Endless Waltz

Duo Maxwell refers to it as "a big Christmas party" and he warns "don't be upset if there's no cake left."

I re-watched Endless Waltz (I bought the 3 episodal fansub version before it was dubbed for Cartoon Network), and these are some random reactions and thoughts to it.  This section of the site is not quite so "polished" as the other pages, just a warning.

First off, I want to say that I love the music for Endless Waltz.  It's just... perfect.  That's the only way to describe it.  : )

Secondly, I don't feel like giving a plot summary, so if you've never seen this then most of what I say will probably make no sense to you.  As I stated on basic info, you may want to consider making a purchase if you haven't seen the series and/or Endless Waltz.

Alright, so let's get to the good stuff...

To me, Endless Waltz is the happy ending that Gundam Wing didn't give you.  In the first place, hardly anyone dies.  Also, the fighting is much less tragic, and Mariemeia, the poor manipulated daughter of Treize, is alive at the end. 

Lots of People Get a Happy Ending:

• Heero can finally cease his torment and perhaps begin to lead a more "normal" life (though it doesn't look like he and Relena hook up).
• Trowa can return to his normal-ish life with Catherine under the Big Top (this may be more happy for her than him, but oh well).
• Quatre returns alive and happy to his fanclub (his heart miraculously still untainted and unhardened by war).
• Wufei is well on his way to ending his battle with Treize. In addition, by becoming a Preventer, he may finally discover another purpose for soldiers whose meaning is defined only by fighting.
• Duo is, well, Duo.  He's happy already, so he didn't need a happy ending.  ^^;;
• Mariemeia ends the show in the care of someone who will be able to de-program her and tell her what Treize's goals and beliefs really were.
• Une gets to help keep Treize alive by taking care of Mariemeia; can't you just picture all the stories Une could tell her?  "and once, he even..." Mariemeia gasps, "he did what?!  wow!"  LOL
• Zechs and Noin get to hang out together!  : )  "don't make me repeat myself."  *sniffles*  it's so sweet...

Did You Catch It?
Did anyone else notice all of the repeated catch-phrases?  Both Zechs and Heero make the comment about history repeating itself; Zechs when speaking to Derkim and Heero when speaking to Wufei.  Another one is the "don't make me repeat myself" said by Noin to Zechs and also by Mariemeia to Relena. 

Shadows of the Dead
There are also numerous references to Treize.  In a very touching little scene, Une stares out her window at the falling snow and asks, "What shall we do, Treize?"
Zechs mentions Treize in his little encounter with Derkim, making a comment about how he couldn't stay in his coffin while Treize's ghost was still around.
Heero brings up the subject of Treize during his battle with Wufei.  H: "Treize is dead!"  W: "I'm still fighting him!"  (not direct quotes, but certainly close enough)
There's probably more that I didn't catch, but you guys get the point.  Treize's memory is still alive in the hearts of those who knew him (whether that's good or bad is somewhat debatable).

Way to Go Lady Une!
She never ceases to amaze me!  She always kicks butt when it's needed.  How she got into the shelter/fortress to save Mariemeia and Relena is a mystery, but then that's just what Lady Une is.  She just has that sense of timing down to a fine art.  And she did learn from the best, so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised.

It also seems that Une has matured a lot since we last saw her (and it's only been a year!).  She was always able to carry responsibilities with no problem, and she always had that strong spirit, but somehow in Endless Waltz she seems to be more sure of herself, more confident in her own abilities and in her own desires.  She's not going around defining her life by Treize anymore.  Though she still looks to him for advice and to give her a little strength when she needs it to keep going, she doesn't completely rely on him like she used to.  She doesn't say "Treize would do this, so that's what I'll do" anymore; rather, she follows her own heart.

I think it's interesting that, in the whole of Endless Waltz, Une's actions were entirely peaceful.  Even when that guy hung up on her, she just calmly put the phone back on the receiver.  What a gentle woman she's become!  If it were me, I would have been frustrated and irate and cursed at the phone before I slammed it down onto the receiver.  ^^;;  I think perhaps the old Une would have done something like that, too.  But here, she is so different, and I love it!  I also notice that she didn't kill anyone.  In Gundam Wing she killed, well, numerous people.  In Endless Waltz, the only time she was about to kill anyone involved Derkim, but another soldier beat her to it. 

I love how much her character has developed and changed.

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