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「彼らの採択」 (Karera no Saitaku)
“Their Choice”
Ahh you got to love it when a Gundam knows how to tease. And by love I mean start questioning just when the goodies are going to get revealed. From (largely expected) reveal previously to now hints of a conflict expected since the start, we are still dancing around the edges of whatever is hiding in plain sight. Based on previous experience this season I’d say we probably won’t get that twist anytime soon – but there’s a season finale rapidly approaching and you damn well know Papa Sunrise isn’t going to let the opportunity go to waste.
With how casually Prospera revealed Aerial’s Gundam status last week, I should be surprised at how equally effortlessly Suletta was roped back into happy times, but ehh, it somewhat makes sense. The big thing this mother-daughter make up session does is confirm that Aerial (and by extension other Gundams) is a black box: no one knows how it works exactly, no one has an idea how to replicate it. Or on the surface. Personally this spiel screams misdirection to me, both in delaying the inevitable reveal of what makes Suletta tick (as Miorine is starting to catch onto) and just what GUND technology, as repeatedly stated, is built on. Why Prospera would want to play this game is anyone’s guess at the moment (though talk of Gundam ideals and mastering space should give a clue or two), but without a doubt don’t take happy mama as innocent mama; this is one determined woman who per prequel fame has a serious axe to grind.
How such secrets get revealed is also likely to emerge through unexpected means via competing corporate interests. To be fair this angle has already been played up earlier this season with Delling and other Benerit Group partners (*looks at Guel*), however this is the first which goes beyond simply eliminating the Gundams, at least at face value. Shaddiq for example is the first rival to emerge which wants to openly use Aerial and Pharact for his own purposes. Unlike Delling or Vim (Guel’s father) there’s no hiding behind prior convention or unctuous claims about saving humanity: it’s pure greed and desire to leave a mark. Shaddiq is making a play to get what he thinks he is owed, yet it’s that action which is likely to throw open (finally) the curtain on what this show is really about.
After all it’s highly unlikely Suletta is going to lose Aerial that easily, and if Elan(‘s clone) cannot defeat Suletta with another Gundam I doubt some purported anti-Gundam machines will be able to do the same. But could those machines, even in failure, happen to discern the truth behind introverted cutie pie and anthropomorphic robot? Oh you best bet on it.
The greatest twists always happen in the heat of the moment, and we’re seemingly looking to finally get this show’s largest one to date.
Preview
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Pancakes, I think characters in the show will be very surprised when the anti-Gundam technology fails to deactivate the GUND format in Aerial. The people with Peil Technologies already indicated that they think that Suletta doesn’t do all the piloting in Episode 7 when they were grilling her, but once the anti-Gundam technology fails, it’ll be clear (to the audience) that Eri makes up the basis for Aerial’s AI and that there is something very different about Aerial compared to other Gundams. I’m sure Lady Prospera/Elnora saying that the technology can’t be mass produced currently is precisely because Aerial’s AI is based on a live human’s consciousness, and she has no clue how to replicate that.
That’s where I’m leaning towards as well, which is where my misdirection remarks are coming from. Either Suletta is some miraculous test tube baby (who may or may not be a clone), or we got a human consciousness-as-AI, either of which justifies the technology’s forbidden fruit status, and why Prospera is playing coy.
Both scenarios make for some interesting choices, particularly on the part of Miorine, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
@Pancakes
From UC Gundam set in 0079 era we had Blue Destiny and EXAM.
From G Gundam we had DG Cell’s infections
From Unicorn we had Phenex
From Gundam X we had D.O.M.E , the 1st Newtype (X)
Not an entirely new concept. But Aerial being Evangelion is the most believed hypothesis.
On the other hand, Miorine does her business plan like how they describe FTX; a bunch of orgy-swinging partygoers Bahaman Kids managing your billion dollars saving and retirement moneys while busy playing mobile legend ….. it is surprising anyone didn’t think this is a money laundering scheme
there are more similarities to Evangelion besides possible human elements in the machine, Prospera is as manipulative and driven by revenge as Ikari Gendou – we just dont know her plan yet
Not going to lie, I was hoping for more of a soap opera drama between Suletta and Prospera. Something along the lines of…
Suletta: I can’t believe you lied to me mother, I am leaving!
Prospera: You can’t leave you’re my child!
Suletta: –I’m not a child anymore! I have a say on how I live my life!
Prospera: You’re my child, when I say you can’t leave it means you can’t leave!
Besides that, I am very excited seeing Morine Rembran taking on real challenges and not running off on her own. Morine is a tough cookie now but imagine these challenges she encounters with Gund-Arm corp helps Morine master the art of being a cut-throat-b***.
It may be too soon for Suletta to do that. She’s been a mommy’s girl for a long time, and this is the kind of lie that can be justified as a “white” lie.
At the very least, the episode has made it clear that this is not healthy for Suletta. Prospera’s “for your own good” justification, surrounded by a halo, sounds deliberately manipulative and it’s raising Miorine’s eyebrows. As Miorine says, Suletta is overlooking the really important questions, whcih contrasts with Shaddiq’s going against his father’s wishes to do what he thinks best for the group and himself.
Agreed with Mistic, IMO it would be somewhat out of character for histrionics on Suletta’s part right now. She’s very much enthralled by Prospera, she believes her mother can do no wrong and that any deviation from that belief can be explained (as shown this episode). That will inevitably change over time, but it takes quite a bit before such conditioned mindset is broken.
I like that this episode shifted the perspectives from previous episodes. This time, Miorine feels like the main character. Even Suletta’s issue with her mother was mostly seen through Miorine’s point of view. Yes, I also like that Miorine is catching up to Prospera’s manipulative side; her face was screaming “I know bullshit from my shitty father, and this smells like bullshit to me”.
It’s also Shaddiq’s turn to play the antagonist, although that was to be expected: Guel Jeturk was the most direct antagonist in the first episodes, then it was Elan, and now it had to be Shaddiq. And since we’re running out of major heirs, I’d presume the last episodes will have an adult as the main menace.
It’s definitely gearing up for an adult end boss. Shaddiq screams enemy of the week, another stepping stone on the path to whoever (or whatever) is actually pulling the strings. Not that it’s a problem, but the intention for his character is quite obvious lol
This series is sure taking its sweet time looking for its own direction. But at least we now have a vague idea where everything will come to a head with some players already in position. I like how its even made clear this episode Suletta is somebody else other than Prospera’s first and biological daughter. I’m already leaning to the Evangelion theories out there.
Anyway despite all my misgivings about this show, a Gundam show is still a Gundam show and that in itself makes it interesting to say the least, although Suletta can be really annoying, at least some other characters are really interesting.
I think what’s causing a good deal of the criticism on the story’s part is the lack of understanding over how long this show will be. 48-50 episode run gives some leeway with the current strategy, but 24 episodes (which isn’t out of the question) raises serious questions about just what we’re going to get.
In either case makes for some fun Sundays coming up lol
Several characters remind me of Zeta Gundam characters. I am getting some serious Paptimus Scirocco vibes from Shaddiq, with his harem who would do anything for him. he is a charismatic person capable of gathering women to his side by either persuasion or manipulation. We even saw the last episode where Shaddiq starts getting Nika Nanaura on his side. A person who is tired of people picking on her because she is from Earth. This reminds me of Reccoa Londe, so I expect her to betray earth house in the next few episodes. Finally, Miorine Rembran reminds me of Haman Karn, a person who does whatever they need to complete their goals.
Shaddiq is definitely shady character here, he never seemed to lower himself to direct fighting in duel as Guel reminds us… he prefers some backstage manipulation, and even teased Miorine about joining up – and I think if his father is stubborn in his anti-gundam views, there might be accident waiting to happen for him
Maybe the accident is that Aerial kills Shaddiq when he attempts to use the technology that can deactivate Gundams.
On a normal Gundam, I’m sure the technology would work, but if Aerial’s AI is based off of Eri’s consciousness, I don’t think the anti-Gundam technology will work.
Would certainly be a fitting way to reveal what Aerial is actually capable of and throw back the veil on what Prospera is hiding!
I dont think Aerial has homicidal tendencies, in fact the entire setup is for showing the healing potential of the gund-arm tech…
Though, should pilot life be threatened, I cannot exclude that turn of events…
Shaddiq definitely might bite off more than he can chew…