Last modified: 2014-05-17 by peter hans van den muijzenberg
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The Japanese anime series "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED" [Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED] (2002).
SEED takes place during a messy war between the PLANTS (orbital habitats
occupied by genetically enhanced humans known as 'Coordinators') and the
Earth Alliance (a loose union of squabbling, jingoistic 1984-style
superstates, controlled by normal humans — 'Naturals' — and motivated by
mutual distrust and anti-coordinator paranoia).
Eugene Ipavec, 19 January 2005
image by Eugene Ipavec, 19 January 2005
The flag can be seen at a street
demonstration in episode 36 as an Alliance politician delivers a rant; a
coat of arms with lighter colors appears on the podium in the same
scene.
Eugene Ipavec, 19 January 2005
image by Eugene Ipavec, 19 January 2005
image by Eugene Ipavec, 10 April 2005
OMNI is the Earth's counterpart to ZAFT — basically, a NATO-like military
organization. It serves as the military arm of the Earth Alliance and
is dominated by the most powerful of the Alliance's constantly bickering
member states, the Atlantic Federation.
Eugene Ipavec, 19 January 2005
image by Eugene Ipavec, 10 April 2005
This is a banner that appears at the
peace-treaty-signing ceremony concluding the PLANT-Alliance War in
episode 1 of a sequel series, Gundam SEED Destiny. Basically identical
to the regular O.M.N.I. flag, except for the addition of a vertical
white stripe down the center and a wide golden wreath at the border. It
presumably pertains to the dignitary or dignitaries representing the
Alliance at the signing. Since the entire Alliance delegation seems to
be made up of uniformed military officers, the use of the O.M.N.I. flag
rather than the civilian Alliance one is probably appropriate.
Eugene Ipavec, 10 April 2005
image by Eugene Ipavec, 23 May 2005
Each habitat is a sovereign state, but since the series takes place in wartime, the PLANTs are always represented collectively by the flag of their military alliance, ZAFT.
However, there is also a loose political union; its flag makes an abrupt
appearance in ep. 11 of the sequel series "Gundam SEED Destiny," flying
over a military cemetery along the ZAFT flag. Dark red field with a
stylized horizontal representation of the hourglass shape of a
PLANT-type space habitat — like the ZAFT flag, but with the two solar
mirrors shown (in blue.) Below, the caption "P.L.A.N.T." in white block
script.
Eugene Ipavec, 23 May 2005
image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 April 2005
ZAFT is a military pact that unites the PLANTS. The acronym stands for
Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty. The flag is featured a number of
times in the course of SEED — the clearest view would be in episode 16,
where one serves as a majestically-billowing backdrop for Defense
Commissioner Patrick Zala while he delivers a warmongering speech to the
ZAFT Supreme Council. The central symbol is the ZAFT coat of arms, which
appears frequently throughout the series — usually on display
screens — with several-shades-darker colors than on the flag and the
inscription 'Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty' in black, upward-curved
script nestled under the light-blue flattened circle.
Eugene Ipavec, 19 January 2005
image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 April 2005
A variation on the ZAFT flag, with intricate golden
filigree around the edges. It appears behind the lectern in episode 32,
as Zala assumes the council chairmanship from Siegel Clyne. Based on
the circumstances, I think we can assume with some confidence that this
is either the flag of the ZAFT Supreme Council, or of its chairperson.
The flag may have a golden fringe — I'm not entirely sure.
Eugene Ipavec, 19 January 2005
image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 April 2005
The banner of the Chairperson of the ZAFT Supreme Council. Appears in episode 1 of the sequel series "Gundam SEED Destiny," at a peace-treaty-signing ceremony.
I should also note that the central emblem is meant to depict a
nuclear weapon detonating against the hourglass shape of a PLANT
space habitat, the bloody-shirt atrocity that leads to the founding of ZAFT.
Eugene Ipavec, 11 April 2005
image by Eugene Ipavec, 19 May 2005
The flag is clearly visible behind the Orb prime minister at a press
conference in ep. 9 of the sequel series "Gundam SEED Destiny." It is
turquoise, with the aforementioned arms centered and the word "ORB" in
red-bordered white caps at the center of the sun.
Eugene Ipavec, 19 May 2005