Gundam Seed: Shoujo

[branchandroot]

GSeed is so very shoujo that it brought a warm glow to my heart. The original Gundam series (or two) was distinctly shounen--sufficiently so that it annoyed me, in fact, because true shounen stories invariably denigrate and diminish any and all female characters. GWing tried to be both, with... shall we say, variable results. Seed is where the Gundam franchise writers finally gave in to the inevitable and admitted who their fanbase really is. The signs of their capitulation are many.

Let me count the ways.

At the most basic level, we have the high coloring of the characters. Everyone has the bright hair and vivid eye colors that appear more often in shoujo series than anywhere else. The Oooo, pretty! factor.

At the plot level, we see nearly all the female characters kicking butt, each in her own way. Lux, when she finally gets Athrun to meet with her, provokes him rather harshly to think about what he's fighting for, and never mind that he's holding a gun on her. She takes command of a warship with the cool that would do a seasoned officer proud. Cagali shows just as much ability the first time she gets in a suit as Kira shows on his first time (though she does get rather shortchanged after that *grumps*). Maryu deals magnificently with Moore's playboy flirting, accepting him as a lover but on her own terms. She also shows real moral courage in taking responsibility for the decision to go rogue and not participate blindly in the headlong rush to war. Natal shows her own measure of that, first by choosing to stay with the military and commanders she believes in. And, when it's finally shown that the chain of command is in the wrong, she cuts the head off the snake with her own hands--locks herself in with a madman with a gun so that she can ensure his death. Mirialia forgives Dyaka, freeing him from the cycle of revenge; but she doesn't just let him off the hook for his past actions. Her forgiveness is informed, not blind, and as such it has a real impact.

Frey is the only useless frill, and, well, that's kind of her job in the plot. The contrast does make the other women's strength even more clear.

Also, romance actually exists, in this one! Not only are there the delightfully reasonable, and matter-of-fact, adult couples like Maryu and Moore, or Andy and Aisha. Not only is there the equally age-typical high-school dating drama of Frey dumping Sai to go mess with Kira's head. But we also have two very sweet young couples that we get to see develop from ground zero: Lux and Kira, and Athrun and Cagali. Each of these couples has it's own stamp, it's own distinct dynamic. Each also has humor and balance between the characters: Maryu's wry authority with Moore's cheerful randiness; Andy's sharpness and charisma with Aisha's sense of humor and loyalty; the thoughtful Athrun with the brash Cagali; intuitive and earnest Kira with calculating and unmoveably determined Lux.

I would also note that the Seedlings fall into pairs along the lines of what unlocks the Seed in them. Lux and Kira have a universal will to protect--to protect almost in the abstract. Athrun and Cagali, on the other hand, act to protect individuals--to protect what is concrete.

It's all wonderfully coherent and resolved. Which makes the deaths of Moore and Aisha hit all the harder. Which, in turn, gives the viewers even more reason to be happy for the young couples who survive.