i recently finished buying the new double-disc sets of Zeta Gundam and finished watching the series for the first time through. i was, overall, fairly impressed. there was a lot more of a mortality rate than in most other Gundam series.

the characters are dynamic (though i find myself liking Char/Quattro far less in this series than i did in original Gundam or especially Char's Counterattack), and the plots is layered very well. it's got a very diverse cast and some excellent mobile suit designs. Scirocco is a great villain, more of a psychological player than a straight-forward fighter (though he's no slouch in a mobile suit).

also, i think it's great to see the growth of government throughout the UC Gundam cannon... watching Zeta made me appreciate the end of Stardust Memory far more than i did when i first watched through it. and the ending of Zeta, well... not going to spoil it. it was nothing like i expected.

and, of course, i can't forget: four murasame is awesome.