[basic info]
[summary]
[review]
First published in Japan in 1998
First published in the United States in 2000
Based on the anime TV series Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Mobile Suit Gundam created by Yoshiyuki Tomino & Hajime Yatate
By Reku Fuyunagi
English Adaption by Bill Flanagan
For the purpose of publication in English, the artwork in this publication is printed in reverse from the original Japanese version.
[summary]
The year is A.C. 196. Heero Yuy is attempting to adjust to life in an era of peace when he suddenly receives a myserious e-mail telling Heero that Wing Gundam Zero has been taken and where he must go to reclaim it. Heero travels to the given coordinates only to find the sender of the e-mail asking him why he fights, why he does not abandon his Gundam.
The last chapter, "In Rose", is like a separate short story. Relena is working herself to death and ends up with a fever, a sprained ankle, and no rescue in sight. But just when she feels as if she's hopelessly alone, someone appears...
[review]
Aaaaaah! I'm being FLOWERED to death!!!!!!!!
I have matured beyond a seven-year old. Really. I have. ::coughcough::
So here we have yet another version of what took place in the interim between the TV series and Endless Waltz. I have to say that out of this, Blind Target, and Battlefield of Pacifists, Ground Zero is my least favorite.
My main gripe is with the artwork. I tend more toward real-type styles, while Ground Zero tends to make everyone look about ten-years old. Mainly, though, it's just very shoujo-ish. Lots of flowers. Lots of them. All over the place. And bubbles. And random geometric shapes, too.
The plot of the main section is a tad out-there, and "In Rose" is about as shoujo as you can get. There isn't much action (by my standards, at least) and the suspense has a tendency to... stop. Wufei is seen in his Mariemeia uniform (with a cute little coat, too!), but there really is no real reason given as to his motivations. Also, in this manga, it is Trowa who suggests sending the Gundams into the sun to get rid of them, rather than Quatre.
As for "In Rose"... If you don't like 1+R, stay far, far away. I do, but it was too shoujo for me to particularly enjoy it. I was more entertained by Duo, Quatre, and Trowa's antics.
The saving grace of this manga, in my opinion, is the humour. The character profiles in the beginning are hilarious, and you can't beat random chibis. Heero's revelation at the climax is also a kicker. (And no, it's not that he's gay or female- or both.)
I don't regret buying Ground Zero, but it's far from my favorite. I like it for the laughs and Wufei's cute coat, but it does not carry its weight in comparison to the rest of the series.
[6.9 out of 10.0]