My Life In Fandom: "Shining Lights of Life", a Universal Century Tale

To quote where I found this: "This is a special feature that was made exclusively for certain re-releases of old Gundam titles in Japan. I think it's a brilliant video that everyone that wants to get into Gundam should see."

This special incorporates footage (however slight) from every Gundam film or series to date, including stuff from the first Hathaway's Flash movie, so this is new and it is likely meant as a 40th Anniversary thing. Most of the commentary is between Amuro and Lalah, and the perspective seems to start and end around Turn A Gundam's era.

But that's not the interesting point. What is interesting is that this attempt at focusing on the themes linking it all together, starting with with the calendar shift from A.D. to U.C., inadvertently echoes the core theme of Gurren Lagann right down to Man's spirit being the driving factor (and weaponized by mecha). It even invokes evolution, down to an implied spiral, to end on all of this suffering be ultimately redemptive and the future to come being something truly wonderful.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

And Amuro, being the downbeat voice, does point out how all of this seems pointless. He's doing something important. He's pointing out that there is a missing, necessary, component that Lalah blithely ignores- again, by implication.

This isn't just two characters in dialog. This is a national culture arguing with itself, and not wanting to look at the long-haired foreigner inviting them over to fulfill that need, but they're going to sooner or later.

And I just found out how the Church brought Space Japan on board in Galactic Christendom's backstory.