This past weekend, I was without Internet thanks to my phone company's bungling. Without much to do, I looked over at my bookshelf and noticed my GW DVD collection, nearly complete (missing Disc 2). Well, I figured I may as well, so I watched it through. I made a nice index of my thoughts, but here are some selected ones.
-Everyone seems to hate Relena in her "ambassador's daughter" phase...but I adore her. She's so smart-alecy and clever, it's like she's a totally different person. It's actually easier to relate to her like that than it is to relate to the plaster-saint EW Relena. Actually sort of reminds me of my girlfriend, but not as angry. Also, I think her Queen of the World outfit looks much better when she
wears her hair down.
-Noin kicks major booty, and doesn't need Zechs to do it.
-Heero's Japanese voice is very young-sounding, but very emotional.
-Dorothy is really clever and manipulative. And she has a
blinged-out pimpmobile.
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Wing Zero talks to Heero.
-Treize's assistant is the
Frost Brothers' ancestor.
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The Playstation 2 still exists in the future.
But most importantly, and more seriously, is my final thought.
Wow. I finished Gundam Wing in the span of one weekend by powering through it a few hours at a time. My final verdict? It's just as good - no, better than I remember it being. The first time I watched this show, I was amazed and enchanted by the world of possibilities it presented. Now that I'm older and (despite my best efforts) wiser, I can truly appreciate the subtleties that the staff worked in. The characters I admired before are even better, and the delicate work on the plot still makes me smile. Of course, not the least a factor in my love of it is the fact that it's the reason I met so many wonderful people who have helped shape my life. As bizzare and possibly foolish as it may sound, Gundam Wing helped me become the person I am today by helping me out of the self-imposed isolation I put myself into because I felt so different and out of touch with my peers. I always felt like nobody knew what I was going through...but now I know differently. I have the best friends a man can have, and the love of a wonderful woman, things I never would have had if I had just sat in the shadows like before. I now know that the people who insult the show were never trying to understand it, and that's their problem. But the real lesson this show has taught me: in life, as with all things, the most important thing is just communication.So I can say this: if you have the means, rewatch the series, but keep your eyes open. You'll be amazed at what you notice this time around.