Gundam SEED: Special Edition

The Gundam SEED: Special Edition are three special edition videos that were released following the conclusion of Gundam SEED on TV.

Overview
Much like the Mobile Suit Gundam theatrical movies, the Gundam SEED Special Edition movies are intended to be an override of the story from the TV series.

These episodes are in fact a complete recap of all 50 episodes of the TV series and only shown on television in Japan. The Special Edition episodes feature some new scenes and tweaks to previously animated scenes. The first special, 'The Empty Battlefield', which was episodes 1 to 21 of the series, was aired in two parts on Japanese TV in March 2004, followed by the next special, 'The Distant Dawn', which was episodes 22 to 40, in July. The final special, 'The Rumbling Universe', which was episodes 41 to 50. While the story is overall unchanged, there are a few minor changes. In addition, several scenes are re-animated and re-dubbed.

It is believed that these movies were cut to better transition the story between SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny. Others believe also that the special editions were made to correct or add things that wasn't in the TV series from time or budget reasons. It's been mistakly referred to that this is in fact recapped episodes. While that might be the case, they're still movies in their own right.

All three movies were released on Universal Media Disc in mid-2005. Gundam Seed: Special Edition has been licensed for America by Bandai Entertainment and will see released in English in the 2nd half of 2005.

Changes
The transition from TV to movies allowed changes to the storyline of the show to be made for the movie versions.

Part I

 * A brand new 55 second scene showing preparation for the assault on Heliopolis (shows more shots of Miguel and new shots of Rusty)
 * Scenes of Kira and his friends before the bombs going off were redone
 * Newtype flash added when Mu senses Creuset for the first time
 * Debut of Cagalli is retold and a new scene of her conversation with Kira with new footage
 * Athrun and Kira's first meeting during the firefight in episode 1 intercuts with scenes when they were kids instead of being shown slowly with negetive colors.
 * Scene of Fllay emerging from the lifepod (ep 4) and hugging Kira is redone and retold. Also a new 30 second scene of Sai and Fllay conversing has been added
 * The scene with Creuset and Athrun discussing the Strike's pilot is reduced to a 10 second flashback and is inserted into the scene where Athrun lying and thinking about the loss of Rusty and Miguel
 * The Archangel's heading to Artemis and the Battle of Artemis footage had been removed.
 * Athrun's shower scene (ep 8) is lengthened and intercut with scenes of his parents; and the scene following this (his discovery of Lacus' disappearence) is completely redone and moved to be ahead of hatch opening sequence of Lacus's life pod
 * Backstory from the first clip show is never told.
 * New 25 second clip of Lacus trip to the cafeteria onboard the Archangel
 * During the first battle on Earth, it flashes scenes of Kira and Fllay having sex.

Part II

 * Kira's battles with Marco Morassim are reduced to a few frames
 * There is only a few seconds separating Nicol's death from the next brutal battle between Kira and Athrun.
 * When Athrun meets with Lacus in the theatre, the gunmen attempting to assassinate her is removed.
 * Most of the Orb arc is shown with battle scenes being spliced together to create enlarged confrontations.

Part III

 * Background is shown of Azrael as a little boy where his hatred for Coordinators began.
 * Rau's face is shown in the laboratory sequence.
 * In the final battle at GENESIS, Athrun shoots down a GuAIZ Experimental Firearms Type from SEED-MSV.
 * Clotho is killed by Dearka instead of Yzak.
 * Mwu's battered helmet is removed from the debris so Mwu would appear in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.