MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 - COMPLETE TV SERIES DVD BOX SET ( 1-25 EPISODES )

UPDATE:After buying and finally getting this box set I come to find out that it only the first 9 episodes out of 25 for season one, and the reason for this box set cost more than the one that isn't SE is because this one comes with the first Manga for Gundam 00 and the first Manga for Gundam 00F. I have a feeling there will be 3 box sets for season one, since the next box set has two DVD's in it as well as this one did, but the 2nd box set's run time is only 200 mins in all where this one was 225 min. So I have a feeling the next box set will only have 8 episodes in it. Which leaves 8 episodes for the 3rd box set for season one. To tell you the truth, I was a bit shocked and disappointed to get only 9 episodes for the price I paid, but I also got the mangas, so it's not so bad, but I would have rather had the other official manga that is out for Gundam 00. for the art and the story line are a bit better it in. The manga they put in there for the SE is too comical for my liking. It makes everything into somewhat of a joke, where the show itself isn't comical. But having the Gundam 00F manga was a joy for me, since I haven't been able to find it state side what so ever, but it woudln't have killed me to wait to find it later on either. If you really don't want the mangas then I would say get the other box set since it's cheaper, or just wait all together and get the full box set when it comes out (which will be in about a year I'm thinking) This anime is still one of the best in my book, I just wish I would have known about the manga they put in here first, because as I said before, I really didn't like the style of that manga. I wish I would have saved my money and gone out to buy the other official manga for Gundam 00 since it's more of the true Gundam 00 style.(THIS CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS!!!)Contrary to what other reviews have said, this show is well worth watching. It has some of the best plot, characters, and Gundams you could ever see in any Gundam show. Here is just a bit of background on the show, Characters, and popularity stats:Background:The series is set in 2308 AD. As a result of the depletion of fossil fuels, humanity had to search for a new source of power. The power was found in the form of massive arrays of solar power collectors orbiting the Earth, and supported by three orbital elevators, each one serving one of the three "power blocs" on the planet, namely UNION, controlling the region surrounding North America, Human Reform League, consisting of China, Russia and India, and AEU, which controls mainland Europe.With this nearly inexhaustible source of energy benefiting only the major powers and their allies, constant warfare erupts around the globe among minor countries for fuels and energy. Countries that once economically relied on the sale of fossil fuels have plunged into poverty. Some even believe that solar energy threatened the "promised land of God", resulting in the 20-year Solar Wars. This chaos led to the formation of a private military organization, called Celestial Being, dedicated to eradicating war and uniting humanity through the use of four humanoid machines called Gundams. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 follows four mobile suit pilots termed Gundam Meisters, sided with Celestial Being. The main protagonist is 16-year old Setsuna F Seiei, a quiet, taciturn young man who grew up in the war-torn Krugis Republic. He pilots the GN-001 Gundam Exia, a high mobility mobile suit effective in melee combat.Characters:Setsuna F SeieiHe is the primary protagonist of the show and was discovered by Celestial Being at the age of 14 for having special potential as a pilot. He is currently a Gundam Meister for their organization, piloting the Gundam Exia specialized in melee combat.Lockon StratosLockon decided to join Celestial Being after losing his parents and little sister to terrorists in Ireland; because of this, he loathes terrorists. As the eldest pilot, he is considered the team leader of the Gundam Meisters, and sports a more easygoing, flamboyant personality as compared to the other Gundam Meisters. He owns an orange Haro to control Gundam Dynames.Allelujah HaptismAllelujah spent his childhood as an orphan in the Human Reform League as a Super Soldier experimental subject, designated "E-57". He is the pilot of Gundam Kyrios which specialize in high mobility and are able to transform into mobile armors (fighter jets).Tieria ErdeGundam Meister of the heavily armored Gundam Virtue, Tieria treats Veda's (there super computer) orders with high regard, valuing the mission above all other issues. His arrogance and cold attitude towards others, his relationship with the other Gundam Meisters got off a rocky start, but later learns to care for the other Meisters. Of all the Gundam Meisters, Tieria is the one with the most unknown past.Popularity:While critically acclaimed, the first season of Gundam 00 experienced lower average ratings than its predecessors Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. Over its 25 episode run, it averaged a rating of 4.85% and peaked at 6.1%. On a more positive note, Gundam 00's average rating was higher than the other previous Gundam shows set in alternative universes such as Gundam Wing (which averaged 4.3%) and G Gundam (which averaged 4.1%).In a top 20 anime poll published in the April 2008 issue of Newtype magazine, Japanese readers voted for Gundam 00 as the best anime, higher than its predecessor Gundam SEED, which was voted ninth. In Newtype's poll for top 10 male anime characters, Setsuna F Seiei was voted second, Tieria Erde third, Lockon Stratos fifth, Graham Aker sixth and Allelujah Haptism at seventh; and in its poll for top ten female anime characters, Nena Trinity was voted eighth and Marina Ismail was voted tenth.At the Anime News Network website, the first season of Gundam 00 has an average rating of 8.4/10 and ranked #129 in its top 250 anime poll as of October 18, 2008, while the second season has an average rating of 9/10 and is ranked #14 in its top 250 anime poll as of December 13, 2008.

This is not a review to say how great Gundam 00 or how great previous Gundam series were. Each Gundam series (except Gundam Seed Destiny and a few other offshoots) tends to start from scratch with a new fictional future, and new characters. Gundam 00 is a new series where the future is one that is oddly foreseeable. The world has depleted the supply of fossil fuel, so the only resource available is to harness solar power. But to harness solar power on the scale needed to power the planet, 3 orbital solar power stations were built. The Middle East fell into ruin after the oil dried up and the foreign powers abandoned those countries. The countries where the solar elevators were built (along the equator) are targets of struggle and terrorism, despite their apparent fortune.The world is dominated by three superpowers, but there are still many countries around the globe that war over finite resources. Those superpowers have control of the solar power and can literally 'shut off' a country. So even independent countries must bend a knee towards one of these superpowers.The Gundam Meisters are in an organization called Celestial Being. They are an anti war organization that uses armed intervention to end conflict (kind of ironic). We do see that there is more than meets the eye, especially as this first half of the series moves to the conclusion. And there is a nice demarcation between season one and two (which takes place a couple of years later).The Japanese voice acting is a real treat. I have listened to the English dubbing, but I still prefer the Japanese voice cast. The music is very nice and everything is presented in high quality digital audio. The mixing and editing is nice, so you actually get movie quality sound effects instead of the same overly repeated explosion sound of previous series.The series starts off almost too fast. You are introduced to probably a dozen or so central characters and not really given much time to catch your breath. I highly recommend watching through a second time soon after watching through the first season (I did and it helped). I might also recommend watching the first 5 or 6 episodes then possibly re watching them just to clarify a few items. At times it seems you might need a Gundam wiki at hand just to keep straight the three superpowers and which character is working for which power! It all gets a little clearer later on, but this is really the only negative I can think of.The animation is top quality, backgrounds are stunning. The story moves along well and is full of plotting, revenge, and intrigue. This is a more political style of story rather than previous series which have been more military or overlord centered stories. Even Gundam Seed featured a moral rift causing war and racism but had a couple of key megalomaniacal characters that could obviously be pointed out as the bad guys. In this series, things are a bit more ambiguous.The first season is more about setting the table and then dishing out some great action, but the real entree is to be served in season two.Pros:+ Great Japanese voice acting (as expected in a Gundam series)+ More modern character designs and appearances+ High quality animation and backgrounds+ Terrific musical score+ Interesting and oddly foreseeable future+ Rarely does it bore the viewer or settle on one scene for too long+ $30 for 25 episodes of great Gundam action!Cons:- Too many principal characters and too many introduced too quickly- Some side stories and back stories detract from overall flow- Each character less developed than characters in previous Gundam series

Well, I bought this as a gift for a friend of mine who is obsessed with Gundam, but personally I've never really gotten into any Gundam series, Wing or Seed included. From an objective point of view, I thought the animation quality was really good, especially with the new HD quality visuals, the mobile suits were all pretty tight, and sound quality was good as well.Ok, so here comes the subjective part. In terms of storyline, so far I can't say that I'm really impressed. It just seems like every Gundam series is basically cast from the same mold: some sinister military organization has somehow gained a lot of power, and its up to a band of androgenous teenagers to use their obscurely procured Gundam suits to save the day. This has been the plot of every Gundam series since 1980. The characters are all totally emotionless drones. And above all, the script could have been better written by my dog.So bottom line: if you're really not and never were into Gundam, this series brings no surprises. If you're already a fan (and if you are, you probably don't find any of my aforementioned criticisms salient), then you'll probably like the series.