#I TOTALLY TYPED CORPSE BRIDGE AT FIRST BYE

[emerald-echeveria-plant]

Bye, bye, Queenie.

//In the Terran Castle, there was a large group of people being given a tour guide. The group entered a chamber of special and old artifacts.//

Tour guide: and here we enter the possessions that the Terran empire had gained throughout generations of ruling!

Crowd: oooooo..

//someone in the crowd takes a photo.//

Tour guide: some of these artifacts are sacred relics of their time while others are rewards taken from battle. Have a look around, there's so much history around!

//the crowd took a look around, admiring all the old artifacts. Some taking pictures while others read the signs next to them. A group of people surrounded one artifact, that seemed to be the center piece out if everything else. The artifact was a red and black staff. At the top of the staff was a heart that had thorns all around it.

Person #1: what's this?

Tour guide: ah, it appears you've all found the Amoretian staff. A precious item that was once passed down from generation to generation in the Amoretian family. That was once a tradition, then Hatred became queen.

Person #2: um.. who?

Person #3: since when did an emotion become ruler..?

Tour guide: No, no, that's her actually name! Hatred was a tyrant who lived many years ago. She tried her best to destroy all love and rule the universe. She almost accomplished it but luckily was caught and executed!

Person #4: erm.. I kinda heard she was immortal, you sure she actually died?

Tour guide: Oh please! I'm an expert on this type of stuff. I am very, extremely, absolutely, totally, and completely right that she's-

//the wall burst open behind them, cutting off the last remaining words of the tour guide. The a wall was thrown at the crowd which caused them to be thrown back. Many were injured and unconscious. From the the rubble, stepped out Hatred with Veronica along side her.//

Veronica: huh I knew that wall would lead to here. I'm a genius!

Hatred: congratulations, you tore out a wall and alerted our presence. I hope it was worth it.

Veronica: of course it is! The staff is right there!

Hatred: it is..? *Realizes* It is.

Veronica: heh, you denied the museum room would have your staff there! Saying that 'oh the Terran empire would leave it in a pristine and secret place'! But here there is! On display.

Hatred: Veronica.

Veronica: yes?

Hatred: stop talking before I slap you.

Veronica: okay your majesty!

Hatred, rolls her eyes and walks forward, she looks at the glass casing before her: so, that's where my staff has been all these years.. behind glass to be merely gawked at by passersby. How demeaning.

//A couple of guards enter the room their swords and spear out in hand. They looked in shock as they saw the woman who was presumed dead after all these years, standing there inches away from them. No matter, the captain of the guards stood firm.//

Captain: Ma'am, I would stay away from that if I were you.

Hatred: don't you think it's impolite for the owner not to receive their missing property..?

Captain: I SAID STAY BACK! *Draws out his sword*

Hatred: huh, and hear I am thinking that Terra would teach their armies to never engage first.. *sighs* what a pity. I truly believed they learned.

//the captain then dashed towards her along with the other soldiers. What they were met with were long vines, grabbing onto them, pulling them up off the ground.//

Veronica: Ooo! I'm about to have some fun! Hehe!

//the vines held a tight grip around their arms and legs. Then, they slowly began to pull them off. Loud screams bellowed from all the guards as their limbs were pulled off of them. Their bodies fell one by one as Veronica giggled menacingly.//

Veronica: what a thrill! Haven't done that in a while.

Hatred: yes quite amusing. Now, hand me my staff.

Veronica: of course!

//The Venus flytrap with legs, walks over to the glass casing. She punches the glass and grabs the staff out from it's case. Veronica walks over to Hatred then proceeds to kneel.//

Veronica, bows her head: all hail, the return of the Amoretian Queen... Hatred.

Hatred, snatches her staff away: Finally, after all these years I can restart my savioronce once more... The etherium will finally know peace.

Veronica, looks at cowering crowd that are still alive: well don't be rude! Bow before your queen!

//the crowd nodded in response as they began to bow before their queen. Hatred looked down at them. Without another thought, she waved her staff causing a spell to happen. The spell turned the people into stone, keeping them in the bowing posture.//

Veronica, confused; why'd you do that?

Hatred: I wanted to make sure I still knew how to use.

//Suddenly more guards arrived, after hearing all the commotion that was happening. They stared at the horrifying scenery of dead bodies and people turned to stone. Without another thought, the guards charged at the two women.//

Veronica: you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'??

Hatred: tear them apart limb by limb and make their suffering hurt like hell. Yes, I have that on my mind 24/7.

Veronica: YAY!

//The two women then used their magic abilities to get through the charging guards. Hatred using magic spells that she remembers while Veronica used her nature abilities to tear the guards apart. The two women went through thirty men. Yet it seemed more kept coming. They were trying to make their way out of the castle buy how will they accomplish it? Having enough of these foul guards in her way, Hatred screamed loudly as she let out a powerful spell from her staff. The spell caused a massive explosion, killing all the guards. Veronica looked stunned for a moment before brushing herself off.//

Veronica, pouting: well, you could've let me have my fun for a few more minutes..

Hatred, harshly grabs Veronica by her hair: and risk more of them coming?! Are you an idiot!??

Veronica:

Veronica: well, you made me so..

Hatred, hits her on the head before letting her go: let's keep going.

Veronica, rubs her head: alrighty then!

//The two make their way out of the castle. Before them was a long bridge. They walk across it in order to get to their ship. Yet before they could get to their ship, Hatred looks back. Behind them came scurrying the queen of Terra and a few of her guards alongside her. The queen stood still, in shock, as she looked at Hatred with wide eyes. Hatred only stared back with a frown on her face.//

Hatred: So you're the new queen? Huh, I excepted your lineage to be dead years ago. It appears I'm wrong.

Queen Illysa, distraught: I-I thought-

Hatred: Thought I was dead. You're parents lied to you. And their parents lied to them. And then their parents lied to them. And then, then their parents lied to- you get the idea, I don't need to further explain. Point is, I'm alive.

Queen Illysa: Guards! Arrest her!

//The guards came running at her. In response, Hatred used her staff to destroy the bridge. The guards quickly stopped themselves before they could fall off.//

Hatred: Typical Terran rulers, always throwing their men at their enemies first. Haven't you learned nothing from the past?

Queen Illysa: We have, we just never expected a corpse to come out of its grave again.

Hatred: Do I look like a skeleton to you? I thought I already told you THAT I'M WASN'T DEAD! THEY LIED TO YOU! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I SAY IT SO IT CAN GO THROW THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS??

Queen Illysa:

Queen Illysa: goodness when they said you had a temper, I never thought it'd be this bad.

Hatred, rolls her eyes: ugh, your trying my patience... You know what. I'm just going to shut you up now-

//Hatred uses a spell on Illysa. Queen Illysa suddenly froze still as her body slowly became stone.//

Hatred: by making you shut up entirely.

//The guards next to Queen Illysa looked on in shock as their queen became entirely of stone. Hatred took Veronica by her hand and they two began to walk away. They aboard their small ship. From a far more guards along with important officials came to the queen as support but unfortunately, they appeared to be too late. As Hatred and Veronica drove off into the skies, Veronica couldn't help but to celebrate early.//

Veronica, smiles widely: WOOHOO! we did it! We did it! Wow it was that easy...

Hatred: we're not done yet.

Veronica: huh? We're not?

Hatred: did you really think that getting rid of the queen was going to topple the entire Terran empire?

Veronica: umm.. maybe?

Hatred: no you dimwit! It's all apart of my plan. By getting rid of the queen, they'll scramble around trying to find order then when they're all disorganized, I'll storm the kingdom and kill everyone. I just need my spell book to accomplish it.

Veronica; that plan sounds perfect! I guess we're gonna have to go back home then.

Hatred: Amoretia. I hate that place, I know I won't be pleased at looking at it.

Veronica: oh come on it's not too bad! It's like the utopia you wanted it to be without love!

Hatred: I know, it truly is a utopia but it's in my nature to hate everything so unfortunately I won't be pleased about it but the citizens will be.

Veronica: and they certainly are happy! well not really..

Hatred: what was that?

Veronica: NOTHING!

//Meanwhile back at the Terran Castle. A group of politicians and other important members of the empire are sitting around a table, discussing what they should do next.//

Politician #1: we must wage war!

Politician #2: we have to keep the peace! The last war with Hatred caused the empire a fortune!

Politician #3: maybe we can negotiate with her??

Politician #4: and listen to her ludacris demands??? Are you mad!??!

Politician #2: THE QUEENS GONE! WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO??

//They all continued to argue with one another. Then the door suddenly slammed open. All the people at the table turned their heads to look over to see who it was. There stood Admiral Evar with a soft grin on his face.//

Admiral Evar: what's all this commotion about?

Politician #1: the queens been turned to stone!

Politician #2: Hatred's back!

Politician #3: she also has her staff!!

Politician #4: WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO??

Admiral Evar: Please calm yourselves. We need to take in a deep breathe and think things clearly.

//everyone takes in a deep breaths and relaxes as Evar takes control of the situation.//

Admiral Evar: unfortunately since the queen had been turned to stone, we'll need someone else form her bloodline to take charge. Anyone know where her brother is?

Politician #2: he's dead sir.

Admiral Evar: ah, what a pity... Guess that means someone next in charge has to be it. and I certainly know that the position falls to me. I will humbly accept in the behalf of the-

Politician #3: well he does have a daughter.

Admiral Evar: what-

Politician #2: yeah! Let's have her be queen! She'll know what to do!

Politician #1: what an excellent idea! Let's go with it!

Admiral Evar: now, now let's not jump to conclusions-

Politician #4: no, no it's agreed!

Politician #2: let's find the girl!

//Everyone storms out the door in order to find the daughter of the brothers queen. Also know as Connor's daughter.//

Admiral Evar: uhh.. I can't believe I have to deal with these idiots.. no matter, I'm sure the girl is "hopefully" in safe hands.

//meanwhile somewhere on a ship.//

Sophie: how many purps do you think I can fit in my mouth?

Tori: I don't know, maybe a gizillion!!

((Hatred and Veronica belong to me

Tori belongs to @authorchanlove

Sophie belongs to @sleeplessdreamer14)

[untitledtallgeesepodcast]

There were a total of five OSTs released for Gundam Wing (the fifth was dedicated to the music of Endless Waltz, which will not be covered in this post or this playlist). Caitlin asked if I (Cathy) would create a playlist of my favorites. I didn't think she expected I would also write a novel. But here we go.

Let’s listen to some of the music of Gundam Wing!

(All song titles will be described with their English name and also the strangely romanized Spotify name.)

There are three main categories of Gundam Wing OST songs: (1) shoot 'em up fighting tracks which usually feature loud riffs, drums, and blats and blares coming at you at the same speed and frequency of mobile suits firing pointlessly at the Gundams, (2) instrumental, orchestral songs meant for the intermission period of a ballet that was never written or performed, or (3) synthy stuff with saxophones that wouldn't be out of place in a dingy rainy bar scene of a tame movie from the 80s. Most of the really recognizable tracks are in the first OST. OST 2 tends towards less interesting instrumental waltz-like stuff, Sanq Kingdom ballroom music as I've termed it in my head. They're fine, tolerable pieces of music, but you don't hear them and instantly think "Gundam Wing." By the time you get to OST 3, you're digging into the really deep cuts of Gundam Wing OST tracks, some of which I don't remember being in the show at all. (OST 4 is almost entirely character songs.)

We open with two of the best OPs—nay, songs—to have ever been made, "Just Communication" and "Rhythm Emotion," both by TWO-MIX. "Rhythm Emotion" was not, as you may have imagined, a mid-season swap-out. It was only used for about 10 episodes, and you may have even forgotten what it sounded like until just this moment, but "Rhythm Emotion" is no slacker. With alien, wintery synths that make you feel like you're soaring through the sky and between enemy mobile suits, this is one of those songs you would hear heavily remixed for knock-off DDR machines in arcades for years to come. The breakdown is cheesy, overemotional, and yet gives me the same goosebumps I would feel, years later, when listening to Love Live's "Snow Halation." Its more accomplished older sister, "Just Communication," dates itself from its opening note, but it owns its place in time and history unapologetically. Timeless, instantly recognizable, and eminently singable, you could, as Caitlin says in Episode 1, play this in a karaoke room full of randos and you're guaranteed to have someone scream along. There are some songs that make everyone feel like the star of their own shounen anime when they hear it, and "Just Communication" is one of them. Turning it up full volume in your car is like blasting "Take My Breath Away" while speeding on a motorcycle with a leather jacket. You are invincible through all 4:20 minutes of this song.

After that, perhaps one of the most famous instrumental tracks from the series: "The Wings of a Boy that Killed Adolescence / Shisyunki wo Koroshita Syonen no Tsubasa." (That boy is Heero Yuy. I know you know that, but this OST makes it explicit with its last instrumental track, "Code Name Heero Yuy," which is just another version of this melody.) There are a lot of songs like this, fighting tracks that hurry along at a clip, heroic but a little bit anxious ("When the Dragon Swims / Ryu ga Oyogutoki...," "Break Out," "Scattering Left Light / Kakusansuru Zanko" which barely sounds like music and is clearly hoping to be the soundtrack to your next laser tag game). I want to call out among them "Mission Accomplished / Ninmu Suiko," which has a last half that is so tied in my head to the world of Gundam Wing that when I hear it, I am instantly transported. It's almost a letdown that it's just an OST track, because it builds up such amazing tension that it releases just as quickly. "Mission Accomplished" is a bridge between these energetic tracks and more headbang-y, hard metal type fight songs like "Use the Cloak of Darkness / Kurayami Karano Tsukai," one of my all-time favorite guitar riffs from the GW OSTs. A lot of OST 1 is full of this "Enter Sandman" type stuff, though you still get reprises in the later OSTs, like "Well-Planned Tactics / Butsuryo Sakusen." The back half of "Cloak of Darkness," though, is a completely different track, this time pure fascist military fantasy. A lot of OSTs were like this, two short BGMs together masquerading as a one- to two-minute track. I'm not sure if it was just more expensive to list out a bunch of 45 second tracks, or if Otani Kou just ran out of emo names for all of them.

One thing I didn’t realize until this project is that there are no less than five variations on Relena’s theme in OST 1 alone:

Soft Hair and See-through Eyes / Yawarakana Kami...

Inside the Girl's Heart... / Syojyo no Mune no Oku Niwa...

To Beauty, to Elegance, and to Noble-mindedness / Karen ni Yuga ni...

I Feel Like I Can Cross Even That Rainbow Bridge / Ano Niji...

As Relena Peacecraft / Relena Peacecraft Toshite

When you've heard one, you've heard them all, so I’m putting on "Soft Hair...,” the wonderfully 80s and slightly boozy "adult contemporary" version of it, completely with a Kenny G sax. The others feel much more pure and dignified, especially "To Beauty...," which I think of as "waltz music" as it shows up in many of the early series' ballroom scenes. ”Rainbow Bridge..." is a worthy remix/variant, and for another similar boozy 80s feel, also try "Coolheaded Bloodthirstiness / Reitetsu na sakki" from OST 1. While I’ve left most of this playlist in chronological album order, I’ve moved up "I Believed We'd Meet / Kanarazu Aeruto Shinji” from OST 3. This track is not particularly noteworthy to me, but I leave it here as an example of how even later in the series, Otani Kou makes references to this refrain, even if it's not played note for note.

Because like any good soundtrack, Gundam Wing reuses themes and motifs. "Searching for Peace Buried Amid the Corpses / Shikabane ni Umoreta..." and "That Clown Doesn't Need Make Up for Tears / Sono Doukeshi..." share the same melody, only one is a fighting song and another is a mourning song. I actually like the rendition in "Hourglass of a Sad Color / Kanashimi-iro no Sunadokei" (also from OST1) better, but while "Hourglass" is a straightforward BGM track, "That Clown..." shows off one of the more interesting aspects of the Gundam Wing OSTs: its frequent blending of synths, cheesy sax, and more classic orchestral strings. You can hear it in second half of "That Clown...", but also in tracks like "Unknown Pressure / Michi no Pressure," or OST 3's " Behind The Scenes of The Blackout / Anten no Butaiura de," which is a typical "woe is me" orchestral track that is for some reason constantly interrupted by digital "beep boop" mumblings. Without that blend, you're left with a lot of grave-sounding tracks with bombastic Phantom of the Opera-worthy brass sections, like "Soldiers Who Don't Have a Gravepost / Bhyounaki Senshitachi" or "Legend of Zero / Zero no Densetsu." Not that those songs are bad, which is why I include the last of the instrumental tracks from OST 3: "Who Will Give Their Life / Darega Tameni Inochi," which takes itself very seriously and very earnestly, just like the show itself.

One of the other frequent moods of these OST is anxiety, perhaps no better demonstrated than "You Can Hear a Voice Calling the Soul /Tamashii wo Yobu Koe ga Suru", which has a guitar emitting screeches of existential despair. “Signs of Consciousness / Ishiki no Taido" is from this same school, but its second half is more "I am walking into a rave already a few minutes into what I know is going to be a bad trip," which is not really a mood I remember from the series itself. By the time you get to OST 3, you start venturing into tracks that wouldn't be out of place in a horror film. You can hear an example of it in "The Eyes of a Mobile Doll / Mobile Doll no Me," which is on this list because it sounds like a fever dream, but you could also check out "The Abandoned Horse of the Age / Jidai no Sutegoma," which is not on this playlist and has the same effect. Some of them, like "I Don't Like Fairytales / Otogi-banashi wa Sukijyanai," are inspiringly atmospheric, almost hypnotic. Is Gundam Wing horror? [Treize Voice] Yes, the Horror of War.

Some quick call-outs in the odds and ends group: “Tokimeite Harmony” is the 3x4 theme, a literal duet between a violin and a flute, and it’s there for that reason and that reason alone. I could not tell you for the life of me where in the series “Yasuragi no Hitotoki...”, “Kizuna,” “Sonzai Syomei,” or “Kioku no Gyakuryu” come from, but they sound like beautiful tracks from a video game I’ve never played. Similarly, “That Day Was The Last Day I Saw Your Smile / Anohi Saigo ni Mita Egao” is uncharacteristically fluttery and beautiful for a Gundam Wing OST piece, an almost Ghibli-esque track which nevertheless ends on an anxiety-inducing note of unrest.

And finally, the character songs. I leave you with one for each of the six main characters, and then a bonus.

Heero Yuy: "With Only My Words / Oredake no Kotoba de." Did you expect Heero's singing voice to sound like this? Neither did I. I have no idea why they thought this was a good image song for Heero. It's not. I leave it here because you must listen to it. The better "sounding" song is "Flying Away," which shows up in this CD later, but it doesn't give me the same dissonance as this one.

Duo Maxwell: “Wild Wing.” "Good Luck & Good Bye" is the superior song. (there's a little bit of Wang Chung “Everybody Have Fun Tonight" to it), but the sheer hilarity of this chorus (WILD WING BOYS!) means that i have to include it.

Trowa Barton: “Clown / Doukeshi.” What to say about this? This is a typical ballad, something you may play during a romantic moment of a kdrama or during the slow motion death scene in a Hong Kong film that would be released around the same time as GW was. I feel bad for Nakahara Shigeru who clearly is straining himself singing this. but it is nothing if not period accurate.

Quatre Raberba Winner: “Star’s Gaze / Hoshi no Manazashi.” Poor Orikasa Ai. Quatre’s voice is passably bishounen in the series itself, but it's hard to hide that his seiyuu was a woman when it came to the image songs. That said, her voice has a much fuller quality than her fellow pilots, and this is actually a decent-enough filler song. You could imagine debuting an idol maybe in the late 80s with this track.

Chang Wufei: “Knock at Tomorrow's Door / Asu eno Door wo Tatake.” If Wing were a kpop group, Wufei would be the rapper. You don't get to argue with me here. It's hard enough to imagine Wufei actually singing, but Ishino Ryuzou's singing voice also doesn't bear that much resemblance to the voice he adopted for the character. 

Relena Peacecraft: “Love is Not Crying Yet / Ai wa Mada Nakanai.” One of the most unexpected of the image songs is this bossa nova inspired track for Relena. Like Orikasa's ballad, this song almost works as a real song, and the purity of Yajima Akiko's voice is incredibly charming, which makes it all that more surprising that she's actually best known for being the seiyuu to the eponymous Shin-chan of Crayon Shin-Chan.

I do not include the image songs for Zechs and Treize, simply because they're boring. Both of them are extremely well-known and popular seiyuus, who have since done a number of musical projects. You can tell that they will fare better at that endeavor than Trowa’s seiyuu, but there's really nothing interesting to say about their songs. As always, the men of Gundam Wing are shown up by their female counterpart: Lady Une's "Brightness & Darkness" is positively anthemic and fun to listen to. Sayuri doesn't hit all the notes perfectly, and you can sense there is Fleetwood Mac / Stevie Nicks impersonator out there who could really knock this one out of the park, but if I were to keep one image song out of the whole bunch, it'd be this one.