Gundam SEED DESTINY - Oh, wait, I have a bathroom to clean
As another weekend draws to a close, I listen to the pitter-pat of rain hitting the roof and hope that the low hanging gutter on the back of the house doesn't fall off during the night. I think about lots of things, but pointedly avoid dwelling on the inhospitable universe that I tried to sample today, the world of Gundam. I've felt disconnected from plots before, but never to the extent experienced here.
Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED DESTINY {Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY} #3
by: 矢立肇/富野由悠季/岩瀬昌嗣
Gundam SEED DESTINY Vol 3 by Yatate/Tomino/Iwase
Rated: 13+
Price: 10.95
Del Rey - Sci-Fi/Drama
Review May Contain Spoilers
First off, I'll say that this series is not friendly to new readers that just want to jump in mid way. Since I'm not very familiar with the Gundam universe, I really felt like I was having a hard time treading water with this book. Several of the characters also looked so similar that I had a hard time telling them apart, which started to get frustrating when they both appeared in the same scenes. Add their helmets into the mix, and my weary eyes started to cross trying to figure out who was who!
Oh, the confusion! I found the plot a muddled mess, and since I'm not overly fascinated with mecha designs, the over abundance of battle scenes just bogged things down even more. I can't tell Mobile Suit Destiny from Mobile Suit Legend, and I don't think I ever will. I also had a hard time keeping all of the acronyms straight, determining who sided with whom, and which Mobile Suit fought for which entity. Maybe I'm just not cut out for the giant fighting robot storylines.
I would give a plot synopsis, but I don't feel that I understood it enough to do this proficiently. Instead, I'll share that wading through this book was less enjoyable than cleaning the bathroom. There were so many characters that babbled incoherently while sandwiched between page upon page of battling mecha. There were explosions aplenty, and I soon came to enjoy the fight sequences; it meant less confusing dialog from the massive cast of eerily similar looking characters. I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't even realize that Cagalli was a chick! When she was presented with her father's last wish, I thought she was just a girly-looking guy!
While this series will probably appeal to the Gundam crowd, casual fans are going to have a tough time following along with the action taking place on the pages. A lot of the action probably translates better to anime, but I don't feel that it works well as a comic book. Maybe it's the pacing of the story that's off and that causes a feeling of incomprehension; everything just whizzed confusingly by, with no real motivations given for any of the characters actions.
Grade: D+
This review was written by Julie for the MangaCast. Please drop by the Manga Maniac Cafe and check out the menu. There's always tasty reviews on display!