Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

An Anime Review - Bonus Content

Studio: Sunrise | Released: 2002 | Duration: 50 Episodes | Streaming on: Crunchyroll

Hi Everyone!

We’re gonna launch right into it! This next entry might be pretty divisive for some, but if you grew up in Canada, chances are Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is most likely the first Gundam installment you ever saw (Thanks YTV!), and because of that, it will always have a special place in our hearts.

Putting the nostalgia aside, Gundam SEED is a stellar combination of solid character-building and explosive action scenes; that we’ll continue to recommend over and over again. And the fact that it also takes place in an alternate timeline makes it an easy series for those who might not be familiar with the whole Gundam franchise to find out what Gundam is all about.

Now, if you want to find out more about the series, such as Plot and Creative Process, we’d recommend checking out our video review of the series here:

Though if you’ve already watched it, and are here for the Bonus Content, don’t let us stop you and just keep on scrolling.

As we promised in our video review, we’ll be exploring the idea of gene-editing in further detail over here on our blog. We will warn you now though, that we’re not experts on the subject, and can only share with you the information we came across while researching this topic. So consider this nothing more than an amuse-bouche to get you started. If you want to get to the really meaty part of the topic we suggest checking out some real experts here.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way let’s get started.

What is gene-editing, and how can it be used to create super-humans?

I guess the first place to start with is what is gene-editing exactly? Well, gene-editing is defined as “the manipulation of the genetic material of a living organism by deleting, replacing, or inserting a DNA sequence.” The way I like to picture it is to imagine that your DNA code is laid out in front of you in a sequence, like this:

Then imagine that a scientist comes in and alters the section between point B and point C.

Now maybe that sequence between B & C is an allergy to strawberries, and going in and cutting that sequence out deletes that code and essentially your allergy. (Strawberry shortcake anyone? Yes please!)

Or maybe that sequence is actually what makes your eyes brown, and swapping it out and replacing it with a new code now makes your eyes green. (Nifty)

Or even better, what if the scientist could insert a new sequence into your DNA code that made you immune to smallpox?

Really the possibilities are endless. And though, at the moment altering human genes - which is known as Eugenics, raises a lot of ethical concerns, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t seeing gene-editing at work on a daily basis. Does the term GMOs ring any bells? That’s right, I’m sure that if you’ve seen or read the news lately, then most of you have heard of Genetically Modified Organisms AKA GMOs, especially when it comes to agriculture and food. I mean, it’s kind of hard not to with sensational headlines about drought-resistant corn, or anti-browning apples, or even extra juicy tomatoes. Admittedly those are some pretty interesting cases, but chances are that, in fact, most of the fruits and vegetables that you’ll find in a supermarket have had some kind of genetic modification. Actually, quickly coming back to the tomatoes, did you know that the first multicellular living organism to have its genes successfully altered was a tomato? No, it’s true! In 1984, scientists successfully created a tomato with an added gene to counteract the enzyme polygalacturonase (PG), this is that pesky gene that causes tomatoes to rot prematurely. By countering this gene, tomatoes could now have a longer shelf life. These new genetically engineered Tomatoes were called Flavr Savr, and by 1994 they appeared on grocery store shelves. This started a whole new variety of genetically engineered food to begin being produced, which helped reduce food shortages and waste.

Ok, well, that’s nice and all about the tomatoes, but what about Super-humans? Well, in the same way, that we can manipulate the tomato’s genes, we can also apply the same principle to manipulating the genes of other living organisms too, including those of humans.

Wait!? So if we can create tomatoes with a longer shelf life, can we also do the same with humans? Umm… if you mean, could we make it so that humans have a longer life span? Then - ya, some scientists seem to think so. So imagine, not only could this new technology be used to find ways of preventing things like hereditary diseases and HIV/AIDS. And even one day potentially Cancer, but it could also even lead to the possibility of being able to reverse the aging process. Which would allow people to stick around for centuries rather than mere decades.

What could this mean for society though? Good question, which conveniently brings us to our next segment -

What could gene-editing mean for the future of the human race?

Now when discussing gene-editing, it’s no surprise that many people would be wary about what such a thing would do to the future of our society. Not only could there be socio-economic and political consequences, but there could be psychological, ethical, theological, and even biological repercussions as well. And frankly, it’s okay to be wary.
I think it would be foolish not to be because really, we have no idea what would actually happen. All we have are hypotheticals about likely scenarios. Some of which we’ll go over now:

Wider Socio-Economic Gap:

One of the biggest concerns is about just who exactly will have access to this technology first and how expensive will it be? The fear is that only the rich will be able to afford these “upgrades” as some put it and that, that could lead to further socio-economic imbalances. Already people with more wealth have access to better schools, top-of-the-line equipment, connections to people in positions of power, etc. If not handled fairly, gene-editing could create an even wider gap, where only a select few would be able to buy athletic ability, intelligence, and even a perfect bill of health.

Superiority Complex:

Will those who have had their genes edited feel superior to those who haven’t? Well, that would seem like something that would concern us lesser beings now wouldn’t it? But if history has taught us anything, it’s that any group can be taught to feel superior to another. If that weren’t the case, we wouldn’t have racism or sexism or even ageism, so this seems like an unfair criticism towards designer babies specifically. Gundam SEED shows us that it's possible for both the Coordinators and the Naturals to feel superior towards each other. Coordinators because they’ve been enhanced, and therefore are more advanced, and the Naturals for being, well, born naturally, as nature intended. It’s important to note, that not everyone feels this way, and that Gundam SEED also showed that both Coordinators and Naturals can accept and even love each other as well. Demonstrating that living together in harmony is possible, as long as you keep both your mind and heart open.

Little-to-No Diversity:

There’s no use in pretending that there aren’t physical traits that are more appealing depending on your geographical location. If you’ve taken any anthropology classes, this is just a fact. So now the question is, who gets to decide which traits should be promoted and which ones should be erased? We’ve seen some bizarre trends just in plastic surgery, where there seems to be a "sameness" developing between patients, and people are looking more and more alike. Now imagine parents taking that into their own hands so that their children are given those traits straight at birth. Even worse, imagine Governments taking that into their own hands. Not only could there be whole generations that basically all look the same, due to a battle of the trends. But there could also be certain governments or factions that might use this technology to push their own ethnocentric or racist agendas in their perspective countries or even in those of others. A dangerous thought indeed.

Low Fertility Rate:

Another concern is that gene-editing could lead to low fertility rates. And in Gundam SEED, they actually address this point by stating that every new generation of Coordinators is more and more infertile. Does this mean that Coordinators will die out? Our vote is no, maybe natural births will decline, but with things like “in vitro” fertilization, and so on, I doubt that the human species would just go extinct. I mean, just look at pandas, they have literally evolved to no longer be able to reproduce and yet science has found a way to keep them going. So, do I fear for the human species or Coordinators in that regard? Not really. If films like Godzilla or Jurassic Park have taught us anything over the years, it’s that Nature always finds a way. Unless, for some reason, it doesn’t, and then science finds a way.

Super-Soldiers:

Ok, well, what about the fact that countries might try to create super-soldiers as ZAFT has done by employing coordinators in elite units like shown in Gundam SEED? Weirdly, or maybe not so weirdly, this is probably the concern that most people instantly associate with the creation of super-humans, and I don’t blame them. I mean when I think super-human, Captain America immediately comes to mind. Not only is he arguably the best member of the Avengers (On this, my mind will not be changed), but he also happens to technically have been created to be a super-soldier. Of course, he’s portrayed as one of the good guys, and he’s only one, but imagine an army of super-soldiers commanded by leaders with nefarious agendas? I mean, there are a couple of regimes that come to mind, where should they possess such an army, I would definitely feel a tad ill-at-ease, to say the least.

Now, having listed all these concerns. I’m sure many of you might be thinking, “Well, with such a high possibility for something to go wrong, why is anyone even pursuing this field?” And you’re right, there is a lot of potential for someone to use this technology in a harmful way, BUT I like to think of Eugenics as a double-edged sword. Sure someone could use it for evil, but the study of gene-editing could also do a lot of good and benefit all of humanity.

I have to say, as someone who lives with multiple chronic illnesses, I feel like gene-editing is a potential opportunity to give people a better chance at living a fulfilling, successful life. Having a healthy body that you can rely on really allows people to focus all their energy on building the life and future they want. When you are struggling with your health, in any way, it immediately impacts every aspect of your life. If human gene-editing was a thing when my mother was pregnant with me, I’d sincerely hope that my parents would have chosen to give me the chance at a life with a perfectly healthy body. I think most parents hope to have healthy children, so imagine if doctors could guarantee it? I know this topic can be controversial because every existence brings an important point of view, and chronically ill people have a lot to contribute to society as well. I’m not going into that right now. All I’m saying is that personally, I find being chronically ill can be exhausting and overwhelming, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I would prefer to have a healthy and reliable body instead. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion on the matter, and gene-editing may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it can also seriously improve the quality of life for some, and that’s important to keep in mind.

So, we’ve already looked into both the potential problems that could arise from gene-editing, as well as some of its benefits, but now what’s the likelihood that any of this will even happen in real life? Which brings us to the next part.

Could science-fiction become reality?

I mean, that’s the real question. Will we live in a world of Naturals and Coordinators? Benders and Non-Benders? Wizards and Muggles? And I guess the short answer to that is yes, it’s absolutely possible. And has actually…technically…already happened? In 2017, a scientist from China was able to successfully modify the genes of two embryos to be HIV resistant. Sure, there was a lot of backlash from the scientific community for doing so. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s already happened. And I doubt it will stop there. Eugenics would be such a monumental step for humanity that the world is probably just trying to figure out what the best possible approach to it is. As well as how they’re going to keep it all regulated responsibly. And with good reason, because there are many ethical and human rights concerns involved. Even if the majority of people believe that the pros far outweigh the cons, there will always be those who believe that we have no right to be essentially playing at God.

As we mentioned in our video, and even illustrated here, gene-editing is quite the slippery slope. It’ll only take one person to push that snowball down the hill before it’s too late to turn back. And as soon as the Scientific Community is given the go-ahead, the world as we know it will be forever changed.

We can only hope that when that time comes, we try not to repeat the mistakes of our past and that we remember that the Us vs. Them mentality never benefitted anyone.

So that’s it! This turned out much longer and much more complicated than we had first anticipated lol. But we hope you guys found it interesting because we definitely did :) Though, we’ll probably take it a little easier on the next couple of videos haha..ha (Seriously, I need a nap)

Till next time - Stay safe out there, and as always,

~ Stay Obsessed

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