Review of Mobile Suit Gundam 00
[3rd Edit] I am a big-time Gundam fan (even Gunpla building), but not one of the conservative fans, so I have watched all Gundams, and without judgment. That being said, I can state that Gundam 00, season 1, is a must-watch, even if you are unsure if you like the "mecha genre". However, yes, there are some bumps in the road. I advise you to see my review of the second season as well. It feels like Season 1 and Season 2 were made independently by teams that never talked to each other. Review below. Story: the story of the first season is awesome andyou will get hooked from the beginning. The strongest part of the narrative is that Gundam 00 takes place in our world, which is different from the other Gundam. You will see some nice future predicting stuff if the technology in the series could be achieved. You will see some real-world-related problems, and nice pacing for the story to unfold. I can`t say more without ruining your fun, so I`ll just say that it's a good story. The mystery surrounding all events in this world is the star of the show, and it will keep you going regardless of anything else. The political implications surrounding the events are fairly accurate (if all of that was real or possible) - hence, it adds to the story and the mood. The writers were on point in just creating an amazing mystery from the start, and details are given at a perfect pace.
Art and sound: Both awesome. Gundam 00 was the first Gundam to go HD from the beginning, so they wanted to impress. And they did. The OST is also outstanding.
Character: Well, my only real complaint is the characters. Although they are good characters I don't feel they were explored to the fullest. See, they have AWESOME backstories, and they could have been majorly developed. Unfortunately, that is not what happens. They will get some development, but you can`t expect much. I have no idea why the writers choose to ignore their interesting backgrounds and move on with such a shallow depth. My conclusion is that the writers were so proud of the plot, that they thought that mediocre character writing was going to sneak past you. Setsuna (the protagonist) is the Generic Serious Tone Never-Smile Guy. Some people love his aggressiveness as a pilot, but he still lags behind Mikazuki Augus from Iron-Blooded Orphans by thousands of Km/Miles. Halleluja is the only one that gets true development in Season 1, the rest is just there. They don't interact with each other, they don't even look like a team most of the time. Just bad writing here.
Thus, this is my lowest score. Additionally, as with all Gundam, you will follow a lot of characters, which is always nice. But... in the case of Gundam 00, you will have to deal with Saji and Louise... Just... Argh... I am not kidding when I say they are one of the most annoying characters ever created in the Gundamverse, even more, irritating than Shinn (from SEED Destiny). Saki and Louise are so bad, SO BAD, that I couldn't find one single good thing to say about them, and this is my 3rd edit.
Another complaint is that some secondary or tertiary characters have more screen time and are more developed than the Gundam pilots...which are the ones you want to know more about. Although most of the secondary and tertiary are interesting, this is one of the odd decisions I am talking about. Nevertheless, you will still enjoy the different personalities and mystery surrounding all of them - just don`t expect too much. Finally, one thing lacking in Gundam 00 characters is exploring their relationships. You get the feeling they are some random people brought together against their will.
Mechas: Gunpla builders must talk about mechas. Gundam 00 is hardcore originals when it comes to mechas. Of course, as always, the blue/red/white Gundam is always present, but they are all awesome. Exia is a marvelous melee-based mecha and Dynames (my favorite) has a unique design and gimmick on the show (not the sniper, the shield). Virtue is one of a kind, the first Gundam that I see that does what he does. The only common is Kyrios, which is your standard "mecha that turns into a plane". Still, the other Mobile Suits from Earth are also pretty well designed with way cooler mechanical designs than your standard Zaku. The mechas shine as bright as ever in Gundam 00.
Overall, Gundam 00, season 1 (SEASON 1, NOT 2), is one of the best Gundam I ever watched and even if you are not a mecha-person, you still have to watch this anime. Just remember that character development is not the strong suit of this show, it is actually bad.