October 09, 2006: Gundam SEED Destiny Special Edition III.

Shinn punches a woman in the gut.

Okay, first of all, I was wrong about one thing: There are four Gundam SEED Destiny Special Edition movies, not three.

I find it rather appropriate that the third movie begins with (1) Athrun continuing his voice over, and (2) Shinn punching an innocent doctor (nurse?) in the gut. I mean, that's the series in a nutshell right there. Oh, and naturally Shinn's out of the brig in like five minutes. It's a bit blatant in compliation form.

I so don't rememember Shinn and Stellar having astral plane nookie during the regular broadcast.

On the whole, it seems there is a lot less retconning in the third Destiny movie than in the first two parts. Most of it seems to be straight-up clip show—not like Gundam SEED Destiny needed another clip show. Sadly, this means no extended Athrun + Meyrin escape sequence, and no post-traumarama sickbed canoodling while Neo Mu the Invalid cheers raucously. It also seems rather rushed for some reason; the pacing is all kinds of off.

The perfect ruse.

Frankly, I'm shocked they didn't fool around with the Meyrin/Athrun/Cagalli sequences in the third compilation movie. Considering the changes in the first two parts, it seemed a sure thing.

Oh yeah? Well let's see you parallel park the sumbitch.

I don't remember Lacus landing Athrun's new ride onto Archangel by herself, though. Maybe my memory is just faulty.

The third Gundam SEED Destiny Special Edition movie is the weakest thus far. Like I said, it's basically just another clip show both insofar as content and pacing are concerned. But surely the fourth and final movie will be good! After all, it will feature Lacus' ascension to Empress of PLANT and appointment as Supreme Commander of ZAFT. And it will reveal that she's actually an evil mastermind soon to become the primary villain during the third and final Gundam SEED season.

P.S. Spoilers.

October 14, 2006: Gundam SEED Destiny Special Edition III.

Lunamaria and Meyrin at a zafeteria.

I would have expected Meyrin's tray to have contained either a lot more or a lot less food than Lunamaria's. Opportunity wasted.

Meer barges into Athrun's room again.

Meyrin uses the Information Superhighway.

Athrun has a big honkin' workstation in his quarters, while Meyrin only has a notebook—proof that rank doth have its privileges. Either that or Athrun's just a GIANT NERD.

Athrun surprises Meyrin.

Natural couples utilize photo booths at amusement parks and keep their memories in sticker albums.
Coordinator couples utilize security cameras at military installations and keep their memories in their Permanent Records.

I want a third season of Gundam SEED that features, as a running gag, frequent attempts by Meyrin and Athrun to go on dates that inevitably result in perilous situations necessitating gunplay.