Character developement is extrodinary considering that it also has a plot. Unlike Ruroni Kenshin, which focuses mainly on character development in the Meiji Era, GW has both this, many prominent characters AND a plot. They seem unrealistic, but are they really? To me, Amuro is way too idealistic. Sure, you can compare this to... Relena, let's say. But she has insecurites and doesn't do things in the greatest way. She decides to put her whole nation at risk to Romefellar when declaring they are "neutral."

They say Duo is too happy, Wufei is too proud, Quatre is too nice and Trowa and Heero are too cold. Argument: This is only a perception drawn by fans. When I watched the series for the first time, (after reading a lot of fanfics) I was shocked that Duo wasn't reading hentai and Wufei wasn't ranting about justice every five seconds.

Another complaint is the mistiness of it all. As in it isn't clear all of the time. Well, all I can say for this is that THIS LEAVES ROOM FOR THOUGHT. Look at the 28,000 (not including crossovers) fanfics only on fanfiction.net.

"Even if you take away all weapons, you cannot stop war. You must change the hearts of the people." ~~Dorothy Catalonia

First and foremost, Gundam Wing is about the politics of war. There are so many plot twists that if you miss a single episode you may get completely lost. What starts out looking like your average show (good guys fight bad guys, good guys beat bad guys, repeat) quickly changes. Within the first 10 episodes, the main character will try to attack innocent people, the world government will be overthrown, and our heroes will start to wonder who exactly their enemy is. As the series goes on, things just get more and more complicated as military organizations are created, destroyed, and double crossed.

The second thing this series is all about is action. In every episode there will be Mech battles, and some of them are truly spectacular. Every once in a while, one of the Gundams will do something so cool, the moment just leaves you thinking "Whoa." And as the series goes on, the battles get more and more complex, and more and more heated.

But the third thing this series has going for it is character development. Treize Kushrenada is my idea of what would happen if James Bond became the leader of Spectre. Is he really evil, or just misunderstood? He eventually finds himself an outdated dinosaur, clinging to ideals that have becomes outdated with the times. Lady Une is one of the best examples of a person with split personalities I've ever seen. At first you hate her, but as you come to understand why she does what she does, you actually come to feel sorry for her.

This series has many great characters played by great voice-actors. Heero is great. Relena is solid. Even Hildi and Noin are great. But my two favorite characters in the series have got to be Dororthy and Zechs. Dorathy plays every scene with a perfect hint of sarcasm that constantly keeps you guessing if she's being sincere, or laughing inside at someone's actions. And then there is Zechs Marquise...

In the English version of Gundam Wing, Brian Drummond gives the single greatest piece of voice-acting I've ever seen in my life. He is PERFECT as Zechs Marquise. Zechs is a complex character. And I really feel that's he's the one that holds the series together. He's 19 year old who talks with an icy voice. He's ALWAYS serious. The only thing that matters to him is honor. And in his quest to do the right thing, he is forced to betray his friends, protect his family, come close to death, and even kill his own men. But like a tragic hero out of a Shakespearian tragedy, he is trapped by his actions. Never doing nothing, and never quite taking enough action, he lets a bad situation escalate until it's completely out of control and he's completely lost his mind (or has he?). Zechs is the perfect tragic hero/villain (depending on your point of view).

Some have complained about the animation in this show, but personally I love it. The watercolor style backgrounds and excellent Mecha designs are a winning combo in my book. I also really love the music.

If you love a complex political drama with great action and characterization, you owe it to yourself to give Gundam Wing a try. If you still have doubts, search the net and download the long toonami promo (the best promo or trailer I have ever seen for anything). Suit up!

Beware though, I was just looking at the used copies for $30, and they are all bootlegs. Yes, you heard me, those discs are bootlegs from China. The OFFICIAL set is 10 discs, no less. If you want to get this series, support Bandai with their legal set, not those loser sellers and their bootlegs.