One of the things I love about Gundam Wing is that its ENTIRE CAST is made up of characters who SHOULD be doomed by their narrative--some are based on character archetypes that usually are doomed by their respective narratives, others are based on tragic real world historical figures--and (almost) every single one of those doomed characters is saved as a result of interacting with the other doomed characters. I once said “Gundam Wing is a very long anti-suicide PSA” and that pretty much sums it up.
Reccomending Gundam is like: "oh, i want to reccomend Gundam Unicorn, but that wont make any sesne if you haven't watched Char's Counterattack. but. hu. that doesn't really work well unless you've seen the original series, or at least the compilation movies. And tbh Gundam Unicorn works best if you've watched Zeta and Double Zeta, but the frst half of Double Zeta kinda sucks? Also 08th MS team is soo sooo sooooo good but its only 12 episodes and not related to anything else. still watch it though. And then i want to reccomend NON UC gundam, but there's so much? Like, watch IBO and Witch From Mercury for sure. but you should also try older stuff. SEED is really good but everyone hated SEED destiny, but theres a new SEED movie in 2023? also watch Turn A gundam and Gundam Wing totally, but i haven't seen them yet they're just in everyone elses recommend lists. Also some AUs feel like they'e connected to the UC canon but aren't at all, like 00 gundam. so like, watch them before or after UC? who knows. also theres late UC which happens, like, 50 or so years after the main series (0079). And that has an entire new enemy and new mobile suits and such, that are really barely connected to the original UC events, but there's apparently some good stuff there, like F91 and Victory (i didnt really like ep1 of victory so i never gave it a go). So do I reccommend that? do i tell people to start with late UC given you dont need early UC to understand it? Oh god oh fuck what about gundam build fighters!??! How do you even explain that"
Anyway, if you liked Gundam Witch From Mercury, I think a good place to start is with 08th MS Team for a taster of UC, or Iron Blooded Orphans for a darker Gundam show with similar formatting, characters, and themes to G-Witch, but better pacing.
Art inspired by the 2x5 fic Immortal Jellyfish on a03. One of the best fics I’ve read in a long time and sealed this ship for me. Might make this a print idk