Releena: Peaceful or Just Plain Psycho?
Is Releena just a bit strange? Or only misunderstood? It's a topic that I've noticed many people (especially those not particularly fond of her) like to talk about. Personally, I think she can behave in a somewhat less than normal fashion....but are any of the characters on Gundam Wing really normal? Releena is only blending in with the odd behavior of those around her.
Take, for example, her life even before she meets Heero and the others. It is already abnormal. She's so rich its absurd. She goes to a private school where she is worshipped by practically everyone. Her father is an important and prestigeous diplomat who doesn't seem to have a terrible lot of time to be a father to her, leaving her to her own devices. She rides around in a pink limo-which is the strangest thing about her, in my opinion. What can she do? If her behavior is different, then it is because she herself is different in her upbringing and her life experiences. Some people would point out the scene on the beach, wherein she extends her arm to Heero as he speeds away in the ambulance, apparently introducing herself to thin air. I think the gesture was of a symbolic, not psychotic, nature-she was expressing her desire to meet more people and make new (not more, if you follow me) friends. I also think that this scence illustrates rather poignantly just how alone she is. The irony of her life filled with parties and friends, but herself being alone in the crowd. A poor little rich girl, so to speak.
Releena's life becomes ever stranger, setting her apart even more, after the aformentioned encounter with Heero. Now comes the "stalker" reputation she seems to have earned. Okay, so she does follow Heero around. I don't consider it "stalking." She was intrigued by him, and wanted to know all she possibly could about him. He was a puzzle to her, a Rubix Cube, and she just had to figure him out before she could move on. I know you people have that same drive to solve a problem before your head explodes with all the unanswered questions. So did Releena with Heero. I don't suppose pursuing an answer to a question could be deemed "stalking."
Now comes the big question: did Releena have deeper feelings for Heero? Was she in love with him? Personally, I think the answer is yes. Had the manga/show run longer, perhaps they would have officially gotten together. In light of a recent interview (as published in Animerica) with the creator of Gundam Wing, there was no "official" romantic relationship, though the possibility was certainly there. The interactions between the two were just too...supportive, I suppose is the word. When Heero otherwise would have killed himself jumping off the building, he pulled his chute upon hearing Releena call his name. The last thing he thinks of in his (many) near-death experiances is Releena. It what he thought was his final mission, he even bids her a mental good-bye. Releena herself can't pull her thoughts from Heero for long. When she's not running the world and trying to ensure the worldwide acceptance of total pacifism, she can often be found murmuring his name quietly to herself. She even dared him to kill her...possibly because she already trusted him with her life, and knew that he would never take it from her. Even if she did believe that he'd kill her, she trusted his judgement, always knowing that if he did kill her, it was for the best, and things would turn out right for the world.
My conclusion? Releena is just like anyone else. She has her quirks. In no way can she be called "weird." If we called everyone who was different from us weird, then we'd all be freaks, wouldn't we?