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112-703: Shinn has also been featured in the films and manga adaptations, reprising his role from the Gundam SEED Destiny . He is also featured in various video games from the franchise as well as crossover titles. Shinn was developed as the opposite from Kira Yamato , the protagonist from the series' prequel Mobile Suit Gundam SEED with director Mitsuo Fukuda stating that nevertheless both would go through similar developments. Shinn's character has been well received by anime fans, appearing in Anime Grand Prix polls and Sunrise polls, being ranked as one of

224-582: A Gundam Ace poll, Kira was in the most popular Gundam character poll conducted from 2005 to 2007, claimed the first place 12 times out of the 36 total polls. And then, he was ranked in the TOP 3 for many years with Amuro and Char. In the 2007 Seiyu Awards , Sōichirō Hoshi was a nominee in the category "Best Actors in supporting roles" for his portrayal as Kira in the Gundam SEED Destiny OVA, but lost to Akira Ishida and Kōki Miyata . Kira

336-472: A Coordinator who befriended Kira when she was taken aboard the Archangel and was used as a hostage. After hearing that ZAFT plans to attack the base his friends are staying at, Kira decides to continue battling to bring the war to an end. Lacus then gives Kira ZAFT's new mobile suit, ZGMF-X10A Freedom ( ZGMF-X10A フリーダム ) , which he uses to accompany the Archangel, whose objective has also changed to ending

448-489: A Hyper Deuterion Beam that can charge other mobile suits, and a significantly improved Mirage Colloid system from its predecessor that can create self-directing "mirage clones". Shinn has also appeared in the original video animation Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Final Plus , that remakes the events from series' last episode. After ZAFT's defeat, Shinn meets the Kira Yamato in person and both decide to join forces for

560-423: A character not seen in the prequel, and he would have a thin appearance. Shinn's character has become popular within fans, appearing various times in the Anime Grand Prix popularity polls for favorite male characters. He first appeared in sixth place in 2004, dropping to seventh place in 2005, and twelfth place in 2006. In a Newtype poll, Shinn was voted as the seventeenth most popular male anime character from

672-481: A character punch Kira due to lack of violence outside mobile suit fights as well as sink the Archangel. Morowasa did not believe that the story could end properly this happened alongside to the destruction of the Archangel ship. Regarding the reason for choosing a motorcycle as the vehicle for the two of them rather than a four-wheeled car for marketing Kira and Lacus' hobbies, Fukuda said, cars feel like they move on

784-454: A friend from the dub's director, who told Hill not to have too much energy when doing the voice. The line "Kira Yamato! Launching!" was repeated by Hill several times when obtaining the role. Hill remembers enjoying his work, having taken a liking to the character. Max Mittelman replaced Hill for the NYAV dub. Kira's character has been well received by anime viewers, appearing various times in

896-713: A large development occurring to his character across the series. He is voiced in the Japanese series by Sōichirō Hoshi . In English, he is voiced by Matt Hill in the Ocean English dub, and by Max Mittelman in the NYAV English dub. Kira is one of the most popular characters in the Anime Grand Prix popularity polls for favorite male characters, often coming in first or second between 2002 and 2005. His character has also been well received by publications for manga, anime and other media due to his friendly personality,

1008-411: A later episode, Wolstenholme found that Cagalli's character had become more mature when she confronts Athrun about the reasons to kill somebody following her father's teachings, citing it as a strong quiet moments from the series. Reviewing the manga of Gundam SEED Destiny Julie Gray from Comic Book Bin praised Cagalli's romantical relationship with Athrun featured in the volume, emphasizing how integral

1120-404: A mentally unstable forced soldier in the plot due to how Kira starts suffering depression due to failing to protect a ship containing innocent civilians. Kira and Flay's relationship are also noted to stand out as "comfort abuse" within the franchise, alongside the narrative of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , due to how Flay manipulates Kira to fight for Archangel's cause. While in the early episodes of

1232-496: A messiah figure with too much strength in Destiny that several viewers of the series were annoyed by such portrayal. In regards to the film Gundam SEED Freedom , Kira was often praised for the focus his romantic relationship with Lacus often being compared with the developers of the movie as the writer had passed away when writing the film and the director happens to be her husband. Real Sound  [ ja ] said that

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1344-562: A new war between the races' military organizations and the 2024 film Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom as a Compass Commander dealing with a group known as Blue Cosmos. Kira has also appeared in the manga adaptations from the two TV series as well as the film compilations. Various video games from the Gundam franchise as well as crossover games also feature Kira as a pilot from mobile suits. Director Mitsuo Fukuda regarded Kira's actions as based on Japanese people's thoughts, and emphasized

1456-525: A peaceful future. He is also featured in films Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: Special Edition , which retell the events from the television series and adds a scene of Kira becoming a member of ZAFT after the war ends. In Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (set 2 years after the end of Destiny ), Kira has moved to the PLANTs with Lacus, and has become the a member of peacekeeping organization COMPASS, alongside Shinn, and other comrades from his past with

1568-671: A peaceful future. He also stars in the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: Special Edition films series that retell the events from the Gundam SEED Destiny television series. He remains in ZAFT after the war's ending, alongside Kira and Lunamaria. He has also been featured in the two manga adaptations from the series, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge . Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge Desire deals with both Shinn's backstory and aftermath after

1680-472: A review by Mania Entertainment writer Kim Wolstenholme, Cagalli was described with praise as a strong female character rather than a "wishy-washy character" seen in other anime series. He also liked her involvement in Gundam SEED following her short appearance in the series' first episode. A similar comment was made by Ross Liversidge from UK Anime Network who praised Cagalli's return in the series due to

1792-569: A sign of relief to the fans. The second novelization was praised for Lacus joining up with Kira's Mighty Strike Freedom more explained than in the movie. The couple is able to pilot the mobile suit together to defeat the leaders of the Compass. Manga News claimed that because Kira comes across as a more flawed in individual in Freedom than in Destiny when dealing with fights and remembering his encounter with Durandal and philosphy that his character

1904-455: A single axis or in a flat manner, but motorcycles also have roll movements, so it's more free-flowing. This fits Kira and Lacus, as it symbolizes the freedom that they crave. Fukuda was inspired by his own youth to animate bikes as he relates them with superheroes like Bari Bari Densetsu . Though not major in the movie, the bikes Kira and Lacus ride together were hard to animate but Fukuda still personally drew scene. In regards to how they work,

2016-420: A terrorist despite the pílot's desire to end war at any cost especially in Destiny . Also writing for Mania Entertainment, Kim Wolstenholme was worried about how much Kira's and Athrun's relationship would be focused in Gundam SEED , but liked that Lacus Clyne's introduction added tension to it. Ever Cheung from Animefringe who wondered about the future of Kira and Lacus because the two are about to embrace in

2128-474: A tragic way due to their battles, he found Kira's role in the series to be more likable. Moreover, in the series finale, he wondered whether Shinn would do an action appreciated by the viewers, but ended favoriting the scene in which an angered Athrun defeats him with a "much deserved kicking" as at the same time Shinn's attitude was teased. Shinn's role in the OVA Final Plus that remade the last episode

2240-589: A weapon of mass destruction, Durandal imposes the Destiny Plan, a rule which removes freewill and dictates a person's entire life based on their genetics. Kira, the Archangel and their allies confront ZAFT's forces in space and defeat them in the final battle. Kira personally confronts Durandal and the latter is killed by one of his own subordinates. Kira appears in the original video animation (OVA) Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Final Plus . Following Durandal's death, Kira meets Shinn and they promise to work for

2352-478: Is a fictional character first introduced as the protagonist from the 2002 Japanese anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED , which was produced by Sunrise as part of the Gundam franchise. In the series, Kira is a first-generation Coordinator, a genetically enhanced human being born of normal humans (Naturals). At the beginning of Gundam SEED , Kira lives on the neutral space colony Heliopolis to avoid

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2464-678: Is a shy, friendly teenager living peacefully in the Heliopolis colony. Kira is a highly skilled computer programmer who assists with research and development at the Heliopolis technical college, where he is a student. When a war between the Naturals and Coordinators is brought to Heliopolis, Kira takes control of a mobile suit , the GAT-X105 Strike ( GAT-X105 ストライク ) , to protect his friends from ZAFT—the military organization of

2576-421: Is also featured in the manga adaptations of both Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny , the latter also including Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge . In the manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73 Δ Astray Cagalli meets a team from Mars during their visit to Orb but disappears when she is kidnapped by Kira during the events of Gundam SEED Destiny . She is also featured in several video games from

2688-522: Is also featured in the Gundam crossover games Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 with Destiny as a playable mobile suit. Shinn is playable in both Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam and Gundam vs. Gundam Next , with the Impulse and Destiny though the latter was not added until PlayStation Portable version of the first game. He is an unlockable in the third game, Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. . Shinn also appears in

2800-559: Is attacking Berlin in an enormous transformable mobile suit. Stella had gone berserk due to her fear of dying and her mobile suit is then destroyed by Kira Yamato , a pilot from the Archangel ship that is trying to stop the war. Stella dies in Shinn's arms due to the injuries received from her suit's destruction. Angered with Stella's death, Shinn starts training with his friend Rey Za Burrel to defeat Kira in an upcoming battle. Following his victory, PLANT Chairman Gilbert Durandal gives him

2912-532: Is constantly in a state of sadness in the first episodes as he was going to lose his humanity the more he fought. Hoshi said that the character of Kira was the one who left him the biggest attention in his career. The first half of the anime ended with a meeting between Kira and Athrun were the two act casually as they had to avoid being enemies. In the end, Fukuda praised Hoshi for bringing Kira's charm. Hoshi believed Kira managed to mature thanks to Lacus Clyne after his fight with Athrun. Hoshi expressed joy in voicing

3024-437: Is described by Sophia Tate from University of Tasmania as a realistic war soldier but more sympathetic than his rivals as, while he suffers grief during, he does not expose such ideals of revenge shown by his friends. His parallels with Athrun were also noted as both characters are treated heavily by their superiors to follow their orders and keep fighting during their war. The relationships Kira develops also result in tragedy in

3136-668: Is destroyed by the Black Knights serving Orphee Lam Tao but manages to escape. Unaware of Lacus' actions, Kira breaks but he is supported by Athrun to search for her in order to understand the true. An assault team led by Kira infiltrates Foundation's base on the Artemis asteroid and rescues Lacus, as both declare their inconditional love. Kira is then given the old Strike Freedom to face the Battle Knights again, most importantly Orphee and Ingrid's own mobile suit. Although Kira

3248-442: Is introduced in the series as a member of the military organization ZAFT from the colony PLANT, working as the pilot of the mobile suit ZGMF-X56S Impulse ( ZGMF-X56S インパルス ) under the command of Talia Gladys , captain of the battleship Minerva. While Shinn is often seen as a friendly person, he bears an enormous hatred towards the rulers of the country of Orb, where he lived alongside his parents and his younger sister. Shinn's family

3360-403: Is it to the story and pointing as the romantical theme brought by the series. Vanessa Morley's work as Cagalli's English voice actress was found to be "satisfyingly tomboyish" by Anime News Network writer Theron Martin despite noting that her Japanese voice actress, Naomi Shindō , portrayed more manly. According to the website Real Sound  [ ja ] the couple Cagalli and Athrun

3472-555: Is not to blame for her sister's apparent death. In following battles against the Earth Alliance, Shinn learns that both Kira and Athrun are alive, with the latter joining the former and is questioned about his motives to fight. Rey convinces Shinn to continue following Durandal's will and he defeats most of Earth Alliance's forces. When the Minerva is confronted by the Archangel again, Shinn is defeated by Athrun in battle with all

Shinn Asuka - Misplaced Pages Continue

3584-627: Is overwhelmed in combat, Lacus aids him by the providing the MDE262S Proud Defender, to become the ZGMF/A-262PD-P Mighty Strike Freedom. Lacus arrives and assists Kira in destroying all of the Foundation's mobile suits and ships. After defeating Orphee and Ingrid with Freedom's giant sword, the war ends and Lacus and Kira descend to Earth on a beach, where they share a kiss. Kira is featured in

3696-462: The Gundam franchise. In the series, Cagalli is one of the regular humans, labeled as Naturals, fighting against genetically enhanced humans known as Coordinators in a prolonged war. Despite being seen fighting on the battlefield at various times alongside the Naturals military organization the Earth Alliance, Cagalli is later revealed to be the daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha, the leader of the neutral country of Orb. After assisting her new allies to stop

3808-604: The Super Robot Wars series starting on Super Robot Wars Z and Super Robot Wars K . Shinn is also playable with the Destiny mobile suit in Another Century's Episode: R . During initial episodes from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny , director Mitsuo Fukuda did not want to talk too much about Shinn's character. However, he defined him as Kira's opposite in regards to their personalities when comparing

3920-563: The Super Robot Wars series. He appears in Another Century's Episode 3 piloting the Freedom mobile suit and its follow-up, Another Century's Episode R , with the Strike Freedom. Director Mitsuo Fukuda stated that initially the story of Gundam SEED was written from Kira's point of view. Kira's personality and thought process were derived from what Fukuda considered to be Japanese people's thoughts. He said that his story

4032-406: The Anime Grand Prix polls for the favorite female anime character category, as well as online polls by Sunrise regarding the Gundam franchise. Critical reception for Cagalli has also been positive, mostly because of her strong personality and development across both TV series. Cagalli is first seen in the Heliopolis space colony where she discovers that advanced mobile suits have been developed for

4144-419: The Anime Grand Prix popularity polls for the favorite male characters category. He ranked first in 2002, second in 2003 and 2004, first in 2005, and second in 2006. In a NHK poll, he was voted as the fourth best Gundam character. In a 2012 poll, Kira's line "There are still people I want to protect" ( それでも、守りたい世界があるんだ！ ) was voted by fans as the best line in Gundam SEED . In a Newtype poll, Kira

4256-512: The manga adaptations of Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny . Kira's designs, according to Masatsugu Iwase—author of the Gundam SEED manga—was intended to be that of "a spineless wimp while not making him look too childish", but he later decided to make him a strong character in the manga. The manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: The Edge Desire features a story about Kira's recovery following Freedom's destruction. The manga series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray explores Kira's survival after

4368-450: The " reluctant hero ", but still praised his character arc in the series without overshadowing other character like Athrun and Cagalli. Due to the origins regarding Kira's original nature and his connections with Rau, UK Anime Network expected to see an intense final battle but was sightly disappointed despite enjoying Kira's anger displayed in the finale when engaging his enemy. Besides SEED ' s television series, Kira's actions in

4480-507: The 2000s. In an official Gundam poll by Sunrise, Shinn was voted as the third character with the strongest family bonds. In another poll from the same site regarding who was most childish hero within the Gundam franchise, Shinn was at the top. In another poll in which fans were asked who was the most memorable characters from Gundam SEED Destiny , Shinn was second. Publications for manga, anime and other media have commented on Shinn's character, giving him mainly mixed critics. His introduction to

4592-705: The Archangel returns to Orb, it is under attack by ZAFT and Earth Alliance forces seeking the sheltered Lord Djibril , leader of Logos. There Cagalli receives the ORB-01 Akatsuki ( ORB-01 アカツキ ) mobile suit as Uzumi's will. Piloting the Akatsuki, Cagalli resumes her position as Orb's leader and orders the arrest of Yuna. She then leads a counter-attack against ZAFT. She is able to keep Shinn Asuka at bay long enough for Kira's return. Afterwards, Cagalli remains in Orb to tend to her responsibilities as Orb's leader, while

Shinn Asuka - Misplaced Pages Continue

4704-491: The Archangel returns to space to continue the fight against ZAFT. Besides starring in the TV series, Cagalli is also featured in two series of films Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Special Edition and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: Special Edition which retell the events from its respective series. In the latter film's ending as well as the original video animation, Cagalli makes a peace agreement with ZAFT, remaining in Orb. She

4816-575: The Archangel ship assisting it in battle with a spare FX-550 Skygrasper while befriending Kira. When the Archangel reaches Orb, Cagalli reveals that she is the daughter of the Orb Union's Chief Representative Uzumi Nara Athha . Cagalli stays with Orb and later learns that captured ZAFT soldier Athrun Zala has apparently killed Kira. She confronts Athrun but allows him to return to ZAFT. Cagalli later learns of Kira's survival and reunites with him as well as Athrun who has joined forces with Kira. When

4928-479: The Archangel to the point where he could kill a person without hesitation. During one of the Archangel's battles against ZAFT, the Strike suffers multiple damages by Athrun and Kira is declared missing in action . He is found alive but injured by Reverend Malchio , who transports him to a space colony known as PLANT where most coordinators reside and is ZAFT's homebase. There, his wounds are treated by Lacus Clyne ,

5040-484: The Coordinators. Born as a Coordinator, Kira's advanced mental and physical skills allow him to skillfully control the Strike. Kira is shocked when he discovers that his childhood friend Athrun Zala is a member of ZAFT. When they last met, Athrun gave Kira his robotic pet Birdy ( トリィ , Torī ) as a sign of their enduring friendship, (voiced by Naomi Shindou in the Japanese anime and Tabitha St. Germain in

5152-508: The Earth Alliance and Orb. At the beginning of the film, he pilots a new mobile suit, the STSS-909 Rising Freedom (STTS-909 ライジングフリーダムガンダム), which he uses to fight for Compass. However, during Orphee Lam Tao from Blue Cosmos becomes jealous of Kira and Lacus' relationship and has his Accord genes to manipulate Kira as he crosses into Eurasia's territory unknowingly and is attacked in retaliation under Lacus' orders. The Freedom

5264-459: The Earth Alliance by Orb. During ZAFT's attack on Heliopolis, Cagalli runs into Kira Yamato who leads her to an evacuation shelter. She reappears when ZAFT's Andrew Waltfeld destroys the town of Tassil, forcing her and her comrades from the Desert Dawn to chase after him. Outmatched, several resistance fighters are killed until Kira arrives in the Strike to save them. Cagalli stays with

5376-514: The Earth Alliance under the direction of Blue Cosmos attacks Orb, Cagalli's father gives her a photograph of her and Kira when they were babies revealing that they are twins. Cagalli then escapes on board the Kusanagi as her father and the other Orb leaders sacrifice their lives by self-destructing the Kaguya mass driver in order to prevent it from being used by the Earth Alliance. Cagalli then joins

5488-509: The English dub) which Kira is often seen with. Several survivors from Heliopolis are brought on board the Archangel and Kira defends them from enemy attacks until they arrive in Alaska on Earth. Kira has strong reservations against fighting, fearing he may confront Athrun and that he may kill a person. After manipulation by Flay Allster , Kira gradually becomes more aggressive when defending

5600-458: The Gold Wing that Kira is riding is a reciprocating engine. Promotions also included a collaboration with Dune: Part Two in the form of an alternate version of Dune: Part Two' s movie poster featuring Lacus and Kira in place of Chani ( Zendaya ) and Paul Atreides ( Timothée Chalamet ) respectively. Fukuda had initial mixed feelings about the portrayal of Kira since he believed him and

5712-473: The Gundam fighting crossover games Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 with Strike Freedom as a playable mobile suit. Other Gundam crossover games also feature Kira as a pilot including Gundam vs. Gundam Next and Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. . Another crossover game in which he is playable is Gundam Assault Survive , piloting the Strike. Kira, along with other Gundam SEED characters, appears in several video games from

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5824-460: The Orb Union. She is accompanied by Athrun, who acts as her aide and bodyguard, on a diplomatic mission to the PLANT's where she meets with Chairman Gilbert Durandal to discuss matters regarding increased militarization. Within Orb, Cagalli is manipulated by others to endorse an alliance between the Earth Alliance and Orb and to go through with an arranged marriage with Yuna Roma Seiran to finalize

5936-713: The STTS-808 Immortal Justice Gundam, something he humorously bemuses about in the film. After the Immortal Justice is destroyed, Shinn, along with Kira and Lunamaria, are gifted by Cagali upgraded rebuilds of their old machines, with Shinn receiving the ZGMF/A-42S2 Destiny Gundam Spec II, which he uses in the film's climactic final battle. Notably, it has a new color scheme and beam rifle (in honor of his fallen comrade Rey and his ZGMF-X666S Legend Gundam),

6048-451: The Strike's defeat; a technician named Lowe Guele finds Kira wounded and takes him to Reverend Malchio. Although Kira appears only at the end, his defeat is the objective of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED X Astray ' s protagonist, Canard Pars . In Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73 Δ Astray Kira makes a brief appearance; he kidnaps Cagalli from Orb during the events of Gundam SEED Destiny . He has also been featured in two character CDs from

6160-483: The Three Ships Alliance, which is trying to stop the genocidal intentions of the leaders of both sides. There, she starts a romantic relationship with Athrun and becomes the pilot of the mobile suit MBF-02 Strike Rouge ( MBF-02 ストライクルージュ ) to protect him. By Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny , set two years after Gundam SEED , Cagalli has taken her father's former position as Chief Representative of

6272-447: The agreement. Kira kidnaps Cagalli during her wedding and takes her to the Archangel. Cagalli realizes her mistake and from the Archangel attempts to reason with Orb's military forces in an effort to stop them from fighting against ZAFT. However, Yuna refuses to acknowledge Cagalli and orders Orb's forces to open fire on her. Having returned to ZAFT, Athrun blames the Archangel for making the situation worse, much to Cagalli's shock. When

6384-583: The anime's opening sequence. He said, "If that's real, this story may be more interesting than I thought ..." Ross Liversidge from UK Anime Network enjoyed Kira's and Athrun's rivalry which resulted in well-done fight scenes from each of their mobile suits as well as intense drama due to how originally the two were friends. Liversidge praised the development from such rivalry as the two started hating each other and their battle. DVDTalk writer Don Houston considered Kira to be similar to other anime protagonists because he fights for peace and not glory, labeling him

6496-416: The anime. In retrospect, Hoshi claims there was brief tension in recording early episodes and was often assisted by Fukuda. Although Kira and Athrun often face each other, Hoshi found no difficulties in voicing their scenes as he often believed the two would reform their friendship with Athrun's voice actor Akira Ishida agreeing. For the English dub, he is voiced by Matt Hill , who got the role thanks to

6608-455: The chairman of the PLANT colonies and leader of ZAFT, to be behind Lacus' attempted murder, but his motives are questioned by Athrun who is working in ZAFT. Later, when the Archangel becomes a target of the ZAFT ship known as Minerva, Kira is defeated and the Freedom is destroyed by pilot Shinn Asuka . Lacus gives Kira an upgraded version of Freedom, ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom ( ZGMF-X20A ストライクフリーダム ) , so he can continue fighting. Having obtained

6720-409: The character and was happy when redoing his character's lines for the remaster of the series. One of Hoshi's favorite lines in the franchise is "I still have a world I want to protect!" in the final episode of SEED when facing Rau as he felt it was heartwarming. Another aspect Hoshi enjoyed in regards to his work was how Kira and Athrun become allies in the 39th episode following multiple fights across

6832-494: The character piloting it. Fukuda reclaims having enjoyed the scene from episode 46 based on the emotional support Lacus provides to Kira. Ishida agreed with Fukuda, stating the scene was well directed. For the final episode of the series, Fukuda aimed to bring Kira to his lowest where he becomes unstable when Flay is killed by Rau, leaving a major impact in him, considering himself a failure for failing to protect her. When it came to this scene in both retelling films and HD remaster of

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6944-545: The compilation films were commented. Due to the compilation films not carefully adapting the television series, both Anime News Network and the Fandom Post feel like Kira's struggle to keep up with his philosophy of not killing and his relationship with Athrun do not work in this format and thus only returning fans might enjoy the movies. While still praising the narrative originally provided in Kira's premise, IGN disliked how

7056-558: The constant struggles he has with his enemies that allow him to have a notable development. In regards to his return in SEED Destiny , reviewers found him more likable than the new lead, Shinn Asuka , and found his characterization deeper. His relationship with Lacus in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom was praised by critics due to how well written it was. At the start of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED , Kira

7168-399: The episode before airing it. The scene was extended in one of the compilation films with John Oppliger noting it expanded the off-screen scene with three shots. Cagalli Yula Athha Cagalli Yula Athha ( カガリ・ユラ・アスハ , Kagari Yura Asuha ) is a fictional character introduced in the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED by Sunrise, part of

7280-579: The events of the Second Bloody Valentine War. Shinn also appears in the manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Astray when ZAFT presents the Impulse for the first time. There is also a character CD based on Shinn's character with tracks performed by his Japanese voice actor, Kenichi Suzumura . Shinn is a pilot in the video game Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny: Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. and its sequel Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny: Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. II with his two mobile suits. He

7392-435: The fact the importance from her role was found "unexpected". Moreover, Liversidge favorited the episodes in which Cagalli and Athrun meet and fight for the first time, as it also developed their characters as the two talked. Writing for Mania, Chris Beveridge also liked Cagalli's involvement in the series citing her experience in combat as well as a romantic triangle that appeared to be between her, Kira and Flay Allster . In

7504-467: The famous voice actor were regularly seen in Japanese animes. However, Fukuda was attracted by Soichiro Hoshi 's popularity and decided to contact him for Seed . Akira Ishida was also pictured to be Kira's actor but then Fukuda decided to pick Athrun Zala instead. Since Hoshi was one of the youngest voice actors in Seed , Fukuda often contacted him about how to properly portrayal; He often told Hoshi that Kira

7616-479: The first SEED to protect the Archangel from ZAFT forces. Reviewers have also commented on Kira's role in the sequel Gundam SEED Destiny . Initial reviews mentioned his lack of appearances during the first episodes and whether the new characters could be as appealing as him. He was expected to return in the series to fight the new lead character Shinn Asuka. While writing an article for later episodes, Liversidge found Kira's actions more appealing than Shinn's, and

7728-500: The game Locked and Rocked failed to portray Kira accurately as a result of lacking enough dialogue. In 2021, UK Anime Network writer Ross Locksly stated that despite several criticism the Western audience tends to give Kira to the point of calling him a Mary Sue , he still viewed Kira as an outstanding anime character due to his formal and caring demeanor which contrasts stereotypes as well as his constant team ups with Mu la Flaga in

7840-446: The handling of Shinn as while he was shocked when seeing him lose his final duel in Destiny , Freedom gives me a more heroic portrayal that appealed to his nostalgia of the TV series even if he has mixed feelings of the character piloting the Immortal Justice. The fact that the film kept addressing Shinn and Lunamaria's relationship among other couples appealed to the writer. Kira Yamato Kira Yamato ( Japanese : キラ・ヤマト )

7952-465: The mobile suit ZGMF-X42S Destiny ( ZGMF-X42S デスティニー ) to pilot as a reward for his actions. When Athrun is deemed to be a traitor by ZAFT, Shinn follows his superiors orders to kill him when he escapes with a mobile suit alongside Shinn's comrade Meyrin Hawke . While shocked about his actions, Shinn is comforted by Meyrin's older sister, Lunamaria Hawke , who he starts growing closer to as she feels Shinn

8064-409: The mobile suits and his ability to reprogram them, finding it as a new concept in the Gundam franchise. In an analysis of gender roles in anime by Shunyao Yu from University of Jyväskylä , Kira's characterization was noted to challenge typical ones by having Gundam SEED start with Kira as a sensitive teenager who becomes mature across the narrative. In a further analysis, Kira was noted to be as

8176-476: The most popular anime characters. On the other hand, critical reception for Shinn has been mixed due to his antagonistic personality as well as his actions across the series' second half. Shinn is first spotted in Gundam Seed Episode 39 "Trembling World" where he is seen registering for ZAFT and listening to an announcement by Patrick Zala . Rey Za Burrel is also seen standing behind him. Shinn

8288-494: The novelization of the movie felt to further explore Kira's pain and kindess as he becomes more involved in the war on his own. Kira's thoughts are clearly depicted in the novel, and we can see that although he may seem indecisive, he is a man with strong convictions. When Kira becomes brainwashed by the Compass and starts acting against the law, Lacus ironically is the one who others the forces to stop him. The second novel helps to add far more peaceful scenes between Kira and Lacus as

8400-432: The ones of Gundam SEED ' s returning characters was meant to emphasize the frustration to the beginning of another major conflict. Shinn's and Stella's relationship was praised by Cruz for the friendship mainly they made because both of them were unaware they are enemies. However, although in following reviews from Gundam SEED Destiny , Liversidge liked how Shinn's and Stella Loussier's relationship concluded ending in

8512-436: The only problem he found was how he often repeated Athrun Zala's name in early episodes. THEM Anime Reviews' Derrick L. Tucker said he was one of the strongest characters from the series; Tucker also said he was likable despite his angsty displays. Tucker also compared him with Amuro Ray from the first Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam , finding both likeable. Chris Beveridge from Mania Entertainment liked Kira's handling of

8624-478: The other Minerva forces also being defeated. Shinn returns in the sequel film as a member of peacekeeping group COMPASS serving under Kira , fulfilling his promise from the end of Destiny to join him. He serves COMPASS alongside some of his old crewmates from the Minerva , namely his lover, Lunamaria , and his old superior, Arthur . Surprisingly, Shinn pilots an upgrade of his former mentor Athrun's old machine,

8736-420: The past two years since the end of the war assisting Reverend Malchio and Kira's adoptive mother with their orphanage. When an incident triggers another war, Coordinators try to kill Lacus; Kira pilots Freedom to defeat them. When Orb attempts to join the war as a member of the Earth Alliance, Kira and the Archangel intervene Orb's forces to preserve the nation's neutral status. Kira suspects Gilbert Durandal ,

8848-497: The popularity polls in Anime Grand Prix as one of the best female anime characters. In 2002, she came in second, and later went fourth in 2003. She was second in both the 27th and 28th, and remained fourth in the 29th. In a Newtype poll, Cagalli was voted as the most popular female anime character from the 2000s. Cagalli was also the winner in a Sunrise poll that asked fans what female character from Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny would they want to see in swimsuit. She

8960-514: The relation between people's dreams and conflicts. HobbyConsolas praised Kira's characterization and his relationship with Lacus as an appealing couple due to their mutual caring in SEED Destiny as well their actions in the plot. Despite finding flaws within the narrative, Mania liked how Kira is forced to drop his pacifist methods on Stella leading to her death resulting into an appealing conflict between him and Shinn who wants to avenge her. Anime News Network writer Carl Kimlinger said that in

9072-501: The same site that asked fans which character would they would want to meet, Kira was the most popular. Kira was most popular in two other polls which asked readers who the most memorable characters from Gundam SEED and from Gundam SEED Destiny were. Kira, along with five other notable mecha and pilots from the Gundam series, was recognized in the second set of "Anime Heroes and Heroines" stamps, released in Japan in 2005. In 2017, Kira

9184-420: The same way as Athrun's, making it especially notable for the viewers as the dying soldiers have had appearances for nearly thirty episodes. In particular, the character's actions have been compared with soldiers from World War II . In the book Japan and Asia: Business, Political and Cultural Interactions , Kira is noted to be properly linked with the Freedom mobile suit he pilots as his actions can be treated as

9296-476: The series including Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny: Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. II where she is playable piloting the Strike Rouge and the Akatsuki. She has also been featured in a character CDs from the series with tracks performed by her Japanese voice actress, Naomi Shindō . Cagalli's character has been very popular in Japan; she has appeared various on

9408-402: The series was noted to lack impact by Paul Fargo from Anime News Network owing to his limited screentime in the first episodes. Additionally, his hostility shown towards other popular characters from Gundam SEED led Fargo to find him more as an "antagonistic and obnoxious" person much to the viewers. A similar response was made by Luis Cruz from Mania Entertainment who stated that Shinn's debut

9520-464: The series' OVA finale, Kira was highly developed. Matt Hill's English-language performance in the OVA was criticized in comparison with other voice actors from the series who were praised. Kimlinger said Kira had "grown into a martial leader of Buddha-like calm and compassion", and that the last OVA allows viewers to enjoy his actions. On the other hand, Manga News claimed that because of Kira comes across as

9632-428: The series, Fukuda wanted the original audio to remain the same as he feared adding a song or changing the background music would have ruined it. Following Rau's death at Kira's hand in the final episode of the series, Fukuda wanted the last scene involving Kira being outside Freedom in space while being rescued by Athrun and Cagalli to change for the remaster for adding a more symbolic tone. Kira's inclusion in Destiny

9744-412: The series, Kira was attracted to her, he had not planned start a relationship with her with sexual tones that felt written to make Flay similar to a prostitute. The writer notes that after Kira's apparent death in his fight against Athrun Zala, Flay develops guilt for turning Kira in a soldier. Meanwhile, the fight between Kira and his best friend was commented as the idea of the chaos war can cause. Kira

9856-402: The series, with tracks performed by his Japanese voice actor, Sōichirō Hoshi . Kira has also appeared in various video games in the Gundam franchise, including Gundam Seed: Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. and its sequel Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny: Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. II . He is the main playable character in the mobile phone game Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Phase-Act Delivery . He appears in

9968-402: The series. Kenichi Suzumura was especially hired to work as Shinn's Japanese voice actor with Fukuda stating he was not a character difficult to play. Fukuda also anticipated Suzumura's work as Shinn's voice actor in an optimistic way. Before the series' premiere, staff member Kabashima Yousuke gave hints about Shinn's character, telling that the Gundam SEED Destiny ' s protagonist would be

10080-409: The subtitle Freedom . Freedom which serves as one of the main themes of the trilogy and contrasted Gilbert Durandal's Destiny Plan used in the climax of the previous series. Fukuda reflected such series left unfinished drama to the protagonists of Kira, Athrun and Shinn and thus wanted to explore such possibilities with Freedom . Fukuda recounts that his wife, late writer Chiaki Morosawa , wanted

10192-409: The two lead characters. Shinn is defined as a civilian whose character could already go through a large development in contrast to Kira who was forced to become a soldier in the prequel Mobile Suit Gundam SEED . In comparison with Kira, Shinn was stated to be character harder to predict his role in the TV series. As with Kira in Gundam SEED , Fukuda mentioned Shinn's character would also change across

10304-589: The war between the Coordinators and the Naturals, but the colony becomes involved in the war shortly thereafter. Kira is the only person within the Earth Alliance—the Naturals' military faction—who is able to effectively pilot their mobile suit —a type of a mecha created by them. He is forced to become a mobile suit pilot and to participate in various battles to protect his friends. Kira has also been featured in Gundam SEED ' s direct sequel, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny , in which he fights to stop

10416-613: The war, Cagalli becomes the leader of Orb. Her new role as such is further explored in the series sequel, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny . Cagalli is voiced by Naomi Shindō and Nanako Mori in Japanese. In English, she is voiced by Vanessa Morley in the Ocean dub and by Cherami Leigh in the NYAV dub. Cagalli has also reprised her role from the TV series, in the films recollections from Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny as well as its manga adaptations. Her character has also been well received in Japan, having appeared various times in

10528-473: The war. When piloting Freedom Kira is noted to avoid hitting enemy mobile suits' cockpits to reduce the number of human casualties. Kira joins the Archangel and Lacus' faction to fight both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT to stop both sides from destroying each other. Kira learns of his origins from ZAFT commander Rau Le Creuset during these battles. Kira is the Ultimate Coordinator; his fetus

10640-467: The war. Shinn discovers she is an Earth Alliance's soldier only after he defeats her mobile suit in a battle. Because of Stella being an Extended, a person injected with drugs from a young age to fight at the same level of the Coordinators, the Minerva staff can not do anything to stop her health from deteriorating. Shinn takes the dying Stella to her superior Neo Roanoke knowing he is the only one who can save her. However, Shinn once again battles Stella who

10752-542: Was about his forced wish to fight, in contrast to Shinn Asuka who was not reluctant to fight in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny . In retrospective, Fukuda emphasized a contrast between both Kira's and Shinn's characters to the point both were the opposite of each other regarding their opinions; Kira's development was easier to script. Fukuda said that as both Kira's and Shinn's characters as were similar, they were easy to voice. Fukuda said that he

10864-410: Was also done to avoid having Kira overshadow Athrun's arc again. Another challenge for the director involved the handling of Kira's skills when piloting the Freedom and then create a new mobile suit. The director lamented that from the three protagonists, Kira was the least explored character during the making of the series alongside two other characters with major importance: Durandal and Lacus. As Kira

10976-429: Was also first in another that asked what female characters from the Gundam franchise would they want to see in a wedding dress. Two other polls from the same site asked fans what was the most memorable characters from Gundam SEED and from Gundam SEED Destiny ; Cagalli was fourth in both of them. Publications for manga, anime and other media have commented on Cagalli's character, giving generally positive response. In

11088-464: Was also voted as the second best character voiced by Hoshi. In July 2021, a replica of the Freedom was unveiled in Shanghai together with a concert by T.M Revolution . Kira and Lacus' images were shown during this concert. Manga and anime publications have commented on Kira's character, and he received mainly positive critical responses. IGN 's Andy Patrizio said Kira's character was likable and

11200-400: Was artificially developed outside his mother's womb and his genetic enhancements were intended to be superior to all other Coordinators. Kira was the only fetus to survive the process. He was born as the twin brother of his comrade Cagalli Yula Athha but does not learn about this relationship until the latter half of the series. Kira was adopted by his aunt Caridad and uncle Haruma Yamato and

11312-514: Was influenced by the September 11 terrorist attacks and formed the image of the main character of SEED based on the concept of an Islamic soldier fighting in the US military. The setting in which the mechanics that appear are powered by electricity was influenced by Gear Fighter Dendoh which Fukuda previously directed, and when it came to handling the Gundam, he focused on its aspect as a symbol of

11424-522: Was killed in a crossfire between mobile suits from the Earth Alliance and Orb during the Bloody Valentine war. When Athrun Zala becomes Shinn's commander, he is initially angered by his appointment, but eventually comes to respect him. Upon the start of a new war between ZAFT and the Earth Alliance, Shinn saves a girl named Stella Loussier from drowning. The two befriend each other, without realizing that they were actually fighting each other in

11536-428: Was led to believe they were his biological parents. Despite being shocked by his origins as the Ultimate Coordinator, Kira continues to fight alongside the Archangel until their opponents, including Rau, have been defeated and the war comes to end. During Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny , Kira has been living in the secluded Marshall Islands since the end of the war within the country of Orb. He and Lacus have spent

11648-415: Was looking forward to them. DVDTalk.com shared similar feelings and stated Kira's return to the battlefield appears to be a theme "key players from the previous series are forced into positions they aren't happy with" something he felt was the focus of Kira's group. Luis Cruz from Mania Entertainment found that Kira's character expansion developed depth, pointing to one of Kira's discussions with Athrun about

11760-443: Was made in order to tell a story from three people's point of views: Kira's, Athrun's and Shinn. Kira's quite characterization was the made in order to reflect his trauma in regards to the fights he had in the first Seed series. In contrast to the stronger Kira from Seed who managed to "devours" other characters, the Kira from Destiny was written to lack emotion with the exception of the moments he becomes romantic with Lacus. This

11872-423: Was made to change briefly across the story as Kira faced Gilbert Durandal's ideals and became a person more compromised with war in contrast to his original pacifist persona after this incarnation was challenged multiple other characters in regards to his actions in the battlefield. With a new film being released several years after the end of Destiny , Fukuda decided to use Kira as the main character, resulting in

11984-468: Was more enjoyable to watch. The sixteenth episode of Gundam SEED features a scene in which Kira is seen dressing after getting out of a bed where Flay lies sleeping naked, suggesting a sexual relationship. The Japanese Commission for Better Broadcasting reported that viewers filed complaints regarding the scene as the show was aired at 6 pm when children would be watching. Mainichi replied by mentioning it should have given more careful consideration to

12096-616: Was noted to have made his defeat more satisfying to the viewers, as well as giving a last chance for viewers to like him. Shinn's role in Gundam SEED Freedom has been praised by Real Sound  [ ja ] for his iconic fight scene in the Destiny Gundam where he fights Black Knight in a manner similar to ninjutsu where the mobile suit generates clones of itself. However, the execution of such technique remains in mystery. In retrospect, Dengeki Online enjoyed

12208-589: Was overshadowed by Athrun Zala's role in the first episodes. Nevertheless, Cruz wanted to know his character would be developed to learn his motivations to fight. DVDTalk's Don Houston found his hatred for Orb because of his family's death being uncommon as he did not blame "the attackers like most sane people would do". His personality was also found reminiscent to the one of Kira Yamato by Ross Liversidge from UK Anime Network who also expected such two characters to engage in battle in following episodes. Maria Lin from Animefringe stated that Shinn's relative younger age from

12320-505: Was quite an active character in SEED , Fukuda undeniably labelled him as the protagonist. In contrast, he was more quiet in Destiny , leading to the decision to Athrun and Cagalli being more fitting of being the protagonists. This is more notable in Destiny compilation movies where Athrun acts as the main narrator. Fukuda described Kira in SEED Destiny as a person who runs away from fights despite often his values for Orb. His characterization

12432-442: Was voted as the best Gundam main character. In a Animage poll, Kira The number of popularity votes topped the list is 29, which is the second highest in history. The number of TOP 10 ranks is 77 times, ranking fourth all time. In a Animedia poll, Kira was the most popular male character of the year, 1st place in 2007, 2nd place in 2008 and 2009 and 3rd place in 2010 and 2014 and 2018. In 2011 and 2012, it ranked fourth. In

12544-460: Was voted the second most popular male anime character from the 2000s. In another poll focused on all of the characters in the Gundam franchise, Kira was voted the most popular. In a poll organized by Sunrise to find the best couple in the Gundam franchise, Kira and Lacus were second, and in another regarding the best team-ups between former enemies, Kira and Athrun were second. In another poll from

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