shaman fight Setsuna. His character could’ve created a whole new subplot regarding survival and who really deserve to live etc…

    I suppose Sunrise didn’t see that to be a fitting end. I mean the whole motto of the film is “Peace through Understanding.” Fighting and killing the antagonist would definitely overshadow that.

    And WTF. Where the hell are my one vs ones in this flick. The beam spam makes Gundam Seed look like a junior varsity team. One on Ones is what people really love about the 00 series and how personal the battles was. This one is rather lacking in that department. That said I still enjoyed it.

    Neil vs Ali, Lyle vs Ali, Allelujah vs Sergei/Soma, Setsuna vs Alejandro, Tieria vs Ribbons. Where the hell were those? Am I the only person bothered by this? Whole movie lacked one vs one confrontation. GRAHAM vs SETSUNA fights were like the best.

    Frito
    Reply

    1. One on one battle against our first contact doesn’t make any sense to me at all. If anything else, this movie clearly shows the good side of humanity —> Unity against a common enemy/ unite or face extinction theme. This Gundam show deviate from the usual interpersonal battle our characters are facing as they set aside their difference to counter what is thought to be an impossible odds. Maybe, just maybe, but this is what I am thinking…”The childhood of mankind” ends with the conclusion of the Gundam 00.

      Ghostalker
      Reply

      1. They could’ve easily created a whole new character with the assimilation of Descartes. Sadly Sunrise didn’t really pay attention to his character. One vs One can still be essential and personal in the midst of unsurmountable odd type of battles. They’ve done it the first two seasons, why lay off now?

        Frito
        Reply

  111. This is undoubtedly one of the best anime movies ever and surpassed my expectations from all fronts… the flow of the story, music, closure for the characters and most importantly, the fighting scenes were extremely well done
    Having that said, the movie or the OO franchise is probably not everyone’s cup of tea and I can see why some of the younger audiences would not appreciate it
    I like the fact that the back story of the ELS/aliens was not explored since they will not be able to give us a satisfactory explanation within the short time frame of a movie… but at the end of the day, does it really matter?
    The central theme of the franchise surrounds “understanding one another” and the happy ending with Setsuna and Marina hugging each other rounds up Gundam 00 perfectly
    I was slightly disappointed with the second half of its second season, but I think the movie more than compensate for that and puts everything back into the right place…
    Most looking forward to the next Gundam franchise… well done, Sunrise!

    JC
    Reply

  112. The movie was great in all the ways except the ending. Setsuna did not fight either. How the hell did he come in understanding with the aliens. They also didn’t show any details about what exactly he did by visiting the alien’s planet.

    TheWolfStriker
    Reply

  113. My opinion is… that they should simply show some way to end the whole series in good terms related with the original plot, i mean, the plot is coherent, really. Just that, they tried to do a new conflict and resolution of this in a 2 hours movie. Something that was obviously better done in a 25 episode series. If they thought that in a 4 episodes and more time they would be able to do something decent, i think that was a wrong guess.

    An OVA series with long interval release (like Unicorn) would have been better. Anyway, I expected more, that’s all i’m saying.

    Xanathos
    Reply

  114. In my opinion, Gundam 00 is getting worse and worse. I thought season 1 was excellent, season 2 was decent, and finally the movie, I thought, was pretty bad. I didn’t like the alien premise that most gundam series are geared towards. The epilogue felt like crap was melting in my mouth because they didn’t show what happened to the rest of celestial being’s crew and the fact that I felt that the time skip was completely unnecessary. And, I’ll admit, I raged at the non-Feldt ending. They gave the development some push during the movie, only to let it all go.

    Brian
    Reply

  116. The only thing that annoyed me was Feldt, and the giant flower. The flower was a bit cheesy and i really wasn’t expecting it. However, that flower was present in S1 and maybe s2 if my memory is correct therefor it is kind of reasonable i guess. But Feldt was just plain annoying! Get OFF Setsuna! Poor Lock on 🙁 (original)

    sin1505
    Reply

  117. Great movie. The people complaining about the lack of details towards the end need to use their imagination and common sense to figure out themselves instead of expecting Sunrise to spoonfeed everything to them in a 2 hour timeframe. They did a goodjob covering the most important plot points and allowing some character development. They gave you the theme and why’s. The rest is using x to figure out y. The theme is very befitting too for what is happening in our world.

    On another note, I like how 00 focuses on ending war through communication and understanding while SEED focused on using force to end the war. It’s almost as if 00 with this movie is telling SEED franchise to gtfo.

    Rasmiel
    Reply

  119. I think what was lacking in the movie was the characterization of the ELS. By character, I mean, give them more substance or purpose than to be used as a way for Setsuna to save the world. This lack of character is easily seen by the non-existant one on one confrontations which would have given them more purpose. Even Descartes ended up not doing much before dying. All the writers did was just stick the theme on like a post-it. If the ELS were communicating via metal transformation, then what good does Setsuna being able to tell the difference do to the world and the ELS? Nothing! The fact that he understood seemed to be a good enough reason for the ELS to stop communicating with the humans and form into a space flower. This also had no correlation with his desire to visit the ELS’ home.

    Some people are going to disagree with me, but I think that was one of the most disappointing aspects of the movie. They could have easily done a traditional Gundam movie and still have same character development and the same theme.

    kureejii
    Reply

  120. Halo all Iam Gundam Fans
    (Gundam Neo-gundam wing-gundam Seed-gundam Destiny-Gundam 00-gundam 00 S2-Gundam 00 Awaking of the trainbazer)
    i still not yet wacth gundam 00 awaking of the traibazer but,, how the story suck or what..i will always support the gundam movie..
    special is. the gundam song.. its very nice to hear it..
    i hope all the gundam fans will forever support all the gundam movie.
    Cheer Up Gundam ^^

    DaveGan
    Reply

  121. I liked the movie,story wise and animation wise,people are bitching about the movie is laughable ,it had a happy ending,which is vague which i like cuz its debatable and im a UC fanboy,and I liked the movie,why? cuz im a gundam fan and appreciate every gundam that comes out ^_^ cheers

    Axis
    Reply

  124. I liked to movie, but the only thing was the ending was rushed. Setsuna just quantinizes and then somehow the ELS understand the humans perfectly in an instant. Also we have no idea what happened to the rest of the characters and I think Setsuna may have come back to earth before the epilogue (im a setsunaXfeldt fan XD) because I doubt he would have just left like that for fifty years. Other than the ending the movie was good.

    Sj
    Reply

  125. So, like a lot of the Gundam fans (especially the 00 fans) i would i have to agree in saying:
    -Great Movie
    -Great Action and art
    -Great Battle scenes

    BUT…
    the ending….??? w.t.f.
    Big flower in space!? Yeah i get that it promotes the moral of the movie saying how force isn’t the answer to war but still..
    Also Setsuna goes to the land of the ELS’ and comes back 50yrs later as a mettalic man and meeting up with a blind old Marina..(poor Marina..she was so beautiful) lol!?

    Anyway that’s enough ranting from me.
    In Conlusion, Great battle scenes and animation, satisfactory story but I liked how all the characters are brought up in this one movie in some way or another..but random and confusing ending.

    Peace.

    HC
    Reply

  126. I dont understand why the “W” in “wakening” is lowercased everywhere.

    Great movie, even though I was a little disappointed. The ending was what made it worthwhile for me.

    dxb_blackwolf
    Reply

  129. I watched the movie only recently. I think my comment probably would not been seen. However, I still want to vent it.

    People should give credit to the staff for innovation. In terms of style, Gundam 00 is closer to the real Star Trek than other Japanese cartoons.

    For those who have seen Star Trek the next generation, it is worth to compare the 00 movie with the Star Trek episodes-the best of both world (the first battle with the Borg). You can then see the real cultural differences across the Pacific.

    Knowing a little bit of Japanese history, it is also worth pointing the story line of 00 movie has borrowed some modern Japanese history. It can be compared to Captain Perry’s Gun boat diplomacy. The power was so one sided that the old Japanese samurai simply collapsed in front of the modern steam ship and its cannons. If one follows this line, the 00 movie is actually educational, on top of being an entertainment.

    sevenfarn
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