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kaigouepisodes 1 & 2
The last time I watched GW in full was last summer, and rewatching it now, I'm struck almost immediately by just how wrong is the label 'perfect soldier' for Heero, and just how right is the label 'suicide boy'. The Japanese audience's tag is quite astute.
From the start, the implication struck me this time that all the colonies are under martial law; there's no designation of which ones (contrary to fanon, which often implies only L2 got the brunt). It's not stated, but I get the impression that the shuttle being blown to bits is not only meant to represent the dearth of communication and travel between colonies and earth, but also to imply the five Gundams were smuggled, almost literally: snuck out under the nose of the Alliance.
Another observation is about Heero's reaction as he enters the atmosphere. He vacillates between down-to-business and a bit of wonder at his circumstances. He notes the civilian shuttle, and seems inclined to take it down, but hesitates. It's as if he'd prefer it not be there at all, and in that moment of "damn, why'd they have to be here?" I saw more of a reluctance to shoot the shuttle, but masked by assessment. When the military cruiser appears, Heero doesn't engage. He flees – and in fact, he doesn't flee with any grace, either.
Zechs' observations of Heero's entry into the atmosphere give me the impression (though not shown on the screen) that Heero's proceeded to make several truly risky maneuvers that could be potentially deadly. It's around this point that he laughs, but he's not in the middle of striking anything down or even attacking; I had the oddest sense (thanks to knowing Episode Zero and Endless Waltz, now) that it was more of Heero expressing his freedom. It feels more like a kid saying, "you let me drive the car to the grocery store, but now I'm taking off for parts unknown – fooled you!" That makes a sharp contrast to his surprise when a command comes in – to turn around and strike back – and his immediate obediance to the order.
Note also his surprise at the order, though it's open as to whether this is surprise at getting the order, or at the contents of the order. Because I don't think it's that he's expected to engage – that is part of the point of the operation, after all – I'd be inclined to read it as surprise that he's got a leash, and that someone's tracking him. Until that point, he'd been acting and speaking as if he had achieved the end (reaching earth) and as if he's making his own decisions, and clearly his personal preference was to avoid engagement.
Zechs is an enigma from the get-go, coming across as somewhat arrogant and far more perceptive than his underlings, but in fighting Heero, he displays not only a high level of skill but also a keen military ability. He sees right off that while the Gundam is valuable, the pilot is more so; he also determines the loss of his Leo to be less important than the information gained by sacrificing it. As demonstrated in a later scene, he makes these choices knowing the political ramifications of ditching an obscenely expensive piece of equipment.
Not only did he get in a good hit on Heero – his strike reduced Wing's operational levels considerably by blowing entire left engine – but when the two mecha grapple, Zechs jumps out without a second thought. He's willing to cut and run to fight another day and be damned with the appearance, and as he drifts earthward, the comment is made that the crew has received all the data collected. Zechs didn't go into battle just to fight a Gundam. He went in to find out what the Gundam could do; that's a sign of a sharp military mind: know your enemy, and learn their weakness.
This is also the point where we meet Relena for the first time. She's imperious, but not spoiled so much as trapped by protocol. She gives her father grief for working so hard, but once he's hustled off, she reveals part of her aggravation is because she really would like to spend time with him. She's with him, but that's not the same as getting his attention, which based on what I saw, she doesn't get. She just gets his company.
I also noticed, while watching the credits, that her friends don't have names – they're girl #1, #2, #3. Again with the contrasts: there's a good thirty seconds of conversation between the friends, setting us up for their impression of Relena, as the space-trotting, super-wealthy daughter of a very important man. For all their gushing before her appearance, when she does appear – and they launch into their lengthy welcomes – her only response is 'good morning'. She's precise with her language around others, almost reticent, although certainly talkative when alone. In some ways she strikes me as borderline clinically depressed. I don't think it's the boredom of a rich girl seeking something new, but something a bit more complicated.
Heero's first words to her are: did you see? Given that her father allows her close vicinity but doesn't seem to see that she wants/needs more as his daughter, Heero's words are a nice twist. He's not afraid of seeing her – which would make sense if we were going with flat literary pattern and echoing her father's apparent inability to 'see' her with Heero's noticing Relena's existence. No, Heero's afraid of being seen, the very thing that Relena craves. That's her power in the strange dynamic, and I think it's part of the reason she seeks him out repeatedly. Just by acknowledging his existence, she can put him on the defensive. For better or worse, it seems to be more of a connection than she gets elsewhere, whether this is because the other party (her father) won't respond to her attempts, or because she's turning away from the attempts of others (her friends).
Jumping over to Treize, I was startled by just how soft-spoken he is, compared to Zechs. In the scene at the opera where Zechs is reporting on the Leo's loss and Operation Meteor, Treize is remarkably low-key. He almost seems to let Zechs come to his own conclusions, and accepts them. Another sign of a good leader – he's not a micromanager. Later, when Treize meets with the political and military leaders, he's subtle but those are definitely jabs. He's drawing a line between himself and the other military leaders. He's willing to sacrifice, like Zechs, something tangibly valuable for information which in itself has greater value, if an intangible one. Treize, after all, now has concrete information about the Gundams that the Alliance lacks except through observation.
The other detail is Treize's soft but edged question about whether Septem and the military leaders are upset about losing a mechanical suit, or a trained pilot. The fact that Treize sees the two as distinct units – that he notes there's an issue there, at all – is great foreshadowing to his leadership style and his perspectives on the people around him. In two episodes, we've got strong hints on just why anyone would follow Treize, and Zechs, away from the Alliance and into OZ, despite OZ essentially being a rebellion of its own, if unconnected to the colonies' issues except tangentially and by virtue of good timing, it seems.
When Heero shows up at Relena's school, and gets told to sit next to her, I'd originally read his silence towards Relena as being cold-shouldered just to her. Rewatching, I think it's broader than that. He doesn't just watch the teacher and ignore Relena; he sits back in his chair and closes his eyes. He's shutting everything out. Taking some class is not on his to-do list, but he can't avoid it, so he just ignores it completely. He's fulfilling the appearance only by the barest of margins, and it bespeaks a type of arrogance, if one that's mostly a by-product of simply not giving a good-god-damn what the students around him think. Unfortunately for him, such standoffish behavior only raises curiosity, instead of shutting it down.
In the first two episodes alone, there are at least four shots – maybe more – of Relena, often long shots at the end of a scene. And she's not looking vapid or worried or hopeful; she looks rather annoyed and quite determined. She's been stymied in some way, but she's sunk her teeth in and she'll hang on. She also demonstrates – although the dialogue is badly awkward and expository in that scene – that she's able to puzzle things out, turn them over in her head, and come to a plan of action. Having her say out loud, "that's why he wants to kill me!" and Pargan assume she's talking about a spy thriller or some such...I cringe. Bad, ham-handed dialogue, but that doesn't undercut the characterization the writers had been attempting: show that Relena thinks about things, and that having thought, she then acts.
As much as it's important that we see that Zechs is a savvy military officer (and is derided by outsiders for his dedication to Treize), and that Treize is both diplomatic and ruthless, it's also important that we see Relena capable of taking a little information, extrapolating, and coming to a conclusion which she then uses as the motivation for doing something. By virtue of position, quick mind, and simply being at the beach at the right time, she's wise to a situation of which her classmates are ignorant (and of which her father seems intent keeping her ignorant, as well). In fact, of the four major characters introduced in the first two episodes, she and Zechs are possibly the most active.
And back to Heero: one part that's always stuck in my head is the bit where he's on the horse. Ignoring the fact that I can name on one hand the animators capable of drawing a horse that doesn't look like it's built from Legos – and none of them were on Bandai's staff, it seems – it's still an odd moment. Animation is not cheap. Any deft storytelling (characterization issues here and there, aside) must recognize that given the choice between showing this moment versus that moment, there's some reason the writers show this moment. So, if Heero is from the colonies, what's he doing on a horse, and can he really ride?
I'd say, no, he can't. I could be way off-base and the writers were trying to show us that Heero has been trained for every possible eventuality, but I doubt it. In that case, it would make more sense to show Heero in the class, jumping fences or some such. But we don't see that: we see Heero alone in the frame, on a rearing horse. He's not thrown but hangs on, and overcomes the horse, taking off at a gallop.
Characterization moment, I think, and it does a lot of work at once. Heero is willing to tackle unfamiliar situations with tenacity; his start may be rough and even somewhat reckless, but he's capable of working the situation until it's to his advantage – in other words, he hangs on until he's recognized as boss. At that point the horse obeys, but not entirely: it's still galloping, but he's got the basic hang of it. It's also demonstrating Heero's flexibility, but there's an underlying note that reinforces his actions in the school's lecture hall. He's skipping class! I know, Duo's the one seen as rejecting authority, but Heero does it as much, if he doesn't feel himself subject to that authority. It's even more striking considering that when he does feel himself subject to an authority – such as the disembodied orders that came through on his descent – he obeys without question.
This is underlined, of course, by following that scene with two others. One is Relena's friend observing that Heero probably doesn't need lessons. I think that's to give us an impression of how Heero's seen by those around him: capable, learned, even at ease with a task. He is that, true, but it's not the entire picture.
The scene immediately following is the one in which he's busy figuring out which missiles to steal – again with the goal of destroying Wing – and at the same time, calmly hacking the school's and the Alliance's computer systems. But he doesn't just hack into the school's system and tell it that he's paid; he actually does pay...just with Alliance funds. I got a very dry but somewhat quirky sense of 'gotcha' from that scene, because that final step isn't required, but he's thumbing his nose. It's the first flash of a real personality under what, so far, has been pretty much all work and no play.
There are four points where Heero's reactions aren't purely that intense, narrow-eyed expression. The first is when he realizes he's finally made it to Earth; for just a few frames, his eyes are wide open, almost Duo-sized or Quatre-sized, indicating innocence and a bit of childlike wonder. The second is when he laughs as he zooms towards Earth.
The third is again that wide-eyed look – a combination of surprise, and a bit of confused worry – when Relena cries after he tears up the invitation. Up until then, his only interactions had been momentary, and Relena had given him a bit of the evil eye, too, for ignoring her polite greeting. But when she's so taken aback she loses her composure, it throws Heero, too. Like with the horse, he recovers quickly and uses the moment to his advantage. First utterance of the (in)famous death threat, and whether or not he truly means it, I think the combination of his affectionate gesture – wiping away her tears – and his harsh words are indicative of his own internal conflict and his ability to improvise. She's vulnerable, and he slams her with a death threat. He strolls away, practically whistling, as if he's thinking: that should shut her up.
The fourth time is when he realizes he's about to get shot. That is so not in the cards, you can see Heero thinking. For one, it's pushing him into a corner. He'd pulled a gun on Relena to get her to stay away, but he'd not pulled the trigger. He's still only threatening, and hoping that does the trick. Again with the contrasts: Heero holds the gun and verbalizes the threat, while Duo just shoots him. And in case we didn't get the difference between the personalities (and their motivations) loud and clear, the writers have Duo shoot Heero a second time.
Ignoring the hollywood-istic "must fly through the air when shot by a forty-five", the fact is that Heero's shot in the arm and goes for his gun again. He doesn't distract Duo, he doesn't go for Relena, he just makes a move for the gun, and hello, he gets shot. Again. Rewatching it last night, I came to one conclusion: Heero wanted Duo to shoot him again. The arm wound wasn't going to kill him; in Heero's mind, Duo hadn't finished the job. Again with the improvising, only this time Heero is maneuvering things around him to achieve his own goal, of a type of failure that ends in his own death. So his shock when Relena bandages his wounds, to me, was not just 'what the hell are you doing, you crazy girl?' but also, 'fuck, no, don't make it all better because then it won't be over.'
Part of the reason I think he's the reluctant hero (even anti-hero) is because we're shown the other Gundams wrecking havoc in various locations. Quatre and his Maganacs ambushing the military in the desert; Wufei and Duo clearing things out. In Trowa's first lines, he observes he'd planned to just destroy one part of the base, but if the soldiers intend to fight him, then bring them on, and he'll leave the entire place a smoking ruin. So first we get the other Gundams creating hell on earth, and then we get their off-duty situations.
That is, we don't get Duo's non-fighting past time, which I think is important. Instead, We see Trowa at the circus, perhaps illustrating his motivations as almost primal or base, but there's a few seconds where Trowa's expression goes from open and almost kid-like to calmly assessing. The only change is the eyes, narrowing, as he comes to some kind of silent conclusion. His actions are studied, if risky; by putting his hand in the lion's cage, he's potentially biting off more than he can chew (so to speak), which echoes his willingness to take everything and everyone on in his previous scene. A cold killer, but one able to subsume his killing instincts enough to be a non-threat to a another predator.
Quatre has the most surreal image in the entire damn series, in my opinion – flamingos? on a reclining Sandrock? – but again his off-duty appearance echoes his original fight scene appearance. Like with Heero, fanon seems to have only watched the first ten seconds and forgotten the rest. Quatre demands surrender; when the soldiers don't drop their weapons, he kills them without hesitation. He's not sad when he says, "you should have surrendered." His expression and delivery speak more of a weary "I told you so." He's not surprised that they underestimated him, but even just these bare scenes are enough to characterize that Quatre isn't bothered by others' impression of him. He's got a job to do.
Finally, we see Wufei buying black market ammunition, in a rare nod to the reality of war. When he first shows up, there's no ranting about justice or honor or any of that crap. In fact, he's remarkably calm, rivaling only Trowa in that respect.
When Duo fights, he's smirking – the eyes are narrowed, the lips twisted just a little – so it's a mix of pain, annoyance, and intensity. Trowa is utterly deadpan, almost bored, to the point I'd hesitate to call him bloodthirsty. He just shrugs, adjusts his plan, and totals everything. Quatre is as methodical as Trowa, but more efficient, demonstrating a strategic sense and only the smallest bit of regret. If I recall correctly, he points out that he's taken down the leaders, and the rest will fall their way without much hitch. When we get to Wufei, he's as calm as Trowa, with an echo of Quatre's efficiency, but there's a twist to his lips that recalls Duo's battle-glee-anger.
With the three (03, 04, 05), I'd even say there are metaphors hiding in their first appearances. After battle, Trowa goes into the lion's den, foreshadowing his later skill at infiltration; Quatre retreats to watch from a distance, foreshadowing his abilities as a strategist to assess and plan; Wufei purchases ammunition.
I think it's important to note that for Wufei to purchase ammunition, he's doing so by essentially working with the enemy (even if they're turncoats). Wufei's prized sense of 'honor', in fanon, would make me conclude he'd never dirty himself by dealing with such dishonorable curs. I'd forgotten about this scene, and the fact that it's only the second time we've seen Wufei, so it's designed to create an impression of some sort. He's perfectly willing to use whatever is at his disposal, and his time off is not spent finding a place to hide, or contemplation, but in actively preparing for the next battle.
If Wufei's non-battle time of preparation implies he's always getting ready for battle even if not engaged, then Duo's appearance in the Gundam – fighting Zechs' men, and the naval mecha – is both a continuing battle-moment and a characterization: Duo does not, apparently, have (or allow himself) downtime. (It's also possible that Duo doesn't see battle as 'up-time' that requires 'down-time' to balance.)
I didn't get the impression that Duo's at the J.A.P. to find Wing, per se, so much as because there are a lot of mobile suits and that's good enough reason to disrupt them. Finding Wing is a bonus point, and one he's more than happy to use for his own ends. His first thought is not 'whose is this, and where is the pilot?' but 'hot damn, spare parts!'
I do think it's important, though, that we don't yet see Duo in a non-battle situation. However, the characterization may still be valuable, as a parallel to Trowa, Wufei, and Quatre after their battles. Duo's second scene is an underwater battle, prompting a Naval NCO to remark, "how can he use a thermal weapon underwater?" The placement of Duo – and the implied unexpected ability to fight in a terrain for which he shouldn't be suited – in what Zechs describes as "quite deep water" makes me think the metaphor here is that Duo has 'hidden depths'.
That's rather obvious when you stop and think, but there's one other thing I noticed. Twice in the second episode, Duo uses light as part of his battle tactics. He detonates a flash underwater, blinding the Alliance pilots and dropping into the middle, striking while they're still adjusting. When Relena looks out to see the two Gundams surfacing, Duo again uses light to blind his opponent, telling her to look away and using the light to block her view; like the flare did for his Gundam, the light puts him in shadow, as well. A light so bright it's blinding is a study in extremes, which fits nicely with his all-black garb; I think like with the other four, Duo's introduction(s) are designed to give us an understanding of how the writers will characterize him. He's a study in contrasts, where Heero is a single straight line that ignores any extraneous information that he doesn't perceive as pertinent to his goal.
Of course, Heero's goal also isn't what it seems. Of the five, he's the only one not out there doing damage; the only damage he attempts in the first two episodes is either under orders (turn and fight), or when planning to blow up his own Gundam. Sans orders, Wing retreats. Big, sharp, loud contrast to the other pilots: Heero doesn't want to fight, and his reluctance is part of what leads him to botch his own mission.
It's possible this failure, as I posited, is due to his own death-wish; it's also possible that his failure was unintentional to some degree, and his unwillingness to allow/accept his own failure is what leads him to assume he must destroy Wing and conclude his mission. But I'd have a hard time arguing with the observation that he sees the shuttle, does not attack, and makes moves to leave both the civilian non-target and the military target. In the end, his actions are simple: destroy Wing, sabotage his further missions, and be done with everything, even if that means his own death.
The last time I watched GW in full was last summer, and rewatching it now, I'm struck almost immediately by just how wrong is the label 'perfect soldier' for Heero, and just how right is the label 'suicide boy'. The Japanese audience's tag is quite astute.
From the start, the implication struck me this time that all the colonies are under martial law; there's no designation of which ones (contrary to fanon, which often implies only L2 got the brunt). It's not stated, but I get the impression that the shuttle being blown to bits is not only meant to represent the dearth of communication and travel between colonies and earth, but also to imply the five Gundams were smuggled, almost literally: snuck out under the nose of the Alliance.
Another observation is about Heero's reaction as he enters the atmosphere. He vacillates between down-to-business and a bit of wonder at his circumstances. He notes the civilian shuttle, and seems inclined to take it down, but hesitates. It's as if he'd prefer it not be there at all, and in that moment of "damn, why'd they have to be here?" I saw more of a reluctance to shoot the shuttle, but masked by assessment. When the military cruiser appears, Heero doesn't engage. He flees – and in fact, he doesn't flee with any grace, either.
Zechs' observations of Heero's entry into the atmosphere give me the impression (though not shown on the screen) that Heero's proceeded to make several truly risky maneuvers that could be potentially deadly. It's around this point that he laughs, but he's not in the middle of striking anything down or even attacking; I had the oddest sense (thanks to knowing Episode Zero and Endless Waltz, now) that it was more of Heero expressing his freedom. It feels more like a kid saying, "you let me drive the car to the grocery store, but now I'm taking off for parts unknown – fooled you!" That makes a sharp contrast to his surprise when a command comes in – to turn around and strike back – and his immediate obediance to the order.
Note also his surprise at the order, though it's open as to whether this is surprise at getting the order, or at the contents of the order. Because I don't think it's that he's expected to engage – that is part of the point of the operation, after all – I'd be inclined to read it as surprise that he's got a leash, and that someone's tracking him. Until that point, he'd been acting and speaking as if he had achieved the end (reaching earth) and as if he's making his own decisions, and clearly his personal preference was to avoid engagement.
Zechs is an enigma from the get-go, coming across as somewhat arrogant and far more perceptive than his underlings, but in fighting Heero, he displays not only a high level of skill but also a keen military ability. He sees right off that while the Gundam is valuable, the pilot is more so; he also determines the loss of his Leo to be less important than the information gained by sacrificing it. As demonstrated in a later scene, he makes these choices knowing the political ramifications of ditching an obscenely expensive piece of equipment.
Not only did he get in a good hit on Heero – his strike reduced Wing's operational levels considerably by blowing entire left engine – but when the two mecha grapple, Zechs jumps out without a second thought. He's willing to cut and run to fight another day and be damned with the appearance, and as he drifts earthward, the comment is made that the crew has received all the data collected. Zechs didn't go into battle just to fight a Gundam. He went in to find out what the Gundam could do; that's a sign of a sharp military mind: know your enemy, and learn their weakness.
This is also the point where we meet Relena for the first time. She's imperious, but not spoiled so much as trapped by protocol. She gives her father grief for working so hard, but once he's hustled off, she reveals part of her aggravation is because she really would like to spend time with him. She's with him, but that's not the same as getting his attention, which based on what I saw, she doesn't get. She just gets his company.
I also noticed, while watching the credits, that her friends don't have names – they're girl #1, #2, #3. Again with the contrasts: there's a good thirty seconds of conversation between the friends, setting us up for their impression of Relena, as the space-trotting, super-wealthy daughter of a very important man. For all their gushing before her appearance, when she does appear – and they launch into their lengthy welcomes – her only response is 'good morning'. She's precise with her language around others, almost reticent, although certainly talkative when alone. In some ways she strikes me as borderline clinically depressed. I don't think it's the boredom of a rich girl seeking something new, but something a bit more complicated.
Heero's first words to her are: did you see? Given that her father allows her close vicinity but doesn't seem to see that she wants/needs more as his daughter, Heero's words are a nice twist. He's not afraid of seeing her – which would make sense if we were going with flat literary pattern and echoing her father's apparent inability to 'see' her with Heero's noticing Relena's existence. No, Heero's afraid of being seen, the very thing that Relena craves. That's her power in the strange dynamic, and I think it's part of the reason she seeks him out repeatedly. Just by acknowledging his existence, she can put him on the defensive. For better or worse, it seems to be more of a connection than she gets elsewhere, whether this is because the other party (her father) won't respond to her attempts, or because she's turning away from the attempts of others (her friends).
Jumping over to Treize, I was startled by just how soft-spoken he is, compared to Zechs. In the scene at the opera where Zechs is reporting on the Leo's loss and Operation Meteor, Treize is remarkably low-key. He almost seems to let Zechs come to his own conclusions, and accepts them. Another sign of a good leader – he's not a micromanager. Later, when Treize meets with the political and military leaders, he's subtle but those are definitely jabs. He's drawing a line between himself and the other military leaders. He's willing to sacrifice, like Zechs, something tangibly valuable for information which in itself has greater value, if an intangible one. Treize, after all, now has concrete information about the Gundams that the Alliance lacks except through observation.
The other detail is Treize's soft but edged question about whether Septem and the military leaders are upset about losing a mechanical suit, or a trained pilot. The fact that Treize sees the two as distinct units – that he notes there's an issue there, at all – is great foreshadowing to his leadership style and his perspectives on the people around him. In two episodes, we've got strong hints on just why anyone would follow Treize, and Zechs, away from the Alliance and into OZ, despite OZ essentially being a rebellion of its own, if unconnected to the colonies' issues except tangentially and by virtue of good timing, it seems.
When Heero shows up at Relena's school, and gets told to sit next to her, I'd originally read his silence towards Relena as being cold-shouldered just to her. Rewatching, I think it's broader than that. He doesn't just watch the teacher and ignore Relena; he sits back in his chair and closes his eyes. He's shutting everything out. Taking some class is not on his to-do list, but he can't avoid it, so he just ignores it completely. He's fulfilling the appearance only by the barest of margins, and it bespeaks a type of arrogance, if one that's mostly a by-product of simply not giving a good-god-damn what the students around him think. Unfortunately for him, such standoffish behavior only raises curiosity, instead of shutting it down.
In the first two episodes alone, there are at least four shots – maybe more – of Relena, often long shots at the end of a scene. And she's not looking vapid or worried or hopeful; she looks rather annoyed and quite determined. She's been stymied in some way, but she's sunk her teeth in and she'll hang on. She also demonstrates – although the dialogue is badly awkward and expository in that scene – that she's able to puzzle things out, turn them over in her head, and come to a plan of action. Having her say out loud, "that's why he wants to kill me!" and Pargan assume she's talking about a spy thriller or some such...I cringe. Bad, ham-handed dialogue, but that doesn't undercut the characterization the writers had been attempting: show that Relena thinks about things, and that having thought, she then acts.
As much as it's important that we see that Zechs is a savvy military officer (and is derided by outsiders for his dedication to Treize), and that Treize is both diplomatic and ruthless, it's also important that we see Relena capable of taking a little information, extrapolating, and coming to a conclusion which she then uses as the motivation for doing something. By virtue of position, quick mind, and simply being at the beach at the right time, she's wise to a situation of which her classmates are ignorant (and of which her father seems intent keeping her ignorant, as well). In fact, of the four major characters introduced in the first two episodes, she and Zechs are possibly the most active.
And back to Heero: one part that's always stuck in my head is the bit where he's on the horse. Ignoring the fact that I can name on one hand the animators capable of drawing a horse that doesn't look like it's built from Legos – and none of them were on Bandai's staff, it seems – it's still an odd moment. Animation is not cheap. Any deft storytelling (characterization issues here and there, aside) must recognize that given the choice between showing this moment versus that moment, there's some reason the writers show this moment. So, if Heero is from the colonies, what's he doing on a horse, and can he really ride?
I'd say, no, he can't. I could be way off-base and the writers were trying to show us that Heero has been trained for every possible eventuality, but I doubt it. In that case, it would make more sense to show Heero in the class, jumping fences or some such. But we don't see that: we see Heero alone in the frame, on a rearing horse. He's not thrown but hangs on, and overcomes the horse, taking off at a gallop.
Characterization moment, I think, and it does a lot of work at once. Heero is willing to tackle unfamiliar situations with tenacity; his start may be rough and even somewhat reckless, but he's capable of working the situation until it's to his advantage – in other words, he hangs on until he's recognized as boss. At that point the horse obeys, but not entirely: it's still galloping, but he's got the basic hang of it. It's also demonstrating Heero's flexibility, but there's an underlying note that reinforces his actions in the school's lecture hall. He's skipping class! I know, Duo's the one seen as rejecting authority, but Heero does it as much, if he doesn't feel himself subject to that authority. It's even more striking considering that when he does feel himself subject to an authority – such as the disembodied orders that came through on his descent – he obeys without question.
This is underlined, of course, by following that scene with two others. One is Relena's friend observing that Heero probably doesn't need lessons. I think that's to give us an impression of how Heero's seen by those around him: capable, learned, even at ease with a task. He is that, true, but it's not the entire picture.
The scene immediately following is the one in which he's busy figuring out which missiles to steal – again with the goal of destroying Wing – and at the same time, calmly hacking the school's and the Alliance's computer systems. But he doesn't just hack into the school's system and tell it that he's paid; he actually does pay...just with Alliance funds. I got a very dry but somewhat quirky sense of 'gotcha' from that scene, because that final step isn't required, but he's thumbing his nose. It's the first flash of a real personality under what, so far, has been pretty much all work and no play.
There are four points where Heero's reactions aren't purely that intense, narrow-eyed expression. The first is when he realizes he's finally made it to Earth; for just a few frames, his eyes are wide open, almost Duo-sized or Quatre-sized, indicating innocence and a bit of childlike wonder. The second is when he laughs as he zooms towards Earth.
The third is again that wide-eyed look – a combination of surprise, and a bit of confused worry – when Relena cries after he tears up the invitation. Up until then, his only interactions had been momentary, and Relena had given him a bit of the evil eye, too, for ignoring her polite greeting. But when she's so taken aback she loses her composure, it throws Heero, too. Like with the horse, he recovers quickly and uses the moment to his advantage. First utterance of the (in)famous death threat, and whether or not he truly means it, I think the combination of his affectionate gesture – wiping away her tears – and his harsh words are indicative of his own internal conflict and his ability to improvise. She's vulnerable, and he slams her with a death threat. He strolls away, practically whistling, as if he's thinking: that should shut her up.
The fourth time is when he realizes he's about to get shot. That is so not in the cards, you can see Heero thinking. For one, it's pushing him into a corner. He'd pulled a gun on Relena to get her to stay away, but he'd not pulled the trigger. He's still only threatening, and hoping that does the trick. Again with the contrasts: Heero holds the gun and verbalizes the threat, while Duo just shoots him. And in case we didn't get the difference between the personalities (and their motivations) loud and clear, the writers have Duo shoot Heero a second time.
Ignoring the hollywood-istic "must fly through the air when shot by a forty-five", the fact is that Heero's shot in the arm and goes for his gun again. He doesn't distract Duo, he doesn't go for Relena, he just makes a move for the gun, and hello, he gets shot. Again. Rewatching it last night, I came to one conclusion: Heero wanted Duo to shoot him again. The arm wound wasn't going to kill him; in Heero's mind, Duo hadn't finished the job. Again with the improvising, only this time Heero is maneuvering things around him to achieve his own goal, of a type of failure that ends in his own death. So his shock when Relena bandages his wounds, to me, was not just 'what the hell are you doing, you crazy girl?' but also, 'fuck, no, don't make it all better because then it won't be over.'
Part of the reason I think he's the reluctant hero (even anti-hero) is because we're shown the other Gundams wrecking havoc in various locations. Quatre and his Maganacs ambushing the military in the desert; Wufei and Duo clearing things out. In Trowa's first lines, he observes he'd planned to just destroy one part of the base, but if the soldiers intend to fight him, then bring them on, and he'll leave the entire place a smoking ruin. So first we get the other Gundams creating hell on earth, and then we get their off-duty situations.
That is, we don't get Duo's non-fighting past time, which I think is important. Instead, We see Trowa at the circus, perhaps illustrating his motivations as almost primal or base, but there's a few seconds where Trowa's expression goes from open and almost kid-like to calmly assessing. The only change is the eyes, narrowing, as he comes to some kind of silent conclusion. His actions are studied, if risky; by putting his hand in the lion's cage, he's potentially biting off more than he can chew (so to speak), which echoes his willingness to take everything and everyone on in his previous scene. A cold killer, but one able to subsume his killing instincts enough to be a non-threat to a another predator.
Quatre has the most surreal image in the entire damn series, in my opinion – flamingos? on a reclining Sandrock? – but again his off-duty appearance echoes his original fight scene appearance. Like with Heero, fanon seems to have only watched the first ten seconds and forgotten the rest. Quatre demands surrender; when the soldiers don't drop their weapons, he kills them without hesitation. He's not sad when he says, "you should have surrendered." His expression and delivery speak more of a weary "I told you so." He's not surprised that they underestimated him, but even just these bare scenes are enough to characterize that Quatre isn't bothered by others' impression of him. He's got a job to do.
Finally, we see Wufei buying black market ammunition, in a rare nod to the reality of war. When he first shows up, there's no ranting about justice or honor or any of that crap. In fact, he's remarkably calm, rivaling only Trowa in that respect.
When Duo fights, he's smirking – the eyes are narrowed, the lips twisted just a little – so it's a mix of pain, annoyance, and intensity. Trowa is utterly deadpan, almost bored, to the point I'd hesitate to call him bloodthirsty. He just shrugs, adjusts his plan, and totals everything. Quatre is as methodical as Trowa, but more efficient, demonstrating a strategic sense and only the smallest bit of regret. If I recall correctly, he points out that he's taken down the leaders, and the rest will fall their way without much hitch. When we get to Wufei, he's as calm as Trowa, with an echo of Quatre's efficiency, but there's a twist to his lips that recalls Duo's battle-glee-anger.
With the three (03, 04, 05), I'd even say there are metaphors hiding in their first appearances. After battle, Trowa goes into the lion's den, foreshadowing his later skill at infiltration; Quatre retreats to watch from a distance, foreshadowing his abilities as a strategist to assess and plan; Wufei purchases ammunition.
I think it's important to note that for Wufei to purchase ammunition, he's doing so by essentially working with the enemy (even if they're turncoats). Wufei's prized sense of 'honor', in fanon, would make me conclude he'd never dirty himself by dealing with such dishonorable curs. I'd forgotten about this scene, and the fact that it's only the second time we've seen Wufei, so it's designed to create an impression of some sort. He's perfectly willing to use whatever is at his disposal, and his time off is not spent finding a place to hide, or contemplation, but in actively preparing for the next battle.
If Wufei's non-battle time of preparation implies he's always getting ready for battle even if not engaged, then Duo's appearance in the Gundam – fighting Zechs' men, and the naval mecha – is both a continuing battle-moment and a characterization: Duo does not, apparently, have (or allow himself) downtime. (It's also possible that Duo doesn't see battle as 'up-time' that requires 'down-time' to balance.)
I didn't get the impression that Duo's at the J.A.P. to find Wing, per se, so much as because there are a lot of mobile suits and that's good enough reason to disrupt them. Finding Wing is a bonus point, and one he's more than happy to use for his own ends. His first thought is not 'whose is this, and where is the pilot?' but 'hot damn, spare parts!'
I do think it's important, though, that we don't yet see Duo in a non-battle situation. However, the characterization may still be valuable, as a parallel to Trowa, Wufei, and Quatre after their battles. Duo's second scene is an underwater battle, prompting a Naval NCO to remark, "how can he use a thermal weapon underwater?" The placement of Duo – and the implied unexpected ability to fight in a terrain for which he shouldn't be suited – in what Zechs describes as "quite deep water" makes me think the metaphor here is that Duo has 'hidden depths'.
That's rather obvious when you stop and think, but there's one other thing I noticed. Twice in the second episode, Duo uses light as part of his battle tactics. He detonates a flash underwater, blinding the Alliance pilots and dropping into the middle, striking while they're still adjusting. When Relena looks out to see the two Gundams surfacing, Duo again uses light to blind his opponent, telling her to look away and using the light to block her view; like the flare did for his Gundam, the light puts him in shadow, as well. A light so bright it's blinding is a study in extremes, which fits nicely with his all-black garb; I think like with the other four, Duo's introduction(s) are designed to give us an understanding of how the writers will characterize him. He's a study in contrasts, where Heero is a single straight line that ignores any extraneous information that he doesn't perceive as pertinent to his goal.
Of course, Heero's goal also isn't what it seems. Of the five, he's the only one not out there doing damage; the only damage he attempts in the first two episodes is either under orders (turn and fight), or when planning to blow up his own Gundam. Sans orders, Wing retreats. Big, sharp, loud contrast to the other pilots: Heero doesn't want to fight, and his reluctance is part of what leads him to botch his own mission.
It's possible this failure, as I posited, is due to his own death-wish; it's also possible that his failure was unintentional to some degree, and his unwillingness to allow/accept his own failure is what leads him to assume he must destroy Wing and conclude his mission. But I'd have a hard time arguing with the observation that he sees the shuttle, does not attack, and makes moves to leave both the civilian non-target and the military target. In the end, his actions are simple: destroy Wing, sabotage his further missions, and be done with everything, even if that means his own death.