Gundam 00 — Episode 25
This is the last episode of the first season, something which I did not realize until halfway through the episode. The ending is rushed as expected and I think that it’s worse than Sunrise’s usual standard. Still, maybe season two will be better? At the very least it will have some funkier spacesuit designs.
Summary
Everyone dies, or at least appears to die.
Gone in 60 seconds
“Pikapi…”
He sees dead people
Alejandro is betrayed by Libonze, the real super villain. Graham and Setsuna fight to the “death”. A destroyed Exia floats in space with Earth as its backdrop while Marina cries over a letter Setsuna sent her before he sortied.
Gay harem
Three years later, the United Nations is officially renamed the Earth Federation (I kid you not). And one year after that, the Earth Federation Peacekeeping Force is formed and the various national armed forces are slowly dismantled and integrated into a joint command. Their mobile suits look suspiciously like Knightmare Frames…
Uh… All hail Britannia?
Saji is now working in space and a few other familiar characters make short appearances in the last few scenes of the episode.
The namesake of the entire series, 00 Gundam, makes a short five-second cameo right at the very end.
Critique
There are a lot of things wrong with how the ending played out, but I shall just focus on the most jarring bit: Graham.
Immediately after Setsuna defeats Alejandro’s bling machine with Exia, Graham comes flying in with his GN Flag looking for a fight. After some clichéd and completely nonsensical smack talking, the fight ends in a draw as both Exia and the Flag are destroyed.
“I am Sunrise’s bitch.”
I don’t personally like Graham much, but this rushed battle really cheapens his entire existence. Having waited for so many episodes and bore the pain of losing two of his close friends, all Graham gets is a short quickie which the scriptwriters forcefully squeezed into the last episode.
We all know that the plot calls for Exia to be destroyed so that Setsuna can embark on a journey of recovery and eventually obtain a much cooler Gundam. But it doesn’t have to be Graham. Setsuna could’ve drawn with Alejandro instead.
And what exactly is the point of getting Graham to make a short appearance in the last episode just to “die” in a spectacular explosion of GN particles?
Darth Veda
Sunrise needed a masked man. Oh for the love of…
Screencaps
Ha/Allelujah’s secret overpower move: using both eyes simultaneously
Mecha guro
“I don’t know what I should do in such situations…”
“Why don’t you try smiling?”
Plamo coming soon
Plamo coming soon
Oh Marina, you silly paedophile
Tieria MkII?
The first Gundam
This was a triumph / I’m making a note here…
I’m guessing the Earth Federation will be opposed by a group of smaller nations who do not wish to give up their sovereignty? They can even call themselves Zeon if they want…
On another note, I am so tempted to upgrade to the newly-released Wordpress 2.5, but I fear for the many plugins that my template relies on…
March 30th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Thanks for the hard work. You can rest from Gundam 00 now DM. ^_^;
Who else thinks that Setsuna will end up fighting on Marina’s side in season 2? At least for a little while. o_o
March 30th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
No more pretty face Granham……..D= They had to it didn’t they? What a disappointing fight between granham and setsuna. Whatever, no lackey, the fights in the beginning and the epilogue made it up for it. After all, this is what I was expecting from a final battle, fights, trash talking, explosions, explosions and MOAR EXPLOSIONS! =D Thank god it didn’t end off with the explosion between granham and setsuna. I was afraid that sunrise would pull a code geass cliff hanger again.
March 30th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I personally thought this episode was just mindless Sunrise brain fucking but that’s just me…
March 30th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Oh I call it right now Graham will try another Kamikaze attack in season 2 just like all the other Flag pilots did.
March 30th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Is it me or Tieria Mk II’s hairstyle resembles that of Lockon’s? (in memory of his seme?)
March 30th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
“o ya” for the ‘more blood’ (dreads on how it’s going to be modded for NA release), and “WE NEED THE WHITE MASK!!!!” message have to be sent to Sunrise, at once!
…btw, nice Britannia ref. (the spikes really does it. lol xD)
and to post 12; DUH!
March 30th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
1st !!
kinda a rush ending … but anyway nena is back ^_^
March 30th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
i was expecting to see more of the mass produced flag and enact in the series, they turned out to be nothing more than a giant cocktease
btw whats with nenas tron-esque space suit?
March 30th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Looks like TONS of characters will make a return…
Including Ali Al Serge who is seen drinking his wine.
BTW, Tiera is rumored to become a doctor who is treating Louise’s left arm.
Now, we wait for Season 2 in Oct.
March 30th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Interesting finale. Although I wonder, what’s the name of the Gundam with the GN-00 code?
March 30th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Looks like Allelujah decided to save his trump card ’til the last moment.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
wow tiera looks less feminine now
March 30th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Ah Earth Federation surprise surprise, I can just here the theory’s of how this series fits in the its all one big timeline theory.
March 30th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
first the golden pistol, then a golden pimp mobile, a gold pikachui suit and the golden MS, jesus Alejandro does love his ‘Bling’ lol cant wait till season 2! its out in october right?
March 30th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
i actually thought a full faced Allelujah/Hallelujah looked quite good.
March 30th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Hm….yeah its quite obvous that Setsune is going to look for a new meaning, like Kira in GS when the Strike got raped. Guess its also obvious he’ll end up with Marina, but she doesn’t appear to be hiding a Freedom-like Gundam somewehere, so he’ll have to get his Gundam from elsewhere^^
Though basically, with the earth federation, Celestial being got what its wanted. So i guess first thing Setsuna has to do is to realize that peace sucks depending on how it was formed.
Ah well. I’m looking forward to Season 2, but not as much as i look forward to Code Geass R2 now =)
March 30th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Can’t wait till october!!! WOW Aljendro’s mobile suit looks like a cross between the Hyaku Shiki and the Epyon also the new GN-x’s look like mass produced Gyans.
March 30th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
1st post :
Looks like saji gal becomes tieria liao…
Btw, the season ending with all current gundam being destroy (except 1) its time to roll out the antique that’s left…heheh
March 30th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Ah yes, an Earth Federation who, on the surface at least, unite the world in one large force… provided they all agree with what the leader says. Why do i feel that there will be a few small nations side lined for the greater good and that CB will return to free them and teach us all that, while having a communist state under one rulers with peace throughout…. you must not suppress the individual and that all people have a right too choose!!
hmmm… seem to remember a few other shows like that.
March 30th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Does no one realize that Code Geass’s mechas are rip offs to begin with? Watch Blue Gender if you don’t believe me. That’s just one reason why I couldn’t get into that show. It was too much of a rip off, more so than Destiny. These mechas are more of a combination of Leos from Wing and Evas.
And it’s the Earth SPHERE Federation. Remember this show is based off of Wing so they needed a name that was reminiscent. Yes, they basically combined two names to make an unoriginal name, but let’s face it, at this point in the Gundam genre it’s impossible to come up with an original name for Earth.