So, continuing along my tend of general nerdiness, here is the second opening sequence used in the first season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. This show was coming out in Japan around this time last year, and the opening sequence, set to the song “Ash like Snow,” by The Brilliant Green. This is an opening theme like many anime have, but with key differences that make it very unique – namely, it’s emphasis on motion. In the opening sequence, the credits roll (albeit in Japanese) and multiple characters and machines used in the show are prominently showcased. Gundam 00 is famous for having an enormous animation budget, so it stands to reason that their opening sequence would be beautifully animated… It does play at the begining of each of their episodes, after all.
What makes this opening unique, though, is, as stated before, it’s unusual emphasis on motion. The animators seemed to go quite far out of their way to make sure that, during the chorus, at least, the feeling of motion transfered from one cut to the next. This is particularly noticable in the shifts between shots of characters in their cockpits and the motion of the robots (mobile suits) that they’re in.
However, there is a downside to this opening sequence, in that it still feels too much like a lot of other anime opening sequences out there. Yes, the “shots,” if you will, are quite unique, but the problem is that it’s basically the same thing that every other anime tries to do with it’s opening: show all the characters and give a sense of what their personalities are all at once. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, it can get old. Too many anime do that for it to be interesting each and every time.
So, if I had to make a suggestion, I would make the clips in the beginning of the opening sequence match more. Showing all the characters in different, unlinked places feels too stereotypical – I’m not quite sure what would be better, perhaps showing them all together would w ork well, but the constant cuts undermine the assumed goal of this opening, which, again, is the imparted sense of motion from the video. Short of that, I’m not quite sure what could be done. Either way, it’s one of the best opening sequences I’ve seen out there for an anime.
