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Summary:
In Azadistan, a group is gathered in a mosque to discuss with their leader Rasa on how the legislative assembly is going against God’s teachings. They feel that this land was given by God and that infidels are now being let in, and they fear that the reformists are taking the land from them. The group knows that Rasa has a lot of influence on the people, but Rasa settles them down because he feels that the princess and assembly who have gone against the teachings will eventually receive divine punishment. He thinks they should wait for God’s retribution, but the men are impatient and don’t want this to become a repeat of the Kurdish Republic. They want to give God’s punishment to the reformists and to drive out the infidels, but before Rasa can respond to them, gunfire erupts from outside, and men with assault rifles soon storm the room.
This situation in the Middle East developed due to how countries located there – which had relied on oil exports to support their economies in the past – had lost value thanks to the development of solar power generation systems. By UN resolution, significant oil exports regulations were adopted, and in opposition, some Middle East countries used military force. This became the solar power generation dispute that continued for 20 years. Ravaged by the dispute, the Middle East repeatedly went through divisions and unifications, and six years ago, Azadistan took over the neighboring Kurdish Republic. Although the monarchy had been revived, the difference of interpretation of the state religion divided the people into two sects, and the politically unstable situation continues now.
In the midst of this, Marina learns that Massoud Rachmadi has been kidnapped. Shirin knows that the conservatives will be convinced that this was done by reformists, and she even admits that there’s a possibility that this is true. The problem is that although the solar power generation system was approved by the assembly, not all of the citizens agreed, and the assembly has already had to mobilize their security forces. Shirin fears it’s only a matter of time before the ultraconservatives take extremist actions, and it’d be even worse if Massoud Rachmadi died. Marina doesn’t want to hear such ominous things, but Shirin tells her to think about it so that they can avoid the worst-case scenario – civil war. In fact, protests have already started around the city, and people are burning posters with Marina’s image on them.
Meanwhile, flying over Union airspace in the pink transport, Hong Long is unable to contact the Ptolemaios, meaning that if civil war breaks out in Azadistan, they’ll have to make do with what they have. Wang Liu-Mei then receives a transmission from Alejandro who reports on many skirmishes, but he feels it’s not serious yet. She wants him to evacuate, but he insists on staying because he wants to watch over this nation’s future. He’s also curious to see with his own eyes what Celestial Being does. Over in Tokyo at JNN headquarters, Kinue’s partner has found that, going back 200 years, 138 PhDs have gone missing. As he’s trying to track down the most recent disappearance, a different reporter shouts across the room about Massoud Rachmadi, an Azadistanian religious leader, being kidnapped by an armed group. With this development, Kinue thinks that Celestial Being will probably show up.
Unaware of what’s going on, Saji impresses Louise’s mother by bringing her a pizza, and it turns out that he works part-time at the pizzeria. To make her mother more receptive to him, Louise tells a sob story of how Saji lost his parents and has to live with his sister. Concluding that this is the reason Saji has to work part time, Louise’s mother suddenly warms up to him and finds him dignified looking. In fact, she even starts claiming that he resembles her husband. Back in Azadistan, Marina remembers when she had met with Rasa Massoud Rachmadi to tell him that she had finally decided to ascend the throne. To her surprise, he had been opposed to it, and he explained to her that although this country was newly reborn, the people who live there have history, families, and God’s teachings. A lot of people, including him, don’t like change, and for the sake of peace, someone was needed who is receptive to their feelings.
As Marina is feeling that she might have made a mistake, Shirin comes in to report that the conservatives are boycotting the assembly. What’s more, the reformists have secretly started pursuing military aid from Union. Marina realizes that this will only incite the ultraconservatives, and she questions why Union would help. Elsewhere in the Azadistan, Wang Liu-Mei has rendezvoused with Setsuna and Lockon and explains that they need to let the whole country know that Massoud Rachmadi is safe in order to calm the impending civil war. The problem is that the people of this country dislike different cultures, so Setsuna volunteers to help since he’s from Azadistan. Before Setsuna leaves, Lockon makes it a point to warn him about becoming emotional since this is a crisis in his birthplace. Wang Liu-Mei then informs them that Veda has estimated the probability to be high that Massoud Rachmadi was not kidnapped by reformists, so either the conservatives did it or a third party did.
Walking through Azadistan reminds Setsuna of his violent past here, and he soon notices everyone eyeing him suspiciously. To his surprise, a boy approaches him about buying water, and when the boy learns that Setsuna has been away from here traveling the world for a long time, he excitedly asks Setsuna about the existence of a tall tower that reaches space. The boy then reveals that Marina had said that they’d also reach space some day, and since Setsuna doesn’t know who Marina is, the boy points to her picture on a nearby poster. Seeing her image reminds Setsuna of the girl he had met in Scotland. An old man then comes up to him because he recognizes that Setsuna is actually Kurdish, and he tells Setsuna to get out of here because this is not the place for him.
Meanwhile, still watching over the city, Alejandro comments on Azadistan getting Union help and how they don’t know that there are conservatives in the military too. Elsewhere, at a heavily guarded location, Massoud Rachmadi realizes the need to escape because he knows that the country is on the path of returning to turbulent times. As it turns out, his captors are led by Ali Al Sarshes who is wondering to himself what God is going to choose. Ali Al Sarshes decides that either way, it’ll be war. That night, at the solar power generation receiving antenna facilities, the religious fanatics in the military suddenly rise up against their fellow army members, and fighting erupts between each faction’s mobile suits. Patrolling the skies are Graham and his squad, and when they respond to the incident, they’re surprised to find the Azadistan forces fighting each other.
Graham hesitates because he doesn’t know who the real traitors are, and he gets to make a decision because three particle beams suddenly come out of nowhere to take out three of the Azadistan mobile suits. Graham quickly recognizes the beams to be from a Gundam. Indeed, those shots came from the Dynames, but before Graham can act, Ali Al Sarshes’ custom suit fires an array of cluster-bomb-armed missiles at the facility. There are too many bomblets for Lockon to shoot down, and several end up hitting their mark. After surveying the damage, Graham orders his wingmen to go after the enemy who shot the missiles while he personally goes after the Gundam. He’s able to dodge Lockon’s first few shots and returns fire with his custom Flag, but Lockon blocks using the Dynames’ armor. Graham surprises Lockon further by delivering a kick and tries to follow it up with a plasma sword attack, however Lockon has his own beam saber ready to counter.
As their blades are locked together, Lockon uses the Dynames’ other arm to grab one of its pistols and gets off several shots at point blank range. The custom Flag blocks all of them and starts charging again, but Graham breaks off the attack when he gets an emergency communication about Azadistan forces headed for the royal palace. This leaves him no choice but to abandon his fight with the Dynames and gather his wingmen to defend the capital instead. News of unauthorized mobile suits moving out soon reaches Marina, makes her think that there’s a coup d’état coming, and she’s forced to take shelter. Setsuna meanwhile has already started taking down enemy mobile suits inside the city, and when he finishes with one spot, Wang Liu-Mei sends him to another. It’s almost dawn by the time he flies into that town, and seeing it reminds him of his own insurgent childhood fighting against the same mobile suits.
Because of this, he pushes the Exia to quickly take down the mobile suits, but unfortunately he’s too late. He couldn’t save the children who were fighting, and the sight of their corpses drives him over the edge against the remaining mobile suits. Back at the capital city, Union forces secure the airspace, and Graham wonders if the religious people going out of control invite such tragedy. Despite Union protecting her now, Marina realizes that the fires of anger have been lit inside of her peoples’ hearts, and she blames her own actions for leading this country to war. Seeing Marina crying, Shirin tells her to be resolute because she knows that it’s not over yet. Ali Al Sarshes meanwhile retreats, but he promises that the fun has only begun. As for the Gundam pilots, Lockon eventually locates the Exia standing amongst the rubble of a town, and Setsuna now feels that he cannot become Gundam.
Preview:
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So I guess Setsuna’s final line reflects his desire (and failure) to become like the Gundam that saved him in his own childhood. That’s the only way it makes sense to me anyway. Despite that, I still think he’s fairly sane, at least compared to Allelujah. Actually, now that I think about it, Celestial Being could potentially save themselves a lot of trouble if they switched the battlefields that Setsuna and Allelujah fought in. If Allelujah primarily faced Union and the AEU while Setsuna faced the Human Reform League, then there’d be a lot less chance that either pilot would lose control of themselves.
In any case, I think I’ve said before that there didn’t seem to be a true villain (just shades of gray), but it’s looking more and more like Ali Al Sarshes is that guy. Why he’s inciting civil war isn’t clear though. He’s obviously using his custom suit, but the question is if this is something the PMC wants or something he’s pursuing on his own. If it’s the PMC, it could be that they stand to profit from more war, but if it’s just him and his gang, then there’s something else at work here. We might get to find out next episode since this conflict isn’t over yet, though unfortunately there is no episode next week. Episode 13 will air on January 5th, 2008.
Seems interesting. Too bad there is no ep next week.
Yeah I know and I am so going to enjoy the talk that Setsuna has with Billy and Graham, as well as Setsuna beating up more mobile suits.
This is why I sometimes it when episodes get moved back and does Setsuna face off against Ali G Sarges (sorry if I spelt his name wrong) in the next episode? If so it makes me even more excited.
Looks like emotions running high again this episode…I’ve got a feeling that some people would soon use the eighth picture to refer to a ‘spectacular personality’.
The preview seems to show more interesting stuff, like Setsuna with Billy and Graham (Thanks for mentioning that Phoenix) and the cool picture at the end. Wonder what’s going to happen.
And for the record, an early greeting…Merry Christmas! XD
i am becoming a scrooged, Christmas keeps interfering with my anime adiction!
lol.. i was just watching the best 300 ranking in anime op and ep for the past 20 or 30 years LOL!!! than i realised some 1 uploaded 00 so quickly XD~~~
we’v seen some of the gundam miester’s personality prob… i wonder was the personality prob wif setsuna!!!
ps: heres the link for the top 300 anime ops and eds in 3 parts at niconico
pt1: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm1788150
pt2: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm1788288
pt3: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm1788445
hope omni does’t mind this lol
Looks great……..>_
I’ve read somewhere that Exia and Dynames are gonna get upgrades? So i reckon something big is going to happen on the next few eps?
-squeal- Yes! >.>
NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! -end of the world- I dont want a new OP and ED for 00 next episode! T^^T’ Laruku and BH pwns all. ;-;
awsome…. no ep next week 🙁
No ep next week T_T Noooooooo T_T
“infidels”? “going against god’s teachings”? 300 years and STILL nobody’s slapped down the extremists within islam? you’d think they’d have been top on CB’s list of “people who need to get GUNDAM’D”. X_x
it’s amusing to think that the extremists shown here apparently think it was god who showed them oil and taught them to subsist entirely upon funds from selling it, or something. stupid sand ticks. they make the non-batshit insane muslims look bad. “what’s this? something that might let us stop living in shit? NO! WE MUST START A WAR SO WE CAN KEEP SUFFERING UNDER OUR OWN IDIOCY!”
eeee -Z- makes an interesting point, it’s people like us who make the world go ’round! 😀
When I started reading this episode’s summary, suddenly, the G Gundam OP 1 song started playing in my head, and I haven’t watched G Gundam in hmm… about 34623764864284628 years. @_@’
Setsuna reminds me of Dommon! x_x
Is it me or does Marina seem really, *really* useless? I mean you’re the Queen man, you HAVE to think about these ‘unhappy’ scenarios because they’re REALITY. Moron. Who the hell made her queen anyway?
@Shinn Agami
You read somewhere there going to get upgrades…..are you fucking stupid? I would personally LOVE to know of one gundam series with this kind of plot not getting a upgrade or a new gundam o.o hell screw the plot i would just love too know of any gundam series that hasn’t had that xD
Well im curios as too what setsuna’s overdrive is going to be 😛
Allow me to explain what i mean by “Overdrive” when i say over drive im referring to how in seemingly everyone gundam theres something special about the pilot
Gundam seed/destiny’s “SEED” shit when the pilots go all kill crazy
Gundam wings “Zero system” when his eyes go all yellow glowy and shit or the fact he’s some war crazy freak
As for gundam 00 ive already figured out what 2 of the pilots overdrives are the purple haired annoying bitches is something to do with his fucking freaky eyes and he appears to be able to see things within the ship without being there alujah’s overdrive is his other personality halujah i probably miss spelled there names but oh well
I’m sure other gundam series other then the ones i mentioned have some form of it weather it just be them snapping or what ever however im not well acquainted with all the other series as i watched them when i was younger
Woah!!!!
Setsuna meets Katagiri & Graham face to face?
I’d think Setsuna’s “overdrive” be those glowy wings that are showcased in the OP and from the first Gundam he saw as a child. Setsuna’s is all about melee and speed so I’m sure the wings would be a boost in speed akin to Shinn’s Destiny Gundam.
@Daiske
Main character never got a new gundam in Turn-A, i think…
As for “overdrive”. Don’t know if it will be “human” ability, or just a suit ability, as it happened with fat-gundam.
@Zan
“the wings” are the simple particle system he is using since ep1…
and speaking of dumbasses, graham. ugh…
“oh god I can’t figure out who to shoot ’cause they’re all using the same machines! oh! someone has helped me figure out who the bad guys are! I MUST KILL THIS PERSON BECAUSE OMG GUNDAM!”
The contents of this episode reminds me a lot of what happens today in the real world. *sigh* But I think it’s good that Gundam is trying to reflect that. Brings more awareness I hope, to the viewers.
@Unknown Voice
I should probably point out that the Turn-A Gundam is a very special exception to the usual rule of the Gundam being replaced/upgraded mid-series (along with the Double Zeta Gundam technically). Mainly because the Turn-A was so godlike overpowered that it really didn’t need to replaced or upgraded because nothing stood a chance against it. The ONLY thing that held it back was the pilot not knowing all of its abilities right off (he slowly learned them over the course of the series). Double Zeta was the same way, it was such a powerful machine that it only really got a minor upgrade in the Full Armor configuration, and that only appeared in the second to last episode of the series.
This doesn’t apply to 00 because we’ve seen enemy pilots take on the Gundams and put up a good fight (Graham, Sarshes, Soma, and Sergei). The edge they already possess will only get better as their respective nations develop better and better technology to keep up with the Gundams. Eventually the Gundams will NEED to upgraded/replaced lest the nations eventually catch up to or surpass them altogether.
Look like Saji has captured Mother’s “heart”
Um-hum, medatashi… medatashi ne… 🙂
@Ali Al Sarshes
Zeta Gundam was the series that started the trend for upgrading mobile suits halfway through the series. ZZ followed it with the upgrade from Zeta to Double Zeta, Full Armor only appeared in one episode so I don’t consider it an upgrade, and it has continued in every main series except for Turn A, which was the last Tomino directed series. Bandai wants to market gunpla for all its worth so you can bet your ass that Setsuna will get a new Gundam or at least some type of upgrade.
and speaking of dumbasses, graham. ugh…
“oh god I can’t figure out who to shoot ’cause they’re all using the same machines! oh! someone has helped me figure out who the bad guys are! I MUST KILL THIS PERSON BECAUSE OMG GUNDAM!”
Or, you know, he’s a decent human being and he doesn’t want to kill innocents, whose unstated objective is to go after Celestial Being at the first chance he gets.
The lines. Read between them.
I think the story will end up like this
Eps currently
Exia gets totally busted up by Virtue/Nadleeh
Setsuna gets his ass saved by the gundam who saved him as a kid(Gundam 0)
Gundam 0 pilot tells Setsuna how CB is evil and Teiria is controlling everything
Setsuna upgrades Gundam 0 to Gundam 00
Setsuna busts up the rest of the gundams and kills Teiria and stops him from doing who knows what.
question, what are the role saji and his girlfriend for, beside being a comedy relief and views of a by stander.
^^
^^
^^
Just wait and see.
For a while… ne???
@Fufu Cuddly Poops
……… She’s fricking queen because of A) her bloodline and B) because of her bloodline she is heir to the damn THRONE. Jesus don’t ask a mornoic question like this.
I’m finally proud of them. THEY ACTUALLY MADE DYNAMES DO SOMETHING DAMN AWESOME RATHER THEN SHOOT IDIOTS WHO CAN’T EVEN GET CLOSE TO HIM OR FIGHT HIM WITH RANGE WEAPONS. Been waiting for that for a while. My prayers have been answer.
FInally we see that Setsuna has a goal to become a hero like the Gundam 0 that saved him. The failure to save kids must make him feel like he’s the weakest Gundam Meistar.
Btw, watch is be taht Saji parents are actually the original Gundam Meistar pilots.
Sunrise used that ‘shades of gray’ to make, twice, an awesome villain (Folken of Escaflowne, anyone?) and Lelouch (he IS the villain, in a sense… as of 1st season)
But Ali Al-Sharses is moving to, or to be exact, showing traits of idealistic villain, just like Le Creuset.
Or maybe, the first season is a possible ‘prologue’ for defining future antagonists and protagonists in second season. Maybe the real villain is Setsuna, coming off as crazy idealistic villain 10 years later.
Just imagining too much here…
HOLY CRAPZUR LOLOLOL PWNED
Finally, the location for Azadistan is revieled on this episode… actual IRAN!!
Damn it, well done Sunrise. I guess i twas kind of obvious since the Kurdish insident, still needed a confirmation from SUNRISE.
Sajis role is still really iffy and ambiguous, but the only way that he can fit in with my idea is that
Saji’s sister is the Gundam 0 Pilot.
that kinda explains why shes so hellbent on finding out what the celestial beings main agenda is
that would mean the Gen 2 Pilots of the Gundams would be something like
Sajis sister, Felts dad, Felts mom, and Tieria.(Since hes the founder and whatnots.)
Exia already has an upgrade in Gundam Avalanche-Exia from the side story Gundam 00V but so far that is just a side story and im not sure if it will appear in the series
TRUEST GOATEE EVER.
@Rauzes
Don’t you think Kinue would already know more about CB and Aeolia Schenberg if she was a former Gundam Meister? The theory’s the most incredibly farfetched out of all the theories I’ve seen so far. Can’t Saji and Louise be the simple civilian “silent majority” of 00, until their grander role is revealed later?
gundam 00 like mai otome arika yumemiya and setsuna f. seiei good sunrise lockkon stratos and natsuki kruger allelujah haptism and shizuru viola nina wang and tieria erde good guy hero gundam 00 and mai otome by sunrise cool FOR JOEL PEREZ he rocks gundam 00 i like it thanks you
@LG
I like the fact that Saji and Louise are merely there to contrast the bleakness of the war torn world with the warmth of a familiar setting.
in my opinion that gay glasses guy in the fat ass gundam will betray celestial being cuz hes gay
I managed to find a site with ALL THE GUNDAM 00 EPISODES on it in very high quality, available to watch on demand without having to download! The link is in my name 🙂