My primary thought when I saw the first episode of Gundam Wing on Cartoon Network about four years ago: I like this. It was different than anything I had ever seen before.
I'd had experience with anime before, such as the English version of Sailormoon, Dragonball Z, and Tenchi Muyo. But none of them could compare to this show. Everyday I would look forward to coming home after school and sitting down and watching my favorite show. In fact, I liked it so much, I watched the whole series a second time when they reran it.
I know that Gundam Wing is a somewhat political show, but I didn't find it that hard to understand when I first saw it in the seventh grade. Maybe I was too preoccupied with the awesome mobile suit battles and the intriguing relationship development between Heero and Relena to register what any of it really meant, but when I rewatched the series a couple of years later I could still remember the storyline like I had watched it yesterday.
I don't know about anyone else, but I only had one person to talk to about the series: a sixth grade girl named Samantha on my bus found the show just as interesting as I did. We would talk about what we liked most about the show, what had happened in the previous episode, and the differences between the daytime and nighttime runs of the show on the way home. When Gundam Wing's run on Cartoon Network was announced to be over, both Sam and I were outraged. I remember feeling so sad; I would never see my favorite show again. It was no suprise when Sam and I stopped talking — what else was there to talk about if not awesome mobile suit battles? Feelings about Relena? How cool Heero is?
Imagine my delight when I realized on my fifteenth birthday that I had been given enough money to buy the box set and the movie! I was literally jumping for joy. I owned the whole series, and I could watch it whenever I wanted!
This show has been my favorite for years. I can't explain why I like it so much. I just do.