the light of setsuna f seiei

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Trans Am Burst!

I have an old Stars Wars graphics novel on my bookself, Tales of the Jedi. I think I got this in middle school. It’s the precursor to the idea that would eventually become Knights of the Old Republic and was the first Star Wars narrative outside the Skywalker era. It contains two arcs, Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon and The Saga of Nomi Sunrider. Besides typical Jedi, Sith, and bounty hunter interactions, the two arcs involved different characters, but one central theme: a Jedi ability called “Battle Mediation”. A Jedi can effect a battle without combat by spreading the Force to all around him and giving them a vision of victory over despair.

When Setsuna pulled off his Trans Am Burst, I was reminded of this old graphics novel. I’m flipping through it now– ah nostalgia! Ulic would eventually become one of the most powerful Sith Lords, and Nomi’s daughter would eventually be one of the Jedi to take him down. Ah, good times. But for Gundam 00, watching all of Celestial Being fall into despair– and then lifted out of it thanks to Setsuna’s light– well, I feel like that middle schooler wearing a Bart Simpson T-shirt, sipping on Orange Crush all over again, and reading Tales of the Jedi again.

Everyone solves their problems… by talking things out. I liked how while they had universal communicators before, they just ignored each other. But now, with the magic fairy dust from Setsuna, they’re actually listening to each other. Conflicts solved by listening and understanding… imagine that. Marina is right. But it still doesn’t move out of the Uchida Useless All-Stars.

And everyone is okay with being fondled and violated by Setsuna’s light?

They’re not Innovators… they’re Innovedars. Ugh. Still jargon soup, but at least it’s not as bad as it got in Darker Than Black.

(And if Setsuna F Seiei is a codename, why does it have a middle initial? What does “F” stand for? And why does everyone call him by his full name this entire episode? Oh, it’s the light from Setsuna F Seiei, not Setsuna J Seiei. Can you imagine if the Secret Service referred to Obama as “Renegade F Murrow”?)

Feldt’s eyes… so damn serious… zomg! So cute! Her determination reminds me of Yoko after Kittan died… good times… good times.

Sumeragi managed to disarm Billy without flashing her breasts. That’s a bigger upset than Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson. Though I liked how Billy confessed right afterwards– I’m rooting for a Toradora-like 00 spin-off featuring Billy, Kathy, and Sumeragi. We can bring back Patrick too.

(Patrick died the most meaningless death of meaningless deaths. Why even bother wasting screentime killing him off? Though the odds of him returning wearing a mask in Gundam 00 Endless Waltz is very good.)

Not a great screenshot, but it shows the classic “Gundam as a cross” pose. I wonder what kind of imagery Sunrise goes for here… mmm… same pose that 0 Gundam was in when Ribbons first saved Setsuna. And same pose Wing Gundam was in when Heero finally tore himself away from his Duo blowup doll, arrived on Earth, and saved the day. Except that one had feathers instead of GN particles.

Why didn’t Tieria break out the Trial System at the beginning of the fight with A-LAWS? I mean, being able to stop all the mobile suits on the field is a much better weapon than some fatty Gundam with a large cannon, right? Isn’t this like Pikachu refusing to evolve into Raichu? Isn’t this like watching a TV show on a 20″ inch computer LCD instead of a 52″ plasma? Isn’t this like going to a Clippers game instead of a Lakers game when you’ve got free tickets to both?

Lasse needs more screentime. If Setsuna doesn’t want Feldt, I think Lasse should make a move on her. Though what does it say about the disposibility of characters when Christine, Patrick, Nena, Ms. Wang, Louise’s mom, and Saji’s sister don’t get lines in an epsiode where almost every other dead character gets lines? And where’s Graham?!

(Though I like how Anew got more lines than Marina… Sunrise making Gundam is like Kana making curry. She has her heart in the right place, but without Chiaki hiding all the ingredients from her, she’ll just toss everything in there without regard of the mixture’s composition. Sunrise, I offer to be your Curry Fairy. Feel free to ask me questions like, “Hey, do you think it’s a good idea to introduce this Chinese girl who looks stunning in a China dress, but has no other real purpose in the show?”)

Louise and Saji is the most emotional reunion since Nagisa and Tomoya… except the exact opposite. Though I loved Louise’s emo-ness as well as Saji’s deer in the headlights look.

Let’s keep that Clannad analogy going a second longer… let’s see… Tiera dies, and then Setsuna snaps and floods the world with light while thinking of Lockon. Tiera, of course, enables this by having merged with Veda. So this means that if Setsuna is in Tomoya’s role, Tiera must be the Ushio-lovechild of Setsuna and the original Kyle Lockon! That explains why Tieria was calling out for Lockon– he’s calling for his maternal figure! And the Red Haro is actually a giant Dango! And why we have a romantic love song as the ED! My gosh, it’s all making sense to me now…

(Hold me. I’m terrified.)

30 Responses to “the light of setsuna f seiei”

  1. Or it could be Geass again.

  2. Patrick dead!? With all the ways that he hasn’t died, I will be surely disappointed in this series if we don’t see him again. i wanted him to die every time his mobile suit blew up in the first season, but that happened so many times that now I’m cheering him on to come back.

    Oh and trial system couldn’t because Teria didn’t have access to Veda, and also A-Laws arent connected to Veda.

  3. where do you want me to hold you? >:D

  4. >>Feel free to ask me questions like, “Hey, do you think it’s a good idea to introduce this Chinese girl who looks stunning in a China dress, but has no other real purpose in the show?”

    As if you wouldn’t say yes Jason. Look your readers in the eye and say you wouldn’t.

    In other news, I wish Sumeragi shot Billy. Multiple times.

    In the crotch.

  5. sumeragi should’ve used a cockshot instead (for reference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfYijyWMAjo) forget shooting him with a gun XD

  6. I am convinced that Sunrise has two teams working on the writing for this show. One team is seasoned, experienced veterans who know how to write excellent plots. The other are 13-year-olds who write bad fanfiction.

    Every time the director wants to introduce a new plot point, he flips a coin to choose the team.

  7. So I’m sure you’ve been asked about this a million times but where do you get your title images?

  8. Poor Tieria… I was actually thinking we’d get a background episode on the Innovator’s (sorry, Innovade’s) pasts, etc. I guess he’s alive and that could all happen next episode…

    It’s kind of laughable how Ribbon’s thinks he can win. Setsuna’s got Trans-Am Burst-capable Twin-Drive Double O Raiser (wow, I can actually understand that) with backup from TieriaxRegene Veda, and what does Ribbons have? Some lame ugly MS. I suppose Revive and Healing could contribute, but really, that has less of a chance happening than Marina showing up with Graham in a 00 Raiser knockoff next episode.

  9. I’ll finish the sentance for you.

    ‘Feel free to ask me questions like, “Hey, do you think it’s a good idea to introduce this Chinese girl who looks stunning in a China dress, but has no other real purpose in the show?” “Put her in a Maid outfit and i’ll watch.”‘

    Now, it every charachter on this show was a sports team, what teams would be on this show be? The cowboys would have to be Setsuna because they made a comeback in the second half and Marina would probably be the Lions. But who else would be there?

  10. “That explains why Tieria was calling out for Lockon– he’s calling for his maternal figure”

    I think I’m all okay up until the part where Lockon’s the mother. That totally screwed up my mind. First off, Set-chan seme? No want. Second: Lockon as Nagisa=LockonxTieria motherxdaughtercest .. Uh.

    Okay, well … maybe the analogy isn’t so bad after all. Aha.

  11. Wasn´t Setsunas initial nickname “Gundam Jesus?”

    And definetly too many subplots. I still don´t know why the 3 Thrones were necessary. Still there wasn´t anything with a “wrong” conclusion,

    And what are the chances that Setsuna will get a Bailout against Ribbons from Bushido Bob? Will he turn into a innovadissimo? And bring another new Suit?

  12. I love you, I trust you~

  13. I’m under the impression the Trial System could only work with Tieria connected to Veda, so they couldn’t use it before that.

    I’m also expect to see Patrick alive and well at the end of next episode.

  14. I was kind of annoyed that Patrick, of all people, was knocked off so casually, but count me as one of the people who want him to survive, as he’s really one of the characters in the show who’s free of major issues. Plus, unlike Marina, he’s not just window-dressing.

    As for the Trial System, I was under the impression that it was useless UNTIL Tieria was able to synchronize with VEDA again.

  15. As happy as I am for Tieria to have some bonding time with his bro, I can’t help but think that he’s going to go crazy from dealing with Mr. Neet. Also, who’s up for Regene tag-teaming with Tieria in trolling Ribbons?

  16. I’m under the impression the Trial System could only work with Tieria connected to Veda, so they couldn’t use it before that.

    Yes. People tend to forget small details like that.

    And Patrick’s not dead, Gundammit.

  17. two things I want to say, Setsuna will be now be call Moses Setsuna F. Seiei. He no Jesus Yamato but damn he getting close to his status. Next thing you know, by the time the show end. We will see Setsuna leading millions of people to the ocean as he parts the red sea as much he does with the GN particles.

    Second, I laugh hard when YOU compare Clannad to Gundam 00. It was so wrong too because I like to leave that series with good thoughts. Now I’m gonna be the thinking the Haros as the Dangos Daikaizukos for now on

  18. “Setsuna will be now be call Moses Setsuna F. Seiei. He no Jesus Yamato but damn he getting close to his status.”

    What are you talking about? He cured an incurable syndrome, bound couples together, disabled enemy suits ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Plus he could do the beam spamming Kira does without the fancy shmancy dragoons and meteor packs and what-not.

    Conclusion: he’s officially on a higher plane than Jesus Yamato.

  19. Well damn, if you gonna put it like that then maybe you should think if the 00 Raiser is on the same plane as the strike freedom lol

  20. 00 Raiser PWNED the Strike Freedom! Just do Trans-am burst + GN Field + Screaming IAMGUNDAM!!!

    Patrick died? Nope. Because he is the immortal corlasaur

    Nyah, Setsuna is definitely higher than Jesus Yamato!

  21. So Setsuna he is A BUDDHA_?

  22. As disappointed as I am with Setsuna “Fired-up” Seiei’s last battle with Graham Acre—Graham only lost because his pointless “Susanoo” “upgrade” ditched the far superior dual beam katanas for a regular blade which 00 Raiser caught and broke in the most ridiculous manner possible—there’s still hope for more “kilo-Grahams” of “Acre-wide” pwnage! I mean, Star Wars and Gundam? Perhaps Graham will “innovate” and return as—wait for it… Darth Veda.

  23. I know what the F in Setsuna F Seiei stands for.
    http://i279.photobucket.com/al.....etsuna.jpg
    And when you’ve seen that picture, you will too. And it will bother you every time you hear it said.

  24. I am amazed that Soma and Louise did not die…yet…after the killing streak of women in the last couple of episodes, I was hoping both ate it, but didn’t

  25. The odds of Patrick dying is more of a running joke now. And how many fake out deaths can we have by now? Ribbons got headshot, but comes back in the form of another clone and now Teria comes back in the form of a merge with Veda. Any one else going to fake out death and pop back up?

  26. Fake death, don’t forget Regene… lol
    That’s Sunrise expertise I swear to god… *sigh*
    Also, where was the struggle between Tieria and Ribbons? Or the insight into the Innovators or that whole plan thing that I tend to forget exists??
    I can’t believe he killed him that easily. And, how did Tieria even link with Veda with a bullet in his head? Kind of a let down.
    I hope Sunrise pulls a miracle for the last episode and makes it actually good, and not just the entire episode of Setsuna fighting Ribbons… because that would kind of suck.

  27. The ending is near. Like this very much than the other previous Gundams… ^.^

  28. The immortal coleslaw will return one way or another! It’s what Sunrise does best, even under impossible odds. They’ve even upped it a little in g00, with 3 headshots, 3 dead bodies, but none *actually* dead.

    I won’t be surprised if Sergei popped up before the end of the series as well.

    The part where Louise went berserk, started screaming and supposedly dropped dead, I thought that was one of the funniest scene in g00.

  29. From Wikipedia,
    According to the director in the September 2008 issue of Newtype magazine, the codename “Setsuna F. Seiei” stands for “刹那 FROM 聖永”, which literally means “a moment from the holy eternity”, representing the moments of revolutions in the long history of mankind, hinting at Setsuna being the true Innovator, the one who is going to bring revolution to mankind.

    But all of your theories are cool too.

  30. So it actually had a meaning… I liked Setsuna F**ked Seiei better tho…

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