I'll be honest. Part of me was certain this film would never be completed. It was announced way back in 2006 only to be put on hold due to the chronic illnesses plaguing Gundam Seed's creator, scriptwriter Chiaki Morosawa. Little was said about the film for the next decade, and Morosawa passed away in 2016. Yet, here we are today with the film completed by Gundam Seed director (and Morosawa's husband) Mitsuo Fukuda.

Gundam Seed Freedom is largely centered around the fallout of 2004's Gundam Seed Destiny. In that series, Durandal announced a plan for an enforced social system where a person's genetics would be used to decide their role in life. Under this system, war would be eliminated as people would find happiness doing exactly what they were "meant" to do. Despite this, Kira and the others choose to fight for free will, believing that peace can come to humanity without the draconian plan devised by Durandal. Years later, the fighting continues.

This film is, in large part, a character piece focused on Kira. The endless killing around him has worn him down—causing him to shoulder more and more of the emotional load to spare his friends the pain he is feeling. It's apparent to many of them that he is nearing his mental breaking point—and they can only hope that the fighting ends before he reaches it. His story is understandable and emotional. He always was a kid with a big heart; even as a young man, that hasn't changed. However, as a side effect of his desire to protect others, he has closed himself off from the emotional support of his friends—isolating him within his own ever-weakening heart.

On the other side of the story, we have Lacus. She spends her time as the face of C.O.M.P.A.S., the multinational military force of which Kira is a part. Unfortunately, this means she isn't able to personally support him as much as she'd like—despite her deep love for him. Their relationship is further complicated by the appearance of Orphee Lam Tao, a man who seems to be the perfect fit for her on an almost supernatural level. And as the two are forced into close quarters during a diplomatic mission, her confusion only grows—and Kira's mental state deteriorates. All this culminates in a scene of a sexual assault. However, it is one that is quickly aborted and neither graphic nor played for titillation. And, most importantly, it in line with the main theme of the film: pre-determined destiny versus free will.

Beyond our lead pair, both the primary and extended cast for both SEED and SEED Destiny all return in one form or another. Much of the non-Kira-related focus is spent on Shin, Luna, Hilda, and the new character Agnes Giebenrath—and the interpersonal drama between them. Mu, Captain Ramius, and Cagalli get a few moments in the spotlight. What's surprising is, despite being the deuteragonist of both SEED and SEED Destiny, Athrun has a comparatively minor role in the film—not even appearing properly till the film's back half. That said, each of our heroes has a decent arc—or, barring that, at least plays a key role in the plot at one point or another. Frankly, seeing the band back together after such a long time is great.

As for the villains, while they do prove to be believable antagonists to our heroes, they're generally one-note. They have cool designs but almost no personality. The only exception to this is the aforementioned Orphee—but even he has to piggyback off a much more memorable villain to seem like a global threat.

There is a lot of playing to nostalgia on the visual side of things. We get to see both older hero mecha and new designs made especially for the film. Moreover, characters and objects from Gundam Seed spin-offs like MSV and Astray appear in the backgrounds, and much of the new technology seen in the film is all based on things we have seen before, taken to a new level. In general, the animation is fast and fluid—and any CG used melds perfectly into the 2D animation style. On the character design front, while there is the obvious addition of fuller lips on several of the main female cast, it's neither off-putting nor distracting. In fact, it makes for a good visual cue that our still-teenage heroes are continuing to grow up.

That said, I have two sticking points with the visual presentation. First, some transitional scenes seem to have been left on the cutting room floor. This means certain characters seem to jump from place to place or mecha to mecha without warning or reason—especially in the film's climax. The second is that the sexual fanservice has been knocked up a few notches in some places. The new flight suits—most notably Lacus'—are considerably more "form-fitting" than anything we've seen before. It feels somewhat out of place in the Gundam Seed world, which is generally much more grounded in reality than fanservice (well, outside of a certain infamous opening theme song, anyway).

Speaking of theme songs, the music in the film manages to be both novel and nostalgic. We get both remixes of classic Gundam Seed tunes and new songs done by Gundam Seed artists. It's a killer soundtrack for fans of the two TV anime and one I'll be jamming out to for weeks (if not months) to come.

All in all, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM undoubtedly feels like Gundam Seed—and that's ultimately the most important thing when it comes to a long-awaited sequel film like this. The characters feel consistent in their execution and the main theme of "destiny" versus "free will" is explored well. Moreover, in retrospect, this movie dramatically improves the often-panned Gundam Seed Destiny. Focusing on how that show's events continue to affect Kira and Lacus into the future gives the film a personal core that easily overshadows the film's weaker elements. If you are a fan of Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny, this film was literally made for you—and you'll be happy you watched it.