I’ll be honest. Part of me is certain that this film will never be completed. It was announced in 2006 but was put on hold due to chronic illnesses plaguing GTA Seed creator, scriptwriter Chiaki Morosawa. Little was said about the film over the next decade, and Morosawa passed away in 2016. Yet here we are today with the film completed by director Gun Seed (and Morosawa’s husband). ) Mitsuo Fukuda.
Gundam Seed Freedom primarily focuses on the aftermath of the 2004 Gundden Destiny seed explosion. In that series, Durandal announced a plan for an enforced social system in which a person’s genetics would be controlled. use to decide their role in life. Under this system, war would be eliminated because people would find happiness doing exactly what they were “meant” to do. Despite this, Kira and the others choose to fight for free will, believing that peace can come to humanity without the draconian plan devised by Durandal. Years later, the war continues.
This movie is largely a character-centered focus on Kira. The relentless killing around him broke him down — causing him to take on more and more emotional burden to help his friends escape the pain he was suffering. It was clear to many of them that he was reaching his breaking point—and they could only hope that the war ended before he reached that point. His story is easy to understand and touching. He has always been a child with a big heart; even at a young age, that hasn’t changed. However, as a side effect of his desire to protect others, he closed himself off from the emotional support of his friends—isolating himself within his own increasingly weakening heart.
On the other side of the story, we have Lacus. She spends her time as the face of COMPAS, the multinational military force of which Kira is a member. Unfortunately, this means she cannot personally support him as much as she would like—despite her deep love for him. Their relationship becomes even more complicated with the arrival of Orphee Lam Tao, a man who seems perfectly suited to her on an almost supernatural level. And when the two are forced into close proximity on a diplomatic mission, her confusion grows—and Kira’s mental state worsens. All of this culminates in a scene of sexual assault. However, it was quickly abandoned and had no visuals nor was played for stimulation. And most importantly, it fits with the main themes of the movie: predetermined destiny and free will.
In addition to our main pair, both the main cast and extended cast for both SEED and SEED Destiny return in one form or another. Most of the non-Kira-related focus is given to Shin, Luna, Hilda, and new character Agnes Giebenrath—and the interpersonal drama between them. Mu, Captain Ramius and Cagalli get a few standout moments. What’s surprising is that, despite being the antagonist of both SEED and SEED Destiny, Athrun has a relatively small role in the film—not even properly appearing until the second half of the film. That said, each of our heroes has a good arc — or, barring that, at least plays an important role in the plot at one point or another. Honestly, seeing the band back together after so long is great.
As for the villains, while they appear to be believable antagonists to our heroes, they are generally one-note. They have a cool design but almost no personality. The only exception to this is the aforementioned Orphee — but even he had to piggyback on a much more memorable villain to seem like a global threat.
There are a lot of games that are nostalgic on the visual side of things. We get to see both older hero mechs and new designs designed specifically for the movie. Furthermore, characters and objects from Gun Seed spin-offs like MSV and Astray appear in the background, and much of the new technology seen in the film is based on things we’ve seen before, brought to life. a new level. Overall, the animation is fast and smooth—and any CG used blends perfectly with the 2D animation style. In terms of character design, while there is the obvious addition of fuller lips on some of the main female actors, it’s not annoying or distracting. In fact, it’s a clear visual sign that our still-teenage heroes are continuing to grow up.
That said, I have two gripes with the visual presentation. First, some transition scenes appear to have been left on the cutting room floor. This means that certain characters seem to jump from place to place or machine to machine without warning or reason—especially during the film’s climax. The second is that sexual fanservice has been kicked up a few notches in some places. The new flight suits—most notably Lacus’—seem to “fit” significantly better than anything we’ve seen before. It feels a little out of place in the world of Gundam Seeds, which is often far more based in reality than fanservice (aside from a certain infamous opening theme song, anyway).
Talking about the theme songs, the music in the movie is both new and nostalgic. We get both remixes of classic Gun Seed tunes and new songs by Gun Seed artists. It’s a compelling soundtrack for fans of the two animated TV series and a movie that I’ll be following for weeks (if not months) to come.
All in all, Mobile Suit Gun Seed FREEDOM definitely feels like GTA Seed—and that’s ultimately what matters most when it comes to a long-awaited sequel like this. The characters feel consistent in their execution, and the central theme of “fate” versus “free will” is explored very clearly. Furthermore, in retrospect, this film significantly improved on the fate of the often criticized Gundam Seed. Focusing on how the events of that show continue to affect Kira and Lacus in the future gives the film a personal core that easily overshadows the show’s weaker elements. If you’re a fan of Gundunda Seed or Gunden Destiny Seed, this movie is truly made for you—and you’ll have a blast watching it.