Celestial Sparkles

Cr:@oekaki_inochi on twitter/X

So, showing Wing, then Zero (EW), then Zero Snow White (I would have preferred Zero (TV)) is such a cool thing to do! That too on beat with Rhythm Emotion!!!

Seeing Meilan, in the same pose as Wufei from the original Gundam Wing opening is not something I expected. Not only am I screaming, but this was an amazing decision, and one of the best highlights of this video. That's some way to pay respect to the original material while building on it.

Heero got an updated scene, and it's beautiful as expected. The entire video is beautiful. The poses are exactly similar! Though in earlier TV opening, he's in a colony, presumably in front of the destruction he accidentally caused that involved the girl and the puppy. Though I'm not 100% sure of this. And in second one, he has his Gundam behind him, and it's on earth. Sanc kingdom? I think this scene is from GoL, but I can't pinpoint it.

Oh no what happened to Duo? He doesn't have his signature shirt from the original opening (the dragon (thanks @ikuzeminna) wolf crest one), but why is he so injured? Ouch. It looks Iike the Endless Waltz scene, where they are all fighting the Barton soldiers...though that's just the aesthetics, he could be anywhere.

Oh this Trowa's scene is very well-illustrated with amazing lighting composition; very beautiful. Though I don't understand the significance yet. And he's missing his mask too. And he looks so sad that my heart hurts. And he looks too cute.

What is happening, why are they all so sad T_T Quatre looks so done.

I'm not sure what Duo and Quatre are doing, but the art and scene are striking enough for me to put them here xD

Ok, so Gundam Wing is continuing the tradition of using the calm pilot for their emotion part of the 'Rhythm Emotion' song (the tv op). I don't recall him that animated in the series. Don't get me wrong, he does show emotions and expressions in the series. Just not this much.

So this is a parallel. From episode 1, where Wing fell into ocean, clung on by Zech's Leo. And I'm not sure what to make of this parallel, Zechs (his Leo tbf) replaced by Relena. Though referencing that iconic scene is amazing. And it's cute too, Heero and Relena. Awkward but cute.

Oh and this parallel! Heero falling through air without opening his parachute, vs falling/drowning in water. They are throwing in callbacks to famous scenes from GW and personally I like the idea. Feels respectful of the source material. Builds nostalgia but adds the thrill of something new.

Waterwork alert T_T Let me get some tissues first T_T I was not expecting this. This hurt too much. I did not expect this field to be this stunning. Oh my God they outdid themselves. This might be one of the most obvious references to Episode Zero and IT IS THE BEST ONE. They need to take this as a sign to animate it for us!! They need to.

The first one is the Relena look from the anniversary video, and the right two are from the original Gundam Wing opening. I always loved this scene, the Heero-Relena back-to-back (almost), and the small nod-side-look-thing Relena did. It was so addictive and cool and stylish. I'm happy they partially kept it.

Ooooh the new poses and attacks from the Gundams are so stunning. Except poor Quatre/Sandrock, why does he have his EW animation? And Trowa/HeavyArms scene is mostly bombs rushing off in the screen, but it still looks great. Wufei/Altron is visually so pleasing because of his trident weapon beam. Duo/Deathscythe looks like he's hung by the moon.

Epyon looks like it stole Deathscythe's demon of hell look here. Deathscythe rocked it better, Epyon looks weird, sort of.

This scene is just so beautiful in the new animation. And also, it is so nostalgic. Gundam Wing sure had so many out of the box and additive scenes. And memorable. No one can forget it.

Ummm...he really needs to learn to deploy a parachute properly. It's been 30 years. He has improved, yes...no broken bone. More of a hero's entry.

Seeing the GW cast again is always a treat. My heart is still recovering from the sudden video. Also, where are Sally and Catherine? I miss them. And Hilde. It would have been lovely to see them too. And Dorothy's pose is as elegant and striking as ever. Zechs and Noin could have benefited with a little more screen time, we barely see them! Une is putting on her glasses and Treize is just posing cooly. Still aura farming I guess.

This was perhaps my favorite part? Seeing the 5 kids, all of them together, and smiling? In such stunning animation and actually nicely smiling? All of them? Am I dreaming? And it was hilarious to see Heero parachute down and meet the others casually. Nice callback and reference. I do love Heero's new jacket (but not what it implies), seeing the other pilots in new clothes would have been fun.

Still, I'm so happy to see this. Unexpressively glad.

I nearly got a heart attack when I saw this. It was amazing, the left scene. Then it was depressing, the right scene. (Also, one poor guy is hidden behind Heero's hand all the time).

I mean I want to consume new Gundam Wing media. I love GW to bits. But not Frozen Teardrop. I don't want that. The cast on the right has barely any soul of the original cast, it's an entirely new series, they should just make it that way, it has nothing to do with Gundam Wing >_<

This looked like the Noventa's letter to Heero? It is not the invite Heero tore, nor the greeting card Heero gave Relena in last episode.

Ignoring the origins of this picture (Frozen Teardrop), but Heero looks absolutely cute in this. And it just makes me depressed thinking what his life is about to turn to, from that little Leo-toy holding child to... And partially why Odin as, you know, Heero's dad, is problematic...sigh

Edit: I was reminded by @ikuzeminna to update the Dorothy reference too, and here it is. The crazy/epic line "Hurry up and start a war."

Oh, before I finish, the animation choice, to use 90's cel animation style for the original Gundam Wing part, and then to use the modern animation art style for second part, is something I totally loved. Shows so much consideration, love and respect to the source series, and it deserves it and more!

(But then they added FT to it and that it a huge blow to all the love and respect....jeez)

Still...today was a memorable day. Perhaps for years to come. At least for me. 25-Jul-2025. I got to see Gundam Wing in today's animation quality. An anime 30 years old. Yet relevant enough, missed enough, nostalgic enough, amazing enough....(I'll be back, I need to wipe my tears ;_; )

P.S: I forgot to say.

THE MUSIC. The instrumental Just Communication that sounds like it was remixed for maximum nostalgia and adios feels, hits my heart so badly yet I can't stop listening to it!!

The cover illustration for Volume 1 of the manga

“New Mobile Report Gundam Wing 0.5 PREVENTER-7,” set to be released on February 26.

The Frozen Teardrop novel translations are now available for download on the Zeonic|Scanlations website:

Gundam Wing: The Transitional Objects Collection?

Source

Should we feel concerned that Heero's comfort object is his self-detonation switch?

Source

The New Blind Target Manga Cover Revealed

Cover: "Deluxe Edition: New Mobile Report Gundam Wing BLIND TARGET". The official manga will be rereleased to mark its 30th anniversary.

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Anime Shares 30th Anniversary Winter Visual, Behind-the-Scenes Photos - Crunchyroll News

Oh, I love this question! Thanks for asking! 🤓

Let's see, shall we?

In FT vol. 13 (read it here on Zeonic|Scanlations), we learn:

Doctor J created two identical "Odin Lowe Jr." clones and intended only one to survive. Alpha pilots the completed Proto Zero and can access the ZERO System's future-sight; Beta pilots the unfinished Wing Gundam. Alpha believes Beta is the "real" one (which he is - Alpha was just implanted with Beta's memories) and repeatedly holds back in combat, fully intending to die for him.

When Doctor J prepares to throw them into a lunar war, Beta refuses the premise. He orders Alpha to escape and live - for both of them. Alpha obeys. This choice defines everything Alpha does afterward. Beta survives the battle and will later become who we know as Heero Yuy from the anime.

After destroying the moon's Gundanium ore in an attempt to prevent further war, Alpha vanishes from the battlefield. He briefly encounters Quatre, abandons the Proto Zero, and escapes by shuttle to Earth. In AC 191, he meets Relena there, an encounter depicted in the Episode Zero manga. Shortly afterward, Alpha leaves the resistance entirely. From that point on, he drifts through the Earth Sphere under the name Black Alpha, severed from factions, ideology, and purpose. He lives only because Beta told him to.

In AC 204, Lady Une uncovers the truth that Heero (Odin Lowe Jr.) has a clone. By then, Heero has already entered cryogenic stasis alongside Relena. Une begins searching for the clone, but Alpha remains untraceable for over a decade.

It is not until AC 216 that she finally finds him, arrested during a riot in L2. Alpha is living as a vagrant, with long unkempt hair and a beard, barely recognizable at first glance. What gives him away are his eyes. Une recognizes them immediately - the same eyes as Heero's.

Une offers him something radically different from life as a drifter; not control, not surveillance, but agency. Alpha joins her. The novel explicitly states that they begin operating together "in the shadows of Earth's political stage." Over time, Alpha becomes calmer and gentler, but his eyes never soften.

In MC-0022, when Father Maxwell becomes the President of Mars, Une assigns Alpha, now physically in his 40s, as Father Maxwell's bodyguard while Duo works on rebuilding Mars. Duo immediately recognizes him as an older Heero. Alpha confirms he's a clone and asks to use the name Heero. Duo eventually gets used to calling him that.

Alpha is not a public leader (he lacks a citizen ID and avoids the spotlight), but he is deeply involved in strategy, protection, and political groundwork. He explicitly supports Duo's efforts to rebuild Mars from the margins, advising him, protecting him, and helping engineer a grassroots revolution rather than a top-down regime.

So, the bottom line about Duo and Alpha/Heero is that by the end of Frozen Teardrop -

They are both middle-aged.

They are working together on Mars.

Alpha chooses Duo as the man worthy of leadership.

Duo trusts Alpha enough to rely on him politically and personally.

Their dynamic is framed as mutual recognition between survivors who understand pain, guilt, and responsibility.

The text absolutely positions them as long-term partners in purpose, trust, and rebuilding a world.

So, yeah. Shipping +40-year-old Duo and Alpha feels totally legit IMHO. It's a clean, text-supported reading of Frozen Teardrop's endgame.

My 1x2 shipping heart is loving the idea of them together like this, because Heero (Beta) is still in his teens (and with Relena...), so Duo gets to have his older clone... Yeah. I can see that working.

Could you please share the Duo x Alpha fan art links? I'd love to see it.

Duo and Black Alpha Fanart

𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐞 The Vision of Escaflowne • 天空のエスカフローネ (1996) 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 Shōji Kawamori, Hajime Yatate 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 Sunrise 𝐝𝐢𝐫. Kazuki Akane 𝐜𝐡𝐫. 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫 Nobuteru Yuki