Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Blu-ray Movie Review

The complete series - a beautiful box-set.

Reviewed by Neil Lumbard October 21, 2021

Gundam Seed is one of the most popular entries in the long-running Gundam franchise. The anime series is by creators Hajime Yatate (The Big O, Angel Links) and Yoshiyuki Tomino (Turn A Gundam, Mobile Fighter G Gundam). Produced by Fumikuni Furusawa and Seiji Takeda, the saga takes place in the Cosmic Era in the Gundam timeline.

The planet is now divided between two groups: the Earth Forces and Blue Cosmos (who believe in the “preservation of our blue and pure world.”) Athrun Zala (Akira Ishida), Lacus Clyne (Rie Tanaka), and Kira Yamato (Soichiro Hoshi) delve in to a world at war – as danger looms in the horizon. As the crew of a spaceship, action and adventure awaits. A war rages on.

The animation is impressive and is one of the noteworthy elements of the production. The character designs by Hisashi Hirai (Majestic Prince, Demon Slayer) are superb and fit each of the characters nicely. Each character has a distinctive aesthetic and the efforts of Hirai succeed in spades. The art direction by Shigemi Ikeda (My Hero Academia, Turn A Gundam) provides the series with a strong aesthetic.

The mecha designs by Kimitoshi Yamane (Cowboy Bebop, The Vision of Escaflowne) and Kunio Okawara (After War Gundam X, Mobile Suit Victory Gundam) also provides the series with a lot of remarkable style. The giant robots steal the spotlight – making the action sequences fun. The artistic setting is superb.

An epic set for Gundam Seed enthusiasts.

One of my favorite elements to the series is the original music score composed by Toshihiko Sahashi (Digimon Adventure, The Big O). The music provides an action-packed backdrop the production. A thrilling adventure, Gundam Seed is all-the-better because of the epic score backdrop.

Written by Chiaki Morosawa (Outlaw Star, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny), Gundam Seed is a compelling entry in the Gundam saga. Fans of the franchise won't want to miss out. The action is entertaining and the characters are enthralling.

Directed by Mitsuo Fukuda (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny, Aihime MEGOHIME), Gundam Seed is one of the most popular Gundam entries. The series takes viewers on an epic and compelling action-packed journey – and Fukuda makes the series worthwhile with an epic sense of adventure. Well worth checking out.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Nozomi Entertainment and Sunrise, Gundam Seed is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The release is of a standard-definition upscale. The video-quality is never as crisp or detailed as a modern high definition production. There are visible jaggies and the edges of the image are often soft and blurry. The encode is sufficient but the original standard- definition source-material is still apparent throughout the restoration effort. While it looks superior to the traditional standard-definition presentation, fans should keep their expectations in check – this is not a miraculous restoration. Nonetheless, it is a decent upgrade that any die-hard fan will be compelled to experience.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The audio quality is excellent on the release. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The music score by Toshihiko Sahashi sounds clear and has adequate "punch" and bass.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The collectors edition includes a deluxe chip-board box with an 118 page art-book featuring full-color illustrations, poster art, character designs, and more. The book also includes notes on the standard-definition restorations for the HD Gundam Seed project.

Disc 1:

Textless Opening 1 (HD, 1:32)

In This Era – Prelude (SD, 1:58)

Disc 2:

Textless Ending 1 (HD, 1:02)]

Disc 3:

Textless Opening 2 (HD, 1:32)

In This Era: George Glenn (SD, 2:00)

Disc 4:

In This Era: Athrun (SD, 15:50)

Disc 5:

Directors Concept Music Video 1 (SD, 4:56)

Mecha Animation Director HD Comparison 1 (HD, 12:36)

Disc 6:

Textless Opening 3 (HD, 1:32)

In This Era: Cagalli (SD, 17:00)

Disc 7:

Textless Ending 2 (HD, 1:15)

Disc 8:

Textless Opening 4 (HD, 1:39)

In This Era: Lacus (SD, 14:58)

Disc 9:

Director's Concept Music Video 2 (SD, 4:31)

Mecha Animation Director HD Comparison 2 (HD, 19:30)

Disc 10:

Director's Concept Music Video 3 (SD, 4:59)

Director's Concept Music Video 4 (SD, 5:12)

SEED Character Theater 1 (SD, 3:46)

SEED Character Theater 2 (SD, 4:13)

In This Era: Kira (SD, 15:14)

After Phase: In the Valley of Stars (HD, 5:35)

Disc 11 & Disc 12:

Gundam Seed (Original SD on Blu-ray)

Disc 13:

Special Edition 1: The Empty Battlefield

Special Edition 2: The Far-Away Dawn

Special Edition 3: The Rumbling Sky

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gundam Seed is a compelling anime classic set in the popular anime franchise. Fans of the series will be thrilled to own the series in such an impressive collectors edition. The set comes with a deluxe chipboard art-box and provides both the high-definition remaster project as well as the original standard-definition version. The set also includes a stunning 118 page art-book. A great set for collectors to cherish owning. Highly recommended.