[Renegade334]

Originally Posted by blitz1/2

Spoiler for My thoughts.:

(...) backstory of Agnes and the Freedom theft for one, should this be placed in here rather than a flashback or in novels.

Spoiler:

Those bits are actually excerpts of a plot by Fukuda and Morosawa that was supposed to be turned into an OVA. Fukuda left that in as an acknowledgement of past efforts and a possible hook for further SEED series. He did indicate interest in making it if Bandai/Sunrise ever gave him the green light to do so.

Originally Posted by blitz1/2

Spoiler for My thoughts.:

Plot wise. Have Orphee be more calm, and not seem so emotional. Have him be like Fate Kirei...he voices their insecurities, while not openly verbally abusive on Kira.

Spoiler:

In the novel he is initially described as behaving quite gallantly and suavely, like a bishonen prince straight out of the pages of a 1980s shojo manga, surrounded by a glittering halo. Only thing missing is the rose between his teeth and a shiny unicorn to ride on.

That veneer crumbles once Lacus starts rejecting him, because the illusion the Accords built their entire identity around is being dismantled piece by piece. Reality failed to match fantasy and, the more she pushes him away, the less he understands and accepts it. To add insult to injury, Orphee is losing the romantic war to someone he views as a pest, an incomprehensible eyesore and a biological reject.

Originally Posted by monster

Spoiler for The movie itself:

Speaking of characters, I did not expect Kira to have a meltdown like that. I get what Fukuda was talking about that they wanted to have a scene where they slapped Kira, but I would've preferred it if they had done it differently. I personally don't think that scene was needed, but it's fine if they want to have it to be more aligned with some other Gundam protagonists.

Spoiler:

There is (at least in the novel) a rather heavy emphasis on how the entire, never-ending fight against terrorists (and his obsession with shouldering most if not all of the burden) is slowly but surely whittling him down, to the point where it is negatively affecting his relationship with Lacus (missed dinner, etc.) and he even starts wondering whether Durandal actually had the right answer to the problem.

He is stuck with a really Sisyphean challenge where he internalizes all of his issues and, when Lacus seemingly betrays him, it just becomes too much to bear and he at long last starts spiraling. All in all, the Kira seen in the movie is one that has fought for so long that he is on the verge of giving up.

Hell, in the novel (dunno if the movie shows this), Kira and Lacus do just that at the end after the final battle - they go AWOL, almost Shiro Amada and Aina Sahalin-style. They realize they have given too much of themselves and need to heal by themselves. The world can go hang itself in the meantime.