Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002) [/]
Dec 10 2025
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is a 48 episode series (on Netflix, originally 50 but two were recaps and omitted) set in the future of the main timeline. There's a war between the Naturals (who are Earth-based) and the Coordinators (DNA-modified humans, all based in space colonies near Earth). Besides the Earth Alliance and ZAFT there is the neutral Orb Union which has both Earth members (based in Panama) and orbital colonies.
ZAFT raids neutral Heliopolis which was making two military items for Earth Alliance: the Archangel ship and five Gundam G mobile suits. Four Gundams are captured while the Archangel and one Gundam escape with military and civilian survivors. The survivors try to make it back to Earth Alliance territory pursued by ZAFT forces.
Kira Yamato is a teen Coordinator who was studying on Heliopolis and he gets caught up in everything because he's the only one who can effectively pilot the Gundam (even though built for Naturals to pilot a Coordinator is still 10x better). Meanwhile Kira's best friend Athrun Zala is on the ZAFT side piloting one of the captured Gundams. And once the survivors find out he's a Coordinator even his friends treat him a bit differently.
The series has cool Mecha combat. I like that all the ships are pretty much Mech carriers -- they are armed but their main offensive and defensive punch is the handful of Mecha a ship carries. Archangel does have a space fighter piloted by Mu La Flaga who is extremely good yet shows that the best human in a space fighter can barely take on an average ZAFT or two in their regular Mecha.
Animation is good. Lots of character interactions and drama. Not too much whiny kids (mostly in early episodes). I like the military detail and different units. A fair amount of politics to the point that both sides leaders are full of bad guys. More depth and a bit more mature topics than Robotech (e.g. there's a sex scene).
Overall an entertaining Mecha series.
ZAFT raids neutral Heliopolis which was making two military items for Earth Alliance: the Archangel ship and five Gundam G mobile suits. Four Gundams are captured while the Archangel and one Gundam escape with military and civilian survivors. The survivors try to make it back to Earth Alliance territory pursued by ZAFT forces.
Kira Yamato is a teen Coordinator who was studying on Heliopolis and he gets caught up in everything because he's the only one who can effectively pilot the Gundam (even though built for Naturals to pilot a Coordinator is still 10x better). Meanwhile Kira's best friend Athrun Zala is on the ZAFT side piloting one of the captured Gundams. And once the survivors find out he's a Coordinator even his friends treat him a bit differently.
The series has cool Mecha combat. I like that all the ships are pretty much Mech carriers -- they are armed but their main offensive and defensive punch is the handful of Mecha a ship carries. Archangel does have a space fighter piloted by Mu La Flaga who is extremely good yet shows that the best human in a space fighter can barely take on an average ZAFT or two in their regular Mecha.
Animation is good. Lots of character interactions and drama. Not too much whiny kids (mostly in early episodes). I like the military detail and different units. A fair amount of politics to the point that both sides leaders are full of bad guys. More depth and a bit more mature topics than Robotech (e.g. there's a sex scene).
Overall an entertaining Mecha series.