Gundam Wing

Gundam Wing consists of 49 episodes and three further OAVs (released separately as Endless Waltz, available on VHS and DVD). The series fits within the rubric of the earlier Gundam designs, to the point where several characters in GW are eerily similar to their predecessors. There are five main characters-- fifteen year-olds whose duty is to infiltrate Earth from the space colonies with advanced mobile suits called "Gundams", and attack the predominant military power oppressing the people of space. The boys are pretty, angsty, and pretty angsty. They also have names that correspond to numbers in various languages, as do several minor cast members, which lends itself to handy mathematics among the shippers (see below). Though the boys are great, the series gets its A+ rating for the plot. It's complex and thoughtful, concerned with the effects of war on the world in general, and on the main characters, who are significantly very young, in particular. The face of the war is constantly changing as factions fall and rise; the enemy is never the same two days in a row, and eventually even the colonies turn on their would-be saviours, forcing them to make the choice to keep fighting for an abstract ideal of freedom against overwhelming odds without any support. The series deals with issues of loyalty, honour, and violence with uncommon forthrightness, and it doesn't hesitate to show that the main characters have their downsides. Heero Yuy, the real hero of the series, verges on the psychotic at times, while Quatre Winner, the kind-hearted idealist of the resistance, commits mass murder while under the influence of a mind-bending artificial-intelligence piloting programme. (Unless you're watching the Cartoon Network version, where he considerately asks his victims to evacuate the premises before he unleashes the beast inside.) But for the purposes of this website, it's also important to note that the friendships that build between the characters as the story progresses sparkle with tension. It's an eminently slashable series, and thousands of fans have handily contributed to the cause by writing, literally, endless amounts of fanfic and doujinshi.

The main characters are Heero Yuy (1), Duo Maxwell (2), Trowa Barton (3), Quatre Winner (4), and Chang Wufei (5). Other bishy guys who appear on the bad guy side are Zechs Merquise (aka Milliardo Peacecraft), the handsome prince with a tragic past (his number is 6), and Treize Khushrenada, who makes Sun Tzu look like a dilettante in the art of war (he's number 13). The series also makes an effort to pair the boys off for significant screen time. Heero and Duo appear together frequently, and they often think of each other when separated. Likewise for Trowa and Quatre. Producers have admitted to fans that shonen-ai hints between that pairing were deliberately included. By hints, I mean hints-- the fascination is plain, but it's carefully couched in the language of friendship. However, Trowa sacrifices himself to save Quatre from insanity (long story), they appear to have a psychic connection (Trowa can hear Quatre crying across Space), and they have a seriously cute scene early on in which they jam with flute and violin together amid bright, happy bubbles. Zechs and Treize, who are somewhat older than the Gundam Pilots, also have some terrific chemistry, and to top it off, they wear some really terrific uniforms (nothing beats thigh-high boots, clinging white trousers and a cape). Of course, there's not a lot of time for romance in war, and the series, for the most part, steers clear of anything more blatant than subtext. There are two female characters, Relena Peacecraft and Lucrezia Noin, who follow around Heero and Zechs respectively with some whopping crushes, and there's an implication that Duo shacks up with a cute chic he meets while spying on the enemy, but these don't seem to be deliberate attempts to squash the slash as much as attempts to ground suicidal teens in a web of supportive relationships. (I guess they're supportive... the girls manage to stop the boys from killing themselves and others several times, anyway.)

The animation is a little sloppy at times, though considering it aired in 1995, the drawing is consistently good, if a little unadventurous. The animators had a tendency to substitute still-frames, comic-book-esque divided screens, and the ever-popular "shake the plate" technique in place of animating difficult action sequences. Endless Waltz makes up for it a bit, introducing less ludicrous character designs (Duo stops wearing jodhpurs and Heero, thank God, drops the spandex shorts) and a crisper look with darker colours and zippier action. The music is terrific. TWO-MIX contributes excellent techo-- it's fast-paced with their typical strong female lead and a good beat-- and a number of signature songs, including the almost haunting "Last Impression" which makes good use of piano accompaniment. The orchestral soundtrack by Koh Otani delivers very well on average, with the notable exception of the weird jazzy-rock thing Trowa and Quatre play together and a few odd guitar riffs. At times the music is very subdued and wistful, as when Heero breaks a bruised and beaten Duo out of prison and helps him escape. And there is a particularly notable use of silence in the series-- allowing the truly tragic moments to stand for themselves.

As for the voice acting, Hikaru Midorikawa puts in a soft-toned, deliberately flat performance as Heero Yuy, not as ably rendered by his English counterpart Mark Hildreth. Toshihiko Seki and Scott McNeil put in energetic performances as Duo Maxwell. Ai Orikasa and Brad Swaile both do a terrific job with Quatre Winner, managing to caputre his earnestness without sounding over-the-top, and handling his creepy descent into madness so well they make it look easy. Takehito Koyasu contributes mostly a deep voice as Zechs Merquise, while Brian Drummond, oddly, manages to give a complete character arc as the same man-- he starts off sleazy (as in, this isn't Dragonball Z, people) and really takes us through the gradual growth of Zechs as an independent, strong person.

In conclusion, there's so much to say about this anime that it's hard to know where to stop. The depth is wonderful, and the evolution of the characters is so painful you can't help but give your sympathy. As a slashable treat, it's a feast for the imagination. It also appeals to a wide audience, and its popularity is still very intense ten years after its release. If you haven't seen it yet, get busy-- you've got a lot of watching to do.