Submitted by existential1 in Anime
Just power-watched them both (00 for the first time). I still like Wing better even though 00 was supposed to be the updated version of it.
Wing has a significantly better scored show, which for me is huge. 00 leaves behind some of the cultural/character flaws (wu fei and his code, heero and his violence), which is overall a positive, but it doesn't create very strong (in the narrative sense) characters.
00 uses contradiction as a motif for nearly every character in the show, which hits with Sumeragi Lee Noriega but just is..well...boring with the main character Setsuna F. Seiei to the point where they give him a different drive altogether to become basically neo from the matrix.
Now for the role of Gundams. In Wing, Gundams are the flawed representatives of an oppressed group sent to eradicate the people who are preventing their freedom. In 00, Gundams are literally a savior complex (effectively taking the worst element of one Wing character, Quatre w/the Maganac Corps, and implicating everyone with it) incarnate terrorist group that intervenes in war anywhere, against anyone. The role of Gundams in 00 gets more complex than that over time, but not by much...and it thus reeks of "both-sides" theory that I personally find contemptible.
Obviously, 00 has more modern drawing and cgi...which sometimes is terrible but is at least average for most of the show. 00 also does not have as much recycled content as Wing, which is one of the worst aspects of Wing to me. Wing repeatedly uses the exact same cut of Gundams using their weapons or enemies being destroyed. I'm sure it saved some money back in the day, but it is definitely noticeable when binging episodes.
I could say a lot more, but that's my quick take.
moonlune wrote
Are the series self contained?