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Suit Gundam 00 is a show created by the animation studio Sunrise as part of its
long-standing Gundam series – Season one of the show aired from Fall 2007 to
Winter 2008 and the second season aired from Fall 2008 to Winter 2009. Though
many elements of this show are worth further consideration, including the
show’s immense aesthetic beauty especially for its time, I would like to hone in
on one particular image from the second season.
Gundam
00 features an especially beautiful image as the series draws to a close. The
below image describes a simple scene: Feldt (left) hands Setsuna (right) a
potted flower in an air-tight container as an apparent good luck charm right
before he must sortie into a vicious battle. In an implicitly miraculous turn
of events, one of the crew members was able to grow this flower in space. After
Setsuna graciously accepts the gift, Feldt calls out to him and begs him to
come back alive, suggesting that the flower represents staying alive amidst
adversity. Indeed, this scene highlights Feldt’s sudden but great affection for
Setsuna.
Though
this is but one flower, it is featured in season one’s first opening theme
(below), the masterful “Daybreak’s Bell” by L’arc-en-ciel. The “shaky” use of
framing blurs and clears the image of the flower, drawing the viewer’s eye. As
the perspective zooms out from the flower, a figure is brought into focus: it
is a younger Setsuna, desperately gripping a rifle as he sits behind an
obliterated wall. The flower he receives from Feldt represents his struggle to
seek out the future without the burdens of the past – thus, from both Feldt’s
view and from the viewer’s perspective, Setsuna is provided an emphatic
reminder to stay alive.
Under
normal circumstances, a flower is a simple gift that represents life. But in
context of the opening theme, the flower, growing in a harsh terrain, becomes
an optimistic message about humanity’s ability to persevere. By corollary, a
flower grown in space represents an evolved ability to navigate difficult
situations. As someone who grew up in the fictional yet war-torn country of
Krugis, he has lived most of his life defending himself with violence. But his
journey as a Gundam Meister allows him to Most of the second season stands as a
testament to the immense growth of Setsuna, as he gains the powers of a
superbeing – thus, the space-grown flower is reinforced as Setsuna’s image.
As
part of the story of Setsuna F. Seiei, this image demonstrates both his
character and his momentum in context of a larger battle for humanity. However,
Feldt’s offering is itself beautiful in context of the mecha genre. Though most
mechas are certainly not bent on morbidity, few of them, in my experience,
choose to value – or hint at valuing – love over anger or hatred. Gundam 00
stands apart in this regard. 00’s fourth ending theme features the lines “I
love you / I trust you”, highlighting the series’ focus on love as a driving
force for human behavior –these sentimental lyrics imbue the series’ violent
second half with an optimism that there exists more than violence. Combined
with the emotional power of Feldt’s gift, 00 beautifully supports love and
affection over rage and destruction. It is not simply a love shared between
Feldt and Setsuna, but a love across humanity.
Certainly,
this scene surprised me, especially given Setsuna’s stoic responses, because of
both its simplicity and its sentimentality. Because it stands apart from the
distressed atmosphere of the rest of the episode, alleviating the mood. If it
is not one of my favorite mecha scenes, it is a strong contender.
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