Gundam Wing will always be a sentimental favorite series of mine. It was the first show I started to collect after discovering the world of anime, and watching it brings back fond memories of trying to find anything and everything I could about anime.

Plot Summary
It is the year After Colony 195, and there is unrest in the space colonies. The Earth-based government is overstepping its bounds in space, so the colonies send five young pilots on secret missions - none of whom are aware of the others - to begin a revolution.

The Review
There are really two shows going on here at the same time.

First, there is the ongoing struggle described by the plot between the Gundams and the Earth government, as well as the mysterious organization known as OZ. Over the course of the 49 episodes, there are plenty of plot twists and changes in alliances, to the point where enemies become allies, and allies become enemies, and you'll have to keep notes to remember who is fighting whom. And not to forget the Gundams themselves. There are five Gundams, each with different battle strengths, and they don't disappoint when it comes to mecha action. So overall, anyone looking for a good mecha fix with some political intrigue, Gundam Wing will do nicely.

Then there is the character drama story. Gundam Wing is filled with many colorful characters, each with their own personalities, and what personalities they are! Nearly every character is an extreme of some stereotype or other. Nobody acts halfway, they are portrayed to the extreme, and depending how you watch the show, this could be the make-or-break element. An easier way to put it would be that at times, the characters seem to take things (including themselves) waaaaaay too seriously. Overall, this doesn't detract from the story much, unless you are looking for a more realistic portrayal of people in these situations.

In a nutshell, the main characters are:

Heero Yuy - the psychotic, quiet type.
Duo Maxwell - the easygoing guy (most normal of the bunch!).
Trowa Barton - the automaton.
Quatre Raberba Winner - the sensitive guy.
Chang Wufei - the headstrong independent type.

...and those are just the leads.

After all that, you might think I didn't like this series, but that is not the case at all. (If the 4 carrot rating was any indication.) Put your tongue in your cheek a bit, and prepare yourself for a good action drama that isn't afraid to go over the top every now and then.