Well, I did make a critical comment on Seed Destiny on IMDb prior to this (and yeah, I still don't like the first Seed) but after watching it on later episodes, something tells me that Destiny really seems to capture the core essence of this mighty mecha-based franchise, and it all shows in some of the most intense battle sequences ever made on TV. So it's pretty fair for me to pull back those crude words I uttered for the sake of all Gundam fans.
Though there are so many changes since the first show (truthfully, you'll be stuck in the woods if you don't follow its trail), it's still pretty much about the conflict between ZAFT (for dummies, space guys) and the forces of Earth, just like its predecessors. OK, I really miss lots of episodes in Seed (cause I don't really like it at all), so I have no idea the whole premise here but there's one thing I know about its characters: not one single person wants to prove to be heroic nor evil in this show because they are just doing what is right in their own eyes. And makers of the Gundam shows get smarter these days.
Despite its melodramatic nature, frequent uses of flashbacks (doggone these stuff) and the fact that the 'save our country from the enemy' conversations can become really annoying, the major highlight (and the main reason I watch Destiny) is the grand mecha battles: every single Gundam, including the famous one-eyed bots, make their appearances on (this time) both sides of the battlefield. Unless you know the show well, viewers will be virtually confused with their affiliations. Aside from improved 3D effects (and they blend really nicely) and character animation, one of the greatest thing that I realize recently is that most anime have 3D robots these days: the Gundam series, like Mr. Miyazaki himself, instead defy them by using the old-school methods (hand-drawn, that's for sure) and the result is impressive. In fact, I think these hand-drawn mechas look more versatile and exciting (nostalgia is the perfect word) compared to the rest of the 3D robots, which is a wonder why most recent mecha shows suck.
Like all anime stuff, there are some J-Pop songs specially produced for Destiny: mostly are varied in quality, ranged from awesome and memorable to the state that makes you think 'WTF?'. Just check them up, listen and you'll see what I mean.
And here is my analyst of the later episodes of Gundam Seed Destiny and yes, I admit it's really good. If you don't like its convoluted storyline, you'll be still enticed by Destiny's mecha battles, and they're all worthy of its parent name.
