Gundam Mega Marathon

[Deathzealot]

Agreed! He actually makes sense....

[Android raptor]

Is disliking Char gonna get people labeled a heretic? My experience with the western fandom seems to be that many have a backlash against popular Zeonic characters (I know I've seen quite a few even blast people who like Zeon suits over others.) Though take into account my experience with western fandom is here, a few small boards, and twitter.

From my experience, those of us who don't like Char are still kind of a minority (and used to be almost nonexistent). I personally don't have a problem with people liking him as long as they don't white knight or treat him as a Draco in Leather Pants, something that in my experience is a pretty big problem in the UC fandom (same with people who white knight Zeon).

As for hate, I know I've gotten death wishes for just saying I don't like Char (as well as saying I liked Quess). Gundam character opinions are apparently serious business.

That said I think Char is the best Char, at least in terms of both development and villainy (yes fandom, Char is in fact a villain, and a fantastic one at that).

[Zeonista]

Is disliking Char gonna get people labeled a heretic? My experience with the western fandom seems to be that many have a backlash against popular Zeonic characters (I know I've seen quite a few even blast people who like Zeon suits over others.) Though take into account my experience with western fandom is here, a few small boards, and twitter.

From my experience, those of us who don't like Char are still kind of a minority (and used to be almost nonexistent). I personally don't have a problem with people liking him as long as they don't white knight or treat him as a Draco in Leather Pants, something that in my experience is a pretty big problem in the UC fandom (same with people who white knight Zeon).

As for hate, I know I've gotten death wishes for just saying I don't like Char (as well as saying I liked Quess). Gundam character opinions are apparently serious business.

That said I think Char is the best Char, at least in terms of both development and villainy (yes fandom, Char is in fact a villain, and a fantastic one at that).

Yer goin' down in flames for that, Feddy Punk!!

Just kidding, I do like Char with all my banner-waving heart, but not because he is really a hero in the narrative sense. Maybe a tragic hero, with Aristotle's approval. I do like Char because he was an example of a thing to me as a newbie fan so many years ago. That thing being he was a villain, but a villain with a real back story and a motive separate from being the Enemy Ace, who could be sympathetic and even likable if he wasn't the Enemy Ace. (Those of you here who grew up with American TV story-telling in the pre-BTAS era know what I mean, right?) Char was ultimately one of the anime characters who sold me on being an anime fan.

[Iris Scope]

I'm feeling the Gundam itch especially after having watched the first episode of the 08th MS Team in over a decade and feeling the urge to share my opinion on it with all of you with your kind indulgence.

Shiro Amada is equal parts cocky and caring with his initial desire to wipe out all Zeon from Earth to suddenly commandeering a Ball of all things to rescue Sanders from a battle with Aina who is wonderfully voiced by Kikuko Inoue. Michel I would say is less sympathetic since he constantly whines in his diary to his beloved about the typical behavior that soldiers carry to being so sure that Shiro isn't going to make it back alive after successfully saving Sanders which gets him rightfully mad at Michel and telling him to shut his face, you big disgrace *Pardon the Queen puns *. Funny because when I first saw this series all those years ago, I found myself rooting for Michel but now I see that he's the big smartypants who can't keep his mouth shut when things are going down seriously. I look forward to the rest of the 08th MS Team in wonderful Japanese subs to see and hear what I have been missing out on. Stay tuned!

[Iris Scope]

Took an extended break from 08th to get back on track with Gundam Wing. Saw episode 2 and the grunt underwater suits may be easy fodder for the Deathscythe to slash through, they did surprisingly put up a good fight.

[Dark Duel]

Yeah, I do recall that at least in the early episodes of Wing, you did see - especially with the melee-types such as Deathscythes - cases where grunts actually managed to put up a decent fight rather than getting mowed down indiscriminately. After a while, IIRC that happens much less until the Virgo is rolled out, which again manages to give the boys some trouble.

[Henyo]

i'm going to join in on the fun!!! realized just now that i'm watching 2 Gundam Entries.
rewatching Zeta and SEED(Remaster) and both in english dub.

Zeta, 6 episodes left.
it's as engaging as the first time i watched it. i took notice of details that i missed. this includes Zeta doing a red comet kick(i thought he did that in the movies only.) Kamille saying he's an Atheist, his amusing facial expressions(in the few funny scenes of Zeta) Char saying he never betrayed anyone in his life to Haman and of course, the one that makes my head tilt, Emma seeing Amuro with her girlfriend.(can someone confirm if this is just a translation error or something else?)

Gundam SEED Episodes 1-8
i don't agree with that ANN Gundam Article about Kira being Unrelatable. he doesn't want to fight even if he can do it better than actual soldiers. He just did it to save his friends.(which is his thing until he joins the fighting indefinitely.) i'm also liking Natarle better than the first time i watched SEED. logical and by the books is fine every now and then.
the english voices are good most of the times. the only one i find off is Lacus'. though that's only by a small margin. i'll admit to being a big Tanaka Rie fan.

also, i'm going to find a site that does a comparison of the original to the Remaster version.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

Wow, the last time I actually posted in this thread was back in July 2015...

So that means I have something of a confession to make: I really haven't been keeping up with Gundam for a good couple of years now.
Build Divers, GM's Counterattack, Island War, Battlogue, Thunderbolt, Origin, Twilight Axis, I haven't even finished watching the last 10 or so episodes of IBO yet. I am aiming to rectify that, along with getting back into my rewatch that I left of with the latter half of Gundam 00 and then watching SEED and Victory.
Time to dive back in.

[Deathzealot]

Especially with much of the Gundam series now on Stream sites... This should be interesting.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

Especially with much of the Gundam series now on Stream sites... This should be interesting.

It does make things much easier, yes.

[Iris Scope]

Episode 12 of 08th MS Team is probably one of the biggest POS finales to what is otherwise a harmony of mecha and romantic precision!

Who wanted Kiki and Michel to be the leads on the writing staff anyway?! It would've made more sense for the whole team be discharged and look for Shiro and Aina like they were trying to in the end of episode 11. Michel is a sore loser drunk who can't get over his ex-gf dumping him and Kiki is just Kiki like always. The war children might've been an interesting plot thread but perhaps better saved for some other show dealing with war orphans. And of course, the ultimate crime to have Shiro and Aina not even being given the common courtesy of uttering a single word when they are finally found. 2/10, just cut your losses and skip it from future viewings ultimately classifying episode 11 as the official ending.

[Dark Duel]

just cut your losses and skip it from future viewings ultimately classifying episode 11 as the official ending.

Yeah, I typically stop at Ep11 as well when I watch 08th MS Team, because to me that episode feels like the finale, and I like where and how it ends. 12 feels like a tacked-on afterthought to me.

[Kuruni]

Opp, wrong thread. Ignore this.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

just cut your losses and skip it from future viewings ultimately classifying episode 11 as the official ending.

Yeah, I typically stop at Ep11 as well when I watch 08th MS Team, because to me that episode feels like the finale, and I like where and how it ends. 12 feels like a tacked-on afterthought to me.

don't disagree at all

[Wingnut]

I don't know what you people are talking about. *jedi hand wave* There is no episode 12 of 08th MS Team.

[Zeonista]

Iris Scope: Glad you liked 008th Platoon, which really restored UC as an effective anime setting. Great MS action, great characters, a great encapsulization of the Original Gundam story. The #12 episode is admittedly a slow coasting to a halt after the roller-coaster ride of episodes 10-11. I appreciated it for the search-for-normalcy routine, even if the Newtype kids bit seems tacked on with a hammer & nails.

Henyo: Having read through Char's Deleted Affair, the Char-Haman scenes gain a lot of weight for me! Also a lot of ironic fun derived from it that Char can be truthful about not betraying Zeon and Haman not buying it because Senpai bailed just when she needed him most! And for SEED, I don't understand the ANN article either. Kira is relatable to in a sympathetic manner because he is drafted pretty much at gunpoint because he is Strike's designated Coordinator pilot. He wants to protect his friends rather than be a soldier, which is fine, since that was Amuro's original motive too. I guess the ANN staff missed that easy parallel?

Arbiter GUNDAM: Welcome back, man! Yeah, you have lot of watching to do. I recommend everything except Twilight Axis, which pissed me off because it was a set of extended commercials, not an actual anime series! GM's Counterattack and Island War are the near-perfect "end episodes "for their respective series. Re-watching 00 would be a good idea since Build Divers is going to refer to it a lot.