Copyright © 1997 Sunrise, Sotsu Agency

I tried.
I tried to like GUNDAM WING.
Actually, I kind of liked it.
But I can't.
My problems with it keep going back to one basic flaw: the show keeps getting so wrapped up in its convoluted nature that basic narrative gets lost. This happens so often that I can't care about these characters (though Quattre started to grow on me). The OVA sequel series ENDLESS WALTZ is no exception.
In AC 196 (one year after the end of the TV series), peace is prevalent between Earth and its colonies. Because of this, Duo and Quattre pack everybody's Gundams and send them into the sun. Strangely, Wu Fei doesn't turn his in.
Meanwhile, Relena (Peacecraft) Darlian has become a Vice Foreign Minister in the new government. She's suddenly kidnapped by the forces of young Marimaea Barton, who reveals herself as the daughter of Treize Kushrinada. She intends to bring her own form of peace to the colonies, enforced by mobile suits. When Trowa tries to stop this early on, he ends up facing...Wu Fei?
In light of this, the Gundam pilots and their friends (and enemies) have to face the new crisis, while Heero (trying to live and think like a normal 16 year-old) keeps reflecting on an early mission gone horribly wrong that resulted in the death of a little girl and her dog.
What soon ensues are the mecha battles and angst-ridden drama that are the typical GUNDAM fare. I might've been able to handle this if all the I-must-kill-my-friend-to-create-peace doubletalk didn't make my head hurt. There are a couple cool moments in the video (my personal favorite concerns Heero and a really big door), but I'm too frustrated to care at this point.
As far as other aspects, well, the animation is very nice. The fight scenes are okay, but watching mobile dolls stand around and wait to be killed by Gundams gets monotonous after a while. I also liked the Gundam redesigns. (The Deathscythe Hell really looks like the Grim Reaper now.)
The English production is fair to decent. Voice actors range from being somewhat emotional to the I'm-sitting-at-a-microphone-reading-a-sheet-of-paper voice. It's okay I guess, but after hearing really good stuff from Bandai's COWBOY BEBOP dubs, I was hoping for better voicework here.
Also of note, the version I reviewed kept the original episodic format, not the movie version shown on the Cartoon Network, though the content remains the same. There are digitized sequences which indicate edits for younger viewers. However, since I haven't seen the original Japanese version, I can't be totally sure.
In the end, ENDLESS WALTZ was just an okay experience for me. It should appeal to GUNDAM WING fans since it brings a definitive end to the After Colony storyline, and features their favorite characters. Casual robot and anime fans may want to avoid this and look at the TV show first, unless they just want to see their favorite model animated on screen.

Relseased in North America by Bandai Entertainment
VHS, 85 Minutes
English Dubbed, AV-1666
$14.98
Available now in the USA
Where to buy