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「いさなとり」 (Isa Natori)
“Whaling”
What one takes away from this episode hinges on, I expect, what one brings into it.
I have no quibbles with this episode of Iron-Blooded Orphans, and I expect it’s going to be greeted quite favorably, as it should. No reason why it shouldn’t – it’s a very solid mecha action ep (though I would argue less compelling than the exceptional 5th episode), and puts all its footsteps in the right places. One might very well be watching Gundam mainly for episodes like this, and that’s as good a reason as any.
It’s odd, then, that as good as it was when all was said and done I found the episode to have been a little flat. Part of that no doubt comes down to expectations – with Nagai Tatsuyuki and Okada Mari involved, what seems most intriguing about Iron-Blooded Orphans is its potential to go to places other Gundam series don’t usually go, not its ability to step nimbly in the regular stomping grounds. Though, that it does step so nimbly as it does is a testament to the versatility of a director and writer who don’t usually do this sort of thing.
I think I missed Fareed McGillis here, too – he’s the most interesting of the antagonists we’ve met so far because he’s so hard to predict. By contrast this week’s foes are pretty standard-issue – especially Maruba Arkay (who at one point is actually reduced to running in place and flailing his arms in fury). Somewhat better is Naze Turbine (Toriumi Kousuke), captain of the Hammerhead – the ship that intercepts the Tekkadan. Naze is at least smart enough not to take a buffoon like Maruba seriously, but he’s pretty clearly a zaku – it’s his boss McMurdo Barriston, the leader of Teiwaz, that seems like the guy who’s going to be a real factor in the story.
The dynamic among the Tekkadan boys is pretty clear – Biscuit wants to negotiate, Mika just waits for the go sign from Orga, and Orga thinks about the big picture. Orga is smart enough to realize that having Teiwaz as an enemy would present Tekkandan with huge problems, but also that Biscuit is negotiating from a position of weakness. As it stands, Turbine has nothing to gain from giving Tekkadan a good deal – I suspect he’d probably make good on his word to spare them and even give them some work if they surrendered unconditionally, but I wouldn’t want to be in a position to bet my life on it.
I do find the character-driven nature of content like last week’s episode, with its focus on the larger injustices at the heart of Tekketsu no Orphans and the feelings of the principals, to be somewhat more engaging than this straight-ahead tactical battle drama – I think the creatives behind this series are more at home in that mode – but this is still solid Gundam. The confrontation with the Hammerhead and it’s seemingly all-female combat team (so far caricatures, but perhaps with more development to come next week) is well-done (happily, the curry survived), and Orga’s plan to turn the battle around a suitably clever stratagem.
The key takeaway here is that Orga is formidable beyond his years – he understands both that the only desirable outcome of this encounter is an alliance with Teiwaz (winning this battle would mean losing the war) and how to go about achieving it (finding a way to negotiate from a position of strength). I’m not sure how realistic it is that a teenager with Orga’s backwater background would have this level of tactical sophistication, but it sure makes this an easier story to tell that he does – chalk it up to good instincts and necessity, I suppose…
Preview
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Enzo’s review of IBO in a nutshell:
Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san!Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san!Okada-san! Okada-san! Okada-san!
SAO2 reference:
https://youtu.be/XdIuKx-rXpw
Not in amazing taste but Enzo could probably do well to ratchet down the focus on Okada, both from a reader point of view and for their own enjoyment. As they themselves said most people would think it was a great episode, but they thought it was flat just because of their expectations of the writer, not from a quality pov but rather direction of the story. Personally I would not let personal expectations get in the way of enjoying a great episode/show. Just enjoy as it is, not how you wish it were.
Hey, in his defense, he toned it down a lot compared to last week, he only said Okada once here.
Sometimes (if not most of the time), I think that G.E. intentionally trolling us with this Okada-love stuff :))
Since I keep seeing people complaining about the Okada SHAFTing (pun intended) the episode every, single, week.
But then G.E. come up again with the same Okadashian stuff the following week.
It starting to feel like reviewer is reviewing Okada Mari instead of the anime itself…
For someone who has been enjoying this show greatly since Ep1, and was hyped like the YT reviewer Chibi at the end of this episode(I recommend him just for the fun and share of joy with nothing deep), Enzo’s weekly review, Enzo’s tone, is now just so…like Professor Severus Snape trying so hard to fail Harry’s, no…Hermione’s homework every week.
As an Asian, I have been peeking RC for a long long time for my curiosity of English-speaking fans’ opinion on the same stuff compared to the reaction from the Asian community.
Now Enzo’s like deliberately trolling everything I valued RC out of other blogs,forums,etc for: that is plot-focusing, well-rounded, bias-restrained reviews written by some experienced anime fans, and quality discussion in the comments.
This coverage on Gundam IBO has become Enzo’s own garbage bin to freely dump his Okada-hatred and “expectations” whatsoever, and increasingly more comments are focused on retaliate upon him rather than the anime(Sadly mine adds up too). Even though he only mentioned Okada once, I don’t understand why this review of a brilliantly done, seriously, brilliantly done episode still smells just fundamental disapproval, mean, and disappointed (because again Okada failed to FAIL).
I just feel sad.
I basically agree, it’s shocking to me how much worse this show is being reviewed here as compared to other sites. It’s like every compliment Guardian Enzo gives is painful to him/her (I don’t know). This is strange when every other review I read is ecstatic about how this is in the running for the best show of the (admittedly weak) season.
I doubt that it’s a way to troll other reviews and forum posts. It’s just very very dry. A large part of this episode review can be summarized in this way “Well, if you like mecha anime this episode is good, i guess”, like he wasn’t interestend in the genre or format to begin with. Too bad that he choose to do a per episode coverage of a mecha anime. The meme about Okada has more heart in it that those reviews and it’s very sad. No real reaction, emotion or genuine criticism, just cold exposition and minor nitpicking. Even the short impression written by Stilts for the monthly impression was far better than what we got untill now, with the obvious exception of the episode reviewed by Samu. In short: don’t put someone not interested on a genre or a format just for an (Okada) whim.
Stilts is special, he is used to the written word. The lines slips easier out of his mind. But Passenger is not far behind. but, i like all bloggers here. it is just that some are pros and some do it as their hobbies. but all of them spent their free time, to bring us this here
So respect that, please
At this poing, I’m 99% sure that Enzo is just using Okada as a recurring gag of his blog t0 troll us…
Now you are trolling
Please Enzo, please hand this over to Samu or Zephyr.
It’s sad how I actually have to say this because you used to be one of my favorites here in RC, particularly your Hyouka review, which was very well thought out. But your IBO reviews? They’ve really let me down. Only IBO review on RC that was good was Samu’s when you were on leave.
Because some are not happy with Enzo, they want to give others more Workload? This is a selfish desire
No. We can use smartphone votes ala Gatchaman Crowds to decide on this or else the Kuu-samas will eat us. Oops. Wrong show.
I wanted to say the same thing a few eps ago. Guardian Enzo’s overanalysis spoils the immersive experience for readers. That’s not the way to blog if he or this site wants to retain readers.
I think you meant zako not zaku, an apt typo for a Gundam series.
As to the female characters, Twintails is not the best female character ever to say the least, but the (I assume) leader of the Hammerhead’s mech pilots seems like she will be better. I’m just glad there are some female pilots, skilled ones at that, even Twintails. She was just about the only one to give Mika much trouble so far.
Actually, before going out to battle, the dark skinned adult engineer told Mika that he wasn’t able to finish the engine’s tuning and reparation. And when Mika connected to the terminal, he noticed that Gundam’s joints were not working properly and he said that he would do something somehow.
So, technically speaking, if Gundam’s condition were to be as good as the girls’ Mobile Suit, Mikae would be winning. And then i am sure that at some point they would be able to tune Gundam to the ultimate machine.
Well the girl hasn’t gone through any operation, so they are even.
This episode also showed that, even with two feet in the grave, Mika can take the whole world with him.
@banzemanga
True enough. Still, it’s good to see that maintenance problems are taken more seriously than the usual “Miracle! Go to the hangar and the machine is as good as new!”, even if it’s just for one episode.
Since they went to space, Gundam Barbatos has been suffering more and more damage and they don’t have the resources to repair it as it should be repaired. Taking a look at its current state, I won’t be surprised if it becomes a plot point in the next episode.
They can only do Quick fixes in the Ships Hanger, they need their Stuff on the Planet Surface. or an Pitstop to fully repair the Mechas. They only have small parts of Spare parts… Compare it with the Quick fixes of battleships, small fix they can improvise. But destroyed parts, must be repaired in an Ships Dock
Hikasa Youko in gundam, life was worth living lol
For the girls, I think we can reasonably guess that they are picked from Teiwaz-run pubs or brothels. Partly the harem is justified by who Naze is. As (possibly one of) the successor to a mob-related tycoon, it’s weird to not be surrounded by girls unless you are gay.
And since nobody seems to notice it,the Japanese official site says Amida is Naze’s big-wife, and the twintails is his lover.
ship sure sails in this episode
That was quite something with fanservice being the first thing we’re treated to in this episode. A little fanservice is okay though, with just a few seconds to admire Lafter’s legs and Kudelia’s curves. The other thing you can’t not mention is that fight. Tekkadan really earned their being called Iron-Blooded Orphans. They’re big risk takers with Orga coming up with reckless plans and everyone just goes along with them. Years of being soldiers have really toughened them up.
Also…
– Maruba has some nerve running away with the money and leaving his men to get wiped out, only to come back and demand his ship back. As much as the guy’s a jerk I’m actually glad he was on that ship, as his ego and big mouth caused Fellin…I mean Turbine to have a change of heart. Either like everyone else he hates the concept of using children for human experiments or it’s something very personal to him.
– I don’t see how Kudelia is going to be able to wear a spacesuit helmet with that hair of hers. It’s waving all around in zero gravity. No complaints though since she’s still pretty.
– I’m really getting more vibes from the 8th. MS Team now aside from Gurren-Lagann. Like Shiro and his team, Tekkadan aren’t exactly ace pilots, nor are they well-funded and prepared. Budget for maintenance and supplies is a constant worry for them and almost every turh the odds are against them in a fight. Not to mention right now enemies they faced aren’t exactly afraid of the Barbatos since to everyone else it’s just an antique Mobile Suit. I guess it’s a slight contrast from past series where when soldiers see a Gundam they get nervous.
– I already thought that Akihiro looked like Guts from Berserk, but wow he shined in this episode. The guy who looks like Guts definitely has guts. That’s got to be the first time I’ve seen a mobile suit pull off a desperate move like grabbing a leg and punching it off.
– Interesting Mobile Suit Lafter has there, on how it hides its arms by default. It’s like the thing is giving a handicap in a fight. Lafter only brought the arms out when she was seriously in trouble against Mikazuki.
Lafter’s suit is more of a mobile armour anyway – it’s basically a rocket with two HE shell-firing autocannons strapped to the side. For those hit-and-run tactics, arms are not needed; in fact, the suit may “lock” them so the precise AMBAC calculations are easier.
You know what Orga nad Mika dynamics remind me of? >)
They’re Pinky and the Brain.
Yes, Pinky and the Brain.
One is a genius, the other’s other insane…
LOL
Hey, Mika is only insane some of the time. Most of the time, he’s a pretty down to Earth kid. :p
And at least the two have more obtainable goals other than “taking over the world”. 🙂
I wouldn’t say Mika is insane. Sure, he loses his temper and self-control when provoked, but so far he hasn’t gone on a killing spree for no apparent reason.
What an exhilarating episode! My heart was in my mouth most of the time. I really enjoy how the characters take advantage of the space topography.
https://randomc.net/image/Gundam%20Tekketsu%20no%20Orphans/Gundam%20Tekketsu%20no%20Orphans%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
And good tactics used when they invaded the enemy ship.
Amida is quite a cool woman.
https://randomc.net/image/Gundam%20Tekketsu%20no%20Orphans/Gundam%20Tekketsu%20no%20Orphans%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2012.jpg
I don’t know why it didn’t dawn on me until right now that they are encountering asteroids because they were on their way to Jupiter and thus have entered the Asteroid Belt. LOl
Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!
Somehow the magic word OKADA and NAGAI is still present.
Stay tune for the next episode review! OKADA!
Not much I can say except another great episode.
Oh, and legs…and butt…and…yeah…
Female pilots, finally! And good ones to boot. Although I’m not so thrilled about Lafter, she’s a bit annoying and I don’t like her character archetype (another Nena Trinity, please no)… Oh well, we’ll see.
Good to see some disagreements in Tekkadan. Biscuit is shaping up to be the Reason of the group. Eugene shines as a Person Who Yells At People From A High Chair. I’m liking the Tekkadan crew more and more. I was afraid for a moment that Akihiro (or Orga, as per every week) would die, but fortunately it’s not this day yet. I really enjoy his awkwardly warm relationship with Mikazuki.
Takaki’s already reading pretty well, isn’t he? Seems that Kudelia’s lessons are paying off… Speaking of Kudelia, her scene with Atra was a bit weird. I’m glad to see the girls are friends and not letting pesky things like shared attraction interest ruin it. Good job with avoiding the love triangle so far.
The absence of beam weaponry necessitates some interesting tactics, which is very refreshing.
Beautifully hand drawn and VERY GRITTY space battles brought to us by Sunrise. So much sasuga in one episode alone. I don’t know how are they going to top it off in the next skirmish. It seems that there is a lul in between battles which is really great. IBO strike a balance between awesome battles, world building and character developments.
I do hope Turbine and Teiwaz end up as their long term allies coz Tekkadan really needs the infrastucture and resources to repair and fine tune the Barbatos after every skirmish especially if the mech will take that amount of damage in every engagemet going forward.
Oh joy. Attractive female pilots in Gundam. I can’t wait for Gundam to make them die pointless deaths with little fanfare. At least they can actually pilot well and not be put into the kitchen.
And speaking of the kitchen, I really wish they’d actually do something with Kudelia. Whatever good impressions I had with her is starting to fade away. This whole “I feel useless” arc is fine but its been going for 5 episodes already and its testing my patience. All it does is make her look like an idiot that you wonder how she even got any political influence.
At least the action is still good. I especially like the emphasis on ship-to-ship combat one of the rare treats that Gundam rarely does. I also like how kids of Tekkadan are actually shaping to be recognizable people. Eugene probably came out a sthe best here, stepping up on the command chair.
I thought she was getting better already. The scene where she watched the Isarabi do a close pass at the Hammerhead was obviously showing her change in character – whereas she was cowering in fear during the battle of the 1st ep, now she’s unflinching when faced with mortal danger.
Narratively, she can’t simply switch to a Kudelia v2 either because then her character would have nowhere to go. She’s already the VIP who wants to change the world; if she also finds her use in the small-scale stuff, she will become static rather quickly…
So it took her five episodes to step into the bridge during a battle and contribute only two things: Jack and Squat. That’s truly the mark of great pacing.
Right now her character arc is boring and not progressing at all. And there is also the fact that the writers feel the need to keep pointing out that she is useless as if the audience was stupid. Heck, I thought the part last episode where she would teach the kids to read might have been the end of that subplot but apparently its not. Just have her do something already!
These complaints seem built on an odd understanding of her character. Unless something strange happens, she’s likely NEVER going to contribute something to the space battles. That’s not her role. She is the load quite literally, she’s the client they have to escort and protect. The question isn’t ‘when is she going to get off her ass and do something?’ The question is ‘is she well written as a character who is fundamentally powerless in the situation she’s in?’
If you think she isn’t I guess that’s your prerogative but don’t be mad because she hasn’t started to ‘contribute’ yet.
Except it isn’t. When did I ever say she should contribute to battles?
And I understand perfectly what they’re doing to her character. They are just sticking her around as a pretty face to move the plot. Until they actually do something with her she’s just a waste of time.
I repeat, they ARE doing something with her. You said it yourself. “Move the plot.” That is her role. That is what she does. That is what she contributes.
“So it took her five episodes to step into the bridge during a battle and contribute only two things: Jack and Squat. That’s truly the mark of great pacing.”
Maybe if you’re not expecting her to contribute to the fights, you shouldn’t complain about her not contributing to the fights.
Again, if you don’t like her as a plot-mover, fine I guess, but that’s what she is. It’s like saying Zelda is a bad character. Well yeah, in a way she is because she doesn’t do anything. But she’s not intended to do anything. The writer isn’t trying something and failing, they’re succeeding at something you simply disapprove of. That’s fundamentally different.
I think fragb85’s point is that if Kudelia is there just to move the plot but not do anything on her own, then she may very well be that expensive piece of furniture, quite literally. In other words, you dont introduce characters to move plot and then waste screen-time.
To be honest, I agree with that sentiment. But I already expressed that week ago.
I’ve already wrote my piece about the importance of Kudelia, but I do feel the need to defend her in this case. I can understand your argument when you factor in the bigger picture, considering the history of female characters in Gundam and how they are usually under-written compared to their male counterparts. That’s a product of men not knowing how to write girls, simple as that.
However, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt this time. As KaleRylan points out, Kudelia’s role is not to be the action hero, or at least that’s not how she’s being set up for now. She featured much more heavily in episodes 2-4 when we saw more conversations between her and the cast, learning about the political climate of Mars, and got a better idea of where she fits into it all + since the first episode, she’s already shown growth and proved that she’s smart in who she trusts.
If I were to back to an argument that GOT fans like to bring up, it’s the Sansa/Arya comparison. Both sisters are the opposite of each other in just about every way, and that’s intentional. Sansa is not going to pull out a sword and start chopping people’s heads off, and Arya isn’t going to convincingly present herself as a demure lady and soak up all the politics of her surroundings. Once you adjust your expectations for a character and (if the writer does a good job) come to expect realistic developments from them, then that’s when you’re likely to appreciate the character much more.
Similar to Sansa, Kudelia is not going to hop into a mecha suit or start leading a space battle. That’s not her job. Since the story right now is focused on action/space battles, this is the time to focus and develop the characters that thrive in that environment, and that’s exactly what this episode did. Once we get back on land, I’m positive the focus will go back to Kudelia as she gets involved in the political side of the story. But, if done right, the events that she does witness in this space battle period should develop/harden her and make her sympathise and understand the people she is fighting for, which should make it all worthwhile in the end.
tl;dr: Just because Kudelia isn’t active in the action going on right now doesn’t mean that this won’t be important to her character arc in the grand scheme of things. Wait for her time to shine before deciding she’s a weak character. We’re just over a quarter into the story, so there’s still plenty of time for more character development.
“Discount Nena Trin… Wait, that was Yoko Hikasa?!” *removes a sin*
Amida’s giving me Balalaika (Black Lagoon) vibes, which is very good. And that comment by one of the Hammerhead‘s bridge bunnies** about Biscuit’s name made me chuckle. (Something along the line of, “Sounds delicious!”)
And finally, after this episode, I’m pretty certain Orga is a more badass version of Yuuji Sakamoto from BakaTest.
Now to see if Tekkadan will gain something substantial in their negotiation with the Turbines…
(**- Can anyone confirm if that bridge bunny was voiced by Haruka “Milleina” Tomatsu?)
Just to clarify: The Okada Bashing (TM in progress) is just because there will be a moment when she’ll drop the ball bad, as simply as that.
As for the chapter, one of the WORST things out of Gundam 00, Nena Trinity, is replicated here, and if Yoko Hisaka thought that doing a yandere could possibly change her usual MO (clumsy, lovable characters), she went fully wrong. The whole SlutSquad just seems to counter the initial fujo push of the first episodes. Aside that, Tekkadan has standed still: Bisquit the Lawful Good, Orga the Chaotic, Mika the Drone and Kudelia the Useless Furniture (if she don’t do something when reaching Earth, then it will be over for her chara develop).
SlutSquad?
Your Post is clearly an Rant about the females in this entire Series. Your comment should be deleted
I think it’s quite clear. Orga is a street kid. To survive past his childhood he needed to be both smart and learned in canniness.
That’s the romantic view of what a street kid is… But in reality, that’s not what happens. In fact, you can see it by all the other kids in the show. Their past is similar to Orga’s past, but normal kids, there’s nothing special about them, besides their maturity for their age.
I think it’s the case that Orga has out of charts talent and can act on instict, like a wild animal. That would match the new-type pilots of older Gundams.
They are not normal kids but trained soldiers. That’s what’s special about them. Orga is their leader and has already led them in combat before the series even started, so he knew tactics and what his group is capable of. From this standpoint the series is quite different from the usual format of boys that fall into the cockpit without training or experience.
It’s not just the street smarts or, as Sandys says, the fact that they have been trained to fight. Heck, even Maruba points out that he hired them and made them undergo that painful operation so they could be useful as “space-rats” (let’s remember he was the only one not completely surprised by that sneak attack at the end, because he knows what they are capable of).
There’s something else: responsibility. Before this series started, Orga was the leader of the children. They looked up to him and trusted him to deal with their bosses. That means some talent and experience. And Orga said in the previous episode that he was that way because Mika has always been looking to him for guidance.
So, yeah, when he has the backstory, the skills, the attitude and the motivation, you just need a bit of “natural talent” to justify the results.
Rather than realistic, I find Orga’s character quite credible given his harsh circumstances. Realistically, very few teenagers can pull off what Orga has done in this series and I think realistically his plans wouldn’t work, but this is a fictional work set in a fictional universe, so there has to be some appropriately unrealistic qualities about the characters, otherwise the crew would have died, end of story.
Seriously, Enzo is not interested in this series. Probably he was expecting the usual trainwreck Gundam series, the kind that nobody misses when reviews are discontinued, with the added incentive of having Okada as a writer. This was not the case and in a season full of garbage it’s one of the few good show around. He is continuing with the reviews because he can’t be replaced at the moment, however is heart is not there. It’s really a shame because this type of coverage is just uninteresting. I can’t say that he provides a real critical analysis. It’s just the point of view of someone that doesn’t really care and writes because he has to. Yeah, many professional reviewers are like this, but i read Random Curiosity for something different.
Gotta agree with you that, at least based on my reading, Enzo doesn’t seem particularly interested in IBO, more like he’s just blogging it just to blog it. And if that is the case, which it may not be, I’d suggest just dropping it and leaving it for someone else. If you’re not enjoying writing about it, then why would anyone enjoy reading it, amirite?
As for Okada, all I’ll say is that I think any writer would be flattered to be given so much attention and scrutiny, warranted or not. That being said though, hindsight really is 20/20 and I prefer to wait until at least the halfway point to start critiquing such things.
Maybe I’m alone here, but I don’t mind a Nena Trinity clone (it’s not as if Gundam isn’t known for recycling popular character types, and yes, she was very popular in Japan), as long as they take the ‘psycho’ part out.
Also, I must say the more episodes I watch, the more I like Tekkadan. The whole crew, not just specific characters. You can sense the “family” feeling, and one of the points that touched a nerve with Ouga was Turbine’s saying that they won’t manage to stay united for long.
Screw Mars’ independence or interplanetary politics; at this moment, I’m much more invested in these kids’ struggles.
I would say that she reminds me more a mix of Puru and the Shrike pilot from Victory with war pictures made with the lipstick. She’s also going to be an ally of Tekkadan, so those who think of a Nena (psycho, traitor and a cold blooded killer) clone are jumping to conclusions too fast.
I don’t know. Am I the only one who enjoys this series so much that I am much willing to put this in a year’s best list when it ends? Well, that’s assuming it sustains what it is showing so far. Revolutionary may not be the word to describe this episode but it is not certainly flat, unless we’re staking this episode against Mushishi, Gurren Lagann, Evangelion or Code Geass here.
… and I also wonder why Okada is pinpointed as something that brings this series down. If anything else, her Okada-isms are not as prominent as in her other shows and at least, brings decent development to the characters.
For curiosity sake, if this was written by some other person, would your reaction will still be the same?
You’re not the only one. I think highly of this. It’s the only series that gets me so pumped up for the weekend this season. Definitely one of the best animes of the year with Kuroko no Basuke for me. ^_^’
Me too. Gundam Orphans, raised fast to my Top Anchor. i can not wait for Sundays now
I wouldn’t call Kuroko no Basuke Season 3 best (although it’s good) but let us ‘raise our flags’ and spread the greatness of this new Gundam anime. LOL.
Still trying to find out if I like this or One Punch Man over the other.
I hope they never get back to Mars. The episodes in Mars were pretty shitty. These ones, in space, are 100% awesome.
Well, remember that they left their families (Biscuit’s grandma and sisters) and the rest of their group on Mars, they do have to come back and continue on with their business, especially if Orga wants to use it to make a home for his men. And Mika wants to eventually start that farm.
We really get more and more nuance with our Band of Brothers crew of Tekkadan. All of them shined this episode, and it wasn’t just for their good points, but for their bad points too.
The argument between Biscuit and Orga was an interesting one, and I can see both sides of the argument. Now that Biscuit knows more about Orga and Mika’s relationship, he knows that the moment Mika said that he didn’t want everything to be broken up, negotiations were over. Orga said once that if Mika was against the plan, then that basically decided it. The same thing happens here. Orga is caught and trying to decide what is best, especially with so many counting on him and Mika watching him. Biscuit wanted to negotiate more, which I admit would have been a better course of action under better circumstances, however, at this time, I don’t think it would have worked. Naze wasn’t going to listen to them, and his “offer” would have put all the orphans in the exact same position they were when they started, with someone owning them. Also, CGS property, probably also includes the Human Debris kids that were recently freed, I can’t agree to any offer that might lead to them back in bondage again.
Orga is right in that if they don’t make a stand here and become their own entity, no one will acknowledge them or take them seriously, which will spell doom for the company and the kids. Orga is fully invested in Tekkadan and making it a home for all the boys under him. He’s not going to dissolve it after only a few weeks. And in the end, even Biscuit goes along with him, as all of Tekkadan would follow Orga to Hell and back.
he girls are interesting, and the three that went out somehow reminded me of Azula’s Angels from Avatar:TLA. Did anyone else get that vibe?
These three lovely ladies had our boys on the ropes and Mika was in the hardest fight that he’s ever been in before. But I guess it can’t be helped that Barabatos wasn’t fully repaired yet either.
I knew the minute that Orga disappeared off the bridge and wasn’t seen for a while that a plan was getting cooked up. Akihiro and Mika against Azula’s Angels (yes I’m going to keep calling them that. ), while Eugene and the crew fought off the ship, but that one last fight with the smokescreen, which I’m pretty sure wouldn’t work in space, but whatever, was such an awesome moment, especially the Wrath of Khan moment where the two ships were about to collide!
And then the fact that Orga and his team boarded the ship in mid-collision? And Mika’s eyes when he was about to outright murder that girl?! It was a good thing Orga’s voice pulled him out of it or it might have put a wrench into the negotiations. Aw, man was this episode awesome!
I swear Enzo’s just trolling us all now…
Enzo my anime bro, it’s been five years since Black Butler Season 2. You got to let it go already dude.
What happened in Black Butler S2 that caused irreparable damage to Enzo? O_o
I don’t know about RC bloggers, but many were upset by the very existence of Black Butler II (calling it a cash-in and stuff) since it’s an original story and totally alters the ending of the first series. I personally liked it more than the first season.
One of the most compelling episodes I’ve seen in a while. The battle really had me absorbed.
I don’t want any part a’ this ‘Okada/Nagai’ thing you guys have going on here, but I’mma say that this particular iteration of Gundam ain’t doin’ it for me due to all kinda reasons. In any case, just to let a dude air out his fantasies for a bit, I wish that Gundam as a whole would utilize more realistic and grittier visuals, stories and designs in addition to incorporating some really “FUCK IT, THIS IS WAR!” kinda music. Y’know, something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdN9731rgFc Or this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCy5461BtTg Heck, maybe even this entire album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbmly16NhBk
Like seriously man, if these kinda things were included Gundam would be so heavy-duty it’ll make the average story about war, geopolitics and socioeconomics feel like child’s play!
If you haven’t realised, THIS Gundam is targeted more at children.
Didn’t the watchdogs complain not long ago because this series was too violent for children? That scene where Mika executed unarmed prisoners comes to mind.
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-11-09/scene-in-gundam-iron-blooded-orphans-causes-viewer-complaints/.95182
really? then Nippon’s Children are on the same stairs with Western Adults… Impressive
It’s marketed primarily for boys from 14-18 years old. Actually this is also the target of almost all the previous Gundam series, with the notable exception of AGE which was a failed experiment for a long list of reasons and also ended up being very similar to other installment instead of something built for childrens. Also Tomino said that G-Reco was for childrens, however this is just his typical way to be controversial, especially considering that the fanbase of that series consists mainly of old time fan of his old tv series.
How come no one has commented on the glorious music playing this episode? It certainly has a 19th century sea battle feel to it
Gundam partner with Macross.
The Zerg are here missing. But the “Warmth” of the Bonding’s between humans, is here. And why not, as long it helps to grow, and build in pretty reasonable, i like it
Ep 08:
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