*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: Because of Nyaan’s victory, the Pomeranians are near the top of the Clan Battle Rankings, poised to take on the leaders in the next match. Machu is still recovering from discovering Nyaan piloted the GQuuuuuuX. Chalia Bull requests his mobile armor, the Kikeroga, be brought to the colony. Xavier Olivette’s contact suspects Chalia is plotting to kill Kycilia Zabi. Machu overhears Annqi planning to sell her and Shuji out to the Zeon. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Gates Capa oversees artificial Newtype, Deux Murasame, pilot of the Psycho Gundam. Machu seeks Nyaan’s assistance in helping Shuji. Chalia saves Xavier from being killed by Side 6 security agents. Xavier wonders if he’ll have to take him out to protect Kycilia, who arrives at the colony.
Comments:
So much happened. Except combat, there was none of that, aside of Chalia saving Xavier.
This episode is definitely showing off its FLCL influence (it’s co-written by Yoji Enokido and directed by Kezuya Tsurumaki) with the shot compositions and characterization. Take, for instance, the shot of Nyaan meeting her courier contact under an overpass, which could just as easily be Mamimi from FLCL. Or the living spaces in which Machu and Nyaan dwell, with Machu having a lot of room in contrast with Nyaan’s cramped living quarters. It represents their different lifestyles, with Machu privileged while she seeks to be free of a boring life, while Nyaan just wants friends and is suffocated in her poverty/loneliness. Machu is essentially the Naota of the show, where Nyaan is Mamimi (albeit a more self-aware one).
Chalia Bull is definitely up to something. First we saw him quasi-plotting with Char Aznable in the second episode. Recently, he’s basically ignoring his duty to find the Red Gundam (though in this episode he’s making some inroads), name-checking Gihren Zabi’s security forces, and just being generally shady. Is he really planning on killing Kcyilia Zabi, especially on behalf of Gihren? Is he also planning on taking out Gihren eventually as well? Xavier is told not to trust him, but does he have the competence to take out a crafty guy like Chalia?
Annqi is a traitor! I was pretty surprised to see that she’s cutting deals with Chalia Bull to get the GQuuuuuux back after the next Clan Battle. The Zeon also have intel on where Shuji and the Red Gundam are hidden. But, to be fair, I think Annqi could just be trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Zeon could just seize the Gundams at their leisure whenever they want, but at least with the deal Annqi made, the Pomeranians can get one more victory and prize money before they have to give back the Gundams. Still, I feel like she folded a little too easy, especially for somebody whose been especially supportive of Machu.
Another big revelation is the appearance of Bask Om, the most hateable scumbag Titan from Zeta Gundam. Here, he seems to be part of a more guerilla outfit, but nevertheless in charge of overseeing illegal experiments that produce artificial Newtypes and manipulating them into deadly combat, as in that show. Gates Capa is here as well, personally caretaking Deux Murasame, just like he was attached to Rosamia Badam. If they’re really bringing the Psycho Gundam into the colony, there’s going to be a lot of carnage.
Man, Bask Om? I hope he meets an ignominious end like he did in Zeta Gundam.
