*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: The Yomagn’tho, a Solar Ray device for ostensibly peaceful applications, is being tested by the Zeon elite. Chalia Bull, who wants to use the opportunity to kill Kycilia and Gihren Zabi, relates his back story to Machu, and gives her his pistol. However, Kycilia acts too quickly, killing her brother and prompting Nyaan to activate the machine. The Rose of Sharon is used as a weapon that teleports over the A Bao Qu base and destroys it. Machu arrives too late to prevent it, but confronts Nyaan.
Comments:
Hi, Gihren! Bye, Gihren!
It’s funny that Gihren Zabi, the plot point, cast such a long and foreboding shadow over the happenings of the show, but Gihren Zabi, the character, lasts a couple of minutes before dispatched by well-established Kycilia. Just like in the original Gundam TV series, she has her revenge on him for the patricide of their father, Degwin. But here, instead of a hotblooded moment-of-passion from an outraged daughter and sister, it was more of a coldblooded vie for power. Though quite amusing, it is a little disappointing Gihren wasn’t able to stick around for just another episode. I mean, even Cycilia Irene, his secretary/lover, got more lines than he did!
I think it’s safe to say that the best, most developed character in this series is Chalia Bull. He went from a one-episode “who cares” character in the original series that didn’t even make it into the compilation movies, to a wonderfully fleshed out, even somewhat quirky, character in this one. Here we are given a look at his time on the Jupiter mission, in which his partial failure causes him suicidal depression, but then an equally depressing and pointless victory led him to an emptiness that could only be filled by Char Aznable’s dreams of a better world for Newtypes.
“Shirouzu” is seen again here, with Miss Tirza and Dr. Leo Lionni, obviously tasked with working on/with the Yomagn’tho. The good doctor and Tirza meet their end when Nyaan bitch slaps them with the GFreD, but Shirouzu escapes just in time. Was killing Lionni part of the plan or did Nyaan just take it upon herself to do this for some reason? And was Shirouzu aware this was going to happen? It seems to me like he has Newtype intuition. Obviously Shirouzu is actually… Job John! No, Marker! Oscar! Ryu Jose? Kai Shiden? Amuro Ray!
Nyaan racks up what might be the biggest death toll for a single Gundam character ever, or at least rivaling Anaval Gato (who nuked a fleet), certainly in a single act. Firing the Yomagn’tho at A Bao Qu, using alternate universe Lalah as a weapon to kill thousands of rival Zeon troops (rival to Kycilia’s faction, that is) is pretty fucking devious. I mean, even Nyaan is a bit sick after doing it, but Machu is shaking with grief and rage over it and I wonder how she’ll handle it being somebody she knows and shares similar goals that did it.
Just two more episodes!
