Final yr, I acquired the possibility to interview Tanaka Rie, the voice of Lacus Clyne in Gundam SEED. She talked about to me that there have been sure solutions I couldn’t document, and I puzzled why. Not lengthy after, the Gundam SEED Freedom film was introduced, and I noticed that it was the rationale why Tanaka couldn’t say as a lot as she may need wished to.
Receiving the information concerning the movie, I felt reasonably ambivalent. That’s as a result of my emotions in the direction of the SEED franchise are reasonably blended. I adored the unique Gundam SEED. Not lengthy after, I used to be truly residing in Japan whereas Gundam SEED Future was on TV. I used to be such a fan of the primary collection that when SEED Future was airing, I’d be sure that to be in entrance of the TV each Sunday night so I might catch it. I keep in mind as soon as leaving a gaggle of associates to not miss an episode, and one different time frantically biking to get again dwelling. And in these early days, I actually felt the present was exceeding my expectations, as I puzzled the place all its hints and plot threads would lead.
Then got here one disappointment after the following, and my opinion of it soured accordingly. Worst of all was the best way SEED Future handled my favourite character, fiery tomboy Cagalli Yula Athha, into a continuing whimpering mess. Her relationship drama along with her accomplice, Athrun Zala, felt contrived and an insult to what they’d constructed up in SEED. The ending was a large number that felt rushed and made all of the characters look horrible—even the franchise protagonist Kiara Yamato and his romantic curiosity Lacus Clyne, who got here throughout as too good. There have been some supplementary endings to make up for the rushed finale, however it was too little, too late.
To at the present time, I’ll say I’m a fan of simply SEED (and the manga Gundam SEED Astray, however let’s go away that apart). So with Gundam SEED Freedom, I couldn’t assist however really feel apprehensive: How a lot wouldn’t it be SEED and the way a lot wouldn’t it be Future?
To my aid, it seems to be a strong film that repairs a number of the injury attributable to its predecessor, and jogs my memory sufficient of what made SEED good whereas additionally avoiding being an entire nostalgia seize.
Plot
Gundam SEED Freedom takes place not lengthy after the tip of SEED Future. After having stopped the machinations of political chief Gilbert Dullindal, which concerned principally eugenics and an enormous area laser (in fact), Kira and Lacus have shaped an impartial peacekeeping pressure known as COMPASS. Amongst their ranks are even SEED Future characters (and former foes) Shinn Asuka and Lunamaria Hawke. Regardless of successful an important (and deadly) victory in opposition to Dullindal, humanity will not be at peace, and the tensions between Naturals and genetically engineered Coordinators continues to be infected by extremist teams. Amid this ongoing turmoil, a small nation known as Basis emerges as a possible ally of COMPASS. When Lacus meets with its leaders, she feels an uncommon and entrancing connection to Orphee Lam Tao, one of many nation’s elite Black Knights, all of whom are a brand new kind of human known as Accords, with talents surpassing even Coordinators. Machinations behind the scenes put COMPASS at risk, with Kira ending up a scapegoat amid battle.
Enjoying to SEED’s Strengths
SEED Freedom is primarily centered round Kira and Lacus, and this isn’t a nasty factor. Particularly in Future, this primary couple of the franchise might really feel weirdly distant and robotic. However right here, the stress every faces of their respective roles as fighter and politician are proven to create pressure and even a couple of insecurities. This doesn’t imply that SEED Freedom is contrived in its melodrama, however reasonably that the 2 are proven to have moments of actual weak spot that make them really feel human on a stage that even the unique individual SEED doesn’t all the time attain. It’s a very good supporting basis for the movie as a complete.
Character Designs
I wish to handle one concern I had concerning the movie: the character designs. Within the promotional materials. Lots of the brand new characters appear to have mildly weird unusual proportions, like their heads are a tad too large or their legs just a little too brief. All the ladies for some purpose now have further pouty lips, even then they weren’t like that initially. I puzzled if these adjustments can be distracting, however both they’re not as unhealthy as I believed, or the opposite parts of the film distracted me sufficient to not discover it as a lot.
SPOILER SECTION
Lots of the extra attention-grabbing elements happen within the second half of the film. So from right here, it’s going to be spoilers. Be warned!
The VIllains Are Strolling Proper-Wing Memes
The Accords are (unsurprisingly) the principle antagonistic pressure of SEED Freedom, and I discover their position within the story pretty intriguing. They’re the principle proponents of restoring the Future Plan (i.e. area eugenics), and their reasoning and justifications find yourself feeling (maybe unintentionally) like speaking factors from right-wing manosphere-esque communities. Whereas created to be superior in each method, they will’t wrap their heads round the truth that being designed for particular roles in life doesn’t robotically imply that others must play alongside. Orphee particularly was meant from delivery to be Lacus’s preferrred accomplice, and the truth that she rejects him for somebody “inferior” in Kira bedevils him to the purpose of obsession.
(As an apart, I discover it humorous that this obsession with perfection and intolerance in the direction of any form of failure is similar to the Excellent Choujin, the villains of the current Kinnikuman anime.)
The very concept that somebody may need an “unideal” accomplice, or dedicate their lives to one thing they’re not inherently gifted at, bothers the Accords. When Orphee exclaims that Lacus is supposed to like him, it’s a sentiment minimize from the identical fabric as nonsensical beliefs about alpha, beta, and sigma males; offended incel notions of relationships (or lack thereof) as genetic inevitabilities; and different bizarre nonsense. The film not directly hits again in any respect this, particularly in a key line by Lacus: “You don’t love folks since you want them, you want folks since you love them.”
Character Un-Assassinations
One other welcome a part of the movie is that a whole lot of it appears to be dedicated to salvaging characters who had been made to be reasonably pathetic in SEED Future. That is particularly the case for Athrun and Cagalli, who aren’t as distinguished within the film however impression the narrative in their very own ways in which restore what made them nice.
Athrun makes an enormous splash in his first look in a Z’Gok, which is later revealed to have the Infinite Justice Gundam inside, not in contrast to the Black Sarena from Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness. He’s the one one who can knock some sense right into a distraught Kira, emphasizing their enduring friendship. Cagalli is portrayed as a bit overwhelmed by the present scenario however nonetheless firmly in cost and succesful because the younger chief of a small nation, removed from the crying mess she was in SEED Future. Their relationship appears to be one the place they’re typically not in a position to be bodily collectively however are linked by their emotions, and that’s greater than sufficient. The film even actually has a scene the place they’re working collectively long-distance in battle to thwart the mind-reading powers of an opponent by having Cagalli remotely pilot the Infinite Justice. They’re proven to be succesful and dependable associates individually, and clearly full of affection for one another as a pair.
Even Shinn is proven to have much less of a chip on his shoulder, however in a method that also reveals him as endearingly hotheaded. When the Accords attempt to learn Shinn’s thoughts and are greeted with a monstrous(ly protecting) ghost of Stellar (Shinn’s starcrossed lover who died in SEED Future), they principally recoil over the truth that Shinn’s angsty darkness is just too angsty and darkish for them to deal with. It’s good in a method.
Different character appearances within the film can really feel like fanservice within the sense that the work is usually saying, “Bear in mind this individual? Aren’t they nice?” however it’s a type of fanservice I welcome. One in all SEED’s strengths is its portrayal of character relationships, and it collectively seems like a return to type for the franchise as a complete.
(There’s additionally a little bit of precise fanservice. In actual fact, one joke I made concerning the film whereas watching was to exaggeratedly name it “Gundam SEED Freedom: Godannar Season 3” in reference to a specific Lacus scene.)
(I additionally known as it “Oops, All Sciroccos” because of the seductive nature of the Accords.)
Cool Robots Combating
Whereas this doesn’t play an enormous think about my evaluation of the film, I do wish to say that the cell go well with fight on this movie is superb. It’s not only a matter of excellent animation or crisp motion scenes, however reasonably the truth that SEED Freedom actually incorporates the fantastical and technical elements of its mecha lore into satisfying moments. Whether or not it’s giving everybody much more ridiculous backpacks, the Infinite Justice chopping an enemy in half with its head-mounted beam saber, or Shinn being at full power within the Future Gundam when he can go full “no ideas, head empty,” a whole lot of moments simply work. And the Mighty Strike Freedom on the climax is the height of all that extra.
SPOILER SECTION OVER
Last Ideas
I’m glad Gundam SEED Freedom occurred, even when it took without end to get right here. And I’d gladly enable the franchise to journey off into the sundown, solely it seems that they’re doing two further epilogues that they’re going to air in theaters.
The extra issues change…
