Showing posts with label mobile suit gundam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mobile suit gundam. Show all posts

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans 5-7

EPISODE 5: Beyond the Red Sky

At Todo's suggestion, Tekkadan enters into an agreement with Orcus Company to guide them en route to Earth. However, Orcus double-crosses Tekkadan and leaks the route to Coral, who then sends Gjallarhorn Grazes to ambush the group. The ambush informs Tekkadan about Todo's betrayal although Todo protests that a Gjallarhorn ambush was not part of the deal. In response to the threat, Orga puts in place his contingency plan, revealing that Mikazuki with his Gundam is on board. While Mikazuki engages the Gjallarhorn, killing Coral in the skirmish, Orcus tries to sink Tekkadan's shuttle. Akihiro arrives just then to lend fire power. Meanwhile, Gjallarhorn Specialist Majors Fareed and Bauduin are tipped off that Kudelia is aboard the Tekkadan ship. As they try to intercept it, their attention is drawn to Mikazuki's gundam. Fareed correctly identifies the unit as Barbatos and tries to attack its weak points. But Mikazuki notices and escapes through the Tekkadan ship before major damage is dealt. In the aftermath, Tekkadan celebrates their victory as they continue on their journey to earth while Gjallarhorn finds itself the recipient of a bound-up Todo on a shuttle.

EPISODE 6: As For Them

After their skirmish with Gjallarhorn, the Tekkadan crew occupy themselves during the downtime with repairs and other maintenance task. Kudelia explains her mission to Mikazuki and Atra while distributing lunches. In the course of their talk, Kudelia finds out that Mikazuki can't read or write so she volunteers to teach him. When other crew members hear her, they also volunteer to join her class. Meanwhile, with Orcus out of the picture, Orga and his group contemplate reaching out to Teiwaz, a conglomerate based in Jupiter sphere, to serve as their new guide to Earth. The task proves to be difficult when they realize that they need a middleman to negotiate the deal for them. Just then, Tekkadan receives a transmission from an angry Maruba Arkay, the president of CGS. On Fareed's ship, Ein asks Fareed to let him join the pursuit force.

EPISODE 7: Whaling

President of the now-defunct CGS Maruba demands the return of his ship, the Will-O-the-Wisp, accusing Orca and his crew of theft. Maruba's ranting is interrupted by Naze Turbine of the Turbine group under Teiwaz, who reveals that his business relationship with Maruba and that he is there to collect CGS property. Biscuit tries to get Naze to support their bid for Teiwaz to guide them to Earth but Naze refuses and Orga draws a hard line with the "return" of property. The disagreement spurs both groups to prepare for battle. Mikazuki and Akihiro are deployed to handle the enemy mobile suits. Eugene pilots the Will-O-the-Wisp while Orga works out a plan to board the enemy ship in a daring maneuver. In the heat of battle, Maruba accidentally spills that Tekkadan's crew have Alaya-Vijnana System, causing Naze to put a halt to the battle and resume talks.

COMMENTS:
It's now seven episodes and the characters still aren't shaping too well. Kudelia is still irrelevant and the other Tekkadan crew are still interchangeable. But the one thing that's changed for me is understanding the relationship between Orga and Mikazuki better. I always found the uneven dynamic between the two rather unsettling ever since that episode where Mikazuki killed a CGS crew member for Orga. I did not like the idea of Mikazuki being used by Orga, an obviously older kid, as a weapon to do all his dirty work: fight battles for him, kill for him. It sends out the wrong message. But Episode 6 explains it a little for me and I'm satisfied for now.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans 2-4

EPISODE 2: Barbatos

Under Orga's orders with help from Old Man and Yamagi, Mikazuki pilots the Barbatos, the ancient gundam used during the Calamity War, and defends against the attacking Gjallarhorn Graze company. After one of their numbers is injured, the Gjallarhorn's commander, Crank, issues a retreat just in time for Barbatos to run out of thruster fuel and Mikazuki to lose consciousness from the shock to his nervous system. Although CGS successfully repels the attackers, they nevertheless suffer heavy casualties, especially among the Third Corps rank. However, when the First Corps return, their leader beats Orga for diverting Gjallarhorn forces on them. Orga takes the beating but plots with his comrades to overthrow the First Corps and take control of CGS for themselves. Meanwhile, Coral orders Crank to eliminate all traces of the attack and to seize Kudelia from CGS. Crank hesitates at first upon learning that he is fighting against child soldiers but reluctantly complies. Back on Mars, a girl named Atra, accompanied by two other girls Cookie and Cracker, from Sakura-chan's farm, arrive at the base with supplies. Kudelia helps them as they prepare dinner for the boys. Atra attempts to give a bracelet that matches her own to Mikazuki but the latter is too distracted with plans of mutiny by the Third Corps.

EPISODE 3: Glorious Demise

That evening, while the boys have their dinner, Biscuit and other Third Corps members serve food laced with sedatives to the First Corps. This allows Orga and his comrades to seize control without shedding more blood than necessary. However, Mikazuki does shoot the First Corps leader point-blank and another protesting First Corps member in payment for their desertion of the Third Corps. This scares the other First Corps members into submission. With CGS firmly under their control, Orga's next challenge is how to financially support themselves. They are informed that most of the company's savings are gone and they only have enough to support themselves for three months, which means they have to find work soon. Todo, an adult former member of CGS, suggests ransoming Kudelia to the Gjallarhorn and pinning it all on the CGS leader. While Orga appears to contemplate this plan, they are interrupted by the arrival of Crank. The latter issues a challenge to a duel with Mikazuki's Barbatos. Mikazuki accepts the challenge and, after an intense fight, disables Crank's Graze. Mikazuki then steps out of his gundam to speak with Crank, who asks to die. Without hesitation, Mikazuki draws out his gun and shoots Crank. After witnessing all that happened and knowing the financial status of the newly-named Tekkadan, Kudelia decides to continue with her mission to Earth and hires Tekkadan as her escort, thus, solving Orga's financial woes for the moment.

EPISODE 4: The Price of Life

Tekkadan plots a course to earth, avoiding Gjallarhorn routes. In order to accomplish this, they need a guide. The course would take them through an area of space used mainly by civilian companies. Todo volunteers to contact the civilian company, Orcus, claiming that he is good friends with the CEO. Meanwhile, Specialist Majors Fareed and Bauduin from the Gjallarhorn base on Earth, conduct their inspection of Coral's base. They discover that a company of Gjallarhorn forces (Crank's company) have been dispatched to Mars and has not returned. Coral excuses unconvincingly that the move was to suppress a riot. Meanwhile, Orga sends Dexter and former human debris (slave) Akihiro to formalize the name of the company from CGS to Tekkadan. While Tekkadan is busy arranging Kudelia's transport, the latter speaks with her sponsor who wires her the money for the mission. Mikazuki later invites her to Sakura-chan's farm where they have a little light fun helping Sakura-chan, Atra and the kids harvest corn. Not too far away, Fareed and Bauduin investigate the site of the recent battle. Fareed deduces that Coral had attempted to kill Kudelia in order to remain in good graces with Earth and, thus, not have to worry about Fareed and Bauduin's inspection report. Later, they run into Mikazuki's group at Sakura-chan's farm. Mikazuki attempts to strangle Bauduin for apparently running over Cookie and Cracker. But Sakura-chan stops him and Fareed makes peace with the girls by giving them candy. As Kudelia is about to join them, her secretary, Fumitan, leads her away to hide from Fareed and Bauduin. Back at the base, Orga shows to everyone Tekkadan's new logo: an iron flower.


COMMENTS:
Okay, I think I'm dropping this show. I don't like the art and the character designs. I don't like the characters. I don't like the implication that Orga is using Mikazuki as some sort of personal gunman, who kills and fights for him. Especially since I don't get why Mikazuki is so enamored with the dude. Also, if it was this easy to overthrow the adults, why didn't Orga never try this before? 
Kudelia is annoying. None of the characters are likeable.


Tuesday, October 6, 2015

First Impressions: Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans

EPISODE 1: Iron and Blood...

300 years after the war between Earth and Mars, known as the Calamity War, the inhabitants of Mars live peacefully in the terra-formed planet. Two children, Mikazuki Augus and Orga Itsuka are orphans who grew up together within the ranks of Chryse Guard Security, a civilian security company. When Mars colony, through Princess Kudelia Aina Bernstein, decides to travel to Earth to lobby for Mars' independence, Mikazuki and Orga are among those hand-picked to serve as her civilian security escort. However, before the convoy can leave, Chryse headquarters is attacked by a military group known as Gjallarhorn. When Gjallarhorn arrives with mobile suits, Mikazuki defends the princess on board a relic gundam from the Calamity War.


FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
I like it so far. Much of it reminds me of Gundam Wing. I loved that series. Although Mikazuki is no Heero Yuy and Princess Kudelia is no Relena Peacecraft, there's enough similarity to give that feeling of nostalgia.
I'm not a mecha fan but I've been known to dabble in a mecha series or two. 
This one worked for me. I like the touch of politics and war. Stuff like that always fascinates me. I hope there's a bit of romance, too. Then this would be perfect.