Copyright © 1995 Sunrise / SOTSU Agency - ANB

I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed of myself, but let me admit something right at the start of this review. Until this DVD arrived in the mail, I have only seen GUNDAM WING through fansubs.
I don't mean to spark the whole firestorm of controversy over fansubs all over again. But living as an impoverished individual in the United States with no friends in Japan at the time, there was simply no other way for me to watch GUNDAM WING after its television release in 1995. So I hunted down the various fansubs that circulated the country. I viewed the blurred and scratchy videotapes that were at least third-generation copies. I squinted to view the small print on screen and ignored the occasional spelling gaffs or atrocious lapses of English grammar. And, to be perfectly honest, I considered myself lucky!
GUNDAM WING is such an incredible show that I risked breaking international copyright laws, my girlfriend's VCR and strained my very own eyeballs just to watch these beleaguered fansubs. But now, with the show's release on Cartoon Network and, best of all, on DVD I can finally immerse myself in the explosive action, emotional roller coaster and mechanical splendor that is GUNDAM WING.
I won't bore regular EX readers with a plot synopsis, and I can direct new readers to Keith Rhee's sweeping feature story on GUNDAM WING in our last issue. Suffice to say, I think the DVD presentation is the ideal medium for viewing this show. With crisp visuals and sweeping Dolby sound, I'd imagine that the DVD is even more engrossing and impressive than the original TV episodes.
The DVD interface is a lot of fun since it places you in the cockpit of a Gundam. You select the episode or features you want by pressing buttons on the various control panels, or by targeting items through the windows. Another nice touch is that each menu screen also has its own background music from the show.
This initial DVD offers the first five episodes, and each one is divided into five chapters: opening theme, first half, second half, end theme and upcoming episode. While other anime DVDs might break their episodes into smaller pieces, the separations for GUNDAM WING are more than sufficient.
As for DVD extras, you'll find character profiles and snapshots of Relena and Heero, plus technical specifications and views for Heero's Wing Gundam. You view these features through the interface of the cockpit windows though, so the pictures aren't especially large and the text descriptions are rather brief (which also keeps them relatively spoiler free).
Like all anime DVDs, this one offers you a choice of Japanese or English. You can also turn the subtitles on or off. Probably the only aspect of GUNDAM WING that hasn't been exhaustively reviewed by EX is the English dub. For the most part, I am impressed by the range and variety of the voices. The main protagonists, Heero and Relena have mature and sincere actors behind them, and each of the five Gundam pilots is distinctive. I am somewhat put off by Zechs' voice, however. He sounds a little too salacious and villainous for what will become of his character. However, the dub job in general is above average, nicely matching the characters and their activities on screen.
Of course, nothing is going to make me want to go back to the fansubs after enjoying this DVD. With superb picture and sound quality, inventive menus and a capable dub, this incarnation of GUNDAM WING destroys the others like the Deathscythe mowing down Leos.

Released in North America by Bandai Entertainment
DVD
English dubbed/Japanese subtitled
125 minutes
Catalog No. 1670
$24.98
Available now in the USA
Where to buy