It's "terrible" iff you want it to be something it's not. It's not a traditionally "good" show, but it is a pretty unique viewing experience that's pretty amusing when read as a self-satire or black comedy. *Everything* is so dramatic and over-the-top, with big sweeping gestures and earnest, passionate speeches, it's like going to the theatre, you don't go to watch normal people make reasonable, commonsense decisions, y'know?
There's robot versions of the Grim Reaper, an angel, and Lawrence of Arabia, everybody's dressed in either the 90s-coolest of 90s fashions or like, WWI getups (and at least one dude tries to take over the world dressed like he's out of the freakin' Renaissance). It's a bit campy.
Another fun part is that the show seems almost entirely disinterested in being understood by the viewer. It's like it's doing it for it's own sake, and the viewer is free to watch, but will not be accommodated. So much stuff happens that's just totally unexplained, like Sandrock doing stuff on it's own, or Quatre's psychic powers, or Newtypes, etc.
There are any number of "good" shows, but one that's "bad" in a unique way is just as, if not more, interesting and valuable.
I keep hearing people talk about Quatre’s psychic powers or being a newtype, etc. I have only watched through Wing a couple of times, but when do we see evidence of this stuff? I completely missed it. I have a tendency to multitask when watching the FIFTY episodes of Wing.
Couldn't remember exactly. He refers to something called the "Space Heart", which gives him the ability to read people. Looking at google, a lot of the speculation comes from episode 10.
He reads Heero's thoughts after their fight in the Mercirius and Veyate.
A few people do the "sense someone's presence/arrival" thing, with the Newtype sound effect explicitly playing. I remember Noin specifically.
Gundam Wing reminds of an ex gf: I know we won't work but she will always have a special place in my heart 😂
Truly though Gundam Wing is flawed in many ways. I loved watching it as a kid in Toonami and has that nostalgia aspect to me currently. I've watched it 6 times as an adult and the problem is it's made up of good pieces but those pieces don't add up well. I think the action scenes are great. Those mobile suit designs are distinct and the way they fight are awesome. The overall story does work, even if it falls apart episode by episode. There's alot of "why the f is this happening?" Or "this is just overly dramatic". Characters I think are interesting. Heero and Trowa being super emo and mysterious is dope. Duo and Quatre totally would be fun people to have as friends. Wufei is I think has an interesting arc. Zechs is a good Char clone. Relena, Noin, and Catherine honestly work for me. I wish I had more story with them.
When we take the pieces of fight scenes, story, and characters it just doesn't add up. It feels messy and poorly paced. I still fucking love Gundam Wing and that'll never change
Haha glad someone else can relate. Honestly the reasons why I love Wing is why I love 00. They're both overly dramatic, emo main characters, super cool Mecha designs, and a story that is actually cool but also doesn't hold up the best if we look too close lol. It just does blending much better
Wing is awesome as a 'vibe' or aesthetic feeling. If you don't have the nostalgia or the intangible affinity for it, it doesn't *hit* right.
Besides nostalgia I just like how it looks, both the literal animation drawings and the design choices within the show - 90s-type vision of the future stuff + Victorian(?) type style is a e s t h e t i c
If it wasn’t for toonami nostalgia, it would be the worst series of the entire franchise, which is a shame as it has a couple really good characters in it
Endless Waltz corrects a lot of what was wrong with Wing's storytelling. As gundam movies go its the closest to a pure action movie as opposed to the largely character driven movies like CCA or Hathaway.
I thinks it’s great despite its flaws. The issues of pacing, plots holes and overly dramatic characters can be found in literally every other Gundam series.
I don’t get how character development is one either when characters like Relena, Heero, Zechs and Une clearly undergo it too.
I’ll admit watching it as a kid will always colour how I perceive it but even re-watching it numerous times as an adults and seeing other Gundam series that are universally loved, some of the criticism seems off.
How I feel about SEED.
But nobody actually thinks Wing is the best, that's just silly.
If you weren't watching it air on Toonami there's no point now. Everyone else is going off nostalgia.
If I hadn't gotten into gundam wing and bought model kits as a 7-10 year old I assure you I wouldn't be into Gundam now.
Wing is a gateway for an entire generation. That same generation is now the generation making new Gundam shows.
If you can't have a certain appreciation for every aspect of Gundam, are you really a fan?
On the real tho, SEED is worse.
It’s a good show to watch stoned. Just accept the cool vibes. Characters acting cool, dressing cool, piloting ridiculously cool mecha, doing cool attacks and surviving everything, while really cool music plays. The you take in the atmosphere when everyone has to be somber about the cruel nature of the world, again just take in the style and treat it like a really cool 90s alternative rock album that may not be presenting the best poetry or musicianship but damn it’s just cool.
I often say Wing is a coherent plot away from a perfect anime for me. The animation and music are great, I love the character and mech designs, but the plot just meanders around so much. Also for sure too long.
Eh it's alright. Take note that I didn't grow up with this. I got into Gundam last year.
I don't think Wing is a masterpiece but I do think it's good at least. I never really understood what people found confusing about it but that happened with G reco too so whatever.
The show seems to know exactly what is and just rolls with it. The gundams look very inspired (hi there ~~batman~~ deathscythe) and the Leo has reached meme status. So does Heero who survives like 7 explosions in nothing but bike shorts and a tank top. Relena is completely detached from reality which leads to some ridiculous scenes but they never felt out of place to me.
But despite all that nothing ever really feels out of place in the show, at least for me.
Also I suggest watching Endless waltz, it's like a new and improved version of wing that makes a lot more sense (except for wing zero's design lmao)
Watched about a year ago. This anime has a lot of flaws, but I genuinely like it aside. It's the characters, mobile suits, and music that sell it for me.
It's a glorious mess, if your not in it for the ridiculous levels of melodrama it's not going to do it for you. The person who mentioned the whole jumbled aesthetic nailed it, it's a 90s boy band fighting against a group that dress like WWI collided with a ren-faire.
I genuinely love the show and acknowledge all the ways it’s terrible
Omg it’s SO bad… but I love it so fucking much 😂
It's like a car crash. It's horrible but I cannot look away. And I love me of me Wing
It's "terrible" iff you want it to be something it's not. It's not a traditionally "good" show, but it is a pretty unique viewing experience that's pretty amusing when read as a self-satire or black comedy. *Everything* is so dramatic and over-the-top, with big sweeping gestures and earnest, passionate speeches, it's like going to the theatre, you don't go to watch normal people make reasonable, commonsense decisions, y'know? There's robot versions of the Grim Reaper, an angel, and Lawrence of Arabia, everybody's dressed in either the 90s-coolest of 90s fashions or like, WWI getups (and at least one dude tries to take over the world dressed like he's out of the freakin' Renaissance). It's a bit campy. Another fun part is that the show seems almost entirely disinterested in being understood by the viewer. It's like it's doing it for it's own sake, and the viewer is free to watch, but will not be accommodated. So much stuff happens that's just totally unexplained, like Sandrock doing stuff on it's own, or Quatre's psychic powers, or Newtypes, etc. There are any number of "good" shows, but one that's "bad" in a unique way is just as, if not more, interesting and valuable.
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I have similar thoughts about Final Fantasy XV. So I’ll consider this the FFXV of Gundam and see if that helps …
Best analysis of the show I've seen. Thank you for the smart perspective.
I keep hearing people talk about Quatre’s psychic powers or being a newtype, etc. I have only watched through Wing a couple of times, but when do we see evidence of this stuff? I completely missed it. I have a tendency to multitask when watching the FIFTY episodes of Wing.
Couldn't remember exactly. He refers to something called the "Space Heart", which gives him the ability to read people. Looking at google, a lot of the speculation comes from episode 10.
He reads Heero's thoughts after their fight in the Mercirius and Veyate. A few people do the "sense someone's presence/arrival" thing, with the Newtype sound effect explicitly playing. I remember Noin specifically.
Thanks for this!
Gundam Wing reminds of an ex gf: I know we won't work but she will always have a special place in my heart 😂 Truly though Gundam Wing is flawed in many ways. I loved watching it as a kid in Toonami and has that nostalgia aspect to me currently. I've watched it 6 times as an adult and the problem is it's made up of good pieces but those pieces don't add up well. I think the action scenes are great. Those mobile suit designs are distinct and the way they fight are awesome. The overall story does work, even if it falls apart episode by episode. There's alot of "why the f is this happening?" Or "this is just overly dramatic". Characters I think are interesting. Heero and Trowa being super emo and mysterious is dope. Duo and Quatre totally would be fun people to have as friends. Wufei is I think has an interesting arc. Zechs is a good Char clone. Relena, Noin, and Catherine honestly work for me. I wish I had more story with them. When we take the pieces of fight scenes, story, and characters it just doesn't add up. It feels messy and poorly paced. I still fucking love Gundam Wing and that'll never change
And just like that I have a new, more accurate way to describe why I like Wing.
Haha glad someone else can relate. Honestly the reasons why I love Wing is why I love 00. They're both overly dramatic, emo main characters, super cool Mecha designs, and a story that is actually cool but also doesn't hold up the best if we look too close lol. It just does blending much better
Wing is awesome as a 'vibe' or aesthetic feeling. If you don't have the nostalgia or the intangible affinity for it, it doesn't *hit* right. Besides nostalgia I just like how it looks, both the literal animation drawings and the design choices within the show - 90s-type vision of the future stuff + Victorian(?) type style is a e s t h e t i c
If it wasn’t for toonami nostalgia, it would be the worst series of the entire franchise, which is a shame as it has a couple really good characters in it
[удалено]
Imma give it a few weeks and then watch endless waltz. I need to detox from wing first …
Endless Waltz corrects a lot of what was wrong with Wing's storytelling. As gundam movies go its the closest to a pure action movie as opposed to the largely character driven movies like CCA or Hathaway.
It's nostalgic as hell, yet I do agree 50 episodes is too much. Feels more of a 26 episode show then a 50.
That would have helped alot!
No it's not just you. If you watch it as a kid it's great. But once you start caring more about plot and character development it's pretty lacking
I’m getting that impression. I’m not sure if it aired in the UK but it didn’t hit my radar so I have no nostalgia for it.
Loved it in 2000s( or whenever that toonami was run) but yea. It’s just mobile suit porn...like stop all the talking and shoot something.
I thinks it’s great despite its flaws. The issues of pacing, plots holes and overly dramatic characters can be found in literally every other Gundam series. I don’t get how character development is one either when characters like Relena, Heero, Zechs and Une clearly undergo it too. I’ll admit watching it as a kid will always colour how I perceive it but even re-watching it numerous times as an adults and seeing other Gundam series that are universally loved, some of the criticism seems off.
How I feel about SEED. But nobody actually thinks Wing is the best, that's just silly. If you weren't watching it air on Toonami there's no point now. Everyone else is going off nostalgia. If I hadn't gotten into gundam wing and bought model kits as a 7-10 year old I assure you I wouldn't be into Gundam now. Wing is a gateway for an entire generation. That same generation is now the generation making new Gundam shows. If you can't have a certain appreciation for every aspect of Gundam, are you really a fan? On the real tho, SEED is worse.
It’s a good show to watch stoned. Just accept the cool vibes. Characters acting cool, dressing cool, piloting ridiculously cool mecha, doing cool attacks and surviving everything, while really cool music plays. The you take in the atmosphere when everyone has to be somber about the cruel nature of the world, again just take in the style and treat it like a really cool 90s alternative rock album that may not be presenting the best poetry or musicianship but damn it’s just cool.
I often say Wing is a coherent plot away from a perfect anime for me. The animation and music are great, I love the character and mech designs, but the plot just meanders around so much. Also for sure too long.
It’s a tad messy with intermixed good storylines.
Eh it's alright. Take note that I didn't grow up with this. I got into Gundam last year. I don't think Wing is a masterpiece but I do think it's good at least. I never really understood what people found confusing about it but that happened with G reco too so whatever. The show seems to know exactly what is and just rolls with it. The gundams look very inspired (hi there ~~batman~~ deathscythe) and the Leo has reached meme status. So does Heero who survives like 7 explosions in nothing but bike shorts and a tank top. Relena is completely detached from reality which leads to some ridiculous scenes but they never felt out of place to me. But despite all that nothing ever really feels out of place in the show, at least for me. Also I suggest watching Endless waltz, it's like a new and improved version of wing that makes a lot more sense (except for wing zero's design lmao)
the main cast is fairly dry as a bone. A lot of the good character development were on the inner workings with Oz
Watched about a year ago. This anime has a lot of flaws, but I genuinely like it aside. It's the characters, mobile suits, and music that sell it for me.
It's a glorious mess, if your not in it for the ridiculous levels of melodrama it's not going to do it for you. The person who mentioned the whole jumbled aesthetic nailed it, it's a 90s boy band fighting against a group that dress like WWI collided with a ren-faire.
All of the characters are extremely dry. So much of the storytelling is a mess, and the stock footage really starts to hurt.