OK, let me see if I’ve got this straight. Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz is the manga version of a movie based on a show. Taking place after the show’s timeline (and after other Gundam Wing manga titles), Endless Waltz reunites characters from the show for a final battle. And there are characters aplenty; besides the five warriors who make up the Gundam Wing, a team of manned battle machines, there are politicians and soldiers from various sides of the conflict to keep straight. Readers who aren’t familiar with the show (and that includes me) may have a hard time.
Despite all this, Endless Waltz presents some pretty complex ideas about war, peace, and government. Ever since humans formed colonies in space, there’s been conflict between these new societies and the Earth government from which they fled. The UESA– United Earth Sphere Alliance– is formed to govern both Earth and its colonies, but the colonies’ needs are neglected by the Earth-based government. War seems an ever-present threat, until a faction on Earth establishs order in the colonies by force. In retaliaton, militant colonists develop a terrorist plot to win their freedom by dropping an entire colony on the Earth Sphere. Before Endless Waltz opens, the Gundam fighters have prevented this tradgedy and brought an uneasy peace to the UESA. Now, that peace will be tested again. Relena, a trusted foreign minister, is kidnapped by an unknown power on Colony X-18999. This new regime plans to seize control of Earth. Their leader? A little girl who may be the daughter of a famous Earth general. Will the Gundams be forced to come out of retirement to stop her? And who will fight on which side? The tale that follows has some interesting twists and turns. Endless Waltz is probably of most interest to those who are already Gundam fans, but it does raise some intriguing questions about waging war to achieve peace.
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
ISBN: 1931514720
Art by Koichi Tokita
Created by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino
Tokyopop 2002
