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Murasame looks like Freedom and Astray had a baby.

Actually, in Gundam the "bunch" name does refer to a specific colony, but the show itself is the one that makes the mistake. O'Neill's original colony concept on which the colonies in Gundam are based calls for the colonies to be linked together in pairs called bunches (for reasons I won't bother explaining since it's irrelevant). A bunch refers to a linked pair of colonies. Since Gundam doesn't pair its colonies up, they aren't technically "bunches." They're just space colonies, so "Colony Thirty" is actually more accurate. Still, they're called bunches in the show, so that's how it should have been translated. Regardless of how well it meshes with reality, the colony was called the 30th Bunch. But from a realistic standpoint, Bandai's rename is actually more accurate than what was really said in the show.

Holy crap, he looks like Mwu... That's because Hisashi Hirai does the character designs for SEED...

I noticed the dubtitles as well (although not having watched the dub, I didn't know if they were actually dubtitles or if Bandai was just using a loose translation), but it doesn't really matter to me as long as the meaning is still preserved. It's a little irritating, but the meaning is still conveyed accurately, so I can deal with it. Having actually seen the set now, I do have to say the new intro and ending both suck pretty hardcore. I haven't skipped ahead to see how they handled the second OP, but I don't imagine it's much better. I still stand by what I was saying before, that cancelling your set over something like that is incredible overreaction, but I must admit that they're much worse than I imagined they would be. I was under the impression, because of something someone said on the AoD forums, that they were just instrumental versions of the original songs (which doesn't make a whole lot of sense given the licensing situation, but I assumed it meant that the music was fine, but only Sedaka had the right to put out a lyrics version in the US), and that seemed all right. Unfortunately, that's not the case. The Robotech comparisons for the OP are actually incredibly apt. I'm not even a huge fan of the original songs, but the new credits are pretty god awful.

Bwah? How did it employ Mirage Colloid? Besides, like another poster mentioned, the same technology is in use in Shinn's shield. I wish I could remember the source on that info. I feel slightly less confident about it now that I've looked and can't find it on MAHQ or Bandai's site. I remember it being posted to the GML back when the show was still in progress though, and info on the GML is typically pretty trustworthy. Anyway, it wasn't really explained how mirace colloid is used by Forbidden, but it kind of makes sense if you think about it. Mirage colloid turns Blitz invisible by bending light around it so that people can see through it as if it's not there. So Forbidden, I guess, uses mirage colloid particles to bend light in a different way, deflecting incoming energy attacks away from the MS. Of course, the problem with that is that a beam is actually made of high-energy particles, not light, but it certainly wouldn't be the first time sci-fi anime broke its own laws of physics. So until there's a better explanation for Forbidden's beam deflection system, that's what I'm going with. I don't remember seeing it on Shin's shield, though. Perhaps I just wasn't paying close enough attention. Can anyone point out a specific instance in which it occurs?

I don't want to keep fanning the flames, but here's a good explanation of exactly what's up with the music, as written to the GML by -Z-:

Actually, I'm wondering why no other MS so far has been fitted with a version of the Forbidden Gundam's energy deflection armor as that was very effective against beam weapons. Graham Forbidden's energy deflection made use of the mirage colloid, which is prohibited by the treaty. Now that the treaty's effectively useless, people will probably start incorporating that into their weapons.

I'm not bitching you out. You haven't seen me bitch anyone out. I'm pointing out how you keep trying to justify the whole thing as a way to undermine the gripes people have for a good reason. I'm not justifying it, I'm telling you that it's trivial and it wasn't just some arbitrary decision on Bandai's part. See, there ya go. No, it's not unbelievable. It's all perfectly valid. I didn't cancel my odrer but I see nothing wrong with those who want to. Especially if you look at the hefty price tag money is being shelled out for an incomplete set. I paid my money for the show. I didn't pay $120 to see the OPs and ED. Do I wish I could get it unaltered? Yes. But I'm not going to bitch and whine about something that wasn't even under Bandai's control to begin with when the impact it has on the show itself is exactly nil. This is not as big a deal as people are making it out to be. I'm getting tired of hearing people bitch and whine over every little thing.

You stop right there. Glad you understand why fans are pissed but don't try to justify a reason for it. Whether Bandai couldn't get the rights or not to the vocals is NO excsue for them not being upfront about this. There is NO JUSTIFICATION WHATSOEVER! Just like there would be no justifying Lucas if he did the same which is a legitimate example because Lucas has already made it clear he will change elements of his movies on a whim to suit his "vision" and change his mind as they come along..... Um, haven't I already said -- several times, even -- that Bandai should have told us about this a long time ago? Don't bitch me out as if I were saying they've handled the situation perfectly so far. I don't know how to make it any clearer exactly why the Star Wars example is a terrible analogy, though. Changes to Star Wars: made arbitrarily by Lucas to be more like what he wanted to see. Changes to Zeta Gundam: made because Bandai didn't have rights to use the music. Not to mention there were far more changes to Star Wars, and they took place within the actual movies. Honestly, the way you people sit there and whine about this, you'd think half the show ended up on Bandai's cutting room floor, when really all they did was alter the credits to use THE SAME SONGS without lyrics. It's just unbelievable how up in arms people get over things.

You missed my point. First off, I don't appreciate your sarcasm. Second, I hate Gundam. Would never own it. I have watched it, but it's not my cup of tea, and this is from someone who has been a mecha fan since my early anime days in the late 70's. But the explanation they gave still does not explain why Bandai will not issue a complete product to its customer base in the United States, when it is so blatantly obvious it is popular here. I was not referring to the amount of episodes on a DVD or video cassette, but the actual content of the show. It is perfectly understandable for fans here to be upset to the point of anger. Hell, I would cancel it myself. So calm down boot and let them have it. As for the Star Wars argument being irrelevent, you're wrong there also. If Lucas were to have removed the impressive opening theme and replaced it with another, such as the theme from Battle Beyond the Stars, don't you think fans would be pissed off? If anything, the major sound issues A New Hope had upon release sure ticked people off. There were even some fans here who were miffed. Music is so much a part of the show that when it is changed, even with something related to the series itself, people notice and it does have a direct affect on it. I don't think I missed your point at all, I think you're just too upset about this to realize that. I don't really care whether you appreciate sarcasm, because it was a legitimate point. Anyone who wants what the Japanese got is more than welcome to pay 78,000 yen and get what the Japanese got. What the Japanese got was, yes, the original music -- and no extras, no English, fewer episodes per DVD, and a much higher price tag. Their reasoning *does* actually explain why they can't provide a "complete" product, and Panon already explained it. The fact of the matter is that the credits are not the show. The content of the show itself is unaltered. All they did was replace the credits music with instrumental versions. If it's that big a deal, my offer to send out a $200 DVD with the unaltered credits sequences to anyone who wants it still stands. I have no doubt that Star Wars fans would scream bloody murder if Lucas changed the music, but it's not as if that's the only song that could possibly accompany text scrolling across the screen. He could find a suitable replacement song, a small minority would throw a huge fit over it, and the general population would watch the movies in their new form and get on with their lives. This assumes, of course, that for some reason Lucas no longer has rights to use that music, because if that's not the case and it's just a decision he made arbitrarily, then the example doesn't even work.

Then again, for many of us who got into anime in the first place, it was because we wanted to get what the Japanese audience got. This is basically an issue of artistic integrity for most of us (myself included because I am so much of a purist), because now we are being offered something which is now more or less incomplete. Yeah, we may be getting the full story when we purchase the show, but the theme music also adds to how the atmosphere will be set. Sure, it's just some songs, but think how much different Star Wars would have been if John Williams had never been hired to compose the score. Bandai may or may not be telling the truth on this matter, but to a lot of fans of the anime series in question, they are feeling robbed of something which adds to the show in general. If you want to get what the Japanese audience got, I'm sure Bandai would be happy to sell you the DVDs in thirteen volumes instead of ten, with no extras, no English subtitles or voice track, for 6000 yen a piece. Or would that be a little too much like what the Japanese audience got? Listen, I'm not defending Bandai. I would have preferred that they leave everything unaltered, and I certainly think it was really low of them not to mention this (in fact, they still haven't made an official announcement). But cancelling an order over something like this? If it'll make you feel better, I can send you a $200 DVD with the unaltered openings and closings on it, since that's apparently the only reason you were buying the set in the first place. The Star Wars argument is completely irrelevant unless you're only referring to the music that plays during the expository intro and the closing credits. And even then, I would have to say that if the new music worked well, it wouldn't be that big a deal (although I'm also not a Star Wars fan, so I have to admit I really wouldn't care at all). It's only when the alterations diminish the scene that it's really a problem. I'm going to assume that most or all of us haven't yet seen the new intros and closing. But from what I've heard, people seem to generally think that it came out quite well. So what you're saying is, because they changed the song that plays during the sequence whose sole purpose is to tell you in a language that you (probably) don't understand who did the background cel painting in episode 42, you would have cancelled your order? Because you got an "incomplete" product? I think it would be more accurate to say you got an altered product. And you haven't even seen the alteration in question. From a purist perspective, I can understand being upset if Bandai just decided they knew how to make the show better and started making arbitrary changes, but they *don't own the right to the songs* and they got as close as they could by using instrumental versions that they do have the rights for. Cancelling your order over that is an incredible overreaction. I don't know about the rest of you, but I put down $120 to see Zeta Gundam, not to watch credits. Apples and oranges. You're comparing Bandai's legal inability to use this music to a company's arbitrary decision not to translate every single bit of text on screen or to translate something as this instead of that.

I think that not telling us about a change they made to the show is actually the definition of "hiding," so yes, they did hide something from us. I don't really mind it that much. I'm not a huge fan of any Gundam themesongs. I just wish that they would have mentioned this at some point. Hell, they still haven't made a statement even now. They just sent it out and let people see it for themselves. All the information supposedly coming out of Bandai about this has been in the form of E-mail correspondence between pissed off fans and customer service. The least they could do is announce it when they're making an alteration. We're the ones shelling out for this thing, so if they're giving us something different -- even in such a minor way as the lack of lyrics in the opening songs -- from what we're expecting, they have an obligation to tell us. It's just really dirty of them to make a change for any reason and not tell the fans about it. That said, it's just some songs. Anyone who threatens to cancel their order over this is just a posterchild for overreaction. Not wanting to deal with people like that is why Bandai didn't say anything in the first place. It'd be nice if people could step back and not get so militant about everything.

My order with DeepDiscountDVD shipped today. Got the E-mail about an hour ago. Too bad I had it shipped home instead of here, so I won't actually be able to see it for another week and a half. But at least it'll be there.

I don't see much happening with Luna. With Luna, it's more of a school-girl crush. It's not every day you meet the idol/poster-boy of ZAFT's Special Forces. Fake Lacus....now there's a problem. Hey, I think Rey's been giving Athrun some looks too. But seriously, has there been any speculation of Rey being related to Raww in any way? He looks like he's hiding something. I'm not buying the clone speculation either. Maybe a bastard child? Raww might of been pimping it on his days off. The ages don't add up terribly well for Rey being Rau's son. He would have been conceived when Rau was 13-15 years old (not sure exactly how old Rey is), which obviously isn't biologically impossible, but kids that age don't typically have kids of their own in Gundam shows. It's not impossible, but I think it's fairly improbable.

Those guys were, in fact, Blue Cosmos. I believe the youngish looking guy who was watching everyone else leave at the end of the scene was Lord Jibril, the leader of Blue Cosmos.

True, it probably doesn't waste that much power, but the price of that is now you are unprotected for the duration from leaving port to the combat zone. That is quite dangerous. Better to be safe than sorry. I don't see how Impulse has the advantage over Strike, though. Impulse activates its armor later because it has to dock up first, and your claim was that having to wait to use the armor helped Impulse conserve energy, giving Impulse an advantage over Strike. I said that because it was so simple to activate the armor, if Strike really wasted that much extra energy turning it on so early, it's logical to think it simply wouldn't be turned on that soon. So unless I'm missing something here, what you're basically saying is that Impulse waiting to turn on PS armor is good because it saves energy, but Strike waiting to turn on PS armor is bad because it leaves it vulnerable. How is Impulse less vulnerable? In fact, when you consider that the reason Impulse's armor isn't on yet is that the MS isn't even assembled yet, it seems like it's actually more vulnerable during this period. That's my point of contention here. I'm not going to argue the superiority of Striker packs over Silhouette packs because it seems my memory of the series is a bit fuzzy and, contrary to what I remembered, the mid-air pack switches weren't in the specs, they're just something they came up with on the fly. All I'm saying now is that the energy conservation advantage of the Silhouette packs doesn't exist.

The problem with that is if you treat it as a light switch, turning it on and off at a whim, so to speak, that would be like telling a soldier to run out of the transport without a flak vest and only giving it to the soldier when he/she is fired upon and then taking it away when their not being shot at. That's quite inefficient and quite dangerous. Of course, that only explains the PS-armor (which is still quite impractical for mass-production). As Anubis said, rapid deployment. And as I said earlier, those pieces also improve pilot survivability and are modular components. I don't think we're on the same page here. Maybe the problem is I just misunderstood what you were saying in the first place. The way I took what you said was, they turn the Phase Shift on as soon as they're out of the ship and that wastes energy because they don't need it just yet, so going out in pieces like Impulse does saves energy because the Phase Shift isn't activated right out the door. I don't think that's really true, because it's just a button they press to turn on Phase Shift, so if there's that much energy wasted before getting into battle, they could wait until they get closer. Since they don't, it probably doesn't waste that much energy to turn it on there. What it seems like you're saying now, and what you were probably saying all along that I just misunderstood, is that even though there's just a button to activate it or deactivate it, it's not feasible to keep turning it on and off on a whim because that'll consume more energy than just leaving it on. And I'll agree with you there, but that's not what I was talking about because that's not what I thought you were talking about. If that's what you're talking about, though, I don't really see how Impulse has a clear advantage over Strike. The Silhouette packs just don't seem to me like they'd be anymore efficient than the Striker packs were.

Not in a combat situation. Nicol turned it off to use the Mirage Colloid system on Blitz and see how much trouble it broght him? In most situations, you would want PS-armor on. Imagine restarting your car at every signal/intersection/etc. It's not efficent nor is it something that you want to do. Now imagine you're being shot at, would you want your car coming to a complete stop, shutting down, then restarting the engine at every intersection? No. The other option is Trans-Phase armor. But since ZAFT probably doesn't have TP technology, they might as well optimize PS-technology (But even then, TP-armor can't be using a shutdown/startup routine, it has to use a stand-by/start-up routine to power-up the armor since it has to have a short reaction time). Nicol had to turn off the Phase Shift because Mirage Colloid draws too much energy, so he couldn't run both systems at once. My point was that you see a few times, to activate the Phase Shift armor, you just push a little button to turn it on. If it consumes *that* much extra power that it's a problem to have it on right out the door, they could wait longer to turn it on before they get into battle. Since they don't, it doesn't really seem to be a problem. The Phase Shift armor doesn't just automatically activate when they leave the catapult, so there's no reason to think that flying out in several parts like Impulse does would delay use of Phase Shift and thus save power -- if he wants to delay using the Phase Shift, all he needs to do is keep his finger off the button. He doesn't need to fly out with his mobile suit in pieces. IIRC, their idea was to launch it out into space, in a combat situation, in a straight line and pray for the best. Those are not good odds. They had no choice and from what I can tell, everybody thought the idea was crazy. Also the Striker packs use hardpoints on the shoulders, arms and back. Those are lots of pieces to be aware of. Hence, the Sky Graspers. But even that idea was still subject to problems. Since it's a completely manual process, both pilots would have to have worked out the routine enough to know how and when to drop each piece at the right time. The Silhouete system uses single back mounted packs with their own engine (i.e. their own flight system, only the Aile Striker pack had this feature). The delievry system is also done via a UAV (no need for a pilot or a expensive fighter to drop off the packs). The system may be more complex, but it is also much safer and less prone to user error. I don't remember everyone thinking the idea was crazy, but it's been a while since I watched SEED, so I'll just take your word for it. If that is the case, I suppose I can see where the Silhouette packs are safer. Otherwise, I would still have to say that simply putting on a new backpack is much easier than sending out the MS in separate pieces that all have to combine, banking on the assumption that the enemy will just sit there and gawk instead of trying to pick off the individual pieces.

Energy really isn't a concern, though. For one thing, they can turn the Phase Shift on whenever they want. If it's really that draining to turn it on right out the door, they don't have to do it then. The other thing is that Minerva employs a system that energizes Impulse's batteries automatically for as long as Impulse is within range, so the energy drain on Impulse turning on Phase Shift as it exits the ship is exactly zero. The Striker packs weren't really that cumbersome, either. Strike changed packs in battle before the Skygraspers were ever introduced, and I was always under the impression (though I suppose I could be wrong) that mid-air changes were always designed to be one of the advantages of the packs, not just something Archangel managed to do when it had to. The Silhouette packs seem much more complex than the Striker packs, and unnecessarily so.

Yes, we've all taken basic high school biology and understand the fundamentals of genetics (not that it matters, because this isn't a "theory," it's a fact stated either in the show or in some supplemental source). What is said in the show takes precedence over reality, though. *In the show* it is said that even a Coordinator can't be made perfectly because the natural womb is an imperfect environment that affects the altered genes. Is that realistic? Probably not (but then, it's not really my area of expertise, so I don't know). But is that the situation in the show? Absolutely. Why do you think they created Kira in an artificial womb? And why do you think this makes him better than other Coordinators? It's because they managed to grow him in an ideal environment that is denied to each and every other Coordinator. You're assuming that every Coordinator has two dominant genes for every single trait. You're also assuming that these genes NEVER mutate. It's possible that when creating a Coordinator, they simply give him a single dominant gene for whichever trait they want, knowing that the other gene is irrelevant (for the time being, that is) anyway. It's possible that, for some reason or another, the genes are mutating at a noticeably higher level than in Naturals. And if none of this is happening, there's still *something* going on in the womb that's making these Coordinators less than perfect. This simple fact, regardless of anything else, is exactly why the Babelfish example *does* hold. By the way, inbreeding is actually the best opportunity to *avoid* diminishment, provided both people aren't carrying recessive genes for harmful traits. Interbreeding within a huge population is merely the next best thing. Plant is no more than 30 years old. Also, compare the total number of coordinators in CE 45 to today's New York City polulation (over 8 million today as of the 2000 census). It takes time to build a poluation base, and there are factors toward a low population growth period. That's a whole other scientific field. This makes me want to watch Gattaca again. First of all, birthrate isn't measured against the total size of the population, so that's irrelevant. If there's a problem with the birthrate, it's not because they just don't have that many people yet. The show makes a point that there is something specifically wrong with the third generation Coordinators. It doesn't say what it is, but there's a problem. In addition to what Druna Skass quoted from MAHQ, Sigel also mentions that they've enforced "marriage control," but the birthrate is still dropping. That would seem to imply that they're actively working to make sure Coordinator couples do procreate, but it just isn't working out (in other words, food shortages, population stress, etc. don't seem to be factors).

No mention of losing any characteristics or dilution. I'd be interested to see something concrete that says second gens are not as good as the first gens. The babblefish example doesn't apply to kids. If a coordinator and a natural have a child, then the child might not have all the characteristics of a coorinator, as they are a half breed. Depends on which genes are dominant and which are recessive. A pairing of two coordinators would result in another full coordinator. Example: All 4 Zaft Gundam pilots were second gens, and lost nothing for being second gen. There is no mention anywhere about them being less. The only problem plant was having was the birth rate was low. For whatever reason, there weren't as many kids being born as predicted. Difficulty conceiving being a side effect possibly, or just the birth rate happened to be low up there, who knows. I'm absolutely certain that I remember someone saying somewhere that first gens are better than second gens and so on, and since the logic backs it up, I don't know why you're arguing. Gundam Official, while a good source of information, doesn't say *everything*. The show explained how a natural birth occurs in an imperfect environment that necessarily diminishes the effects of the genetic engineering. As more Coordinators are born this way, their improved abilities will erode. This is why the Babelfish example applies well enough, because the problem affects *every* Coordinator except for Kira. How can you be certain that the four ZAFT pilots wouldn't have been better if they were first gen? I'm not saying there's an _enormous_ gulf separating first and second gen. But there is a difference. You're basically just asserting that because they were already pretty good, they wouldn't have been better if they were first generation. I have a question. If each generation is just as perfect as the generation before it, then why does the third generation have so much trouble conceiving? Shouldn't they be just as fertile as the second and first generations?

There's no difference in 'quality' between generations of Coordinator. You might be thinking of how they mentioned that with each passing generation of Coordinator the birth rate was declining. Actually, there is a difference in quality. Granted, a Coordinator is still a Coordinator regardless of generation. But a first generation Coordinator is "better" than a second generation. I don't remember if this was covered in the show or in some supplementary source, but it was mentioned at some point. If you think about it, it does make sense. A second generation Coordinator, if you ignore the fact that his parents were first generation Coordinators, is essentially just a Natural with really good genes. He's birthed the same way, with no genetic engineering involved. And they explained in the show exactly why a Coordinator, even a first generation who is still birthed naturally, can't ever be perfect. A pretty rudimentary analogy would be to run something through Babelfish. Whatever you've originally written represents the best possible form of that (a super Coordinator like Kira). Run it through Babelfish once and it won't come out exactly as you hoped but it won't be awful (well, okay, it will be, but let's pretend it's not for the sake of the example). There's your first gen Coordinator, who was created perfectly but then, as explained in the show, suffered from the imperfect conditions created by a natural birth. Then you run it through again and what you get comes out even more messed up because you're taking something that wasn't perfect to begin with and passing it back through the filter again. Here's your second gen, even further from the original. Like I said, it's a crappy analogy, but I think it makes the point well enough. A Coordinator is still "better" than a Natural, but the relative quality of the Coordinator in question does, in fact, depend on what generation he was. The imperfect conditions of a natural womb can undo some of the genetic enhancements that were made, and interbreeding between two Coordinators isn't necessarily guaranteed to produce another perfect specimen. Turn A had some Newtypish elements, but they were a little subtle. Gym Ghingnham controlled the Turn X, which was essentially a giant assembly of funnels, and it was mentioned that the cockpit contained a psycommu system. Then there's Merrybell Gadget, who had her remote controlled mobile suits and heard bell sounds (like Victory Gundam's Fara Griffon, an Enhanced Human). I've heard speculation before that the moon may still have facilities to produce Enhanced Humans and that Gym and Merrybell may both have undergone the procedure, but obviously the show never offered anything concrete about it.

I don't think Kira is a Newtype, but I agree that it doesn't make sense that the scene between him and Flay didn't happen; I'm just passing on Fukuda's words. It certainly seemed like all that stuff got through to Kira, but Fukuda said that Flay was never actually able to express her feelings to him. So, I don't know. (By the way, here's the actual quote from Gunota: "The title of that scene was 'What Fllay wanted to tell him.' However a dead person can't express their feelings so Kira never heard those words. Which means Kira never got to know Fllay's feelings and he has to carry the burden of her death.") As for the Coordinator vs. Natural argument... One thing you need to keep in mind is that Coordinators are still humans. Their genes have simply been tweaked to bring out the best possible qualities. So if you're comparing an entire population to another entire population in terms of what sort of technology each side can create, they're probably going to be relatively similar, because Naturals will show *some* of the same qualities that a Coordinator will show. Think back to the George Glenn story in SEED. What amazed everyone about him wasn't any one individual accomplishment, but rather that he was so good at _everything_. An incredibly intelligent Natural working in the Alliance's R&D isn't necessarily worse at his job than a Coordinator doing the same job for ZAFT. The difference is that the Coordinator is going to be good at everything, so if the Alliance and ZAFT R&D teams come together for a friendly game of baseball or something...ZAFT is probably going to put the hurt on the Alliance team in a big way. Ah, but Mu was a Newtype, arguably even better than a Coordinator. Shin is a Coordinator. My guess is that he's probably first generation, because first generation in general is better than second, which is better than third. If Shin were just some average Coordinator, we probably wouldn't be getting a show about him. I also wouldn't be completely shocked if he's another super Coordinator, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves on that one. EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot to reply to this last part. Cagalli, I'm fairly certain, is a Natural. She's listed on the official site as a Natural, and while I don't remember episode 45 terribly well now, I do recall being under the impression that Cagalli was birthed naturally while Kira -- and only Kira -- was taken and put in the artificial womb to become a super Coordinator. Fukuda provided a brief explanation of seed mode in an interview shortly after the end of SEED, but I don't remember exactly what he said about it and I can't find it at the moment. Feel free to explore Gunota's archives for an exact explanation. Basically it has nothing to do with genetic status (I guess we saw more Coordinators do it because it was mostly Coordinators who were fighting) and more to do with the particular person and situation.

Kira, I don't think, ever became a Newtype, he just went totally apeshit when Flay died. Fukuda has stated before that Mu and Rau are the *only* Newtypes in the SEED world (although it would follow that if Neo and Rey are somehow related to them, like clones or whatever, then...they're probably Newtypes too). I believe Fukuda said that the scene that took place between Kira and Flay didn't actually happen. One of the interviews Gunota posted back when the show first ended had him describing it as "What Flay wanted to tell him," and it was everything she meant to say but never did. It was a visual expression of Flay's feelings, but I guess it wasn't actually supposed to be like a Newtype mind meld experience (a la Amuro and Lalah, for instance). Also, Newtypes can sense incoming danger regardless of whether it's another Newtype attacking them or not, so that Rau sensed Kira means nothing. What Rau sensed was a giant robot hurtling toward him and out for blood. As for how it's possible that the Flaga bloodline is the only one capable of producing Newtypes, I always took that within the context of the Turn A Bang theory. The Flaga family is the last of the remaining Newtypes from the UC/AW eras, rather than the only group of people in the entire CE world to evolve into Newtypes. Just my interpretation of it, though. If I recall correctly, Fukuda said even before SEED started that it was supposed to fit in with all the other shows as part of Dark History, so it makes sense.

When you think about it, Victory Gundam takes place in the way out future of the UC timeline. By the Axis/AUEG war it wasn't common at all to be seeing a mobile suit split into pieces and suddenly dock...the first impression was Sentai styled warfare....much like it is today....thus when Double Zeta was docking it was a shock and awe of "WHAT IN THE HELL IS IT DOING?!" and later became "QUICK SHOOT THE PIECES!!!" However, by the time that Victory Gundams timeline rolled in, its apparent that mobile suit docking is very common if not too regular. Even the Zanscar mobile suits are docking enabled much like Victory was....thus they knew "Yeah you gotta get the pieces in order for it not to kick our asses" I don't think it really requires prior experience to know that if an enemy mobile suit is trying to dock up, you need to shoot it down. You don't even necessarily need to know what's going on. Fact is, there's an enemy craft over there, so don't sit there and stare. Shoot it. I'm not sure if you actually paid attention to the episode or not...but Shin is assigned to the Impulse Gundam, he didn't commandeer or steal it....that's what he pilots. But its almost Gundam tradition that the young pilot somehow jump into the mobile suit and begin fighting like he's or she has done it a billion times. Only very few shows for Gundam have ever had the pilot know exactly what they were doing or assigned to the mobile suit....those shows would be 0080, 8th MS Team, and needless to say G-Savior....that's about all I can remember. It was a bit of an exaggeration. Yes, I know Shin is assigned to Impulse. Raww was also assigned to Providence, Cagalli was assigned to Strike Rouge, and the drones were assigned to the trio of fuglies. Compare them to everyone else, though. Strike: Commandeered by Kira; Duel, Buster, Blitz, Aegis: Stolen by Yzak, Dearka, Nicol, Athrun; Freedom: Stolen by Kira; Justice: Assigned to Athrun, who went AWOL with it; and now, Chaos, Gaia, Abyss, stolen by Sting, Stellar, and Auel. I know that throughout Gundam, there aren't many pilots who were formally assigned to their Gundams. But in SEED, perhaps because there's such a staggering number of Gundams to begin with, the prevalence of theft is a little off-putting.