20 years ago saw the airing of Gundam SEED Destiny, the sequel to the phenomenally successful Gundam SEED. Designed to usher Gundam into the newly dawned century, it was unsurprising when the second series was followed by news of a feature film. Fans eagerly waited.
And waited. And waited. And waited.
Due to various reasons (not least of all the tragic passing of original SEED scribe Chiaki Morosawa) the film seemed to have been quietly abandoned. So it took almost everyone by surprise when almost 2 decades later the film was confirmed for a 2024 release, launching first in its native Japan in January before spreading to other countries theatrically.
The obvious question is if this film is approachable for those who haven’t seen the original two TV series (or failing that their 7 part edited compilation form). The honest truth in my opinion is not really. This is a film aimed squarely at those who have been waiting for it, starting in the aftermath of Destiny and involving characters, concepts and machinery straight from it. Following the events of the previous war a new global peace taskforce has been created named COMPASS, staffed by many of the established heroes. When the seeming utopia nation of Foundation proposes a joint operation to eliminate the leader of the Blue Cosmos terrorist group, Kira, Lacus and their allies discover the previous war might not be quite as concluded as they think…
SEED Freedom is a movie of two halves. The first half is very much in the Gundam tradition and follows on from where the previous entry left off in tone. Destiny has long been criticised for its writing (even by other industry professionals) so here the film attempts to right the ship. A perfect example is Kira. Reduced to arguably a self righteous crusader in that show, this film returns him to being a layered character and explores his turmoil over how despite his best efforts the cycle of war never seems to end and the better nature of humanity he has long championed doesn’t seem forthcoming. Those who have followed his story will know he never really chose to be a soldier so it’s great to see this exploration. A similar view is offered of Lacus, who in her role as the president of COMPASS is likewise struggling with the harsh nature of the world and the path she feels her previous actions have bound Kira to.
Kira now commands a four person team, including the returning Shinn and Lunamaria. The Destiny original characters never really got the best showing as they were suckered along and the film is aware of that both in and out of story. A much healthier Shinn struggles to find peace with the consequences of his previous anger led actions, provoked by the narcissistic Agnes. It’s genuinely nice to see a Shinn who has moved past his more controversial character flaws, to the point he serves partly as the film’s major organic comedic foil.
I’ve often found the animated SEED outings to be ponderous, so it’s welcome that the film has a very relatable character-led focus throughout, extending even to our new antagonists. Admittedly what they bring to the established lore of the Cosmic Era does feel slightly broken and a particular character retcon might not sit well with all viewers.
The second half is where the film distinctively becomes a reunion special. Knowing that fans have waited twenty years and with no promises more will be made (though the film’s record breaking Japanese gross rather questions that), the film elects to have fun with a ton of callbacks and surprises. There’s not too much I can say about this as a huge part of the fun is said surprises, but it’s perhaps the breeziest tone I’ve seen for a Gundam final act. And that’s remarkable itself given how drawn out and repetitive the SEED television shows could be. I was fortunate enough to be invited to the UK premiere in London this past weekend and there were gasps, cheers and applause from the audience throughout.
Another noticable change is that the various robots and ships are now CGI elements. Sunrise have been experimenting with this since the original show but these sequences benefit from the modern standard that has now been achieved. In particular the opening attack by Blue Cosmos terrorists is highly impactful on a cinema screen, staged in such a way as to make the mobile suits look like looming giants as they terrorise a city.
The mobile suits themselves are a mildly awkward collection of derivatives and callbacks. There’s the expected Freedom and Justice (new scaled back designs in line with the treaties COMPASS must respect) but more awkwardly we see a continuation of reviving the Zeon designs from the original Gundam show rather than explore new ideas as many of the franchise entries have done post-2004.
Although an English dub has been announced for select American screenings, UK and Ireland will only be hearing the original Japanese recording. It’s nice to hear essentially the entire original cast return to their roles as if they never left, but theres a noticable absence; Nanako Mori replaces Naomi Shindo as Cagalli and it just doesn’t match the latter’s iconic tones. Why Shindo has increasingly stepped away from the role has been a matter of fan speculation for years but either way it just feels off to not hear her again, especially with all her co-stars back.
Gundam SEED Freedom is a very niche release. I think general audiences could have some fun with it (especially the second half) but this is very much a film aimed at long time fans who know this cast and setting, be they original SEED generation like myself or having got into it in the time since (which per the premiere is a not at all a small audience). I admit to being negative towards it pre-release but having seen it I heartily reccomend it.
To the cinema screen return, Gundam!!
Gundam SEED Freedom will screen in cinemas in UK & Ireland 23-24th March. Book tickets at https://gundamfreedomfilm.co.uk/
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