The Gundam SEED DESTINY Remaster Thread Mk II

[soulfire916]

I never saw DBZ or it's abridged series. But I actually got my framed egyptian god cards signed by little kuriboh at fanimecon 2012. So I'm a pretty big yu-gi-oh abridged fan, is DBZ by team 4 star any good?

anyway back on topic, I saw first two eps of GSD remastered today, the art is a huge improvement, reminds me of 00's glorious artwork. So I'm glad they did this.

[Silver_August]

Take it from me of all people - its the only other Abridged I can watch and in my opinion has taken Yugioh's crown as the best abridged series - mainly because it checks off everything that I look for while yugioh... I checked out after Battle City, but still treasure the duelist kingdom arc and the movies (since all of those were legimitly stupid to begin with lol)

But yah..seeing comparison shots of the original airing of Destiny to now and its like.. good lord how did this stuff look so bad only 10 years ago?

[iCards]

Surprisingly YELLOW subs with this episode. I guess the battle was near perfection before that they didn't feel the need for heavily reanimated scenes. Mostly some Freedom scenes were reanimated, and they had a constant blizzard effect that either wasn't in the original or wasn't as pronounced. So they really wanted to get across that a storm WAS happening during all of this.

They did do some editing that really stood out through a few scenes:

1. The first time the Impulse's head dodged a shot. In the original I believe it just showed the head barely dodging. Here they have the beam pass BETWEEN Impulse's head and its left beam saber; that made the scene more awesome.

2. When the Impulse stabs the Freedom the Freedom's body is cracking at the exit wound.

3. During the explosion at the end I could see the red line after effect of the Minerva's gun after it fired. This is while the Minerva is trying to dodge the explosion at the end.

Plot-wise: The way the second ZAFT commander is talking it makes it seem like this operation was meant to show off Shinn. I think he said at one point "From there we leave it to our ace pilot."

Previews Spoil and I like the phrase they used at the end of the preview "Descend into the dreamworld, Destiny!"

[Dark Duel]

#3 in your list was always there - I just checked against the original episode.
Might check it out beyond that just to see what these look like, simply because this was always one of my two or three favorite episodes.

[monster]

#3 in your list was always there - I just checked against the original episode.

By original episode, do you mean the broadcast episode or DVD episode? Surprisingly, it's not there in the TV Movie/SE III. So I'm wondering if this was a change made in the episodes DVD.

[Silver_August]

Ohhhhhhhhh boy this episode, the one a lot of us have been waiting for! Well.. poop started getting rea FAST for The Super Friends, but hey action all over the place, and Shinn had the most hilarious shiteating grins before he got ready to fight Freedom.

Still as awesome as the fight was, there was THIS aweosme pilot the entire series? Till now shinn's skills have been...good but more or less was him being a brute and just footballing his way through something, here he's pulling a Victory and actually giving reason for why you would have a suit be able to come out and fly around in multiple pieces. To awesome effect but still I gotta say this.. because it came across to me while I was watching Shinn go all "YOU KILLED STELLA!!!"

"Needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?! F-YOU KIRA!!"

Lol Shinn's anger is SO misguided that it pains me that this show didn't do anything with this to actually make him grow as a character or at least grow the plot in a direction of well... a lead turning into a bad guy and get some kinda redemption/realization that he's made the wrong choices.

His laugh, his crying and his dialogue at the end soooo...tragic, because he's officially begun his spiral, everything till now has been build up but this is officially where Durandal has him in checkmate and now made his complete pawn. That ending its like uuuuugh... its so Light Yagami, completely lost in delusion, why Destiny whhhhy?

Oh and yeah, Previews spoil kira's fate...that's just hilarious lol

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

Yahoo! Sorta. I'm finally caught up! In fact I went ahead and actually finished the series but that's neither here nor there for now.

Episode 25: Sorry Kira & Co. I'm completely with Athrun in this argument. You wanna do something about ORB being in the Alliance? Take Cagalli back to ORB and figure it out. Wanna know who actually ordered the hit on Lacus? Go figure it out, stop sitting on your butts and just reacting to stuff. Their first intervention might be a little excusable but they need to be a little proactive here. Tragically, that turns out to not be the case. In a rare moment of introspection, Shinn is the one who comments on the Alliance/Blue Cosmos's hypocrisy that Coordinators are an abomination yet Living CPUs are perfectly acceptable.

Episode 26: Oh boy, here we go with Shinn and Stella. So Amuro does something wrong and gets thrown in the brig. Kamille does something wrong and gets Brightslapped™. Heero does something wrong and tries to commit suicide, but when Shinn does something wrong... he gets a slap on the wrist? Lol.
In any case, as much as I facepalm at the Archangel Group's Big Plan being to send just the pop singer and the bionic man into space, Andy Cosplaying as Meer's manager was pretty hilarious. Also, you'd think these ZAFT guys would notice that the real Lacus is dressed much more conservatively than Meer and also has a smaller chest?

Episode 27: Once again a build up episode. Honestly I think the writers just don't really know what to do with the Archangel beyond having it not stray far from the Minerva characters. Hey, is that the Blast Silhouette? Has Shinn used that at all up till now? I can't remember...

Episode 28: Let's have a fight scene! While executed well in a technical sense, this battle still has things that annoy me, although it was nice to see Shinn demonstrate some actual tactics in his defeat of Auel. Rey and Luna's ZAKU's get wrecked so they can upgrade as well as Athrun's Saviour. I almost cried, that suit was so pretty and Athrun lost it purely due to the demands of the plot. Cagalli cries some more and it was darkly amusing to see even the ORB grunts calling her and the Archangel-gumi out on their bullcrap.
Todaka's death was bitterly ironic and well done. I wonder if Shinn ever finds out that Todaka was the commanding officer of the Takemikazuchi?
And of course the best way to follow up this action-packed episode? CLIPSHOW!

Episode 29: I skipped this one, of course. Yes I know it's the famous "Ghost Chess" episode but I really don't want to see SEED flashbacks for the bajillionth time and they don't really tell you anything truly insightful about Durandal and Talia's relationship, beyond the fact that she left him 'cuz she wanted kids (which makes her end in episode 50 all the more stupid.)

Episode 30: Ah yes, here we are. Shinn's crowning moment of stupid, which totally ruins his crowning moment of awesome four episodes later. What can i say that hasn't already been said? Why would you trust the promise of an enemy soldier? A soldier who wears a dark-colored mask no less. Why would trust the promise of someone who works for the same organization that created Stella in the first place?
Also, Cagalli's crying infecting all those other people is annoying.

Episode 31: And as we see, Neo almost immediately breaks his promise and shoves Stella into the Destroy Gundam. Congrats Shinn, you're idiot. But you don't know that do you, because HQ letting you off the hook just infuses your ego more, eh? Athrun mopes and Kira & Co. are once again sitting around, waiting for something to happen, although I do like the interactions Kira has been having with Murrue. There wasn't much of that in SEED, so I'm glad it's here.

Episode 32: While this episode was big and dramatic and the struggle against the Destroy is well done (it's always nice to see Super Kira flustered) I can't feel much for Shinn when Stella dies. It's kinda his fault after all.

Episode 33: Again can't feel much here. It's pretty obvious Shinn's using her as an expy for his sister but I just can't get past his misguided rage. I do feel that part of that rage, however, is that once again he's feeling powerless, just like when his family died.
ZAFT gears up for its LOGOS campaign with Durandal's little speech. Gotta admit, the guy's a masterful manipulator and a lot of people swallow it hook, line and sinker. Though I wonder why more people in the PLANTs and ZAFT didn't think, "well hey, isn't it a little strange that up till now the Chairman has been saying that we'll only fight if we have to and now he suddenly wants us to go after these LOGOS guys?"

Episode 34: At last! Caught up! Not a bad episode but full of dichotomies for me. On the one hand, it's nice to see Super Kira get his butt kicked by Shinn and his planning, along with Rey. On the other, his rage is so laughably misguided that I can't take him seriously.
Talia shows her quality by trying to get the Archangel to surrender before she's forced to destroy it. Athrun takes a break from moping to get pissed that they're attacking the Archangel. Realy, I think he's actually angry that Kira and Cagalli didn't follow his advice and go back to ORB because something like this was bound to happen eventually. They've attacked the ZAFT flagship twice now; did they really think ZAFT would let that go, even if it wasn't the secret desire of Durandal to get rid of them?
Also, they confirm that Neo is Mu, which was only a surprise if you're four.

[monster]

So Amuro does something wrong and gets thrown in the brig. Kamille does something wrong and gets Brightslapped™. Heero does something wrong and tries to commit suicide, but when Shinn does something wrong... he gets a slap on the wrist? Lol.

Well, Shinn was thrown in the brig as well.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

Yeah, I know but it seems like he should have been punished just a tad more for bringing an enemy soldier onboard and said enemy nearly strangling a member of the crew.

[monster]

Ah, right, that's what's in episode 26. I think it helped that Stella turned out to be of some interest and there was no permanent damage to the crew, not to mention that Shinn was actually non-confrontational in front of Talia.

[azrael]

And we're at Episode 35. The episode before the episode where Athrun grows his balls back.

I seriously hope they reanimate Episode 39 so that we see Strike Rouge using the Phoenix pack. That pack needs some action screen time before they waste it.

[latenlazy]

And we're at Episode 35. The episode before the episode where Athrun grows his balls back.

I seriously hope they reanimate Episode 39 so that we see Strike Rouge using the Phoenix pack. That pack needs some action screen time before they waste it.

Also sets in stone that Athrun is only allowed to have balls when he's Robin to Kira's Batman.

[monster]

Also sets in stone that Athrun is only allowed to have balls when he's Robin to Kira's Batman.

Not really, the catalyst was guards coming to see him, nothing to do with Kira.

Actually, had Durandal left him alone, Athrun might still begrudgingly remain with ZAFT up until Durandal decides to use the Requiem.

[iCards]

Episode 35.

"Dive into the dreamworld, Destiny" I mentioned last week how much I liked the tagline for this episode's preview. There is some diving going on this week, actual and otherwise. This is also the start of what MANY consider to be Destiny's creative dive as well.

Leaving EXACTLY off from the last episode the Archangel has shown to survive, and fake their destruction by sacrificing an engine. Even the ZAFT team investigating the aftermath thought their was too little wreckage for a ship to have been destroyed.

Kira survives by shutting down the Freedom's Nuclear battery just before it goes critical. Which I can believe, while the Freedom's explosion was big, if it WAS nuclear as at the VERY LEAST Shinn and the Impulse would have been vaporized being so close and all. The Minerva may have escaped with damage if it was a nuclear explosion.

Shinn and Athrun Butt heads, nothing new there. Shinn going on about "revenge" sets Athrun off. They go into a back and forth over what was the reason for fighting the Archangel. Shinn mentions how he should be feeling after he beat a powerful opponent; Does Athrun want him to cry or pray, which I found to be an echo from SEED since that is basically what Athrun did after he beat Kira in SEED. Rey intervened telling Athrun that their order came from "the top"/Durandal and that they are "Soldiers of ZAFT" so they have to follow orders, and that Shinn should be congratulated not scorned. After the "Soilders of ZAFT" line Athrun thinks back to meeting Lacus in the last series realizing he took a MAJOR leap back from where he thought he would be.

Durandal gives another speech and the world is worked into an even bigger frenzy. Now that Durandal has given the public their targets they take it upon themselves to take out LOGOS. Nothing like having the world for an army.

Kira is shown to have no lasting injuries in a recovery room aboard the Archangel, surprisingly the same room as Neo. He and Neo have a brief discussion about Shinn, and Neo HAS to give Kira an "in your face" about being beaten after the trouble the Freedom has caused him and his team. Also, going by that scene Kira feels both defenseless and disappointing in himself without that suit.

Shinn has a scene where he Rey and Luna are having a discussion about Durandal's plan to eliminate LOGOS. Shinn says if he is given an "enemy" he will defeat it. Well, put that back for future count.

Also, noteworthy was Destiny and Legends introduction scene specifically as the credits are about to roll Shinn and Athrun show very different reactions. Shinn showing total elation over his new suit. Athrun showing apprehension about everything happening, he looked ready to run there.

Funny thoughts:

I did not know enemy could be spelled "ennemy".
The "Chairman" is now the "President".
I find it funny that the Freedom's cockpit was blown OFF of its body.

[Silver_August]

Okie, so we had white subs this time...what was changed exactly? I can't tell if anything new was added... I know a LOT of this is new to me because a lot of it was censored in the dub airing for obvious reasons, but eh. I find it funny we're at the point when the show goes to shit, and that's when the guy doing the subtitles falls asleep at the keyboard lol.

So how Kira got out of this one was quite the anti-climatic ordeal but hey it made sense..and in a way makes Shinn look like an idiot for going that close to something with a nuclear core...but then again do these people at ZAFT now Freedom's full specs? I know it was developed by ZAFT...right? But I dunno if data on it is readily available to..either party honestly.

At the same time, the fact ZAFT forces come to the conclusion they're still alive because not enough wreckage was found was also a smart detail I liked to see.

Shinn and Athrun's hissyfit was good stuff, Shinn's cockyness is soooo..ugh Shinn you're sinking and you never realize it! and yeah..if there's one argument about the flaws of Destiny that in my opinion stays a pretty critical flaw...its Athrun's flipflopping - I know you were lost after you saw reminants of your father were being genocidal maniacs still but... the fact he's literally repeating what he did, all because Kira is presumably dead its just like..uuugh there is no good way around this hole the writers dug because defecting from ZAFT is the logical thing to do...but to do it TWICE uncer similar circumstances? its like..maaaan...

Hey, what did the Destiny rewrite project do with Athrun in this situation? Because I'm trying to imagine how this would work if he didn't leave ZAFT and declined the Legend too... I wanna assume in the re-write project he kept Savior or got an upgrade of that too, lol I dunno!

Also Gibril mentions curse during the same shot that shows a black cat, subtle?

OH and I love how Kira said without his mobile suit he's basically normal/useless, lol I finally figured out Kira guys! The Freedom is his substitute for the ONE thing genetics couldn't fix! If you get what I'm saying Lacus never said anything because she's a sweetheart, lol.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

Hey, what did the Destiny rewrite project do with Athrun in this situation? Because I'm trying to imagine how this would work if he didn't leave ZAFT and declined the Legend too... I wanna assume in the re-write project he kept Savior or got an upgrade of that too, lol I dunno!

You mean Dark Duel's rewrite?

OH and I love how Kira said without his mobile suit he's basically normal/useless, lol I finally figured out Kira guys! The Freedom is his substitute for the ONE thing genetics couldn't fix! If you get what I'm saying Lacus never said anything because she's a sweetheart, lol.

That one made me giggle.

So yeah, Shinn, you're still an idiot. Given the way Athrun was acting prior to the battle, why would he EVER be happy that you supposedly killed his best friend? Dude you deserved that punch even if Rey "All of a sudden I'm actually a character" za Burell has a point about injecting personal feelings into the situation. Ugh, this scene could also have been the perfect place to bring up the whole "Stella's death is Shinn's fault" thing as well.
Is it just me or is Talia feeling just a mite uncomfortable with shooting down a target that didn't fight back?
Things get stirred up with LOGOS. Poor Djibril. You were never the actual villain of this story and you don't even realize it.
Durandal shows up to grant his two little protoges their new Gundams and while Shinn has drunk the Kool-Aid, Durandal has committed a tactical error and is about to make a new enemy.

[Gundam420]

The Archangel has been indiscriminately attacking all sides, of course the ZAFT will attack them. They had it coming. Athrun shouldn't be shocked about any of this.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

I don't think it's shock, more frustration that Kira and Cagalli didn't listen to him and the logical course of events is playing out.

[Gundam420]

Then why punch Shinn for not knowing who Kira is? Or his relationship with Athrun? Athrun getting mad over the Freedom getting destroyed should already send red flags to everyone on the Minerva.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

Then why punch Shinn for not knowing who Kira is?

Because he basically boasted that he killed Athrun's best friend?

Or his relationship with Athrun?

Er, what do you mean?

Athrun getting mad over the Freedom getting destroyed should already send red flags to everyone on the Minerva.

You'd think it would but they just seem to brush it off.