It is not your father's MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM. After fifteen years of sequels and spinoffs, the venerable giant robot franchise has now spawned a trio of alternate universes. G GUNDAM and GUNDAM X were not without their adherents, but by far the most successful of the next-generation Gundam television series is 1995's GUNDAM W. So popular was the series that, less than a year after the final episode aired, GUNDAM W has begun spawning its own run of sequels. The ongoing radio drama GUNDAM W: BLIND TARGET brings the adventures of Heero Yuy and friends to the airwaves, and the three-episode ENDLESS WALTZ continues the tale in original video form.
ENDLESS WALTZ makes for an interesting contrast to the roller-coaster pace of the television series. GUNDAM W is something of a first for a GUNDAM series in that the show's popularity stems more from the glamorous, darkly brooding cast of characters than from the hardware or the convoluted story, but the series tends to skimp on character development in favor of a relentless barrage of plot twists — rendering even the heroes unable to tell what is going on or whose side they are on. The OVA series, on the other hand, is equal parts sequel and prequel, spending just as much time exploring the characters and their mysterious pasts as it does on chronicling their further adventures.
Before the story proper kicks in, we are treated to a brief recap of the series' apocalyptic conclusion, showcasing the OVA's deluxe animation, which is even more mouth-watering than the relatively high quality of the television series. The five main Gundams also strut their stuff for a few seconds, showing off their new looks; they have been retroactively redesigned by mecha whiz-kid Katoki Hajime, who gives Okawara Kunio's workmanlike and unimaginative designs a flamboyant makeover. Enjoy this segment, cause it's about all the action — and about all the Gundams — you're getting in the first episode.
Now, on to the present day. It is Christmas eve in the year AC (After Colony) 196, exactly a year after the death of World Nation leader Treize Khushrenada and the beginning of an era of peace between Earth and the space colonies. For the first time in half a century, both sides coexist peacefully under the stewardship of the newly-formed Earth Sphere Unified Nation (whose president bears an uncanny resemblance to Leslie Nielsen).
What of our heroes? Some — Lady Une, Lucrezia Noin and Sally Po — are now members of Preventer, the Unified Nation's intelligence agency. Sixteen-year-old Relena Darlian, following in her father's footsteps, serves as the Unified Nation's foreign minister. The five Gundam pilots, however, have returned to civilian life. Four of the five mighty Gundams, no longer needed in a world without war, have been placed in the trust of soft-hearted Quatre Raberba Winner; as the story begins, Quatre sends them on a one-way trip into the sun (a Viking funeral of sorts for the nigh-indestructible war machines).
Then, the new crisis erupts. At the frontier colony of X-18999, located at the remote Lagrange Point 3, Relena is abducted during a routine diplomatic visit. Independently, Sally and Heero realize that something fishy is going on at X-18999 — something involving the corporate entity known as the Barton Foundation, and the seven year-old prodigy Mariemeia Barton who sits on its board of directors. Former Gundam pilot Trowa Barton, already on the scene thanks to his circus troupe's serendipitous touring schedule, attempts to infiltrate the ranks of the Barton Foundation's private army but is detected and captured by an unexpected defector.
What connection does Trowa have to the Barton Foundation whose name he bears? What has become of loner Chang Wufei, the only one of the five pilots who kept his Gundam? What is Mariemeia's true heritage, and what plans has she set in motion? Who is the mysterious man, known only as "Wind," who offers his aid to Lady Une? How did Heero get to be the hardened killer we know and love, and what is the significance of the teddy bear in the opening credits? All these questions will be answered in the first episode alone, and more shocking revelations are on their way in the remaining two.
All these twists, turns and confessions come at a price, however. In an effort to wring the maximum mileage out of the allotted thirty minutes, the staff skip the standard opening credits and fake eye-catch - no time for such frills — and roll the new Two-Mix song, "White Reflection," over the ending credits. This urgency does not extend to the narrative, which takes its time setting the scene, establishing mood, and delving into Heero's and Trowa's pasts. Aside from the lavish opening flashback, a bare minimum of screen time is spent on action — the high point is a hyperkinetic sequence in which Duo Maxwell steers a shuttlecraft through X-18999's defensive lines, accompanied by a missile barrage worthy of MACROSS PLUS.
The lack of slam-bang action is certainly not due to a lack of resources or talent. The television series staff are in peak form here; character designer Murase Shukoh and costumer Izubuchi Yutaka keep the characters looking as sharp as ever — though one must question the wisdom of putting Trowa and Wufei in short pants — and writer Sumisawa Katsuyuki revels in his long-delayed opportunity to tie up the myriad loose ends from the series. Aoki Yasunao, one of the series' lineup of technical directors [enshutsu] (He was responsible for both the first and final episodes.), has been promoted to director for the OVA series. The visuals meet and exceed the series' standards, and a touch of that fashionable washed-out look gives Mariemeia an especially creepy demeanor — as if this hyperintelligent child, with a menacingly sing-song voice provided by Sakuma Rei, were not sinister enough to begin with.
For devotees of the television series, ENDLESS WALTZ is well-nigh perfect. From the revelatory flashbacks to the GUNDAM makeovers, every aspect of the OVA is calculated to reward the fans' devotion - we even get compulsory figures like Trowa performing his trademark mid-air triple spin, Heero thumbing a detonator and declaring "Mission completed", and Wufei ranting incoherently. Newcomers to the GUNDAM W world may have a rougher time of it, however. Those who have not yet been conditioned to squeal with pleasure when seeing Trowa don his clown mask or Quatre's faithful crew of flunkies kibitzing amongst themselves will likely find the television episodes (available on laser disc and video cassette) a more rewarding experience.
Lastly, a word of warning for the shopper. Unless you have a hankering to see the lineup of Gundam pilots posing in the Barton Foundation's boy scouts-meet-Hitler youth ensemble, be sure to pick up the Type B package, which depicts them in snazzy blue Preventer uniforms. It is not a life-or-death decision either way, since the group shot is actually a pin-up insert, rather than the cover proper, but I know how important style is to us GUNDAM W fans.

GUNDAM W: ENDLESS WALTZ
VOLUME 1: SILENT ORBIT
Copyright © Sotsu Agency, Sunrise
VC: BEAL-976 (Type A), BEAL-977 (Type B) - 25 January 1997 - ¥4800
CAV LD: BES-1571 (Type A), BES-1572 (Type B) - 25 January 1997 - ¥4800
Both formats 30 minute stereo