Paul Fargo of Anime News Network reviewed the first DVD volume positively, giving an overall B+ ranking for the original Japanese language version and a B- for the English dub. He also rated the story and art B-, while assigning the animation a B+ and the music an A grade, while writing "the first five episodes presented on this disc... send Gundam Seed Destiny off on a good start." While noting that "In a way, the whole setup of a Gundam theft at the beginning is somewhat redundant" to the SEED series, he felt "Destiny pulls the concept off more effectively than its predecessor by injecting it with a lot more energy and excitement." Nevertheless, he criticized the plot by saying "For all of its action and hinting around, it's still a derivative Gundam hijacking sequence." Of protagonist Shin Asuka, Fargo wrote "he's barely given any dialogue beyond verbally abusing returning fan-favorite characters," and said that "diminishing his role like this and making him completely unsympathetic is not a smart move at all." An additional criticism of the story was "the issue that we really don't know what the point of the series is even five episodes in." Visually, Fargo concluded that "the animation is a step up from what was seen in SEED," but was critical of "instances of recycled animation" being used so early in the show. Character designer Hisashi Hirai's work also came under fire, writing that "Hirai's designs show no distinct variety beyond hairstyle and eye color, making for an incredibly redundant-looking assortment of characters," but "the mobile suit designs by Gundam veteran Kunio Okawara are actually pretty impressive." Shuuichi Ikeda and Mami Koyama as Gilbert Durandal and Talia Gladys were highlighted for their voice work, and with regards to the music, "Toshihiko Sahashi, who scored the first SEED, returns for Destiny and thoroughly tops his previous efforts." Fargo concluded "this first volume of Gundam Seed Destiny is a pretty solid first entry to this newest installment of the constantly growing Gundam franchise," that while "not perfect" nonetheless "still provides enough entertaining action and subtle intrigue to keep the viewer wanting more by the end."
Writing for Mania.com, Chris Beveridge gave the Odex release of the first quarter of the series an A- rating, observing "Isn't this how Seed began? And how many other Gundam shows?" His comparisons to Gundam SEED and other Gundam series continued with his comment that "A lot of the fun for this season is seeing how characters who survived the first season have moved on," continuing "Most interesting was that it seemed to take almost five episodes before Kira and Lacus showed up which parallels some of Amuro's own journey in Zeta Gundam. It's the parallels to past shows, the nods and winks, that make this a lot of fun to watch but it's also done well enough that it stands firmly on its own." He concluded that "Seed Destiny is some of the best marathon material out there, at least for this set," and recommended it to Gundam SEED fans, saying "I can't wait to get my hands on more of it. " In reviewing the second quarter, Beveridge again assigned an A- and wrote "The Gundam franchise is the only anime series that really tackles the subject of war, the perceptions of it and the numerous effects of it on people, property and relationships to any real effect anymore." He commented "The action scenes are good throughout here with some creative missions set into play," but expressed dissatisfaction with some of the mecha designs: "I do continue to not like the three part nature of Shinn's mobile suit though since it really feels like just a goofy Transformer."
Also writing for Mania.com, Bryce Coulter gave the Anime Legends Edition of first half of the series an A rating and commented "This continuation of Gundam Seed is enjoyable to watch, but the overall plot line is similar in many ways to the original." He also noted that "It really isn’t clear who the main character in the series is suppose to be." Coulter praised the political aspects of the series, saying "The complex, delicate and deadly aspects of the politics portrayed in these episodes ring all to true in our current cultural environment in more ways than one."
Reviewing the final three volumes of the series for Mania.com, Luis Cruz gave volume 10 a B- rating, and a B grade to both volumes 11 and 12. Concerning volume 10, he wrote "Seed Destiny is rapidly approaching its conclusion, but it is more interested in churning out new Gundams, and in turn new merchandise, rather than a compelling story." He also dismissed the inclusion of a recap, calling it "a superfluous episode." While he enjoyed that "Yuna Seiran finally receives the beating everyone has wanted to lay on him since the beginning," he continued by saying "it cannot overcome the fact that this volume is outright boring." In reviewing volume 11, Cruz was particularly impressed with the "poignant moments in Seed Destiny that manage to squeeze their way in between the eye candy of the battle sequences." He wrote "What stands out in this volume is a conversation between Kira and Arthrun... It is a brief but brilliant, thought provoking piece of writing," and also noted "The depth of Durandal's megalomania also provides substance to the story," continuing "He is the villain you love to hate, the perfect blend of charisma, intelligence, and ruthlessness." Concluding his thoughts on the volume, however, Cruz stated that "Unfortunately, there have been only a handful of these character building moments throughout the series. It is frustrating to see these sandwiched as an afterthought between battles designed to move product. They tease you with glimpses of how much more captivating the series could have been." Finishing with volume 12, Cruz summarized the series as "an uneven ride that managed to skim the surface of good, hard science fiction only to retreat into the land of explosions and shiny giant pieces of merchandise." Criticizing the show's attempt to create sympathy for Meer Campbell, he wrote that she was "such a minor pawn throughout the series, that the audience has no emotional investment in her." However, he was more positive toward the series' conclusion, stating "The final battle managed to have some weight to it, a sense of urgency that kept me glued to the screen," but also noting "how similar Seed Destiny's ending was to its predecessor... I know the message of the series was the idiocy of not learning from the mistakes of the past, but one would hope that they could have found a fresh way to cap this story."
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