What Did Adolescent Boys See in Gundam? Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Original Soundtrack - Operation 1

It's the 30th anniversary of the Heisei-era Gundam.
When I say "Heisei Gundam," some of you might think that ∀, SEED, 00, AGE and the like all count as Heisei Gundam too.
But the "Heisei Gundam" I'm talking about here refers to the "Alternate Universe Gundam" series that began after Mobile Suit Victory Gundam ended.
These are the Gundam titles whose names drop the "Mobile Suit" prefix and instead spell out a different "Mobile ~" label.
Those Gundam titles are three works: Mobile Fighter G Gundam, New Mobile Report Gundam Wing, and After War Gundam X.
And what I'm introducing today is the O.S.T. album for the second Alternate Universe Gundam, New Mobile Report Gundam Wing.

Gundam Wing, in a word, is hard to make sense of.
The political depictions are as sharp as Zeta Gundam's, and I think it's impossible to follow what's actually happening on a first viewing.
So is it not interesting? Far from it, it's absolutely fascinating.
To give a quick rundown of the plot: people living in space rise up in revolt against the oppression of an organization called the United Earth Sphere Alliance, dropping five Gundams down to Earth to launch their counterattack.
And the way the story unfolds is utterly unpredictable.
Right off the bat in episode one, the very Gundam Wing of the title gets shot down.
The protagonist, Heero Yuy, barely manages to eject and washes up on a beach, but when he's discovered by the heroine Relena and she sees his face, he attempts to self-destruct.
His self-destruct switch malfunctions, however, and won't activate. So he hijacks the ambulance Relena had called and flees.
A few days later, Heero shows up at the school Relena attends, turns down her invitation to a birthday party, and whispers into her ear.
"I'm going to... kill you."

The BGM that plays at that moment is included on this soundtrack under the title "Mission Accomplished."
It's so famous that if you search "Omae wo korosu. De-den," you'll find videos covering that scene right up to where the BGM kicks in.
And yet, for all its fame, a lot of people don't know that the "de-den" track is titled "Mission Accomplished," so I'd love for you to learn it today.

And the real highlight of this soundtrack is, without a doubt, the main themes for the five Gundam pilots, painted in color by composer Ko Otani.
The titles alone are bursting with chuunibyou flair: "A Black Wind Beckons Toward Death" is the theme for Duo, pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe, dubbed the Grim Reaper.
"In the Scent of Blood and Gunpowder" is the theme for Trowa, pilot of the Gundam Heavyarms, known as a walking arsenal.
The gentle young man Quatre pilots the Gundam Sandrock, and since it specializes in desert combat, its theme is "In Search of a Peace Buried Among the Dead."
The theme for Wufei Chang, pilot of the Shenlong Gundam, which got torn apart in a Super Robot Wars strategy guide on its debut, is "When the Dragon Swims, All Will End."
And the coolest of all is the protagonist Heero Yuy's theme, "Wings of a Boy Who Killed His Adolescence." The sense for titles here is just too good.

And the real bargain point of this CD, I think, is that the early opening theme "JUST COMMUNICATION" is included in full size.
The act performing it, TWO-MIX, is the unit formed by voice actress Minami Takayama and lyricist Shiina Nagano, and this was their debut single.
Back when I was watching the show in real time, it was a great song, but the single was nowhere to be found in stores, and I remember bouncing from one CD shop to the next until I'd wandered all the way out to the city.
And yet, just by buying this soundtrack, you could hear JUST COMMUNICATION.