Tomino brings his Universal-Century-sprawling epic full circle with this final (?) chapter to the Gundam epic. And what an ending it is!

Unlike most entries in the Gundam universe, one doesn't need to have watched the previous series in order to appreciate the story at hand. The story and characters are, once again, the driving force. And since this is a completely new cast of characters, anyone can easily connect with them without feeling left out. Shakti is especially great in this epic cast, the one lonely girl who represents the beauty of humanity while knowing full well that she cannot stop her friends from dying. As characters fight, love and die, the viewer is right there along for the ride. This is especially something when you realize the main cast consists mostly of children. Using the characters as the engine and dramatic mobile suit battles as fuel, the story gradually builds up speed and doesn't let up until the explosion-ridden climax. Even then, the story doesn't end until after the smoke clears and the final body count has been taken.

Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, some of the character designs seemed a bit too "cartoony". This isn't made terrible until compared with the gritty designs of Zeta Gundam, which makes these characters almost seem out of place in their dark story. This was the same with some of the mecha. Technologically speaking, the designs make sense, but seeing a Gundam "volt-in" in midair may raise a few eyebrows. The music was beautiful in a lot of cases, but sometimes felt misplaced; the soundtrack breaks the mood during dramatic moments when the music sounds like a ballet.

As with most created worlds, the end of Victory Gundam may not be a complete resolution to an expansive universe, though it is a very good note to end on. Well... until the next sequel.