Running Time: 125 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Format: Standard 4:3
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Languages: Japanese and English
Subtitles: English
Region: 1
MSRP: $24.98

Own It!
Gundam Wing DVD Operation 2 (1995)

Continuing the Gundam Wing story, these 5 episodes are the ones in which things really start to happen.

All five Gundam pilots are brought together in an assault on the New Edwards base, unknowingly manipulated by Treize, the man who heads the forces they were sent to Earth to destroy. This attack allows Treize to overthrow the old Alliance and set himself up as the Earth's shadow ruler.

Meanwhile, the enigmatic Zechs reveals his true identity and gets his hands on the Taurus mobile suit, a war machine so powerful it is almost guaranteed to kill the pilot! Zechs uses this new suit to take on Heero in the Wing Gundam, a battle with a most unexpected conclusion.

To say much more would spoil the many surprises that occur in this installment of the 49 episode series. This is also probably the last set of episodes where all of the characters' motivations will make sense, a problem that definitely dogs this series. Still, the action scenes are consistently exciting, and the story keeps you engrossed most of the time.

As with the first Gundam Wing DVD, the technical aspects are practically flawless, other than some small amount of dirt on the print.

Extras on this disc include short bios on Duo, Zechs, and the Gundam Deathscythe, as well as trailers for Angel Links, Cowboy Bebop, Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl, and The Vision of Escaflowne.

Bandai originally announced that the first five discs in this series would have lenticular motion covers, but apparently this proved unworkable after the first one. Now Bandai is including coupons that can be redeemed by mail for Gundam Wing action figures. You can read more about it here. The pictures included seem to suggest that these figures will be the "Mobile Suit in Action" figures that are just hitting stores, making them a really nice bonus.

Scott Hamilton, 8/7/00