If you asked me my thoughts on Gundam SEED I would quickly tell you I don't like it. If you asked why I would respond with, "the characters were awful," then proceed to give some vague remembrances from years past before mumbling off. Chances are I'd also mention how much I loath Hisashi Hirai's character art while I was at it. The short of it is, I don't quite remember much about Gundam SEED.

I can tell you that I watched it when it first aired almost a decade ago. I watched it for a long time, just how far into the series I don't remember. My memory tells me that the characters were pretty unlikable even as the story pretty much took its plot points straight from Mobile Suit Gundam. The suits I remember a bit more, especially the Strike Gundam, which I consider to be one of the best all time Gundam designs (I have two PG Strike kits). There was also the four legged suit which I liked the design of until I saw how poorly it was used in the series. The enemy grunt units though, man how I hated them (and still do). Where the Strike was a classy remake the want-to-be Zaku's and like looked as though they were styled by a child. "Eh, here ya go. We just messed with the shapes and added some spikes here and there. Oh, you want more? Well here it is with a horrible mohawk contraption." With such fragmented memories I thought it appropriate to reintroduce myself to the series and rewatch Gundam SEED. Is it as bad as I recall? Was I looking at it too much through rosy UC glasses? Will I discover anyone in Northern America who actually likes the program?

I'm going to start the new "remastered: series. If Bandai/Sunrise felt the need to go back and redo everything then they must have done a horrible job (and why subject myself?). Really though, the entire thing was just a way to squeeze more cash out of a successful (in Japan, at least) program.

Shall we begin?

Yay, another project complete! As usual, a bunch of text on the build here, all the fun photos after. Jump down if you're wise enough to skip my yammering.

I wanted to take a minute to write about priming. It's something a lot of modelers do before painting a kit. Though generally a good idea, it's not always needed.

When to use primer...