In regards to what many of you had stated, I will have to say that several shows from the Gundam franchise are, in fact, original and unique when it comes to storytelling. On the other hand, other shows sometimes display certain elements that are either recognizable or just simply uninteresting and bland. Personally, there [B][I]are[/I][/B] some Gundam series that I had enjoyed for the past few years.
Gundam Wing was not only the first Gundam series I had seen, but it is also my favorite of all time. It had everything and anything I could ever had asked for in an anime: incredible storytelling, memorable characters (i.e. Heero, Duo, Wu Fei, etc.) , and unexpected plot twists. It is an awesome adaptation of the Gundam franchise. The other Gundam shows I love to watch - most of you may not like them, I may warn you - include G Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam, Gundam Seed, and Gundam 0080.
The most disappointing installment for the Gundam franchise, in my view, was/is the 8th MS Team. Not only was it a short anime series (about 13 episodes, as I recall), but it was almost as if it was a corny yet "sappy" love story. If I wanted to see an anime that containsa storyline similar to Romeo and Juliet, I'd watch Ah! My Goddess or read the play myself. It didn't really impressed me much. Moreover, many Gundam fans, including [I]moi[/I], seem to agree on one thing: SD Gundam ain't our cup of tea. I say this because it is mainly a series strictly for kids or novice fans who couldn't or refuse to understand the premise of any of the previous Gundam shows proir to SD. Although SD doesn't bother me as a Gundam fan, I wouldn't say it is my favorite, and many of you may agree w/ me.
Basically, I don't necessarily see the Gundam franchise waining into obscurity; it is just at mere stalmate. There is nothing original or intriguing storyline-wise, not to mention no new installments to Gundam have been created. I just wish that this sentiment doesn't disturb anyone's allegance to the Gundam franchise, which has grown to be the most popular brand of anime anyone has ever seen.