We are very much in the ‘SEED’ zeitgeist with the release of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM, so I will take this opportunity to express one particular nitpick.
You know how the animation models of mobile suits in ‘SEED’ vastly differ from their original drawings, especially in the proportions? Kunio Okawara produces the design with his signature three-quarter illustration and rather stocky proportions. The animation team then adjusts them to look more dynamic, often resulting in more lanky proportions. Especially the overstretched mid-torso section look which I’m personally not a fan.
The difference is best captured by three depictions of the Strike Freedom Gundam we have here. You can surmise that the original 2005 HG kit is closer to Kunio Okawara’s line art, while the 2018 Metal Robot Spirits figure swings to the opposite end with its animation-accurate proportions, albeit with my aforementioned caveats. I personally prefer the 2016 HGCE kit as it strikes the right balance between the two aesthetic choices.
High Grade GUNDAM SEED / ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam
High Grade Cosmic Era / ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam
Metal Robot Spirits ⟨Side MS⟩ / ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam
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